Hanukkah Family Fun Activities LA

Events

8 Days of Free, Inexpensive Events in Los Angeles Area

During each of the eight nights of Chanukah, December 22-29, there is something fun going on every day that's affordable or free to do for families with kids in the Los Angeles area. There are lots of Festival of Lights events each day and night, too numerous to list them all, so here are our top picks.

Sunday, December 22 - Light Candle #1
Chabad of the Valley, 6-9 pm 
Chanukah Concert, Food & More
City Walk, Universal City
FREE

Monday, December 23 - Light Candle #2
Young Israel Century City, 6-8 pm
Chanukah in Africa Food, Entertainment
9317 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles
$50/Family, RSVP

Tuesday, December 24 - Light Candle #3
Laemmle Fine Arts Theater, 7:30 pm
LA Film Fest Fiddler on the Roof Sing-Along
8556 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Ticket Information

Wednesday, December 25 - Light Candle #4
Chabad of North Hollywood, 6 pm
Chanukah Train Rides, Dinner, Arts & Crafts
13079 Chandler Boulevard, North Hollywood
$15 kids/$25 adults, RSVP

Thursday, December 26 - Light Candle #5
IAC Shepher Community Center, 6 pm
Community Art Menorah Decorating & More
6530 Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills
FREE, RSVP required

Friday, December 27 - Light Candle #6
Young Israel North Beverly Hills, 4:15 pm
Chanukah Shabbat Services & Dinner
$25 kids/$45 adults
RSVP required, call 310-276-7650

Saturday, December 28 - Light Candle #7
Sherman Oaks Galleria, 7:30 pm
Chabad Hanukkah Menorah Lighting & Treats
Entertainment includes Menorah Carved Out of Ice
15301 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks
FREE, Details

Sunday, December 29 - Light Candle #8
The Grove, 5:30-7 pm
Village Synagogue Hanukkah Menorah Lighting
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles
FREE, Details

For more Chanukah fun, recipes, and DIY menorahs and other holiday craft ideas, visit MBE's Hanukkah Inspiration Pinterest Board.

Happy Hanukkah to

Everyone Celebrating!

Elf Pets Fox Cubs Christmas Giveaway Review

Movies

MBE partnered with The Elf on the Shelf for this review and giveaway

New Family Entertainment for Christmas

If you have young kids celebrating Christmas it's very likely that your children have been asking lots of questions lately about how Santa Claus manages to travel around the whole world delivering presents all in a single night to every good boy and girl. Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale, the newest animated movie now available in-store and online on DVD from the people who brought us The Elf on the Shelf, answers those inquiries and so much more. 

Image by The Elf on the Shelf

Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale, based on the children's book Elf Pets: An Arctic Fox Tradition, is a new twist on the classic story of Santa and the elves. Through the eyes of a Scout Elf named Newsey Noel, the North Pole's star news reporter who is invited to accompany the jolly old fellow on his annual Christmas Eve journey, little ones will learn how the man in the red suit magically pauses time so he can deliver gifts to everyone without being detected.

The new DVD includes

• Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale Animated Special
• Movie Trailer
• Sing-along Version
• Making of A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale
• Filmmakers Commentary

Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale Giveaway

Mommy Blog Expert is excited to be partnering with Elf on the Shelf to celebrate the new DVD that kids will love with another giveaway. See below for details on what you can wi9n and how to enter for your chance to win one of the two fun prize packages we will be giving away.

Elf Pets Christmas

MBE Giveaway
on Instagram

Thanks to The Elf on the Shelf, TWO (2) lucky MBE giveaway participants will win a 3-piece prize package that includes the new Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale DVD featured in this review; The Elf on the Shelf which includes the popular Christmas book and one of Santa's Scout Elves; and an Elf Pets Arctic Fox book and plush with its own magical glow in the dark snow globe pendant. To enter this Elf on the Shelf sweepstakes we're hosting, visit this MBE Instagram post. Hurry, this giveaway contest ends on December 25, 2019 at 12 am PST/3 am EST. The Elf on the Shelf is providing the prizes and is responsible for delivery to winners.

More About Elf Pets and Elf on the Shelf

Elf Pets: A Fox Cub's Christmas Tale is available on DVD ($9.95) nationwide. For a limited time from now through December 31, 2019, this kids title is also available free for streaming on YouTube in the U.S. and Canada here. The Elf on the Shelf, published by CCA and B and written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell, is a best-selling Christmas picture book that comes with one of Santa's Scout Elves for your child to name. The Elf Pets Arctic Fox plush toy is the newest character available for kids to adopt. 

Learn even more about the expanding collection of elf inspired toys and books by visiting the brand's official website as well as following them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. Plus get Free printables and The Elf on the Shelf Ideas app for iPhone and iPad in the App Store.

Blinger Girls Fashionista Review + Giveaway

Girls Style

MBE partnered with Wicked Cool Toys for this review and giveaway

Glam sparkles are trending everywhere this holiday season in clothes, shoes, and accessories for us grown-up girls. Bling is definitely a thing right now and one that women are really excited about. So why should the glitz be limited to what we're wearing? And why should we keep the fun to ourselves, when we can share all that glittering wonderfulness with young ladies ages 6 and up?

New, Fun Glam Styling Tool 

Introducing the new Blinger Diamond Collection, from Wicked Cool Toys, which was a finalist at The Toy Association's 2020 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. It's a crafting and toy gift in one that girly girls will love to receive this holiday season and throughout the year. It is also a serious glam styling tool that us moms will want to borrow from our daughters so we can get in on the bedazzling fun since Blinger can me used to add sparkle in so many ways.

From the moment I first set eyes on Blinger at Sweet Suite, an annual invitation only New York exhibition for family lifestyle influencers, I was enchanted with this easy-to-use bling styling tool kit. What fun it was to see young girls react with glee as their hairstyles were glammed up at Wicked Cools Toys booth at this conference. 

Lucky for me, I also got to try it, having my own tresses blinged for a night out to see the longest running musical on Broadway, Phantom of the Opera. This is a dream come true for fashionistas -- no matter what your age -- for those of us who go for glittery jewel-like glamor accents and enjoy creating personalized looks that are uniquely our own.

The Blinger Diamond Collection comes beautifully boxed in a sparkling silver box ready for wrapping and giving with your choice of either a hot pink or baby blue bling applicator and 75 mini faux crystal gems in round, heart and star shapes. 

Since these little gems stick to most surfaces and work with all hair types, gals can use this to glam up your hair, cell phones, sunnies, kicks, hats, handbags, accessories, greeting cards, notebooks, and lots more. Kids can even become mini hair stylists and bling a friend's or doll's hair. Bling to your heart's content, even add a special touch to your manicure as I did. Infusing sparkle into everyday life is truly limited only by the creativity of Blinger's user.

How Blinger Works

Blinger is simple and safe to use, but due to small pieces it should only be used by ages 6 and up. The adhesive gems are easy to apply as well as to comb out or peel off, too. Just open the Blinger applicator and line up one of the interchangeable bejeweled plastic discs inside the carousel. Then snap closed and place it over the target surface, start blinging either with the applicator closed or opened using it like you would use a stapler on a bulletin board. Then push the button with your thumb to apply each gem individually wherever you'd like. 

Blinger Giveaway

Blinger Girls Styling Set

MBE Giveaway

on Instagram

Thanks to Wicked Cool Toys, the maker of Blinger, ONE (1) lucky MBE giveaway participant will win the Blinger Diamond Collection toy set in winner's choice of pink or blue. To enter this Blinger Giveaway Mommy Blog Expert is hosting, visit this MBE Instagram post. Contest open to US residents only and qualifying winners will be selected at random. Hurry, this giveaway ends December 31, 2019 at 11:59 PST. Wicked Cool Studios is providing the Blinger prize and is responsible for delivery to winner.

More About Blinger

The Blinger concept was invented by Angie Cella, a mom of four kids, including two daughters and two sons. The Blinger Diamond Collection set with 75 gems from Wicked Cool Toys (WCT) is featured in this post and carries a suggested retail price of $19.99. Related products include the Blinger Deluxe Set with 150 gems ($24.99) and  5-piece (75 gems, $9.99), 12-piece (180 gems, $19.99) and 20-piece (300 gems, $29.99) replacement jewel cartridges. All are widely available online and instore at major stores such as Target, Walmart, Amazon, specialty toy stores, and many others. For more information on Blinger, visit Wicked Cool Toys. You can also keep up on all the brand's latest news and creative inspiration on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

Basic Photo Editing Adobe Photoshop Elements

Technology

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Top Photo Editing Hacks for Amateur Photographers

If you're a hobby photographer or an influencer like I am who just loves shooting creatively staged photos with your smartphone or DSLR camera which you often wished would have turned out better, this post is for you.

After editing with Photoshop Elements 2020

Imagine this scenario, you're after the perfect photo. So you work diligently planning, styling and shooting a batch of photos and/or videos which you think at first glance came out great, ready as-is for sharing on one or more of your social channels. But then, after the event or vacation, you take a second look and discover a hornet's nest worth of flaws in many of your images. The photos you've ended up with are disappointing, not even close to what you remember them looking like through your camera lens when you pushed the shutter button.

Now what? At this point which option would you rather choose: delete everything and pretend it never happened or use an easy-to-use photo editor like Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 and end up with some beautiful, professional-quality shots you can't wait show off to the world? Obviously the answer to that last question is a no brainer. 

This fail happens to me all the time and I'm afraid, assuming your own experiences have been very similar, I have plenty of company with many of you. That's why I'm glad to be using the latest version of Photoshop Elements and sharing how I'm working with it to edit photos for both my original photography on this website and our personal family photo archives.

So, as an example, take a look at this leopard in a tree image I captured on our family safari trip to Africa earlier this year. On the left is the before view and on the right is what my image looked like after I used Photoshop Elements in Quick edit mode. This choice is good for beginners who are just getting started in the world of photo editing. Here, like I did,  easily improve the look of your photo by clicking on various buttons to fix exposure, lighting, color, balance and image sharpness.

For those of you with intermediate skills who have worked with both Photoshop and earlier versions of Photoshop Elements, like I have, you'll want to check out the Guided editing mode which gives you even more options and editing flexibility. Then, there is Expert mode, offering the most functionality of the three options, making it a good choice for seasoned photographers who edit your own images.

The ways to improve the quality and look of your photos using Photoshop Elements are seemingly endless. In the before photo above, the scene is flat, dark and the colors are drab. But, in the after photo below of that same African savanna sunset, the image really comes to life, with minimal effort on my part. 

Common Problems Solved with Photoshop Elements 2020

• Blurry, Grainy, Shaky Quality
• Too Little Or Too Much Lighting
• Photo Bombers Or Unwanted Objects
• Colors Not Rendering Properly
• Whites Looking Gray or Yellow
• Faded Colors in Vintage Photos
• Flat Results, Lacking Image Dimensions
• Blemishes and Skin Tone Issues
• Red Eye, Eyes Shut
• The List Goes On

With the Prints & Gifts Service

Create and Order 140+ Photo Gifts and Prints

An elephant & my family in South Africa

Memories like this last a lifetime!

   

About Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020

Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 for Mac and Windows and now available at Best Buy, is simple even if it's the first time you've ever done any photo editing on your laptop or desktop computer or tried to use a full-functioned photo editor like this. After you dive in and start experimenting I think you'll agree that this editing app is intuitive and easy to navigate to solve all kinds of oops photography moments and problems. 

From revitalizing photos by applying automatic colorization with a single click to using new Auto Creations including B&W Selection, Pattern Brush, Painterly, and Depth of Field effects to making people's skin tones smoother and realistic looking to touching things up and using the Guided Edits to remove unwanted objects there is no easier photo editor that does it all.

Couples Fun Christmas Holiday Pajamas Review

Style

Pajamas that are fun, not serious

There's nothing like nice, cozy pajamas to keep you and your loved ones warm during the colder months. The problem is comfortable PJs usually mean you're just sleeping in clothes you wouldn't be caught dead in outside of bed. Or worse -- gasp -- we're talking about ugly, bulky, scratchy and/or just plain old boring sleepwear.

MBE partnered with Shinesty for this post

Considering the average person spends so much time in bed (about one third of one's life is spent sleeping) why settle for stuffy ho-hum jammies? Instead, this season gift yourself, significant other or your whole family with well-made matching pajamas from Shinesty. There's nothing else out there quite like these fun-loving styles. Not only are they comfy for relaxing and a good night's sleep, they're made to last, are stylish and come in lots of playful festive holiday his and her designs as well as matching pajamas for the whole family: parents, kids and even the family dog and cat.

The holiday Lincoln Log Love Daddy (and Love Lady) pajamas you see here in a fun and festive Christmas red and green plaid pattern are both my hubby and my favorite new PJs, replacing our plain old (yawn) matching, threadbare flannels. Use the Shinesty tags which come with the top and bottom like I did to create a pair of unique holiday earrings to complete your look. This very together outfit is also perfect to wear to the airport at 2 am in the morning to pick up your college student who is home visiting college. Yes, I really did that and you can do the same thing.

Remember Lincoln Logs -- those tin canisters filled with red wooden logs and green roof slat building blocks we would dump out on the floor, then use to build log cabins when we were kids? Inspired by that iconic and nostalgic creative toy we both grew up with, the happy vibe of these pajamas definitely stirred up fond childhood Lincoln Log memories of our childhoods growing up on opposite coasts -- recollections which the Huzz and I had never shared with each other before.

Not only are these new pajamas cheery and light-hearted, they are super comfortable thanks to the stretchy easy-to-wash and wear polyester-spandex blend fabric they're made with which has the feel of shiny silk; they're also much lighter weight than flannel but just as warm and cozy. Ever since these Shinesty PJs arrived on our doorstep, just wearing them makes me feel smile.  Actually, every night I look forward to putting these comfortable jammies on when it's time to wind down, whether to read, watch a video, or build with Lincoln Logs which is really relaxing and therapeutic.

Designed by Allie T. in Boulder, Colorado, Shinesty's Lincoln Log Red Plaid pattern features a pullover Henley-style neckline with buttons, chest pocket, a remote control pocket on the upper left sleeve (also roomy enough to hold those log pieces), a hidden pocket in the sleeve cuff for small items and love notes, as well as side slits at the hemline for added comfort while sitting or lying down. These jams also have a really unique touch: a button at each side to create an optional kangaroo style snack pouch which, lucky for me, comes in handy for keeping some wood parts closeby when I'm in the mood to build another mini log structure.

While the tops for this style are basically the same for men and women, except for sizing, the pull-on bottoms vary slightly. Both men's and women's sport deep side pockets as well as no-roll elastic waist bands with multiple channels of stitching for comfort and leg cuffs at the bottom.  The only difference is that the men's version has a button fly front while the women's style does not.

Sold separately, both men's and women's adult pajama tops ($39.99) and bottoms ($59.99) are constructed of 95% polyester, 5% spandex soft and stretchy material. Like the wide variety of other winter holiday themed pajama patterns in their collection, the Shinesty styles you see us wearing for this review are available in men's (S-XXL) and women's (XS-2X) sizes. 

To make every day and night more fun, Shinesty has a variety of other whimsical matching day wear and sleepwear pieces for adults, kids, and pets. Depending on the fabric pattern these range from kids PJs, adult nightshirts and caps to women's and girl's skirts/dresses/pants; men's and boys pants and suits; men's ties and bow ties; baby onesie sleepers; dog and cat clothes, to you never know what else. You won't believe it, you just have to visit Shinesty.com to see what they have for yourself.

Celebrate Fun Living

Party in your PJs
Stay Weird & Shine On!

About Shinesty

Shinesty offers a huge selection of  humorous and festive pajamas for the holidays. But they also have fun novelty kids wear, men's suits, women's/girl's dresses, dog and cat outfits, and even underwear for other holidays throughout the year as well as every day silliness. Available nowhere else but at Shinesty.com, so hurry and shop now since many of the holiday styles are selling out quickly. Learn more about Shinesty by visiting their official site and following them @shinesty on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Disney Maleficent 2 Bluray Review + Giveaway

Movies

MBE partnered with Disney Studios for this review and giveaway

Angelina Jolie returns in the same villainess role as the original Disney Maleficent movie (2014) which was nominated for an Oscar (Best Achievement in Costume Design). Jolie and other cast members captivate viewers in the sequel: Disney's Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil (2019) which is up once again for an Oscar in 2020, this time for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. The action adventure family feature film, including some fun bonus material, is available for home viewing on Digital as of 12/31/19 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD as of 1/14/20. 

Based on many of the characters from La Belle Au Bois Dormant by Charles Perrault, who appeared in the original Maleficent film released five years ago, Elle Fanning also returns as Maleficent's god daughter Aurora. In Mistress of Evil, the plot thickens and twists as Maleficent and Aurora begin to question loyalties and family ties and things get complicated. 

In the new saga, Sam Riley is also back as Diaval, with seasoned actress Michelle Pfeiffer joining the cast this time around as Queen Ingrith. If you enjoy Disney adventures, you'll want to add this one to your watch list.

Disney Maleficent 2:Mistress of Evil 

Blu-ray Bonus Extras

• Extended Scenes
• Outtakes
• Aurora's Wedding
• Behind-The-Scenes Look at The Magic
• And More

Disney Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil Giveaway

Disney Maleficent 2 

MBE Movie Giveaway
(2 Winners)

on Instagram

Thanks to Disney Studios, TWO (2) lucky MBE giveaway participants will each win the new Disney Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil Blu-ray DVD combo movie. To enter this Disney Maleficent 2 Giveaway Mommy Blog Expert is hosting visit this MBE Instagram post. Contest open to US residents only and qualifying winners will be selected at random. Hurry, this giveaway ends January 9, 2020 at 12 am PST/3 am EST. Disney Studios is providing the prizes and is responsible for delivery to winners.

More About Disney's Maleficent 2

To learn more about Disney's Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil, Rated PG-13, visit the official movie website as follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.