My Escape From LA #runawaytovegas

Disclosure:  #runawaytovegas is a media trip, all travel, food and activities were sponsored.  All thoughts are my own.

I totally ran away from my family last month.  It was only for 2 ½ days but still.  I honestly needed a breather from the holidays.  I was tapped out from traveling all Summer, back to school madness, an endless Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Let's be real, there is a huge amount of pressure on women to make Thanksgiving and Christmas memorable.  That means perfect home, perfect meals, it's hard to keep up with the perfection.  I'm not about all that and I desperately wanted to escape that stress.  In my mind, Vegas is the place to recharge and refresh.  The city is cheap and always evolving.  And it teases you with the chance to win lots and lots of money.  I needed Vegas.  I needed to runaway.

What happens when you runaway to Vegas with four blogger friends?  Fun and a lot of firsts.  I saw a different side of Vegas with AJ, Chris, Julie and Marla and I loved it.          

Day 1 Megabus and Plaza Hotel:

Chris and the littles dropped me off at the Metrolink station at around 6am.  It was my first time at that station and on Metrolink.  I was a little stressed about it.  It was cold and dark out still.  He ended up parking and surprising me by waiting till I got on the train.  I would get off at Union Station and catch Megabus from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza.  The train was packed with workerbees but it was a smooth 40 minute ride.  I'd do it again!

Megabus Tips:

• Get there early and check-in, seating is first come, first served.
• Bring snacks and drinks
• Bring your gadgets and chargers!  There is free WiFi and outlets at every seat!
• LA to Vegas has only one stop in Riverside to pick up/drop off passengers
• There is a bathroom on the bus
• You are allowed one suitcase and one carry-on
• Fares are as low as $1

Megabus uses double-decker buses, going to Vegas we rode on top and the views were awesome.  The trip from LA to Vegas was about 4 1/2 hours.  Heading back to LA we opted for sitting downstairs.  I really liked Megabus.  It was easy and affordable, I didn't have to worry about TSA or delays.

I loved that sign packed full of information in Vegas at South Strip Terminal.  You can catch buses to the strip or Downtown or you can catch a cab.  South Strip Terminal has vending machines and good restrooms!


I asked the information desk at South Strip Terminal where we could catch a cab and they told us in front by the flagpole and handed me a piece of paper with about 5 cab companies on it.  Only one of them could accommodate all 5 of us.  We waited about 10 minutes and it was about a 15 minute drive to Downtown Las Vegas.  The damage was about $26 not including a tip.  We each pitched in $6 so it wasn't so bad.

Our hide out for the weekend: The iconic Plaza Hotel & Casino.  This was a huge first for me because I have never stayed in Downtown Las Vegas.  When we were doing our planning, I read some horrible reviews and honestly wondered what type of hotel is only $29 a night.  We pulled up and I fell in love with the exposed light bulbs outside...was itching to see it lit up at night.   Walked right in and there was the check-in desk.  No walking for miles.  No long lines.  After staying Friday-Sunday, I now believe those reviews are from people that love the Plaza and don't want anyone else to find out about it.  Seriously, it is a hidden gem in the desert.  The hotel underwent an extensive $35 million renovation with the majority completed in 2011.

If you think the Plaza Hotel looks familiar, it should.  Back to the Future Part II, Pay it Forward and Casino are only a few movies it has appeared in.  I have a soft spot for pop culture and those three movies are some of my faves.  If that isn't enough reasons to love the hotel, once you walk in, you get the sense of old school charm & history with a very hip, modern ambiance...

Things I learned about the Plaza:

• Downtown Las Vegas is actually Las Vegas.  The strip is Paradise, NV.  
• The hotel & casino sits on the former site of the first train depot in Vegas
• There are 48,000 lights under the iconic dome and along Main Street
• The Plaza houses the largest convention space and the largest sports book in Downtown
• The hotel is green!  From lighting, air handlers, paint, water conservation - Plaza is saving energy and passing the savings to guests! 

Elevator selfie with my girls!  Photo courtesy of: Chris

Still renovating, the Bier Garten will be open this year!

The location of the Bier Garten!


Oscar's!  It is in the dome and overlooks Fremont Street Experience.  The history and decor is gorgeous!

Isn't this the most gorgeous Wedding chapel you've ever seen?  I want a round door right now!


Check back for more of our #runawaytovegas adventures and for your chance to win a trip to Vegas from Megabus and Plaza Hotel & Casino!

Be Bold And Daring With Martell Caractere

I was sitting in the shuttle after the Martell Caractere launch dinner gushing to my friend Ann about what an incredible night it was, waiting to be shuttled off to the valet area about a mile away when China Chow, Andre and Mr. Brainwash got in the shuttle.  That ridiculous YOLO saying popped in my head and maybe the few bold and daring Martell Caractere drinks I had pushed me to just say something.  I fangirled over China Chow and started to ask Mr. Brainwash when his next show in LA would be when Rosario Dawson called Mr. Brainwash over to talk.  I couldn't help but overhear their convo about Banksy (who happened to be in NY for his October residency) - Rosario's car pulled up, she said bye and Mr. Brainwash yelled for Andre to come out of the shuttle because a car was available for them too.  Andre said, "Bye! Wish we could've talked more!" and China touched my shoulder and said it was a pleasure meeting me.  It was one of those Hollywood moments where I asked myself if this was real.  The art fan in me couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening.    

The star of the evening - only available in California.
  
The Marterita:  Martell Caractere, Agave Nectar, Fresh Lime Juice, Fresh Blood Orange Puree

The bold taste of Martell Caractère was crafted as a tribute to the daring spirit of Jean Martell, the visionary founder of the House of Martell.  Guided by nearly 300 years of expertise, our cellar master has created a unique Cognac with rich fruit notes of lemon and tangerine-peel complemented by a long finish that develops into generous notes of sweet spices and plum jam. Savor it neat, on the rocks or as part of your favorite cocktails.


Los Angeles: The perfect backdrop for the launch of Martell Caractère, crafted especially for los hombres de carácter.

Actor Andy Garcia - the first Caractere Icon unveiled a short film created in collaboration with Martell showcasing the journey of  Mambo pioneer Israel "Cachao" Lopez.  The complete version will be released online in February along with the announcement of new icons!

"The way Jean Martell's bold and visionary nature was described to me reminded me of my relationship with Israel 'Cachao' Lopez, the inventor of the mambo," said Andy Garcia. "Both men had a dedication to their passion, pursued their dreams and embody the values Icons of Caractere wants to convey."

The Paramour is my favorite, it is Martell Caractere, Passion Fruit Puree and Lime Juice.  Four signature drinks were created for the launch dinner and I had to sample all of them for my readers.  They were all good especially since this was my very first time drinking cognac.  That's a large serving of Cordon Bleu for this girl but it was excellent.  I'm glad I went for it, definitely would've regretted passing it up!

Poached Prawns with Mango, Ginger, Espalette Emulsion, Lemon

Halibut with Olive Oil Poached Potato, Chorizo, Saffron, Rye Crisp and Clams - This was my 2nd time in a week having fish.  I am so not a fish person but I was genuinely curious and it was good!  My mama would be so proud!

Lou Doillon performed for us during dinner - I totally think dinner concerts should be a thing.

Valrhona Chocolate Tart with Whipped Ganache, Passion Fruit and Pecan - pure magic on a plate.  I almost licked it clean!

LAX Parking With The Parking Spot

Disclosure: We partnered with The Parking Spot.  All thoughts are my own.

Traveling with a family can be stressful so I really look into simplifying everything.  To start off, we always use airport parking.  It's just easier for our family - what if we forgot something and had to return home?  You really can't do that if you use a shuttle.  Plus that can be more costly and time consuming.  I was bummed to find out that the airport parking lot we've used for the past 5 years was bought by a competitor and after reading reviews, found out it now sucked.  I started asking around and The Parking Spot came highly recommended, mainly by my friend and LA Kings fan Chris.  I had definitely heard about them before and saw the shuttles around LAX.

LAX Parking is as easy as it comes with the Parking Spot.  Their parking structure on Century Blvd. is easy to spot - it is right on the corner of Century and Bellanca.  We pulled in at around 6am, grabbed a ticket from the machine, my husband Chris pulled up to valet (but we didn't use valet) so we could unload and then went to find a parking space.  While we were waiting for my husband to meet us, we saw two shuttles pick up and were able to catch the third one.  I was impressed!  Our driver was friendly and it took less than 10 minutes to get from the lot to our terminal.

When we returned 6 days later, we walked out of our terminal, looked for the Hotel & Parking Lot Shuttle sign and waited about 10 minutes for our shuttle.  The Parking Spot site says their shuttles come around every 5-7 minutes and in their defense, we did see two shuttles for the other Parking Spot parking lot within 5 minutes.  When we got back to the parking structure, paying was a breeze.  Took the ticket to the cashier, was given a new ticket (you could also pay when you exit) and we were on our way.  I really loved that some of the staff were standing in the loading and unloading area offering ice cold water.

The structure is well lit, clean, secure and staffed.  If we would've Home Alone'd one of the kids and forgot him there I wouldn't worry, it's that safe and the staff were all super nice.  Trust your car here.  


*We needed airport parking for our trip to Orlando for Family Forward

Taking Our Littles To #SummerSlam #WWEMamarazzi

Disclosure:  I was invited to WWE Mamarazzi and Summer Slam.  All thoughts are my own.

A little known fact is that I loved wrestling. Turns out my husband loved wrestling too but at different times in our lives.  I even went to Wrestlemania in Houston in 2001.  I was quite the Mick Foley/Mankind fan.  The ever-changing story lines, the action and the fun really made for good tv but nothing compares to seeing a live show.  The energy and excitement is contagious and when the invite came to attend The Moms WWE Mamarazzi and Summer Slam, I knew we had to take the littles.

The littles whose WWE knowledge was limited to seeing the Mattel line in stores were intrigued by all the outside action.  We weren't even inside yet but they knew fun was going to be had.  Just as I predicted, our 15 month old Omie (our little rowdy adventurer) would wild out.  Babies know and love WWE.  This is a fact.

Attending Summer Slam has rekindled our secret love affair with WWE.  It was exactly what I remember it to be, maybe even better.  The best part was listening to WWE EVP Creative Stephanie McMahon talk about being a power mom and making time for her kids.  I'll admit, I am a workaholic and I have always been.  I have been blessed this past year with attending conferences and one of the common topic threads is spending quality time with your family but nothing quite hits home until Stephanie McMahon says it.

Some interesting facts I learned about WWE:

• WWE has maintained a 30 YEAR partnership with Make-A-Wish, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 3,600 wishes.  John Cena alone has granted 375 wishes and is the only celebrity to reach this milestone.
• Be a STAR was launched by WWE and The Creative Coalition in 2011, the Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) program has delivered anti-bullying messages to students, parents and teachers across the globe.
• WWE Universe raised more than $1,000,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• WWE.com gets more than 344 MILLION page views per month
• WWE's Facebook Page has more fans than MLB, Gatorade, NFL, ESPN and Pepsi
• John Cena is the 3rd most followed American athlete, with more followers than Lebron James

The Miz was absolutely adorable telling us about his mom supporting his dreams by buying him paint and streamers so he could pretend he was The Ultimate Warrior.  

Omie absolutely loved the Mattel suite.  He could not believe I put him down and gave him the green light to go crazy.



The Moms! Melissa Musen Gerstein & Denise Albert

WWE Executive Vice President Creative, Stephanie McMahon and WWE Superstar The Miz

SoCal local Rey Mysterio!!!  Duke loved cheering and booing the wrestlers!  He thought he wouldn't like it but he's WWE's newest fan!

Summer Slam is intense and elaborate - if your life list is short, add on a WWE live event.  I promise you, you will enjoy yourself.

This match was crazy!  CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar

Check out this video from The Moms about WWE Mamarazzi

Who is your favorite WWE Superstar?  

That One Time We Visited Gary Baseman's Home

I crave art.  I get cranky if we don't hit a museum or gallery at least once a month.  I love a good installation and my faves are the ones that aren't all stuffy.  Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with rules at museums, I've seen people touch paintings or wannabe photographers use flash on 14th century paintings and gasped at their manners.  The most recent art exhibition we visited was Gary Baseman: The Door Is Always Open at the Skirball Cultural Center.  It was far from stuffy, we were invited to sit in his childhood home, lay on his bed and roam around in his backyard.  By far one of the best exhibits I've ever seen.

Gary Baseman is an artist, illustrator, animator and toy designer.  Famous for his television series Teacher's Pet and iconic artwork for the popular board game Cranium, we heard about Gary Baseman by collecting designer toys.  The last show we visited was La Noche de la Fusion at Corey Helford Gallery in 2009 and I was amazed at the detail of the exhibit.  I was an instant Gary Baseman fan.  Duke was only 3 at the time so couldn't appreciate that visit but on this visit, he could not get enough. What hits home is how proud Gary is of his heritage - something we teach our children.  Gary was born in Los Angeles in 1960 to Polish-born Holocaust survivors.  His love for his parents is evident, I enjoy the exploration & influence of his Jewish heritage with American culture.  I can only hope our influence with our children runs as deep.

There are 9 rooms in Gary Baseman's home, each one stood on it's own - detailed and thoughtful, visiting made me remember my own childhood.  Our 7 year old son Duke happened to have his iPod and went crazy taking pictures.  He was amused with pictures of Toby's travels, Gary's old toys, his bedroom and his backyard.  Our 1 year old Omar kept smiling at Ahwroo (which should've been totally scary for a toddler).  The show runs till August 18th, go see it.