Coming from New York, I was a little rattled (pun intended) to discover animals like coyote and snak

On Mondays, the girls spend the day with me, and we usually try to find something fun to do around town. Yesterday, when I asked what they were in the mood for, L, of course, said Beach! and R replied I want to see pearls!  So, I decided to take them to the  Natural History Museum , where they could marvel at both  seashells and jewels, and I could stay cool in this intense heat. The last time we were at the museum, R was around three years old, and L was still in her stroller, so it was a very different experience. Neither had been impressed by the life-size animal dioramas, dinosaur bones, or mineral collection. But this time, the two were thoroughly engaged, and we ended up staying for most of the day, exploring every nook and cranny cheep air plane tickets of the exhibits. And, we learned a ton about the habits cheep air plane tickets of L.A. s local wildlife—some of which we ve already observed in our new house on the hill. Here are some (grainy iPhone!) photos from our day, if you d like to see.
Our first stop, as promised, was the hall of Gems and Minerals. The girls, naturally, were mesmerized cheep air plane tickets by the collection cheep air plane tickets of beautiful sparkles, as L likes to say. There s R on the right, wrapped in her blankie (I told her it might be cold), dazzled by all the stones.
Next, we headed outside to the temporary Butterfly Pavilion, which houses 400 different species of gorgeous winged creatures. cheep air plane tickets L, who was cranky and hungry at this point, immediately cheered up being in close proximity to the butterflies, and forgot all about her empty belly for a few minutes before I could feed them some lunch inside the museum.
After refueling in the indoor/outdoor café downstairs, we checked out the Nature Lab on the lower level. This interactive exhibit was by far our favorite, since it focuses on L.A. wildlife—such as coyote, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes—which being East Coasters, we re trying to learn more about.
Coming from New York, I was a little rattled cheep air plane tickets (pun intended) to discover animals like coyote and snakes lurking around our neighborhood. But, it s extremely common around here, and I suppose it s the price we pay for great weather and space. Instead of letting myself feel paranoid all the time (which I definitely still do!), my friend encouraged me to educate myself and the girls so that we know what to do in case we happen upon anything dangerous. Yesterday, R and L saw and learned cheep air plane tickets to i.d. some of these pests up close, which is an important first step for us.
Last, we went upstairs to the (surprisingly well-decorated) Discovery Center, where the girls were able to use (ultra-modern!) microscopes and touch and feel fossils. While we were up there, R spotted a paleta truck (a classic LA version of the NY soft-serve) and we decided to hustle down and get a summery treat.
After our popsicles, I took the girls to a nearby climbing gym to burn off the sugar before making the trek back home. It was a great excursion, and if you re traveling to LA with some budding scientists, I d definitely recommend it. Thanks for looking at my (iPhone!) pics. {Sidenote: I seriously need a photography intern who can follow us around and take more legitimate snaps (ha). If you know someone, or are someone, please email me!}
Welcome! I'm a Los Angeles-based magazine writer and editor (a former staffer at Real Simple, Allure, and ELLE), lifestyle blogger, and mother cheep air plane tickets of two girls. Here, you'll find my portfolio, family updates, and other inspirations.