Mother's Day Gift Ideas Under $75

Iconic Moms — Vivian & Claire, via Apartment 349.

Truly, there's nothing wrong with flowers. But when did oversized bouquets of hydrangeas, lilies and the like become inextricably linked with Mother's Day? Any mom with a Trader Joe's nearby can whip up a nicer display for far less money on any given day. Yet, come the second Sunday of May, she has to smile and be a gracious recipient in order to spare the giver's feelings (because she's a mom and that's what we do).

Excessively expensive floral arrangements, crowded restaurant brunches, handmade kid art...it all comes with the territory. We get it. Most moms are just happy you took the time to do anything for them (though, I suspect cleaning a toilet, or doing your own laundry would earn you way more points than carnations).

Now, I'm not your cookie cutter mom, per se, but allow me to make a few suggestions for a few last minute gifts that might curry favor with your very own Wonder Woman.

I wrote two of these posts. Guess which ones (it's not that difficult).

For the past couple of months, I've been writing for TV-centric site, Previously.TV (my archived posts are right here). It's a fun gig that allows me to revel in my No. 1 pastime. I figured, instead of lamenting the fact that I no longer have a vibrant nighttime social life, I should embrace it. Then, I took that logic a step further and decided to monetize my newfound homebody lifestyle!

I went on to find out that people (besides my husband) actually agreed with my critiques of the outfits featured on "Girls," they appreciated my input on "A Different World" cast members, and they shared my love of H. Jon Benjamin's voice talent canon. It's been a great ride, so far.

But trouble lies ahead...

For The Love of Lists — POW! May 3 is Free Comic Book Day!

***UPDATED BELOW***

Tomorrow, Saturday May 3, is Free Comic Book Day and my kid will be beating down the door of her favorite spot, Thank You Comics, trying to get her hands on some newness. Though she has no concept of money, or saving (despite our best parenting efforts), she always manages to find just enough pocket change to keep her bookshelves well stocked.

We've never made it to one of these events (held the first Saturday of May), so I don't know what to expect. According to the official event site, Thank You will be handing out designated "Kid Friendly" comics. You can find participating shops using a Store Locator on the FCB Day Home Page.

If your neighborhood store is only handing out the racy/violent/dark stuff, you can always scan the shelves for these cool kids' titles*. They won't be free, but they'll be worth shelling out the cash.

*My suggestions are based solely on the number of times my own kid has read and re-read these titles. (Most of these are appropriate for, say, a mature 2nd Grader and range from either twee/girly to unisex.)

The "Hilda" Series by Luke Pearson.

The "Zita the Spacegirl" Series by Ben Hatke.

The "Amulet" Series by Kazu Kibuishi.

The "Bone" Series by Jeff Smith, and its "Quest for the Spark" spin-off.

Ugly Doll and Mameshiba manga.

And last, but not least, my kid's guilty pleasure...The MLP "Friendship Is Magic" comics.

Lately, my kid's been sniffing around the "Adventure Time" comics. We'll see what she picks up tomorrow.

Can you recommend any other kids' comic titles? You know the kind that's so good, they wanna curl up into a little ball of reading rapture until you force them to eat/bathe/sleep.

***UPDATE***
If you're in a book-perusing mood, don't forget May 3 is also California Book Store Day! Find out what's going on at our favorites, Vroman's and Skylight Books.

This Weekend — A $5 Ticket Takes Kids Around The World

"Papa Cloudy" by Akiko McQuerrey.

The annual REDCAT International Children's Film Festival heads into its second week, with screenings all day tomorrow and Sunday. My daughter and I checked out a screening last weekend and were glad we did…parking nightmare notwithstanding (street parking was nonexistent, due to an event being held at nearby Grand Park, Disney Concert Hall parking is $9 cash, up front, and the lot leads you on a labyrinthine quest as you attempt to find the REDCAT lobby entrance).

Each screening is comprised of about six to 10 kid-centric shorts culled from all over the world. They range from animation, to stop-motion, to live action. Some are in English, some are subtitled and a few are wordless. 

In previous years, we've checked out the younger kid fare — cute creatures embarking on silly adventures, or modern-day takes on age-old fables. This year, we opted for a more "big kid" selection. The assortment of shorts in the "Dare to Dream" screening was designated for ages 10 and up. We watched docs about the rigorous daily schedule of a working-class Indian student, a boy in The Netherlands who's bullied for being a ballroom dancer and a selfless Taiwanese boy who's devoted to rescuing and nurturing his country's neglected dogs and cats. There were also two charming animated pieces, courtesy of NPR's StoryCorps, via The Rauch Brothers. Perhaps the most gut-wrenching of all the stories we watched was a bittersweet feature about a gang of homeless kids in Mozambique who are desperate to have a little bit of fun, just for a day. It was the kind of authentic global flavor kids don't typically get from the big screen. For the $5 admission price, I was able to give my kid (and myself) quite a bit of food for thought. 

As the festival continues, there are options for preschoolers, 8+/9+, as well as, All Ages screenings. You and your kids can check out films from Korea, Belgium, Brazil and beyond. It's totally possible to make a day of it, checking out multiple screenings. There's a gourmet snack bar and plenty of seating in the lobby for waiting in between shows. Or, you can take your snacks to the Concert Hall rooftop garden and munch amidst the iconic building's curves and angles. 

Tickets are available online, but theater seating is pretty ample (kids can opt for pillows on the floor) and I was able to buy tix right from the box office without any fuss. 

REDCAT is located on the bottom level of the Roy and Edna Disney Concert Hall

631 W. 2nd St.

Downtown Los Angeles

213.237.2800

Bonus...

Here are a few me-approved, kid-friendly eateries nearby:

Lemonade (walkable)

Grand Central Market (walkable)

Chego (a short drive)

Pie Hole (a short drive)

Guisados (a short-ish drive)

Wantables — A "David Bowie is" prize pack

Photo courtesy of Sukita The David Bowie Archive 2012.

I'm not too keen on his brand new material, but I'm still a lifelong Bowie fan — from my first exposure to getting my kid in on the act (here's her jam...she's singing it as I type this!).  So, how badly do I want to visit his new retrospective at London's Victoria & Albert Museum?!?

I wanna see all the crazy jumpsuits and concert sets, do the stage make-up demo, take the Bowie-inspired pattern-making course (even though I don't sew!) and dance all night at the weekend musical events. Does anyone have any golden tickets or spare airline miles lying around?

If you get the chance to go, I will try my hardest not to hate on you. In return, do you think you could hook me up with one of these prints from the gift shop. Thanks!

"Low" Giclée print by Simon Cryer.

Sweden's Calling

It's gotten to where as soon as I hear a song that pushes all the right buttons, I just naturally assume the artist/group is Swedish. First, it was Little Dragon. I've seen them live, copped all their albums, posted about them and, honestly, was inspired to write this post when I walked into Broome Street General Store and the store's speakers were blasting them.

Little Dragon

Then, I caught one of Sweden's biggest artists, Robyn, on this Wyatt Cenac segment of The Daily Show. I found it odd that I'd never heard of her and wanted to rectify that. (She comes in around 3:00.)

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Watch This — Cody ChesnuTT Live Performance

After I watched this for the first time, I sat very still and very quiet for a few minutes. Then, I finally uttered a rather ineloquent, "Wow."

I've been humming Cody ChesnuTT's upbeat "Til I Met Thee" for the past several days, but this version of his "Chips Down (In No Landfill)" put me in a totally different head space. He's joined here by the PSU Symphony Orchestra.

Try not to fixate too much on the helmet.