UCLA Commons is a great community center where the family can come and relax.  I always feel great leaving there because I feel like I have gained an ounce of sanity back.  The center offers everything from Mindful Awareness, Family coaching, Martial Arts, Mommy & Me Yoga, Infant Massage, to my favorite, Mommy & Me Eco-Crafting.  It’s a very laid back atmosphere with a warm and caring staff and offers something for the entire family to enjoy.

I love to get my hands into different projects, and the Arts has been a major part of my life since I was very little.  When I heard about the Mommy & Me Eco-Crafting classe, it brought all the curiousity out in me.  Crafting?  Hmm…I didn’t every consider myself a crafter, probably more of a freehand sketch artist or a painter.  Eco?  I am always trying my best to be as green as possible, so this was definitely a thumbs up.  Eco-Crafting, like its name, is crafting but in an eco-friendly manner.  I really enjoy my time there, making hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, bags, scarves, and anything else you can think of.  Sonya Nimri teaches our class, and not only is she super creative and talented (author of two books), she has such a warm spirit.  It’s a very relaxing environment, where us mommies can unleash our creative side, while still being able to interact with our child.  If your baby needs to eat, you can literally pull out a boob to nurse (TMI, but keeping it real), and go about your daily business. 

Hair Clips made by me

If you haven’t gone to the UCLA Commons, what are you waiting for?  If you want a place where you can go and relax, meet other moms, have your children in a safe social setting, or just want to interact with other adults, this is the place to be!  I have been going there for about 3 weeks, and I cannot praise it enough (and no, I am not paid to write this).

UCLA Commons is having their Grand Opening Party on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 from 4-7pm.  They are going to have tours of the facility, live entertainment, food, product demos, and speakers.  If you can, get all your friends and family, and head on down to the party.  We deserve to have some fun, or a lot of fun, and support a neat community center that is made for US!

UCLA Family Commons
1221 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA

I have been on a hunt to find a really sleek and modern looking water bottle for the longest time.  While many on the market are very cute (I have some of those), they are hard to wash, and with a drop, a giant dent seems to appear.  I searched all over the web and when I came across the Kor One Hydration Vessel, everything came to a sudden halt.  It was like a match made in water heaven.  With its cutting edge design, I was immediately seduced by its handsome exterior (how vain of me), and when I looked more into the “Kor” of it, I was immediately drawn in by what it stood for.  A bottle that has the looks and the character to match, it was a total package.  I know this probably sounds like some Victoria Steele Romance novel, but in all honesty, I am keeping it real.

I think the design speaks for itself and really doesn’t need a thorough explanation.  What really got my complete attention was that when you purchase a Kor One bottle, part of the sales (1%) goes to a water cause that they are supporting.  Each color of the bottle corresponds to a different water cause.  I received the bottle in Ice Blue, and the water cause that it supported was Ocean Protection.  The company is beyond making the sales quota, they clearly want to help the human life and Earth, by focusing on the core of the physical life, which is water.

I love the fact that I can see how much water I have left in the bottle, without having to guesstimate or trying to look into the bottle under good light.  The bottle is made of BPA-free Tritan, health-safe materials, so you can steer clear of recent research linking BPA to Cancer.  For functionality, it has a hinged cap for easy usage (no more cap to hold onto).  Moreover, the thread-less spout makes the drinking experience a silky smooth one and since it doesn’t retain or impart flavors, no more yucky metal or plastic taste (this definitely gets my thumbs up).  For full on specs and features please visit their site.

On a recent trip to the park, I took the Kor One Hydration Vessel with me.  I was like any Ferrari or Aston Martin owner who was proud of their goods.  Excited about my new companion, I wanted it to be in the spotlight and shine.  I wanted people to see it, stare at it, and salivate over it.  After laying out my park picnic with my kids, the Kor One literally took centerstage.  I mean of course, I wanted it to be the star, but I didn’t think it would takeover the picnic.  The group next to our area happened to be a weekly Mommy & Me playgroup. I started conversing with them about pre-schools and what not, and then one of the mom proceeded to say that she loved my bottle.  After that comment, it turned into a pass-me-around group fiesta.  For the first time, I was happy to hear my daughter whine because it meant it was time to go home.  I was able to retrieve the bottle back safely and vowed never to be so open about my bottle, at least in an open area like that.  Of course, the story doesn’t end there because once my husband laid eyes on it, he wanted to take it to the gym.

If you are in the market to buy the sleekest and sexiest bottle with a core that has substance and one that has a clear mission (a future UN ambassador), check the Kor One Hydration Vessel out here.  Plus, it has a great “Register and Recycle” Program (Currently for US residents), so you won’t be increasing your carbon footprint with this bottle!

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)