Just Launched in LA: Momstamp.com

by Jennifer O'BrienMarch 13, 2015

When it comes to getting recommendations for everything from doctors to tutors and more, a mom’s best resource is often a fellow mom. In February, three forward thinking LA moms ran with this idea and launched Momstamp.com—a new platform that lets parents connect with friends (and friends of friends) to find outstanding local service providers. Basically, imagine Facebook, Angie’s List and Yelp somehow had a genius baby.

photo credit: momstamp.com

Co-founders Julie Hermelin, Paulette Light and Staci Miller quickly realized as their kids (they have ten between them) were getting older, they no longer had their mommy and me groups to turn to for advice on everything from German tutors for tots to pediatric dentists that specialize in squirmy worms to that ever elusive “dependable contractor.” Knowing how valuable this information is to busy parents, the ladies created Momstamp.com, where users can search for word of mouth recommendations from other trusted parents they know (or know by proxy) instead of opinionated strangers, like every other review site.

photo credit: momstamp.com

Parents can search categories like kid doctors, child therapy, childcare, pregnancy/new baby, beauty, pets, and home improvement helpers, to name a few. So whether you’re looking for a personal referral for a great new nanny, a speech therapist for your little one, a pediatric eye doctor, lactation consultant, a music teacher who makes house calls, a dog trainer for the family Fido or even a caregiver for aging grandparents, Momstamp.com provides a forum for parents who already know each other to exchange invaluable recommendations. The site also allows users to organize and save the names of providers they find.

photo credit: Christiaan Triebert via Creative Commons

Additionally, Momstamp lets parents collaborate online; if someone has questions about a particular provider or needs further clarification, they can easily ask their Momstamp friends before wasting time with someone who may not be the best fit. This social site is all about making parents’ lives easier through support of their personal community. Our only question is: how did no one think of this before now?

Because LA and Angeleno parents are always on the cutting edge of everything cool, Momstamp.com launched their site here first. As the site grows (and we predict it will by leaps and bounds), the founders plan to launch a mobile app that will allow parents to quickly access recommendations on the go, and expand to other (less cutting edge) cities.

Online: Momstamp.com

What new sites or apps make your day-to-day lives as parents easier? We’d love to know in the comments below!

–Jennifer O’Brien

Why You Can’t Miss Oregon Children’s Theater’s “Timmy Failure”

by stephanie boothFebruary 12, 2015

Even if you haven’t read Stephan Pastis’s charming “Timmy Failure” books, you’ll still enjoy the Oregon Children’s Theatre production, “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.” We sat in on the show and found the exploits of a seriously clueless 8-year-old detective and his sidekick, a 1,500 lb. polar bear to be a hilarious, fast-moving and surprisingly sweet play older kids will love.

photo: Owen Carey/Oregon Children’s Theatre

The Story
Timmy Failure is sort of like Calvin, of “Calvin and Hobbes” fame. (Except with the aforementioned polar bear, Total, as a sidekick, rather than a tiger.) Timmy has enough self-confidence to power a small city, plenty of quick-witted comebacks when faced with his evil nemesis, smart girl Corrina Corrina, and a booming detective agency, “Total Failure,” headquartered in his mother’s closet.

Timmy is convinced he’s destined for greatness. But until then, he has to confront “time-wasting distractions” like school; his giggly classmate, Molly, who has a serious crush on him; and his mother’s goofy new boyfriend. Did we mention Timmy’s trusty Failure-Mobile — a.k.a., his mother’s Segway — also mysteriously disappears?

Why You Should Go
All the actors are adults, clearly having a blast with the witty script, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Sometimes, the grownups in the audience are having so much fun, they’re laughing even more than the kids. (Hint: A cat, named Señor Burrito, steals the show.)

Even though it’s totally hilarious, the play manages to have some touching moments. When money gets tight for Timmy’s mom, they have to sell their home and move into a small apartment, where Timmy sleeps on a fold-out couch. Timmy gets a letter from his school, announcing he’s in danger of having to repeat a grade. And as a consequence, Timmy’s beloved polar bear gets sent to live at the zoo. Naturally, everything works out in the end, but until then, it adds some poignant suspense to Timmy’s goofy exploits.

photo: Owen Carey/Oregon Children’s Theatre

The Inside Scoop
Running time is about 75 minutes without intermission, unless you count a brief interlude where Total, decked out in a hot pink tutu, performs a dance solo that incorporates ballet, disco, and even The Robot.

We’re pretty sure there are no bad seats in cozy Winningstad Theater, but if you can, get seats in the “pit” or sides of the first tier so even littlest kids can see all the action on the stage.

Afterwards, don’t run right back to your car. Think about sharing a plate of fries or flat bread at ArtBar & Bistro, the in-house theater cafe. It’s just swanky enough to make kids feel special.

Even better, immediately following the performance, kids have an opportunity to meet the actors and get their autographs. While you’re standing in line, make sure to check out the drawings taped up just outside the theater. OCT invited a handful of local artists to live-sketch a recent performance of “Timmy” and the results — like this production and Timmy himself — are genius.

The Details
Saturdays and Sundays until March 22

Winningstad Theatre
1111 SW Broadway
503-228-9571
Tickets are $18-$28/adult, $15-$24/child (Group rates are also available.)
Online: octc.org
Recommended for kids 8 and up.

Are your kids fans of the books? Let us know in the comments below!

–Stephanie Booth

Rent. Return. Repeat. A New Way to Shop for Kids Clothes

by Christina Montoya FiedlerApril 10, 2014

Kids grow like weeds – very expensive weeds that grow at an alarming rate. Before you know it, you’ve spent hundreds on duds that your child ends up wearing just a handful of times. But, what if you could get your hands on fashionable outfits for a fraction of the retail price? Meet Wearhop where you can rent stylish outfits from brands like babyGAP, Janie and Jack, Ralph Lauren, and mini Boden on the cheap for up to six months at a time. Sizes for boys and girls range from ages 12 months to 5T. Read on to find out more about this cool service.

How It Works
Start out by logging on to Wearhop and inputting your child’s size and the type of clothing you are looking to find. You can search by brand or occasion. Once you find something you like, put it into your online shopping cart and you’ll have the option of renting it for up to six months. Not bad considering all items are either gently used or new, and you’ll be paying about 70 per cent less than retail price. Rent. Return. Repeat. It’s as simple as that.

Some wear and tear is expected, and most minor issues will be fixed free of charge by Wearhop. But if there is extensive damage, or the clothing is unwearable upon return, you will be charged the purchase price of the item.

Pricing varies by article of clothing, so each shipment depends on what you order. Rarely does one rental (shirt, pants, dress, sweater, or skirt) cost more than $20 a piece. Shipping is always a $5 flat rate, and returns are free. You simply send back the clothes in the provided box and use the prepaid, pre-addressed postage label. If you really like the clothing, you always have the option of buying. It’s where sustainability and affordability meet.

Forget to return? Wearhop knows that things like this happen. They’ll simply charge you for one extra month of renting and send you an email reminder.
Wearhop’s Story
Wearhop is the brainchild of super mom Katerina Newhall. As she stood staring at a closet full of dresses, skirts and tops that no longer fit her daughter, she knew she was wasting time and money running out to by new clothes for every season only to have them packed up in just a few short months after minimal use. All these boxes of too small clothes began to collect dust in the basement. Like most moms, she had the intention to take them to a consignment shop or donate them to charity but, you know, life happened. Thus Wearhop was born with three goals in mind – help parents get rid of clutter, save money while still dressing kids in top brand clothing and promote sustainable fashion for kids. We say, job well done.

Good to know: Sign up for email updates at wearhop.com, and get 15 percent off your first order.

Moms, what do you think of renting out kids clothing from companies like Wearhop? Would you try it?

— Christina Fielder

Photo credit: Wearhop

ML Interest Tag: waste

Just Launched in LA: Momstamp.com

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