Lakeshore store sells products ranging from Furniture, Toys and Learning materials (such as book and CDs) for infants to 6th graders. It is also a great place to get supplies for birthday parties. They have an online catalog where you can browse through all their products. They are also a locally started business, with locations all across town.

Closest one to us is Culver City:

8888 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034

310-559-9630
Fax 310-559-1684

Monday-Friday: 9:00-7:00
Saturday: 9:00-6:00
Sunday: 11:00-5:00

Don’t miss out the great opportunity for winter swim lessons. Registration begins December 3rd, 2008.

For further inquiries, please call 310.458.8700

Founded in 1983, Evergreen Community School opened its doors with four children enrolled and one teacher. In 1996, having outgrown its church setting, the school transitioned to an independent non-profit status, and the entity Evergreen Community School was born at their current Santa Monica location.

Evergreen uses a developmental curriculum based on the theories of Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky and the Reggio Emilia approach. The curriculum is experiential and is designed to promote growth through play and exploration. Using age-appropriate materials and activities, children are assisted in building socialization skills while practicing the developmental tasks of trust, autonomy and initiative.

Evergreen program includes music, art, storytelling, science, woodworking, cooking and various other indoor and outdoor activities. The classrooms are designed to encourage independence. The environment provides a wide array of choices that foster autonomy while building self-esteem and a sense of responsibility.

Evergreen enrolls 60 children ages 2.5-5 years old.

Current hours and tuition are:

Monday – Thursday, 9:15 am – 1:30 pm; Friday, 9:00 am – Noon $12,000 September – Jun
Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:45 pm; Friday, 9:00 am – Noon $12,000 September – June
*Tenants of 2600/2700 Colorado Avenue have first priority providing the timely submission of child’s application and our ability to find an appropriate placement. Second priority is given to residents of Santa Monica.

Evergreen Community School is located at 2800 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: (310) 453-6255

Little Dolphins by the Sea may be the coolest preschool ever. My wife and i went on a walk today and stumbled on this place. They started as a co-op 17 years ago in a back yard in the Palisades and now they are in Santa Monica in a huge facility. Their website shows some of the things they do with kids and its awesome, very creative, and hands on, cooking and painting etc… awesome stuff. I will say this after looking at their prices i was a bit shocked, they are truly expensive…..

2008 – 09 Little Dolphins By The Sea Preschool Program – $12,900
2008 – 09 Little Dolphins By The Sea Transitional Kindergarten – $17,500

Little Dolphins by the Sea :
1812 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 998-0011

At Scribble Press, kids can write, draw and publish their own books. At the store, you will find desks, markers in every color, stickers, stencils and crayons to create your own pieces of art. After you are done with your masterpiece, Scribble Press will bind your pages and publish them into a book. If you go there you can see a ton of past examples of books and things. They are really cool. My husband wanted to do one right there on the spot, but I told him he could wait until our baby sprout comes. (save that creative energy for later tiger!)

Along with books, one can create notepads, greeting cards and laminated place mats. You can host parties of up to 15 people for $500 or $800 for deluxe package, which includes food, decorations and paper goods. Additional guests up to 20 are $20 per person.

They also offer classes for kids ages from 2 to 11.

At World Speak you and your kids can learn Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Farsi, Armenian, German, Korean, Gujarati, Hindi, and Urdu.

Pricing For Group Classes:

• $160/8 classes for 45 min class
• $240/8 classes for 1:20 hour class
• $280 /8 classes for 1:40 hour class

Semi private classes for 2 children – $200/hour for 45 minutes

Private Lessons – $360/8 classes for 45 minutes or $400/8 classes for 1 hour.

Family Private classes – Private lesson price and 2nd person is free.

They also have Montessori Bilingual Preschool for 2-5 year old in Century City/Westwood. (to schedule an interview and tour call 310-441-5222)

At gymboree newborn babies to kids up to 5 years of age can socialize in a safe and stimulating environment. Their activities range from play and learn, to school skills, music, art, sports, and family music.

There are several classes available for each of the age groups so check out the schedule around your area.

At Westside pavillion, the fees are

45 min class – $74/month

60 min class-$84/month

120 min class – $168/month

Membership fee – $35

$10 discount per month off any 2nd concurrent class or sibling enrollment.

$10 discount per month after 6 month continous enrollment.

I read that infant massage is beneficial to baby-sprouts and new moms alike. Infant massage enhances the bond between the baby-sprout and the mom (of course Dads can give the massage too!). Massage promotes emotional stability in baby-sprouts, helps boost the immune system, and helps baby-sprout sleep better, which in turn helps the overall health of the baby-sprout. (note- helps the baby sleep better-better baby sleep = better mommy sleep)

So it made me wonder, how do you give an infant massage and what are things you should be careful about?

There are many websites and books available showing you how to give a proper infant massage. I personally liked this video from a Korean site.

List of things to consider are:

1. Clean hands and nails. (remove rings, watch or any other type of jewelry. It also recommends to have short nails)

2. Check room temperature and humidity.

3. Avoid giving massage right before or after feeding.

4. Keep massage on a regular schedule.

5. Put a clean and thick cotton towel under the baby-sprout.

6. Warm up the massage oil. (“baby oils” are not recommended. Use Olive, Almond, Sunflower, or Lavender Oil)

7. If baby-sprout is fussy or crying, stop giving the massage

8. Be mindful of your breath when giving the massage and try to concentrate your thoughts on the massage.

9. Don’t be too focused on giving the entire massage in one session.

10. Relax.

11. Don’t over do it, and don’t do it too hard.

I hope this helps.

For Westside moms who want to take classes, there are plenty out there. Some of the places where you can learn are:

Culver City
Caroline Hanna H: 310-836-2118

Venice
Kate Chance 310-866-1340

Los Angeles
Neelofer (Nina) Tayyib H: 310-592-8119
Shelley Reicher-Lawrence H: 310-836-6671
Seva-Simran-Siri Kaur Khalsa W: 310-271-3950
Julie Skehan H: 310-397-2714
Nicole Sekeres H: 310-696-9678
Rashelle Reading W: 310-704-2114
Kelly Meehan H: 310-390-9621

Please let us know your experiences of if any of the information above is out of date. Thanks and Happy Bonding!

Parents/caregivers learn how to:

• Relieve stress for infants
• Relieve colic and promote healthy digestion
• Aid growth and development
• Soothe your baby and have fun

SUPPLIES: You will need to bring a blanket & a pillow and your baby’s usual supplies.
In this class only You will be touching your baby. Demonstrations will be done using dolls.
You may bring one other caregiver and one sibling of the infant if you like.

When: August 23 – 24, 2008 (You may attend one day or both days – both days are recommended)
Time: 1:30-2:30pm
Where: The Heart Touch Project
Santa Monica, CA
www.hearttouch.org

Cost: FREE

This class is led by an IAIM®, International Association of Infant Massage Trainer and student-instructors.
* Space is very limited *
For more information or to register call Jennifer at 310-391-2558.
RSVP with your name, infant’s name and age, days attending (you may attend one day or both days, both days are recommended) and phone number/email. The baby should be from infant to crawling age.