LA LIFE: Tea, Star Wars, Prison Yoga, Mac ’n Cheese
On your mark, get ready…GO! Ready or not tomatoes the official holiday season is here but hold your horses, there are other great things happening too! Tea, tea, tea and more tea can be found at the International Tea Festival Downtown LA this weekend. LA is having its first ever “Mac n Cheese Smackdown”. And learn more about a great program, “Yoga for Incarcerated Women” started by a great tomato. If you are looking for an “out of this world” bestie then you need look no further than the SPCA LA’s “Intergalactic Open House”. Get going tomatoes there is lots to do!
December 5- 6. International Tea Festival
It may be visions of sugarplums dancing around in your head but for tea lovers it is probably the world of tea and the story within every cup. The Los Angeles International Tea Festival, at the Japanese American National Museum, gives visitors a chance to explore the full spectrum of tea culture. Like a wine tasting but with tea tomatoes. Did you know that Tea and Cheese or Tea and Chocolate could compliment each other beautifully? Well, pairing those two with a delightful tea must be indescribably pleasurable. Sigh…!
This promises to be an educational and entertaining event with 30+ exhibitors and 25+ classes over the span of two days. And authors, industry experts, buyers, retailers, artists and educators from across the country will be on hand to offer samples of some of the world’s finest and most varied flavors of teas. Oh yum yum tomatoes!
Dec. 5. Intergalactic Pet Open House
With the arrival of the new “Star Wars” movie soon, SPCA LA and Long Beach Animal Care Services timing couldn’t be better for their “Intergalactic Open House” tomorrow. Besides the opportunity to meet the available dogs and cats in this bark and meow fest, there will be lots of fun activities for the kiddos and grand kiddos like costumed Star Wars characters milling about and not to mention all the amazing food trucks. It’s also a great way to get to know your local SPCA and/or find that precious doggie or kitty you’ve been dreaming of tomatoes.
If you need further convincing there will be a pop-up roller rink, a Kids Blast Zone featuring bounce house, obstacle course, craft table and face painting. And don’t forget the SPCA LA – Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles – is an independent, nonprofit animal welfare organization serving Southern California since 1877. There is no national SPCA, parent organization, or umbrella group that provides financial support to SPCA LA. Donations run programs and services including Cruelty Investigation, Disaster Animal Response Team, Humane Education, and a variety of shelter services. Head to the event, Dec. 5 from 11AM -2PM.
Dec. 6. Mac and Cheese Smackdown
OMG! Excuse ladies while I pause for a moment to wipe the drool from my chin. The City of Angels’ inaugural Mac & Cheese Smackdown arrives at the L.A River Studios Sunday and only the best Mac & Cheese varieties and representatives will be there. Tomatoes you do NOT want to miss tasting all the creative and mind boggling delicious versions that some of LA’s best restaurants have on Mac and Cheese. Just to be clear ladies, “smackdown” means delving mouth first into the glorious world of this ultimate comfort food.
Prison Yoga – Yoga Teachers Wanted!
“Yoga for Incarcerated Women” is an LA-based volunteer group that is the brainchild of fellow tomato Nancy Deville. This very brave and totally smart tomato literally infiltrates the prison with love, compassion and respect to help the process of rehabilitation. As Nancy says in the Huffington Post , “Our purpose is to give them tools to love themselves enough to be less self destructive, to ease the PTSD they will experience when they are released, to avoid reoffending, and to go on to the full expression of their lives.”
Nancy is not looking at the female prisoners she is trying to help from rose colored glasses gals because she knows the odds, she is merely trying to reach some of these forgotten women to make a difference in their lives that ultimately we can all benefit from. Nancy and her volunteers are currently teaching at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA and they need more volunteers that are certified yoga instructors so they can expand their classes. If you have a desire to give back and can commit to teaching one to three classes a month, visit their website.
Kudos Nancy and to all your volunteers!
The Three Tomatoes LA Life editor, Debbie Zipp is your friendly guide to the best of everything in LA with a tomato style perspective. Debbie is an actor, producer, and writer. She is best known for her recurring role as Donna on the CBS series "Murder She Wrote" starring Angela Lansbury. She has had many other TV and stage roles and has starred in over 300 national TV commercials. As head of In The Trenches Productions, Debbie produced, directed, acted in many short films for her company. Her book, The Aspiring Actor's Handbook: What Seasoned Actors Wish They Had Known was recently published.
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