Orchard Supply Hardware Woodland Hills Grand Opening March 21

March 19, 2015 by 21 Comments

When you think “home improvement store” you might not imagine this:

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But this is my favorite picture from a preview tour of the newest Orchard Supply Hardware, opening in Woodland Hills this Saturday.

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Since 1931 OSH has provided service to customers who are shopping for home improvement supplies and materials. This new 40,000 square foot location has a Workbench right inside the front door that is meant to help you even more: get things cut, windows and doors re-screened, keys copied, and more. The layout is friendly and the signage is quirky. There’s something lovely to look at wherever you turn.

orchard supply hardware woodland hills

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They even have a special aisle for “What-cha-ma-call-its.” After my own heart.

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The personal service extends, of course, to the staff. Everyone I met during the tour has been at the company for years, even for decades. They learn a customer service philosophy called C.A.R.E. that encourages them to not just help the customers but inspire them. A worker even did a little craft demo, inspired by Pinterest (she loves Pinterest) in the paint department.

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This is a wooden board painted with chalkboard paint and then festooned with knobs and stickers and outfitted to hang on a wall. Materials for this craft were provided in the gift bag that OSH sent home with the bloggers on the tour. Even though I am not crafty, I felt like painting something after walking through the store.

But my favorite part of the store is the nursery.

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There is a certified organic gardener on staff who stopped what she was doing to answer my many questions – why is my cilantro dying? How best to nurture the nasturtiums I planted to attract aphids away from my magic kale? As eye-catching as the beautiful plants are, the nursery’s stars were its staff members.

The store will have its grand opening this Saturday starting at 6:30 AM. Instead of a ribbon-cutting they have a board-cutting with a chainsaw and everything. And the company will make a donation to a local charity in honor of this day. You’re probably working around the house this weekend anyway, so if you need some supplies, I encourage you to check out this beautiful new store!

Woodland-Hills

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Update: The MomFair – a Job Fair For Moms MARCH 12 at The Play Destination

February 15, 2015 by 3 Comments

The date has changed for this event!

momfair event photo

MomAngeles.com presents The MomFair – a job fair for moms who are looking to go back to work or to work part-time. The evening will feature presentations by a career coach and a few success stories, and a work-from-home marketplace with businesses that value families and support moms making money and building careers while also caring for their families. Winnie and Kat, founded by Agoura Hills’ own Diane Prince, will be there!

The MomFair is a recurring mini job fair that happens each month at different locations around LA. Lucky for us, it’s coming to Agoura Hills at The Play Destination – by day an indoor playground and meeting place for parents of little ones, and by night (sometimes) a social gathering place for grownups! Their recent Paint Night (also hosted by MomAngeles with JensList and The Pump Station) was a lot of fun!

I have a special place in my heart for The Play Destination not only because my kids used to love playing there before they got too big, but also because they host a diaper donation bin for Help a Mother Out. Every time it fills up with packs of disposable diapers, I arrange for them to picked up, or I drive them myself, to a homeless shelter in Glendale. So if you have some hanging around bring them with you to The MomFair! The babies will thank you.

Tickets are only $25 and you can get $10 off if you have a MomAngeles Perks card.

The MomFair
Thursday, March 12, 6-9PM
at
The Play Destination
28501 Canwood Street
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: TheMomFair.com
Purchase tickets here

*Yes that’s me in the crowd photo looking very gleeful at the inaugural MomFair event in 2013!

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What’s Your Story? Expressing Motherhood Accepting Submissions 2/16/15

February 2, 2015 by 1 Comment

exmo spring 15

Expressing Motherhood is a stage show in which people stand before you and tell – or perform – their stories about mothers. About being mothers, having mothers, loving or hating mothers, losing and remembering mothers.

I’ve seen the show more times than I can count now, over the years. The producers have staged it all over Los Angeles, and in New York, Chicago, and Boston. Last winter I was honored to be included in the show myself. My story was the mostly humorous tale of my long evolution from relatively cool person into a suburban PTA mom. My co-stars were 11 incredible storytellers. There were songs, laughter, tears, and wine flowing in the green room.

Expressing-Motherhood-Show-in-HollywoodPhoto by Desiree Eaglin

Submissions for the spring Los Angeles show will be accepted on Monday, February 16. All you need to do is share your story. You don’t have to be a writer or a performer. Just type up your story – one that takes you 5 minutes or less to read out loud, and send it in to the email address given on the website. The power of your story is what drives your submission. No in-person audition necessary.

Here are some tips and requirements:

*Pieces need to be NO longer than 5 minutes when read aloud. Please read them aloud and time yourself.

*Make sure it’s your story about motherhood, not someone else’s.

*Pieces about small portions of motherhood often make very interesting pieces versus a broad “Motherhood is hard” piece.

*I’m looking for stories about motherhood. That means you don’t have to be a mom. You can be a son, a woman who chooses to not have children. Etc.

I encourage you to submit if you have a great story that is bursting to come out of you. Keep your eye on ExpressingMotherhood.com for more information.

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