With the first days of 2009 under our belts (only figuratively, of course!), it's a good time to take stock of those New Year's resolutions and make sure we are sticking to them. We resolved to do what every normal, average American family strives for: get organized, stay fit, do well in school and sports and travel. These five resolutions don't sound like much, but are at the core of family life today. Here's how we've tackled our five resolutions in the first five days of '09.

Travel - This New Year's eve my family, Bella, our new Malte-Poo, and I checked-in to a pet-friendly hotel for two nights to ring in 2009. Tradition says that if you start the New Year traveling, the rest of the year will be a trip! Since the financial outlook for us is rather bleak, taking any exotic jaunts around the world are out of the question, so we took up residence next door - literally - at the nearby resort. Hey, I didn't have to cook or clean, so in my book this counts as a Bon Voyage!

         Bella - the family Christmas present

Getting Organized - I made a deal with the kids; clean out your backpacks and desks, and we'll watch TV and movies until your eyes start to water. My husband was especially thrilled with this arrangement, and it worked! All of us filled up the recycling bin 'til it overflowed with paper. The TV-movie-watching  marathon wasn't that bad either. We caught up on several silver screen gems we'd missed like Eddy Murphy's Meet Dave, Role Models and Tropic Thunder. Fortunately, we didn't pay box office prices for these 'brain-teasers'.

School and Sports - This aspect of the resolution deal isn't just for the kids; parents drive them, sit there and wait, and pump them up to keep at it - all from the comfort of our SUVs. So far so good.

Staying Fit - This is the most challenging of all resolutions! Admittedly, these first five days have been difficult in this regard since it's been so cold (by San Diego standards 55 degrees is very cold!), to get out and move. But, we are trying hard to limit our intake and increase our physical output; we run to the car instead of walking, we run up the stairs and we run to the bathroom.

It's a start ...

The New Year is a traditional time for year-end summaries of every type. Keeping with tradition, below is a list of the most popular Mamarazzi Knows Best articles of 2008. I'm very grateful for the time you, the readers, have granted me this year, and I am looking forward to bringing you more insightful and adventuresome articles in 2009. Hopefully, you'll take away something from my experiences you can use with your families - or for yourself!

Here is my list compiled with a combined total number of hits from various sites and links:

5. SAT Prep Course + Summer Job + Staycation = Smart Kid! With gas prices so low today, you might have forgotten what Staycation means. Read this informative piece, and you'll find out. Plus, you'll get an idea of what's coming up for your high school student.

4.  1984 Los Angeles Olympics Revisited The 2008 Summer Olympics brought us Michael Phelps, and due to his remarkable success the historical importance of these games was cemented in the minds of our youth. My contribution to the Olympics in 1984, although many years ago, seems to attract many nostalgic readers and historians to re-live this great event in Los Angeles.

The pomp and circumstance of an Olympic Medal Ceremony (Rowing, Los Angeles, CA 1984)

3. Tasteless Texting -Technology is the common factor in our children's lives today. My article on texting was referenced in Shaping Youth, another site also trying to decipher how we parents should deal with all the gadgets our kids are bombarded with these days.

2. Believe it or not, the The Jonas Brothers were not the number one attraction on my site in spite of dominating the teen pop scene this year. I was fortunate to be able to bring you some photos and news of a few of their concerts and their upcoming Disney 3D Movie which certainly brought young readers (and a few My Spacers, Facebookers, and hits from as far as Israel!) to check them out. These are the most read articles I wrote on this successful trio:

Move Over Miley! This article is posted on a couple of other websites. On Blogher, it has over 2,500 hits.

Nick Jonas at the Piano for 3D Cameras and Jonas Brothers Three Times better in 3D These two articles give you a little insight into the filming in Anaheim, CA of the Jonas 3D Movie Experience. Fan-damonioum ensued!

Joe Jonas during filming of 3D movie in Anaheim, CA Photo Suzette Valle

Jonas Brothers: Mainstream Music or Disney Fantasy? Their photo on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine prompted me to write about the JB breaking with the Disney mold.

And, at number one ...

1. Take a Look at Josh Peck Now - This article is by far the most popular one getting between 500 and 1,000 hits per day! Obesity afflicts a large percentage of our youth, and in this article you can read how Josh Peck conquered his childhood-long weight battle and lost over 100 lbs. This is a good story to share with your kids if you're facing this issue at home, and could be a starting point for a New Year's resolution too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HOPE TO HAVE YOU BACK IN 2009!!

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and blessed Christmas! I will be away this holiday week, but I leave you the images below of a Living Nativity we attended in Rancho Santa Fe in North County, San Diego ...   more »

One of my favorite bloggers, Vanessa Van Petten of On Teens Today, recorded what she calls The Kid's Response to Anita Renfroe's The Mom Song set to William Tell's Overture.

Hilariously accurate!! Click here to watch both videos. And be sure to share them with your kids too!

Photo by Suzette Valle

Demi Lovato performed at a free concert for Winterfest 2008 sponsored by Radio Disney, the City of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Youth Foundation and Lift Up America. The day-long festival, where about 2,000 underpriviledged children were treated like VIPs for the day, included several free performances and activities just for them.

Photo by Suzette Valle

Photo by Suzette Valle

Photo by Suzette Valle

More information and photos about Winterfest 2008 perfomers, activities and the Hollywood Santa Parade will follow ... there's a special treat for you Twilighters too!

If you're like me, you probably don't have time to plan and cook a traditional Thanksgiving family feast from scratch, but I know we'd all love to this for our families. From purchasing a frozen turkey, making sure it's completely thawed by cooking time, to home-made stuffing and pumpkin pie, it's all very overwhelming.    more »

Photo by Suzette Valle

The week-end before Thanksgiving, we drove to Venice, California to attend a private party and presentation of LOOT, Sharon Waxman's latest piece de resistance about stolen antiquities. The gathering was hosted by three of Sharon's good friends, Paula Silver (marketing exec. for the now classic movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Liz Ondaatje, a public policy researcher at the RAND Corporation (and mother of four), and journalist and Green Mom blogger Liz Benenson.

The group was enthralled by the stories Sharon uncovered while researching the provenance of many statues, obelisks and other famous art pieces we have grown accustomed to seeing displayed in museums around the world, except in the very country where they came from.

Sharon's fascinating journey and discovery of political maneuvering taking place in the world of antiquities -- from the Getty to the Louvre, to San Diego's Mingei Museum, all play a part in LOOT -- and the book is already garnering acclaim from both readers and critics.

Sharon and Suzette

So, how could parents connect some of these cultural aspects (which could seem too sophisticated or boring for some kids), with our current family routines? In doing a little research for this post, I came across a new website that does exactly this: KidsOffTheCouch.com. 

"By the time they finish watching "The Hideaways," about a brother and sister who run away from

home and spend a week hiding out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, children just might be up

Two moms created the site, and it links cultural activities to a related movie so kids will be interested in what might be an otherwise unpalatable outing. Happy Travels!

Beginning to Look a lot like (a glum) Christmas?

GM, Ford and Chrysler chiefs criticized for taking jets to bail-out hearing

Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World by Sharon Waxman

Twilight's advanced ticket sales setting records Midnight Show pre-sale tickets

A few weeks ago, I had to borrow my daughter's cell phone to make a call because I'd left mine at home. I thought this was a simple request; she would be at softball practice while I went grocery shopping so she wouldn't need her phone anyway. After posing the question, I got a serious stare accompanied by the declaration, "My phone is personal, mom". This one caught me off guard, but not off kilter. I quickly came back with the obvious retort, "It's not yours until you pay the bill your self. Until then, it's my phone and I'm letting you use it!" This was followed by a twisted smile, and the handing over of the equipment as she exited the car.

Her possessive statement led me to the next logical thread of questions: What is she hiding? Naughty photos? Boyfriend photos? Texts I shouldn't read? Girl gossip? What could a 13 year old possibly have in this apparatus that is so "personal"?

Prompted to dig a little more into this mentality, I quickly realized this is a widespread notion among today's cellular device-carrying teens. Besides the obvious numbers listed under Contacts, there is an enormous amount of other data, music and video which can be stored in a single portable communication contraption, and carried with one self at all times eliminating the need for a few old fashion items like: the address book, phone book, family/friends photo album, notes, letters and secret messages between friends.

Let's discuss some of these cell-phone capabilities to find out how much is stored in those cool mobile phones, and why our teens must have them even while they take a shower!

Photos - Initially, I thought the images stored in young users' wireless phones were simply that, photos. What I found out, is that they are key moments kids have to carry around to remind each other of the special bond they shared when the photos were taken: BFFs, fun times, places, faces, events, inside jokes; you name it, it's in that phone somewhere as proof that the adventure took place. These days, most teens are excellent self-photo takers, and have become very comfortable flipping the camera-phone on them selves practically anywhere.

Another way teens use the camera-phone is as a compact mirror. Just click the camera feature, point it at yourself and groom away!

Texts - As I wrote in a previous post, texting is the way to communicate among teens today. Kids are not simply exchanging information over text messages, but are also using this technology similar to passing notes in class. Remember when you passed notes, and then came home to put them in a safe spot because it confirmed that Johnny liked you? Or maybe it just reminded you of the moment you got away with it in class? Some of these notes are stored in the phone and then shared over giggles as the common link between BFFs at school. I also discovered another down-side about texting; you can get asked out or dumped by your boyfriend over a text. No more valiant, humbling tell-me-to-my face-you-want-to-go-out/break-up moments. 

Secret Messages - The pervasive use of texting for the purpose of criticizing someone or avoiding an over-heard conversation such as sleep-over dates to not hurt others feelings is a negative side-effect of texting and cell phones. Not having to talk in front of someone to avoid confronting bad feelings only takes care of the problem at that particular moment. Usually, in what seems like a deliberate attempt to sabotage the secretive nature of texting, teen girls often giggle about their concealed plans at school the next day when they'll openly discuss the fun they had in front of -- or at least within earshot -- the un-invited person (so the hurt isn't avoided after all).

"In middle school, “can you come get me out of this dance” or “can so & so sleepover” is a great way to save face among peers without broadcasting intent or wounding feelings".  In her excellent article posted on Shaping Youth , Amy Jussel wrote about this and many other aspects of current technology parents have to consider when acquiescing to their teens desire to own a cell phone. My earlier post, Tasteless Texting, is listed on her informative site as a related source too. Thanks Amy!

For now, I've decided to not pry too much into my teen's imagined privacy locked up on her cell phone. But if I'm ever tempted, I found a little gadget called a SIM card that will help me unlock all that 'personal' stuff if I need to. It's comforting to know that technology works both ways, isn't it?

After a few short inquisitive conversations, I probed both my kids one more time about their reluctance to relinquish the machines and they both had similar replies, "I guess I need to memorize my friends' phone numbers because if I ever loose my phone, I wouldn't know how to reach them!"

A simple statement, really, but yet another reminder of just how dependent this generation has become on technology -- and how memorizing phone numbers is so old school!

YOU ARE MY LIFE NOW

"This is a historical evening ... We are lucky to be sharing it with each other" Madonna exclaimed after announcing to her captive audience that Barrack Obama had been elected President of the United States. In the middle of an outstanding performance, the long awaited results of the presidential election came in, and while the 50 year old music icon tried to concentrate on playing the guitar and singing, the significance of the moment overcame her.    more »

Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye in German) are the last words Heidi Klum declares to the losers on her Bravo show Project Runway, and apparently will be the same parting words she and husband Seal will use if John McCain wins the presidential election. In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, the foreign power couple threatened to leave the United States if the Republican emerges victorious.

As far as I know, neither of them is a US citizen so they can't vote. Or is this a tactical move, as suggested by the LA Times blog, to persuade Seal and Heidi's fans to vote for Obama? Whatever their reasons are for uttering this ultimatum, I'll  be very glad once this election is over. And I hope it's a decisive win so we don't have to suffer through the shenanigans of hanging chads and the courts having the last word on this process.

Speaking of goodbyes, I'll be distracted for a good part of this suspenseful evening -- especially during those crucial last hours before all the polls close and we're down to biting our fingers -- because I'll be at the Madonna concert at PETCO park. This, for me, is an event of historic proportions too. After all, The Sweet and Sticky Tour might be her last as Mrs. Ritchie, and since she is 50, who knows, it could be her last.

Do you care what Seal and Heidi do if Obama doesn't win? I'd be curious to see who Klum's replacement would be on Project Runway if she did leave ... any suggestions?

IF YOU DON'T VOTE DON'T COMPLAIN

My quest for freedom continues ...   more »

Happy Halloween!   more »

Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year (PG), proved that a film can hold a 13 or 14 year old girl's attention without resorting to cheap skin scenes or potty-mouths. On the other hand, Max Payne (PG-13), staying true to it's rating was a pleasant surprise because apart from one revealing scene, the only body parts we saw in this movie were scattered around as a result of violent shoot-em-ups ...   more »

Jury Duty is unavoidable unless you are physically impaired. It was my turn last week. I survived it, but not with out its trying moments!   more »

The excitement over the upcoming Jonas Brothers concert is certainly getting the better of people in San Diego, California. Radio station Channel 933, the concert's sponsors, held a contest this morning for second row seats to the show, and all you had to do was compete with others in a radio challenge to find out what you'd be willing to permanently ink on yourself for these seats.    more »

The City of Los Angeles announced that Disney Channel's Demi Lovato will headline the Hollywood Santa Parade and Winterfest on November 30^th!

Actress and singer Demi Lovato, who also co-stared with the Jonas Brothers in Disney's Camp Rock, will help kick off the holiday season with the festivities taking place at their new location at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

According to the official press release, the Hollywood Santa Parade will take place in conjunction with Winterfest, "an all-day street festival that will include an entertainment stage where families can enjoy live performances throughout the day plus an exclusive Radio Disney concert."

This fun-filled day called Hollywood Holiday, will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday after Thanksgiving. The parade will roll down Hollywood Blvd. at 5 p.m. and will feature marching bands, floats and Santa Claus himself.

City Council President Eric Garcetti said, "We are very pleased to announce we are working with Radio Disney and the participation of some of today's hottest young talents like Demi Lovato. It's going to be a great way to start the holiday season".

Whether other Disney personalities will be joining the parade is uncertain, but I would anticipate the announcement of a special guest as Grand Marshal keeping with the theme of this spectacular procession. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, several organizations are collaborating to continue with this long-standing tradition: Hollywood's Santa Parade, LLC, Radio Disney, Lift Up America, and The Hollywood Youth Foundation. Winterfest still has sponsorship opportunities for the event. Click on the banner for more information.

If you’re thinking about watching the parade at Hollywood and Highland, here are some useful tips to help you plan a memorable day:

* Grandstand seats are available for $35. Ticket information is available  by calling (866) PARADE1, or logging on to www.HollywoodSantaParade.com.

* Parking is available at the Hollywood and Highland complex.

* Get there early and dress warmly, evenings tend to get chilly.

* For the truly star struck, don't forget your camera!

Major Disney Channel personality to headline free concert at Winterfest and Hollywood Santa Parade   more »