Las Vegas Mama

Part of what has been keeping me busy and away from all you, my dear blog BFFs, is the writing I have been doing for AOL. I forgot to post these as I went, so here are some of my City's Best Valentine's Day picks for Las Vegas. First, the Valentine's Day gooey, smoochy, lovey-dovey stuff:   Vegas I-Do's: 5 Perfect Places to Pop the Question Keep Love Alive: Valentine Gifts For Marrieds Free Vegas: Date Ideas For Valentine's Day But let us not forget about our wee ones. Many of these you have already seen me write about here on this blog, and others will be new to you. Check them out, and if you have a suggestion that tops what I have I will be very grateful to hear of new or interesting places!   Fun For the Little Ones: Best Baby Corrals Kid-Friendly Vegas: Stress-Free Dining For Parents

Giant Ent-thingy. Photo Courtesy of MGM Mirage Resorts Are you guys ready for Thanksgiving? Did you already buy your turkey, pull out your recipes, and tear your hair out just thinking about everything you still have to get done before Thanksgiving? Take a break from the planning madness and get out of the house for a bit! My guide to fun Thanksgiving activities around Las Vegas is up at AOL City's Best -- check it out. . And here is one more that I just found out about this morning -- Color Me Mine at the District in Henderson is hosting a Kid's Black Friday event from 8am-11am for kids ages 6 and up. Drop them off so they can work on painting Christmas gifts for the family while you go out shopping. They will watch a holiday movie, paint stuff, and they will be served a light breakfast including hot chocolate or orange juice, muffins, and cereal. I don't know about you, but any time I can shop alone it is a great day!!

So. I am starting things up again with AOL City's Best. This time I will be writing a weekly article about family-friendly activities and events in and around Las Vegas. I was a little hesitant at first because I didn't know if I would be able to generate content on such a consistent basis. After all, with the blog I just post whenever I have something to say. But after discussing things with my editor and getting a clearer picture of what they need, not only do I think I will be able to do it, I think its going to be pretty fun. Fortunately for me, I will be able to sort of translate what I have already been doing on this blog and put it out there for all the world to see. Ok, maybe not all the world. But definitely a significant portion of Las Vegas families. In fact, the content I write for AOL just might replace my local reviews. Maybe. Still thinking about it. Either way, if I link up to the AOL site, click over and be sure to check out what new and interesting thing...

Hello, world! I am back. I have met my AOL deadlines, and now it is time to do some serious blogging. Ok, not really. I am still not in the swing of daily blogging and frankly I need a break from the computer. But what I am going to do is tame the chaos that has descended upon my household during this little working stint. This endeavor has just confirmed what I already knew: I am not cut out for being a real working mom. It's just not worth it to me. Its strictly part time for me. And by part time I mean quarter time. Money isn't everything, and I know that idea is tough for a lot of people to swallow. Money really isn't much at all. As long as I have a decent roof over my head and decent food to eat, I am ok with not having more. Money can be lots of fun. But based on the last couple of weeks, my quality of life is not going to improve with more money, it is going to disintegrate into dirty dishes, feral children, and a dog that has not had a bath in weeks. No thank...

Hey everyone - my editor at AOL is in need of some serious help with these City's Best listings, and the hard deadline for EVERYTHING is Wednesday, a week from today. You should have some experience writing, and be reliable. Some leg work over the phone is also necessary. If you are in the Vegas area and you have some time to drive around the city on a fact-finding and photo-taking mission, email me at andrealeal00@yahoo.com ! PS - And yes, it is a paid job!

I meant to get only 10 assignments this week and I ended up with 30. Its a race to the finish for AOL City's Best, so I think that after this week I will be done for real. In the meantime, hang tight and I will try to post when I can. Please don't give up on me yet - Las Vegas Mama is doing some serious Las Vegas stuff!

I know I have been slacking on my daily posts. I know you are all wondering what happened to me, since it has be like THREE DAYS since I posted. Lest you go into withdrawal, let me update you. I just got a new part time freelance writing job working for AOL City's Best. That mean I go out and about Las Vegas to different shops, nightclubs, restaurants, etc., confirm their information, take photos, and write up a little description. Kind of what I do with the blog, except without my opinion, my muppet rating system, and less wordy. So not really like my blog. Anyway, I get 20 listings per week but I am thinking I want to limit it to 10, because I have a one week deadline and I have this thing about feeling like I am actually working. I don't like it. The house has been chaos, dinners have been haphazard, and the girls have been watching way more videos than I care to admit. Its not my idea of living a good life. Still, some of the places I am covering are really interestin...