Until this past weekend, one of the casualties of parenthood in our family was skiing. Of course, if I had been a true skiing fanatic I would have moved "Teach Child To Ski" higher up the priority list. Indeed, if I were a serious skier, I may even have felt qualified to teach said child to ski myself. Instead, I have vaguely contemplated the family ski resort options near LA each winter, and then realized that I have not made it to one each spring. After six seasons without skiing, I decided it was time to take the child by the horns and get someone to teach him to ski.

One of LA's hidden gems for little ones is an outdoor show known as A Faery Hunt, a gnomadic experience which is part hike, part play and all fun, taking place at several parks around town. Recently, the sprightly crew added an indoor show to the repertoire, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden, and it's a real crowd-pleaser among the under-eight set. Performances currently take place at Sherman Oaks' Whitefire Theater.

I know - you've seen the uber-forwarded "Get two free tickets on Southwest" promise, and you remember all too well the faux "Bill Gates is sharing his fortune" email. But every now and then a too-good-to-be-true rumor comes along that is actually true, and we've got one for you. If you've heard the rumors that Starbucks and the Wasserman Foundation have teamed up to help LAUSD schools by funding teachers' pet projects - and that you, the Starbucks addict, get to choose how it happens - you have not been led astray. But you do need to get out there fast and caffeinate if you want to help your kids' school!