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"Sometimes if something scares me, I lean right into it. I’m not a brave person—I’m more of a fearless idiot." ~Nia Vardalos   A phone call and 14 hours notice turned Nia Vardalos’ world into a whirlwind.  Becoming a mother of a preschooler in less than a day is not something many of us have experienced. What did she do, you ask?  She smiled, took it all in and wrote it all down.   “INSTANT MOM is the story of how, with just 14 hours notice, I became the mom of a pre-schooler. There's even a How-To-Adopt section (that part was harrrrrd to write) but the book is not just about adoption. It's about my family and friends, movies and food," writes  Nia.   “Ian and I are so giddy we got matched with our delightful daughter, we'll donate from the proceeds to adoption groups.”   For the USA, order Nia Vardalos' book INSTANT MOM here: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Instant-Mom-Nia-Vardalos?isbn=9780062231833&HCHP=TB_Instant+Mom   Early praise for INSTANT MOM:   "Readers can feel the tension between desire to share her joy and good fortune and wish to maintain her child’s privacy. Vardalos offers candor,humor, and poignancy in her account of adoption and parenthood as she pokes fun at parenting memoirs but delivers on emotional impact." ~BOOKLIST   "...laugh-out-loud and painful-in-the-shins moments ...

Directed by Jason Alexander Produced by Danny Gold & Billy Riback The Hollywood theater scene is all a-twitter with the opening tomorrow of “When You’re In Love The Whole World Is Jewish.”   This impatiently-awaited-for show is currently sold out for the full six week run and anyone who is anyone will be there. When You're In Love is truly a labor of love - the love of comedy and of cherished childhood memories. Based on several ground-breaking comedy albums, this material has never been seen live until now. Producers Danny Gold and Billy Riback decided to mount the show for one simple reason: “We were both weaned on classic comedy,” said Riback, “and the albums “You Don’t Have To Be Jewish,” and “When You’re In Love, The Whole World Is Jewish,” were gut-bustingly funny way back then, and because of the timeless nature of the comedy, part character study, part self-effacing lampooning, but always sweet-natured and good-hearted, they remain just as hilarious today.” With the world growing increasingly crude, rude, and mean-spirited; When You're In Love brings the best of this timeless material to life. There is nothing in this show that would offend a nun, assuming one would come, and yet somehow it's ...

Another year, another glorious Jazz Fest!  Here is the line up for this year's nojazzfest.com. See you at the fairgrounds! Billy Joel • Fleetwood Mac • Dave Matthews Band • Maroon 5 •  The Black Keys • John Mayer •Widespread Panic  • Daryl Hall and John Oates •Phoenix • B.B. King • Frank Ocean  •  Earth, Wind & Fire • Willie Nelson & Family • Little Big Town George Benson •
Jill Scott • Jimmy Cliff • Gipsy Kings Jeffrey Osborne •
Patti Smith Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite •
Band of Horses Gary Clark Jr. • Andrew Bird •
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly  • Juan Luis Guerra y 440 •
Los Lobos • The Little Willies • Kem Roy Ayers • Laura Bell Bundy •
Dianne Reeves  • Stanley Clarke / George Duke Project •
Charles Bradley  • Wayne Shorter Quartet feat. Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade  •  Taj Mahal & The Real Thing Tuba Band •
Calexico Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra •
Vashawn Mitchell Joshua Redman Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Joe Sanders, and Kendrick Scott Mutemath •
Ana Popovic •
The Mavericks Little Joe Y La Familia •
Campbell Brothers Brushy One String of Jamaica •
Jerry Douglas •
Daryl Coley Magary Lord of Bahia-Brazil •
Malê Debalê of Bahia-Brazil The Del ...

Most Amazing Honeymoon Suites Photo: Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts Newlyweds will surely find bliss in these far-flung romantic retreats (though they might be paying back the bills for a lifetime).   When agent Anne Morgan Scully of McCabe World Travel honeymooned inHawaii almost 40 years ago, the height of luxury was a clamshell sink and a humble hot tub. Fast-forward a few decades and things are decidedly more extravagant for newlyweds in resort land. “The expectation of what a honeymoon suite should be has changed enormously,” says Scully, who regularly counsels couples on finding fabulous vacation destinations across the world. “It’s not only a matter of size but of having all the bells and whistles.” Today’s top honeymoon suites, in her book, offer amenities such as private pools, sunken Jacuzzis, outdoor showers, and “major” terraces. “The terraces are getting bigger than the rooms,” she says. Given the odds that this trip could be the most expensive and extravagant of a couple’s life together, Scully also stresses that being fussed over is high on the list of expectations for modern honeymooners: “Couples are very aware of whether the hotel staff ‘get them’ and are turned on to how much attention or privacy they need.” So we went ...

Budapest Budapest is rich in culture, shopping, and nightlife. Budapest is the collaboration of two former cities, Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube River. Buda is the western hilly region across the river; while Pest is the flat eastern bank where most of the action lies. Thanks to the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Hungarian forint, Budapest is as affordable as ever. Day 1: Tour the National Museum, which houses the largest collection of Hungarian art. Head over to the Raday utca neighborhood to enjoy quaint cafes, shopping, and art galleries. For independent fashion designers, check out the tiny Retock Deluxe boutique.  For dinner, enjoy one of Budapest’s coolest restaurants Café Deryne (voted one of the best new restaurants 2009 by the Best of Budapest). A local restaurant fave, Csalogány 26 has a great list of Hungarian wine favorites. After dinner during the warmer months, head down to the river for a docked boat-turned-bar like A38 Hajó. For high-energy, Studio Club will not disappoint. The party in Budapest never seems to stop and clubs are guaranteed to stay packed past 6 AM (when some of us just have to go home)! Day 2: Visit the Old Jewish District, which has a ton of bohemian cafes; or stroll around Liszt Ferenctér, a tres chic neighborhood with trendy bistros. Head over to nearby ...

By Josie Villa-Singleton a.k.a Travelista Mama Shelter’s unique name corresponds to its equally new concept.  Normally staying in a boutique hotel designed by  Phillipe Starck does not come cheaply, especially in a major city.  Mama Shelter changes all that.  The rates at Mama Shelter start at 79 Euros.  Anyone who’s stayed in a fine but functional Parisian budget hotel knows this rate can’t be beat. The first photo shows a typical Paris budget hotel room at a cost of around 100 Euros, the second shows the rooms at Mama Shelter. Mama Shelter showcases Phillipe Starck’s whimsical eye with graffiti grazing the ceilings and a unique mix of materials that include concrete, glass, and wood.  The eating areas combine old-school or shall I say Old World long wooden tables and benches.  The tech addicted can dine and surf at tables equipped with built in computer screens.  I-Macs, free Wi-Fi, Kiehl’s toiletries and five star bedding await you in your room.  All I can say is “bonjour, baby” and bye-bye to stiff, scratchy sheets.  You’ll find live indie rock and electronica music across the street at La Fleche D’or. So here’s the deal.  Mama Shelter is in the 20th arrondissement, which in more ways than ...

By Josie Villa-Singleton a.k.a Travelista Rail Europe recently began promoting The Eurostar high speed train that runs from London to Paris. November 14 marked the start of the new service provided by Eurostar which decreases travel time by 20 minutes (at speeds of up to 186 mph), making the journey from London to Paris 2 hours and 15 minutes. Tickets for the journey vary in price ranging from $97 to $400 depending on when the ticket is booked and what class seat is selected. The cheeky “get a little Paris with your London” Rail Europe campaign touts that “…you’ll be drinking wine in Paris while the lager foam from London is still on your lips”. The accompanying website provides a cute game where you can create “mashups” of London and Parisian animated icons. You can even enter your own mashup version of London and Parisian symbols or icons for a chance to win a trip to London that includes a stay in Paris via the Eurostar of course. Trains leave from the refurbished and central (near Oxford Circus and Covent Garden) St. Pancras station in London and arrive in the Gare du Nord station in Paris (near Montmarte, Sacre Coeur). Otherwise known as ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam has much more to offer than its shocking red light district and its large population of “coffee shops.” What makes Amsterdam a must see city is its contemporary art, its large amount of boutique shops, and heartbreaking history. The best way to explore this diverse city is definitely by bike. Almost every Dutchman in Amsterdam owns a bike and uses it an their main form of transportation. Even though the city isn’t too big to get around by foot, you can cover much more ground by cycling your way through the canal-lined streets of Amsterdam. See: If you enjoy art, you can’t miss the museum dedicated to the most influential impressionist artist of all time: Van Gogh. If you are more interested in learning about an important part of Amsterdam’s history, theAnne Frank House Museum will amaze you with an intimate story of the young woman’s tragic life. Shop: The best shopping is located in the area of Negen Straatjes (“Nine Alleys”). As well as cute cafés and food shops, this area is full of small boutiques ranging from exceptional clothing and shoes, to jewelry, and home furnishings. Make sure to stop in Beaufort Sieraden jewelry shop, Exota, and Spoiled.   Eat: This Dutch city offers a large variety of classy yet affordable restaurants with ...

By Anjanette Delgado There's something about Miami. It welcomes you by not making too much of a fuss about you. "Oh, so there you are," it seems to say. Great. Dale, Chico. Te veo despues y nos tomamos un cafe." And you know, it's happy to see you. My favorite spot to welcome the day in all of Miami is not anywhere near the infamous SoBe of the tanned and gorgeous. It's not on a boat gliding past tall downtown buildings on bayside waters. It's sitting on the sidewalk facing the huge, colorful, exhuberant sculpture at the entryway of the otherwise unremarkable Dadeland Metrorail Station in South Miami. It's fittingly called "Welcome" and stands amid the light gray concrete on mornings when my own bed wants nothing to do with me and, as my mother would say, "el que me fume, pierde el vicio." And here's the trick: you sit on the sidewalk in front of it with your newspaper and your strong, sugary, Cuban coffee, you look at it for awhile, and pretty soon you start to feel happy and, god forbid, optimistic. By then you'll look a little crazy to couples walking by with their strollers or their dogs, so taking a ...

Had fun storming a castle lately? On the way to Temecula’s wine country, many roads lead to wine, but only one leads to The Castle Estate. Every detail there is designed to keep you in a past reality of castles, kings and, of course, Queens.  From the gigantic medieval iron locks that guard your room and the mural on the stairs depicting part of it’s own family history, to the most minute detail of a delightful butterfly garden right outside your bedroom door, this castle has proven to be a diva’s favorite. If you happen to endure LA traffic, a night arrival is breathtaking, as the castle lights glow to guide the way.  Past the helicopter pad out front, you’ll be greeted by the sounds of a huge front door knocker, and welcomed by dimly lit candelabra and a smile from the castle’s proprietors, Joanne and Dee. How does waking up at The Castle sound? “Ding, ding, ding!” A soft “Good morning!”   a bell ring in the morning light shining through the hand-painted stained glass windows onto the luxurious medieval bed linens, and the chain link armor guard standing by. Thankfully, you’ll still have time to enjoy the feeling of waking up in a ...