South Bay has never received acclaim for its eating establishments. Perhaps it is because of its location to the south of LA, many Los Angelinos may consider it too far of a drive.

Here are some South Bay restaurants worth a try:

If breakfast is your favorite meal—and the greasier the better—you’ve got to try the Long Beach Breakfast Bar. Like its name it offers plain fare that is simply delicious. Be sure to try “Hung Over.” The “hung Over” meal includes two scrambled eggs with cheese and sausage. The dish is served with French fries and gravy. Add Pico de Gallo or spiced sour cream sauce.

If you are an adventurous eater, try El Rocoto. This Peruvian restaurant is located in a strip mall in Gardena. Signature dishes include, Pescado a lo Macho. This dish includes several kinds of seafood: shrimp, squid, mussel, scallops, and octopus. They are served over an ajiamarillo creamy sauce on a bed of rice.

If you have an urge for Italian, Long Beach’s Bella Pizza offers wheat- and original-crusted pies. The toppings are unique. Try the Bixby pie. It is topped with pine nuts and goat cheese or the Indian tandoori pie topped with jalapeño, cilantro, and spiced chicken. Many go to Bella Pizza for the salads. Small, medium and large salads will satisfy any appetite. Choose from hundreds of fresh ingredients including: romaine, tomato, cucumbers, mushrooms, black olives, onions, croutons, and a wide range of dressings.

Plain is the best way to describe the simple but good pizzas available at Uncle Red’s in Bellflower. It’s worth the trip for the Angel’s memorabilia that hangs on the walls. Be sure to try the Carnivore. It is loaded with a variety of meats and fresh sauce.

At El Picosito in Long Beach, you can dine on interesting and unusual Mexican food in an ultracasual atmosphere. Known for its signature tacos and burritos, you will find dishes and dialogue available only south of the border.

Are you looking for Cajun cooking? It doesn’t get any better than Long Beach’s Sal’s Gumbo Shack. Sal makes the best gumbo you will ever taste outside Louisiana. Sal is also famous for such dishes as BBQ shrimp, and his southern fried turkey chops. Daring eaters will also want to try the oxtails and turkey necks!

South Bay has never been highlighted for its unique ethnic eateries. It’s high time it was! There are many gems to eat at in South Bay.
 

The South Bay area of Greater Los Angeles has unique family exhibits and activities as part of their museums. Once considered dusty old buildings to be endured until your parents were done browsing, today’s South Bay museums offer interesting things for kids to do and see. 

Families can spend an enriching day or afternoon inside these vibrant learning centers. 
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Banning Museum is housed in the former mansion built in 1864. The building has been meticulously restored. It is a tribute to the decorating and architecture of the Victorian period. It is situated on a twenty-acre plot. Other buildings on the grounds include a one-room school and a stagecoach barn. The hour-long tour takes visitors through the mansion, the stagecoach barn and the “improbable gate”. For more information click on http://www.banningmuseum.org. 
 
The Drum Barracks Civil War Museum is the only remaining army building in California. Once a training and supply location, this Los Angeles museum is a treasure trove of historical items and information about the civil war. Guided tours take visitors through the courtyard, the library, the armory, the barracks room, the officers’ bedroom, and the technological advances room. The museum brings history to life with special events like Civil War enactment days, Fort MacArthur Days and Huntington Beach reenactment days. 
 
At the International Printing Museum in South Bay shows kids how things were prepared and printed before the days of the computer and the laser printer. An hour-long tour lets the kids watch demonstrations and even try their hand at printing on such old machinery as a Gutenberg Press replica. Because the tours are so popular, it is wise to call ahead. Visitors should also remember to dress appropriately. Printing is a dirty business! 
 
If you’ve never been inside a lighthouse, don’t miss the museum adjacent to the Point Vicente lighthouse. The natural history interpretive center first opened in 1984 has been greatly expanded.  
Make time for whale watching while you are there. It is the perfect spot for it.  Volunteers from the American Cetacean Society conduct a daily count of whales passing through Catalina Channel. They will be delighted to answer questions about the whales and the Pacific Ocean. 
Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the grounds. This museum is filled with information about the landforms, flora, and fauna of the area. 
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For kids, their room is a safe haven and a fun place to spend some alone time. If they are involved in redecorating it can also be a place they love.

You can thumb through decorating magazines and find kids’ rooms that leave you breathless: white carpet; a canopy bed; a neat computer desk, quirky toy storage, and display areas. But the first question you should be asking yourself is: How would my child view this room?
How can you balance your personal design tastes with what your child wants? Will the room grow with your child?

Here are some hints for making your child’s room his personal space.

Let them help. Whether it is a single or a shared room, let your child help pick out paint, pictures, furniture, and flooring. Offering a range of two or three choices makes it less overwhelming for your child and lets him make “final decisions”. If his favorite color is orange or purple, for example, consider a feature wall or trim in his favorite color.

Make sure the room can grow with your child unless you are considering frequent renovations.His favorite characters and colors today may well be discarded tomorrow. Let him choose bedspread and sheets instead of carpet or walls. These items are going to be periodically changed. They are the easiest (and least costly) ways to update the décor.
Consider a room theme—such as cars, trains, spacecraft, cartoon characters, or dogs—that fits your child’s interests.

Make sure there is space to display your child’s treasures safely and that he can reach it.

Make way for work areas for homework, games, construction projects, art work… and for storage of toys, construction sets…Make it as easy as possible for your child to clean up and to locate what he is looking for.
Involve your child in finding accessible spots for his clothing. Let him help you make labels for things.
Bins, shelves and hangers he can reach are ideal ways to encourage “a place for everything and everything in its place!”

While you are redecorating, it is an excellent time to take inventory and decide what should go and what should stay. Make this a parent-child activity. Use three bins or boxes for: things we are keeping; things we can donate to Goodwill and things that should go to recycle or trash.
If your child is involved and given choices at every stage of the redecorating, it will instill a sense of pride and ownership.

Most of us have bathrooms that are on the smaller side. Space is a luxury that not everybody can afford. You many not be able to increase your bathroom space, but there are some nice decorating tricks that maximize the feeling of space and make it so beautiful you won’t worry about how small it is. Here are 5 excellent tips to make the most of space you have.

1. Opposing Mirrors

This handy technique will amplify the feeling of space in the room. Two mirrors facing each other on opposite walls create the illusion of space by the reflection of the room. It is a neat trick and works very well. Alternatively, a simpler solution is have a large mirror occupy the entire width of a wall – think 5-star hotel bathrooms. Luxury hotels use this technique all the time, and it works great.

1. Plan Your Palette

Color goes a long way in facilitating a sense of space. Dark colors make a room feel enclosed and claustrophobic. Bold colours will do the same. Lighter, neutral colors create a perception of space and allow more light to reflect around the room. White, beige, eggshell and light blues are always a good choice. If lighter, calmer colors are too boring for your tastes and you really feel the need to add some color, gold is a good compromise.

1. Stimulate Non-Visual Sense

Space is a visual concept so why not turn your attention to non-visual stimuli? Engage your sense of smell with incense and potpourri. Don’t go for something bland, try something exciting that really stirs the senses. For incense, we especially love jasmine, lotus and cinnamon.

1. Think about Wall Patterns for Height

Patterned wallpaper or tiling can add a sense of height to your small bathroom. Vertical stripes will elongate walls and naturally draw attention to the full extent of the room. Horizontal stripes have the opposite effect and are to be avoided.

1. Get Clever with Storage

Storage can often take up a lot of space in your bathroom. Towels, toiletries, cabinets for various items – even a bin in a small bathroom takes up space. This means you need to be creative. Try a towel rack on the back of a door and mount a shelf above a door (soft items only for obvious reasons!). Have a cabinet that hides plumbing? Add shelves in there for extra storage.