El Dia de los Ninos Celebration: Belvedere Park, Saturday 4/30, 10am-4pm

Mad Science Blast: Montebello Library, Saturday 4/30, Noon-3pm

The Montebello Library is hosting an afternoon of science with exhibits and a mad-scientist demonstration. Hands on activities are planned for the last hour.

For details about this event and other County Library events, click here.

Montebello Library

1550 W. Beverly Blvd, Montebello, CA 90640

(323) 722-6551

Dance Lessons & Dancing: Music Center, Downtown, Fridays 6:30pm

Cumbia

Swing

Tango

Disco

Samba

Learn them all and more at the Music Center in Downtown LA, during the free Dance Downtown event!

Starting May 6 through September 9, enjoy dance lessons and a chance to show off your new moves at "Dance Downtown".

Dance lessons begin at 6:30 and the evening concludes at 10:00pm. Parking is $9. Dance Downtown's schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 06 - Cumbia
Friday, May 20 - Salsa/Cha Cha Cha
Friday, June 03 - Line Dance/Two-Step
Friday, June 17 - Lindy Hop/Swing

Friday, July 01 - Bollywood/Bhangra

Friday, July 15 - Argentine Tango

Friday, July 29 - Disco

Friday, Aug 12 - 60s Night

Friday, Aug 26 - Zydeco

Friday, Sept 09 - Samba

Music Center

135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 972-7211

http://www.musiccenter.org/events/aa_dancing.html

A special thanks to Cecilia C. for sharing this event! Thank you! : )

Doo Dah Parade: Pasadena, Saturday 4/30, 11am

Pasadena Doo Dah Parade

Saturday, April 30

11:00am

A fun whimsical parade that is a Pasadena tradition. Bring the family and a camera and enjoy the freedom of creativity that makes America great.

The official press release says: 

Location: "Colorado Boulevard (between Altadena and San Gabriel Boulevards) in East Pasadena. Start: Nina St./Vinedo St., and S. on Vinedo. W. on Colorado, circles again, back up Vinedo.

Plenty of street parking is available ~ Parade route is also just west of the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line Station (at Colorado Blvd. and Sierra Madre Villa). City buses go directly to the area.

Come early! Come early! Bring a lawn chair! Visit the local eateries and shops, and attend the after parties all within walking distance."

For more information visit:

 http://www.pasadenadoodahparade.info/index.htm

Grocery Shopping: My Rock Bottom Stock-up Food Prices

It frustrates me when I buy something and think it's a great deal and the next day find out I could have gotten it cheaper someplace else. Below is a list of grocery prices that I rely on to tell if I'm getting a deal. Some are rock bottom prices that I only see a few times a year, like peanut butter, and some are generally what I pay for on a regular basis such as milk, butter, and produce.

If you can buy any of these items for the price listed or less it's a pretty good deal, you may want to stock up!

DAIRY/FROZEN

Go-Gurt Yogurt Tubes $1/box of 8

Yoplait Yogurt 7 cents an ounce

Butter $2.00/lb

Eggo Waffles $1.50/box

Toaster Strudels $1.50/box
Ice Cream $2.50/half-gallon container
Eggs $1/dozen
Milk $2-$2.50/gallon (Costco/CVS)

DRY GOODS

Large Can of Soup 50 cents

Canned Vegetables $.39/can

Peanut Butter $1/18 oz. jar

Kid's Cereal $1/box
Adult Cereal $2/box

Pasta $1/lb
Pasta Sauce $.88/can or $1/jar

Sugar 50 cents/lb

Brown/Powdered Sugar $1/lb
Flour $.50/lb

PopTarts $1.66/12 pack

Best Foods Mayonnaise $1.25/30 oz. jar

Kool-Aid 10 cent/pack
Bread $1/package (from Bakery Outlet on Vail)
Pancake Mix $6/10 lbs (Costco)

Taco Shells $1/box
Hamburger Helper $.50/box
Cake Mix $1/box
Kid Fruit/Granola Snacks $.13/piece

BEVERAGES

Pepsi/Coca-Cola Brand Sodas 20 cents/can
2-L Pepsi/Coca-Cola Brand Soda $.79

Orange Juice $2/64 oz

Milk $2-$2.50/gallon (Costco/CVS)

Apple Juice $1/64 oz.
Whole Bean Coffee $4/12 oz.
Kid Juice Box/Pouch $.15/piece

MEAT

Ground Beef 15% Fat $1.99/lb

Ground Beef 12% Fat $2.99/lb (Costco)

Ground Beef 9% Fat $2.75/lb (Costco: Commerce)

Tuna 40 cents/can

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.79/lb

Chicken Breasts w/ Ribs 99 cents/lb
Hot Dogs $1/package
Bacon $3.50/lb
Cold Cuts $1/lb

PRODUCE

Bananas 39 cents/lb

Strawberries $1/lb

Apples 50 cents/lb

Vegetables: If the price is per item I chose a few, weigh them all and buy the heaviest

BABY

Huggies Baby Wipes $.02/wipe

Huggies/Pampers Diapers $6.00/Jumbo Package

Pampers Easy Ups $8/Jumbo Package

HOUSEHOLD GOODS

Paper Towels $1.58/96 sheets per roll (Costco)*
Toilet Paper 50 cents/roll*
Toothpaste $1/tube
Kid Toothpaste $1.50/tube

Kid's Battery Toothbrushes $4

Cascade Complete Action Pacs $.20/pack
Dish Washing Soap $.75/10oz.
Tide Detergent $0.08/ounce
Refillable Razors $1/blade
Disposable Razors Free
Shaving Cream $1.25/can
Body Lotion $3.50/large container
Shampoo/Conditioner $1/bottle
Bar Soap $.20/bar
Deodorant $0.75
Body Wash $1
Liquid Hand Soap $0.88
Kid Band-Aids $1.50/box
Sunscreen $4/can
*I find it difficult to compare toilet paper and paper towels. There are varying amount of sheets per roll, some are double rolls, some aren't. To do a fair comparison you have to measure length per roll. I typically buy from Costco whenever there is a coupon.

I'm continually updating this list,

if you find a better deal I'd love to hear about it!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

This is an article I wrote for Christmas of 2010, but I thought I'd share it again for Mother's Day. I've updated the coupon codes for you. Enjoy!

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Do you have someone in your life that has everything, doesn't need anything, and doesn't want anything? I have two solutions for you! I do a fair amount of online shopping and I find myself going back to these sites for hard to shop for family members year after year.

PhotoStamps.com

If you are looking for a gift for anyone in their 50s, 60s, or 70s, Photo Stamps are perfect for them! That generation still pays their bills, writes holiday/birthday cards, and send letters all through the regular mail. You can create a unique postage stamp just for them with pictures of themselves, yourself, the grand kids, their house, their old car, USC or UCLA logo, anything, and they will love it! 

Last Christmas I bought my mom 4 sheets of Photo Stamps. At first she didn't know what it was and we went through the whole, "yes, it's a real stamp", "yes, you stick it on an envelope", and "no you don't have to lick it, it's a sticker" routine, but for the rest of the year she couldn't stop talking about them. She'd get calls from family members just to talk about the stamp on the envelope. She kept them in her purse and showed them off to her co-workers and at her Red-Hat meetings. She LOVED them!

Each sheet comes with 20 stamps and go for $18.99 a sheet or less. They cost more than regular stamps, but it's all about giving a unique personalized gift. For under $20, it can't be beat! The site is one of the easiest to use that I've come across. You can create the stamps and order in less than 5 minutes!

FYI: PhotoStamps.com is a Los Angeles based company. Last year I placed my order on 12/19 and it said the estimated arrival date was 12/26, but because they are so close I received them on 12/23. I was so happy I wrote them a thank you e-mail.

I received a special shipping code for PhotoStamps.com that you can use to get free shipping! Enter  MOTHERS2011A at checkout!  Click here to create your own Photo Stamp gifts!

Calendars.com

Calendars.com has thousands of calendars available. Desk calendars, wall calendars, Betty White calendars, SpongeBob calendars, Harry Potter calendars, naked people calendars, you name it they have it!

 Enter ACCESS at checkout to save 10% on your order. Click here to order your calendar gift! Free shipping with any order of $20 or more.

PHOTO CALENDARS

Another awesome calendar gift is a personalized calendar with pictures of your family. There are lots of sites like Shutterfly.com or Costco.com (photo) that offer photo calendars. One awesome feature I found is that you can place a photo on specific dates on the calendar. For every member of my family I placed a photo of them on their birthday, I put wedding pictures on anniversaries, etc.

It's a great gift but it takes some of time. If you are going to make a personal photo calendar, set aside a few hours to chose your photos, upload, and place them where you want on the calendar. Then order multiple copies! Your family will love it! You can start your calendar to start with any month.

Shutterfly: Free shipping with any order of $30 or more, enter SHIP30 at checkout.

Free Financial Fitness Workshop, Wed. 4/27, 6:30pm, Whittier

Legacy, Full Circle Financial & Insurance Services is offering a free financial workshop

to discuss personal finances and retirement.

Wednesday, April 27, 6:30pm

Senior Center

Adventure Park

10130 Gunn Avenue

Whittier, CA 90605

For more information contact Lorena at 562-896-9843

Pathways Volunteer Hospice

Founded in 1985, Pathways Volunteer Hospice is a non-profit community outreach program dedicated to providing support and compassion for terminally ill patients and their families.

The goal of the Pathways Volunteer Hospice is "to enhance the quality of life of terminally ill patients, to enable the frail elderly to remain in their homes,and to counsel family members in their grief before and after the passing of a loved one."

The organization offers all services free of charge. Volunteer opportunities are available.

For more information visit the Pathways Volunteer Hospice website

or call 562-531-3031.

Grandparents as Parents Support Group

Founded in 1987, Grandparents as Parents is a support group for grandparents and other relative caregivers who are parenting again. Meetings are held once a week in 16 cities in the Los Angeles area, three meetings are conducted in Spanish. The closest meetings are in Santa Fe Springs and Pasadena.

The flyer says, "The groups are small and non-threatening. We offer complete anonymity and safe place to talk, cry, or listen. There is no charge for this safe place to come and share your experience and concerns."

For more information visit

http://www.grandparentsasparents.org/index.php

or call 818-264-0880

Softball & T-ball Sign-up for kids 3-14, YMCA: Montebello

Kids ages 3-14 are invited to join the

YMCA Softball and T-ball teams!

Registration is now open.

Practices are held once a week at a park in Montebello to be determined by the coach. Games are played Saturday mornings. The program includes a uniform, award, guaranteed playing time, volunteer coaches, and referees.

Montebello-Commerce YMCA

2000 Beverly Blvd.

Montebello, CA 90640

323-887-9622

Dog Show & Competition, City of Industry, Saturday 4/23

Let's face it, we all can't attend the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, but we can attend the local version:

Angeles Canyon Dog Club, Dog Show 

Saturday, April 23

8:00am - 2:00pm

Industry Hills Exposition Center

16200 Temple Ave

City of Industry, CA

I've never been to a dog show so I asked about spectator information from one of the show's managers. Here is what Pam has to say,

There are no tickets and no admission fee, just a parking fee of about $5.00. There are grand stands, but it is better to bring a patio chair to put at ringside. Schedules are posted on our website, and will be in PDF on our home page (jbradshaw.com). Breeds are judged all day long, beginning about 8:00 in the morning, and groups are done in the afternoon, about 2:00.

The show is approved by the American Kennel Club and all breeds will be competing. For more details visit the show's site here.

Kids Bowl for free All Summer! May 1 - Sept 30

Kids can bowl for free all summer at participating bowling alleys!

Register your child online and they can bowl Saturday through Thursday from May 1 - September 30, 2011 for free!

The closest alley to the Montebello area is in Huntington Park, at Gage Bowl, 3477 E Gage Ave, Huntington Park, CA, 90255, (323) 587-3211. Other participating alleys are in: Redlands, San Bernardino, Tarzana, Montclair, Irvine. Fountain Valley and Anaheim.

You can buy a pair of bowling shoes for your child, prices start at $25, or rent a pair for $2.00 with each visit at Gage Bowl.

Find an alley near you and register your child online now!

Spring Cleaning! Time to go through your kid's backpack!

Spring Break is a great time to go through your kid's backpack and give it a good scrubbing! As a middle school teacher I occasionally helped a kid clean out their backpack. I've found:

• an old McDonald's hamburger
• papers that were supposed to be signed by parents that were dated from 6 months prior
• a Game Boy (the kid thought it was lost at his Grandma's house)
• completed homework assignments (when the kid was failing the class, he forgot to turn them in)
• library books (that the kid had paid for because she thought she had lost it)
• a rancid container of chocolate milk in a backpack that was leaking

Check for binders that are falling apart, make sure your kid has paper, pencils, and pens. Go through old assignments and throw the whole backpack in the washer, give it a good soak and rinse in the sink, or spot clean with a wet rag. Your child's teacher will thank you!

If you find anything interesting, please share! What's in your kid's backpack?

Job Fair, El Monte: Wednesday 4/27

El Monte Community Center

3130 Tyler Avenue

El Monte, CA 91731

For more information visit ElMonteJobFair.com

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Getty Center and Getty Villa: Free admission every day!

The Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the Getty Villa in Malibu are two world renowned museums and both offer free admission every day!

The Getty Villa invites families with children (age 5 and up) to experience "Art Odyssey" every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. A fun tour of the galleries with activities for children and adults. The tour is 45 minutes and space is limited, guests can sign up 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour.

The Getty Center is offering "Family Art Stops" Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 and 2:30pm now through May 22. A hands on gallery experience for families with children (age 5 and up). The sessions lasts 30 minutes and guests can sign up 30 minutes prior to start of the program.

My Facebook Friend, Karina recently visited the Getty and this is what she has to say about her visit:

We went on a Saturday after 5pm because the $15 parking fee is waived at that time. It has a parking structure where parking is easily accessible and you take a tram to the museum entrance. The gardens are beautiful and that is about the only place I would recommend for toddlers- inside the museum there are many security members guarding the museum pieces, which got a bit nervous when my two year old got a little too close!

The outside of the Getty is beautiful and has places for you to sit, watch the sunset or enjoy a snack from the snack shacks. I was there for about three hours. There are a lot of paintings/sculptures to see and special exhibits. 

 It is a beautiful place and I would definitely go again. I recommend it for older kids, my little one loved looking at the pictures, but when he saw this really expensive 10 ft. sculpture of an Olympian -Greek trophy, my son's appreciation for it was down graded to "Look Mami, cup!"

Both the Getty Villa and the Getty Center offer daily tours several times a day. Museum admission is free to both museums, however visitors must obtain tickets prior to visiting the Getty Villa. Parking is $15 or free after 5pm.

For more information, directions, events, and tickets to

Getty Villa and the Getty Center please click here.

3D Crayola Event: Toys R Us, Saturday, April 16, Noon-2pm

Fun Activities, Free Gifts,

and more! 

At all Toys R Us stores.

(except Express locations)

The Toys R Us website says:

Activities are intended for, ages 3 and up. Parental supervision required at all times. All giveaways and event materials available while supplies last and distributed to participating children only. Limit one per child. Quantities limited; no rain checks.

Saturday, April 16, Noon - 2pm

Personalized Mother's Day Card for only $1 on Shutterfly!

Just Peachy Mother's Day 5x7 folded card

Turn your favorite photos into a custom Mother's Day card.

View the entire collection of cards.

This is a card I made for my Mom for mother's day, it only cost $1.01 shipped from Shutterfly!

My mom and aunts are a huge fan of these personalized Shutterfly cards, they are made of high quality cardstock and you can include any photos and captions you want. If you are pretty handy with the computer it takes just a few minutes to create a card. 

Use the promotional code: MOMCARD to get the card for free and only pay $1.01 for shipping.

4 Free Dodger Tickets with 76 Gas Promotion

Buy gas at a 76 station, get Free Dodger Tickets!

4 fill-ups of ten gallons or more = 2 Free Dodger Tickets

8 fill-ups of ten gallons or more = 4 Free Dodger Tickets

Obtain a ticket request form from the cashier area of any 76 Gas Station or download one here.

Each fill up must be on different dates.

Mail in the form with the original receipts.

A voucher good for two or four Dodger tickets will be returned to you via mail.

Vouchers are redeemable at Dodger Stadium in advance or on the day of game for regular season games Sunday through Thursday.

Some games are blocked out for this promotion. Read the fine print below:



For more information call the Los Angeles Dodgers ticket office:
323-224-1471

Pasadena Earth & Arts Festival, Saturday, April 16

Saturday, April 16

10am-4pm

Memorial Park & The Armory Center for the Arts

745 North Raymond Avenue Pasadena

• live music
• dancing
• drum circle
• art workshops for kids
• exhibitors
• food trucks
• free/barter swap meet type market
• bicycle tour

For more information visit: cityofpasadena.net/earthday/

Spring Extravaganza, Chet Holifield Library, Wednesday, 4/20

For more information please contact:

Early School Success Program

2112 W. Whittier Blvd. #202

Montebello, CA 90640

(323)724-5277

Charlie Brown Musical at Montebello Library, Tuesday 4/12, 6:30pm

The performance will be held in the children's area of the library.

Children's Day at Heritage Park, Santa Fe Springs, Saturday 4/16

Children's Day

Saturday, April 16

Noon - 4pm

Heritage Park

12100 Mora Drive,

Santa Fe Springs

 

When I taught in Santa Fe Springs my students raved about this event. They said it's a great for little kids, lots of hands on activities, and it's all free! Children can experience life as a child in the 1800s, including games, chores, entertainment, panning for gold, and arts and crafts. Food is available for purchase.

For more information call 562-946-6476 or view the city's program guide and scroll down to page 5.

MS Walk-a-Thon: April 9, 16, 30, Various Locations

The Multiple Sclerosis Society is holding several walks in April to raise funds for their organization. Walks are 3 miles long and no fee is required to register.

April 9

Rancho Cucamonga
Irvine
Santa Barbara

April 16

Big Bear Lake
West Lake Village

April 30

Murrieta/Riverside
Lancaster

For information and to register visit: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/walkMapRegion.aspx

Easter Egg Hunt, La Mirada Regional Park, Saturday 4/23

Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, April 23

9:00am - 11:00am

La Mirada Regional Park

13701 Adelfa Drive

La Mirada

Games, crafts, music, balloon art, jumpers, petting zoo, and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Six egg hunts for children 10 and under.

The Kiwanis Club will host a pancake breakfast and Duck Derby as fundraiser for their charitable endeavors.

For more information visit: http://www.cityoflamirada.org/index.aspx?page=292

Programs and Resources for Calfornia Families

The Spanish newspaper, La Opinion, has published its annual "We Connect" magazine that includes a comprehensive list of programs and resources for California families.

The magazine includes information about:

• tax credit information
• public benefits and immigration
• health programs for a healthy family
• food resources for your family
• how to keep your home
• opening and affordable account: Bank of America
• tips if you're unemployed
• job training opportunities
• paying for college
• programs that will save you money
• 'Let's Move' campaign: improving your children's health

 The magazine can be viewed online and is bilingual. Spanish is on pages 1-11, English is on pages      12 -23.

www.laopinion.com/weconnect

It's my Blog-iversary! MontebelloMom.com is one year old today!

Thanks to all my readers and supporters! You all have given me the motivation to continue posting. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, comments, or suggestions for postings. Thanks again and...

Happy Blog-iversary to MontebelloMom.com!

Teachers get a free annual pass to Sea World!

Teachers can sign up online to get a voucher for a free Sea World annual pass!

Teachers, simply fill out this online form, print the voucher, bring your teacher/school ID, pay stub, and California ID (driver's license), to the Sea World ticket booth and you are set to enjoy the rest of the year at Sea World!

Everyone else in the family can save on Sea World annual passes with AAA, only $62 a person!

Regal & Edwards Theatres: $1 Small Popcorn and $1 Small Drink Coupon!

Coupons for $1 for Small Popcorn and $1 for Small Soda. Coupons expire Sunday, April 3.

Click here to get the coupons!

The Regency Theatre in Azusa is only $6 for all shows before 5pm.