Sing Live Performances: Pasadena, Saturday October 1 & 8

What: Live musical performances by the Sing contestants

When: Saturday October 1 & 8

Time: 2-5pm

Where: Paseo Colorado, 280 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

Watch free live performances of the Sing contestants.  For more information click here.

Health Fair: San Gabriel, Saturday, October 1

Located at: 438 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel

Family Golf Clinic: Pico Rivera, Saturday November 12

What: Family Golf Clinic

When: Saturday, November 12

Time: 12-1:30pm

Where: Pico Rivera Municipal Golf Course

Cost: $10 per family

Bring your family for a fun lesson of golf.  Equipment will be provided.  For more information, click here.  Call 562-692-9933 to reserve a spot!

ArtNight: Pasadena, Friday, October 14

Halloween Festival: Norwalk Civic Center, Monday October 31

What: Halloween Festival

When: Monday, October 31

Time: 6-9pm

Where: Norwalk Civic Center, 12700 Norwalk Blvd, Norwalk

Enjoy food, games, raffles, music and more!  For more information click here.

Pet Fair: Pico Rivera, Saturday, October 8

What: Pet Fair

When: Saturday, 10/8

Time: 9am-1pm

Where: Smith Park, 6016 Rosemead Blvd, Pico Rivera

Bring your whole family (even the four legged ones) to the pet fair and enjoy exhibits, pet adoptions, pet health tips, prizes and projects.  For more information click here.

Electronic Waste Recycling: Shops at Montebello, October 8 & 9

Build a New Playground: Pico Rivera, September 28

The City of Pico Rivera is looking for volunteers to help build a new Kaboom! playground.  No experience necessary.

What:  Build a new playground.

When: Wednesday, September 28

Time: 8am-3pm

Place: Pico Park, 9528 Beverly Blvd, Pico Rivera

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.  Come feel a bit of community pride and be a part of this new playground! Call 562-801-4430 to register as a volunteer or for more information.

Halloween Parade and Costume Contest: Norwalk, Saturday, October 22

What: Halloween Parade and Costume Contest

When: Saturday, October 22

Time: 9:15 am (contest), 11am (parade begins)

Where: Contest will be held at the corner of Pioneer Blvd and Mapledale Street.  Parade starts at Pioneer and Mapledale, ends at Hermosillo Park (Alondra Ave & Elaine Ave).

For more information, call 562-929-5702.

Kids' Events at the L.A. Central Library

The L.A. Central Library is located at 630 W. Fifth St. in downtown L.A.  Montebello Bus Lines Route 40 stops across the street from the North entrance of the library.  If you plan on driving, plan accordingly as parking can be expensive in some downtown garages.  Many of the Saturday Storytime activities include a puppet show.  Click here for more information on Kid Events.

Story Hour: Shops at Montebello, September 23

What: Story Hour
When: Friday, September 23
Time: 11 am
Place: The Shops at Montebello play area.

The event includes raffles with book prizes.  The Shops at Montebello are located at 2134 Montebello Town Center Dr, Montebello.  The play area is located on the second floor in front of Forever 21.

Additional events will be held on October 21, November 11 and December 9.

St. Nectarios Greek Festival: Covina, Friday-Sunday Sept. 23-25

Cub Scout / Boy Scout Open House: Montebello, Saturday 9/24

www.Pack890.net

Los Angeles Central Library Day Trip

Library's North Entrance on 5th Street

Destination: Los Angeles Central Library

Mode of Transportation: Montebello Bus Lines, Route 40

Total Cost: $2

Part library, part art gallery, and part historic building; the LA Central Library located at 630 West 5th Street in Downtown L.A. is a fun destination for kids, teens, and adults alike and makes a great inexpensive day trip for families.

Downtown traffic can be hectic and parking can get pricey, so I prefer to take public transportation whenever business or pleasure takes me into the city. Montebello Bus Line Route 40 starts in Whittier at Beverly and Norwalk Boulevards and heads straight into Downtown.

Library's Rotunda

A 40 minute bus ride from Montebello will have you stepping off the bus in front of Library Tower, the tallest building downtown. It sits across 5th Street from the library’s north entrance.

The library has 8 floors, three exhibit galleries, a library store, food court, Children’s Library and a separate study and work area for teenagers.

Adjacent to the main lobby on the first first floor is the Winnick Popular  Library. Its shelves and bookcases are stacked with the latest bestselling books, videos and magazines.

Teen'Scape Computer Room

Teen’Scape is an area reserved for teenagers and features books, videos, magazines and other materials for this teens. An amazing computer lounge with over 25 stations is reserved just for teens and notices promote Wii and Xbox tournaments on Friday afternoons.

The Children’s Library is a wonderful place to bring children of all ages. The area includes a sitting room with couches and a story theatre that features puppet shows on Saturdays.

Children's Library

Hungry visitors can visit the food court next to the West entrance, featuring a Panda Express and Food 630 which offers sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, ice cream and other snacks.

Guided tours of the library building and Maguire Gardens are available every day at 12:30pm on weekdays and 11am on Saturdays. Tours are one hour long.

Maguire Gardens

The Montebello Bus Line, Route 40 can be picked up  half a block away from the library at the corner of 6th and Grand, across the street from AT&T Center.

The Library is open Monday through Saturday at 10am - 5:30pm. The library is open late on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8pm.

Regular Montebello Bus Lines Adult Bus Fare is $1.10 or $1 with a token. Students in grades K-12 are $.75, and children under 4 are free.

Click here for the Los Angeles Central Library website.

Click here for the Montebello Bus Lines website.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of MontebelloMom.com.
We would like to thank Montebello Bus Lines for donating transportation tokens for this outing.

Reach Out and Read: Whittier, Saturday, October 1

What: Reading event for children 6 months to 5 years old.

Date: Saturday, October 1

Time: 1-3pm

Location: 15725 E Whittier Blvd, Second Floor, Whittier.

Reading event sponsored by Bright Health Physicians Pediatrics.  Activity will include character readings, balloon animals, free book, refreshments and more.

Must RSVP by September 23 by calling 877-285-3627

Thunderfest Car Show & Music Festival: Covina, Saturday, October 1

Date: Saturday, October 1
Time: 1-8pm
Location: Citrus Ave. between San Bernardino Rd & Badillo, City of Covina

Enjoy an afternoon among vintage cars, vendors and over a dozen bands on four stages.  For more information click here.

La Puente Bike Ride: La Puente, Saturday, October 1

Back to School Shopping at the Shops at Montebello

Besides an occasional venture out to Macys and JCPenny to shop for myself, here is the extent of my typical mall experience:

• Enter through Macy’s Home.

• Stop at the Children’s Place, Gymboree, and the Disney Store.

• 15 - 20 minutes in the play area.

• Stop at the Customer Service desk to check for coupons/flyers.

• Go home.

When the Shops at Montebello contacted me and said they reserved a $100 Visa gift card for me to use for Back to School shopping, frankly, I was hesitant. Accepting the gift card would mean that I would have to venture out of my comfort zone of five stores and into unknown territory. However, the prospect of a $100 shopping spree was too good to pass up, so I gladly accepted.

 My kid’s closets were full of school uniforms so my goal was to get play and after school clothes for all three, while stretching the $100 as far as possible.

We made a point of visiting most every store that carries children's clothing or shoes. We visited Journeys, the HQ, Gap Kids, Vans, Justice, PacSun, Kids Foot Locker, Gymboree, The Children's Place, The Disney Store, Hot Topic, and Brooks Shoes for Kids.

My first purchase was at the Vans store on the lower level. A sales associate measured my toddler’s feet and brought out these pink/black plaid lace-up cuties. I slipped them on my little one and she happily danced around the store a bit. I was pleased to see they were on sale for $19.97.

My next stop was across the way at Justice, a clothing store for girls. Before venturing too far into the store I asked a sales assistant if my first grader would fit into the clothes. She said the sizes start at a six and shared that the entire store was 40% off including the clearance items.

My daughter was awe-struck by the pink and glitter, so I took her by the hand and pushed the stroller toward the sales racks in the back of the store. We found two plain t-shirts for $3.95 each and a sparkly pink top for $9.35.

On the other side of the store was an underwear section that can rivals Macys. Although only five, my daughter immediately gravitated toward the bras and started picking out designs. I told her that she was too small for them to which she grumpily said, "Humph!" Inside I cringed at the thought of her growing up and relived awkward memories of bra shopping with my father at the age of 12. I pushed both thoughts from my mind and we settled for two pairs of boy shorts underwear at $5.10 each.

While I was in Justice with the girls my husband took our son to Pac Sun. The styles were great but my son was too small for the clothes they carry. When he grows into a size 14-16 he’ll be a perfect fit and we’ll return.

Upstairs I was lured into The Children’s Place by a sign that read, “Spend $40, and get $20 Place Cash”. I love shopping at Children’s Place because the store always has great coupon offers. I had a 15% off coupon and I receive an additional 10% off all purchases with my Children’s Place credit card.

My son found two pairs of what he calls “comfy pants”. A wind-pant for $10.71 and a pair of mesh pants for $6.95. He also liked a soft hooded zip jacket for $22.92. I cleared the $40 minimum purchase to get the $20 coupon, and I plan to head back next week to buy him a winter jacket.

I promised my son that if we had any money left over I would buy him an Angry Birds t-shirt. I was hoping he would forget but of course, he remembered. Downstairs we visited the Toys Unlimited Kiosk and picked up a green King Pig shirt for $13.04.

 It was dinner time and there was still about $30 remaining on the card. Since I spent $40 of my own money at the Children’s Place I figured we could use up the rest at Marie Callender’s on the lower level for dinner. On Tuesdays and Saturdays the restaurant offers one free kid’s meal for every adult entrée purchased, saving us $10. The kids had macaroni and cheese, chicken strips, and cheeseburger sliders. I had a soup and sandwich and my husband chose a salad, pasta, and pie combo. All five of us dined for $34.

We left the mall with full bellies, and ten children’s clothing items. Visiting the new-to-me stores was a fun experience. I didn’t pay full price for anything and I hope to leave bra shopping for my daughter off my to-do list for many a year. Thank you Shops at Montebello!

This post does not necessarily represent Simon Property Group's positions, strategies or opinions.



Career Expo: Pasadena, September 19

The Pasadena Festival of the Arts: Pasadena, Sept. 17 & 18

For more information: http://www.pasadenafestivalofthearts.com/ 

Montebello Bus Lines Essay Contest: Win $200 Shopping Spree at The Shops at Montebello!

Montebello Bus Lines is currently running an essay contest for all students grades 1st through 12th.  Students must write an original essay, 500 words or less, about alternatives to automobiles to help maintain a "green environment".

Entries must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011.  For more details and contest rules, click here.

So start writing and good luck!

Pasadena Greekfest: Santa Anita Park, September 16-18

Dates: September 16-18

Times: Friday: 5pm-1am; Saturday: noon-1am; Sunday: noon-10pm

Location: Santa Anita Park, 285 W Huntington  Drive, Arcadia

Admission: $5.  12 & under: free!

For more information click here

Free Halloween Makeup Classes: Montebello

Heavenly Choice will be hosting free Halloween makeup classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays beginning September 20.  Learn techniques to turn your kids (and not so kids) into skeletons, princesses, zombies and many more!  Free eye glitter on Thursdays for the ladies that arrive before 5:45 pm.  Open to ages 12 and up, please leave young children at home.  RSVP recommended, as seating is limited.

Free Halloween Makeup Classes

Dates: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays beginning 9/20

Times: See Schedule Below
Place: Heavenly Choice, 534 N. Montebello Blvd, Montebello. 323-728-2728

World Trade Center 9/11 artifacts: Yorba Linda, Now through Sept. 11

Several artifacts from the World Trade Center, including over 20 tons of steel from the fallen towers and the remains of a fire truck damaged during the attack will be on display.

Date: Now until Sunday, September 11

Time: Open 24 hours

Location: Richard Nixon Presidential Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda

For more information and a schedule of related activities, click here.

Montebello Ponytails Girl Softball Sign-ups

***Managers and coaches needed***

Job Fair: Citadel Outlets, Wednesday September 21

Mariachi San Antonio: East LA Library, Wednesday 9/14

FREE MARIACHI CONCERT

Mariachi San Antonio 

Wednesday, September 14

6-8 pm

East Los Angeles Library

For more information click here

Serbfest 2011: Alhambra, September 24 & 25

Premiere Custom, all orders 10% off! If you can imagine it, they can do it!

Can you make Christmas cards with a picture of my husband riding his motorcycle? Can you make a banner for my kid’s birthday party? What about one of those stickers that go on the back of the car with all the family members as stick figures? Can you make a water bottle with my name on it really big so my kids won’t put their vavas all over it? All questions were answered in the affirmative and with more questioning Basically, if you can imagine it, Premiere Custom can do it.

A passerby glancing through the doorway would see that paintings, hats, greeting cards and soda are all for sale. A small Virgen de la Guadalupe statue watches over it all from atop a glass display case. Behind the counter is a huge embroidery machine and two men are sitting quietly behind computers.

A second glance reveals custom T-shirts and jerseys lining the wall with designs ranging from Sesame Street’s Elmo to Day of the Dead designs. On display are custom designs created for colleges, Disney, high schools, sports organizations, and local businesses.

The bustling traffic from Whittier Blvd is drowned out by a hearty greeting from Victor, the owner of Premiere Custom. Victor welcomes patrons with a wide smile and a sturdy handshake. His 13 years of experience in the custom product business make him capable of answering every question thrown at him.

All four of Victor’s daughters, his son, his wife, and nephew are involved in the business. The youngest daughter at 13 helps out in the shop assisting with sorting orders and answering the phone. Victor says, “I recruit them as needed depending on the work load.”

I noticed a custom made letterman jacket draped across a table. Victor brought it over for me to see, it had just been finished and was awaiting pickup from its owner. The girl to whom the jacket is intended wanted a mascot that was less fearsome and more cartoonish in nature. The final product would make any girly teenage girl proud to wear.

Victor said, we do all kinds of jobs ranging from the one-of-a-kind custom made t-shirt, to producing thousands of items of the various services we provide to schools, sport programs, businesses, and corporate companies such as Carl’s Jr. and Disney.

Consider Premiere Custom for all your custom design needs, the prices are reasonable and you may end up saving money over other stops. My husband ordered business cards from Premiere Custom and the cost was $20 cheaper per thousand cards than another company he previously used.

 Special Offer for Montebello Mom readers: Premiere Custom will offer 10% off any order placed within the month of September to anyone that mentions MontebelloMom.com.

For more information call Victor at 323-721-3741 or visit http://www.premierecustom.com/.