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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Save 15% on any Walgreens purchase on Thursday 3/31!

Click here for more information and to print your coupon!

Chuggington Train Celebration at Toys R Us: April 2 at Noon

Chuggington Celebration at Toys R Us stores

Saturday, April 2, 12-2pm

For details click here.

Disney Store: Minnie's Masquerade Event: April 8 and 9

 Minnie's Masquerade Event

• viewing party
• make your own crown
• costume parade

Friday, April 8 at 4:30pm and 6:00pmSaturday, April 9 at 11:00am and 12:30pm All Disney Stores, click here to find a Disney Store near you! 

Kurvee Sample Sale

This Kurvee event is a sample sale with designers for full figured women.

Great shopping, freebies, spa area, and refreshments!

For more information visit:

http://kurvee.eventbrite.com/

Borders Bookstore Closing by End of April...Everything 40-60% off

Borders in Pico Rivera and many other locations throughout the Los Angeles area are closing. Borders stores in Pico Rivera, Cerritos, Pasadena, La Habra, and Glendale will be closed by the end of April.

Borders Express locations in Downey at the Stonewood Mall and the Lakewood Center Mall will remain open as well as the larger Borders store in Arcadia. You can read more about the closures here.

All merchandise and fixtures at the closing stores is on sale. The Pico Rivera store currently has prices marked down 40-60 percent. Merchandise is being condensed to the front of the store and about 1/3 of the rear of the store is closed off. 

Bethel Church Health and Resource Fair: Sunday, March 27

Bethel Church in Bellflower is holding it's annual Community Resource and Health Fair this Sunday, March 27, 2011. The fair is open from 11am - 3pm and is free! The fair will provide free medical, dental, vision screenings, and massages. Spanish translation is provided.

I attended this event last year and the whole family had a great time. Some of the activities we participated in were:

• blood-mobile donation
• sonogram of arteries in our neck to check for warning signs of stroke
• blood glucose test to check for diabetes
• blood pressure test
• raffles (I won a $10 Ralphs' gift card!)
• playground
• jump-bouncy houses and slides
• puppet show
• child care room, the kids got to pick a book to take home from a massive selection of free books
• lunch catered by Subway
• visited the vendor booths and got lots of pamphlets, free pens, magnets, etc.

The church does a lot to make sure children are active and entertained while parents participate in the health screenings. Last year there were specialized tests for seniors to check for balance and stability. The health fair is a great place to discover new resources in the community. For more information call 562-866-0791.

Bethel Church Bellflower

10012 Ramona Street

Bellflower, California 90706

Disney Store: Tangled Adventure Event: Saturday, March 26

The Disney Store is hosting a Tangled Adventure on Saturday, March 26. 

Children can participate anytime between noon and 2pm. Each child will receive a flag and will be faced with four tasks. At the completion of each task they will receive a symbol for their flag. When the flag is complete the child will receive a certificate.

 

The Tangled DVD will be released Tuesday, March 29. The DVD pre-sale promotion is still available in store.
 

While supplies last, The Disney Store is also offering a free reusable bag with any Tangled merchandise purchase.

The Disney Store is located on the upper level between JCPenny and Forever 21 at the Shops at Montebello Mall.

 

Family Volunteer Opportunities: Monthly Cleanup & Tree Planting Events

Parents with older children and teenagers often look for ways to connect with their kids. Volunteering at any of these events is not only good for the environment but it is a great way to sneak in family bonding time!
 



Watershed Restoration Program: In cooperation with the USDA Forest Service & Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. 

Plant trees in previously burned areas of the forest. Saturday, March 19 and Saturday, April 30, 2011, 8am - 2pm. Meet at the San Gabriel Canyon Environmental Education Center on Hwy 39 (Azusa Ave) just north of the city of Azusa. No parking permit is required. The website has an inspiring video showing kids and families volunteering!

Heal the Bay

"Nothin' But Sand" beach cleanups, held the 3rd Saturday of every month at various locations. 10am - Noon.

Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 17. Over 60 locations to volunteer in Los Angeles county.

Tree People

Habitat restoration, planting trees, natural area maintenance. Registration is required to attend an event. Weekly events, various locations and times.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards

Wetlands trash cleanup and habitat restoration. 1st Saturday, 9am - 11am at Seal Beach. 2nd Saturday, 10:30am - 12:30pm, in Long Beach.

All you can eat Korean Cuisine: Kalbi Night, YMCA

Hurry and sign up now for Kalbi Night, this Sunday, March 20, 2011 at the Montebello YMCA. For $20  each guest is treated to Korean entertainment and an all you can eat Korean dinner. This event has been known to sell out, if you are interested in attending contact the YMCA at 323-887-9622.

Aztec Dance Performance at the East Los Angeles Library

An Aztec dance group, Danza Azteca Xochipilli, will perform at East Los Angeles Library this Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30pm. The flyer states, "the bilingual program is free and can be enjoyed by the whole family."

YMCA: Going Green All Week! Free Events and Activities: 3/14-3/19

The Montebello-Commerce YMCA is celebrating "Go Green Week". Free Fitness Classes and events are scheduled throughout the week. Everyone in the community is welcome, you do not need to be a YMCA member to participate. See the flyers below for details or call the YMCA at 323-887-9622.

Consignment Sale: Pomona, March 11-13: Bargain Shopping!

A consignment sale is like a well organized yard sale, but on a much larger scale. ConsignMe Kids is holding a consignment sale in Pomona this weekend.



At this consignment sale bargain hunters can find:

•Infant and Children’s clothing (newborn through preteen)
•Toys, video games, etc.
•Outdoor play equipment
•Nursery items
•Baby equipment
•Baby and children’s linens
•Children’s furniture and accessories
•Books, videos, DVDs and music

ConsignMe Kids Consignment Sale

Friday, March 11 - Sunday March 13, 2011

2000 Pomona Blvd. Building B

Pomona, CA 91768

Reptiles at the East LA Library: Wednesday 3/9 at 5pm

One of MontebelloMom.com's readers works at the East LA Library and asked that I share this with everyone. She said people are bringing in live reptiles! Thanks for sharing Xiomara!

Giveaway Time! Teen Party Expo Tickets, McDonald's Coupons & Hello Kitty Coins!

MontebelloMom.com will be at Grant Rea Park this Saturday, from Noon - 6pm signing up new readers at Montebello Baseball Association's Opening Day! To celebrate there will be three giveaways!

A 4-pack of VIP tickets to the Teen Party Expo, Sunday March 13, at the LA Convention Center!

A pack of 12 McDonald's coupons for free hamburgers, ice cream, apple dippers, and milk/juice!

A complete set of 4 Hello Kitty pressed pennies & card from the Sanrio 50th Small Gift Anniversary Party!

To enter the giveaway:

• Receive two entries by signing up for the MontebelloMom.com's e-newsletter at Grant Rea Park on Saturday, March 5.
• Receive one entry by posting which gift you would like to receive on MontebelloMom.com's Facebook page.
• Receive one entry by commenting below which gift you would like to receive, be sure to include your contact info in the posting. (I'll delete the comments after the winners are announced so your email address isn't "out there" for all the internet to see.)

GIVEAWAY RULES:

• Giveaway entry period ends Monday, March 7 at 11:59 PM.
• All entries will be assigned a number and numbers will be chosen by a random number generator.
• Winners will be announced the morning of Tuesday, March 8 on MontebelloMom.com.
• Winner of the Teen Expo tickets have 24 hours to respond or another entry will be chosen.
• Winners of the Hello Kitty set or the McDonalds coupons have 48 hours to respond or another entry will be chosen.
• All prizes will be mailed via United States Postal Service.

Congratulations to the giveaway prize winners:

Hello Kitty Coins claimed by: Kim from East LA

McDonald's Coupons claimed by: Vallery from Montebello

Teen Expo Tickets claimed by: Karen from Montebello

 Veronica from Montebello  unclaimed : (

The winners have been emailed and I am waiting for their response.

Thanks to all for entering!

Long Hair = Free Cut at Sharkey's Cuts for Kids!

Donate your hair to Locks of Love and get a free haircut at Sharkey's!

 The Montebello Sharkey's location is now closed. Try visiting other Sharkey's locations for a free cut.

Sharkey's hair salon will provide hair donors the regular service of wash, cut, style and optional nail polish for free with a Locks of Love donation! Sharkey's will bundle the hair, cut it, and send it to Locks of Love on your behalf. 

A stylist at Sharkey's said you can measure your hair with a ruler at home or come in and they can check for you. At least 10.5 inches will be cut in all to ensure that wig makers have the length required.

For more information about Sharkey's Cuts for Kids please read my previous article here.

Teen Party Expo: Sunday, March 13: LA Convention Center

Parents and teens looking to find ideas and resources for a coming of age party or prom can look no further than the Teen Party Expo!

The Expo is designed to give parents and teens a hands-on experience with presentations, samples, and demonstrations from 60 exhibitors. The event includes the Teen Club Expo, a separate club set up for teens to hang out and dance while parents get an idea of how a teen party can look and feel. "Golden Ticket" packages with free goods and services will be raffled off to five lucky expo visitors.

General admission is $10 and includes a raffle ticket. VIP tickets are $15, and include express check-in, email newsletter with coupons, complementary gift, and an extra raffle ticket. Children 7 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.teenpartyexpo.com/, at the door, or for a discount visit any Warehouse Shoe Stores (WSS) where VIP tickets are sold for $12!

Check back in with me here on Saturday 3/5 or on Facebook for a chance to win a four pack of Teen Party Expo tickets!

Great idea to get the kids involved in saving electricity and money!

I found this tip on the Money Saving Mom Facebook page and had to share! It's a great idea to get older kids and teens actively involved in saving electricity! Read the article here.