Flair Cleaners Having a Holiday Clothing Drive

Time to go through your closets and make room for new Christmas goodies.  Do you have clothing or shoes in good condition hanging in there that you have not worn? Any warm jackets that you might not want any more?

You can take them over to Flair Dry Cleaning by Vons Pavillion and donate to their Clothing Drive.

27011 McBean Parkway
(At Magic Mountain Pkwy.)
(661) 753-9900

I’m going to start going through my closet now.  They might need a new box just for me.

Magic Mountain Toy Drive 2009

Get in the holiday spirit and head to Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Six Flags is having its 9th Annual Toy Drive this weekend.  Head up to Six Flags with a UNWRAPPED toy valued at $15.oo for admission in to the park.  All toys will benefit the Boys and Girls Club.

This offer is only good December 5, 6, 12 and 13 2009.  For more information visit here.

Tips to Black Friday Shopping

With Black Friday days away I am sitting here plotting where I am going to go and which store I will hit up first.  This will be my third year out in the craziness of the busiest shopping day of the year.  In the past I have been to Best Buy and the mall.  This year I am revising my plan.  Here’s some tips I will use to make sure I get the most out of this day without spending money on “deals” that I don’t need.

• Make a List – Sit down and write down names and a budget for people you are shopping for.  Put that list in your wallet so you don’t forget to take it with you on Friday.
• Look Through Ads – Check online for Black Friday deals and check the paper.  With the ads and the list you can match people to gifts while your brain is calm and not in the midst of Black Friday madness.
• Clip Your Coupons -  Look for coupons to stores like Macys or Bed Bath & Beyond.  Make sure you take them with you.  Nothing worse than going to a store and knowing you have the coupon at home. Heck even take coupons with you to stores you may not normally shop at.  You just might find yourself there or maybe you can give one to a stranger. Don’t forget some stores require you to use their store credit card to use the coupon, so make sure you have the card with you if you need it.
• Prioritize - Group your gift ideas in to categories and go to the store where you can get the most gifts out of the way first.  For example if you are giving lots of video games, hit up Best Buy.  If you are giving lots of clothes, then you’ll want to be at the mall early. You get the idea.
• Dress in Layers -  When you leave the house, it will be cold, but you will get HOT with all the shopping you are going to be doing.
• Handbag - I would advise you take a purse that has a shoulder strap so you can use your forearms to carry shopping bags instead of your purse. Make sure your purse has been emptied out and only has the essentials. (Wallet, coupons, list, credit cards)  You want to do this for a few reasons.  First, it’s less to carry.  Second, this is an insane day.  You might be rushed and leave your purse behind.  Best to not have everything you normally carry in there. Third – crime typically goes up during the holidays.  Protect yourself and only take what you need.
• Feed Your Face – Take a snack with you and have a water bottle in the car.  The restaurants usually have a big line too so you don’t want to waste time waiting in that when you could be out shopping.
• Save Your Receipts – I can’t even tell you how important this is.  What you think is cool on Friday may not be the week before Christmas.  Don’t get stuck with gifts you didn’t end up giving.
• Gift Receipts – Let the clerks know BEFORE your transaction that you want gift receipts.  This can help keep the line moving along. Put the gift receipts in the bag with the items you are buying and put your receipt in a safe spot in your purse or wallet.
• Patience is a Virtue -  If you don’t have patience and a light heart on Friday you will be seriously irritable and frustrated.  The crowds are MAD.  People are in a hurry and the good deals go quick.
• Use Your Manners -  Thank the sales clerks for being there.  Most of them had to get up at 4am to be at work for you to experience the shopping day from hell.
• Wrapping - Ask for gift boxes.  Chances are the stores will be out of them later in the season.  Get extra if you can.
• Friends - Go with friends. It’s so much more fun to do this in a group. Unless of course you are all after the same item.

So, when you get home…after you nap….go through each item you bought, double check your list.  Attach the gift receipt to the item’s tag so you don’t mix them up later.  If you aren’t wrapping at that moment, use a post it to label who the gift was for in case you lose the list you made earlier.

My plan this year is to hit up Target.  They have such a variety of items, that I think I can get a good size chunk out of the way before I hot the mall.

Good luck and Happy Shopping!!

Free Thanksgiving Dinner in Santa Clarita

I received this message from Valencia High School.  If you know anyone that needs it, please pass it along.

There will be a free Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday, November 26, from 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Newhall Bicycle Company. Any and all Santa Clarita Valley families are invited! Please feel free to attend and pass the word on to anyone you know who could enjoy and partake in this free, annual event.

10:30am-2:00pm
Newhall Bicycle Company
24343 Railroad Avenue
661.284.6187

Fun and Fit Gymnastics Valentine’s Party Night and Sleepover

Santa Clarita Valley parents looking for a fun and safe place to drop their kids off for a Valentines night to remember now have a terrific local opportunity.

Fun & Fit Gymnastics, in the heart of the Santa Clarita Valley, is hosting a special Valentines night party and, for the older kids, a sleepover. That’s right – kids ages 3 to 5 years (or older kids not wanting to spend the night) will party from 6:30 to 10:30pm – just long enough for mom & dad to enjoy their own celebration. Kids 6 and older have the option to party all night!

Activities include:
• Games, Crafts, and lots of Gymnastics!
• Snacks will be provided, but kids should eat dinner prior to arriving.
• Fun & Fit’s professional instructors will supervise all activities.

Here are the details:
When: Saturday, February 14, 2009
3-6yrs – 6:30pm to 10:30pm
7yrs and up – 6:30pm to 8am Sunday
Where: Fun & Fit Gymnastics Center
26620 Valley Ctr. Dr., Canyon Country, CA 91351
(at the end of the Golden Valley Bridge over Soledad)

Admission prices vary – call for details and to make reservations:
(661) 255-7244 www.funandfit.com

SPACE IS LIMITED and advanced reservations are required.

Halloween Skeleton Band

If you’re looking for something different to do with the kids for Halloween check out Captain Jack and the Ungrateful Dead.  They are an animatronic skeleton rock band and are performing for free in Canyon Country.

When – Thursday 10/23 – Thursday 10/30

Where – 19612 Alyssa Dr Santa Clarita.. Enter at  Canyon Gate to be let into gated community

Attendees should arrive by 7pm for best parking show starts at 7:30pm and make sure you bring a canned food item for a donation.

Wondering what to expect? Check out their video below.

2008 July 4th Parade

It’s almost that time again.  Before we know it we’ll be watching the fireworks in the sky.  The 4th of July is always a big to-do in the SCV.  Especially when it comes to the annual 4th of July parade in Newhall.  This year will bring the parade into it’s 77th year with an annual gathering of just around 25,000 people.

The parade starts at 9:45am at Main Street and goes through Lyons to Orchard Village.  The parade starts at 9:45, but street closures begin earlier that morning at around 8, so plan for that.

If you’d like to participate in the parade you can access the application at the parade website here.