Fiesta de Pio Pico: Whittier, Saturday, June 15

My family attended the Fiesta de Pio Pico last year. There are lots of activities for kids, demonstrations throughout the park, vendors, piñatas, arts & crafts, games, live entertainment, tours, and informational booths. It's really a great event.

 

Free admission, free parking. The event coordinators are looking for volunteers to help run the event.  For more information visit piopico.org.

 

Grunion Run: Cabrillo Aquarium, San Pedro, Saturday, 5/26

Grunion Run!

Grunion are little silvery fish that come on shore to spawn and you can see them swarming the beach in droves!

Saturday, May 25

9:00pm - 12:55am

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro, CA 90731

Cost $5 for adults, $1 for seniors, students, and children.

Anyone with a current fishing license can catch the fish with their hands.

Click here for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

Yard Sale Weekend: Wrightwood, 5/24-5/26

Wrightwood Yard Sale Weekend

Friday, May 24 - Sunday, May 26, 2013

Click the map for directions to Wrightwood, Ca. Estimated time from 90640, 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Every Memorial Day weekend the population of Wrightwood, California increases ten-fold as the city hosts it's annual Yard Sale weekend.

My good friend, Michele, live in Wrightwood and here is what she has to say about the weekend,

"The yard sales are throughout the town, some community organizations set up along Highway 2. A lot of people start their yard sales on Friday and leave them up through Sunday, then there are a lot of people that just have Saturday sales. Saturday is probably the best day to go.

There are bathrooms on Hwy 2 at the gas station and there is a public bathroom between the banks and near the community center. Sometimes the Hardware Store has port-a -potties set up.

There are no sidewalks, so you'll have to walk in the road. The east-west streets are pretty flat for the most part, you can park at the end of a block then walk up and down to return to the car. The north-south streets are usually hilly, you could park the car at the top and move it down after a few houses."

I went to Wrightwood for last year's yard sale weekend. I was out for six hours and covered most of the town. I had a great time and hope other yard sale shoppers will find that Wrightwood is worth the trip!

Read my yard sale shopping tips and find information about
Montebello's Yard Sale weekend coming up June 7-9.



 

Free Summer Movies @ Whittier Village Cinemas!

Whittier Village Cinema at 7038 Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown Whittier is hosting a summer kid movie program!  Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning at 9:45am, enjoy a free movie, and $1 snack specials!

A special thanks to Montebello Mom Facebook follower, Rhonda Rivera for sharing this event!

Vacation Bible School: Calvary Chapel, Montebello

Calvary Chapel in Montebello is hosting a free summer Vacation Bible School for kids going into Kindergarten to Fifth grade from July 15-19, 2013. For more information visit Calvary Chapel, Montebello or stop by the church's information center.

Thanks to reader Yvette F. for sharing the information about this summer program!

 

Calvary Chapel

931 S. Maple Ave., Montebello, CA 90640

(323) 724-8464

Lowe's Free Build and Grow Workshops for Kids!

Lowe's hosts a free hands on building clinic for kids once or twice a month. Children in grades 1-5 can put together a project to take home. Here are examples of some of past projects that my kids liked:

 

This summer the projects will feature a Monsters University theme.
Registration is now open for the Mike & Sulley toy on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9.

Tables are set up in outside the front of the store. Families check in with the Lowe's employee and kids receive an apron, hammer, and a kit. Directions are included in the kit. When the project is complete, kids return the hammer and receive a patch for their apron.

At the Pico Rivera location there are tables, but as you can see from everyone working on the floor, the hammers work better on the concrete. I usually bring beach towels or a large blanket to put on the floor where we work.

 Build and Grow clinics are limited to the number of kits available. Register online to reserve a spot for your child, or if you are feeling lucky, walk in and take an open spot. Usually there are enough kits from no-shows for the walk-in participants.

Only registered participants are guaranteed the kit in the promotion, reserved kits are held for 15 minutes and then walk-ins are accommodated, sometimes walk-ins are given kits from past workshops. It takes 15-30 minutes to assemble a kit from start to finish.

To see the next kit & to register visit http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/.

Scholastic Warehouse Sales: Half-price books!

Remember Scholastic book orders? The teacher would pass the newspaper print flyer out every month and you had to fill in the quantity and price in those little boxes. I vividly remember scraping together 95 cents or a few dollars to buy the latest Babysitter's Club or Judy Blume book. Earlier today I just relived the excitement of book clubs once again.

A few times a year Scholastic holds a Book Fair warehouse sale. The sale is for any person affiliated with a school, specifically school district employees, home school directors, teachers, Book Fair Chairpersons, and school volunteers. All books are heavily discounted and a coupon for $10 or $25  is given with pre-registration.

I attended this year's warehouse sale in Irwindale and was surprised at the immensity of the warehouse and quantity of books. There are rows and rows of books, most discounted 50% off. There is a second level with even more books! I found books from pre-school through adult in every genre as low as $1.

 

The warehouse is located in Irwindale and has extended the sale days through May 30. Hours are 9am-5pm, closed Sunday. Remember, only individuals affiliated with a school can shop. Online pre-registration is encouraged, registration is available on-site. You cannot check out without registering. Shopping carts are available. Cash or credit cards accepted. 

 

Click here for more information and to pre-register.

There were rows of books just like this one that spanned the warehouse from front to back.



I bought these 18 brand new children's books for less than $42, making the average value of each book $2.33!
15 books were half-price, 3 were 25% off.

 

If you are interested in even cheaper books, you'll want to visit  East Los Angeles Library during their semi-annual Used Book Fair. Usually held in April and August. Children's books are as low as a quarter and many are nearly new. Click here for more information.



Free & BOGO Dodger Tickets! Mercury Insurance & 76 Gas

This summer there are two ways to see the Dodgers for free!

Mercury Insurance is offering two free Dodger tickets with an insurance quote! I spent a few minutes filling out the information forms online and the whole process took less than 10 minutes. The last page that gave the quote information had a box on the side that said I will get an email within 10 days with instructions on how to claim my tickets. http://www.mercuryinsurance.com/dodgers/ Easy.

Union 76 Gas stations have changed the promotion for 2013 and the offer is fill up with 10 gallons or more and get a promotion code for Buy One Get One ticket free offer. Click here for details.

Amusement Park / Zoo Annual Passes & Membership

With summer coming up I decided to compare the cost of annual membership to various attractions in the Southern California area. Many of the larger parks have multiple pass options. I chose to compare the pass types that I would be interested in purchasing for my family.

All prices include admission for two adults and three children.

Aquarium of the Pacific- Family Membership valid for 12 months, for two adults, and all children of the household. Enroll online and get two free guest tickets. Parking is $8 per visit. Tax deductible. Total cost $115, parking not included.

Los Angeles Zoo- Family Deluxe Membership valid for 12 months, for three adults, and all children of the household. Includes six extra admission tickets to share, three safari passes, a stroller pass, two train passes, and up to three adult names can be listed on the card. Tax deductible. Total cost $149, free parking.

Sea World- Fun Card is valid through 12-31-13, 7 blackout dates, adults $78, children $70. Parking is $12 per visit. Option to upgrade one pass to 1 year membership for $145 to include free parking. Total cost with parking $433, without parking $366.

San Diego Zoo and Safari Park- Membership is only available for zip codes 91900-92899 only.  Parking is free at the Zoo, $10 at the Safari Park. Residents in the Montebello area would have to donate to be a member of the Curator's Club, $275, which allows a member and a guest admission, gives 4 free guest passes, and free parking. A family of five in Montebello would have to have two memberships in the Curator's Club and use the 8 free guest passes for the fifth family member. Total cost $550.

Knott's Berry Farm- 2013 Regular Season Pass valid through 12-31-13, no blackout dates is $72 per person. 2013 Gold Season Pass which includes admission to Soak City is $96 for adults, and $90 for children. Parking is $15 per visit. Option to upgrade one child ticket to Platinum Level, $105, to include free parking. Total cost for Regular Passes $360 ($393 with parking), Gold Passes $462 ($477 with parking).

Six Flags Magic Mountain- Season Pass valid through 12-31-13. No blackout dates. $65 per person. Combo Season Pass includes admission to Hurricane Harbor $100 per person. Purchase four or more passes online and get free parking on one pass. Each pass includes five opportunities to bring a friend to the park for free. Total cost Regular Passes $325, Combo Passes $500.

Universal Studios Hollywood- Buy-A-Day, Get 2013 Free, 24 blackout days, $80. Upgrade one pass to Premium Star to include free parking, $149. Parking is $15 before 3pm or $10 after. Total cost $400, with parking, $469.

LEGOLAND- Standard Membership valid for 12 months, adults $129, children $99. Merlin Annual Passes to include admission to LEGOLAND Water Park, free parking, and 1 free ticket to share per pass, $179 adult, $149 children. Buy 3 Merlin Passes online and get a Merlin Child Pass for free.  Total Cost Standard w/ one Merlin for parking $605, Merlin Passes $656.


Disneyland Resort: Disneyland & California Adventure- Southern California Annual Passport valid for 12 months, 150 blackout dates. $329 per person, $458 to include parking. Total $1645, with parking $1774.

Museums of the Arroyo Day: Sunday, 5/19

The Gamble House

Heritage Square Museum

The Los Angeles Police Historical Museum

Lummis Home and Garden

Pasadena Museum of History

 

These five museums will offer free admission on Sunday, May 19 from Noon-5pm.

Visit one or visit all!

 

Special demonstrations, crafts and entertainment are scheduled at each of the five museums.

The museums are located in the Arroyo Seco area of L.A. and Pasadena.

For more information click here.

Star Party: Griffith Park Observatory

Cast your gaze skyward at one of Griffith Park's Star Parties held monthly at the Observatory.

Volunteers from various organizations set up viewing stations across the observatory lawn and allow the public to view planets, the moon, the sun, and other celestial objects.

Star Parties are held from 2:00pm - 9:45pm on the following dates in 2013:  May 18, June 15, July 13, August 17, September 14, October 12, November 9, and December 7.

Parking at Griffith Park Observatory is free, but limited. You will likely need to park on the street leading up to the observatory.

The Griffith Park Observatory is free and open to the public during the Star Party events until 10pm.

Click here for more information.

Spring Festival: St. Benedict Church, Montebello, 5/17-5/19

Celebrate spring with St. Benedict church at it's 43st Spring Festival.  The festival will feature food, games, rides, raffle, and entertainment. Half price pre-sale tickets for rides and are available at the rectory office through Friday, 5/17 at 3pm. Call the church for more information.

 

Friday, 5/17, 5pm-11pm

Saturday, 5/18, Noon-11pm

Sunday, 5/19, Noon-10pm

 
St. Benedict Church

1022 W. Cleveland Avenue, Montebello

323-721-1184

Bike Train, Family Bike Ride: Legg Lake, Last Sunday of every month

Join San Gabriel Valley's Bike Train!

Bring the family out to Legg Lake for some sunshine, exercise, and fun! Join a group of riders who tour bicycle paths in the San Gabriel Valley.

The group meets the last Sunday of every month at Legg Lake in Whittier Narrow Park at 9am. For more information visit the group's website or their Facebook page.

 

Farmer's Market: Uptown Whittier, Tuesdays 3-7pm

Uptown Whittier is hosting an evening Famer's Market every Tuesday from 3-7pm. The market will run throughout the summer and early fall and will feature over 40 vendors. Click here for more information.

Kidgits Lil' Chefs Event: Shops at Montebello, Saturday, May 18

Children can learn about the fun side of food at the Shops at Montebello Kidgits Lil' Chefs event.

 

Super Duper Lil' Chefs

Saturday, May 18

Noon - 1:30pm

Center Court, Shops at Montebello Mall

All participants must be Kidgits members. Annual membership is $5 and includes benefits such as a T-shirt, spin-the-wheel prizes with every mall visit, a birthday gift, and admission to Kidgits events. Registration is available during regular mall hours at Guest Services or during Kidgits events.

For more information about the Lil' Chef event click here.

IKEA Covina, Marketplace Grand Re-Opening! Sunday, May 19

IKEA Covina has made over the downstairs Marketplace and is celebrating with a fun weekend!

All day Saturday, May 18 & Sunday, May 19 guests will have a chance to receive an IKEA gift card every hour.

All guests will receive a free blue bag with purchase from 2-5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday, May 19, enjoy the sounds and activities of Radio Disney's Road Crew from 1-3pm. I've been to previous Radio Disney events and kids are asked to participate by dancing and getting excited. Some kids are rewarded with gift cards and other prizes.

Click here for more information.

I love visiting IKEA with my family, read about the fun my kids and I have at every visit here. This weekend's event will make for an even better visit.

Play Days, Parade and Carnival: Monterey Park, Thursday, 5/16 - Sunday, 5/19

Join Monterey Park's Birthday Celebration

at

PLAY DAYS

 

Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave., Monterey Park

 

This four day event features a parade, carnival, live entertainment, and family fun!

  

 

Carnival Hours

 

Thursday, 5/16, 5pm-10pm *All rides $1

Friday, 5/17, 5pm-Midnight

Saturday, 5/18, Noon-Midnight

Sunday, 5/19 1pm-10pm *Unlimited Ride Wristband for $15

 

Parade

Saturday, 5/18, 11am

The parade travels for one half mile along Garvey Avenue between McPherrin & Alhambra Avenues.

 

 

Click here for more information.

Job Fair: El Monte, Saturday, 6/21

Montebello Beautification Day: Volunteers Needed, Saturday, 5/18

Help maintain Montebello City Park, on Beautification Day

 

Saturday, May 18

8am - Noon

Montebello City Park
1300 W. Whittier Blvd, Montebello

Volunteers, ages 13 and older, are encouraged to sign a waiver form at Montebello Parks & Recreation Department at 1700 W. Victoria Avenue, prior to the event, although the waiver will be available on site. For more information call Parks & Recreation, 323-480-8000, x540. The office is open Monday - Thursday, 7:30am - 5:30pm.

 

Pep Boys Grand Opening & Car Show: Saturday, 5/18

Mr. Montebello Mom insisted that I post this for the father's that might want to take their kids out for a day. 

 

Pep Boys "Speed Shop" Grand Opening & Car Show

Saturday, May 18

10am - 4pm

4645 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, 90804

Public Safety Job & Resource Fair: ELAC, 5/14

Youth Sports Physicals at the Montebello YMCA, Saturday, 5/11

Get your child's sports physicals taken care of at the YMCA Saturday, May 11 for only a $20 fee. No appointment necessary. Bring all forms to the examination with you. Available from 12:30-4:30pm.

Free Youth Fishing Derby: MacArthur Park, Saturday, 6/8

Mom's Night Nite Out: Shops at Montebello, Thursday 5/9

National Mom's Night Out

The Shops at Montebello

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

5 - 8pm

 

A fun event honoring mother's! Last year there were stations to get your hair styled, mini-makeovers, henna artists, a nail station, free food samples, and gift card giveaways.

A Catalina Island getaway will be given away at 7:45!

 

For more information click here.

 

Olive Garden in Montebello / Rosemead is now open!

Olive Garden is now open!

Located at the northeast corner of the Shops at Montebello
parking lot, near Macy's & Forever 21.

1866 Montebello Town Center Drive, Rosemead, CA 91770
323-721-1320

Sunday - Thursday, 11am - 10pm
Friday-Saturday, 11am - 11am


 Mr. Montebello Mom attended the ribbon cutting, May 6, 11am. Fun fact: The restaurant is listed as being in Montebello, but it actually has a Rosemead address. This is because the Shops at Montebello property straddles both cities.

I visited the Montebello Olive Garden for lunch on Wednesday, May 8, two days after it's Grand Opening. I have been looking forward to this day for months and had high expectations.

 

We arrived around 12:45, was told by the hostess the wait was 40 minutes, and was given a beeper. I took my daughter over to the play area at the mall while my husband caught up on work in the car while we waited to be paged. Around 25 minutes later we had a table.

 

The restaurant is smaller than the Olive Garden in Whittier and has a every bright interior. My husband and I speculated that the Montebello location was brighter because smaller restaurants tend to have more lighting to encourage patrons to finish their meal and move on to accommodate more guests.

 

The booth backs are high enough to allow some privacy from other diners but low enough to make eye contact. The dining room is divided into three different rooms by faux rock walls with windows placed throughout. The aisles seemed narrow, maybe because they are or maybe because they were crowded with servers, management, and guests. I'm sure extra staff was on hand to ensure things were running smoothly in the first days.

 

Because there were so many staff members at the restaurant there was always someone rushing by our table with a tray and I felt that I couldn't relax. The food was fine, exactly what I expected, but to me Olive Garden isn't only about the food. It's about a feeling of being treated to something special. I look forward to the Italian music piped in through the speakers on the ceiling, the servers who anticipate your needs before you do, and the relaxing atmosphere. I didn't get any of those impressions this time.

Mr. Montebello Mom isn't as critical in his observations as I am and thought everything was fine.

 

On our way out we passed the Olive Garden management team. They asked how everything was and my husband said everything was great. One management team member must have read my mind because he said, "Next time it will be better!" I truly hope so.

____________________________________________________________________________
 

Join Olive Garden's email newsletter club now and receive notice of promotions, discounts, and Kids Eat Free coupons when they are available.

____________________________________________________________________________

 

August, 2012. The moment I saw this sign I heard the Hallelujah Chorus in my head.

 

ELAC Choir Concert: Saturday, May 11

Treat the family to a free night of classical music at East L.A. College. The concert starts at 7:30 and runs for one hour. The event is free, but donations are accepted. Parking is $2.

This would be a great way to introduce high school students to the music program at E.L.A.C. The building is brand new and the music program has made huge advances in the past few years. The professor  who leads the vocal courses said that if any high school students attend and were interested in the music program he would give them a tour of the backstage area and answer any questions the student or their parents may have. That and you get to hear some great music too!

National Train Day: Union Station, Downtown L.A., Saturday, 5/11

Celebrate National Train Day with a tour of trains at Union Station!

 

Saturday, May 11

11am - 4pm

 

Union Station

800 N. Alameda Street

 Los Angeles, 90012

 

The event is free. There is a charge for parking in lots adjacent to Union Station, or you can pick up the Gold Line at Atlantic Blvd. just north of Beverly Blvd, or the Metrolink at Flotilla Street in Commerce, and make the day complete with a ride on the train, Gold Line and Metrolink ticket prices vary.

Here is information from the event website,

"The National Train Day event at Los Angeles Union Station will feature free kids’ activities sponsored by Chuggington, interactive and educational exhibits, model train displays and giveaways. Visitors will have the chance to tour private luxury railcars, freight and commuter trains, as well as current Amtrak equipment."

Click here for more information.

 

 

 

 

$1 Summer Kid Movies: Kirkorian Theatre, Pico Rivera

Every Tuesday from June 18 - August 20 families can enjoy kid-friendly movies at the Krikorian Theatre in Pico Rivera for $1 per person.

Movies are shown at 10am and 12:30pm. The theatre is only a few years old, has stadium seating, and features life-size models of movie scenes. It's my kid's favorite theatre.

The summer movie program is also running in six other Krikorian theatres including Downey and Monrovia.

 

Krikorian Pico Rivera Village Walk

8450 Whittier Blvd, Pico Rivera, 90660

Click here for more information.

Summer Day Camp: City of Whittier

Summer Day Camp for Kids at various locations in Whittier.

 

Two programs are offered, the first is a traditional day camp that runs from 7am -6pm for a weekly fee. The other is a drop-in program open from Noon-5pm and costs $30 for the summer. 

 

For more information call 562-567-9450.

Summer Day Camp: Barnes Park, Monterey Park

Summer Day Camp for Kids ages 3-13 at

Barnes Park in Monterey Park.

 

For more information call 626-307-1451.

 

 

 

 

 

Founder's Day: Whittier Central Park, Saturday, 5/11

Celebrate Whittier's Heritage

at the

126th Annual Founder's Day

 

Central Park

6532 Friends Avenue, Whittier

Saturday, May 11

10am-1pm

Kid's Fun Run: Whittier, Saturday, 5/18

Kid's Fun Run in Whittier at City Hall

Saturday, May 18

Register at 9am / Run starts at 10am 

 

For children 1-12 years old. No fee to participate. 

All participants receive a free T-shirt, race number and a medal.

 

For more information call 562-567-9430.

 

Cinemark Summer Movie Kid Movie Clubhouse: Long Beach

Cinemark Movie Theatre in Long Beach at the Pike is offering a summer movie program for kids!

Families can pre-purchase all 10 movies for $5, or pay $1 per movie. All movies are on Tuesdays and start at 10am. Cinemark also has theatres in Orange, Huntington Beach, and North Hollywood.

Click here to visit the Summer Movie Clubhouse webpage.

Free Comic Book Day! Saturday, 5/4

Saturday, May 4 is Free Comic Book Day! 

 

Kids can visit a participating comic book store and receive a free comic book just for stopping by!

 

Comic book stores around the nation are participating including stores in East L.A., Whittier, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Norwalk, and Bellflower.

 

I spoke with Sam at Comic City, whose store is located at Gerhart at Beverly Blvd in East L.A. and I was told that kids can come in and get a free comic book while supplies last, they have about one hundred. Comic City is open Saturday, May 4, from 11am - 7pm.

To find a participating comic book store in your area, visit www.freecomicbookday.com!