Kristin's Kickbacks List Week of 4-15

Activities

April 15-16. 2 p.m. on the 15^th, 10 a.m. on the 16^th. Used Book Sale at Granada Hills Branch Library. 10640 Petit Avenue, Granada Hills, 91344. For information, call 818-368-5687.

April 15-17. 9am-5pm. L.A. Kids Consignment Sale. This is a semi-annual children's consignment sale featuring amazing bargains on all types of products for infants through pre-teens, including toys, clothes, furniture and much more! 25300 Rye Canyon Rd., Valencia, CA 91355.

April 16. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Earth Day Festival at Descanso Gardens. General $8. Senior/Students $6. Children (5 to 12 years) $3. Guild members and children under 5 free. Enjoy a day filled with educational activities, music and entertainment for all ages. Activities for kids include Ladybug Land, which features ladybugs in all stages of their life cycle, ladybug puzzles, ladybug parachute games and a make-and-take ladybug craft. Children’s activities will be on the Main Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, the Moo Doo Puppets will perform “Earth Day Safari” at 11 a.m. on the Main Lawn. The Mobile Homeboys will return to Descanso to perform their distinctive blend of country, rock, roots and bluegrass music. Showtime is 1 p.m. in the Under the Oaks Theater. Also on the Main Lawn: Patina will offer a barbecue menu for purchase with locally grown food from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Main Lawn. There is ample free parking.

April 16. 1pm to 4 pm. Springtime Festival at The Leonis Adobe Museum. This is a place where you can experience California ranch life of the late 1800s, visit a Victorian-style early Los Angeles home and see what a jail was like in the Wild West. At the festival they also feature crafts, games, tortilla making, blacksmith & wool spinning demonstrations, live music and of course (it being the weekend before Easter and all) an Egg Hunt! For all ages. The Egg Hunt begins at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for kids. (Free for members of the Museum.) The Leonis Adobe Museum, 23537 Calabasas Road, Calabasas (Thanks to Family Finds for the deal!)

April 16. 2 p.m. Free Annual Springtacular Kids Event at Borders in Northridge (other Borders also participating. Call your local store to see if they are holding this event). Easter and the start of Spring is a time of new beginnings and opportunities. Bring the whole family to celebrate the season with a special kids event. Celebrate with stories, crafts, games and more! Best for ages 3 to 8. 9301 Tampa Ave., Northridge, CA 91324.

April 16-17. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the 16^th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 17th. Scandanavian Festival. Kids can enjoy crafts, storytelling and explore Viking and Sami villages. $7 adults; free for children 11 and younger. www.callutheran.edu/scanfest. Kingsmen Park, California Lutheran University, 60 West Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks.

April 16-17. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on the 16^th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the 17^th. Free Downtown Burbank Art Festival. Browse art pieces, enjoy workshops, performances and demonstrations. San Fernando Blvd., between Magnolia Blvd and Olive Ave., Burbank. 818-238-5180.

April 16-17. 7-10 p.m. on the 16^th, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 17^th. Free Santa Monica Mountains Science Festival. This festival offers nature walks, hands-on demonstrations, live animals displays and other outdoor activities for the whole family. www.nps.gov/samo/sciencefestival.htm. Paramount Ranch, 2813 Cornell Rd., Agoura Hills.

April 16-17. 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on the 16^th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the 17^th. Free event. A traditional Powwow is a time to meet together to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships and making new ones. The Chumash people were the first settlers of this area, thousands of years ago. Celebrate with native foods, Native American arts and crafts, storytelling, children’s activities and more. Parking and shuttles are on Malibu Canyon Rd. For all ages. Malibu Bluffs Park, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu (Thanks to Family Finds for this deal!)

April 16-17. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Kidspace Children’s Museum Butterfly Release Festival. Each day at 2 pm over 500 butterflies are simultaneously released back to nature. Other butterfly activities throughout the day include: face painting, eat like a butterfly, story time (featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, of course), antenna and wing making, butterfly art and butterfly cookie decorating. You can raise a butterfly yourself (caterpillar adoption kits are available at the museum) and take part in the release, or just watch the spectacle! For all ages. The festival is from10:00 am – 5:00 pm. All activities are included with general admission: $10 for everyone over 1 year old. 480 North Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena, 91103.

April 17. 6 p.m. FREE weekly concerts at LACMA. (Los Angles County Museum of Art). These one-hour concerts are presented free to the public on Sundays in the Leo S. Bing Theater. This week: Chamber Ensembles from the Colburn School (Emerging Artists Series). Works to be announced. If you don’t make it there, you can also listen online for free at: http://www.lacma.org/programs/SundaysLive.aspx#audio

April 19. 10:30-11:30 a.m. FREE. Toddler story time at Borders at the Northridge Mall.

April 21 (and subsequent Thursdays). 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free Mommy and Me Class at The Church on The Way for children under 5 years of age. Please bring a snack for your child. King’s Kid’s Building, West Campus, 14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, 91405. Call 818-779-8000 for more information.

April 22. Starbucks is offering a free freshly brewed coffee or tea when you bring in your own travel mug at participating locations.

Ongoing Events

Enjoy a Baja Bowl from Baja Fresh for just $2! Here’s the coupon good until April 24: http://www.bajafresh.com/baja-fresh-undercover-boss/pdf/Baja_Coupon_Promotion_Print.pdf

Freebie at Panda Express. Get a free single serving entree when you buy a two or three serving entree. One per person. Expires Apr. 26, 2011. Here’s the link to the coupon: http://www.pandaexpress.com/PX/Facebook/Images/GTS_Survey_Coupon_041111.html

Select Wendy’s locations are doing the Frostys keychain promotion again this year. Purchase the keychain for $1 (donated to charity), and get a FREE Junior Frosty (the small kids size). On each returning visit to Wendy’s present the keychain and you’ll get a FREE Junior Frosty with any purchase. Valid at participating Wendy’s for the whole year!

During April, kids eat free at IHOP daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. One free kid’s meal with each adult entrée purchase.

Chipotle is also offering a deal for families in April! On Saturdays and Sundays in April, buy a burrito, bowl, salad or order of tacos; get one kid’s meal free! This offer is good in L.A. and Orange County. (Thanks to my friend Mercy for the deal!)

Now through December 31. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Da Vinci Museum Exhibit. This looks amazing! It has more than 60 full-size machines to look at, along with reproductions of his famous artwork. There is also an activities zone with games and crafts. It’s a bit pricey, $18 for adults, $13 for students and $11 for children. Hollywood and Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. http://leonardodavincimuseumexhibit.com

I found a coupon for the Da Vinci Museum Exhibit! Here’s a link for $3 off admission. http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/thearts/details.html?offerid=853

Spring Break Ideas

Looking for things to do with your kiddos? Here are some ideas…

--Los Angeles Arboretum. Free parking. Admission free on the third Tuesday of the month

--California Science Center. Free admission. Open from 10 to 5. Parking is $8.

--Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Open 10-5, parking is free. Adults are $12, children 10 and under are free. Includes touring interior of Air Force One.

--Descanso Gardens in La Canada. Open daily from 9 to 5. Adults $8, Children 5 to 12 $3, under 5 free. Parking is free. They also have musical events, some of which are free with admission.

--Getty Museum in Brentwood and Getty Villa near Malibu. Admission is free. Villa requires reservations. Parking is $15. (Closed on Mondays).

--Miniature golfing at Castle Park in Sherman Oaks. Weekend Early Birds $3 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Kids 4 and under free with paid adult.

--Griffith Observatory. Open Tues.-Friday 12 noon to 10, Sat. and Sun. 10-10. Free admission.

Upcoming Events

April 22 - April 24. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Big Bunny’s Spring Fling at the Los Angeles Zoo. This event features bunny related crafts and activities including the Be-A-Bunny Ear Craft and Funny Bunny Face Painting. Children can also pet bunnies and plant their own carrot seeds to take home. In addition (for a nominal fee), Big Bunny will be available for souvenir photos. 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. (323) 644-4200.

April 27. 5-10 p.m. On Wednesday, April 27th, 2011, Baskin-Robbins stores across the country will hold 31 Cent Scoop Night from 5-10 pm to honor America's firefighters. Baskin-Robbins will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents and create an opportunity for customers to donate to local fire charities. You can get up to 3 scoops. Yummy!

May 7. 2 p.m. The Throne of Fire Release Party and Pharaoh's Quest LEGO Giveaway at Borders in Northridge (other Borders also participating. Call your local store to see if they are holding this event). Put on your favorite pharaoh gear, brush up on your hieroglyphics and get ready to party with Rick Riordan's The Kane Chronicles and free LEGO's Pharaoh's Quest building set! Space for this event is limited, call the store to RSVP. 818.886.5443. 9301 Tampa Ave., Northridge, CA 91324.

June 11. 3-5 p.m. Christian Performing Arts Center’s Dance Production. $15 for adults, $8 for children. Tickets on sale now 818-921-4430. www.cpacstudio.com Birmingham High School Theatre. 17000 Haynes Street, Lake Balboa.