Thursday, May 26, 2011

Kristin's Kickbacks List Week of 5-27

Activities

May 19-May 29. Bring in any gently used clothes to the Gap and receive 30% off your same-day purchases through May 29th! Your donated clothes will be given to Goodwill. You will receive 35% off if you are a Gap Card holder. Looks like a great way to help out a great organization and get new clothes for your kids!

May 27. 6 p.m. Free weekly jazz concerts at LACMA. This week: Vocalist Dwight Trible is a singer who combines the best of vocal virtuosity with musicianship and improvisational skills to the delight of audiences and musicians alike. He has worked with such notables as Oscar Brown Jr., Bobby Hutcherson, Billy Childs, Kenny Burrell, Harold Land, and Harry Belafonte. Dwight’s collaborations with Horace Tapscott, Billy Higgins, Kamau Daaood and others have produced some of the finest musical moments in Los Angeles in recent years. BP Grand Entrance. No reservations needed.

May 27. 6 to 9 p.m. Free admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Friday Shark Lagoon Nights. The aquarium is free from 6pm to 9pm select Friday nights. Please note that while it is almost every Friday, some Fridays are excluded. Check the dates for availability before you go. Shark Lagoon Nights can be canceled due to poor weather. 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.

May 28. 10 a.m. FREE Build and Grow Clinic at Lowes. Bring your child to Lowe's and they can build a project. The kids get goggles and an apron and a kit to build an item. They use hammers their size and get a patch afterward for completing the project. I would recommend trying to sign up online and getting there early. The last time we went there were fewer projects available and people who signed up ahead were given priority.


May 28. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Latin Sounds in Hancock Park. (Free event every Saturday 5 pm–7 pm, May through September). This week: Costazul. For over 20 years, Costazul has been one of the highlights on the West Coast salsa scene. Founded by brothers Freddie and Johnny Crespo, the group is known for its energetic New York swing sound performed by some of salsa’s finest musicians. Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater at LACMA, in Hancock Park north of the museum.

May 28-30. 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free 38th Annual Valley Greek Festival. St. Nicholas Church and its 500 volunteers invite you to enjoy a cultural experience for the entire family with live music, dancing, gourmet food, homemade pastries, cooking demonstrations, children's activities, a Greek market, and a variety of shopping boutiques. Boasting a three-day average of 50,000 guests, the admission-free fundraiser is the largest festival of its kind in the area. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 9501 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91325. (818) 886-4040. info@valleygreekfestival.com

May 29. 6 p.m. FREE weekly concerts at LACMA. (Los Angles County Museum of Art). This week: Ensembles from the Colburn School. Works to be announced. These one-hour concerts are presented free to the public on Sundays in the Leo S. Bing Theater. If you don’t make it there, you can also listen online for free at: http://www.lacma.org/programs/SundaysLive.aspx#audio

May 29-30. Knott’s Berry Farm Deal. FREE Admission for active and retired Military Personnel at Knott’s Berry Farm or Soak City Orange County and Soak City San Diego. Up to 6 additional discount tickets may be purchased at the current military rate with proper I.D. (It looks like the discount tickets are $29.99 each).

May 30.11 a.m. Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade. The whistle will blow at 11:00 a.m. beginning at the Corner of Sherman Way and Owensmouth the head east towards Desoto Ave, turning South toward Vanowen. The streets will be lined with fans watching as the parade passes by. There will be a celebration afterwards at 1:30 at Quimby Park with music, food and vendors. Quimby Park is located at 7008 Desoto Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91306. (Thanks to Randi for the kickback!)

May 31. 10:30-11:30 a.m. FREE. Toddler story time at Borders at the Northridge Mall.

Ongoing Deals

$17 for a 50 Minute Full Body Swedish Massage at a2z Health Massage Therapy Schools! Two locations in Thousand Oaks and Reseda. You can buy up to 4 certificates. Buy it quickly, the deal ends at midnight on May 27. Once you buy the certificate, you have until August 27th to redeem it. Here’s the link to the deal:

http://www.bogopod.com/coupons-deals/a-2-z-health-thousand-oaks-ca-health-beauty-91324-287

Kellogg’s has a free gas offer. Buy 10 Kellogg’s cereals, mail in the UPC codes with a form from this link http://www2.kelloggs.com/aarp/rewards/ , and get a $10 MasterCard to buy gas. You can do this 5 times per household.

Jamba Juice Deal! Get $2 Fruit Refreshers from Jamba Juice using the coupon found at the link below. These are made with fruit and coconut water. http://jambajuice.fbmta.com/shared/images/2147483718/2147483718_20110520314374.png

Snapple has a great rebate offer right now. Keep an eye at your local stores for Try Me Free Snapple rebate forms good on this product. The rebate is good for a FREE 6-pack (up to $5.99 value). I found some on the Snapple bottles at Ralphs. Plus you can request it once per person, but you can send up to 5 requests for other family members.

Upcoming Events

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.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Kristin's Kickbacks List Week of 5-20

Activities

May 19-May 29. Bring in any gently used clothes to the Gap and receive 30% off your same-day purchases through May 29th! Your donated clothes will be given to Goodwill. You will receive 35% off if you are a Gap Card holder. Looks like a great way to help out a great organization and get new clothes for your kids!

May 20. 6 p.m. Free weekly jazz concerts at LACMA. This week: Pianist and recording artist Jon Mayer began his career with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick. As a leader he has been joined by such legendary artists as Ron Carter, Ernie Watts, and Billy Higgins, and his live and studio recordings are staples on jazz stations across the country. BP Grand Entrance. No reservations needed.

May 21. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free Lego Club for Kids at The Burbank Central Library. Open to kids from ages 2-14 and their families! Specially sized larger blocks will be available for toddlers. 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, 91502. For more information call (818) 238-5600.

May 22. 6 p.m. FREE weekly concerts at LACMA. (Los Angles County Museum of Art). This week: Crossroads Orchestra with Alexander Treger, conductor, performs Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings, Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5, and Vivaldi: Dual Cello Concerto, RV 531. These one-hour concerts are presented free to the public on Sundays in the Leo S. Bing Theater. If you don’t make it there, you can also listen online for free at: http://www.lacma.org/programs/SundaysLive.aspx#audio

May 24. 10:30-11:30 a.m. FREE. Toddler story time at Borders at the Northridge Mall.

May 26 (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.

Upcoming Events

May 28. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Latin Sounds in Hancock Park. (Free event every Saturday 5 pm–7 pm, May through September). This week: Costazul. For over 20 years, Costazul has been one of the highlights on the West Coast salsa scene. Founded by brothers Freddie and Johnny Crespo, the group is known for its energetic New York swing sound performed by some of salsa’s finest musicians. Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater at LACMA, in Hancock Park north of the museum.

May 28-30. 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free 38th Annual Valley Greek Festival. St. Nicholas Church and its 500 volunteers invite you to enjoy a cultural experience for the entire family with live music, dancing, gourmet food, homemade pastries, cooking demonstrations, children's activities, a Greek market, and a variety of shopping boutiques. Boasting a three-day average of 50,000 guests, the admission-free fundraiser is the largest festival of its kind in the area. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 9501 Balboa Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91325. (818) 886-4040. info@valleygreekfestival.com

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.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Kristin's Kickbacks List Week of 5-6

Activities

May 6. 6 p.m. Free weekly jazz concerts at LACMA.This week: The jazz quartet House of Games has been thrilling audiences since 1990 with their distinctive blend of jazz, fusion and original compositions. Individually, they have been featured artists with Ray Charles, Tierney Sutton, Miki Coltrane, Chuck Mangione, Jack Sheldon, Herbie Hancock and Michael Buble. Drawing on a variety of styles, the quartet features Brad Rabuchin on guitar, Scott Hiltzik on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, and Dave Tull on drums. . BP Grand Entrance. No reservations needed.


May 6-May 15. 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Participating Starbucks cafes will be having a Starbucks Happy Hour with Half-Priced Frappuccinos!!

May 7. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (Every first Saturday of the month). Home Depot's Free Kids Workshop. The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin.

May 7. 10 a.m. FREE Build and Grow Clinic at Lowes. Bring your child to Lowe's and they can build a project. The kids get goggles and an apron and a kit to build an item. They use hammers their size and get a patch afterward for completing the project.

May 7. 11a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate National Train Day with model trains, train equipment displays, special exhibits, live music (from The Never Land Pirate Band), arts & crafts, cookie decorating and more at Union Station. For all ages. FREE. Union Station, 800 North Alameda St., Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

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.

May 7-May 8. 11a.m.-3 p.m. (Zoo hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) Have your photo taken with Grover and Cookie Monster when they stop by the Zoo for Sesame Street Live! Weekend. Enjoy fun activities throughout the Zoo and score discounted tickets on local performances of Sesame Street Live! Don’t miss the new Elephants of Asia exhibit, and some cute new spring babies... For all ages. Cost: with admission $14 for adults, $9 for ages 2-12 and under 2s are free. Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

May 8. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Spread out over 12 square city blocks in downtown L.A., and attracting over half a million people, Fiesta Broadway is the largest "Cinco de Mayo" celebration in the world. Ozomatli, The Mexican Institute of Sound and others provide the live entertainment on three stages. Between the stages you'll find lots of food, fun and games for the whole family. Though the event is in celebration of the 5th of May, it has to take place on Sunday – closing downtown for a celebration this big just isn’t possible during the week! For all ages. FREE. Broadway from 1st St. to Olympic Ave., Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

May 8. 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: Pianist Alon Goldstein performs Janácek: Sonata 1905, Ligeti: Selections from Musica Ricercata, Debussy: Préludes, Book II. If you don’t make it there, you can also listen online for free at: http://www.lacma.org/programs/SundaysLive.aspx#audio


May 10. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is giving away free ice blended drinks during their open house! The freebie applies to mocha mint chip, cookies and cream and expresso cream ice blended drink; no substitutions. There’s a limit of one free drink per customer, and it excludes all Ralphs stores, casinos, campus or airport locations.

May 10. 4-8 p.m. Get a free scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor at participating Häagen-Dazs stores! For a complete list of participating Shops, please visit the Häagen-Dazs Shops Facebook fan page. There are stores in Burbank, Canoga Park, Thousand Oaks and more, so check it out!

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

May 12 (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.

Ongoing Events

Now is the time to register for the free L.A. County Junior Golf Program for the summer. Children 18 and under are welcome. Here’s the link to the form: http://www.lacountyjuniorgolf.com/norsumv1.pdf

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!

Upcoming Events

May 21. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free Lego Club for Kids at The Burbank Central Library. Open to kids from ages 2-14 and their families! Specially sized larger blocks will be available for toddlers. 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, 91502. For more information call (818) 238-5600.

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.

Kristin's Kickbacks List Week of 5-6

Activities

May 6. 6 p.m. Free weekly jazz concerts at LACMA.This week: The jazz quartet House of Games has been thrilling audiences since 1990 with their distinctive blend of jazz, fusion and original compositions. Individually, they have been featured artists with Ray Charles, Tierney Sutton, Miki Coltrane, Chuck Mangione, Jack Sheldon, Herbie Hancock and Michael Buble. Drawing on a variety of styles, the quartet features Brad Rabuchin on guitar, Scott Hiltzik on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, and Dave Tull on drums. . BP Grand Entrance. No reservations needed.


May 6-May 15. 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Participating Starbucks cafes will be having a Starbucks Happy Hour with Half-Priced Frappuccinos!!

May 7. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (Every first Saturday of the month). Home Depot's Free Kids Workshop. The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin.

May 7. 10 a.m. FREE Build and Grow Clinic at Lowes. Bring your child to Lowe's and they can build a project. The kids get goggles and an apron and a kit to build an item. They use hammers their size and get a patch afterward for completing the project.

May 7. 11a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate National Train Day with model trains, train equipment displays, special exhibits, live music (from The Never Land Pirate Band), arts & crafts, cookie decorating and more at Union Station. For all ages. FREE. Union Station, 800 North Alameda St., Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

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.

May 7-May 8. 11a.m.-3 p.m. (Zoo hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) Have your photo taken with Grover and Cookie Monster when they stop by the Zoo for Sesame Street Live! Weekend. Enjoy fun activities throughout the Zoo and score discounted tickets on local performances of Sesame Street Live! Don’t miss the new Elephants of Asia exhibit, and some cute new spring babies... For all ages. Cost: with admission $14 for adults, $9 for ages 2-12 and under 2s are free. Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

May 8. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Spread out over 12 square city blocks in downtown L.A., and attracting over half a million people, Fiesta Broadway is the largest "Cinco de Mayo" celebration in the world. Ozomatli, The Mexican Institute of Sound and others provide the live entertainment on three stages. Between the stages you'll find lots of food, fun and games for the whole family. Though the event is in celebration of the 5th of May, it has to take place on Sunday – closing downtown for a celebration this big just isn’t possible during the week! For all ages. FREE. Broadway from 1st St. to Olympic Ave., Los Angeles. (Thanks to Family Finds for the idea!)

May 8. 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: Pianist Alon Goldstein performs Janácek: Sonata 1905, Ligeti: Selections from Musica Ricercata, Debussy: Préludes, Book II. If you don’t make it there, you can also listen online for free at: http://www.lacma.org/programs/SundaysLive.aspx#audio


May 10. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is giving away free ice blended drinks during their open house! The freebie applies to mocha mint chip, cookies and cream and expresso cream ice blended drink; no substitutions. There’s a limit of one free drink per customer, and it excludes all Ralphs stores, casinos, campus or airport locations.

May 10. 4-8 p.m. Get a free scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor at participating Häagen-Dazs stores! For a complete list of participating Shops, please visit the Häagen-Dazs Shops Facebook fan page. There are stores in Burbank, Canoga Park, Thousand Oaks and more, so check it out!

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

May 12 (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.

Ongoing Events

Now is the time to register for the free L.A. County Junior Golf Program for the summer. Children 18 and under are welcome. Here’s the link to the form: http://www.lacountyjuniorgolf.com/norsumv1.pdf

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!

Upcoming Events

May 21. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free Lego Club for Kids at The Burbank Central Library. Open to kids from ages 2-14 and their families! Specially sized larger blocks will be available for toddlers. 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, 91502. For more information call (818) 238-5600.

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.