Santa’s Village in Poway

 FREE event for families for the Holidays

17868 Joyas Court, Poway, CA

Something fun to do with the family is check out Santa’s Village in Poway.  Usually advertised through word of mouth, as I have yet to find a website advertising it, the house on 17868 Joyas Court opens its doors to families in the community usually starting Dec. 10th and running through the 22nd of December from 6-8pm, except on Sundays.  Parking is somewhat limited, as you’ll have to walk to the house and up a bit of a hill…but it is very much worth it.  Once you get to the house, the walkway has gorgeous lighted archways.  You will more than likely see a long line…don’t fret….that line is to see and take photos with Santa.  You can easily bypass the line if you choose to go straight into the home to view the extravagantly decorated rooms.  You may be overwhelmed at how much there is to see, but take time to appreciate all of the effort that went into putting it together.  There is an area where you are free to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.  And finally, each child is given a small gift…and by the way…everything is FREE!

Black Friday 2010

Black Friday 2010 San Diego

Strategically plan your Black Friday 2010 Shopping Day

The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season. 

For my fellow San Diego shoppers, I have put together a list of some of our hometown stores that will be open extra early, so you can strategically plan your Black Friday.

WalMart as always, will be open 24 hours through Thanksgiving, however they won’t begin selling their doorbusters until 5am on Black Friday.

Target will be open at 4am. 

Toys R Us will be open at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Best Buy opens at 5am.

Fashion Valley Mall – some stores open at midnight including: Old Navy, Disney Store, Guess, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret.  Most of the stores in the rest of the mall open at 5am.  Nordstrom opens at 8am (and don’t forget to check out their always impressive Holiday Window at the front of the store)

North County Fair will also be open at 5am with certain stores opening even earlier.  University Towne Center will be open at 7am. 

Carlsbad Premium Outlets - certain stores open at midnight for their Midnight Madness Event.

Las Americas Premium Outlets – certain stores open at midnight

And believe it or not, Sears will be open ON Thanksgiving Day, but only from 7am-12pm. 

And from the website www.BlackFriday2010.com here are some predictions for this year’s shopping Season:

Black Friday 2010 Predictions

The 2010 Black Friday climate is not the greatest compared to most years. The economy is slowing down whereas last year at this time, the economy grew a bit.  This year is definitely tougher because of the unemployment rate at about 9.6%.  That coupled with foreclosure problems, a lack of credit, and an overall unease about the economic conditions have brought a lot of concern and frugality into the US household. US household average savings is now 7%, the highest in a very long time. These factors do not set up the greatest Black Friday for retailers. Specifically…

• Spending on average will again decrease from $343.31 to $330 as people continue to cut back.
• The Amount of Black Friday shoppers will increase from 195 million last year to 200 million this year. More people will be looking to save on Christmas gifts during this tough time.
• With a greater amount of shoppers the total amount of Black Friday spending will increase, yet only very slightly, from $41.2 billion to $42 billion.
• The amount of Black Friday online shopping will jump from $595 million to $1 billion as people try to avoid stores, and online shopping because more popular.

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Prepare for Cooler Weather with this Home Maintenance Checklist

Break out the “Honey-Do” List!!!

Miracle Babies 2nd Annual 5k Walk/Run

5k Walk / Run to be held this Sun, Nov 14th at Mariner’s Point

Money raised for families in need who have a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

Founded by Dr. Sean Daneshmand in San Diego, Miracle Babies a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance for families with preemies in the NICU.  The 2^nd annual Miracle Babies 5K Walk / Run will be held this Sunday, November 14^th at 10:00 am at the Mariner’s Point in Mission Bay Park.  Registration is FREE for kids and $30 for adults ($35 the day of the event).  The walk will be followed by Beer Garden, jumpies, clowns for kids, band, entertainment, auction, diaper dash for kids and a fun-filled day for all.

Miracle Babies is a non-profit organization maintained by volunteers, many who are parents of prematurely born children.  Miracle Babies is committed to assisting families with items such as:

• Co-pay assistance for medical equipment (i.e. oxygen, apnea monitor)
• Hospital grade breast pump rental assistance (lactation consultants highly recommend hospital grade pumps for moms that have a preemie)
• Car bed for babies that are discharged under 5lbs
• Prescription Medicines
• Baby Supplies
• Baby Clothing
• Diapers
• Cribs
• Infant Car Seats
• Strollers (often a luxury for parents on a tight budget)
• Educational Toys
• Children’s Books
• Special Formula
• Funeral/Mortuary Assistance (the death of an infant in the NICU is so often unexpected that the family is not prepared for the financial burden of having to prepare for the necessary funeral arrangements)
• Groceries
• Rent/Mortgage Assistance
• Sibling Childcare
• Lodging Assistance for Out-of-Town Family Members
• Telephone/Cell Phone Payments
• Utilities Assistance
• Bus Passes
• Gas Money/Card
• Car Repairs
• Car Payments

Dr. Sean has been named a CNN Hero of the Week .  His work for Miracle Babies has helped 80 families in California and across the nation.  He says his main goal is to help these families be happy, healthy and together.

Deja Vu? Dream Works does it again…

Megamind comes out in theaters tomorrow, Friday, November 5th

Something fun to do with kids (adults will get a kick out of it too).

DreamWorks has done it again with the release of Megamind - a “satirical take on the superhero genre.”  With a star-studded cast of character voices including Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey & Jonah Hill, there are sure to be laughs had by all - adults and children alike.   With your choice of regular, 3D iMax 3D, you’re in for a fun ride! 

Add this to the other DreamWorks hits like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Bee Movie and more. 

Check out Fandango to find your local theaters and show times.  Have a great weekend!