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Friday, August 19, 2011

a great summer flying by....

Another week of summer gone… drat!
One of my favorite summer appetizers is stuffed peppers on the BBQ, and it just so happens that one of our local Ralphs is having an event dedicated to the roasting of peppers. YUM! Freida's Street Team will be there doing live roasting demonstrations. Buy chilies and have them roast them there on the spot to take home! All the details are on the calendar of TheLocalHB, but here is the main particulars: Ralphs this Saturday (20th) at 5241 Warner (near Bolsa Chica) from 10am-4pm (or until they run out!). Frieda's distributes Hatch Chiles (what they will be roasting) which have a limited season and are very popular amongst chile lovers. The chilies you take home would be perfect for making rellenos, enchidas, and more. They even have some chile recipes on their site: www.friedas.com.


Also this weekend you will find the numerous farmers markets around as well as the annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby at the Pier. If you have kids, this is a fun event to take them down to. There are prizes for the best Huck & Becky characters as well as prizes for largest & smallest fish!

As summer is quickly passing us by, have you thought to yourself you need a vacation? Haven't planned one yet? Here's a great solution - how about a retreat by the sea! Escape to the Sonoma Coast. Imagine, looking out of your window and being able to view the Russian River flowing into the Pacific Ocean. Nestled on top of a hill in Jenner, is this beautiful vacation home that allows you to relax, refresh, and simply enjoy.

The town of Jenner is set on the Pacific coastline and offers beautiful River and Ocean view dining, superb kayaking, hiking and beach walking. Tour world-renown wineries, visit beautiful Armstrong Redwoods with its ancient towering trees waiting to be admired. Jenner is a short drive from spectacular cliffs and accessible beaches including Goat Rock State Park

You can also make the short drive inland to explore the world famous Sonoma County wine region. Sonoma County is home to dozens of wineries that invite you to sample some of the world's best Chardonnay's, Merlot's, Pinot Noir's, Cabernet's and many other local varieties. The wineries of the Napa Valley are also only a short 45-minute drive away, making Jenner the perfect location for exploring all that Northern California has to offer.

It's so pretty up there….here is what the owner has to say about the house: "At the end of the day, relax on the expansive deck and watch pelicans, ospreys, and hawks soar over the estuary as the sky turns brilliant pastel colors and the sun slowly sinks into the Pacific. Enjoy a meal of locally caught crab or other fresh seafood prepared at home, or visit one of the area's excellent restaurants. As a nightcap, listen to the ocean waves crashing on the rocks with the glow of the moon on the river as you enjoy a relaxing soak in the bubbling hot tub." Take advantage of end of season prices by calling 714-328-8661 and check out the pictures on the website:. www.napasonomavacationrentals.com

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

from a local HB business

LEARN TO READ KIDS CLUB COMBO SET WINS DR. TOY’S BEST VACATION CHILDREN’S PRODUCT AWARD
Winning Reading Product from Creative Teaching Press Prevents "Summer Slide" for Children PreK-2nd Grade
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., July 13, 2011 —The Learn to Read Kids Club®, a beginning reading program by Creative Teaching Press™, has been named one of Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Children’s Products for 2011. This award, announced via Dr. Toy’s website, www.drtoy.com, is the Learn to Read Kids Club Combo set’s second award of educational excellence since hitting the market in 2009. An affordable at-home reading tool that is perfect for preventing the “summer slide” the Kids Club Combo set includes eight Learn to Read books, a reading rewards chart with coordinating stickers, a parent guide, two skill practice workbooks, and a compact storage box.

“The Best Vacation Products are a balanced selection from large and small, new and established, companies across the U.S.A., Canada, and around the world and will provide children with exciting new learning tools that will help them not only do better in school, but also will provide more constructive activities while traveling or at vacation destinations,” said Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy).

The Learn to Read Kids Club Combo set’s storybooks and workbooks are designed by teachers and literacy experts expressly for children ages 4-8 who are either just beginning their reading journey or struggling to gain literacy skills. Each Learn to Read Kids Club set provides useful parent guides with tips on how to maximize the young reader’s learning experience, making it easy for parents to get involved in their child’s reading success ensuring a strong educational foundation. By purchasing the award-winning combo set for $29.99, not only do educators and parents receive a 10% savings over purchasing the materials individually, they also provide young learners with enough reading practice and fun to last all summer long. For more information visit the program website at http://www.learntoreadkidsclub.com/.


About the Learn to Read Kids Club:
The Learn to Read Kids Club was launched in December 2009 by Creative Teaching Press as an extension of its popular and effective Learn to Read book series. Developed over 15 years ago by Creative Teaching Press founder Luella Connelly and author Rozanne Lanczak Williams, the Learn to Read book series stories were designed to provide maximum support to emergent readers through repetitive and predictable story lines that help reinforce reading and understanding the English language. Today the books are bundled with parent guides, charts and stickers, and read-along CDs, which enhance the reading experience for children ages 4-8. Educators and parents are encouraged to visit the Learn to Read Kids Club website at www.learntoreadkidsclub.com to find detailed product information, to read about the extensive research and skills behind the program, and to learn about ordering options and supplemental interactive activities.

About Creative Teaching Press:
Creative Teaching Press is a family-owned supplemental educational publisher of resources for grades PreK–8. A recognized leader in the industry, Creative Teaching Press offers a wide variety of learning décor and research-based products that deliver standards-driven content, including phonics, reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Creative Teaching Press celebrates more than four decades of providing parents and teachers with high-quality, content-rich solutions. Affiliated brands include The Learning Worksä and Youngheart Musicâ. For more information about Creative Teaching Press, visit http://www.creativeteaching.com/


Friday, August 05, 2011

End of US Surf Open in Huntington Beach is this weekend

Happy end of the week everyone. Did you make it downtown this week? If you did, pretty crazy busy wasn't it? The US Surf Open comes to a close this Sunday, so things will soon be back to normal summer craziness.

If any of you have a local event you'd like placed on the calendar, please let me know and I'd be happy to include it for you! Calendar found at www.TheLocalHB.com. And if you are in to saving money, visit www.SurfCitySavings.com for all kinds of discounts from local businesses! New businesses are being added all the time. This is something the city does to help keep our spending dollars local.

Now on to a personal favor for TheLocalHB. Many of you know about the annual Halloween party I throw every year. Well for the past few years it has been held in Long Beach because I have not found a place locally to accommodate it. I am now searching for a local place. I usually have between 250 & 300 people, I want to scale it down to a smaller size of 150-200, and mostly I want it moved because it is well overdue to bring it back to Huntington Beach!! This would also allow me to include more of you guys, all my local peeps! This is where I could use your help. Ideas for a location???? Old World has been suggested, but Oktoberfest runs til Nov 1 so that is not an option. Hotel ballrooms nor really an option - I do a lot of decorating and need more than one to day to put together, plus one big square room doesn't lend itself to atmosphere. The best places are closed down retail spots (large enough to hold approx 150+ people, live band, dancing, etc). I've used closed down restaurants before too, if they are big enough. Industrial businesses that have a lot of space that don't mind some decorations for a temporary time work too! I've always been able to find a place where there is a connection with the business owner who have let me use the space for either no or very low cost. I bring in a cleaning crew afterwards and they get the place back cleaner than when I "took it over". I have been doing the party for over 23 years and would hate to not do it this year (I just can't afford to do it in Long Beach anymore either)….so, again, any ideas??? I'm hoping one of my local friends will have some brilliant suggestion for me! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Finally, a bit of business: mark your calendars for next Tuesday the 9th for the monthly RBN networking lunch at SeaCliff County Club, 6501 Palm Ave. This event is always well attended and it gives you a chance to meet new businesses! The lunch runs from 11am to 1:30pm. They are expecting a great turnout - come early and stay late to make the most of the networking opportunities. And feel free to bring a guest! All inclusive admission is $25 for RBN members & $35 for non members, a great deal for getting exposure to nearly 100 fellow businesses folk. More info: www.rbninfo.com. I'll be there - will I see you there?

Have a great weekend