Happy Holiday time 
It is that crazy shopping time of year! Have you done all yours?  Want to make it easy?  Here are a couple of ideas.

Our Surfing Museum has a great special til the end of this month.  They are offering a limited number of $25 annual memberships with some added benefits - they will include a fabulous reusable Hawaiian print tote bag, $20 gift certificate to Dukes, a Surfing Museum coffee mug & decal, plus 10% off  all your purchases in the gift shop for one year!   How can you go wrong with that one. I know I'm buying one, plus you are helping support the oldest surfing museum in the world - they just celebrated their 25th anniversary.  Visit their site, www.surfingmuseum.org or pop over to the museum (411 Olive) to get yours before they are all gone.

Another great (and easy) gift idea is picking up tickets for the 2013 Taste of HB - they are discounted til the end of this year.  Get tickets now and save - for yourself and for gifts.  Everyone loves the event. It is truly one of the don't miss events here in Huntington Beach.  Buy your tickets right on the site:  www.TasteofHB.com.

And in the spirit of saving money this holiday season, when was the last time you took a peek at Surf City Savings Discount Program?   www.SurfCitySavings.com is full of discounts and many merchants throughout our beautiful city.  Products, dining, services and more.  Please take a look and help support the businesses that choose to make HB their home.

Don't forget all of these can be found on Facebook - pay a visit to their page and like the heck out of them and pass on the word.  Hey, you can do that for me to:  www.facebook.com/localhb.  I'm always posting info like these ideas on there, plus all kinds of other stuff as well of course.

Happy Festivus to all - in the spirit of being politically correct.  :-) 

(PS - don't forget about the HB chamber of Commerce special holiday breakfast tomorrow, 14th, at SeaCliff Country Club. 7:15am.  714-536-8888 for info)

Want to lend a little help to others?  Help out our own Project Self Sufficiency this year during their toy drive.  Donate an unwrapped toy for a child and you will be helping the PSS families who are single parents currently enrolled in school working to become self-sufficient!  The drive is currently going on until Dec 17. You can drop off your donation at their Outreach Building at 1718 Orange Ave.  More info on their site:  www.pssfoundation.org.

Once you've done some giving, why not get in to some holiday spirit by joining our Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce for a holiday breakfast.  Dec 14 at 7:15 am at the SeaCliff Country Club (6501 Palm Ave). They are offering the member price ($20) to everyone. Start the season with friends and other locals and enjoy live music by Da Capo Players as the play Christmas and classical music!  Check them out on their website www.dacapoplayers.com.  Any questions, contact the chamber at 714-536-8888 for more info.  You might even catch Santa or his elf that morning!

And, if you have a holiday party coming up and need a bit of a hand, you can call my friends at Baja Sonora and have them cater.  Their food is soooo good.  Their services can include: delivery to your event location, their Baja Sonora Signature Salsa Bar, decorations, stainless steel chafing dishes with sterno, plates & utensils, and serving staff if needed.  Call and talk to their catering specialist at 562-425-8088 to begin planning your special event. 

Thank you for supporting TheLocalHB.com:
Coastline Christian School 2721 Delaware St.  Huntington Beach, 92646
714-536-1740 /    Email: ccsoffumchb@verizon.netCoastline Christian School believes the primary learning center for children is home. Our goal is to assist parents by affirming the value system they instill in their children.    Additionally, we believe that children must learn in a firm but loving environment where they can excel to their God-given potential. We provide a positive approach in building a child's self-esteem. We will encourage acceptable social behavior, being kind, and learning to work together for the well being of the class.

a shout out for one of the supporters of TheLocalHB.com:
Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach
P.O.Box 2298, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-848-0966 or trchb@earthlink.net
Our students come to us from all over Orange County and beyond. Learning proper horse riding techniques our students are able to strengthen core muscles and muscles in their arms, legs and back. Although exercising these muscles can be painful for many of our students, strengthening these muscles provides our students with more flexibility and movement in performing everyday needs. We use the techniques and strategies established by the North American Riding for the Hancicapped Association (NARHA), located, in Denver Colorado. As a member of NARHA, TRC uses guidelines and support to create and sustain an effective and safe program which includes horsemanship, body positioning, steering, and problem solving opportunities.

Happy Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many of us want to help others as part of giving thanks.   Here is one way to do so: This Saturday (11/17) from 11am-4pm, New Jersey native, Councilman Joe Carchio is hosting a luncheon at Zack's Pier Plaza with all proceeds going to the Red Cross for relief efforts to help Sandy victims.  They hope to raise at least $6000.   What an easy way to give back!  Pop on down to Zack's and enjoy some grub.

And either before or after your Zack's visit, take the coast north to Peter's Landing for their craft fair & farmers market.  They have seasonal fresh produce, arts and crafts, tasty food vendors, entertainment, children's activities and more - stock up on all the fresh veggies you could possibly need for your Thanksgiving feasts!  www.peterslanding.com.  They happen to have this event every Saturday, 9am-2pm.  Show our north west HB some love.
Finally, to kick off the holiday season, mark your calendar for Nov 28 for a wine tasting fundraiser at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.  5:30-8:30.  This benefits Waggin' Trails Rescue Foundation (www.waggintrails.org has all the details), which saves the lives of dogs on "death row" at local shelters and transports them up to states (Oregon, Wash, Idaho, & even Canada), where there are folks waiting to adopt!!  We did this last year and it was SO much fun, such great people and such a good cause.  Remember our slogan:  "Saving the life of one dog will not change the world, but it will surely change the world of that one dog".  Actually, that is just one of our slogans.  :-)    They other two being "No dog should ever be without a family, and no family should ever be without a dog", and lastly "DON'T SHOP, ADOPT".  Can you tell I love my doggies??

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Eat lots and be happy.

Post Labor Day Events for your Calendar

Well summer is coming to a close, but you woulnd't notice from this weather!
While the weather is nice, make sure to pay a visit to the Farmers Market at Peters Landing This family-friendly event brings seasonal fresh produce, arts and crafts, tasty food vendors, live entertainment, children's activities and more every Saturday. www.peterslanding.com. And coming up we have a few other September events worthy of a visit:

This Saturday, the 8th, is Senior Saturday - http://www.hbcoa.org/senior_sat.htm - from 9am to 2pm at the Pier. Presented by The Huntington Beach Council on Aging. Admission is free. Approximately 75 sponsor booths’ offer information, products and services geared toward seniors. This is an excellent opportunity for seniors and their families to spend a Saturday by the Pier while gathering pertinent information amid a festive atmosphere.

On September 15, Saturday, the City & Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the annual Green Expo at the pier from 9am to 3pm. This one always has a great turnout. Learn how to "be green". Here is more info: http://hbchamber.com/pages/GreenExpo

The following day on the 16th, at 5 Points Plaza you don't want to miss the Barking Lot Party from 11am-3pm. Here is the flyer: http://www.5pointsplaza.com/promo.html. Bring your dogs, enjoy vendors, BBQ, music & more. Plus there will be dogs available for adoption if you are looking for a new family member.

One last event for this email, on September 20th, 6pm-9pm, the Art Center (538 Main) is having their annual Art of the Brew, which continues to grow. Enjoy beer at its finest with BBQ, music and raffle drawings. info for tickets on their site: http://www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org/events.php

Now it's announcement time for TheLocalHB.com. The site has been redesigned (finally). It is all cleaned up and not so busy and easier to navigate. not all the pages are 100% done, but it was enough to get it up and running. Please pay a visit to the site and feel free to provide feedback. you will see I have scrolling photos on the top of each page. Each page currently has the same photos. I would like to have the other pages have their own photos - shots to match the topic of the page. If you have a photo that would work and would like it included on the site, please feel free to email it to us. the size is 970-310 pixels. need high quality image please. Of course credit will be given as due. Thanks for looking.

Happy week of Surfing here in HB everyone... Yep, it's that time of year, US Open of Surfing. I know many of you avoid downtown like the plague while others of you love the throngs of people and activities going on down on the sand this week. My no design of mine I'm one that cannot attend any of the festivities this week. Those of you who know me (or saw the post on Facebook), know I've been stuck at home last week and this to take care of my dog who had knee surgery. Putting her in a cage with a cone on her head was not an option - we tried... colossal disaster. so now she is in my sight at all time so she won't pull her staples out or try to get up and walk. Let's just say UGH. can't wait til this recovery is over. It is part of the excuse I have for not sending out an email in a few weeks. And her procedure leads me to the topic of this email.


I love the fact we are a dog friendly city and have a great dog park and our wonderful Dog Beach. Many of us know it has been a bit of a challenge to keep Dog Beach open since the organization that "mans" the beach and supplies poopy bags is run entirely on donations, but for 15 years they have managed to keep our beach open to the dogs. The challenge is now greater than ever and they are seriously in danger of being shut down due to the low amount of donations. You can help by reading the letter from them below and passing on the word. Make a donation if you are able. I shop at Ralphs and just hooked up my rewards card to dog beach so every time I make a purchase they get money!! you can do that too. Info is on their website. Pass this letter on to others,,, post it on your Facebook. Anything we can do to keep Dog Beach alive and well. (If you are not a dog lover and don't like dog beach, sorry for this email, but luckily HB has SO much beach area that there is space for everyone.). LETTER FROM DOG BEACH AT END OF THIS EMAIL.

One last thing while we are on the subject of dogs... you know about the Pups N Pinot wine/food tasting event I help put on? Well we are changing the name to Wags N Wine since it makes more sense - we raise money for Waggin' Trails Transport (www.waggintrails.org). I bring this up because we have a new Facebook page for the Wags N Wine: www.facebook.com/wagsnwine. Please go to the page and like it then hit share to your page so we can spread the word.

Thank you my HB friends for helping.

Letter from Dog Beach:
NOTICE FROM THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF HUNTINGTON DOG BEACH: We feel that it is important to keep our members informed of Dog Beach news, both good and bad. Unfortunately, we have suffered a severe decrease in donations this year; usually, the amounts secured during the busy summer months are enough to supplement the lean winter months, but that has not happened in 2012. At present, we are at risk of bankruptcy in 2-3 months; if that happens, the projection is that the city of Huntington Beach, which does not have the funds to support Dog Beach, will be compelled to prohibit dogs from the beach (the cost of supplying doggie bags alone is more than the city can afford -- our organization provides all the bags used both at the beach and along Main Street).

Dog Beach has always operated on a shoe-string budget, and cutting costs in areas such as doggie bags, signage, insurance, etc., has already been done as much as possible. We are completely reliant on private donations, and we are asking those of you who are able to help to please do so. Many of you have already donated generously, and we thank you for that; we don't like having to ask for extra support,and we certainly don't ask unnecessarily...If you are able to help, please visit our website: www.dogbeach.org and click on the "membership" link to make a donation and/or the "gifts" page to order Dog Beach merchandise In the coming weeks, we will need our members to pull together and make a concerted effort to get the word out that Dog Beach needs help. We also need to remind everyone to clean up after their dogs, to honor the boundaries at both ends of the beach, and to demonstrate to the city that we are taking our jobs as custodians of our wonderful beach seriously. Also, if anyone knows of any corporate sponsorship and/or grant opportunities, please let us know. And check our website and Facebook page for updates on this subject.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT -- WE'VE LASTED FIFTEEN YEARS AND WANT TO KEEP IT GOING FOR MANY MORE!!

Pups N Pinot Wine/Food Tasting this Sunday the 24th

Have you purchased your tickets to the Pups N Pinot wine (& beer)/food tasting event this Sunday? The VIP tickets are nearly sold out, less than 10 are left. You know the purpose of this event, don't you? This raises money for A Leg Up Rescue & Waggin' Trails Transport. Saving dogs about to be euthenized in local (kill) shelters and getting them to shelters with space that don't euthenize - they also placed in foster homes, as well as permanent homes (the best part)!! Millions of dogs are put down yearly because of over population. We are trying to do our little share to help as we can, and what better way than to attend an event full of fun, music, food, libations, and dogs! Participating vendors and tickets can be found on the site www.pupsnpinot.com. Hope to see you there.





For some business: RBN (Orange County's Premier Business Networking Group) has set up shop here in Huntington Beach. As of now, they will be meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Meadowlark Golf Club, 16782 Graham St, 11:00am to 1:30pm. The all inclusive admission is $25 for RBN members and $35 for non-members which includes lunch and lots of networking. By the way, I've been a member since the very beginning - over 17 years now!! Come join us and make sure to bring plenty of business cards and get ready to earn more business by building great relationships with great people. More info and rsvp on their site: www.rbninfo.com.

Huntington Beach Events

Here are some “must go to” events for your calendars!!

Get set for the most hilarious event of the year as contestants vie to win cash in the Mr. HB Contest for their charities in this parody of beauty pageants! Friday, March 23. 5:30pm. And this year we have A Leg Up Rescue Waggin’ Trails, one of my “pet” projects (get it….”pet”…tee hee) is getting in the race by sponsoring Pierre T. as our contestant. Money is won by winning the event, plus votes can be purchased towards your favorite contestant (Pierre we hope), which all go to the charity they represent. Every penny Waggin’ Trails raise helps keep the transport going - saving dogs from euthanasia! You can VOTE NOW for him by going to www.waggintrails.org. Please visit the site and see how the votes work. Check out our FaceBook to see all the good we are doing: www.facebook.com/waggintrails. Tickets are $35 per person in advanced. $50 at the door. includes buffet dinner by Suzanne's Catering. for info & tickets: Cindy at 714-375-3131 or mrhbcontest@aol.com . Please come out and support us and all the great charities that will be present. Plus it will be a heck of a good time!

If you want to help out the Waggin’ Trails in other ways, we are still looking for silent auction items for our Rescue Roundup event on April 7. which by the way, is another event you should have on your calendar. A great deal at $25 a person which includes food & drink and lots of family fun. Details for that at www.waggintrails.org . If you want some business exposure and care to donate, please contact me!

The other noteworthy events coming up in the near future are the Lions Club All-You-Can-Eat Crabfest end of this month. Sunday the 25 is the day. Doors open at 4pm. You have til March 16 to get your tickets. You’ll find me there in my special crab hat. :-) All the info is at www.hblionscrabfest.com .

You know about the Roundup on April 7, but later that month is the famous Taste of Huntington Beach . Oh my goodness, I probably gain 10lbs in that day alone. April 29, noon to 4. Don’t miss this one. Tickets go up in price on April 1. Visit www.tasteofhb.com for all the details. And special announcement: the Tijuana Dogs are the band this year. If you’ve heard them play before, you know how awesome they are!

And now for a Public Service (paid) Announcement on behalf of a couple of clients of mine:
One is looking for an office to rent. Single person office. Either executive suite or sub-lease from someone with extra space (trying to keep it under $450). Prefer being with businesses that are of the creative nature, ie: marketing/advertising/PR/design, etc.
Second also happens to be of the creative nature. Know of any business, marketing/advertising/PR company looking for an exceptional person to add to their team? Got someone putting out the feelers. If you have suggestions for either, I’d love to hear about it. And thank you to all my locals. You always pull through for other locals!!

Last minute weekend plans for Huntington Beach

Here is a last minute idea for this weekend - do you like wine and chocolate??

If so, pop on over to Old Word, 7561 Center Ave, either this Saturday or Sunday for their FREE Chocolate & Wine Festival. Starts at noon both days (ends at 7pm on Sat, 6 on Sun). The Festival is sure to be an unforgettable and fun event, with something for everyone! Guests will enjoy chocolatiers, bakers, candy makers, wine tastings, arts & crafts, shopping and entertainment. There will also be raffles & prizes. Free parking. Bring your friends, family, and significant other and celebrate Valentine’s early! Who can turn this down?

Now for some advance notice on a couple other upcoming events put on by two of the charities I’m very involved with. So get that calendar out.

March 25, 4pm also at Old World is the Lions Club Annual Crabfest. It is an all-you-can-eat crab feast. For only $45 you can consume as much crab you can handle as well as unlimited chowder, bread and (excellent) salad. Live music, silent auction and opportunity drawings. Get your tickets early at http://www.hblionscrabfest.com/ or call 714-299-3639. I’m at the event every year and it really is a fun time.

Next up is the Rescue Roundup, April 7 from 2pm to 6pm at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center Red Barn, 18381 Goldenwest St. $25 includes BBQ & wine, entertainment, silent auction. Fun for kids: pony rides, bounce house, crafts. Laker Girls signing autographs. Magician Siegfried Romano of "By Forces Unseen" and music/entertainment. This event is to benefit A Leg Up Rescue, Waggin Trails dog transport, which rescues companion animals scheduled for death due to lack of space in California shelters and transports them up to the Pacific Northwest & Canada to people ready and waiting to adopt. Free parking off of Ellis (west of Goldenwest). Tickets and more info available on site: http://www.waggintrails.org/.

Don’t forget, many other upcoming events can be found on the calendar of TheLocalHB.com.

Another beautiful day in Huntington Beach

Coming up this weekend we have:Saturday January 28, the Huntington Beach Art Center Foundation is hosting a festive fundraising event called Mardi Gras Night in Monte Carlo - a fun filled evening of Vegas style gaming. Gaming tables will feature Texas Hold'em, Craps, Blackjack, and Roulette. Raffle prizes include a 32" Flat Panel TV and DVD player, a Barbeque Grill with tools and a gift card to Omaha Steaks, an HB parking pass and more. Sponsored by the Huntington Beach Auto Dealers Association, the evening will include live jazz, a Mardi Gras mask contest, delicious appetizers, and silent auction. VIP tickets are $75; General admission is$50. Valet parking will be available. Please call the Art Center at 714-536-5258 for information and reservations.

Also on this Saturday the Surf City Church which is home of the Coastline Christian Preschool, is giving away free food. Second Harvest - from 1PM to 3PM If your family is in need of food come on over. Their address is 2721 Delaware Street in Huntington Beach. Call them at 714-53--3537. Speaking of Coastline Christian Preschool , it is now time for open enrollment, you can even save $50 off the enrollment fee by printing out the coupon on Surf City Savings. http://surfcitysavings.com/Coastline_Christian_School.html

AND, speaking of Surf City Savings , have you checked it out lately? New to the site we have The Spencer College Plan, solutions for college funding, offering a free private consultation worth $150; Wes Playcool Industrial Design with 20% off your first order; and Rita's Tax Service providing simple returns for only $49. You can go wrong with all the great offers to be found on the SCS website. Check it out now: http://www.surfcitysavings.com/.

Happy 2012

Yea, yea, I know, it is already almost mid January! Just now catching up from taking off some time during the holidays. Hope everyone is off to a great start to 2012. I think it's going to be a great year!

You can start off the weekend right by getting rid of a bunch of old not-needed documents. On Saturday (the 14th from 8am to 1pm) there is a FREE Shred-a-Thon where you can drive up & drop off your outdated confidential documents, tax records and credit card bills. Representatives from a professional, licensed and bonded document shredding company will be there to take possession & shred them for free - No Limit! No Worries! The location is the Realty One Group at 19126 Magnolia Ave., #101 in Huntington Beach. Food & beverages will available as a fundraiser for the Lions Club of Huntington Beach. I know I'm going to be gathering all those boxes of paper to take,,,are you?

When I visit Bella Terra, I often pop in to Pizzarito for a slice... love their pizza. When you enter Pizzarito, you are transformed into an authentic New York subway station. The Pizza's are a definite must try as the dough is made fresh daily. But there is so much more you can also enjoy in their array of traditional Italian foods, including fresh salads, homemade lasagna and Manicotti, the famous three meat stromboli, pin wheels and garlic knots. Pizzarito also features various wines and beer. Dine in or take out and they have free delivery (within reason of distance of course). Stop by and check them out in the amphitheater at Bella Terra (7821 Edinger Ave. 714-901-2838).

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Huntington Beach is held this year on May 5/6... but you can get a taste of what it is all about later this month at our Kick Off Party. Thursday, Jan 26, 6pm-8pm at SeaCliff Country Club, 6501 Palm Ave. It will be an evening of food, drinks and fun while learning what the Relay for Life is all about. Festivities include speakers, a silent auction and raffle prizes. There will be a photo booth, so think creatively and prepare for a fun photos. Past Relay participants I'm sure will bring a prop or two from the theme laps for their photo - hint hint. More info about the Relay can be found at www.relayforlife.org/huntingtonbeachca.