$10 credit at SaveMore.com

Savemore.com is a daily deal site like Groupon and Living Social, however it seems to operate nationally. Right now you can get a $10 credit and order a $5 reusable, collapsible BPA free plastic water bottle for FREE with free shipping! I just got mine! You will have to enter a credit card number even though you receive a zero balance. There are other deals available as well. Click HERE to join.

Fresno Bee Sundays 1 Year only $20!

This is a smashing red HOT deal for a Sunday only Fresno Bee subscription $20 for 52 weeks and holidays. Get your deal HERE with Valley Daily Deals before 11:59pm August 30th. If you coupon or are looking to coupon this is how you get those coupon inserts everyone mentions on their blogs. For example they will post a coupon deal for $1.50 off something and next to that they put SS, RP, or PG and that refers to Smart Source, Red Plum, and  Proctor and Gamble, the main companies that produce coupon inserts. In the Sunday Bee you also get other special deals and retail stores coupons and sale flyers for the week which you can use for price matching at Walmart. Visit Fresno Couponing for more information about couponing in the valley and receive the same deal!

Babies R Us Clearance Clothing and Shoes $5 UPDATE: BOGO

These flip flops are $1.90

Right now Babies R Us in Fresno (on Blackstone) is having a huge clearance sale. All clearance clothing and shoes are $5 (or less) a piece! I think little purses are included as well. I found a cute pair of shoes for Tarren and used her $3 off and $3 purchase birthday coupon. (Sign up with Toys R Us for birthday coupons for kids.) So the total came to $2.40. The majority of the clothing falls into size 2T or smaller, so if you are expecting or want to stock up for baby showers now is the time. I'm too tired right now, but I'll post my excellent experience with Kiddie Kandids soon.

UPDATE Went to Babies R US today, September 10, 2011, and the clearance is now Buy One Get One Free. The items are no longer $5 a piece, but most everything is under $10 so it's still a great deal.

Littlest Pet Shop at the 99 cent Store

The Littlest Pet Shop toys are being sold at the 99 Cents Only Store! Woot! What a great deal! Some of the pets are even paired in the boxes. These are huge hits with any kids and wonderful stocking stuffers. They are well stocked and they have had them since June for sure, so it seems this will be a regular thing. I bought the little bear and kitty in the top picture for a birthday party today at the 99 Cents Only Store on the northeast corner of Bullard and First. Thanks to my friend Heather for the tip!

$5 off a $15 purchase at TGI Fridays through August 24

TGI Fridays has a deal that ends tomorrow for $5 off a $15 order. You must present the coupon when ordering and one coupon can be used per table, however it is reusable and you can show them the coupon on your smart phone if you don't have time to print it out. Click HERE for the coupon.

$10 tickets to NOtown Roller Derby August 27

Valley Daily Deals is offering $10 tickets (must be bought in multiples of two) to the double header NOtown Roller Derby vs. Mendo Mayhem at the Fresno Fair Grounds commerce building August 27, 2011. Did you even know Fresno has a Roller Derby team? Well, now you do! SO it's your chance to watch out girls knock their socks off! Click HERE for the deal and more information or email notownrollerderby@gmail.com.

"Book em" Used Book Drive this August

This information is directly from an email I received from the City of Fresno

In order to increase literacy in Fresno County by providing reading material to needy students the Fresno City Attorney’s Office is participating in the Fresno County Bar “Book ‘Em” Book Drive. The Drive  lasts through the month of August.  It is time to go through your house, garage, kids’ closets, and attic and see if you can contribute to the effort.

When:  Books will be collected from August 1 to August 31.

Where:  Drop off books in the boxes provided in the reception area of the City Attorney’s Office, 2^nd Floor, City Hall, between the hours of 8-12 and 1-5 each weekday.

Who:  Anyone may donate books. 

What:  New books are great but the focus will be gently used books.  We are looking for books from pre-readers to material appropriate for high school readers. Three different boxes are provided, divided for age appropriate books. Donations may include books, high end periodicals, and books on CD. Foreign language books, especially Spanish, are welcomed, too.

Why:  Because it gives you the opportunity to make a difference in our community. 
Books will be donated to children in need. Fresno County has high illiteracy well              above the national average.  Fresno has a high percentage of homes with plenty of children but no books for them.  If we want to produce a generation of readers we need to give them the tools to learn to read.  We need to collect books from those with a surplus and move them to those with none. This project meets a real and immediate need of the community.

Literacy remains one of the biggest concerns in the Central Valley.  Of course a fundamental starting point for creating a culture of reading is having books to read.  The number of homes in Fresno County with no books for kids is shockingly high.  It is ridiculous for us to talk about supporting a culture of reading when the basic necessary resources are lacking.  It is not just the homes that lack books, a very high percentage of the schools in Fresno County have libraries that are woefully low on books for kids.  The point of this book drive is to address those needs directly. The books you contribute will end up in the hands of the neediest kids in Fresno County. 

Over 90% of the law offices in Fresno County have agreed to participate in this program and we want the City of Fresno to shine when the number of books given is totaled up.  

For more information, contact Doug Sloan, douglass@fresno.gov or 621-7524.

New and Used Book Buyback August 25-28

Join the Sierra Vista Mall in supporting Fresno County Public Libraries at the New and Used Book Buyback this August 25-28. Get affordable books while supporting a good cause!

Flag Football for 1st-6th Graders

The City of Fresno is offering a six week flag football program through PARCS and the National Football League for 1st-6th graders. The team will play every Saturday morning starting September 24, 2011. For $50 you can sign your child up (co-ed) and receive a reversible team identified jersey and a NFL flag belt.

Register online and pay via credit card at parcsonline.fresno.gov

Alternatively you may pay to City of Fresno by money order call 621-2900 for more information

The deadline to register is September 9, 2011.

Fresno Greek Festival August 25-28

Fresno Greek Festival is having its 51st anniversary! St. George's Greek Orthodox Church on the southwest corner of First and Clinton. Dancing, shopping, church tours, music and more! Even Greek food to go! Click HERE for more details or call (559) 233-0397.
August 25 through 28.
Friday 5pm-12am, Saturday 11am-12am, Sunday 11am-6pm.
Admission
$5 for Adults
Children (12 and under) and Seniors 65+ Free
Free admission with a non perishable food donation on Sunday.

Woodward Shakespeare Festival: Romeo and Juliet FREE

Daniel Moore is directing Woodward Shakespeare Festival's Romeo and Juliet-the final production season-at the 13 Acres Stage.Come out Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm from August 25 to September 17. Admission is FREE, although donations are encouraged. Entry to the park is $5 per car.

Swim Lesson Wrap Up

So my swim lessons are coming to the end this summer and something happened that made my day. So Cute. One of my four year old swimmers gave me this. Can you guess what the blue stuff is? So Awesome.

Free 8x10 Walgreens Through 8/20

Use the coupon code PRINTONE online at Walgreens and you can pick up a free 8x10 collage print. You can order for a friend or family member in another town and he or she can pick it up at his or her local Walgreens for free as well!

Target $1 Educational Activity Books: Pre-K, K, 1-3rd Grade

So everyone loves the Target dollar bin right? Well, since early education is always on my mind I couldn't pass up the Pre-K, K, and 1-3rd grade activity books that include handwriting, learning letter, phonics, shapes, finding similarities, and arithmetic. $1 a piece is always nice and use these up and wear them out! You could always disassemble the pages, place them in plastic sheets and assort them into a binder, and use dry erase markers to practice letters etc, creating a reusable book for lots of practice and less clutter.

Sears Kidvantage Replace Same Size Clothing and Shoes FREE

Sears Kidvantage is a program that provides parents of kids who love to play rough with a solution to holey jeans. This program will replace clothing and shoes that wear our before your child has grown out of that size. My daughter is particularly rough on her jeans so I'm going to go out, sign up at Sears (you can't sign up online) and buy some of those $10 pants that are on sale right now. Then when they are ruined by Christmas, I'll bring them in show she'll have some fresh pairs for the spring. In addition each time your account reaches $100 spent, you get a 15% off coupon towards your next purchase. Pretty sweet deal!
For more information visit your local Sears: Manchester, Sierra Vista, and Sequoia Mall in Visalia.

Comedy Coffee Fridays from 7-9pm FREE

Cafe Venice has an open mic night for comedians from 7-9pm tonight Friday August 12, 2011 (and every Friday night this summer). There is no cover charge: free admission and free ice cream! You have to buy your own coffee though. 
Cafe Venice is located at 2225 W Shaw Fresno, CA 93705 on Shaw east of Marks.
Call 222-6058 for more information.
If you feel the urge to start cracking your own jokes, just let them know!

Thread & Sugar $9 for eyebrow, upper and lower lip threading

I have been hearing about threading for a while and have seen it in the mall. It's supposedly the cleanest and least painful way of hair removal. Valley Daily Deals has an offer from Thread and Sugar in Fresno that includes eyebrow, upper lip and lower lip threading for $9 which is 50% off. The coupon expires December 31, 2011. Sounds like a great deal to me! Remember sites like Valley Daily Deals have a limited time purchase window, so get your deal before it's gone. Click HERE.

JCPenney Printable Coupon $10 off a $25 purchase

JC Penney's is offering a printable coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase that is good two days only, August 12 & 13th. Click HERE to get your coupon and good luck on your back to school shopping!
Thanks Coupons are Great

Island Waterpark tickets $12 with Valley Daily Deals

Right now you can purchase up to four admission tickets from Island Water Park for $12 each. Click HERE to go to this offer on Valley Daily Deals and squeeze in a trip to the water park before school starts! This offer will end on August 14th at 11:59pm. Tickets are valid August 11, 2011 through August 21, and August 27 & 28.
 The Island is located on the northwest side of Fresno. 

The Island Waterpark 
6099 West Barstow Avenue 
Fresno, CA 93723
(559) 277-6800

Design for Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple a modest and feminine women's clothing company is having a Dare to Design contest the includes blouses, skirts, and dress designs that anyone can enter! So in the spirit of fun, I designed a dress that is inspired by 1940's-1950's American fashions. The dress was also inspired by a pair of black satin heels I own. I have chosen a form fitting style that is not meant to fit too tight and could be made out of stiffer fabrics that would fall with clean lines like suit material. To make it more formal a taffeta or satin fabric could be used. The design is very flexible. I would use silk buttons in any design. The slit in the back is meant to flow like a train but would be level with the ruffles.
I used a red marker instead of a black like I wanted to, to ensure the viewer an ability to see the ruffles and buttons clearly. Any strong bold color, especially black, would be prefect for this dress: a nautical blue, grass green, bright yellow, just use your imagination! (My drawing requires some imagination.) I think you also could use one color for the dress and another for the ruffles like baby blue for the dress and lime green for the ruffles or a nautical blue with red and white polka dot ruffles. Prints would work as long as they had very small designs. I'm thinking polka dots or tiny paisley, I love paisleys. Check out Shabby Apple Dresses online to see their beautiful clothing! You have until tomorrow August 10th at 11:59pm to enter. Click HERE for details.

 

Fossil Museum in Madera

So ever since I was little, I've loved dinosaurs. My mom still has this Brontosaurus (which unfortunately no longer exists, something about it having the wrong head) that I made in first grade that is fairly large and it's a miracle it didn't blow up in the kiln. It weighs practically ten pounds. Anyways, I really like paleontology, fossils and the like, and I had no clue that there is a Fossil Discovery Center located in Madera! What! How did I not know about this? Maybe since kids at school teased my by calling me Little Foot, and I let my dinosaur interests go underground, no one thought I would care. Well, today my father-in-law told me all about it after watching something on PBS so I thought I'd share.

Oh turns out it opened last October so maybe I'm not too far behind the times...

The center is open from 9am to 4pm, from Tuesday through Sunday. It is closed on holidays.

Admissions: Adults - $8
Seniors/Military - $6
Students - $4
Ages 3 and Under - Free
They encourage to ask about mock dig rates and scheduling.

The Fossil Discovery Center is located in Madera at 19450 Ave. 21 1/2, Chowchilla, CA. 93610

Call (559) 665-7107 for more information or to check the center out online click HERE.

What a great day/field trip! Now I don't think they have discovered any dinosaur bones, but Mammoths and Saber Tooth cats are nothing to mock! They even work with Fresno State and accept help from volunteers! The center is located in close proximity to the rich dig site. I'm constantly impressed with all the valley has to offer.

Fig Fest tickets 2 for $8

The Fig Fest 2011 is being held in Fresno on August 13th at Fresno State from 9am-12:30pm. You can join the festivities with a deal from Valley Daily Deals for 2 general admission tickets for $8! The deal ends August 7th at 11:59pm or until sold out. Children under 12 are free. Click HERE to get the deal. Tickets are $8 normally and $12 at the gate.

Live entertainment and educational activities.

Proceeds will benefit Fresno State Ag One Foundation and Slow Food Madera.

For more information contact

600 West Shaw Avenue, Suite #300
Fresno, CA 93704
(559) 243-8600
www.californiafigs.com