A night at the Lyceum: The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Posted on November 15, 2011 by

photo credit Daren Scott

There is an off-broadway show theatre that produces excellent shows off the steps of Horton Plaza. The theatre is called the San Diego Repertory Theatre and the place that that holds these productions is the Lyceum. I have been to a photo show or two at the Lyceum. They usually hold gallery shows in their lobby such as Art of Photography, but have not attended a San Diego Repertory Theatre production before Saturday night. But I know I will be back. The next shows in the season are “A Hammer, a Bell, and a Song to Sing: the Music of Pete Seeger” then “In the Wake” and finally to close out the 2011-2012 season is the “Tortilla Curtain”.  The show that is playing now is called The Great American Trailer Park Musical which performs until December 4th. The title says it all- it truly is the Great American Trailer Park Musical. There’s no skimping on the sets, which is eclectic and kitschy. There are a couple of scenes in the musical that were not set in the “trailer park” but with a pull and a tug, the sets trailer home facades transformed into what they needed to be. This show is for mature audiences but if you are mature and like having a good time this show is for you. The show is a fun-filled hour and a half of escapism and the actors can actually sing. As the description on the website states –  ”Here’s a comic fable about agoraphobia, adultery, 80s nostalgia, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancy, a broken electric chair, kleptomania, strippers, flan, and disco. In short, it’s everything a musical should be.”

Follow on Twitter: @sandiegoREP
#TrailerParkMusical to follow the conversation about the musical

Tips: You get 4-hrs of free parking at Horton Plaza if you validate at the Lyceum. One of the ushers will help you validate.

Schedule the show around these special events before the show on 11/17, 11/18, 11/25 and 12/2.

Disclosure: I received complementary tickets for this show.

Posted in Entertainment, San Diego | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dia De Los Muertos in San Diego

Posted on November 1, 2011 by

Last weekend, I went down to Old Town to see the altars set up for Dia de los Muertos. There are 44 altars spread all around the Old Town area. The festivities end on November 2 with a procession to the El Campo El Santo Cemetery.  Here is a preview of what you can see in Old Town during this celebratory time of year- Enjoy!

Last year’s Dia de los Muertos post- Dia de los Muertos Back from Tomboctou

Posted in culture, San Diego, Special Events | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fair Trade Month in San Diego and Beyond

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

A couple of Sundays ago, I went to an Alternative Gift Faire in La Mesa. I had stumbled upon this event when researching about Fair Trade after finding out that a proposal for declaring La Mesa, a Fair Trade Town was voted down. What I really enjoyed about the afternoon was everyone had a common thread- they all supported Fair Trade. All the vendors were committed to selling goods that were Fair Trade certified. What does this mean? What is Fair Trade? Well that means that the goods or the materials used to make the product were bought by a supplier that was given a fair wage, the working conditions were of ethical standard and no child labor was used in the making of the product. My favorite soap supplier Dr. Bronner was there, I swear by Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-one magic soaps. They truly are magical. My excitement went up a few notches that they had a booth at the event- I am a total evangelist of that stuff.

Dr. Bronner’s sells more than soaps, they actually weren’t selling anything that day, they were giving out samples of their soaps and coconut oil mixed with organic chocolate and flaxseed. I talked to a few San Diego Fair Trade Board Members about what Fair Trade is. The sentiment was it was all about taking care of one another, being fair, and taking pride in the products you use. I talked to the owner of franchise owner of Ben and Jerry’s in Seaport Village, He said that Ben and Jerry’s is committing to use all Fair Trade Ingredients by the year 2013.

This month is Fair Trade month, a month dedicated to promoting and celebrating the positive impact of Fair Trade. San Diego has a big Fair Trade community. There are over 100 merchants in that participate in Fair Trade in San Diego. I started thinking of all the products I buy and realized that it doesn’t take much to buy Fair Trade products.  Any little contribution to the greater good and quality products, I am all for.

Check out these local San Diego-based Fair Trade products/shops:

Angell Bars are made with organic and fair trade ingredients. The Angell Crisp bars are so good. The rice crispies embedded in the chocolate create a texture that is similar to a 100 Grand candy bar. This bar is gluten free and contains no corn syrup.

Soapmaking Studio: Take soapmaking classes and attend workshops in Lemon Grove

Seven Hopes United – A pop-up shop near Sears at UTC.

Around the World Gifts – A Fair Trade and Hand-Made shop in Old Town

Giveaway – Win this really cool paper maché bowl courtesy of Ethical Ocean. All you need to do is comment below and tell me what your favorite charitable cause is, I will randomly pick a winner using Random.org on Sunday , 10/30 at 10pm. Bowl will be sent direct to winner by representatives of Ethical Ocean.  CMP.LY/0    

About Bowls by Bundu: Gorgeous on a coffee table or as a fruit bowl, this paper maché bowl by Bundu was made by a group of HIV positive mothers who are earning an income and health education in Southern Africa. Many of the artisans that make the Fair Trade goods have a story behind the products. I guess this what makes Fair Trade items so special, there is a face and a purpose behind the person who made the product.


Posted in San Diego, Shopping, Special Events, Wandering | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Thread Show is coming again October 9th – Yep, I am giving away passes

Posted on October 2, 2011 by

Thread Show is a one-day independent fashion/art show that appears a few times a year in San Diego (they also do shows in LA, OC, Seattle, San Francisco). Local independent designers will gather to sell their wares. The designers are usually on hand which makes it nice because I love hearing the stories of how they started and why they make or sell what they do. Many of these designers sell their goods at local boutiques but at Thread you can buy direct and save yourself some money. For me, it is a good way to find a unique piece of jewelry, purse or clothing. This time around Thread will have a gift wrapping station, because it is that time of the year again.

Giveaway: I am giving away 2 sets of passes away. That means if you win, you can bring your bestie and have a fun afternoon shopping, and the best part the admission is free. To win – Just comment below and tell me what your favorite store or designer is. I will pick the one winner by random and one winner with the most creative answer. Giveaway ends on Wednesday,  October 5th at 11:59 pm. Winners will be notified on Thursday. 

Information for the Thread Show: Sunday, October 9th from 11AM-6PM, at the Horton Event Space.

Why go? – It is a brilliant day of shopping the latest holiday trends created by local designers. Plus, enjoy cocktails, gift bags, photo booths, DJs, giveaways, a style lounge, DIY gift wrapping Nail Bar, fashion installations, and THREAD Well Lounge.

Winner is #2. According to Random.org

 

 

Posted in art, culture, Shopping | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Hodge Podge and 3M Giveaway

Posted on September 15, 2011 by

This post is a hodgepodge of things I have done or loved in the past month (Aug/Sept). I am also doing a giveaway on this post.  And who doesn’t want post-it notes, flag-it pens/highlighters and Scotch Brite’s new botanical disinfecting wipes? No, you don’t need to follow me on Twitter or like anything. Subscribing to this blog would be great but not necessary.

CAKE Cake balls by Cake ball Love. My birthday was last week and had these delicious banana bread cake balls dipped in white chocolate. Delish. Order ahead because Pam is very popular.

photo by Rockefeller Center

SPA Rockefeller Center for the Anti-Aging.   I melt away every time I get a facial with Kim. It is an absolute treat. It is not just a facial  you get  a mini-massage during treatment and you also get a mini-oxygen treatment as well. Last time I got a facial, I got a scrub that smelled like cake.  There is one that smells like pumpkins too. She is located in Kensington Adams exit right off the 15 Freeway.

EATS  The Trails.   This restaurant recently remodeled due to being on Restaurant Impossible on the Food Network. Portions are big and they offer gluten-free food options although the pancakes my daughter ordered weren’t a part of that menu. Watch for their episode Sept. 21 on the Food Network.

Bice. True Italian. The portions are just enough and their drinks are superb. A great place for a date night. I had the potato gnocci with king crab, corn and asparagus in a light cream sauce. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of my food (so says my husband).

LOVE My new Filtrete Water Station. I love that the mouth of the bottle is wide enough to put cut up lemons, oranges, cucumbers in the water. Now you can have the water they make at the spa at home. I am also saving money not buying the multiple plastic bottles of water from the grocery store (a plus on the environment).

GIVEAWAY 3M has given me this box of goodies to giveaway to a lucky reader.

All you need to do is tell me your favorite thing you have done lately and your favorite number that hasn’t been taken (Leave a comment). I will pick a winner in one week (Thursday, September 22 at 10pm) through random.org. Prize will be sent directly to winner from 3M’s representatives.

Good luck!

The winner is

 

*Disclosure- Filtrete was sent to me after I told them I loved the idea and was going to buy one myself. Rockefeller is a client, but I wrote this on my own. I truly love her facials.

Posted in Desserts, Food, Healthy Living, Restaurants, San Diego | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Local Gardens of San Diego – Bayside Community Garden

Posted on September 6, 2011 by

photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

A couple of weekends ago I volunteered at Bayside Community Center in Linda Vista to build their community garden through Dave Cynkin’s Ford Eco-Challenge project. I was glad to help out that day, I even took my teenager and tween to help. My initial impression was it was to help plant the plants and seeds for the garden. But it was a bigger project than that it was to help build the planting beds for the garden. Lots of digging and excavating of rocks was done that day and despite all the dirt and rocks flying it was a fun day full of conversation and more important helping out a community.

The Linda Vista neighborhood garden educates through outreach and collaboration and gives hands-on learning to residents in the area. The garden is also a way for the community to share produce and also a way to live a healthier life. Whatever they grow will go back to the community where they will be able to eat what they grow.

photo courtesy of Dave Cynkin

I learned many things that day about growing a garden: it is hard work to start a garden, it is not just planting and watering and it was a rewarding experience to help the community.

If you are thinking of building a garden there are plenty of community resources. It has motivated me to learn more and perhaps starting at least a lasagna garden of my own.

Photo courtesy of Dave Cynkin

Here are couple of local resources:

Free workshops at The Solana Center for Environmental Innovation to learn how to start your own garden.

Victory Gardens has an extensive website. You can find your local community garden with their online finder. There are over 80 community or community supported gardens in San Diego.

Are you thinking about growing your own food or have you been successful in your current garden? Let me know. I would love to hear your story.

Posted in culture, Food, Green Living, Healthy Living | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Summer BBQ Series and Class Giveaway

Posted on August 16, 2011 by

Last week, I got to experience one of the 11 sessions of Executive Chef Steven Patrick’s Second Annual Grill with the Chef/Barbeque with a Master at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. This hour-long class is held outside on a nice lawn area adjacent their pool area.  The chef demonstrated different grilling techniques and made three different dishes. During the hour the chef and his helper managed to get samples out to all the attendees.They even had a raffle for whole cooked chickens, aprons and BBQ Cookbooks. Yes, I can actually say I was a winner of a chicken dinner.

The chef was full of energy and was full of knowledge when it came to grilling his recipes for the night.  My take aways from the night:

• Little baby corns are delicious grilled in garlic butter
• Beer cans make a great stand for whole chickens
• Making a citrus dressing is simple and very versatile

I am giving away a pair of tickets to one of the remaining sessions. All you need to do is comment below and tell me what is your favorite BBQ dish? I will pick one random winner on Sunday 8/21 at 10pm and that person will get to take a guest to their choice of class from the following dates below (all classes are on a Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 pm):

August 24th: Chef’s Stuffed Burger Bar
Fresh Ground Chuck | Garlic Buns | Chef’s Array of Chopped Ingredients | Seasoning Selections

August 31st: Cheese & Fruit by the Barbeque
Domestic & Artisan Cheeses: Quick Grilled & Wire Wilted | Bruschetta & Crostini | Barbequed Hummus
Honey Grilled Pears | Fire Roasted Summer Chipotle Peaches | Rosemary Smokey Olives

September 7th: Alaskan Barbeque and Local Growers Grill
Wild Summer Salmon Steak Char Grilled with Brown Sugar & Spicy Beer Mustard | Hand Pressed Flatbreads Grilled with a Cilantro Garlic Oil | Array of Local Vegetables’ Grilled San Remos Style

Sheraton Carlsbad is located at:
5480 Grand Pacific Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Day of complementary valet parking is available

You can find Sheraton Carlsbad and Twenty20grill on Facebook and Twitter:

Sheraton Carlsbad Facebook
Sheraton Carlsbad Twitter
Twenty20grill Facebook
Twenty20grill Twitter

Disclosure: I was a guest of this class from a local PR company, my views are my own.

Posted in Carlsbad, Culinary, Food, Special Events | Tagged , | 7 Comments