Issue 18 - July 08 Newsletter

Happy July! While facing the challenges of the state of the economy is daunting, it has prompted many of us to become much discerning shoppers! Now is the time families are looking for alternatives to vacations and big purchases, and the process is actually bringing families together!

SDBM is proud to share with you our July sponsors who are, no doubt, going to save you money, time and energy! Getting to know so many talented fellow moms who are using their gifts to help inspire and assist families has been a thrill! Their missions include to help moms loose that extra ”baby weight“, show families how to save 40% - 60% when grocery shopping, provide mommies a forum to share discoveries with other San Diego moms, and bring families together and more in touch with each other. It’s a bargain already!

San Diego Bloggin’ Mama has become a great resource to talk about deals, so be sure to check it and subscribe to it so and you’ll have daily posts mailed to your house for free. Also, if you have not yet subscribed to be a free subscriber to SDBM Newsletters and Bargain Alerts, you’ll want to do so. You’ll receive a few e-blasts a month alerting you of updated deals, bargains, and valuable family-friendly events in San Diego. Can’t pass up free, now, can you?

We would also like to introduce Lisa Leete, owner of Thrifty Kitchen, as our new SDBM Columnist. She has created a system that regularly saves her 40% to 60% of her grocery bill, and she wants to share it with you! Please feel free to send your questions to her or to the other SDBM Columnists: Contact@SanDiegoBargainMama.com

”If you think cutting out and organizing paper coupons is more work than it's worth, you'll be glad to hear that there are easier, high-tech coupon options available now…“ Click here for more.

What is your favorite thing to do with your friends for Ladies’ Night out (mama friends/girlfriends). Enter your name, what you like to do for fun when you get out, and email address for a chance to win a gift card to Chelsea Premium Outlets. Click here for details.

Read the Department of Motor Vehicles ”Wireless Telephone FAQ’s“ that will go in effect July 1, 2008. Click here.

San Diego News8 reports, ”Tomatoes Pulled Off Shelves Amid Salmonella Scare“. Click here to read.

Thank you, sponsors, for supporting San Diego Bargain Mama. Please remember to let these sponsors know that you saw them in San Diego Bargain Mama - The Newsletter for Moms who Love to Find Deals!

At Style On a Shoestring we know that organization and functionality are important to parents. We’re parents, too. Imagine entering your child’s room where every toy has place and every shoe has a space. In addition to space and function, imagine a room that was designed with your child’s personality in mind.

We specialize in the small details that make a room both safe and individually yours. From computerized space planning to custom-made window treatments, we are there with you every step of the design process and installation.

Let us help you and your family make the most of your space. We do everything from bedrooms to family rooms to custom kitchens and baths. The initial consultation is free.

Please call us at 858.335.7033 or check out our website at www.styleonashoestring.com

Grocery stores have terrific sales each week – save a bundle by planning your meals around current sale items. Better yet, let Thrifty Kitchen do the work for you! For just $2.00 per week, Thrifty Kitchen subscribers receive weekly menus and recipes based on Southern California grocery sales, as well as a weekly guide to the best grocery bargains and freebies. Thrifty Kitchen meals average $2.50 per serving for a family of four, but you’ll never feel like you’re cutting back!

The next Cheap & Chic Clothing shopping event will be held on Thursday, July 26, at Prospect Bar and Lounge, located at 1025 Prospect Street from 5:00-8:00pm. Happy hour specials and great shopping deals! Click here for more.

Get crafty with the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia, as seen on San Diego Living, which hosts monthly Sunday craft shows at Filter in North Park. Crafty Sunday includes a crafting session, vendors, coffee, giveaways and great ideas for do-it-yourselfers. Noon to 5 p.m. 4096 30th Street. Click here for their site.

The girls of Sassy City Chicks are back with their fabulous fashion extravaganza, to be held at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center, on July 31, from 5 pm to 10 pm. The shopping spectacular features discounts of up to 80 percent on designer name brand jeans, jewelry, clothing, handbags, makeup and more, as well as spa services and drink specials. 2 for 1 Advanced Ticket includes early entry, VIP Gift Bag (valued at $30), Food and Drink Specials, Complimentary Spa Services. 1220 University Avenue, 310-265-3903. Click here for more details.

San Diego County families are packing up their picnics and taking advantage of free, family fun and enjoying the wonderful outdoors. Click here for details.

Parents and parents-to-be can receive a variety of classes at free to affordable prices. Click here for details.

Cut your costs at one of America's most popular pastimes. We have updated the site with more ways to save at the movies. Click here for details

Discover many ways to save at the Fair. Save on rides, get your kids in for free, and more! Click here for details.

Take the trolly and save gas then take advantage of their great offers on hotdogs and softdrinks for the month of July. To check our updated list of savings opportunities click here.

Beauty products make us feel pampered and more youthful, but have you ever wondered if your spending so much cash on them is necessary for the results you are looking for? Learn what one woman, Paula Begoun, reveals in her book, Don’t go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, about the cosmetic industry, and let her save you, along with other every day women, time and money! Click here for more. Also, her must-watch YouTube video: ”Cosmetics Cop Paula Begoun: Cosmetics Industry Mythbusting“.

Need help losing the "baby weight"? The PACE for Moms program has been created by for moms by moms who know how intense and demanding motherhood can be. What we offer is not a diet plan, but lifelong strategies for healthy eating and physical activity. Do you need support learning to exercise with a baby, dealing with problem foods, or controlling portions? We can help.

If you are overweight (BMI between 24 and 39.9) and between 6 weeks and 12 months postpartum, you may be eligible to participate in the PACE for Moms research study, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Through your participation, you will help us develop a PACE for Moms program to be available to the general public in 2009.

Success By Health is committed to creating successful individuals by way of health. We feel that the power lies in the grasp of the individual to enhance the health path of their lives and the lives of others. An independent distributor of the Shaklee Corporation, Success By Health offers home care, personal care, beauty, skin care, nutritional supplements and air and water products to create healthier lives. Please visit our site at www.successbyhealth.com and make a commitment to a healthier, vitalized 2008!

We are a new and unique children’s party rental business. We offer fun & affordable themed party packages that include great dress-up, games, decorations, props, activities, party ideas, and more. You can also get your coordinating party supplies and party favors from us for added convenience. And we rent coordinating look-alike character mascot costumes at a fraction of the cost most entertainment companies charge to send a character to your party. Let Party Pax help your next party or playdate go the extra round, but without the extra cost, time, hassle and stress!

Kids Stuff Etc. is a highly popular resource and classified ads publication serving San Diego North County that is a "must have" for bargain hunters! Over ten thousand readers each month enjoy this freebie that offers loads of information to parents, such as classifieds for kids’ merchandise, ads for schools, children’s extra-curricular classes, and party services. Also, you’ll find ads that include valuable coupons to some very popular stores that cater to children and parents. You can find copies sent out monthly to establishments such as pediatric and OBGYN offices, daycare centers, movie theatres, and gyms. It’s available for viewing in its entirety at: www.kidsstuffetc.com.

Playhouse Café, a gourmet coffee shop for families is open! Playhouse Café offers:

Come join other moms in San Diego and check out CityMommy! CityMommy is a free social networking site for moms where you can:

Ladies Who Launch is an online and in-person network that provides women with the inspiration, resources and tools to move in the directions of their dreams. Through the "Ladies Who Launch" incubator workshops, thousands of women across the country have started their own businesses, expanded their current business and have created a new lifestyle where work is fun, creative, and meaningful. A four-week-long workshop that meets for 2 hours once a week (cost is $250) provides:

All across the country, Baby Loves Disco is slowly, but surely, transforming the hippest night clubs into childproof discos. Toddlers, preschoolers and parents, alike, can find a break from the routine playground circuit, and let loose for some post-naptime, pre-dinner fun! Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse Club, and Barney is banned!!! Baby Loves Disco is an afternoon dance party, featuring real music, spun and mixed by real DJ’s, They blend classic disco tunes from the 70’s and 80’s, and guarantee that you’ll get those little booties moving and grooving.

Fun Freebies:

Freebies from the Grocery Store

Whether to keep the kids entertained or to just get you back in the grocery, store freebies are fun to find. Read about some ways to score freebies that just might leave you returning home with a little extra value. Click here to read.

Free Resources for New and Expectant Moms

We love the boutique, Babies in Bloom, located in Vista, across the street from Tri-City Medical center. If you are a new or expectant mom you will love the resources they offer. If you visit them let them know San Diego Bargain mama sent you! Click here for great reading resources.

New! 411 for Free

Find local business information and for FREE call 1-800-GOOG-411.

Say the city and state or type in your zip code.

Say what you are looking for (business name or a category).

They connect you to where you want (they don’t give you the number).

If you are calling from a cell phone you can request that they send text information about the place.

If your cell phone has an Internet service, you can ask them to ”map it“ and they will send you a map of the neighborhood surrounding the business you are requesting.

Community Connection:

Summer Safety Tips

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers summer safety tips that all parents should be aware of. Click here for Part I. Click here for Part II.

Friends With Class Helps Moms and Women in Business

On July 12 Friends with Class will cover all aspects of PR for small businesses or for local causes. The class fee is $35. Location: Aventine Building in La Jolla. Click here for more.

San Diego’s Consumer Bob Tests Out 99 Cent Store Recipes

NBC 7/39’s Consumer Bob Hansen decided to test out the recipes in the 99 Cent Only Store Cookbook with the help of two top local chefs. Click here for more.

Get the Word Out About Your Family-Friendly Business

Are you involved in a business or social group whose goal it is to help families save money and time, or are you a business that needs moms wanting to make money from home? If so, we would love to hear from you and know just what you do. Also, would you like to have SDBM share your business with several other moms at upcoming events that promise to each attract several hundreds of moms and caretakers of young children? If so, please email Advertise@SanDiegoBargainMama.com.

Members’ Input/Tips:

Read some of the comments left at San Diego Bloggin’ Mama daily blog:

Gabriela from Friends With Class: Thank you for coming to the Ladies Who Launch seminar at the W Hotel in San Diego and sending your followers of San Diego Bargain Mama.

Patricia: SDBM saved us $120!!!

Gina: I signed up for the Bargain Alerts last month and am glad I did. I have found some great sales, and it saves me from surfing the circulars so much.

Julie and Alex from San Diego Travel Tips: You and your team have, indeed, been our biggest fans. You have been key to the success we have enjoyed over this last year.

Elisa: I have been using KidZui at home and we just love it. My husband found out about it from a co-worker who saw it on your site back several months ago.

For Your Reading Pleasure:

More Shoppers Seeking Shelter from Economy in Discounters

Yahoo.com: ”Caught in the maelstrom of higher gas and food prices, Americans -- even more affluent ones -- are seeking shelter in wholesale clubs and discount apparel chains…“ To read more of this article click here.

Benefits of Membership Programs

Considering today’s economy, sometimes less is more. From amusement park memberships to retail store memberships, these plans are becoming a very viable way of shaving off expenses. Click here for more.

Time and Money $avers:

SDBM Loves Thrifty Kitchen.com

Planning ahead can pay off enormously when it comes to grocery shopping! SDBM has found a way to save families not only a lot of time, but most importantly, MONEY! Poway mama, Lisa Leete, owner of Thrifty Kitchen.com, has a wealth of information to share with San Diego families! This San Diego mama, as featured on CBS, shows us how we can spend 1/3 of what we typically spend shopping for groceries, yet buy everything we need from the grocery store! Her website is helping moms all over with ways to feed their families well and save a ton of money while doing so! SDBM was proud to meet up with her. To read our interview click here!

Make it at Home:

How to Make Lemonade

You will need:

6 lemons

1 cup white sugar

6 cups cold water

Juice the lemons to make one cup of juice. Roll the lemons on the counter before juicing to ease the labor. Combine the lemons, sugar, and water. Stir well. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice. Delicious on a hot summer day!

Just for Fun!

YouTube’s ”Top Three Laughing Babies“

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, regardless how many time you may have seen these video clips! To enjoy, click here.

Have a YouTube that you'd like to share? Please do so at Contact@SanDiegoBargainMama.com.

”A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.“

~ James Dent

Forward this newsletter to your friends and family, please!

Subscription Information:

The San Diego Bargain Mama Newsletter goes out monthly. Bargain Alerts are sent out periodically as well. If you were forwarded this online version of the newsletter and would like to subscribe, Click here.

San Diego Bargain Mama assumes no responsibility for the advice given. You, as readers, must determine what is best and safe for yourselves and your family regarding what you do with the information you receive both from this newsletter and in its links and resources. The information passed on to you is sent as researched to the best of our knowledge, but we suggest that you confirm it's validity, as the terms are subject to change.

San Diego Bargain Mama assumes the right to deny advertisement of products or services on the Newsletters, Bargain Alerts, and website if they are deemed inappropriate and/or are not kid-friendly.