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Piccolo Mondo is a great new toy store in the Bethany area. It's actually located in the Bethany Village Shopping Center near QFC. This is a wonderful independent toy store with a big selection of...
Piccolo Mondo is a great new toy store in the Bethany area. It's actually located in the Bethany Village Shopping Center near QFC. This is a wonderful independent toy store with a big selection of toys. They have a big selection of BRIO and other train toys. There is also a very nice selection of science kits and toys from which to choose. This store has a lot of charm and personality. This is not the place to go to find Fisher Price or Lego toys. Piccolo Mondo focuses more on the toys you can't get at the big toy stores and mass merchandisers.
The book section wasn't too big, but there were a few classics to choose from and hopefully that area will be expanding.
Browsing this store is a treat for parents as well as children and I had a hard time leaving when it was time to go. There were so many great, well made toys for kids of all ages.
Prices are fine, but this is not a discount-type store. The toys they carry are nice quality and the prices refelct that quality.
I am glad to have this wonderful toy store in my neighborhood.
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Cinetopia
Category:
Movie Theaters
11700 SE Seventh St
Vancouver, Washington 98683
(877) .60-8.2800
I have been excited to try out the new “high class” movie theater in Vancouver, Washington called Cinetopia. When my husband got a gift certificate to Cinetopia from his sister for his birthday, I...
I have been excited to try out the new “high class” movie theater in Vancouver, Washington called Cinetopia. When my husband got a gift certificate to Cinetopia from his sister for his birthday, I knew our time had come.
Cinetopia is a luxury, 8 screen movie theater and entertainment complex. All the theaters have extra wide, recliners with extra leg room and stadium viewing. However, the 3 “Living Room” theaters go a step further by placing each row 5 feet above the one in front of it, for optimum obstruction-free viewing. There are also foot rests in the “Living Room” Theater, a pillow pit down on the floor, live music on the weekends, and restaurant service up through the previews. Since alcohol is served in the Living Room Theaters, patrons must be 21 or over.
Cinetopia has a wonderful restaurant right in the theater with a menu designed by a four-star chef. If you are not able to get into a Living Room Theater and eat your meal right in the theater, just grab a table at the restaurant and enjoy a delicious meal. Prices for entrees range from $13-$18 each.
Cinetopia also has an art gallery featuring Northwest artists, as well as international artists.
Don’t worry: just because Cinetopia has taken movie viewing to a new level doesn’t mean they don’t have good old movie popcorn, drinks and snacks. The snack bar is fully loaded with everything you’d expect at the same inflated movie theater prices.
This movie going experience was totally unique and very fun. Prices for tickets are $9.75 for the grand theaters and $13.75 for Living Room theaters. Matinee prices are $7.75 for the grand theaters and $10 for the Living Room theaters.
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We have purchased a few pieces of furniture over the last 10 years and have learned a few things. Furniture that is made from a soft wood, like pine, or furniture that has to be assembled will not...
We have purchased a few pieces of furniture over the last 10 years and have learned a few things. Furniture that is made from a soft wood, like pine, or furniture that has to be assembled will not stand the test of time. We purchased a nice maple bunk bed for our oldest son when he was 3. The bed was manufacutred by Stanley Furniture. It was definitely more expensive than other beds we could have purchased, but when we consider how great it looks after 6 years of tough love by our son, it was worth every penny.
Pine furniture we bought around the same time looks completely beaten up and gets dented and nicked every time it comes in contact with a toy or a person. With 3 boys in our home, this means that most of our furniture takes a beating.
Even furniture we've purchased that has hard wood veneers does not hold up as well as high quality, hard wood furniture.
We recently purchased another bed when our baby moved out of his crib and into a bed. We looked at Costco, Dania, JC Penny Home, Levitz, Wickes and several other furniture stores. What we found was that most furniture is now made with very few solid wood pieces or is made with soild soft woods. We had a very hard time finding an inexpensive piece of furniture that wasn't made from MDF covered in veneers.
So, we bit the bullet and purchased another Stanley bed, but I know it will be the last bed we will have to buy our son. The bed was part of the Young America line of furniture by Stanley and we were able to purchase it at Paul Schatz in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
I realize you are probably looking to spend a lot less on a bed, but you definitely get what you pay for. My suggestion would be to check Craigslist.com or your local paper's classified ads. Also, put the word out that you are looking for a high quality used bed. I have a friend who did this and a friend of a friend happened to be getting rid of 2 Ethan Allen twin beds for $200 for the set!
I would pick a high quality used bed over an inexpensive, cheaply made, new bed any day. I hope this helps.
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Little Apollo Preschool is located on the campus of Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon. Designed to be a child development class for Juniors and Seniors, Little Apollo is also an actual...
Little Apollo Preschool is located on the campus of Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon. Designed to be a child development class for Juniors and Seniors, Little Apollo is also an actual Preschool. The pre-school is run by 2 very well qualified and wonderful teachers who also assist the high-school "student teachers" in the class.
One of the things I love about this pre-school is how well it's organized. Since the main teacher has about 30 years with Little Apollo under her belt, and the assistant teacher has close to 17 years, the definitely know what they are doing. They have play time, circle time, project time, snack time and even time for organized games in the high school gym. They know what works and they are wonderful at their jobs. The kids love them too!
Since there are about 10-15 student teachers in each class of 24 pre-schoolers, each child has a lot of help and attention through out the day. The high school students are really cute with the kids and clearly very interested in them. Some of the high school student teachers are actually former Little Apollo students.
There are 2 field trips during the year and a fun curriculum that is perfect for getting kids ready for kindergarten both academically and socially.
The price can't be beat either. For a 3 year old, who attend 2 days a week, the tuition is $70 a month. For a 4 year old who attends 3 days a week, tuition is $98 a month. There are morning and afternoon classes available for 3 and 4 year olds and if you register around April or May, you should have no problem getting in for the Fall. (It's best to get your name on the list before summer break). There are often openings in the middle of the school year too, so it's not too hard to get your child enrolled.
I highly recommend this pre-school to anyone with a pre-school aged child in the Portland area. You won't be disappointed.
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When I saw the movie, "The Aviator", I was momentarily enthralled with the bizarre life and work of Howard Hughes. Even more intriguing was the massive plane nick named, "The Spruce Goose". This...
When I saw the movie, "The Aviator", I was momentarily enthralled with the bizarre life and work of Howard Hughes. Even more intriguing was the massive plane nick named, "The Spruce Goose". This all sounded very familiar to me for some reason, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. A little internet investigation revealed that the Spruce Goose was housed just over an hour from where I live in McMinnville, Oregon at the Evergreen Aviation Museum! I remember when they brought the Spruce Goose up here because it was on the news, and honestly, I thought the giant aircraft would be the only thing the Evergreen Aviation Museum would have on display. I was VERY wrong.
There are a lot of amazing aircraft housed in this beautiful and sparkling clean facility. They have cargo planes, commercial passenger planes, a replica of the Wright Flyer, trainers, bombers, spacecraft, homebuilt, observation and reconnaissance and general aviation airplanes. There are also lots of artifacts, a wonderful cafe and a nice gift shop with plenty of items in all price ranges.
But of course I was there to see the Spruce Goose. Driving up to the museum, you can see the Spruce Goose taking up the expansive museum from the giant glass windows in the front of the building http://www.sprucegoose.org/index.html . It looks grand, but nothing can prepare you for coming face to face with it. It truly is massive and seems to be an engineering wonder.
There is a guided tour provided by museum docents at 11am and 2pm daily. Plan for at least an hour for the tour which ends with the Spruce Goose. They have the actual model set that was used on the Movie, "The Aviator" when they showed the building of the Spruce Goose. The detail is amazing.
Youth 6-18 are $8 for admission, while adults are $12. Veterans are $10 and those on Active Duty or in the Reserves are $8 with ID. This museum was so much more than I expected and if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit. You will NOT be disappointed.
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For the longest time I was "Anti-scrap booking". I didn't want to cut up my pictures into little circles and squares and spend tons of money creating one or two pages with just a few pictures and...
For the longest time I was "Anti-scrap booking". I didn't want to cut up my pictures into little circles and squares and spend tons of money creating one or two pages with just a few pictures and lots of fluff. Besides, what kind of "memories" would I be making shooing my kids away so I could document their wonderful childhoods. Of course after all that work, they would not be allowed to touch the albums!!
All of this changed when I decided to attend my first Creative Memories workshop. I had just moved to a small town and I knew no one. I went in an effort to get to know a few people and have an evening away from the kids. When I heard the Creative Memories consultant explain the Creative Memories method for scrap booking, I was instantly converted.
With Creative Memories, the focus is on the photos and documenting and preserving them. All the supplies are the highest archival quality and designed to work seamlessly together. Creative Memories also has many techniques to quickly put together scrapbook pages that look great, but don't take hours and tons of money.
The Creative Memory products are a bit more expensive that other scrap booking supplies. For example, their 12 x 12 albums are $38, and that does not include pages. But each album can hold up to 40 pages, and with front and back, that's 80 pages of photos and memories. The Creative Memories Album also has a lifetime guarantee, which will provide some insurance should the album wear or deteriorate in some way.
Creative Memories is a good deal for me because I don't spend as much trying to create a look as I would if I followed some other method. While I totally appreciate the work and effort that goes into creating a beautifully embellished scrapbook page, that method is just not for me.
All the Creative Memories consultants I have met are helpful and knowledgeable. I once had a question about the best way to shrink down an x-ray so that I could get the image on a 12 x 12 page. She was able to provide me with an answer and my x-ray came out looking great. My Creative Memories consultant also lent me all her punches when my sister came to town for a 1 week scrap booking marathon.
So, even though Creative Memories Products may be a little more spendy, I feel the quality and customer service make it worth it.
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If you are just starting a Bunco group and getting ready to host your first party and decide to put together your own Bunco box, rather than buy one from one of the many online sources, Office Depot...
If you are just starting a Bunco group and getting ready to host your first party and decide to put together your own Bunco box, rather than buy one from one of the many online sources, Office Depot should be your first stop.
I would say that Office Depot could be your ONLY stop in putting together your Bunco box, but I just checked on line and they don’t carry dice, which is one of the most important parts of Bunco. So, find your dice at Target, or Walgreens. You will need 9. Then head to Office Depot.
You will need 6 small pads of paper for players to keep score. Office Depot has a big selection of pads, but the best ones for Bunco will be the simple pads with the tear-off sheets.
You will also need 6 pencils for players to tally the score. Office Depot sells a box of pencils that is already sharpened or save a few pennies and buy an unsharpened box, but the pencils will need to be sharp by game time.
Look for a small cash box or something of that sort to hold all your Bunco supplies. You don't need any compartments, so if it comes with compartments, make sure they are removeable. It's great if it has a handle it can be easily carried. A small file box could work too, but may be a bit too big.
Finally, you will need a bell. A little “ring for service” bell or “call bell” http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=197764&Ntt=bell&uniqueSearchFlag=true&An=text will do just fine.
Finally, if you’ve printed out free individual player’s score sheets from one of the online resources like Tricia’s Bunco Rules http://www.buncorules.com/rules.html You can make copies at Office Depot too. Make sure to make at least 12 copies, but why not make a few more so the Bunco box will be stocked for the next hostess.
Office Depot employees are always ready to help whenever I need to find anything in the store. Often they will offer to walk me to the exact product I’m looking for, but at the very least, will tell me the aisle number and location if things are busier in the store. Also, I never have to wait long for a cashier to open up. I know when I go in to Office Depot, I will be able to get what I want and get out as quickly as I need to and that I will be able to find every office supply I need.
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Have you heard about Tuesday Morning? I’m not sure where they got the name for the store, but it has some of the most amazing designer and name brand gifts and home products at really great...
Have you heard about Tuesday Morning? I’m not sure where they got the name for the store, but it has some of the most amazing designer and name brand gifts and home products at really great discount prices. According to their web site, ten times a year they receive new merchandise shipments that are priced 50% to 80% off regular retail prices. They close only between sales to restock inventory and are open the rest of the year to offer amazing deals. http://www.tuesdaymorning.com/
Tuesday Morning is a great place to find table linens for your party, candle holders, picture frames, dinnerware and don’t forget the hostess gifts for when YOU are invited to someone’s home for dinner. There are lots of pampering bath products, high end cookbooks and stationary and lots and lots of seasonal home décor.
They also have a pretty substantial toy section with everything from newborn and infant gifts and toys, up to toys and gifts for older kids. One time I saw a really nice Meade telescope. Of course their inventory is constantly changing, so you never know what kinds of great deals you will find.
For sprucing up for your home for the holidays or finding a special gift for a hostess, or even finding Bunco gifts, check out Tuesday Morning.
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Maybe I don’t get it and someone please clue me in if I’m missing something, but is Linen’s and Things any different from Bed, Bath and Beyond? They seem to be to basically be the same place, with...
Maybe I don’t get it and someone please clue me in if I’m missing something, but is Linen’s and Things any different from Bed, Bath and Beyond? They seem to be to basically be the same place, with the same prices and the same merchandise. And, another thing that really confuses me, is that they are usually located with in a mile of each other. I understand this is good for competition, but they really don’t seem to compete at all. I see them as completely interchangeable.
If you are shopping for a party or are going to be entertaining guests, I would try other stores before Linens and Things. For more information on why I’m not impressed with Linens and Things, see my review for Bed, Bath and Beyond. http://www.judysbook.com/members/Afton/posts/2006/10/471705/
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Every once in a while I get tricked into going into Bed Bath and Beyond, either by one of their coupons or because I actually believe that I can’t get what I’m looking for anywhere else. While this...
Every once in a while I get tricked into going into Bed Bath and Beyond, either by one of their coupons or because I actually believe that I can’t get what I’m looking for anywhere else. While this store is certainly packed to the rafters with everything and “beyond”, I’ve found that most things are much more expensive than I could get elsewhere.
Recently I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to look for a window valence and a curtain rod. Now, I realize that curtain rods are pretty pricey and I expected to pay around $20 and then with my coupon, get $5 off that price with my coupon. However, the curtain rod I found, the least expensive one I could find to fit my window, was $25 and I ended up paying $20.
As for window valences, I couldn’t really find anything that I was looking for. I wanted one in denim and really didn’t think that would be so difficult to find. Well, BB&B didn’t have anything like that and a very small selection of valences anyway. I ended up leaving with just my rod.
Several days later I was at Target, somehow I’d missed their curtain rod and drapery section the time I was there before. It had moved and I’d assumed they’d done away with that section. I was wrong! They had a great looking rod for $14.99 and a denim valence for $7.99.
I just don’t know how Bed Bath and Beyond stays in business. I really don’t ever see a lot of people shopping there and their prices seem so much higher than what I could find at Target or Fred Meyer. Also, I suppose I could say no, but I really hate to give out my zip code every time I buy something. I know it doesn’t mean anything and it’s not like I’m giving out my social security number or bank account number, but it still bothers me, like I can’t buy from them with out first giving them something of mine!
Needless to say, I returned the curtain rod I originally bought at Bed Bath and Beyond, but only after giving them my zip code first.
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