The Taste of Tri-Valley is returning soon and the list of the restaurants participating is now available. This is a great chance to try a restaurant that may have been a little too expensive to go to before, since during this "Restaurant Week," each of the restaurants participating are offering special meals at discounted prices.
I wanted to try The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards last year during Restaurant Week, but didn't get to. Luckily, they're participating again this year, and I think the lunch they're offering is new, and at a great price ($15).
Here's the event website, which includes the list of all restaurants participating and their prices: http://www.trivalleycvb.com/tasteoftrivalley/
More good news for coffee lovers. I heard on the radio this morning that McDonald's is currently giving away free coffee. No purchase necessary. It was hard to find information about this on the web, (I didn't even find anything on the McDonald's website) but I found this article that confirms that they're offering a free small coffee in their San Joaquin County restaurants through Sunday.
My recollection of the radio ad was that the promotion lasted longer that that, so perhaps they're offering it after January 15th in Alameda County, but don't quote me on that. I'll update this posting if I find out more.
Fridays are often taco night in our household. That's because our favorite taqueria in Tracy, Taqueria Maguey, sells $0.75 tacos on Fridays (and Wednesdays). Their tacos are on the smaller side, but deliciously filled with quality ingredients. About 4 will fill me up, and I like to eat a lot of food. They also have other deals the rest of the week, but I love ending my work week with tacos and maybe a chile relleno, if they have any left.
Taqueria Maguey
2242 W. Grant Line Rd.
Tracy, CA 95377http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-maguey-tracy
Head to your local Starbucks now through Saturday, January 14th, and you'll get to sample their different roasts and vote for your favorite. They also say they'll "send you home with a little something as a thank you."
Here's all the info: http://roast.starbucks.com/en-us/
Thanks to Hip2Save.com for letting me know about this deal! Now through February 2nd, 2012, you will receive a free Beauty Rush Lip Gloss with any purchase in Victoria's Secret stores (but not outlets) with this coupon.
I'm really excited that I just found out about the Cinematic Treasures Series at The Grand Theater in Tracy. A few times over the next couple of months, The Grand will be showing classic movies at a great price (about $3). The Birds, The Godfather Trilogy, and a special midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show are all listed on their calendar. (Each film is only shown once.)
http://www.atthegrand.org/calendar/.
Their site is little bit clunky but if you click on an event in the calendar, more information pops up. And it also appears that you can purchase tickets online for some of the shows.
Check out their other events, too. There will be a community theater presentation of the musical, Annie, in May, (auditions are today, by the way) which would also be fun to take the kiddies to.
Sycamore Grove Park is one of my favorite places in Livermore. I love its history and beauty. If you ever get a chance to take a class about the history of the park and Olivina, I highly recommend it.
Every month Sycamore Grove park releases a newsletter which includes a number of activities, led by park rangers, who teach you about the habitat and tell stories about the park. Most are family-friendly and free.
Here's the link to their newsletter for your enjoyment: http://www.larpd.dst.ca.us/open_space/vw_archives.html
I imagine my sister will make me join her for the Winter Owls program on January 29th, but the Bright Winter Stars program on January 14th looks fun, as well.
LARPD's website is also a great resource for community events and classes in Livermore. My family and I have taken several classes through their recreation department, including an olive picking and curing class, which is where I learned about Olivina and Sycamore Grove Park.
I found another great Groupon today that I thought I'd share: $2 for 5 $1 vouchers for Blockbuster Express Kiosks. These are good at all of the Blockbuster Kiosks and blockbuster.com. You have three days left from today to purchase this.
Here's the link: http://www.groupon.com/deals/blockbuster-express-harrisburg-4?c=dnb&p=2
This information comes from another website/blog that I found recently that I absolutely love, Hip2Save. I totally recommend it for anyone, not just the super-thrifty. http://hip2save.com
I suggest that you sign up for their email alerts - they send all the deals to your mailbox daily.
On Groupon right now, you can get a $14 voucher to Qdoba in Tracy for $7. It's rare for Groupon or any of the other deal sites to have deals so close to home, so I had to post about it. I bought this one since it's a new restaurant that I'd been wanting to try, and I'll definitely try it if I get a 50% discount.
Here's the link. You won't be able to purchase it after tomorrow: http://www.groupon.com/deals/qdoba-stockton?c=dnb&p=5
I just found out today about a half marathon taking place in Tracy, right off of Naglee, in May. I'm really excited because, even though I'm not a very athletic person, I enjoy the challenge of doing a half marathon and I think I'm going to have to sign up.
I'll post more info as I get it, but for now, here's the link: tracyhalf.com
It's on Sunday, May 20th. Prices are reasonable for a half marathon - $60 - considering I usually see prices around $100 for halfs. And it's right in our backyard.
If you've never done a half marathon - or even a 5k, which is also being offered - I really recommend it. It is a great way to motivate yourself to exercise because, if you've signed up, you know that you'd better train for it, or you will not be happy with yourself. If you don't do the race, you spent all that money for nothing. If you do the race and quit in the middle because you're too tired, you always feel guilty about it. And if you do the whole race without training beforehand, you will be in a LOT of pain.
I did my first half marathon in 2009 and I never thought I could do it. But I trained (not enough) and I did it, in less time than I expected to, and I was so amazed with myself. I wish everyone could have that feeling. My goal for this race will be to beat my personal best time, and that gives me even more reason to train.
Hope to see you out there training and at the race!
On Saturday, I was at Costco in Tracy, and I saw a great deal for ATTITUDE Certified Eco Friendly Bathroom and Window Cleaners. It was $2.97 for a spray bottle and 1 gallon refill. On the shelves next to these bottles was were equal-sized bottles of PineSol, which were $10 each. So, I couldn't resist - I bought two sets of the bathroom cleaners. I tested it out on my shower, which picks up a lot of soap scum, and it worked pretty well. They were almost out of the bathroom cleaners when I was there, but they had plenty of window cleaner left. I'm not sure if this item is being sold at other stores, or if it's at the same price.
On a side note, I really wish I could buy eco-friendly and organic products all the time, but I just can't afford to. So, whenever possible, I do, or I buy the most eco-friendly items that I can afford. Costco is actually a great place for good deals on some green products. We try to buy their recycled paper towels and toilet paper, as well as some of the Kirkland brand green(er) cleaners. Prices for these products are often comparable, if not cheaper than their traditional Kirkland brand items. And even when it ends up being a little bit more, I can justify buying it anyway because it helps me feel better about my impact on the world.
Life is unique here. The Altamont Pass area has it's own culture. It's filled with people with high hopes and long days. It's close enough to the San Francisco Bay Area that many of us do the commute, several hours each day, to and from the Bay Area. But it's far enough away to be considered by most, not really part of the Bay Area (I say I live in the East, East Bay). And it really is a world apart. My first 27 years growing up in Silicon Valley, I never had seen a camouflage truck driving through the Safeway parking lot. But it's close enough to common here, that no one really bats an eye.
I, like many out here, moved here from the Bay Area because of the home prices. I wanted something REALLY affordable, but nice. I could have bought a 100-year-old, falling-down fixer-upper, house in downtown San Jose. But instead I bought a 3-year-old house in beautiful Mountain House, for the same price. The commute to Mountain View (yes, I work in Mountain View and live in Mountain House) sucks. But for now, I like my job and I'm not willing to change it. And I'm not willing to move either. I've decided I love this area - Livermore, Mountain House, and (sometimes) Tracy*. It's quiet, quaint, and reminds me of simpler times. I love the rolling hills, the cows, and that there's room to breathe.
So, I'm starting this blog for those of us who live here. One of my constant goals is finding great deals (I am really, really cheap), and I'd love to share those with you. And I'll share my thoughts and experiences, as well as keep you posted on neat local events.
*Tracy is a great town with tons of charm, but we have to be honest and admit that it has it's faults. The crime is my biggest complaint, and I must admit that I don't venture to parts of town by myself at night.
