Mountain House Community Garage Sale is This Weekend!

This is probably my favorite event in Mountain House.  Every year, I find something I need at an awesome price. 

The first year we lived here, I got some perfect curtains for my house.  I really needed them, too, because we had just moved in, and the last thing we needed to spend money on was new curtains.  Last year, I got a nice bookshelf that I had been looking for, along with a bunch of nice, practically new, clothes that I knew would fit either my sister or me for $1 a piece.  My parents got some nice leather couches for a steal, too. 

So, you can bet we well be out in force come Saturday morning.  Come join us.  You can find all of the info and maps here: http://wiki.mhvillages.com/~wiki17/index.php?title=Community_Garage_Sale

Something Fun for Little Ones: Read a Book With a Dog!

I love this idea because I feel like all kids should be able to spend time with a dog.  There are countless stories and studies that show that dogs can elevate your mood and your life.  

On Saturdays in Feb, from 2:00 to 4:00, little ones can come and read a story to a trained therapy dog (meaning they'll be on their best behavior).  So, this is a great chance for kids to practice reading and have a meaningful connection with a dog, especially if they don't have one of their own.

Here's the link from the Mountain House Forum.

And you can visit the Stockton-San Joaquin Library site here: http://www.stockton.lib.ca.us

Something Fun for Teens and Tweens: Make Valentine's Day Crafts - Feb 9

On Thursday, February 9th at 4:30 PM, kids aged 10 and up can head to the Mountain House Library to make Valentine's Day cards and crafts for their friends and family. Supplies will be provided.

Check out the post on the Mountain House Forum.

And you can also visit the Stockton-San Joaquin Library website: http://www.stockton.lib.ca.us

This Weekend Around The Altamont Pass (Shoestring Edition)

Need plans for this weekend and don't want to spend a whole lot of dough?  Here's just a short list of fun and cheap things to do in The Altamont Pass Area:

Friday

• Free Family Movie Night at Bethany School in Mountain House (donations accepted)

Saturday

•  The Livermore Rummage Sale 
• Build-a-saurus event at Lowes (kids can build and take a wooden dinosaur for free.  Must RSVP.)

All Weekend

• $2 off Popcorn at Regal Cinemas with this mobile coupon. (Don't forget your discounted tickets to Man on a Ledge or One for the Money.  Check out this post.)
• Redbox is giving away discounts for answering trivia questions correctly
• Bare Escentuals is giving a way a free sample of Active Cell Renewal.  N.P.N. Head to the Stoneridge Location.
• And don't forget the free lip gloss from Victoria's Secret with any purchase (with the coupon).

Thanks to Hip2Save for most of this fab info.  Head on over here for much more, including lots of discounts for shopping.

Good Cause: Mountain House and Tracy Fire Department Crab Feed - Feb 17

Don't tell my significant other, but I love firefighters.  Not just because they're brave and handsome... well, yeah, basically because they're brave and handsome.  (I know that there are female firefighters, who are equally brave and beautiful - you go girls!) And we need them in our community to protect us from all sorts of bad things.  So, if you can, please attend the Mountain House Fire and Tracy Fire Crab Feed on February 17th, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM at the Portuguese Hall in Tracy. Tickets are $40, with all the proceeds going back to the community.  And they'll also have Tri Tip if, like me, you have an aversion to all things from the ocean.

You can get tickets by calling Fire Station 91 at (209) 831-4710, or Oscar Sharp on his cell at (209) 321-1977, or Jeff Brown on his cell at (209) 914-0377. I hear they're going fast!

Thanks to the post by Oscar on the Mountain House Forum for this info.  There's also a Facebook event page here.

On a serious note, I really appreciate firefighters for all that they do.  It's a rare person who will risk his or her life to save another, and they do it without hesitation, just because it's their job and the right thing to do.  My grandfather was a member of his volunteer fire company for over 50 years. He was very proud of that, as we still are.  Please support our local firefighters in any way that you can.

Zumba in Mountain House

If you're like me and love Zumba, or if you haven't tried it but are looking for a fun way to get your exercise in, you should check out the Zumba classes in Mountain House.  Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:00 PM in the gym at Wicklund school and they're $3 each or $20 for an 8 class punch card.

The proceeds from the classes benefit all three schools in Mountain House.  So you're getting fit, at a great price, and our schools benefit. 

It's only fitting that this event is very family oriented, being in Mountain House.  Kids come along and hang out while their parents Zumba, or if they're brave enough, they can join-in and Zumba, too!  I really think this is a great alternative to people who don't feel like they can pay for a gym membership (since you only have to pay when you go), especially if they also would have to pay for a sitter or kid care at the gym every time they wanted to work out.

My step-daughter has been looking forward to going back and participating next time (she didn't want to last time, although she regretted it).  Unfortunately, I don't usually get home early enough, and I haven't yet convinced her dad to take her... but I'm getting close!

Here's a map to the school if you're not familiar with the area.

Good Cause: Eating at Baja Fresh Today Benefits the Bethany School Foundation

Thanks to the Mountain House Wiki Community Events Page for letting me know about this event just in time.

If you eat at the Baja Fresh at 1875 W. 11th Street in Tracy today, Thursday, Jan 19th, between 2:00 and 9:00 PM, and you present this flier, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Bethany School Foundation.

Bethany School is an Elementary through Middle School in Mountain House.  It's currently the only middle school in Mountain House, and because of this, the Foundation benefits many of the school-aged kids in Mountain House. 

Here's a link to the Bethany School Foundation: http://www.bethanyschoolfoundation.org/

About Mountain House - MountainHouseLiving.com

I love living in Mountain House.  There's something so unique about our neighborhood.  It's quiet, family friendly, and living here reminds me of a simpler time.  There is a really nice website about Mountain House, that includes information on new home construction, home sales and community events.  I recommend you take a peek.  We have really great community events that you can attend, even if you don't already live here, and you may just find yourself loving it so much that you'll want to stay.

http://mountainhouseliving.com/

There's also a great Facebook Page, which will keep you updated on the latest Mountain House News.  Like it here: https://www.facebook.com/MountainHouseCA

Life around the Altamont Pass

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.