Stonefire Grill Takeout for an Instant Weeknight Meal

Stonefire Grill Takeout. It’s kind of like magic. No cooking, minimal cleanup, everyone gets something he or she likes, and then you’re done. Kitchen fairy? Nope.

stonefire grill bags

Last Wednesday we had A Day. You know the kind—play rehearsal, baseball game, karate practice…and that’s just the kids! Parents on opposite sides of town, trying to divide and conquer. By the time we would be done with all of this activity, it would be late and everyone would be hungry.

This was the perfect night to try the Stonefire Grill takeout menu. We ordered a family meal ahead of time, which you can do by phone (805-413-0300) or online, then at the appointed time, I parked in a reserved space for takeout customers. THAT was actually a super handy feature, because sometimes Stonefire is crowded (okay all the time at this location) and it can be hard to find parking. Nobody in the Bubble wants to feel that pain, right? That’s one of the reasons we live here!

Gym photobomb

Anyway once I happily parked, my karate student child and I went to the front desk, gave the staff our name, and in a few minutes we had bags of freshly cooked food ready to go. The 10 minute ride home was tough because it smelled so delicious and we were hungry!

Stonefire front desk

The meal we had included tri-tip (half barbecue, half salt & pepper), a pizza, breadsticks, a cartwheel salad, and a giant slab of carrot cake. There was enough there for all 4 of us plus leftovers! We were tired from our day, and so delighted to not have to make food (me) and to be able to eat right away (everyone).

Stonefire family meal

It was reasonably priced for the amount and quality of food we got, too. As much as I love dining at the actual location of Stonefire Grill, where the kids can be loud and refill their drinks as much as they want to, this was really convenient and we didn’t have to settle for fast food.

Stonefire Grill Takeout – Thousand Oaks
3635 E Thousand Oaks Blvd
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
(805) 413-0300
Click here to order online

We received a complimentary meal to facilitate this feature. All opinions are our own.

Glasses USA – Where You Can Serve Your Selfie

At Glasses USA you can buy eyeglasses online quickly and easily and best of all, they are very affordable.

I have needed vision correction since I was about 12 years old. First I just wore glasses in class – that lasted until just after college. By then I was using a computer most of the day for work, so my eyesight rapidly declined to the point at which I needed glasses or contacts for everyday vision. It wasn’t until 2012 that I finally sucked it up and got laser eye surgery, and I wish I had done it much earlier, because I’m already old enough that my eyesight is fading again not because of the shape of my eyeballs’ lenses, but because of age.

I know, I know. Get off my lawn.

For the past 6 months I’ve known I really needed to get driving glasses, especially for night time driving, but going back to the eye doctor or visiting an optometrist was just not at the top of my list of things to do, you know? Enter Glasses USA!

Glasses USA is a website that allows you to . You can browse through their many different styles, enter your prescription and your pupillary distance, and pay for them online, then voila! Your glasses arrive in your mailbox a short time later. I tried the service myself!

I selected my frames from the Home collection. I found the search tool very easy, especially its many filters that helped me narrow my choices down by color and shape. I was looking for glasses that look just like the ones I used to have before my surgery, because I loved them.

Since I couldn’t try the frames on to see how they looked on me, I took advantage of the virtual “try it on” tool. I uploaded a photo of myself and the glasses miraculously appeared on my face:

If you don’t look too closely it actually looks like I’m wearing these cute red frames in this photo! (I won’t show you the photos of my picture with the glasses that don’t work on my face at all.)

The hardest part about , and it wasn’t even really hard, was measuring my pupillary distance. Since my eye doctor hadn’t included that in my prescription, I had to measure it myself. Actually, I roped my coworker into doing it for me, where she just took a ruler and tried to measure the distance in millimeters between my two pupils. I took an average of three measurements and added it to my order.

Shipping and returns are free, which is pretty great, and the frames with lenses are very reasonably priced. Once I placed my order, my new glasses showed up in my mailbox in just a few days! As soon as I put them on, I could see distant objects and signs clearly again! I was so pleased that Glasses USA got it right on the first try.

Aside from all the work that the eye specialists at my doctor’s office did, I feel like I did this myself, and it was so easy. Now I can take lots of selfies with these glasses and look extra smart. Also, I can see when driving again. It’s a win-win!

There are always tons of discounts at Glasses USA so check them out when you are looking to . If you are like me, you will put your new eyeglasses in the weirdest places and then forget where they are, so it might be good for you to buy several pairs.

I received a complimentary pair of eyeglasses to facilitate this feature. All opinions and suddenly clearer vision are my own.

Sweetfin Poké at the Village in Woodland Hills

sweetfin poke mango albacore

I’ll sum up my meal at Sweetfin Poké in one word: satisfaction. It’s satisfaction in a bowl, folks. You heard it here first.

To expand, I’ll even say it’s surprise, delight, savory, and filling.

Sweetfin Poke exterior

But let’s go back to the beginning. This is only the second location of Sweetfin Poké in the universe; the first is in Santa Monica. I love that so many forward-thinking businesses are choosing Woodland Hills as a place to expand. Anyway, when they invited me and a guest to try their poké bowls, I went with more curiosity than anything (okay yes, my appetite too) because raw fish as the main ingredient of a meal has never been my number one choice. But if I am going to torture myself with death-defying workouts in the name of a good story, I’ll put raw fish in my mouth for you. (Cue the Breakfast Club music.)

sweetfin poke drinks

Sweetfin Poké is a fast-casual style restaurant on the first level of The Village toward the south end. You can build your own bowl by choosing the meat, the base, the sauce, and any add-ons, or choose from a list of “signature bowls.” And it doesn’t have to have raw fish – you can choose tofu or chopped vegetables instead. And even with the signature bowls, you can subtract, add, substitute, and generally go crazy with mixing and matching.

sweetfin poke menu

Because I am a novice, I let the staff pick for me. I ordered (with manager Calista’s help) the mango albacore bowl which comes with ponzu-lime sauce, macadamia nuts, and fresh ginger. But I had them omit the ginger (I’m not a fan) and add sweet potato and kale to the bowl along with a rice back. All bowls also have scallions, white and black sesame seeds, and salt. I also poured myself some lemon water after sampling all of the freshly brewed teas, which had interesting flavors but I wanted to have a palate cleanser for my meal.

sweetfin poke meal

My trusty plus one, Jennifer, is more of an experienced sushi fan, so she went for the spicy tuna bowl with avocado, creamy togarashi sauce, hijiki, and crispy onions on top, using kelp noodle cucumber slaw as her base. She liked the mango black tea.

sweetfin poke spicy tuna bowl

Much to my delight, I really liked the tuna! It was actually a great vehicle for all of the other flavors that were mixed into my bowl. Jen enjoyed hers too, and we both ate it all, which is a bummer for my husband, who loves to eat and review my leftovers.

sweetfin poke popcorn chips

He did get to sample the dessert-type goodies they sent home with us though. These flavored popcorns were unique and tasty, and he loves the fresh taro root chips seasoned with sriracha powder.

The bowls are only $7.95-$9.95 for a small and $11.95-$13.95 for a large. I had a small and it was the perfect size to satisfy but not make me feel stuffed. The atmosphere in the restaurant is open and friendly, if a bit too cold. We sat outside since it’s still summer in November in SoCal.

sweetfin poke outdoor seating

I am looking forward to returning to Sweetfin Poké with my fish-loving husband, and my wacky kids who will love the climbing features just outside the restaurant. Let me know if you try it out – I’d love to get some suggestions for other flavor combinations to try!

Sweetfin Poké
at The Village
6256 Topanga Canyon Blvd. #1310
Woodland Hills 91367