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2015 Holiday Gift Guide

December 16, 2015 by Agoura Hills Mom 2 Comments

If you are just now in the thick of shopping for gifts for friends, family, clients, faraway relatives, etc., I have a few suggestions. These are items that were pitched to me that I just loved, or things I want myself!

Agoura Hills Mom 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

The Winter Collection from DavidsTea

DavidsTea is a loose-tea shop that has locations in US and Canada. A new one just opened at The Village at Topanga, the new outdoor mall in Woodland Hills. Their teas are old-school loose teas, for better flavor. The Winter Collection is a group of 5 flavors – including hot chocolate, which smells amazing, like a chocolate dream with way fewer calories – and it comes with a set of biodegradable filters (or make-your-own tea bags).

Or you can gift this set with a pretty holiday infuser mug. Just put the tea in the strainer, pour hot water over it into the mug, and steep.Winter Collection – $25, available in store only (see here for locations – the Woodland Hills store is at The Village: 6316 Topanga Canyon Blvd Suite 1115, Woodland Hills, United States, 91367)
Holiday infuser mug – $23 available also online

2016 Nobody Hikes in LA wall calendar

For your LA hiker. I post about hiking here all the time, so obviously I am your LA hiker. But please, don’t all order this for me at once. What will I do with 50 of them? Maybe I would give them away on the blog. But you don’t want to get presents for strangers who read my blog. Seriously, it’s enough that you had the thought. Just order one for the other avid hiker in your life.

Nobody Hikes in LA 2016 Calendar – $13 on lulu.com

Cloudpets Teddy

For your friend or relative who travels away from his or her children all the time. This bear syncs up to an iPad or iPhone, and you can record your voice and send it to that device, which will sync back to the bear. The bear will play your recorded message. The child will hug it and feel loved by you from afar. My son loves his Teddy! Not that I travel all that much, but when I do, it can come in handy.

Cloudpets Teddy – $29.99 (plus S&H) online. Free shipping for active military.

Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone

For the grownup reader. A novel about a young girl who was born with wings, her connection to her Lithuanian heritage. Flips between 1980’s and World War II, and told with a lovely, light touch. Here’s my review on my personal site. I think it’s my favorite book of 2016.

Above Us Only Sky – $21.24 on Amazon

Books For Kids

Fiction: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman A dad goes out to buy milk and falls into a fantastic adventure. I can totally see Gaiman telling his children this story himself. Great illustrations and just a fun read for kids.

For the young reader who loves non-fiction: Guinness World Records 2016 book boasts loads of fresh topics including YouTube, hacking, pirates (the swashbuckling variety), apps and more! Video game fanatics will be ecstatic when they discover the Guinness World Records 2016 Gamer’s Edition features more than 20 pages on the global gaming sensation Minecraft! And of course this must-own reference on video games features all new records for revered gaming franchises like Super Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda and much more.

Fortunately, The Milk – $5.39 on Amazon
Guiness World Records 2016 & Guinness World Records 2016 Gamer’s Edition – $16.00 and $8.57 on Amazon

Ninja Nesting Dolls

These mini-nesting dolls could be for the kids or for a whimsy-loving adult. They are so small – the largest is only 4.5″ tall – and so badass. How could you NOT love them?

Ninja Nesting Dolls – $12.59 by The Original Toy Company on Amazon

What’s on your wish list? Merry Christmas, everyone!

I received samples of some, but not all, of the above products. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Around Town, Local Businesses, Things Tagged With: Above Us Only Sky, Christmas, Cloudpets, DavidsTea, Fortunately the Milk, gift guide, Guinness Book of World Records, Michele Young-Stone, Neil Gaiman, Ninja Nesting Dolls, Nobody Hikes in LA, shopping, Woodland Hills

Save With Groupon Coupons

November 23, 2015 by Agoura Hills Mom 1 Comment

Did you know that you can search Groupon not just for deals at local retailers or services, but for coupons and discount codes at thousands of retailers? Before you click “Check Out” on that website on Cyber Monday, first search Groupon Coupons for special deals or coupon codes at your favorite store.

For example, Toys R Us. I pretty much make a pilgrimage to this store once a year, and often on Black Friday. I know, seems dangerous, right? But I usually wait until later in the day, call ahead to make sure they have the item in stock that I’m looking for, and then breeze in and out because the crowds have all come and gone.

This year, neither of my kids has a specific toy in mind, but I know they love LEGO’s (who doesn’t?) so a building kit is a sure bet. (And maybe Santa will leave a pair of these foot-protecting slippers under the tree for me:)

Right now the Groupon Coupon page for Toys R Us lists all the deals that are going on at their website, including a pre-Black Friday sale that Toys R Us Rewards members can access.

Unlike other coupon code websites, the Groupon Coupons site is clean and well-organized and easy to navigate. Make this page a part of your cyber-shopping routine.

Thank you, Groupon, for sponsoring this post!

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Cyber Monday, gifts, Groupon, Groupon Coupons, holiday shopping, LEGO, LEGO Slippers, shopping, Toys R Us

New Costco in Woodland Hills [Giveaway]

September 2, 2015 by Agoura Hills Mom 28 Comments

In celebration of the new Costco warehouse opening in Woodland Hills on September 12, Agoura Hills Mom is giving away a $100 gift basket!

Costco has been courting me with gifts. They arrive at my house in unremarkable boxes, which are filled with the most random assortment of items. Chocolate covered raisins, body wash, canned tuna, granola, freeze-dried apples and grapes, peanut butter. Each time we receive a box I am so delighted that I made a big deal of it, and the kids come running. Yesterday the big hit was an enormous plastic bin of animal crackers.

All this is to build excitement for the new Costco Warehouse opening in Woodland Hills on September 12. This location will provide all the amenities — on top of the bulk purchasing, prepared meals, discounted household items, and inexpensive pizza we know and love — that other newer buildings have. It’s big – 154,000 square feet. There will be an Optical department with an eye doctor, a hearing aid center, and a pharmacy. Plus it will have a 20-pump gas station!

As a Costco member for many years, they had me at “Hello.” However, in Agoura Hills, we have one of the nicest Costco warehouses I have ever visited close by in Westlake Village, so the bar is high for this new location to dazzle me. Gas pumps with less expensive gas should do the trick right there.

A Costco membership costs $55 year for a household, business and executive levels are also available at additional cost. You can sign up now at Nordstrom in Woodland Hills, otherwise the new location at 21800 Victory Blvd. opens at 8am Saturday, September 12.

What I didn’t know because of course before this I barely had time to pay attention — your boxes of nuts and body lotion got my attention, Costco! — is that Costco offers savings on services too, like auto insurance which I am shopping around for right now. There is also Costco travel, which I did poke around on this summer when planning a short family getaway. Costco is also focused on supplying healthier and more sustainable products and food items.

Giveaway: To get a taste of the eclectic fare they sell, enter here to win a basket of Costco items valued at over $100! Just leave a comment here by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, September 9, 2015. One entry per email address. Extra entry if you share this post on Facebook and tag Agoura Hills Mom. Winner will need to arrange local pickup Saturday, September 12 or later.

I received free products from Costco and an invitation to the VIP opening party to facilitate this feature. All opinions are my own. Follow Agoura Hills Mom on instagram to catch my pics from the party on Friday the 11th.

Filed Under: Around Town, Giveaways, Local Businesses Tagged With: Costco, discount, gift basket, giveaway, new location, opening, shopping, The Valley, warehouse, Woodland Hills