New Tea Room Opens in Downtown Escondido

After a slight delay, a new Tea House has opnened on Grand Avenue in Escondido. It is called The Grand Tea Room. It will is a full service tea room and gift shop located in the historical downtown district. It provides an elegant, cozy ambiance, the perfect setting for a private party or a nice relaxing afternoon. It is the only business of it's kind in the near area. Reservations are encouraged. Around The Town wishes The Grand Tea Room much success! http://www.thegrandtearoom.com/tearoom/

Waste Not/Want Not- Try freecycle

Have you heard of freecycle? If not, you might want to check it out by going to http://www.freecycle.org/. If you choose to join the group, you use your yahoo id, or create one if you don't have one. It's free. The concept is simple. You can give and get stuff for free in your own town. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Once you locate an item you would like to get, or if you have something you would like to give, items are arranged to be placed at the end of your driveway for pickup and there is no face-to-face contact involved. Fast...simple! Check it out.

Sneek Away with SniqueAway to Upscale Travel Destinations- by Invite Only

As a member of the TripAdvisor family, travel is SniqueAway's genes. They offer only premiere properties boasting the highest ratings in TripAdvisor reviews. Their team works diligently to secure surprisingly affordable rates. You can book either getaways for spur-of-the-moment travel or vacations to be taken at a later date. Understanding SniqueAway is easy. Once you're a member, you simply:

LOOK. Check out the site for jaw-dropping photos of current (and future) escapes. When a destination grabs you, read about all the details. Inside every SniqueAway Escape, you'll find TripAdvisor reviews, hotel amenities, room details—even local hot spots. Select the dates you desire on the accompanying calendar and the features and pricing of available room options.

BOOK. Make it yours! But act quickly. Their sales only last up to seven days or until the offer sells out—and they sell out fast. Within a few days of your booking, an email will arrive featuring your hotel confirmation number. That's all that's required for check-in at your destination.

SAVE. Their long-term partnerships with the top brands in travel assure you the best possible prices on prime rooms and accommodations at our most-desired hotels.

To join and get email updates on the latest and hottest travel destinations, simply log on and sign up. http://www.sniqueaway.com/invite/BarbAroundTheTown

Saving Big at Kohl's by Combining Multiple Discounts

For those who shop at Kohl's, you know how huge the savings can be. The best way to cut the total on your receipt if you shop at Kohl's a lot is to sign up for their store credit card. Now I do not recommend signing up for store cards (since they can affect your credit report) unless it is someplace you shop quite a bit and it will be well worth it. I also recommend that you do not collect too many and that you only charge what you can pay for in full when your bill arrives. When you have a Kohl's card, they send you coupons for 10-30% off your entire purchase quite frequently, and these coupons are reusable for dates specified. This discount is on top of sale and regular pricing. When you combine this discount with sales, other coupons (they often attach $10 off coupons to the front of newspapers), and Kohl's Cash you can save huge. Yes, it's hard to believe, but they let you combine ALL these discounts at one time. Something I just learned about Kohl's Cash that you might want to know...when Kohl's is offering this promotion (which is often)- you get $10 Kohl's Cash which can be used on a future purchase for time period specified with each $50 spent (after coupons, etc. applied). There are times when you will spend, but come up short of the $50 to earn Kohl's Cash. HOWEVER, I have recently learned, keep your receipt in your wallet, and should you shop again during that same campaign, they will happily combine the two receipts and issue Kohl's Cash if you then pass the $50 mark. Amazing, isn't it? For more information on Kohl's Cash, please see this link:
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/ecom/windows/Update/KohlsCash/10KohlsCash.html

Free Emergency Alert Service for San Diego County

Residents can register online to receive alerts on their cel phones and by email as part of a county program aimed at giving residents early warnings about emergencies or disasters. You can sign up and find more information at http://www.readysandiego.org/. Once a number or email is registered, it becomes part of the region's 911 database. Fire season is approaching, so might be a good time to register if you haven't already. You can also find additional emergency preparedness tips on this site.

E-books Now Available for Checkout in Carlsbad

The Carlsbad City Library added e-books which will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to their virtual shelves. Visit www.carlsbadlibrary.org and click on the OverDrive Download link. With your library card number ready, you will be all set to enjoy best sellers, classics, biographies, romances, business books, mysteries and more.

Analyze Your Cel Phone Bill for Big Savings

Have you heard of BillShrink.com? This free service calculates the best deal for your personal usage and cel phone habits. They will analyze your numbers and try to steer you toward a plan or carrier that will provide you with the best savings. The site also provides other money saving ideas...check it out!