get the most for your $$$: new/transfer prescriptions

my husband & i have excellent health insurance coverage,  prescriptions are FREE when we go to our hmo’s pharmacy because of our dual coverage from work… but one day a couple months ago i decided to try out one of the FREE $25 gift card coupons from CVS we’ve received in the mail for new or transfer prescriptions.  the prescription was for 800mg ibuprofen when my husband had a root canal so i knew the meds would be less than $10 without “insurance” so even if we paid $10, we’d get $15 FOR FREE.  turns out that the prescription was $7.  we paid it and were given a $25 gift card.  it was that simple.  i couldn’t believe that’s all we had to do.  it’s completely legit, just keep your eyes out for the coupons!

and it just so happened TODAY that we got one of those random coupons from target when you check out and it was for a $20 giftcard for new/transfer prescriptions and my husband had to have an extraction today so guess where we will be cashing out this week?  cha-ching!

my guiltiest pleasure: reality shows

most people i know won’t admit to religiously watching reality shows, it’s like some dirty little secret that you don’t want anyone finding out. not me, i fucking love ‘em. there’s just something so intriguing about people that vie for love, money or airtime. why do i watch this shit? for the laughs and sometimes for the smokin’ hot chicks.

i give credit to the truly smart ones, those that are on tv to create their brand, to make themselves memorable so they either get their own show or get paid to make rounds on the club circuit or open the doors to be able to do whatever they want to do in the industry. milk it!

which brings me to my encounter with the lovely becky buckwild of flavor of love 2, i love money 2 and charm school fame. i’ve been following her on twitter and watched her romance with frank “the entertainer” maresca blossom and bomb… i was cheering for them because i wanted to see their own show. but i’m happier that she’s found someone better!

i don’t want to get into the specifics but i reached out to her and some direct messages later we got to meet up. pretty sweet deal if you ask me. so twitter, i thank you again! i thought becky & angelah were so awesome!!! they are both funny and full of life! they weren’t some conceited bitches lol

becky, angelah and i might be working on something in the future so if you are a fan, stay tuned!!!

the beautiful becky buckwild (@BeckyBuckwild) & beautiful angelah verdi (@angelahverdi)

humpday hoppin’

last wednesday afternoon my husband surprised me with a trip to LA. it was our first time leaving the house at 1pm and we didn’t know what kind of traffic to expect… yep, it was bad. it took us about an hour to get there. our first stop was scion space in culver city. i wanted to check out the 2009 vice magazine photo exhibition.

the place is a little bit hard to find since it’s in the neighborhood. it’s a nice gallery though, really spacious and we had a good talk with kenton! he hooked us up with all kinds of shit too. i appreciate good convo with a genuine motherfucker, thanks kenton!

our next stop was the michael kohn gallery on beverly/crescent heights to check out the david lynch show. the photos were inspired by danger mouse & sparklehorse’s music from the “dark night of the soul“. i was a bit floored by the visuals only because i’m familiar with lynch’s films. my 3 year old favored the piece which featured a bloody arm.

the main gallery is connected to either another gallery or an office space. it was cordoned off but we were nosy and it was worth a peek…because there lived a beautiful ryden piece.

afterwards we indulged in chicken bowls at yoshinoya and had yummy scoops. i usually only have a bowl (it’s considered 2 scoops for $2.75 – can ya beat that?!) but the flavor selection was so good i got a refill (2 more scoops for only $1.75!) so in total i had blueberry marscapone, strawberry coconut, mango grapefruit and malt toffee. c had banana oreo and chocolate almond. the grapefruit in the mango grapefruit was a bit overpowering but still good for a hot summer day. i couldn’t resist!

i was hoping tae (owner and flavor creator) was around so i could tell him about my scoops photo that was published in the july/august 2009 issue of LA confidential magazine! THANKS SCOOPS!

there is so much stuff to do in LA, get out and see art! try different food! enjoy the city!

fun @ the big A.

i have to do this scavenger hunt style cause i haven’t had time to make it over there to take my own photos!

here’s some stuff you should check out while visiting the big A.

• so you say it’s your birthday on game day? head on over to the guest relations office on field level near section 107 and get a very cool sticker!
• is it your very 1st game? make your way over to guest relations and get a very cool sticker!
• FREE kids’ fun pack? it’s a 5 x 7 angels envelope with coupons and a baseball card!!! – i’ve heard these can be picked up in the guest relations office!
• wheelchair employee in beachpit bbq at section 127 is pretty awesome. i’ve seen him come out of the stand to chat with wheelchair bound (and non-wheelchair) fans!
• say hi to retired kindergarten teacher marie at the grandstand sausage stand in section 126. she is super nice!
• the girls in the concessions stand at 223 do a special dance when “buttercup” comes on
• order a burrito bowl at angelito’s in section 241 but only get cilantro rice and carnitas. so good.
• i’m not exactly sure which KISS band member it is but one of them is a season ticket holder and can be found on the ramp near section 408 between innings. pretty fucking awesome if you ask me!
• don’t forget to check out the A-Z guide!

if you have more tips, memories, fun stuff…comment and i’ll update this entry!

photo by: YOYO of topstitch.org (THANKS!!!)

1st octomom sighting.

it’s no secret that i can’t stand octomom and everything she stands for. i knew there was a chance i’d run into her somewhere, sometime since i live about 10 minutes from her.

so yesterday after spending a couple hours at the la habra children’s museum, we chose to treat the kid to mcdonald’s. while we were sitting there i noticed a girl that looked like the little girl in the movie, “the happening” and mentioned it to C, he said nah but the old lady with her looks familiar – that he’s seen her while we were out shopping before and we continued bullshitting. then an old guy passes me that i think i’ve seen in some movies as a taxi driver and told C again. he goes to refill his drink and comes back and whispers to me, “that’s nadya’s parents”, i say, “NADYA WHO?” and he said some shit like “octomom” and i was like, “NO SHIT it is them!!!”

i get up to refill our drink but really wanna get a better look.. they are both there with 2 of octomom’s kids, i notice her dad looks so sad and is wearing beat up shoes. i start feeling sad and decide not to behave like paparazzi and let them enjoy their lunch. the kids look good, i wouldn’t say happy but definitely wearing better clothes than when octomom initially got thrown into the limelight. they oddly seemed more behaved with the grandparents than when i’ve seen them on tv. when we get up to leave i look around for octomom (and more kids) in the play area but she wasn’t in sight, bummer. when we get outside, we see grandpa smoking a cigarette by the dumpster area and i comment to C that instead of shelling out crazy money on shit for herself she should give her dad $40 to buy some new shoes.

i guess what i’m saying is..all that disgust i feel for her is just meant for her dumbass and nothing towards the kids. they are just innocent little bystanders… like these kids in WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE A KID?!?!?! lol

parents – your kids are better than that, give them that respect fuckers.

p.s.
every 1st saturday of the month is FREE admission at the la habra children's museum
thanks to target!

in true southern cali fashion

we didn’t hide colored eggs for the kids.  we got them up, dressed and headed out to LA.  our first stop was at Yoshinoya on the corner of melrose & vermont.  mmm yummy easter lunch!  after that we cruised on melrose to see what stores were open, nothing really caught our eye so we headed up to sunset to hit Meltdown.  they changed the layout since we last visited months ago and i prefer it so much more.  it’s much roomier and you can see the displays better.  the kids had fun playing on the rodys.  C & i picked up the hi-fructose box set.  it’s a beauty.  the 5 prints alone are worth the cost ($39.95) – i’m planning on doing a review in the next couple weeks.  2 things were depressing: looks like the secret base display cabinet is gone?! and that i didn’t have crazy money to blow.

but what we really went to LA for is SCOOPS.  turns out they were closed which we kinda expected.  it’s ok, they deserve a holiday lol  not wanting to go back home we went to check out the idiot box show at gallery 1988.  it was a really good show.  all the pieces were fantastic!!!

click on rudy to see the rest of the idiot box set!

drivin’ me crazy!

one of my biggest pet peeves is feet hanging outside of car windows.  i know you really can’t tell from this angle but the window is 1/3 of the way up and i’m sure it’s uncomfortable so what’s the point?  i really don’t want to be next to this truck if they get into an accident.  her foot would probably land on our car.  stupid fuckers.

i’m warning you, this will be all over the place.

this morning for the first time in, oh, 6 or so months i woke up feeling tony the tiger gRRRRReat.  this could have been because of 2 reasons.  one being that i came up on some excellent bed sheets at tj maxx yesterday for $20! this being after we spent a few minutes droppin’ our jaws at prices we saw at macy’s home store in south coast plaza.  i figured macy’s would be pricey but never expected $300-800 sheet sets.  um, hell to the no on that lol it’s not like egyptian ladies were sewing them together with their own saliva.

so back to what i was saying, the other reason being that my pops is finally back in texas! lol  i adore my folks and would help them out with anything but it was time to go.  my pops & C were driving me crazy with basketball talk.  he was out here because of work and was able to transfer back.  so yes, maybe a combo of those 2 things made me sleep like a baby.

let me go back to yesterday, we stopped at chevron and i noticed gas is at $1.93 again we’re driving down beach blvd. and i see a big naked lady wrapped with a blanket pushing a cart and think to myself, how sad.  we get to mitsuwa, everyone is in their grab & go section, i grab myself a shrimp musubi & california maki, we pick up some snacks, pay.  i want to check out the food court.  we decide on getting some food but every place has the dreaded makeshift “CASH ONLY” taped to their registers.  we walk away sulking.  i stop at the japanese travel agency.  no deals for april   i walk away sulking even more.  we peek in the japanese bookstore.  i look at a few fashion magazines and get excited over the styling and photography.  i take my 13/365 photo of a girl looking at the magazines.

C brings up going to h&m at south coast plaza.  i tell him only if we can get in & out fast lol  i really despise that mall and was feeling subpar without my mascara (spanish for mask aka face makeup).  i call their mall info line (or did the site say concierge heh) and ask them where can i enter to get to h&m, the nice voice tells me there’s 2 h&m’s and which one did i want, i say kids, she says enter on bear street, park at macy’s home store and it’s on the 3rd floor.  we do that and it’s just like she said, mall concierge = awesome.  we walk in looking for some jeans for the kid and he sees a batman long sleeve, he throws it over his shoulder and walks away happy.  this is not your usual 3 year old, i think we’re in trouble.  i pass by some mirrors and make a mental note about how fuckin’ WHITE i am.  sheesh it doesn’t help that i’m in shorts either.  call me La Casper eh!  we find him a pair of awesome jeans, it’s $19.99 and we’re out.  we exit through macy’s home store and ohhh & ahhh at all the nice furniture.  as we get down to the 1st floor i see that they have a restaurant, nice!

we head back home, strollin’ once again down beach blvd. and now we see the same homeless lady a couple blocks up and on the other side of the street sitting at a bus stop.  she looks like she put a wheelchair in the shopping cart and a cop is talking to her.  i start praying that she gets to take a shower, some clothes, some food and a place to sleep tonight.  she’s still on my mind…

we get to target, there’s a cute car cart in the parking lot and we put the kid in, as we walk into the store i notice target associates making comments.  then C and i realize that the cart probably doesn’t belong to target, oh well.  we continue shopping, C goes to pay, i go to use the potty and as i’m heading towards him i hear an associate ask a security guard what he should do when we leave the cart in the parking lot.  when we get outside i look around as to where it could’ve come from, nowhere i can see for at least 5 blocks, weird.  poor abandoned cart.

we get to costco and i’m hoping to find a wii fit.  nothing.  C is hoping to get some samples but there isn’t any, weird.  we pick up the usual, i get cash back and we have dinner there.  my slice of combo pizza isn’t so good but the churro makes up for it.  it’s barely 6pm and there isn’t even a breeze, it’s probably like 75 degrees still.  winter come back.

we get home, put all our buys away and i put on our new sheets.  they look sooo good.  probably better since i got such a great deal on them.  the kid immediately jumps on the bed, moves like he’s swimming and ohhhs & ahhhs.  we wait till later to ohhh & ahhh at it.

so we made it out alive, didn’t have to pull out the macy’s card, it was a good day lol

can it be all so simple

on saturday afternoon i was standing outside of our complex waiting for my coworker to pick me up when 2 young latinas strolled by, shooting the shit, not a care in the world…

i remember those days!!!  working for $4.25 an hour at the video store less than 1/2 a block from my house , rollin’ in my homies hoopties, sportin’ clothes without labels, cheap pager at my hip…THOSE were the days.  why is it that pricey cars & brand names define some people? it sure as hell doesn’t define me.  i’d rather be happy than be a broke sucker.  media is brainwashing you.  don’t OBEY, robot.

review: Unique LA

we checked out Unique LA on sunday. it took place on the penthouse floor of the California Market Center and you could either pay $6 parking in their underground garage or chance it around downtown. the ticket table was manned by 2 lovely ladies, since i won tickets i let one of them know i won from yelp and she handed me a bag and wristband. as you walked away you could grab a couple bottles of Bossa Nova juice, show guide and bag. C & i walked to the elevators and when we got in, found out the penthouse was on the 13th floor, OOO!

i didn’t really have a game plan except to find Cake Monkey and spend all my monies on their stuff. we passed by a bunch of apparel booths and the free gift wrap tables. very very cool idea! we passed by Rafael Cruz’s photobooth (click Events) and it looked awesome! i wanted to take pictures but hubby wasn’t into it then i saw the myspace/la weekly table and picked up a bunch of freebies… saw the PBR/Izze lounge and checked out the gorgeous view of downtown LA.

there were also a bunch of free gift tag and card tables (THANKS ETSY!)…i really should’ve taken advantage but we got there a little bit later in the afternoon and C wanted to hit fairfax district. after about 45 minutes, i found Cake Monkey but was bummed that their mini cakes were only for display and i had to place an order online for the good stuff! i did pick up one B & W Cakewich ($3.50) and didn’t eat it till i got home but oh my, it was delicious! i wish i bought more actually! the only other downside about CM was that there were 3 people at the booth but they all seemed to pay attention to another lady inquiring about their stuff. i got my questions in but i kinda had to be aggressive lol

i also passed by Merlin Castell and saw his beautiful dresses but i bitched out and didn’t ask to take a picture, stupid me!

other UNIQUE mentions:

• Lauren Ward Photography (awesome white wall backdrop! wish hubby was down to take some pics!)
• Star Foreman Photography (i swooned over her beautiful prints. wish i could’ve spoiled myself with one!)
• Two Rabbits Studios (awesome prints & ZINES!)
• Elizabeth Soule Photography (polaroid prints, cards, etc!)
• Johnny Cupcakes (the girls at the booth were so nice!)
• Stacey Winters (awesome photography creations!)
• CUT + PASTE (craft consignment shop – sooo many cute things!!!)
• Absolutely Small (chickenpants is great! THANKS Claire for the wristband!)

and i thought i picked up a business card/flyer from 2 girls who had awesome art but i can’t find it. i’ll stare at the vendors list till i find their site! they were right beside lauren ward!

FREEBIES:

• 3 bottles of Bossa Nova Juice (LOVE acai!)
  
• 2 cans of Izze Juice (LOVE apple!)
• Swindle Magazine
• various stickers, buttons and prints from LA Weekly/Myspace Music table
• Illume candles
  

so big big props Sonja Rasula for putting on a great event. you picked the right location and right sponsors. everything fit and made for a great day of ditching work! might i suggest seeking out more artsy, crafty and dessert vendors for the spring show? pretty please and THANKS!

MORE PICTURES AT MY FLICKR…