San Jose, CA

I don’t care what some people say in San Francisco, California. San Jose, California is a city. Yes, you guessed it. I’m tired of people saying, “I don’t know where anything is around here, I’m from the city.” What the?

To prove that we are a city, here are some things going on at our convention center, theaters, HP Pavilion, art museum, and more.

Voices In Harmony
The California Theater will be host to Northern California’s Premiere Men’s A Cappella Chorus on Sunday December 16 2007. You can listen to a collection of their musical pursuits here.
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Do you have a friend or family member with a special green thumb? Great I have some stocking and gift ideas that will keep giving even past the end of the year.

Work Gloves
Every gardener could use a new pair of work gloves for 2008. The gloves will keep our hands away from harmful bugs, rocks, and those nasty rose barbs that get us all. HGTV suggest Atlas work gloves but any glove that is not bulky will work well.

Gardening Tools
Have you found your gardener digging holes with a kitchen spoon? Don’t laugh I’ve done it before. If you think the gardener that you are shopping for needs new tools, then stop by Hitchcock’s Garden Supply.

The family has been a San Jose business since the 1950’s. They are conviently located off of the 280. Hitchcock’s Garden Tools and Supply 676 Auzerais Ave., San Jose, CA 95126.

Seeds
Every plant has its season. The plants that should be planted in San Jose soon are peas, celery, beets, radishes, onions, spinach, and Broccoli. Sorry I was unable to find any suggestions of flower seeds. Though there are different types of cabbages that I have seen gardeners mix in with tall grasses to decorate homes.

Vases
There are some really cute vases and rooting vases out there for gardeners to use. Cuttings of Ivy, pothos, begonias and coleus root quickly in clear rooting vases.

Drink Powders
Take a couple of those instant drink mix packets and put a note with it saying, “This is to enjoy your blooming flowers with.” Now your gardener will have a drink to sit outside with while they enjoy the fruits of their labor.

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I really hope that my ideas are helping you with your stocking and gift needs. Christmas Stockings were a big tradition when I was a kid and it’s something that I like to keep alive.

Plus I love telling you about things that I come across in San Jose, California.

Today’s stocking stuffers are for movie fanatics. To find stocking stuffers for movie fans you just have to think like a movie fan.

What would you want at a movie, during a movie or about a movie?

Goodies
Every movie fan has something they like to munch on while watching a film. Many stores sell microwave popcorn by the bag. Or simply purchase a whole box and put the bags into their stocking singularly.

Snuggles
I know I always need something to snuggle up with during the last part of the movie. Lap blankets and wraps really help, especially with the weather we have been getting in San Jose.

Vintage
I use to have a friend (Gary) that collected statues from all his favorite movies. Each year, he had no problem telling us what he was collecting because it was all over his apartment. I swear that the Alien statues look as creepy as the actual movie.

The best place that I have found to find movie posters, toys, and memorabilia is at Time Tunnel Vintage Toys. They have an amazing selection of toys and posters from all movie genres. Most movie posters are in Japanese but still amazing.

Time Tunnel Vintage Toys is located at 532 S. Bascom, San Jose, CA 95128

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Do you have a cooking or kitchen fan in your family? How about some kitchen items for stocking stuffers. I know I would love some new and interesting tools to use in the kitchen.

The Grattugia pictured above will fit nicely in any stocking for $6. It’s a great tool for grating hard cheeses over dishes. This great tool can be found at A.G. Ferrari.
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Are you a chocolate and sweets fiend like I am? That’s why today’s stocking stuffer is about the two things that I love.

If you’re looking for chocolate, it’s really easy to get it all over the place. Instead of going to a franchise, I thought I would tell you about families in San Jose who love chocolate as much as we do.

Schurra’s
Schurra’s has been a chocolate lovers dream since 1912. This family owned business is a San Jose, California favorite. For the holidays, my favorite is the milk chocolate Christmas stocking that is filled with foiled wrapped chocolate and a candy cane for color.

What if milk chocolate is not what your taste buds are craving? Schurra’s also does dried fruit, truffles, and peppermint bark.

Schurra’s is located on the El Camino Real at:
840 The Alameda, San Jose California 95126

Holland Pastry Shop
Have you ever eating your initial in chocolate? It’s a Dutch favorite to give people chocolates during the day that they celebrate Sinterklaas. The stores owner has told me that it’s best to order ahead of time because Sinterklaas is the first week of December.

If your unable to get the initials that you need in chocolate, don’t worry. There are other great treats to choose from. Holland Pastry Shop has the largest selection of licorice that I have ever seen.

Last but not least, the shop has these cute Saint Nicholas cookies that are served each year on Sinterklaas. I was able to try one and they are actually very good. Just make sure that you stay away from the ones that are made for babies. They are absolutely like teething cookies.

Holland Pastry And Gift is located at 524 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128

Well the stocking stuffers for today. Check back tomorrow as we go about San Jose, California and find some great cookies. Plus, I’ll be giving you some of my own cookie recipes.

Would your child rather be wrapped up in bread dough than be wrapped up in a blanket? Celebrity Chefs are making cooking cool with the kids.

I have to say that it’s a great idea. There is a lot of things that a child can learn in the kitchen like science, culture, geography and more.

I have found some neat stocking stuffers for the “Top Chef” in your home. Cooking classes for kids is a great way to teach children about food. With a couple of classes maybe your little one will love helping you at mealtime.

Cooking Utensils
Here are a couple of stocking stuffers that your child can use in the kitchen.
Wooden Spoons
Cake Decorating Tips and Bags
Plastic Cookie Cutters in Holiday Shapes
Plastic Timer

What’s Cooking?
What exactly is cooking? It looks like Lasagna Roll-Ups, Ratatoulle, Steamed Dumplings, Quick Tamales, and more. O.K. the menu is making me hungry and it’s only 10 in the morning. What’s Cooking will travel to your home, school, or community center to teach children and family how to cook together.

The other great thing is that What’s Cooking is very involved in the community. That’s what I love to see around The Bay Area and San Jose, California.

Young Chef’s Academy
At the academy, children learn the importance of cooking while still having fun in a colorful and attention grabbing room. Kids also learn kitchen safety, proper food handling, food preparation, cooking techniques, baking techniques, presentation, table setting, and manners.

Wow! The Young Chef’s Academy is really is a Culinary school for kids. If your kids love their Christmas stocking stuffer, YCA offers weekly classes that help kids explore different cultures and recipes.

For other great blogs about kids check out:
Kids Dish
Elementarychef

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I love the Silicon Valley Bloggers ideas on finding the perfect gift for the lady in your life. Since I am a girl, I thought I would chime in. What does a girl want? Appreciation and the feeling of being a queen is what we want. Go ahead blame it on our Dad’s for the “Princess” complex.

Put away the credit cards, you can make the lady in your life feel like a million bucks without spending a million bucks. All it takes is a little investigative work for the right gift.

Beautiful Nails
Does she get her nails done or do them herself? This may require sitting at a nail appointment with her or talking with her girlfriends about what nail polish she uses.

One gift could be an outing to her favorite nail salon and then lunch out with friends. If you both have been in a long relationship, you’ll know exactly where these two places are. The second gift could be a gift basket of nail supplies that she’s always in need for.

Beautiful Shoulders
Did you know that women carry most of their stress in their shoulders and upper back? Another gift that would make your lady feel like a Queen is back massage. You could give her a coupon book full of back massages with you.

You could give her a day at the spa. I’ve seen great gift baskets that included a person’s favorite wine, a wine glass, and a gift certificate for the spa.

Beautiful Hair
This gift is going to take some investigative work. You’ll need to find out what products your favorite lady uses on her hair. Wrap all these things up with a gift certificate to her favorite hair stylist and you’ll have the gift in the basket literally.

Of course all of these gift ideas are practical and focus on personal upkeep but the corner stone of the topic is to keep her constantly in mind. Just make sure that the gift is something that makes her feel wanted and loved.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

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Mary in Albuquerque New Mexico posted a great comment on Day 27 of Christmas Stockings. She let me know that she likes to make Christmas bouquets out of the trimmings from Christmas tree lot donations.

So I thought Christmas Wreaths would be a great thing to make for the windows, doors, or undecorated wall of your home. I’m sure that there are several locations around San Jose that you can find tree trimmings and inexpensive decorations. Plus if you really want to be eco-friendly, use the Christmas card designs, bows and wrapping paper left over from last year.

If you’re looking for tree trimmings, try the tree lot on El Camino Real and Hollenbeck. You can also find trees at 12960 Berryessa Rd. in San Jose and 2048 S. White Rd. in San Jose.

The supplies that you’ll need are:
A bottle or can that is the circumference that you want your wreath to be
Twine
Tree trimmings
Small nature decorations like pinecones or berries
Your Imagination

Take the trimmings and lay them around the bottle or can for measurement.
Tie them so that they are secured in a circle but don’t look banded or tied down.
Continue the circle design until the wreath is thick or wide enough to your liking.
Decorate wreath with pinecones or fake berries. Secure the decorations with twine or pine cleaners.

There you have it, a winter decoration that will look and smell good well into January.
For other garden and holiday decorations don’t forget to check out Kari making hand made cards.

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I love Christmas stockings. I always dreamed of owning a fireplace mantel to hang them on. It’s like a “goodie” bag that you get at birthday parties. You open up the bag and it’s filled with sweets and neat little things.

Today’s stocking stuffer is for that friend or family member who loves Al Capone slims and humidors. Some great stocking stuffer ideas for cigar lovers in your life would be a new pair of cigar scissors, a new lighter, humidor solution, or a travel case.

San Jose and Wave magazine voted West Coast Cigars the best place to get all of these things. They were also voted South Bay’s Largest Walk-In Humidor.

I don’t smoke cigars but I love the designs that West Coast Cigars has on their humidor boxes. If your like me and don’t know anything about cigars. Find out what your cigar lover likes and head over to West Coast Cigars. As for pricing expect to spend $20 or more for any of these stocking stuffers.

Bill, Mark, Matt, and Robin will be happy to help you find something that you’ll love to give Christmas morning. Don’t be put off by Bill and Marks appearance they’re really knowledgeable about cigars and willing to inform you about the aspects of fine cigars.

West Coast Cigar is located at 1650 Almaden Rd. in San Jose. Don’t forget to check their website on upcoming Cigar tastings and card tournaments. You can find their doors open from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. on Sunday till Thursday. They are open from 10 a.m. till midnight on Friday and Saturday.

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Hi Everyone! If you saw me out and about San Jose, you would think that I was a mad woman. I fell about a day behind in decorating the home for Christmas. That put me a couple days behind of telling you about neat stocking stuffers that I have found.

Can you put a tree and flowers into a stocking? I think I’ve found a way. Planting a tree and Grow A Note cards are a great gift for everyone especially those who love being green. Shouldn’t we all be a little green?

Here’s what you do. Make a $5 donation to The IVillage Forest, which really goes to The Conservation Fund. Then take a Grow A Note and write down that you planted a tree in their name.

The cool thing about donating to The IVillage Forest and using a Grow A Note is that both help the environment. The note card has seeds that the gift receiver can plant in the spring. If your friend or family member is big on gardens then you could add some extra seeds or gardening tools to the stocking stuffer to make it extra special.

Any note cards that you don’t use before spring can be planted in your own earthy garden.

Well I could tell you about a lot of other neat stocking stuffers but I’ll wait. It wouldn’t be 30 days of stocking stuffers if I didn’t. Plus I need to see if I can sneak a peak in my own stocking. It looks like Hubby is already filling it and it’s not even December yet.

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Once again the Christmas Parade and Christmas in the Park will be upon San Jose. Just writing about it brings back memories of hundreds of decorated trees, performers, and floats. I can’t forget the hot chocolate and apple cider that is sold each year either.

The Christmas Parade will wind it’s way down Santa Clara and end up at Plaza de Cesar Chavez like it has for 26 years. There is a lot of fun and celebration planned this year as The City of San Jose invites you to “Imagine, Discover, and Explore” on December 3rd, 2007.

What other character has delighted kids for years and has had them image of a Magical Kingdome? Micky Mouse is the 2007 Grand Marshal. I can’t wait to get pictures of everyone’s expression when they see him.

Honorary Grand Marshall is Reed Diamond from the NBC hit “Journeyman” I hope that he doesn’t glimpse out of the car while in the parade. I know, I know, Reed Diamond only does that on television.

The San Jose Christmas Parade also has something for the whole family. I’m sure that the San Jose Police Department Equestrian unit will be dressing their horses up like reindeer and passing out candy. Plus I hear that we will be seeing Dora and Diego bounce around Santa Clara St. for all the kids.

This year Monet will be debuting a song that she wrote just for The San Jose Christmas Parade. Cirque du Soleil will be strutting their stuff to celebrate their new show KOOZA.

Here’s a glimpse at The 2006 Christmas Parade and it looks like 2007 is going to be just as fun and exciting. For more information and city map visit here.

Remember to mark your calendar and if you can’t make San Jose, try San Francisco!

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