More Ice Cream: Baskin Robbins 31 cents! Wed. April 29

When I was a kid my family rarely went to Baskin Robbins. That's because there was (still is in fact) an old fashioned ice cream shop in town called Bischoff's that makes their own so really, there was no need to go anywhere else.

However, there was one in the Paramus Park Mall (New Jersey) and when we were there, I somehow would convince my mom to let me get a Baskin Robbins. I only had one flavor in mind. Pink Bubblegum. It had huge chunks of real gumballs in it.

Well Baskin Robbins is having 31 Cent Scoop Night, this Wednesday, April 29 from 5pm-10pm. The event honors America’s firefighters with a $100,000 donation to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program.

Here are the San Francisco locations:
570 Battery (btw Washington & Jackson)
2250 Irving (btw 23rd & 24th)
1539 Sloat (in that shopping center on your way out to the zoo)

Click here to find a location outside of the city.

Free Fire Dancing Show: Sat. 7:50pm Union Square

Bring a blanket and head down to Union Square Saturday evening at 7:50 to watch a free Fire Dancing Show. Its the Temple of Poi 2009 Fire Dancing Expo and its FREE.

I actually used to work with someone who did Fire Dancing and this show includes a real who's who in the Fire Dancing world!

Poi is a form of juggling using a ball suspended from a length of flexible material that is held in the hand and swung in circular patterns. Light that ball on fire and you have Fire Poi!

Check out the video below of a past performance.

FREE COOKIE!! Grand Opening of Anthony's Cookies!

This Saturday, April 25 from 1-3 head over to Anthony's Cookies to get a free cookie and help Anthony celebrate the Grand Opening of his new Mission District Gourmet Cookie Shop.

Anthony has spent the last 10 years working with numerous top notch professional bakers. He's worked hard, saved is cash and is venturing out on his own. Those who have tasted his cookies (I'll be one of them for sure) say it's pure heaven.

And guess what, it's a Local Independent Store! This city and economy needs people like Anthony to be opening businesses and who can say no to a warm, delicious, fresh baked cookie? Not me, that's for sure.

In the few short weeks they've been open, Anthony's Cookies are catching on quickly.
Check out what the Yelpers have to say here.

Anthony's Cookies
Saturday April 25 1pm -3pm
1417 Valencia Street (btw 25th & 26th)

Green Apple Books! Some Free and Some Practically Free!

I love bookstores. My husband and I regularly have our "date night" in a bookstore. Spending an hour or two wandering around grabbing a selection of books to keep us busy for the next few weeks... Its a perfect evening as far as I'm concerned.

Green Apple Books, one of our favorites, has been around for over 40 years. They buy, sell, and trade new and used books, cds and dvds. They have been voted Best Bookstore in the Bay Area many times over and have 4.5 yelp stars with over 670 reviews!

Green Apple Books has a "FREE" box for books they can not use. It's filled and emptied and refilled throughout the day, mostly by people whose books they could not buy for whatever reason. They also have children's books on "remainder" (as-new books at less than half the original price). The owner told me that on Sunday mornings, the store is always full of parents buying remaindered kids books on their way birthday parties. So much better than a plastic peice of crap.

So lets see..... free books, low cost children's books and a place where you can sell your used books. Oh wait, the best part: SUPPORTING A LOCAL INDEPENDENT STORE. The more and more I learn about the importance of shopping locally, the more I am convinced that it is the single most important thing each of us can do to help right the economic conditions we find ourselves in.

Green Apple Books & Music
506 Clement Street (btw 6th & 7th)
Sunday - Thursday 10 am-10:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10 am to 11:30 pm
Book Buying Hours: 10-6 everyday, Tues & Wed until 8

HUGE Kids Consignment Sale: Sat. April 25: 9-3pm

Twice a year, the San Francisco Parents of Multiples Club holds a HUGE kids consignment sale. I can honestly say that I have gotten at least 75% of my family's gear, clothing & toys there. I am not exaggerating.

The next sale is this Saturday, April 25 from 9am-3pm. Its a new location this time. The Event Center at St. Mary's Cathedral, which is located at 1111 Gough Street, between Geary Blvd. and O'Farrell Street. The entrance to the Consignment Sale will be from the Gough St. side of the building on the ground floor. Plenty of parking!

It is literally a sea of clothing, strollers (both single and double), car seats, walkers, safety gates, maternity clothes, high chairs, swings, costumes, toys, books, dvds, bikes/trikes, cribs, packnplays, etc, etc, etc. It is amazing to see. AND EVERYTHING IS PRICED TO SELL. Also, they are pretty strict on what they accept (batteries installed and working, no stains/rips what so ever, etc)

They open to the public at 9am. Then take a quick break from 12:50-1:00 and when they reopen at 1pm nearly everything is 50% off.

There is a $1 entrance fee. However, if you print and bring this flyer with you, that entrance fee is waived.

All proceeds from the sale support the SFPOM club.

Saturday, April 25
9am-3pm
Event Center @ St. Mary's Cathedral
1111 Gough St (btw Geary & O'Farrell)

Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream : TUES., APRIL 21

While I dream about salted caramel and honey lavender ice cream from Bi-Rite, I went to school in Burlington, Vermont and lived across the street from the original Ben & Jerry's shop, so I have a special place in my heart for them.

These days, Ben & Jerry's is well...overpriced if you ask me. But not tomorrow and man, the weather could not be better for ice cream.

Tuesday, April 21 is FREE ICE CREAM CONE DAY. Go to any of their shops between 12pm-8pm to get your free scoop!

Guess where I am taking the kids after school!

Click Here for Locations

More $5 Movies: Monday Nights - Roxie Cinema

I received a tip from a follower of this blog about another $5 movie night. Monday nights at the Roxie Cinema. All Monday movies are $5.

The Roxie is right on 16th between Valencia & Guerrero, so you can actually have a cheap date night with a $5 movie and the number of cheap eats in the area (taquerias, pakwan, arinell, sunflower, etc)

Click here to see whats playing.

Roxie Theater
3117 16th Street (btw. Val & Guerrero)

Open House/Happy Hour Every Friday at Speakeasy - KIDS OK!

Speakeasy is a local beer manufacturer (remember, support your LOCAL businesses!), that I hope you have had an opportunity to try. It's made right here in SF, but can be enjoyed across the country.

Every Friday, from 4-8, they open up their warehouse so you can drink directly from the source! This is a beer manufacturing facility - not a restaurant, micropub, bar. What does that mean for you? This is no frills, laid back, enjoy a damn good beer to wind down your week kind of place. What does it mean for me or any other parent? It means we can bring the kids since its not a bar. I miss happy hour so much, because it's hard to justify the cost of a sitter to get my early evening drink on! This solves that issue!

What else can I tell you:
Beer is $3 a pint (BARGAIN)
The local taqueria brings food for you to buy (this beer is strong, so eat up - and support another local merchant)
Mind Your Kids: Just cause they allow kids, does not mean everyone there wants to play with/watch/entertain your kids. Mind them as you know you should. They are still your responsibility.

SPEAKEASY ALES & LAGERS, Inc.
1195 Evans Avenue, Suite A
Every Friday 4pm-8pm

Dolores Park Movie Night Tonight! Free!

Grab a cozy blanket to watch this one. Tonight, and every 2nd Thursday of the month, there are FREE OUTDOOR MOVIES being shown in Dolores Park.
Tonight's movie (8:00pm) is Madagascar, starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock & David Schwimmer.

You can purchase popcorn there as well as tamales from Virginia, The Tamale Lady.

Check here, to see whats playing next month.

Dolores Park
8:00pm
Thurs. April 16

Free Jazz Every Friday: Bird & Becket in Glen Park

A neighborhood tradition since 2002, Bird & Beckett Books and Records in Glen Park presents FREE "Jazz In the Bookshop" every Friday from 5:30-8:00pm. The line up rotates and includes Don Prell's Seabop Ensemble, The Jimmy Ryan Quintet and the Henry Irvin Quartet.

Bird & Beckett is a great bookstore that does more than simply sell books and music, they provide lots of FREE cultural events in Glen Park as well (this jazz series, poetry readings, open mic, book clubs, Bloomsday celebrations, etc), so please SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE.

Did you know: That for every $100 spent in a locally, independently owned store, $68 returns to the community via taxes, payroll and other expenditures. Spend that same $100 in a big chain store (target, borders), and only $43 stays here. Spend it online, and none of it stays here. For more info on how important it is to spend your $$ locally, click here.

Bird & Beckett
653 Chenery (@ Carrie - off Diamond)
415-586-3733
http://www.birdbeckett.com