Hanford Homecoming Parade & Festivities in the Park

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Candie

For over 85 years Kings County has been celebrating the “Pioneer Spirit” of the ones that came to the make a home and settle in the Valley. Homecoming is a week-long of different celebrations throughout the Kings County towns and then ending in Hanford on Saturday with the Homecoming Parade & Festivities in the downtown Civic Park. Each year they also honor select long-time residents from each of the communities in Kings County as their “Royalty.” The Kings County Homecoming Royalty acts as Grand Marshal, Homecoming Queen and Area Kings/Queens for the Annual Homecoming Parade.

This is where the parade ends and the activities begin for our community.

I love seeing our community coming together and enjoying a great tradition.

Watching family and friends together in our sweet town is always rewarding. I walked over to the carousal to reminisce of when my kids were younger and how much they always loved going on it.

I was amazed at how long the line was to go on it, but then I thought “That’s Awesome”.

I walked over to check out some of the vendors that were out there and saw & chatted with my friend Darrol Perry owner of Kicks for Chicks located at 10721 14th Ave. Ste D, Armona, CA 93202. (I did a blog on his store you can find it in the January blog archives) He also carries a cute collection of purses. You can also find Kicks for Chicks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/darrol.perry/info?ref=ts#!/KicksForChicks

As I was walking around taking everything in I thought “Boy, you couldn’t ask for better weather today for the Homecoming Festivities”. The music was playing at the steps of the Hanford Civic Auditorium….

The wind was blowing lightly through the trees as water was flowing out of the fountain and people were all around truly and completely enjoying themselves. It was a picture perfect moment.

As I was leaving I started thinking “Darn! I didn’t get a picture of myself here”. So I asked a sweet young lady who was dressed in her high school band outfit if she could take a picture of me. She smiled and said “Of course”.

Yep that’s right I got my picture photo-op! The festivities are still going on until 3pm today.

Divinity Boutique

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Lavon

Christie and Candie look quite innocent sitting on a bench outside of Divinity Boutique. But let’s rewind to 30 minutes before when they entered the store where they were not so poised and calm.

You see Divinity is full of wonderful merchandise, and apparently there was so much to take in at one time the girls got a little bit overwhelmed. In no time Christie was trying on the highest shoes she could find. I seriously don’t know how she walks in them.

Meanwhile, Candie discovered an adorable tshirt perfect for her that said “Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes.” You see, Candie always says, “I can eat what I want CUZ I WORK OUT.” We hear this all the time. It’s so unfair!

I figured to get even I’d just get this tshirt for my kid.
So take my eyes off Christie for a second and where did she go? Looking for BLING!
And modeling cute hats.

I’m telling you, the two are just a forced to be reckoned with when it comes to shopping.

Divinity has clothing for women and children as well as men’s tshirts. Much of the bling you’ll find is actually crafted by the store owner, Kristen Morton-Smith. She makes personalized trucker hats and blings cowboy boots.

Little girl “So Glam” birthday parties are one of their specialties where the birthday girl gets her own custom tshirt, wears a tiara and picks a gift from the treasure chest. They can put on their own fashion show and photos and slide shows are available for purchase after the party. They have several birthday packages from which to choose, including the Rock Star Package where they get their nails painted, hairstyles and makeup.

Candie and Christie wasted no time in hopping up onto the runway and modeling their shoes with the young girls in the store.

The children’s clothing is seriously adorable.

And the bling jeans were too!

Even the shoes!

Parties at Divinity aren’t just for kids though. They also host Rockstar Parties for adult women with toe/fingernail painting and margaritas. We might have to try that!

Divinity is very involved in community events where you may see them with their Streamline trailer full of items from their store. Stop by and tell them the Valley Girls sent you!

Divinity Boutique
115 W. 7th Street, Hanford, CA
(559) 587-9955

So, What Do You Think?

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Lavon

The three Valley Girls have been blogging now for more than five months and already we’ve highlighted almost 40 businesses. We have shared lots of fun stories and trivia. We have shared our personal lives and some silly adventures. It’s clear we have a great time together and we have met lots of wonderful new friends. For awhile we struggled a little with our website but finally we settled in and everything is running smoothly.

At this point we wanted to ask our readers, “So, what do you think?” We would love to know. If you would quickly fill out the questionnaire below, that will give us some idea. And if you have the time, please leave us a comment or send us a private email with any suggestions you have for how we can improve or what you would like to see. A particular business covered? Do you know someone with a great story? Do you want to see more recipes, have a particular subject researched, or have a different idea in mind?

That last question was just for fun. Ssshhh! Don’t tell Candie and Christie that Donny was on there twice!

If you want to send us a private message, please do:

My Daughter’s Prom Planning

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Candie

This past Saturday my daughter went to her high school prom with her boyfriend. Not only was it her first school dance to prepare for but it was also mine. I never went to a school dance. I did get invited once to go to a close friends school prom but growing up in a strict Christian home made the opportunity a big fat “NO.” Bummer, right? Oh well, life goes on.

When my daughter told me she was going to the prom this year, I wasn’t sure who was more excited, myself or her. I mean come on. Shopping for the perfect dress, shoes, and accessories, getting her hair styled, makeup and nails done? I didn’t have a daughter for nothing. Any chance I can get to see her all dolled up I will take.

Her Dad and Grandma took her one day to get her dress, and at first I was a little bummed that I wasn’t able to go, but then I thought this is a great time for her to share a fun memory with her dad.

She was texting me pictures of different dresses she had tried on and then she sent me the one that her dad loved on her. I had to agree with him that it was perfect. Her boyfriend was then able to match up his suit to hers and the outfits were in place.
A few weeks later Christie and her daughter came along with my daughter and I to find the perfect shoes. Christie knows her heels and we knew she would help us find the right ones. We headed over to Visalia Mall to start our shopping adventure. We started off at Macy’s and can I just say, “Whew! I’m glad Kylee didn’t see anything there that caught her eye because man oh man it was expensive.” Or maybe I was being a tight wad (my daughter is always reminding me of this, but little does she realize I take it as a compliment.) Ha!

We next headed over to Paris Boutique. They had a great selection of heels. Kylee found a couple of pairs that she liked and tried them on. So of course Christie and I decided it was a photo-op time.
Kylee had the sales clerk set aside the pair of heels she liked and we went through the mall and checked out other stores but came back to Paris Boutique and bought the shoes we found here. Not only was my daughter happy but so was I being that they were on sale and I walked out paying only $38.00 plus tax.
Kylee and I finished shopping for the rest of the things she needed a few days before the prom. The two of them ordered their flowers all on their own.
As you know, Christie does nails and so of course Kylee had Christie do her nails and toes. They turned out perfectly. Christie does such a good job.
One of my good friends came over the day of prom to do Kylee’s hair. Her husband, who happens to be an amazing hairdresser here in Hanford, stopped by to see how things were coming along. Kylee felt pretty special at that moment that she had two people that she loves primping up her hair to look perfect for her prom.
We headed out to Hidden Valley Park to meet with Kylee’s boyfriend and his family to take pictures. I have the most beautiful daughter in the world.
We had them take pictures and then sent them off with their friends to head to their Prom together.

My little girl is all grown up and I’m very proud of her.

Why I Bought Insurance

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Lavon

I’ve had my toy poodle Lilah Pooh my whole life. Well, at least that’s what it seems like. She’s really almost 10 years old but I swear she’s been my little shadow forever. So 2 years ago when she seemed to have a pinched nerve in her neck I worried. When it didn’t go away and she became a tortured terrible heartbreaking mess, I learned that it was really a ruptured disc, the vet put her on Prednisone and said there was nothing more we could do.

Nothing more we can do? Really? You mean, “There’s nothing more we can do UNLESS you want to spend a lot of money!” So guess what I did? I found a Veterinary Neurosurgeon who said she would surgically repair the disc. Of course the over the phone estimate was roughly $3,500 which we about choked on but I was still willing to do it. My husband, well let’s just say he knows me well and while he doesn’t really agree with some of my thinking, he does not like to see me cry.

Upon arrival we were sent across the bay to get an MRI done and so it wasn’t until the following day when we returned that I got my real estimate of $4,800 plus the $1,200 I had just spent on the MRI. I know, you’re thinking, “Wow!” and so was I. But at what point do you just say, “Well, that’s over my limit so put the dog down,”? I found out Care Credit covers vet bills so I charged it.

Lilah Pooh recovered from her surgery and is a barking playful little shadow once again. I hope to have many more years with her, but here’s why I bought insurance.

Within the next year we also incurred a vet bill for my Thai’s broken leg. Don’t know how it happened. He just showed up with it broken. That was almost another $1,000 and we had not done surgery on his leg. Unfortunately he got a secondary infection and they had to do a surgery to put in drains or he would die.

And it didn’t end there.

Our beautiful golden retriever Hannah, who was almost 14 yrs old was ready to go to doggie Heaven and we did the scene like in “Marley and Me” where we took turns sleeping next to her all night. The next day we had to put her down to save her from suffering and misery. I can’t describe how sad it is to know you’re doing the “right thing” when you really don’t want to.

So that is when I decided that I needed to check into pet insurance. Now I pay $98 a month for all 6 of my animals with ASPCA Pet Insurance. After each meet a $100 deductible they are covered on an 80/20 plan for all accidents and illnesses. We still get vaccinations at the clinics at a reduced price but we have insurance so if anything else major happens, which it will eventually, we don’t have to decide to charge it or pull the plug. Think about it, for $10.16 a month per pet I have peace of mind. And I know there are people who still think I’m crazy for paying this, and people I probably lost back when they heard I have 3 dogs and 3 cats, but this is who I am and I love my pets, especially now that they are insured.

To get a free quote or for more information about pet insurance, visit this site: http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Christie

A mother is a blend of strength and survivorship, experience and insight, fancy and reflection.

A mother is like an island in life’s ocean vast and wide, a peaceful quiet shelter from the restless tide.

I had a fabulous Mother’s Day, I pray yours was just as wonderful

Wednesday May 9th, my husband told me he and the kids were taking me to Fresno to see the Avengers…hold up, how’s that a chick flick? As the man talked he could see the question forming, yes I’m just that transparent, and he strategically added, “…and don’t forget this movie is full of Hot Guys!” Sold, lets go…what are you wanting for? Well our mid day outting started in Walden Books, because if there’s anything I love more than a screen full of Super Sized Super Heroes it’s Starbucks coffee and Books…

As soon as I had my coffee, found a classic (I plan to have Micah read the “Outsiders” this summer) and strolled the isles day dreaming of the day I can read for fun rather than for a grade…it was MOVIE TIME, so we headed to The Edwards Movie Theater, in River Park Plaza! Upon our arrival of course I had to stop for Pictures with Johnny and Robert, who were patiently waiting for me and hadn’t they waited Long Enough?

After nearly 17 years of marriage, Eric knows me so well, he just let the photo taking happen and called over his shoulder, “What do you want to drink?” Haha, I love that man of mine! Once in side and seated I had to snap this shot, because this was just too good…Movie (full of hot guys) and Starbucks…Happy Wife, Happy Life!

Excellent Movie by the way! Loved it! I have decided I am destined to be the Female Version of the Hulk, only when I change into the beast I’ll be Sparkly (still green because I’m Irish). Magically a Blingy Bikini will appear when my clothes rip to shreds and I will not be barefoot, but stomping around in Blingy Peep Toe Platform pumps showing off my perfectly pedicured tootsies! Rather than of being told, “Christie Behave”…I’ll be encouraged, “Christie SMASH”, which I will do out of pure pleasure! Movies can be such an inspiration to my imagination.

By the way, if you don’t have a SuperMom cape hidden in your closet…you really need to get one, so that way when the kids doubt your Super Heroine-ism, you can whip that sucker out, fly toward them in a Super Frenzy and dramatically make you’re point that you are a force they Do NOT want to mess with! I actually do that about every 28 days!

After the movie, Eric showed me what he had bought at Walden books. He bought one for all 4 of us. This came as no surprise, I do have a “Dark Side”, he knows it, I know it…so we’re now embracing my inner Star Wars Personality and no longer hiding or denying it.

On our way home we went to one of my all time favorite restaurants and the place where Eric and I had our 1st date, Sal’s Mexican Restaurant in Selma. The food was Fabulous…of course

…and so was my day! Saturday the 12th, I attended a Mother’s Day Tea with my Grandma, she’s so cute and feisty, I Love This Woman!

Sunday, I woke up to a beautiful breakfast, handmade flowers and an original poem, prepared by my Beautiful daughter. My son said his gift is Love, little does he know, he brings me Joy every single day and he is the Love of My Life.

After a pot of coffee and scrumptious French Toast, I went to my parents to sip Mimosa’s by the pool with my Mom. That woman can’t sit still not even on Mother’s Day, so while she scurried around watered plants and sprayed off the patio, I sat, relaxed, read and took a few dips in the cool, refreshing pool.

Every Mom is Fabulous, Beautiful, Strong. You’re just what your family needs. Be their Superhero, be their safe place, but remember to also be good to yourself. You deserve You Time, Girls Night Out’s and the occasional Night Off!

Mothers are the only goddesses in whom the whole world believes

…make them believe in You!

http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/2008/04/mothers-day-quotes-proverbs-sentiments.html

Sleep Scentsations

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Lavon

Do you struggle to fall asleep no matter how tired you are? Do you have trouble relaxing after a stressful day? These are the questions asked in the advertisement for Sleep Scentsations aromatherapy pillow liners, a product I recently tried.

I didn’t try this product because I was concerned about sleep. I tried it because I saw an opportunity to get a free sample and I’m all about free stuff as you probably already know from my coupon blogs. In the back of my mind I did remember my husband making the remark, “Oh you snore sometimes!” but I have to tell you that I don’t think he’s telling the truth so I didn’t even think twice about this particular sample being called Snore Rx.

When the sample arrived with it’s “therapeutic blend of essential oils formulated to suppress snoring and provide a more restful nights sleep” I was focusing on the restful sleep part. I slid the little liner under my pillow and thought, “Wow! That smells great and it’s pretty strong.” I layed my head on the pillow and I Zonked out! I did not toss. I did not turn. I did not wake up for 8 solid hours. I think that for the next week or so every night I slept like a log. (I would say baby but that’s a dumb saying “slept like a baby”… babies wake up and I didn’t.)

Why did I sleep so much better?
Dr. Oz said, “The nose is a gateway to the mind, and researchers have discovered that scents can influence your mood in powerful ways. Aromatherapy uses the power of distinctive-smelling essential oils derived from fragrant plants. These wonderful smelling oils hijack stress and promote relaxation by affecting parts of the brain that control mood and emotion.”

While eucalyptus, geranium and lavender in this product worked wonderfully for me, I also discovered on the website that they offer other liners; one in particular that caught my attention was My Boyfriend’s Shirt. Huh? Cute name! They say “Stimulate your senses. This sexy mix of musk, jasmine and sandalwood will remind you of his favorite shirt. These scents are also known as aphrodisiacs and may just help you get into the mood.” Woah!

There is also Ginger and Amber Romance, Retreat, Restore and Day at the Beach (like falling asleep on your beach towel). I was surprised there was Fresh Cut Grass but then again, wouldn’t that be fun for a Sunday afternoon nap? For around $16 you can get a one month supply and take your dreams on an adventure.

And while I wouldn’t normally want to sound like a commercial and try to sell you on some product, this particular product is wonderful and I just had to share. After all, according to my husband, I slept “very quietly.” He better say that!

https://www.facebook.com/SleepScentsations

http://www.sleepscentsations.com/

Aya Couture, where you can Shop Smart With Style.

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Christie

Last month as us three Valley Girls were window shopping we came across a little shop at 120 W. Seventh St. in Downtown Hanford named Aya Couture. Once inside we were greeted by the shops owner, Maria Torres. We asked Maria where “Aya” came from and it’s actually Maria’s Japanese name. She grew up in Japan, married a sailor and now lives here in Hanford, California. Maria previously owned Sassy Chic in the Hanford Mall, and opened Aya Couture in September of 2011. Maria calls her styles “Fashion Affordable”.

Of course once inside, like a moth to a flame I was attracted to any and all Accessories!

Everywhere I turned there were, Shoes, Purses, Hats, Customized Phone Covers (hand made by Maria for around $49), Shirts, Dresses, Skirts and Studded Jeans. Aya Couture carries sized 0-15 and will soon be carrying up to size 4XL.

Maria has created a comfortable and elegant environment. By displaying her merchandise on classy tables and antique Armoires, she’s created a shop fit for a Queen. Maria got the ball rolling by asking the three of us if we wanted to try outfits on…Ha ha ha, it was like feeding time in the shark tank at Sea World. She outfitted us from our heads to our toes!

BAM!

POW!

BOOM!

Instantly, we were ready to board a private jet for an “All Girls Weekend” in Vegas where we’d be picked up by a stretched limo and whisked off to an elaborate party where we’d be the Guests of honor in Totally Rockin’ Styles brought to us by our personal stylist Maria Torres owner of Aya Couture. Of course, in Mine and Candies world, cameras are always flashing and there are always swarms of fans begging us for autographs…Lucky Them when we take time out of our busy lives for photo ops.

…meanwhile while back in Hanford, Maria felt it was time for us to model the casual side of Aya Couture, so she brought us matching shirts that where brand new to the store. By the way, she has new styles circulating on a bi-weekly basis, so there’s always something new, cutting edge and affordable at Aya Couture. Since our shirts were Blingy we decided to top off this casual look with a Blingy hat…we’ll call this our Blingy, “Mom of the MVP” Look!

Maria was having so much fun being our personal photographer that I honestly think we successfully convinced her that “It is all about us”, fortunately for our readers, we managed to talk her son into taking a picture of the beautiful Maria with us.

Nearly an hour later and after so much fun, we walked out of Aya Couture knowing right where we could go for great affordable fashions for any event, an elegant environment and warm, personalized service…Aya Couture in Downtown Hanford. Thank You Maria!!!

120 W. Seventh Street

(559) 587-0452

A Fun Filled Saturday morning

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Candie

Weekends…. They are the two days of the week that most of us look forward to; days that some people just want to have fun and find time to relax from a busy work week or take a little weekend getaway. Others use these days to finally catch up on the household chores and yard work. If you’re like Christie, then it’s a day filled with sports activities for your kids.
This past Saturday morning Lavon & I took advantage of the day off of work to join our new friends “The Downtowners” at the Civic Auditorium. Steve Rogers, author of “Hanford Then & Now” has started & organized this wonderful event. Lavon and I first meet Steve while having lunch at the L.T. Sue Tea Room a couple of months ago, and that’s when we discovered his book and loved it.I’ve seen his book for sale at Miller’s Jewelry & the L.T. Sue Tea Room, and there’s a good chance it’s for sale in more of the local Hanford downtown businesses too. You can also purchase it at Amazon online.

Anyway… anyone and everyone is welcome to this monthly event, and it’s an awesome way to meet new people in our community and a great way to support our downtown businesses. We walk from the Civic to whichever business that we plan on visiting and supporting. This was our second time meeting with “The Downtowners.” Last month we went to Castaways Consignments. You might remember Christie writing about it last month in her blog, but if not check it out – http://ethelmay.fatcow.com/2012/04/19/meet-me-at-castaways-consignments/.We had a great time and found some great buys too.

When Lavon and I got to the Civic to meet “The Downtowners” there were people setting up for the Cinco de Mayo celebration.Across the street at the library there was a huge book sale going on outside. Plus at the Carnegie Museum about a block away they were getting ready for their Tea in the Herb Garden Luncheon, and my daughter was one of the volunteers involved in helping out. I love days like this when the downtown area is booming with people enjoying our sweet town.

I was excited that my mom decided to join us at the Civic and walk with us to our destination, the L.T. Sue Tea Room. This was my mom’s first time going and she was looking forward to it. We all headed out for our walk to the L.T. Sue Tea Room, and the stroll there was great as we chatted with new faces and some that we had met last month.

When we got to the L.T. Sue Tea Room we put in our orders, found a seat and enjoyed the atmosphere and company of everyone. I did a blog recently on the tea room and you can read about it here http://ethelmay.fatcow.com/2012/04/18/l-t-sue-co-tea-room-emporium/

My Mom Janice, Lavon & myself.The guys enjoying their tea.

When we left to walk back to the museum there was this guy that some of the people in our group called the “Bee Man.” Lavon and I found out he has a pretty cool story to tell about what he does to help our downtown area. So as you can guess there will be a blog soon from Lavon about him.

Some of us decided to walk an extra block to see a new business that just recently opened. A blog will also be coming soon about them too.We found it very relaxing at the Cosmic Corral.

We then headed back over to the Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Civic and checked out everything going on with the vendors selling different things to enjoying the smells of all the different foods cooking.

We had such a great time that day and look forward to next month with The Downtowners. If you would like to join us on the next Downtowners outing just make sure to stay up to date on our Facebook page and we will make sure to let you know when it comes up.

If Only We Could Save Them All

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Lavon

I am an animal advocate therefore I had a real dilemma when my son came home and said, “There’s a lost cat at Rite Aid and it’s eye is hurt. We have to call the SPCA Mom.” First of all, the SPCA doesn’t just come pick up a stray cat, especially not at 7pm. I also know that taking the cat to the pound would just mean they’d put it down. So what was I going to do, bring the cat to my house where I already have 3 dogs and 3 cats? That was not a good idea because my big Siamese cat, Thai, would be really mad and territorial and mark his spot. (I pride myself on a clean house despite the animals so this is an unacceptable idea to me!)
I told Keaton that we just couldn’t do anything about the cat but as soon as the words came out of my mouth I knew that it was hypocritical. How can I say, “Save the animals,” and then not save this animal?

Luckily my sister sent me a text message and I told her my problem. I said I would be willing to take the cat to the vet, get it the medical help it needed and have it neutered but I didn’t want to keep the cat. She said, “Do it and then bring the cat to me.” Laura lives on a beautiful ranch at the coast and although her husband wouldn’t be thrilled about another animal, he’d look the other way at “one more cat.” Huge relief!

So Keaton and I went to Rite Aid at 9:30 pm and there was the cat, laying right under the flower plants in their garden section. He came right to us, very friendly, but I could see his right eye was pretty swollen. Still, we took him home and kept him comfortable for the night in Keaton’s room. He slept on the bed and was very sweet and purred.

The following day we took the cat, that by now we had named Jack Daniel (one-eyed Jack was my original suggestion), to Lacey Animal Hospital where he was examined. Our “kitten” that we had guessed was almost a year old turned out to be more like 9-10 years old. He weighed 6 pounds when he should have weighed 12 pounds. His gums were red and irritated and his teeth were loose. He had a definite eye infection and a respiratory issue. He was a mess!

The first step would be a feline leukemia test and it just went on and on from there and the bill went higher and higher. There was no guarantee that we could get him healthy. In fact, he most likely did have leukemia which is untreatable.

I watched my son as he took in this information and there was no sign on his face indicating what he was thinking. I asked for a minute alone with him and that’s when I explained that while we would love to save all of the animals, we can’t, and in this situation it was our responsibility to put this animal down.

It was a very emotional decision but my son agreed and in our sadness we knew that we had given this cat a much more respectable ending to its life. Later at Rite Aid my son went back and bought some flowers where Jack had layed.

If only we could save them all.

“The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals” ~ Anonymous

————————
I have to share this with you from Dr. Laura’s website. It really spoke to me about losing animals.

Hi Dr. Laura,

I have been a listener for a long, long time (since I was in college) and I am now a 40-year-old psychologist!
Recently, my partner and I discovered our standard poodle might have to be put to sleep because of a serious lung problem we just discovered she has. Needless to say, we have been very distraught and tearful, but what has helped me to get through this time is thinking of a call I heard on your show recently where a woman was crying and dealing with the death of someone important to her. I remember you telling her, “This is great!” because it showed how much she loved this person if she could be in this much pain. I have been thinking about that call for the past couple of days whenever I feel really down about the possibility of losing our dog. I think about how great it has been to have her in our lives the past four years, and remind myself I feel so much pain and sadness because of how much I love her. Thank you for your wisdom. You have helped me so much throughout my life and I am eternally grateful.

All my best to you,

Robert

Valley Girl Talk

Three small town girls with big ideas and our goal is to share stories, promote entrepreneurs and businesses, and preserve the history of our valley.