Oma Loves U!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Hob Nob Hill and Bread & Cie Bakery
Two Wonderful San Diego Restaurants.

If you have not tried these two San Diego gems, you are missing out.

Hob Nob Hill and Bread

A friend took me to two places I had never been in San Diego and I was very impressed. The first was Hob Nob Hill, a landmark restaurant located at 2271 1st Avenue, San Diego. We stopped there on a whim for breakfast. Hob Nob Hill is opened from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

When you enter the restaurant, you feel as if you have gone back in time; wood paneling, chandeliers, cloth napkins, and a nice quiet, relaxing atmosphere.

The menu was a breakfast menu only. The menu is not large, but they have the standard breakfast and some that you would not find on most restaurant menus. There was a BLTE (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and egg) sandwich, three kinds of Eggs Benedict, spiced apples (side dish), and the special of the morning was a tuna melt omelet. Just did not sound good, but I am sure it was fabulous as our meals were wonderful.

My friend got the crab Eggs Benedict with spiced apples and said it was delicious. (She also told me she has an uncle who drives from San Bernardino just to eat here once in a while). I had the cinnamon French Toast with a side of dry, crispy bacon. The French Toast melted in my mouth-so good and the bacon was perfect.

We were full, and very satisfied with Hob Nob Hill. I will definitely go back to try their lunch or dinner.

Bread & Cie Bakery & Cafe

Later on that same afternoon, my friend took me to Bread & Cie Bakery & Cafe. Wow! This place is located at 350 University Avenue, San Diego (Between 3rd and 4th Avenue).

The bakery and cafe are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is parking in the back lot if you cannot find street parking. Make sure to park in the Bread & Cie lot as the surrounding lots are pay parking.

Bread & Cie Bakery & Café by Stacey Kuhns

If we had been hungry, we would have stayed for lunch as their menu is extensive and everything looks amazing. They serve breakfast, sandwiches, soups, salads, grilled Paninis, specialty yogurts and even a picnic lunch to go.

The desserts looked amazing. I did not purchase any, but I am sure they are wonderful as my friend vouched for them and said her husband loves them.

I was more interested in the breads. They have quite a variety of breads, like Dudley's, but they taste amazing’ much, much better than Dudley's. The service here is quick and they have a system that makes sense.

You can buy loaves of bread and have them sliced any thickness you desire. I purchased a jalapeno cheddar loaf and had it sliced thick. So yummy. Doesn't need anything on it but also was delicious used for a ham and grilled cheese.

I also purchased a caramelized onion loaf. I bought the small loaf and wished I had bought the large. Fantastic. I also wish Bread & Cie was in North County. I definitely plan to go back and buy some loaves to freeze. Amazing!

And next time I go to Bread & Cie, I will go for lunch and check out the sandwiches. The difficult part will be deciding which of the breads to try.

Check them out. You will not be disappointed.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

No Real Treasure on This Island
Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas

I never get to see my boys and their family together other than during that fantastically busy Christmas Day every year. Therefore we decided to plan a “family vacation” in Las Vegas to celebrate all the kids’ birthday in one big bash.

First off, as an Oma, I googled “Kid Friendly” Hotels in Las Vegas. We would be traveling with two boys under three. Treasure Island (TI) ranked high on the search. That was one of the main reasons the Treasure Island Hotel was selected.

Unfortunately, TI is totally opposite. There is absolutely nothing to do for young children!!! My two and a half year old grandson and his baby brother were definitely not welcome here. One employee even told me that I could not wait outside of their CVS store and would have to go inside or back to my room with the boys!

Secondly, check-in was a nightmare. It took over an hour just to get our room keys. They found part of our reservation, but not the last night. Their computer crashed and had to be rebooted. The manager who rebooted just walked away and did not really help. Further, while they were able to place us on the same floor, we were in three different wings.

I do not exaggerate when I state that the long reservation line cleared out three times and we were waiting. We were the very last persons trying to check-in; and only then did someone come to help hasten the process.

However after the long ordeal, I was promised that everything was set-up as requested. Opa and I were paying for the room and resort fees (33.60 a night per room); our boys were responsible for all other room charges. Warning: Resort fees are required, and are in addition to the room rates. You really do not receive much value for that $33.60 other than “free internet.”

You guessed it. As I checked our ‘quick check-out’ on the room television, all sort of charges appeared. I spent another half hour downstairs at the check-out desk getting it straightened out. Jeff the manager was very nice and very helpful; however that desk is the last place I wanted to be. There were numerous of problems with the three bills including my oldest son’s room being charged for five resort fees instead of the required three. Additionally, it appears that all of our younger son’s charges were taken from our credit card!!!

While it took less than a half an hour for all these charges to be taken from and paid by my Visa; I just checked and the promised refunds are still not there (a day later). So I will have to wait a few more days before realizing whether or not this issue has been resolved!!! We were also dismayed by the rudeness of the bell staff who delivered our bags; therefore Opa and I dragged our luggage downstairs ourselves when we left.

Now for the hotel itself. Treasure Island is not a bad hotel. The rooms were pretty expensive, but we made the bad choice of going on Super Bowl weekend. The beds were very comfortable. However, it was a bit difficult to get a good night’s sleep due to the noise of the train track nearby. (However, the train was the most entertaining thing the hotel had for my grandson, who love watching it out the window.) The Views of the Las Vegas mountain horizon was spectacular. The functionality of the bathroom and the small refrigerator were also appreciated.

The gambling area is relatively smoke-free and there is ample parking. They have two rows of Black Jack Tables and other table games. The slots area was smaller than expected but nice. However, I did not notice anyone winning any jackpots – the machines proved pretty tight. Their casino drink service was average.

In summary, I would have to give Treasure Island a low three out of five stars. Their accommodations were clean yet average in décor. The proximity to the train was vociferously bothersome at night. Their customer service was lacking and TI’s downfall. Lastly, for a hotel that claims to be a resort – activities were non-existent.

Photos:

View from our window-Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas

There was nothing much for our toddler to do, but he did enjoy the elevator.

The "on property" Starbucks is always open. Reef is patiently awaiting his chocolate milk.

The beds were pretty comfortable and as you can see big enough for my three guys.

I did manage one $60.00 Jackpot

The Coffee Shop / Pho Restaurant had great service. Breakfast was okay but the Pho was delicious.

Note: I have written a several hotel reviews lately and none of them have been very favorable. I do not know if I am being too tough on the hotel industry; however, I do believe that customer service should be utmost.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

USB Type C Car Charger by BlitzWolf

Type-C Port Attached Cable + 5V/2.4A USB Quick Charger for Nokia N1 Tablet, Google Chromebook Pixel, Google LG Nexus 6P, Apple Macbook

This car charger comes with an un-removable 3.3 foot cable and accomplishes a rapid charge. It works well. I love that it comes with a thirty-day money free back and eighteen month warranty. It is compatible with all non-Quick ChargeTM 2.0 phones and tablets. It seems constructed petty sturdily. The aluminum alloy head design features anti-scratching and perfect heat dissipation. The fact that it is so compact is a huge plus for me.

Product Description

3A/5V USB C Charger Cable Extension

Big saving to get both cable and charger with one price, charge your type c devices at full speed of 3 amp.

2.4A/5V USB Port

With leading BlitzWolf Power3S technology, charges your iphone, samsung, HTC or other non-type c devices at 2.4 amp max speed.

Type-C Compatible Models

Google Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X
Lumia 950, Lumia 950XL
Oneplus 2, Meizu Pro 5, ZUK Z1
New Macbook 2015
Other type C devices.

Lifetime Quality Care

18-month warranty; Lifetime dedicating consultancy.

Package Includes

> USB Type C Car Charger
> User Manual
> Warranty Card

BlitzWolf

Chasing the latest technology, BlitzWolf is full passions on combining useful crafts into one product, to create simple design with powerful internal.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Hidden Gem in North County

Saigon Noodles Restaurant

By Stacey Kuhns

A friend and I recently returned to a small "hole-in-the-wall' type restaurant for the second time. We had wonderful food and service the first time, so wanted to go back.

Saigon Noodles is located in the Escondido Promenade (in the Target Center) at 1264 Auto Parkway, Suite C, in Escondido, California. They are open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

I apologize as I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but it is a normal strip mall place. Normal in looks, but the food is outstanding and there is a lot of it.

We started off with soup. I had the noodle soup with chicken broth and my friend had the chicken noodle soup. The noodles are thick rice noodles and so yummy. The broth was tasty and on a cold night it just hit the spot.

The soups are garnished with green onions and cilantro. My friend got a plate of sprouts, fresh jalapenos, and basil leaves that he used to garnish his soup. He loved the broth and noodles, but not the chicken that was in the soup. Warning: The small sized soups come in large bowls. I would think the large would feed a family of four easily.

Hidden Gem in North County - Saigon Noodles Restaurant by Stacey Kuhns

We both chose a soft noodle and vegetable dish for dinner. He chose chicken and I chose shrimp. The dishes are large and full of veggies and meat. My friend loved the chicken in the main dish and mine was full of shrimp and oh so good! The soups were so big (even though we got the small size), and filling that we took half our dinners home.

On our first trip to Saigon Noodle, we ordered the appetizers-spring rolls. They were fresh and delicious. Saigon Noodles seems busy for take-out as well as eat in, but we have never had to wait and the food comes quickly.

One thing I did not care for was that when you order a soda, it comes in a can with a glass of ice; so no free refills. However, the food and service makes up for that small thing easily.

Try them out. You will not be disappointed and the menu is large with plenty of items to choose from.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Memory Yoga #ThinkFun

A Fun, Physical Twist on Memory

Memory Yoga is a brand new game from Thinkfun. It is for players who are three years or older. The goal is simple – the winner is the player who collects the most pairs of matching Yoga Pose Tiles. The older players must perform the illustrated yoga pose for at least ten seconds in order to claim the tiles.

This is a really cute game that keeps kids occupied while nurturing both their mind and body. It is really easy yet fun to play. It comes with thirty-six yoga pose tiles which will make eighteen pairs.

This game was invented by Upside Down Games. Their story is one based in yoga destiny. It all began when two Argentinians – Matt, a yoga-loving lawyer specializing in non-pro t work, and Juan, a yoga instructor – met in a yoga class. They shared not only their passion for yoga, but also their desire to spread the joys and benefits of yoga to children, creating a new generation of ‘yogis.’ After much brainstorming and testing, their vision became a reality, with a full line of award-winning Upside Down Games.

Product Description

Stretch your mind and your body. Memory Yoga helps preschoolers improve balance, flexibility and coordination while boosting matching and memory skills. Learn and perform yoga poses as you search for Matching Pose Tiles.

The player with the most matches wins! With two levels of play, this fun yoga game will be a family favorite for years to come.

A yoga game with a fun, physical twist on memory
Helps preschoolers improve balance, flexibility and coordination
Boosts matching and memory skills
Offers two levels of play for children 3 and up
Includes: 36 yoga pose tiles (18 pairs)

Manufacturer recommended age: 36 months - 15 years