The Goodness of the Operacaffe Coupled with a Great Show at the Balboa Theater

by Stacey Kuhns 

 

All around goodness at Operacaffe (835 4th Avenue), an Italian restaurant, and a great show at the Balboa Theater (868 4th Avenue).

Operacaffe is located in the Gaslamp area of downtown San Diego almost directly across the street from the Balboa Theater. On Friday night, October 23, my friend and I headed to the Gaslamp area because we had tickets for a concert at the Balboa Theater. He chose Operacaffe from the list of five restaurants I had compiled for the area (that had good reviews).

Operacaffe has sidewalk seating as well as an intimate, welcoming dining area inside the establishment. We were greeted warmly outside by the hostess and we asked to be seated inside. 

Our waitress, Stephanie, was exceptional. Urbano was the nice man who was there quickly clearing our dirty dishes and refilling our drinks. The service was excellent which always makes the dining experience so much better.

The food was fresh, homemade, and tasted divine. I will say neither of us was impressed with the bread basket. The bread was cold and not overly soft. The second basket they brought was better, but nothing to get excited about. They serve olive oil and balsamic to dip the bread in, but again, nothing exciting. However, from then on, it was some of the best food we have ever had. We both would recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves Italian food. The menu is extensive and there is something for everyone from seafood dishes, to authentic Italian appetizers, vegetarian, homemade pastas, and meat dishes.

We each started with the soup (it does not come in a cup and is quite a large portion for a starter). I had the cream of tomato and my friend tried the minestrone. Both wonderful (although I could have done without the croutons in my soup as they quickly became soggy). 

We then tried the fried calamari. So good. Perfect breading and chewiness and the dipping sauce was a spicy marinara that was a perfect pairing for the calamari.

The portion sizes are large so be prepared to take home doggy bags or be too stuffed for dessert (the dessert menu looked amazing, but we really were too full to try anything. Next time...).

For entrees, my friend and I split a pepperoni pizza and a ravioli dish stuffed with cheese and spinach and surrounded by artichokes and lobster tail pieces in a light blush sauce. The pizza was so tasty. The pepperoni was large pieces and tasted completely different than the cheap stuff normally served in basic pizza places. It was a delicious mouthful and perfect for two to split. The ravioli tasted homemade. The lobster was sweet and plentiful, a very filling dish and oh so good.

So, we highly recommend this restaurant for the amazing food and fantastic service. Thank you Stephanie and Urbano for making this a special night.

After dinner, we walked (waddled from all the food) across the street to the Balboa Theater.

We were again greeted warmly by security staff. They do search purses and no cameras allowed (but cell phones are fine if you keep the flash turned off.) We were also shown to our seats (which were so close to the stage, we were excited.)

Our tickets were for seats on the far right of the theater so the view was slightly obstructed by the speakers on the stage, but the Balboa is a small theater (with a balcony section) that makes all the concerts there (I have seen a few), very intimate.

Home Free is an acapella group who were the winners last year of the TV show "The Sing Off." They are amazing in person and the show was truly enjoyable from beginning to end. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Besides their fabulous talent, they are also funny and quickly developed a rapport with all the fans present. 

They performed for almost two hours.

And, a nice surprise for all of us there, they decided to set up a table and meet everyone after the show. They signed my CD and were so gracious with everyone. The line moved quickly and it was all very well organized. Would recommend their live show to anyone and we will definitely see them if they return to San Diego in the future. All in all, a wonderfully fabulous evening. 

TIP:  When you purchase online tickets for the Balboa Theater, be sure to pay the extra $10 for the parking ticket that allows you to park in the NBC building. Convenient elevators to the upper floor and an easy quick walk to the theater.

Keyboard Wrist Pad + Mouse Pad by CushionCare #keyboardpad

LOVE YOUR HANDS AND WRIST! 

I work at my computers all the time; about twelve hours a day - six days a week. Therefore one of the best pieces of equipment I can have is a good keyboard wrist rest. Wrist pads can help prevent repetitive stress injuries and even carpal tunnel syndrome.

These memory foam wrist rests by CushionCare are designed in such a way that they keep the wrists from being able to bend backwards while users are typing or using the mouse. They help to take some of the pressure from the shoulders and provide a softer surface for the wrist to lie on. 

The rest's thickness is the same thickness as my keyboard and large enough so that it covers a large area to provide my wrists the cushioning they need. The wrist pad and it's accompanying free mouse pad, made from high quality form, match each other and are very soft and comfortable.

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Product Description

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Ever experienced painful and tingling sensation on your fingers when using your laptop or your PC? Has your arm and hands become numb due to hours of typing and encoding? Avoid wrist complications like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome now!

The CushionCare Keyboard Wrist Pad is finally here to offer the ergonomic support you need.

• MADE OF DURABLE, HIGH - QUALITY FOAM - This keyboard wrist pad is made from High Quality Foam, Lightweight, Comfortable and Ergonomic! It is Durable and is Ideal for Longer Hours of Use
• SO EASY TO USE - This Keyboard Wrist Pad Conforms to Hand Weight, yet does not lose its Shape. Its non-skid backing holds pad firmly in place.
• PREVENTS INJURIES - This Product will Help you Maintain Proper Wrist Alignment, and Will Help you Avoid Joint and Wrist problems (rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome)
• COMFORTABLE TO USE - The CushionCare Keyboard Wrist Pad conforms to wrists for exceptional comfort.
• RISK FREE - With a 3 YEARS WARRANTY, we are committed to our 100% customer satisfaction so if you find that you are not "5-Star Happy" with us or our products then please contact us and we will do whatever it takes to make sure you are 100% happy

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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."

Tactic Games' Beanie Boos Friends Game #tacticgames

Ty Beanie Boo’s Friends Game 

 

The plushies are lost on the game board and ty fan favorite Beanie Boo Peanut the Elephant, needs your help to find them. Different colors and shapes make your task challenging and exciting. Learning about colors, shapes and numbers is fun with cuddly Ty toys!

This is a cute and easy game for children three years of age. It is really good for learning about colors, shapes, and numbers. It also improves memorization skill. Oma loves games that sneakily double as a learning opportunity! Each game doesn't take a lot of time so even the youngest kids will have the patience to play an entire game or even multiple rounds. This would be great for that special toddler on your Christmas List.

The Beanie Boos™ Friends Game has just been honored with the 2015 Dr. Toy Best Picks of Children’s Products and Best Vacation Products Awards, as well as the National Parenting Publications of America (NAPPA) Silver Award.

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Product Description

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The plushies are lost on the game board and Peanut needs your help to find them. Different colors and shapes make your task exciting. Players roll the Beanie Boo's die to move along the game board. Be the first player to collect all your character's shapes to win the game.

Mastering your memorization skills while learning about colors, shapes and numbers is fun with cuddly Ty toys! For 3-6 Players ages 3+ years old. Game duration: 15+ Minutes.

• Master your memorization skills while learning about colors, shapes and numbers
• Features Beanie Boos characters
• Scandinavian design

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Tactic Group® is an international and fast growing developer and marketer of board games in Europe, now launching in the U.S. and Canada. For the past 48 years, the Finnish board game company has provided consumers with innovative, high-quality products that have been warmly received by the public, including award-winning Mölkky® and iKNOW®. 

Tactic Games offers a line of preschool and children's games featuring the Ty Inc.'s Beanie Boos branded character property.

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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."

Fantastic Family Things to do in Downtown San Diego (California).

by Stacey Kuhns

 

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, my friend and I decided to head down to the San Diego Harbor area and check out the new Waterfront Park, the Maritime Museum, and Anthony's restaurant.

We had planned to park in the parking lot across from the Star of India, but quickly realized that was the area the County turned into the Waterfront Park, so we wound up in a pay lot ($10) attached to the Waterfront Park.

This is a truly amazing area for parents with young children. It is directly across the street from the Star of India ship. I am sure the Waterfront Park gets extremely crowded on hot days.

It is open from 10:30-7, but there are no fences around it. There is security so the area seemed very clean and safe. The Waterfront Park  extends out on both sides of the County Administration Building.

There are shallow long fountains for kids and adults to play in. Behind the fountains is a playground with a multitude of play equipment. In front of the fountains is a very large grassy area. (To get an overview picture of the Waterfront Park, go to Google or your browser and type in San Diego Waterfront Park.) 

We had a buy one, get one free coupon for the Maritime Museum  from the Entertainment coupon book. I would not recommend the Maritime Museum for anyone with physical disabilities that would prevent them from climbing backwards down stairs, crawling through holes on submarines, and climbing around the ships. I was under the impression the Maritime Museum was just that, a museum housed in a building. Boy, was I wrong! It is a cluster of ships, including two submarines that you can explore.

The ships are impressive inside and out. Many people are familiar with the Star of India, but have not seen or heard of the other ships that make up the museum. The ships offer amazing views from the decks of the San Diego downtown skyline, the Waterfront Park, the Coast Guard building, one of the US Navy buildings, and a fantastic view of the jets coming into Lindbergh Field and landing. 

The Star of India

Below:  the indoor upper deck of the Berkeley. Gorgeous wood seats and stained glass windows. 

Kid Friendly 

The small children we saw with their families really seemed to be enjoying climbing all over the ships, ringing bells, checking out the cannons, pretending to steer the wheels, and looking at all the model ships in the exhibits on board.

They also loved climbing onto a box and looking through the periscope on the Soviet Submarine. All the exhibits were well labeled and many were easy for children to understand. 

Below: Torpedo loading area on the B-39 Soviet submarine. 

Writer/Photographer, Stacey Kuhns in the B-39 Soviet Submarine

Below: Very narrow hallways and the circular "doors" in the Soviet sub that you need to crawl through to get to the next section. There are about four or five of these to crawl through and one of them has a lot of hardware around it which resulted in a good knock on the head for me.

After exiting the Soviet submarine, we saw this beautiful jellyfish in the water below.

Hammocks where some of the crew slept.

Below: Depiction of passengers on the Star of India.

We broke for lunch, in between seeing ships (you have a hand stamp to get on the ships), and ate at Anthony's. There were many families eating there with small children. It is not as pricey as some may think and really, is the only restaurant right next to the Maritime Museum (there was an outdoor food service area there also). From the time we walked into Anthony's until the time we left, the service and friendliness of the staff was exceptional. The manager came over twice to make sure everything was great, the bus boy was at our table with refills right before we finished our drinks, and the food was excellent.

I tried the Manhattan Clam Chowder (the only thing I would not get again as there were way too may potatoes in it,) but everything else was wonderful. We tried the calamari appetizer (ask for it with the tartar sauce which is delicious). They bring hot rolls to your table as soon as you sit down, with an amazing garlic sundried tomato butter. Yum!

My friend loved his fish and chips with shrimp (and the shrimp were good sized), and I had a shrimp and crab Louie salad which was piled with shrimp and crab.

All and all, it was a wonderful afternoon on the water in beautiful San Diego. On the way out of downtown, we rode by the Wyatt Earp Gambling Hall and Hotel (which is supposed to be haunted). I have never seen it before and was stunned by the beauty of the building.

Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle #futurepacetech

Futurepace Tech is a Lifestyle Products company committed to innovation, sustainability, making shopping simple and delighting their style savvy customers. They strive to provide premium products to support their clients’ healthy outdoor lifestyles.

Everyone wants to live a healthy lifestyle right. Well, one step to better health is to keep yourself well-hydrated. It is critical for your heart health. Hydration isn’t just important during physical activity. Just sitting in the sun on a hot or humid day, even if you aren’t exercising, can also cause your body to need more fluids.

The Futurepace Tech ‘Hydrate on the Go’ insulated bottle will keep your liquid either super-hot or super-cold. It will help you save both money and the environment by keeping plastic out of our landfills. Oma loves that the Stainless Steel Water Bottle is really durable and rust proof. The top screws in securely and comes with a handy clip. I also appreciate the company’s 100% money back guarantee.

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Product Description

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Are you mad at sports water bottles that...

• - sweat, leak, rust, taste metallic
• - don't keep drinks cold or warm enough
• - need filling often
• - are too big for cup holders/bike racks
• - pollute us and the planet?

What to do? Easy! Choose our perfect 'Hydrate on the Go' Solution ...

For Convenience...

Your insulated water bottle will keep drinks super cool or warm. Easy to carry Loop Lid. Easy fit for cup holders, bike racks, back packs. 20oz/600 ml means longer between fills.

For Health...

Hydrate with safe, refreshingly cool drinks at the office, gym, yoga or outdoors hiking, biking, kayaking. Or enjoy warming herbal tea. No aluminium or plastic. For Savings...

Save mega$$$ every year - switch to Stainless Steel over disposable plastic.

For Sustainability....

Your reusable water bottle uses top quality 18/8 Stainless Steel for inner and outer walls guaranteeing tough, durable, rust proof, sustainable and no metallic taste and stops plastic in oceans/landfill. For Cool, Style... Gloss coated charcoal - designer white print. We know you will love it yourself and want to gift it to family/friends so we have packaged it in a stylish white box for any occasion.

We take pride in our Stainless Steel Water Bottle; we use it and love it. We choose Amazon FBA so our valued customers have a simple, risk free buying experience and a full 100% money back guarantee.

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Customers are our business.
As an Amazon Seller, we take great pride in our
after sales follow up and commitment to Customer Care.

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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."

Coast Oak - Three Months Old

Hi - I am three months old already!!! Coast Oak

French Press Coffee Maker by Sumatra Dream #SumatraDreamFrenchPress

Oma recently learned that a good French Press can be perfect for brewing that perfect pot of tea! In fact, it is considered one of the best tea brewing methods. I always assumed that the French Press was for strictly for coffee. A French Press provide tea leaves much more room to fully expand and steep properly, unlike a tea bag or tea ball.

The French Press Coffee Maker by Sumatra Dream will help you to obtain a creamy, foamy, velvety, pure coffee and tea. It is really stylish with an elegant design. The unit is so durable, it comes with a life-time guarantee. It also comes with a coffee scoop and extra screens.

The French Press Coffee Maker by Sumatra Dream would makes a perfect gift idea for the coffee and/or tea lovers in your life: think housewarming, birthday, graduation, wedding registry, Christmas . . . .

Tip: Pre-heat the press, by pouring ‘off the boil’ water into it, letting it sit a minute, and empty out before putting the coffee grounds.

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There is a certain magic to that moment in the day when you pause to sip your perfectly brewed favorite tea or coffee, all your senses are stimulated and your mind is inspired to dream. Hence the name, Sumatra Dream.

The beauty of the French press is that once you’ve got the basics down (instructions in brochure), you can tweak it to suit your unique taste, it’s been nicknamed the “Freedom press”… You can experiment with the coarseness of the ground (like breadcrumbs is best), with the ratio of coffee ground to water (which will directly impact the strength of the brew), with how many minutes to let it steep (3-4 minutes is the norm, but you could try up to 6-8 mins).

• Elegant, comfortable and practical design: commercial grade French press made with heat-resistant, solid 2.1 mm borosilicate glass and a plastic handle that is comfortable to hold and stays cool while you pour. BPA-free lid.
  
• Flavor. Each serving from this 27 ounce, 800 ml. french press coffee maker pours a rich and flavorful cup of coffee with no grounds. Brews 2-4 or even 6 coffee cups (4 oz) or 2 large travel mugs in just 4 minutes. Brews excellent loose leaf teas and infusions. Ideal for homes with coffee & tea lovers.
• Dishwasher-safe parts. Easy to clean. 3-part extra fine stainless steel mesh filter keeps grounds out of your cup and disassembles for easy cleaning.
• High Quality. The seal on the screen is tight, for grind free coffee, to help extract your coffee's aromatic oils and subtle flavors. Along with your French press, you're also getting three extra replacement filters that will help extend the life of your French press, a coffee measuring spoon and brewing instructions are also included.
• Lifetime warranty: the LAST French press you will need to buy! If any defect comes up during the lifetime of this press, Sumatra Dream will replace it. Great for the outdoor camping trip or office! Makes a perfect gift idea for the coffee lovers in your life: housewarming, birthday, graduation, wedding registry, Christmas, holiday, or any gift

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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."