Free Concert for Johnstown, PA area

On Tuesday March 10 3 ensembles from the Messiah College department of music will be performing a concert at Richland High School at 7 pm. The concert will also include the Messiah College Symphony Orchestra, Messiah College wind ensemble, and Messiah College Jazz ensemble.

So if you're in the Johnstown, PA a looking for something budget friendly and different to do, this would be it. The concert is FREE and open to the public.

Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests, and More

My first article is published. Won't you stop by and show me some love?

In my almost daily scouting for my blog I came across a posting looking for a spa/beauty writer for my local town. Write for the examiner.com. I though with my inside info as a blogger on new products and reviews that I might have a chance. What a fun column to have as well. So, I took a chance and submitted an application. Guess who the new Spa/Beauty Examiner is for my local area? Yep, me.  I'm a little nervous.  I know it sounds crazy since I faithfully keep up my blog.  I guess it's because I'm diving into a new sea of readers.  Don't worry tough this blog is my baby.  This is my priority. 

I just had my first article accepted and published for my column.  I'd love it if you'd stop by, check it out, leave me a comment if you feel so inclined.  It may help me get over my jitters.  I want to hear your honest opinions too.  I'm not just saying that.

So, here's my column: http://www.examiner.com/beauty-256-in-johnstown/angela-beechan

Thanks in advance for helping me get my feet wet in this new area for me. 


Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests, and More

Free kids' Event in Johnstown,PA until tomorrow.

The Learning Lamp and Art Works in Johnstown, PA is holding their 3rd Annual Children's Book Festival in Johnstown. I was not aware of the event prior to this year, but wish I would have known before. My boys brought home a paper from school about it.

There were lot of activities listed on the paper: puppet shows, craft time, cookie decorating, a story teller, Making beaded bookmarks with one of the artists that were featured at the artworks, doing repurposed art, Books come alive performance, lot and lots to do. I decided, hey this could be fun. I asked my boys if they'd like to go. So glad we made this decision.

The event was free.  Free admission, free crafts, the events were free, just about anything.  The only things that you would need money for was the small cafe they called "Cosmic Cafe" that was set up for the event and they had a Scholastic book fair as well as a used book fair.  The prices in the cafe were very reasonable. 


We spent 4 hrs at this event and still didn't do everything they had to offer.  My boys got to hammer out spoons to help make a re-purposed wind chime, they made beaded book marks with artist Heather Thompson, They sat through Storyteller Temujin who did a cute and funny presentation of some folk tales, they watched Zula Patrol in a what they called the "Discovery Dome", they made a paper rocketship and alien masks, they decorated a cookie, they got to see some local art, they even received a free book of their choice from The Learning Lamp. 

Some of the things we missed was Illustrator John Manders did an Illustration presentation, they had decorate your own door hangers.

This event is still running tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the last day until next year so if you're in the area and thinking of going, I would highly recommend it.  Tomorrow's list consists of:

Stage Right "Books Come Alive" performance 1-2 pm
local tv personality Marty Radovanic of WJAC-TV to do a children's book reading
Cookie decorating
Roy Handy and the Moonshot rock and roll band for kids
Balloon Art
Local author  Joseph Moore of "The Raindrop Who Wouldn't Fall"
Discovery Dome Movie
crafts
and the ongoing cafe and book sale


All FREE (except cafe and book sale)  I'm so mad at myself that I didn't take my camera. I just had to share this with you though.

Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests, and More

Cinderella Project helping girls to be princesses for the prom

I just learned about this last year from one of my coworkers.  The Cinderella project offers prom gowns to girls without the high cost normally associated with prom gowns. New and used gowns are donated and girls are allowed to come and try on prom gowns and borrow them for their prom. 

There are Cinderella Project events going on all over the country.  I live in PA and here is a news story from my local area about the Cinderella Project:
Local PA Cinderella Project Story

I think this is a wonderful idea.  They do not ask for proof of income and anyone can participate.  Do a search for your area to see where your local Cinderella Event is taking place.

I can tell you near my area it's happening at the YWCA in Johnstown

2010 Try On Dates are March 20th and 27th 12PM to 3PM, first come first served, same process as last year you will be giving a number when you arrive and called up to the dresses by number. 1 dress per girl. Remember we have limited space so please try to bring only one family member with you if possible.

That is directly from the Johnstown, pa Cinderella Project Facebook page 

Johnstown, PA Cinderella Project Facebook

IF you have gowns that you would like to donate, you can drop them off at your local Cinderella Project event site or visit: 

http://www.donatemydress.org/ 

for more info.  I think this is a great project.  Also a good way to clean out your closets.  I know I had a couple prom gowns I only wore once.

In my search I found sites for many other Cinderella project sites so do a search and find your area.

 

Monroe Muffler Rant

Where to begin, let's see. Well it was the end of October. October 24th as was pointed out to me that I took my car to Monroe Muffler on Luther St. in Johnstown, PA. I had been there once before to get tires on my car and they seemed to do all right. So I take my can in for an oil change. (Side note I get my oil changed every three months and get my filters replaced when needed). I have a coupon $19.99 for oil change. The man at the counters says "Do you want your tires rotated too?" I say "sure may as well" They were probably due.

They change my oil and rotate the tires. Out comes the guy again. "When we rotated your tires we noticed your you need new tire rods, roters (sp), and break pads. You're tire rods are pretty much dangerous at this point." Now to be fair they had told me that my tire rods had a little give to them when I had my car inspected so it didn't surprise me much when he said that.

Then the quote: Over $600 for this work. Very close to the holidays and my inspection was due in a few weeks. I felt sick to my stomach. But like the frugalista I am (see previous blog) I decided to shop around at prices and see if I could get someone to do it cheaper. My husband handed the quote to his dad. His dad laughed. He says "no way, we can do that alot cheaper than that" And they did costing only $190 for all the work (and in that $190 was 2 cases of beer for the guys to work on it). So happy that I saved literally hundreds of dollars I took my car to Firestone to let them do the inspection.

The man comes out from the car area and shows me a list. "Ma'am some things I need to make you aware of: Your horn doesn't work very well, you need new windshield wipers, your brake drum is leaking and you need new wheel cylinders". I felt the color drain from my face. The quote again....over $600. By this time it's the very end of Nov. So in a last ditch effort I have my husband take my car to yet another shop. This time a local shop. He looks over it and agrees that yes my horn needed fixed and I needed new wiper blades but the rest was ok. $40....yea just $40.

But wait that's not it. My heater stopped working in my car Sunday. (Perfect timing with the 15 degree weather with -10 windchill factor. I had it checked over and had the thermostate replaced and said that there was a whole in the radiator and the coolant was low. So he patched it. My husband says "honey when's the last time you got your oil changed?" I said somewhere around the beginning of November when I had all those issues with my car needing fixed. In fact that's how I found out about the rotors because they also rotated my tires when they did that." Then I asked him why.

He said "because your oil was almost completely dried up in your car. In fact your dipstick was actually singed." He said he was told that "I was lucky my block didn't crack and my engine didn't seize". So now I'm furious. As I said I get my oil changed every 3 months and have never had an issue. I called Monroe Muffler and told the guy the findings and told him that I had just had my oil changed there in Nov. He looks up my info and says "well ma'am you had it changed in October, October 24" I said ok well that's only 2 1/2 mo. It was checked over and there wasn't found to be a leak of any kind." The man says "you have an old car it's a 2001 it's probably just eating oil." I told him I never had an oil problem before and that it had to have happened if it did with the 2 1/2 mo." I asked him how much oil they put in he says "whatever it needed" I said I want to know how much so he says he looks it up and supposedly had put in 5 quarts. He aked "how many miles are are on your car now?" I told him 78,000. He said "see there you go that's 5000 mile difference you're supposed to get your oil changed every 3000 miles. You're car is old with a lot of miles it's probably just eating oil".

That's all he would say. They didn't offer to look at it or anything. SO...guess where I'm not going to get my car worked on anymore. And guess who is going to tell everyone where not to go.