Who knew McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants would have the best happy hour burger in town?  $2.95 for a 1/2 pound cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and fries! And since they have great food, this is one great burger.

And for the vegetarians there is hummus and bruschetta for $1.95.  Also for $1.95 you can get a chicken tostado for salad lovers. It wouldn’t be a happy hour without cheese nachos, chicken wings,  and artichoke spinach dip for $3.95.   For that price you can also get a chicken quesadilla and for a dollar more there are fried chicken sliders and fish & chips.   They have speciality seasonal cocktails, a delightful sangria, and beer at reduced prices. 

Divas love to socialize and this is a great way to meet friends. Informal, fun, and prices that rival fast food makes this a good choice for a gathering. Happy hours and prices differ at each restaurant so call ahead.

What a fun night!  Abbott Kinney stays open late on the first Friday of each month.  And the next one is this Friday on February 4th.  They have boutiques (special sales for this event), gallery openings, coffee places, street vendors, and food trucks from everywhere.  There was grilled cheese on wheels, two Indian food trucks, and tacos of all varieties.

However after walking one place beckoned me to sit down and enjoy a great dinner. Lemonade is counter service with a choice of market fresh salads (2 selections for $7.50), sandwiches, soups, and pot roasts which include beef, chicken, vegetarian options ($9 for a generous portion with rice pilaf or salad). You can get tastes of any pot roast before you buy. The Frugal Dude went for  lamb tagine which was fantastic with great spices and sauce to pour over the rice pilaf.  The Frugal Diva stayed with the vegetable salads-delicious farro and spaghetti squash plus yummy beets. They are located at 1661 Abbott Kinney, Los Angeles, CA 90291, (310) 452-6200 and have other locations on Beverly Drive, downtown, and at MOCA. And of course the lemonade is divine.

This is an accessible museum. The galleries are just the right size - enough so you enjoy the exhibit however not so big that you are exhausted. They make interesting choices from classical painting Outside the Box, a collection of prints by various artists.  On Thursdays you can see the galleries from 11:00 AM until they close at 9:00 PM for FREE.

They have so many free events it’s difficult to list them all. The Hammer Lecture  Series with topics Wagner in LA: The Opera of the 21st Century on June 1.  The Hammer Forum Series where Digital Culture in the Age of American Unreason is discussed on July 13.  Or a film screening May 26th such The Exiles chronicles one night in the lives of young Native American men and women living in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles.  ALL HAMMER PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE FREE. Tickets are required, and are available at the Billy Wilder Theater Box Office one hour prior to start time. Limit one ticket per person on a first come, first served basis. Hammer members receive priority seating, subject to availability. Reservations not accepted, RSVPs not required. Parking is available under the museum for $3 after 6:00p.m.

Now you do not have to go hungry while viewing, there is a great little Wolfgang Puck take out cafe on the first floor. And if you venture into Westwood, The Palomino bar area just became my favorite place. They are featuring their bar menu for 1/2 price all day everyday along with $4 featured beverages that are available throughout the restaurant.

All my friends had become ardent supporters of Chicos, yet I held out. Convinced that my love of basics and solid colors, my desire to choose any two pieces from my closet and have them match, would never be fulfilled by Chicos. It was a riot of color while I was an orderly march of solids. They scared me.

Well, they kept sending me catalogs and coupons. And the coupons were pretty good. Twenty five dollars off any purchase of $100 even if the items were on sale. They wore me down. I started by going into the store just to look around. And though they are known for their colors and prints, I spotted some solid pants. And they looked pretty good. Clean lines, nice neutral colors, up to date styles. My will was weakening.

You have to love their sizing, I was instantly reduced to a size two. Of course that is a medium in their world but in my world it is still a size two. I liked the sound of it. And I liked the pants. Beautiful velvet black jeans that are very stylish this year, denims with that extra bit of Lycra to hold you in, and racks and racks of sale items. Light weight cargo pants in khaki, capris in taupe, and some T shirts that go with everything. And all reduced by thirty percent. Things were looking up.

To maximize the coupon, try and keep your purchases just a little over $100. That will give you an additional 25% off your bill and that includes items that are already discounted. Now I don’t mean to steer you away from their other items. For the print and color lover there are fantastic choices, the accessories are a whole world also, and they have beautiful sweaters.

However for the more classic minded, stick with pants and solid colored tops. And don’t forget to join the Chicos club which gives you an automatic 5% off after you reach a minimum purchase amount.  They roll over stock very quickly so if you don’t find something you like, just stop back in two or three weeks.

Do the math and save big.

Spices make plain dishes sing with excitement. Check the price of a single jar of curry at the supermarket and you realize this is a great item to get at a small ethnic market such as Samosa House and Bharat Bazaar at 11510 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.  And not only are they a market, they have great prepared foods in their deli if you need an entire meal or just some side dishes.

These spices come in large bags at a small price. Save all your small glass containers and you can start your own collection. Put on cute labels and give them as hostess gifts or share the cost with a friend.

How about a spice bridal shower? Everyone brings their favorite with a recipe. Sure you can go to a restaurant and pay $30 to $50 per person, sit around while you are served mediocre food, and buy the bride another toaster oven.  Or you can dress up your home with some Indian table cloths, have everyone bring a yummy dish with a bottle of the spice used and recipe as a gift to the bride, and give her a day that will be remembered every time she opens  her kitchen cabinet.

Now I love Indian food, however you can also use a French theme and have everyone bring a dish with their favorite herb. Try the Japanese Mitsuwa Marketplace, 3760 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066 , where they have all the ingredients for a Japanese meal and a fantastic selection of teas.  How about some exotic flavors of ice cream for dessert? Go to the Saffron and Rose Ice Cream on Westwood Blvd. and pick up pistachio, ginger, or mixed berries. 

Check out the ethnic markets in your area and see what there is.  Frugal Divas want the best and they know how to get it.

Pasadena, so near and yet so far in atmosphere. It’s a small town with a lot of culture. Start with Vroman’s Bookstore. Check out their events page and see if they have a reading, then roam this spacious old fashioned bookstore. On the ground floor they have a bargain section – beautiful art books discounted to a quarter of their price along with children’s books, CDs, and odd things that fit that strange person working in the space next to you. They even have a wonderful coffee shop for a much needed caffeine break.

The  Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 East Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 is  $7 for Adults, $5 for Seniors and Students and free the first Friday of the month. However they have a special offer with the Pacific Asia Museum on Colorado and Los Robles: Attend both museums in the same day and receive 50% off admission at the second museum when you present proof of entrance. Two lovely niche museums for the price of a movie. The Norton Simon has a fantastic collection and beautiful out door area. 

Take a walk down Colorado and enjoy the architecture of Old Town Pasadena, stopping at the Pasadena City Hall Location 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA  91109. You will also pass the Paseo Shopping Center at 280 East Colorado.  They have a huge DSW and a Loehmanns. If you keep going down Colorado you will reach an H & M, they are a fantastic place to pick up that trendy item at a low price. There are eateries for every taste and budget.

Besides the Old Towne area for dining there is also Lake Street  Some great choices are the Roma Italian Deli and Grocer, 918 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104, (626) 797-7748. Just go to the counter and buy some fantastic cold cuts and freshly baked bread. The Corner Bakery is another great spot at 345 S Lake Ave.Pasadena, CA 91101 , (626) 578-1281. They are part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain and that means great quality, huge portions, and a lot of choice. Step up to the counter and leave satisfied.

Drive around and see the old Huntington Hotel, classic craftsman homes, and the Rose Bowl.  People fly across country to enjoy this pocket of Los Angeles. For the rest of us it’s only a short drive.

Some love the quaint bed and breakfast, the old style rooms with mismatched furniture, and the ministrations of the staff.  These people are not me. Do they really expect me to talk to strangers in the morning, go without television for the night, and return every day to chat with the owners?  Please just give me your basic hotel room - clean, with modern bathrooms, cable TV, mostly free parking and mostly free breakfasts.

What it lacks in charm it makes up for in convenience, dependability and free Wifi. And no one does this better then  Marriott  which represents many different brands – Courtyard, Fairfield, Renaissance, Springhill Suites - just to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

What is an hour away from Los Angeles? Has a fabulous beach with free parking? And great food? Farm stands galore? Oxnard is a lovely day trip. Exit the 101 and enjoy beautiful vistas, fresh air, quaint shops, and great restaurants.

Walk along beautiful beaches after parking your car for free – yes really free parking. There are miles of uninterrupted sand and natural beauty.

Whale watching takes place almost year-round in the channel around Oxnard.  From the end of December through mid-April, the coastline is rife with gray whales that are migrating from their breeding grounds in Baja California to the nutrient-rich ocean in Alaska.  There are several boat tours  for prime viewing.

And what is California without a wine tasting. Herzog Winery has several tastings and is known for both their kosher and non kosher labels. Pick up some authentic Mexican bake goods at La Central Bakery. 

The McGrath Family Farm, in operation since 1868, has stands with organic produce, fantastic flowers, and you can take a tour for $7 to learn about sustainable farming.

With 35 miles of bike paths and kayak rentals, there is so much to do here you might want to stay overnight.