Get Red! in Hollister

It's GET RED month in Hollister. Go ahead, take the time to ponder:  Get red? Get angry...get commies...get those red-headed guys...get Red Skelton...anymore?

Seriously, February is American Heart Month, as in be kind to your heart and take very good care of it. So, to promote happy, healthy, heart awareness, the Hollister Downtown Association got together with the YMCA and the Hazel Hawkins Hospital to sponsor various events. In addition to special happenings, some of the participating businesses are offering discounts on their products or services. For example, Muenzer's has a 15% discount on all shoes in stock throughout the month.

For a schedule of events and updates of business offers, check out this Hollister Downtown Association page.

Pat's Place

Lots of stuff here to check out. Don't be fooled when you first walk in. There is a lot more. Quite a lot more in the other room.

Pat's Place opened in 2009 for the specific purpose of raising money for the Community Food Bank of San Benito County. Check out this article from the Free Lance for the details.

Pat's Place is at the corner of Fifth and Sally Streets. For older locals, it's the building that was once the Model French Laundry.

A Good Reason to Close on Sunday

I like the store hours of Second Tyme Around, the vintage furniture store at the corner of Fifth and East Streets. The store opened last summer.

100 Things I Like: Serendipity Gift Shop

Serendipity's window display in 2010

Haven't stepped into the shop at 616 San Benito Street yet? It's a happy chance you'll like what you see. I can usually find something for the sister-in-law there. And, she's quite a difficult person to shop for, I tell you what.

Instead of me telling you what joy and fun you'll find at Serendipty, check out the shop's Web site. Better yet, check it out in person.

A note to FTC:  I wasn't paid or given anything to write what I just wrote. So, move along.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

First Annual San Benito Holiday Cheer

This Saturday, December 3, many of the local businesses of Hollister and San Juan Bautista will be participating in the First Annual San Benito Holiday Cheer. It is a local shop hop. To add to the fun, each business will be raffling a basket or bowl full of goodies. Sounds great!

For more info, check out the flyer below, which was distributed by the Hollister Downtown Association. Double-click on it for a larger version. If you still can't read it, click here to download a copy of the flyer.

By the way, San Juan Bautista will be holding its annual Holiday in Lights Parade on Saturday evening. Click here for more details.

Shop Locally: Small Business Saturday

From inside San Benito Bene during the summer

Small Business Saturday will be this Saturday, November 26. It's a wonderful alternative to Black Friday. You support the shops and restaurants of Hollister and San Juan Bautista. You don't have to drive out of the county. And, if you commute daily, you get a chance to spend quality time in one or both cities.

For a listing of Hollister and San Juan businesses, check out these links:

• Hollister Downtown Association Member Directory
• San Benito  County Chamber of Commerce Member Directory
• San Juan Bautista: Shop San Juan!

By the way, this Saturday will also be the Lights On Celebration in Hollister, which runs from 10 a.m. to until  Santa and Mrs. Santa call it a night. There'll be a holiday boutique at the Veterans Memorial building from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m.

100 Things I Like: Penny Wise Drug Store

My five top reasons for shopping at Penny Wise Drug in downtown Hollister (east side of San Benito Street, between 5th and 6th Streets):

5. Every time I enter Penny Wise, I remember the aroma of the hot popcorn that was available for sale when the store used to be Roscoe,  one of the five & dime stores in Hollister when I was a kid hundreds of years ago. The other one was Cornet, which is now Muenzer's on Fifth Street. I used to go out the back door of one shop, cross Wentz Alley, and enter the back door of the other shop.

4. I can usually find fun, creative, and unique gift items at the drug store, from scarves to jewelry to singing bears to jigsaw puzzles to glass giftware to baby clothes.

3. Penny Wise Drug is a local business run by the Rosati family since 1948. It's the only independent pharmacy in San Benito County. I like to shop locally as much as possible.

2. Customer service! One Wednesday, I went in to buy over-the-counter iron pills, but the kind I wanted had run out. Joan told her brother, Stephen, the pharmacist, to order them. I came back the following Monday to buy the pills. As I was walking towards the counter, Joan asked, "Did you remember to get the iron pills?" I went in for something else on Tuesday, and just before I walked out,  pharmacist sister Jeanne called out, "Did you get your iron pills?"

1. Joan, Jeanne, Stephen, and Marie Rosati!!!!

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

Note to FCC: I wasn't paid or given anything to write what I just wrote. So, move along.

100 Things I Like: Country Rose Gallery & Frame

Have you ever been in the Country Rose Gallery & Frame on San Benito Street? That shop right next to the gas station on the corner of San Benito & Seventh? No, I didn't think so.

You don't need to be an artist or have something to frame to want or need to walk through the door. I'm not an artist, though I wish. It's the art supplies that lure me in. I'm such a sucker for pastel chalk.

Christmas is around the corner.  If you're willing to think outside of the box, you can find lots of great ideas for gifts or stocking stuffers there. Trust me.

Note to FCC: Honestly, I wasn't paid or given anything to write what I just wrote. So, move along.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: Livin' the Green Dream

Livin' the Green Dream is a cute little shop in San Juan Bautista that sells eco-friendly products, such as glasses made from wine bottles, purses from recycled candy wrappers, soaps from goat milk, and green cleaning products. Many of the items are made in the USA, with some from the local area. I don't know about you, but I like that. I can head over there first before ordering online or driving out of the county.

Livin' the Green Dream is located at 33 Washington Street, next to the Chinese restaurant. For more info, check out its Web site or its Facebook page.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

Late Shopping Night in San Juan Bautista

San Juan Bautista is always a great place to wander when you're into shopping for gifts. This Wednesday evening, November 16, 2011, many of the shops and restaurants in San Juan Bautista will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. to give Christmas shoppers a head start. According to a flyer I saw, many of the businesses will be offering discounts.

Shops that will be open on "Late Shopping Night" Wednesday are:

Aggie's Porch
Attic Angels
Bear Flag Gallery Mall
Bear's Hideaway
Bluebird Antiques and Collectibles
Class Connection
Dreaming Tree
Fools Gold Vintage Collectique
Guatemalan Boutique
It's Shabby and Chic
La Dolce Vita
Little Red Barn
Livin' the Green Dream
Mission Clocks
Mrs. B's Treasures at the Plaza
Nicky's Fair Trade
Nooks-N-Crannies
Paloma Paloma
San Juan Bautista Antiques
Seasons Handcrafts
Southwest Roundup
Sweet Envy 
Sweet Pea Antiques
Tops A Rock Shop
Vintage Corner

100 Things I Like: The Pinnacle Farm Stand

Fresh, organic, and yummy-licious locally grown vegetables and fruit. That's why the husband and I like to head over to the Pinnacle Farm Stand in San Juan Valley almost every Saturday. The farm stand is open from  8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.
 

100 Things I Like: Used Treasures

Available in a San Juan shop, next to the bank on Third Street

Thrift stores or antique shops. It doesn't matter, I like wandering through them all. Hollister and San Juan Bautista has both kinds. Garage sales, ooh-la-la! Heaven.

This Saturday, October 22, the County of San Benito Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency is sponsoring a county-wide garage sale day. It'll be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. A listing of garage sales will be available on Friday. Click here to find out where you can get a list.

If you do go garage sale hopping this Saturday, be careful and aware. The Condor Classic is also happening. Please patiently share the road with the cyclists.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: Ranchers Feed

In all the years that Ranchers Feed has been on First Street (since 1976), I set foot in it for the first time earlier this year. Since I wasn't a rancher or a farmer, nor a horse rider or a dog owner, what was the need. Now, every few months, the husband and I head over there to buy a 50 pound sack of wild bird feed.  I look forward to it. I like wandering around the store looking at all the clothing, boots, jewelry, and other this's and that's that are so tempting to purchase. 

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I LIke: Wandering Downtown Hollister

It's fun ambling about downtown, whether doing errands, peeking into store windows, or checking out what's new in the shops.  Happily, the number of new shops and businesses in town have been slowly, but surely, growing. Just in this short half of the 700 block, four new businesses opened in the past several months:

• Bel Amour Pet Spa & Boutique
• Tres Jolie Vintage 
• Veronica's Art of Dance
• The Market/ The Butcher Shop

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: Local Products

Kathina, the owner of San Benito Bene—
the local place to buy local products!

We really have a lot of wonderful goods created and produced by local foodies, artists, craftspeople,  farmers, and others. I'll name a few:
Bell Hill Goat Milk Lotion
San Benito Gold Honey
Sons of Sicily Olive Oil
Pinnacle Apple Juice (Organic)
Vista Notes
Marich Confectionary
Art of Shannon Grissom

And, you know what, you can now go to this one shop in Hollister to buy these products and other local goods, Monday through Friday. San Benito Bene is the place!

Today, Saturday, San Benito Bene continues its grand opening, starting at noon. You'll have a chance to taste some of the local foods that are available in the shop. Check it out, if you can. The shop is located at 615 San Benito Street, the same side of the block as Heavenly Bakery and Best of Times Cafe.

Christmas shopping is going to be so easy for me this year.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link. 

100 Things I Like: Window Shopping in San Juan Bautista

A couple weeks, the husband and I strolled up and down San Juan Bautista's main street with a couple of friends looking at store windows. We, well okay, the women, even wandered into the stores. I can't recall to which store this window display belongs. But, it's easy to find again.

Check out this link, if you'd like to see a list of shops in San Juan Bautista.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: Bertuccio's Produce Stand

"We need eggs."

Lately, that means a bicycle ride to Bertuccio's Produce Stand. There, the husband and I can get a dozen of fresh eggs "donated" by local chickens.  We also like to go there for nuts and jams, all locally produced. Sometimes we find great produce bargains; for instance, once time, we got avocados for 50 cents each.  And, every now and then, they have a basket of free produce that are still good, but not good enough to be sold. Totally like that.

Bertuccio's Produce Stand is just before you reach the corner of Highway 25 (Airline Highway) and Union Road, as you're heading south on 25. That cool old truck marks the spot where you'll be turning right onto Bertuccio's driveway.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: The Farmers Market

Today is Farmers Market Day in Downtown Hollister, from 3 to 7 p.m on Fifth Street.  Only three more market days left until next year.

Yes, I know this isn't the most flattering shot of the market. I just like the way the Granada Theater sign sticks up above the canopies.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

Readying for Harvest

As we were driving to the Pinnacle farm stand in San Juan Valley yesterday, we passed apple orchards bursting of fruit.

Setting Up for the Farmers Market

The Downtown Hollister Farmers Market is every Wednesday, from 3 to 7 p.m. on Fifth Street, between San Benito and Monterey Streets.  Lots of local food, crafts, wares, and joy are there.