Category Archives: Consumer

Mission Viejo pet store recommendation

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It’s the independently owned Pet Stop Warehouse located at Marguerite and Santa Marguerita Pkwy in the Ralph’s shopping center, behind Starbucks. (Shortcut-enter the shopping center from Mustang, the street that runs behind the shopping center).

The owner is knowledgeable, helpful, and generous with samples.  What I find so awesome are the interesting products that you won’t find in the major chain stores. Yesterday, I purchased a great harness I hadn’t seen anywhere else.  The inside is soft, no sharp areas to irritate my dog’s skin, and a leash, in orange to match her new harness, my favorite leash of all time.  The majority of its length is rubber tubing so neither you nor the dog is jerked. Throw it in washing machine with no problems, cleans up great.

Next, I purchased a CD called Chopin for dogs (they also have it for cats) which uses different kinds of sound that’s pleasing and calming to a dog.  When I played it at home, not only did I like it but my dog sat up and listened to it so it really was resonating for her. It’s a good tool to have, especially for times you know your pet will be frightened – when there’s lightening, fireworks, etc.

Do you have a dog that doesn’t signal you when it has to go out?  The Pet Stop Warehouse offers a product that will help you train your dog to do so with a strong ribbon type of material with bells hanging down its length that you hang from the door handle.  Easy instructions. Goal is for your dog to ring the bell when it has to relieve itself.   I had heard of this method of training before and fashioned my own ribbon adding some bells, but for a variety of reasons, didn’t work out well.  Although we’ve only started using the new strip of bells, I’m seeing some early signs of response so I’m really jazzed.

Although they have a lot of the pet food and some other merchandise you’ll see in the Petsmart’s & Petco’s, there are so many interesting products that are unique. Another example  –  dog themed quality Xmas wrapping paper, gift bags, and greeting cards.

She runs sales, and when a supplier offers her special pricing, she makes sure you benefit from it as well.

Do yourself a favor if you live in the area, go to this store instead of the chains.  You’ll appreciate it so much more, including the personalized service.

They now offer dog and puppy training classes, and will soon be hosting pet adoption events.

Phone:  949-305-0532

 

A little-known-about post office location ‘hides out’ in Lake Forest pharmacy

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Could there be a better time than now to discover a small post office location that’s unknown to many people?

Well, here it is, but don’t tell anyone – we want to keep this secret resource for ourselves.   

Rite-Price Pharmacy
23653 El Toro Rd., Lake Forest
Ph:  586-7780

Find it across the parking lot from Home Depot at the corner of  El Toro Rd and Rockfield.

Note –  it’s a small branch, and doesn’t offer the full range of services of a larger post office.  For instance, for overnight mail, you will have to get it in hours earlier than a larger branch.  Call for more information.

The Trager Approach, each 1-hour session more relaxing than a massage

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I’ve been receiving ‘Trager’ for a few months now, and am so impressed that I want to share it with you. You may be unfamiliar with it as I was until this past summer when, upon a friend’s recommendation, made an appointment with Glennda Adair, a Mission Viejo Trager practitioner.  After each session, I find myself in a deeply relaxed, soothed state, more profound than what I have achieved from massage.

I lay on the massage table, and Glennda may start with my ankle, which she will so very gently rock back and forth.  A very subtle movement.  You may think at first at your first Trager session, “how is this going to help me? She’s barely doing anything!”

“Trager work is one of the least invasive forms, using gentle rocking and bouncing motions to induce states of deep, pleasant relaxation. It helps the nervous system’s communication with the muscles, so that it can be used as a method of rehabilitation especially by people suffering from traumatic injuries, post-polio syndrome, and other chronic neuromuscular problems.”                                               – Andrew Weil, M.D.

And may I add to what Dr Weil says, Trager is equally beneficial for everyday stress.

A session usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. No oils or lotions are used and the client is dressed for their comfort.

Glennda charges $65/hour.  I find her to be a quiet, gentle person with whom I would imagine anyone would feel as ‘safe’ and comfortable with as I do.  To contact her, Glennda’s email address is glennda.adair@cox.net.

For more information, go to  trager.com

 

Holiday season, common time for a cold sore or canker sore

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All the stress and fatigue that goes along with the Holidays commonly causes a cold sore or canker sore for those prone to them.

Cold Sores Begone® will prevent that little cold sore of yours from erupting.  Yep. A few dabs at that dreaded tingling feeling, the infection is aborted, no cold sore, good to go.

Canker Sores Begone®, for most folks, heals the ulceration within 24 hours to a few short days.

No worries.  Safe for even small children, non-toxic, herbal topical formulation.  Endorsed by PREVENTION and NATURAL HEALTH magazines, no less.

Be smart and pick up a bottle BEFORE you need it.  Let’s see – some fitting cliches: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, The early bird gets the worm (no, this doesn’t quite fit, does it?)

Available now at Whole Foods Market, Mother’s Market, Sprout’s, Henry’s Marketplace (Cold Sores Begone® only), SRP $10.99.  Also available ONLINE

Buy Rite, new outlet store in The Orchard Shopping Center

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The store just opened a week ago and owned by a nice couple.  Such an array of high end merchandise – apparel, electronics, furniture, washing machines and dryers, flat panel TV’s, purses, shoes, clothing, patio, health & beauty aid, and more.

I purchased a $5 pair of sandals that are cute and comfy, and I’m deciding on an elegant TV table unlike anything I’ve seen. Hope it’s still there.

The owners told me the merchandise is comprised of close-outs, discontinued items, samples, or surplus from stores such as Costco and Macy’s.

The prices seem good, but it gets better – they’re open to negotiating on price.  But no changing your mind.  No returns unless the merchandise is defective or damaged in some way.  New merchandise arrives daily.

The store is located at 23608 El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, where Ralph’s Market, Lucille’s BBQ Restaurant, and Petsmart are located. Buy Rite is a few doors down from Petsmart. Ph 949-588-9401.

Store Hours
Mon – Sat 9:30am-9:30pm
Sunday 10am-8pm

Scam alert – Laguna Woods. Man in van offering autobody repair services

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I admit it, I fell for it.  Anything you might say about the mistakes I made are absolutely correct.  This is what happened.

I had just parked my car in front of Mother’s Market in Laguna Woods (corner of El Toro and Paseo de Valencia).  I saw a van, with the sides painted ON THE SPOT BODYSHOP driving up and down the aisles as if looking for a place to park.  But instead of parking, he headed for the exit to pull out onto El Toro.

That should have been a red flag, but I waved at him to come back, I was interested to get a quote for some work needed on my car.   We negotiated a price, $280, and we agreed I would call him later to meet somewhere to do the work. (I couldn’t at the moment, had an appointment).

I later called the phone number on his card, he answered, and we agreed to meet in front of a Wells Fargo Bank where he would do the job.  He wanted cash, so that would make it convenient for me, but also, I was counting on the bank security cameras in the event something went wrong.  FYI, I have since learned – cameras are only on the ATM machines.

He started the work, taping things off, sanding areas on the car, so I took my dog for a walk.  Because I’m no dummy, I took my car keys!  I came back 30 minutes later, and he was already finished. Huge red flag, but I was tired, and pushed my concern back. He explained that because there was so much moisture in the air (it was then dark), he spread car wax over the painted areas to protect it, and instructed that the next day, I should go to the car wash, wax would dissolve and the car should look great.   You’re shaking your head at my stupidity, aren’t you?  I’m clueless when it comes to paint, car wax, etc., though in my defense, my entire nervous system was more on top of it than I was, sending apprehensive warning signals.

The name this 30ish, very overweight guy gave me was Alex, and he couldn’t have been nicer. He offered to touch up anything that night be unsatisfactory, to give him a call the following week if necessary.

So, the next day at the car wash, I pulled in to where the vacuums are, a few workers speaking Spanish are pointing to the globs of wax around my car.  A manager comes over, and asks if the guy who did this worked from his van, charged me about $300.  He tells me the wax will not dissolve, and that quite a few seniors who lived in the area had brought their cars in with the same situation.  He scraped some wax off, and saw that Alex had sanded down the original paint so the area was black, and placed wax over it so it wasn’t visible.

Apparently, Alex circles around shopping center parking lots where there is a high concentration of seniors, such as Laguna Woods, baiting them to stop him and ask about his services. There’s a peacefulness in his manner so he comes across as sincere.

After the car wash, I called the phone number on the card, a female voice on the outgoing message was friendly, inviting me to leave a message. I called many times over the next few days, no return call, and no live person answering the phone.

I filed a report with the Mission Viejo police, who said they would share the information with Laguna Woods.

Ok, lesson learned, but this one was painful, not only because of the money.  His van had already been nosing out onto El Toro, but nooooo, I flag him to come back, “Please! Rip me off!” 

So now you’re aware, you might mention it to friends.  But if you have independent senior parents living in the area, caution them, but they’ll probably tell you they’d NEVER have autobody work done by someone in a van at a shopping center. 

I even shared my sandwich with him. 😦

Ranch Market in Mission Viejo – my favorite food store and why

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This new middle-east market recently opened in the same shopping center as Total Woman, Cal Med Pharmacy, and Mission Viejo Chabad on Marguerite at Trabuco.
 
Have you been there yet?   It’s a wonderful store, especially the produce and meat depts. Lots of organic produce at prices significantly less than non-organic at conventional markets. They carry a surprising amount of health food store products and kosher food, and many interesting food items you might not see elsewhere, and offer a hot deli counter for take-out.

Excellent everyday prices at meat counter, for instance $5.99/lb for salmon fillet. About the salmon, I do suggest to remind them to make sure it’s completely filleted.
 
Example of current prices:  Fillet mignon, $5.99/lb (and lower when it’s on sale!); chicken breast, boned, skinless @ $1.99/lb; organic bananas, $.69/lb; organic fuji apples, $2.99/lb.

The owner is the same as the middle-eastern store on Los Alisos between Jeronimo and Trabuco. This new store is a smaller space, so less merchandise, but much less crowded and easier to navigate,  better parking.

24021 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, 949-916-9500.  
Hours:   Mon-Sat, 8am-9pm, Sun, 8am-8pm.