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Did you know that Slowfiber carries carefully curated sewing kits, perfect for mending your favorite clothing, your children's plush toys, and more? We think there's nothing more discouraging than mending something using a low quality, plastic "kit" produced in some factory overseas. We create and sell menders' kits that invite you to fix your beautiful, treasured things, and tools that are there when you need them to get you out of a tough spot.

Slowfiber offers both small and large mend kits. The Small Kit contains 12 needles (calyx style), Merchant & Mills Baby Bow scissors, a seam ripper, 1 spool A&E Gutermann brand 100% recycled thread (from pop bottles), 5 safety pins, and 3 buttons. The Large Kit contains 25 Merchant & Mills needles, a number of glass-head pins, a 60-inch Merchant & Mills tape measure (mm on the flip), Merchant & Mills Baby Bow scissors, Merchant & Mills seam ripper, tailor's chalk, 20 safety pins, 4 seam clips, 3 spools A&E Gutermann brand 100% recycled thread (from pop bottles), and your choice of locally made up-cycled cloth bag or recycled paperboard box for storage.

You can purchase your Slowfiber mend kit online or at our shop, located at 517 B Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Alvarado Street Brewery is switching things up just a little bit...going forward, all new releases will be on Friday! They'll be simultaneously hitting our Monterey location for in-person purchase and our website, burphopsnow.com, for shipping. So check the website or come see us to get your hands on all the latest brews.

Shipping is available on our website in any quantity from a single four pack up to three cases (different shipping rates will apply for different quantities). Orders placed Friday through Sunday on our website will be shipped on Tuesdays. If you select "Pickup" at checkout, you may pick up your beer only at our Salinas brewery drive-thru, Monday - Friday, 12pm-5pm.

Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill is located at 426 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Shear Addiction is excited to announce we're participating in an online Instagram auction, Change Happens Together, August 21-25, to support Kinship Center. Mark your calendars! Funds from the auction will go directly to Kinship Center to help provide adoption and foster care services to children and youth on California's Central Coast. Read the auction guidelines here.

Shear Addiction Barbershop and Hair Studio, located at 160 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is a classic, upscale barbershop and salon studio offering a variety of services to cater to everyone, both men and women. Our doors are temporarily closed because of the coronavirus.

As of July 31st, the main drag in Downtown Campbell between Ainsley Park and Third Street has been closed down to east/west traffic to allow all permitted businesses on East Campbell Avenue to expand their operations out into the street. Businesses located on East Campbell Avenue can expand outdoor business operations with an approved Encroachment Permit from the City of Campbell. Access to the public parking lot at Ainsley Park is open for curbside pick-up and public parking. More information is available on the City of Campbell's website.

If you like this no traffic setup you can help ensure its successful implementation by doing the following:

  • Support our retail businesses. Many of them take a hit when the street is closed.
  • Enjoy our outdoor dining options responsibly. Come with just your household members and keep your social distance with everyone else.
  • Wear a mask at all times except when you're eating or drinking.

Safety is going to be a large portion of whether this is judged to be successful. With the street closed to through traffic, there'll be more elbow room to allow you to get some fresh air in Downtown Campbell while keeping your social distance, but it's still going to be up to you to do the safe thing so the street closure can continue.

We're doing much better with masks these days, but there's still a lot of people who only wear their masks when they are absolutely required to. Please just wear it when you're anywhere on the main drag. It just makes life easier for everyone. It's just too easy to bump into people when there are people milling about Downtown Campbell and nobody wants to come down here so they can play dodge ball and be on constant alert for people who are walking around without a mask and not keeping their distance.

When you keep your mask on, everyone else can let their guards down a little and just enjoy their time out enjoying a few comforts. There are also a lot of people who are avoiding Downtown Campbell entirely because there are too many people without masks. We need people to feel safe in our downtown so our businesses can survive.

Amazing Wood Wall Art at Redemption

Posted on July 31st, 2020 by REDEMPTION

Humble brag: we are the first shop to carry Faith’s art! So happy I found her because her art really does speak to my soul. Still swoonin over this commissioned collection we received during shelter in place. I get so attached to every piece of artwork in our shop and when they find their forever homes a piece of my heart goes with it ✨

Have you been hanging on to your old bike helmet for too long? The Lighthouse District's newest retail store, Epicenter Cycling, located at 230 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, is here to help you find a new helmet that protects your noggin and best meets your needs.

It’s important to replace your bike helmet every 3-5 years (depending on use) or if it’s been in a crash, whether you see cracks in it or not. This is because some of the materials used to make it degrade over time. UV light degrades the outer shell, making it brittle, and a weak shell may compromise the structural integrity of the foam.

Keep in mind, too, that helmets are constantly being improved, so a current new model will keep you much safer than that three-year-old, rarely-worn one in your closet. Epicenter invites you to check out the new Bontrager WaveCel technology at our shop, which is 48x more effective than standard EPS foam at preventing concussions from common cycling accidents. You can read all about it in Epicenter's newly updated Guide to Bike Helmets.

Pacific Bowls and Rolls is happy to now feature local halibut on our menu! You can have it on your bowls or in your roll. Come try it as-is or marinated in cilantro and lime. (It's delicious!) You can order online, call in your order to 831-601-584, or stop by and enjoy it at one of our outdoor tables at 475 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

At Pacific Bowls and Rolls, we hold ourselves responsible for contributing to the health of our community and our planet. We are proud partners with the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program, and our meats are all ethically and sustainably raised by Niman Ranch and Mary's Free Range Chicken. Our produce is organic, seasonal, and local whenever possible.

Haute Beauty Guide's retail shop, located at 71 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey, now carries bars of soap made by Nash and Jones. These all-natural soap bars are creamy, luxurious, and designed to be gentle enough for any skin type. We're not sure whether the mint bar or the honey bar is our favorite, but they all smell dreamy! Come see what you think.

These beautiful soaps are also available on the Haute Beauty Guide website for shipping or local delivery. Haute Beauty Guide is a small, locally-owned business run by Doran, a licensed esthetician and mother of a lively toddler.

"Be kind." Now there's a phrase that's useful to remember at all times, particularly the one we're living in right now. Grace Lifestyle Boutique has just restocked their supply of these stylish "be kind" t-shirts, graced with drawings of hands that spell out the words in American Sign Language. Grace now has sizes S, M, and L available for $35 each. And when you buy one, you're supporting a small, locally-owned business.

Grace Lifestyle Boutique is located at 459 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Looking for a funny little gift for a friend or a way to make yourself smile every morning? Casual Island has received a fresh supply of humorous refrigerator magnets! Just put on your face mask and stop by our shop at 261 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. (Need a new cloth face mask? We have lots of those for sale, too!) We love to make you smile, even if we only get to see the edges of your eyes crinkle up when you do it.

Congratulations to Code Ninjas' junior varsity e-sports team for winning the XP Youth League National Finals last weekend! That's right, folks, the Monterey Whales JV Team upset the first seed in the first round of the playoffs and made an amazing underdog comeback, winning in the final round of their national Overwatch e-sports league on Saturday, July 25.

Code Ninjas Monterey is holding their next free Overwatch e-sports league tryouts for the Monterey Bay Whales fall season team on August 15 and 22, 2pm-5pm. It's a great opportunity for children ages 8-14 with a passion for fun, friendly, and cooperative gaming. No prior experience is necessary. The season lasts 8 weeks, followed by a 2-week playoff. HP-Omen Gaming Laptops are provided. Teams will be coached by Julian Torres and Bogdan Grots.

Code Ninjas is located at 469 Pacific Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Creativity Based Learning Program at Play Full Ground

Posted on July 27th, 2020 by PlayFullGround

It’s often chaotic, messy, and frustrating at the beginning of a project because we don’t know exactly how to make fresh ideas into reality. But every time we do a project, we learn something new, experience the unexpected, and feel good at the end. That’s why it’s worth working on it!

If you are hesitant to start making your ideas come true, please contact Mai Ryuno at Play Full Ground about her Creativity Based Learning Program, which provides guidance and support on your creative journey and teaches creative problem solving. Let Mai help you find a change of perspective and discover your potential along the way.

Nacho Bizness Tees, Hoodies & Hats

Posted on July 27th, 2020 by Nacho Bizness

Nacho Bizness 2.0 is coming... But for now you can purchase tees, hoodies, and caps to support your favorite nacho joint on the Monterey Peninsula and rep your spot!

At our online store, we're selling fitted men's and women's short sleeve tees and a unisex hooded sweatshirt with the Nacho Bizness logo, plus beanies, flat-billed caps, and zip-up hoodies. Get yours today!

On The Beach Surf Shop, located at 693 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, is carrying Barefoot's Hawaiian print face masks! These masks have three layers - two layers of Hawaiian print fabric and one layer of pellon lining - with elastic ear bands for comfort and ease of fit.

On The Beach is all about spreading aloha not germs. We want OTB families to be safe and live with aloha! Stop by the shop and pick up your mask.

There's one weekend left in the "Beauty Round" of the Downtown Campbell Survival Project Prize Drawings. You have until the end of the day on Sunday, August 2nd to enter the July drawings to win one of five great prizes that you can take advantage of once beauty salons are allowed to re-open again.

The main prize for the July drawings is 3 hours of Electrolysis Hair Removal from All Bodies Welcome Hair Removal ($360 value) and we have four runner up prizes of $50 gift certificates for services at Ritual Day Spa. See our July Survival Project Contest Post for more details.

Starting this week on Tuesday, July 28th E. Campbell Ave. in Downtown Campbell will be closed in the east-west direction to through traffic to open up additional outdoor space for socially distanced outdoor dining and shopping (but remember to wear your masks). You'll have more opportunities to support Downtown Campbell businesses and win a nice beauty prize for yourself.

The cross-streets to E. Campbell Ave. will not be closed and will remain open for people who want to continue taking advantage of takeout and curbside pick-up.

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