The Blog

Gear Up for 4 Weeks of Great Giveaways!

If you like winning prizes and sharing with friends, then you’re in luck! Starting today, Friday, March 25, Valencia will kick off 4 Weeks of Great Giveaways, a virtual Awesometown share-a-thon with cool weekly prizes! So how can you enter to win? It’s quite simple.

To put yourself in the running for any of our weekly giveaways, all you have to do is share the latest giveaway announcement. Simply “Like” us on Facebook, find the giveaway announcement, click share to spread the word to your Facebook friends and, finally, comment on the post to let us know that you have shared the announcement on your personal profile.

Once the giveaway announcement is posted, you only have 24 hours to complete this process.

All winners will be selected at random and announced the day following the giveaway post. If you are among the winning contestants, you will receive a direct message on Facebook notifying you of your win and providing instructions for receiving your giveaway.

So hone your Facebook skills and get ready to share for your chance to win with 4 Weeks of Great Giveaways!

Check back often to get the latest news on Awesometown and be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ValenciaSoCal) or Like us on Facebook for frequent updates.

By John

Posted March 25th, 2011 | 0 Comments

Calling All MOMS!

Are you a new mom or a stay-at-home mom looking for something to do with other moms? Why not check out The MOMS Club right here in Valencia! The MOMS Club is an international organization that was founded in 1983 by California mom Mary James, who wanted to have more daily interaction with adults while she attended to her children.

Today there are over 2,000 chapters in the US alone and over 100,000 members. The MOMS Club also has chapters in Canada, Czech Republic, England, Ghana, Germany, Jordan, Nigeria and Italy. According to www.momsclub.org, the goals of the organization are:

• To provide a support group for mothers who choose to stay at home to raise their children
• To provide a forum for topics of interest to mothers
• To help children in the community
• To perform at least one service project yearly helping needy children

The MOMS of Valencia have formed their own chapter, composed of approximately 35 moms, and they invite you to join too! MOMS Club in Valencia participates in activity days, monthly club meetings, moms’ night out and weekly playgroups in addition to being very active in the Valencia community, helping local charities through a variety of service projects. To get more information about MOMS Club of Valencia North, California, visit www.momsclubvalencianorth.com.

Check back often to get the latest news on Awesometown and be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ValenciaSoCal) or Like us on Facebook for frequent updates.

By John

Posted March 17th, 2011 | 0 Comments

The Cookie Couture

Almost everyone loves homemade cookies! But there’s one brand of cookie that even Oprah can’t resist – The Cookie Couture. Victoria Duvall’s Valencia based bakery is garnering national attention, and after 23 years of baking, it’s no wonder! What started as a hobby has now become a thriving business. The single mother of three infuses her cookies with different ingredients, experimenting with creative tastes from rich and sweet to exotic and fruity!

The business started in her kitchen where she generated a positive reputation amongst her Valencia neighbors. But in 2009 when a friend had Victoria send a batch of cookies to Winfrey’s Chicago office, the business really took off. Before she knew it, Victoria was shipping multiple orders of her cookie creations to Winfrey’s offices and she was soon contacted by a Winfrey representative who stated that her cookies would be featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things on the O List in O Magazine’s October 2009 issue . Shortly after the cookies were featured, Victoria began receiving orders in such great quantities she had to open her own bakery. The 2,000-square-ftoot bakery complete with a shipping department was opened on a leap of faith that the orders would continue, and they certainly did. In October 2010, Victoria branched out even further and opened a retail store in Valencia, where you can purchase the delectable cookies onsite.

The Charme Collection cookies are topped and filled with delicious ingredients. The cupcake-shaped cookies are dipped in chocolate and sold for $3.50 each.


The Charme Collection cookies are topped and filled with delicious ingredients. The cupcake-shaped cookies are dipped in chocolate and sold for $3.50 each.

The Cookie Couture is located at 24201 Newhall Ranch Road, six doors down from California Pizza Kitchen. To order, call (661) 313-4282 or visit www.thecookiecouture.com.

For more on Victoria and The Cookie Couture, LLC, check out Martha Garcia’s article in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.

Check back often to get the latest news on Awesometown and be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ValenciaSoCal) or Like us on Facebook for frequent updates.

By John

Posted March 14th, 2011 | 0 Comments

Spotlight on Valencia Business Owner David Guenther and J. David’s Custom Clothiers

Most businesses are started with the goal of creating a product that offers the public something they need and want to buy. For David Guenther, the purchase of Parker’s Menswear in 1988 was no different. Guenther acquired the store from former owner Larry Parker and renamed the then Santa Clarita Valley business J. David’s Custom Clothiers. Through a number of amazing and lucky opportunities, J. David’s became a successful enterprise serving local residents and celebrities across the nation. Business was booming and Guenther couldn’t have desired greater success.

Then, just three years ago, Guenther suffered a brain aneurism that should have left him mute and paralyzed, if not dead. After hours of grueling surgery, Guenther was miraculously able to make a full recovery without any residual side effects or impediments. During his time in recovery, Howard Durchslag, Westfield vice president of leasing, sought Guenther out and invited him to open his store at the Westfield Valencia Town Center Mall. Guenther agreed.

David Guenther

Now with his new location up and running and a new lease on life, Guenther is seeking to give back to his community for their support of him and his business during these trying times. Guenther has pledged to give 50 out-of-work men suits from his store worth over $1000 a piece. More than that, while Guenther can’t promise jobs to those out of work, he does seek to create a forum for people to submit their resumes with a guarantee they will be reviewed for potential employment opportunities.

Guenther intends to release all information on where to submit resumes and apply for the free men’s suits in the near future. So stay tuned in and keep your eyes and ears on Valencia’s own David Guenther and J. David’s Custom Clothiers.

For the complete story on David Guenther, be sure to check out Noelle Chadbourne’s recent article in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.

Check back often to get the latest news on Awesometown and be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ValenciaSoCal) or “Like” us on Facebook for frequent updates.

By John

Posted March 3rd, 2011 | 0 Comments