If you’re the type of person who waits until the last minute to purchase holiday gifts, this is the year for you. Holiday retail sales are down significantly, placing many retailers in serious trouble of going out of business. In fact, there’s a list floating around the web of large retail outlets that are on their way out within the first few months of 2009.  We recommend searching for that list and steering clear of purchasing any gift cards from those stores, as they will be worthless.  For obvious reasons, we’re not going to post it here.

With retailers taking a huge hit this holiday season, many have decided to remain open for 24 hours in an attempt to grab every last available dollar from a consumer.  This year, the consumer is truly empowered to get a great deal.  If you go late (2:00 am), don’t plan on many people being there.  It’s your prime opportunity to get the deal of a lifetime.  We’ve already heard stories of people getting huge discounts just because they were the only ones there.

These opportunities will be available at retailers large and small, from clothing to electronics.  The key is to ignore the sticker price.  When you get to the cashier, ask for a better price or a bigger discount.  Chances are they’ll give you the discount.  

Retailers are in a tough spot now because they need to eliminate inventory in preparation for what’s coming in next month (Spring items).

And if you thought Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) was big, just wait until after Christmas. Retailers basically have one week to “make it happen” for their bottom line.  This will be the week between Christmas and New Years.  All forecasts point to a dismal retail year for 2009 so this is their last chance, take advantage of it!

After you save all that extra money from distraught retailers (and if you have kids), save more by opting for a day at John’s Incredible Pizza Company in Stockton.  The food is all-you-can-eat plus it’s indoors, which is one of our favorite things about John’s.  Here’s what else we love:

*  You’re not going to run out of space or things to do here.  John’s is easily the largest indoor fun place for kids anywhere.

*  Yes, these are real indoor rides for kids, like the twister that spins you around at what feels like several hundred miles per hour and the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen.

*  Fun and interactive video and other games

*  Multiple dining rooms each with their own theme.  Themes range from sports to cartoons and each is easily the size of a restaurant.

*  The reason for multiple dining rooms would be the all-you-can-eat-buffet.  The buffet ties the rides for our favorite part of John’s.  Simply said they have more pizza flavors than you can imagine, tons of pasta variations and a fantastic salad bar for those seeking something a little lighter.  Of course if you dine on the salad bar you’ll have room for the all-you-can-eat dessert section.

John’s Incredible Pizza
4555 N. Pershing Ave. 
Stockton, CA 95207 
(209) 954-1111 

Get Directions

John’s Incredible Pizza
4555 N. Pershing Ave. 
Stockton, CA 95207 
(209) 954-1111 

Fun Bumper Cars

Wildfires burned recently in a number of California counties.  The sky is filled with burnt orange clouds of smoke, making it quite difficult to breathe.  Our plans to play outside at the park today were halted by concerns that the air quality was unhealthy.  Instead, we stayed inside and tried to keep the kids occupied.  For more information on air quality index, visit http://airnow.gov/.  The website also has great advice for protecting yours and your family’s health, including monitoring the AQI (Air Quality Index), staying indoors when the air is obviously smoky, running the air conditioner, and keeping particle levels lower (gas burning devices, vacuum, etc). 

Sometimes it’s difficult to keep the kids from singing the boredom blues.  Playing board games, building with blocks or Lincoln logs, and doing arts and crafts are all great ways to entertain the kids.  Despite our best efforts, the kids get antsy and need their outdoor run around time.  So, when cabin fever sets in and you all need to get out and do something fun with the family, it’s time for a change of scenery.  Just remember to stay indoors where it is air-conditioned.  

John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is a sure-fire way to put out boredom and ignite some fun!  Parents will enjoy the convenience of the all-you-can-eat buffet that afford them a break from cooking and clean-up.  Everyone will enjoy the food, ranging from a fresh salad bar, baked potato station, pastas and rice, and a wide array of pizza choices.  You can even special order your favorite, just fill out a special order form at the pizza counter.  John’s even offers chicken tenders and fries for your pickier eaters at an additional cost.  When you’re done eating and enjoying the many themed dining rooms, head over to the Fun World side of John’s Pizza and your kids will forget that they were ever bored!  And you’ll feel good knowing they’re having some playtime without risking the effects of unhealthy air quality levels outdoors.

We visit John’s Incredible Pizza often, here’s why:

1. John’s Incredible Pizza is giant! You’re not going to run out of space or fun things to do here. John’s is easily the largest indoor play area for kids (or adults) anywhere. Now you can even take an interactive look at what a typical John’s Pizza is like on the inside. If you’ve never been to a John’s Pizza, you’ll be surprised.

2. John’s has many indoor rides and games. These are real indoor rides for kids including the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen anywhere.

3. They have interactive and fun video and other games

4. Multiple themed dining rooms. Themes range from music videos to cartoons, each is easily the size of a standard restaurant.

5. There is great need for multiple dining rooms due to the all-you-can-eat-buffet. The buffet ties the rides for our favorite part of John’s. Simply said John’s has more pizza flavors than you can imagine, tons of pasta variations and a fantastic salad bar for those seeking a lighter fare. Of course if you dine on the salad bar you’ll have room for the all-you-can-eat dessert section too, which includes soft-serve ice cream, cakes, cookies and more.

John’s Incredible Pizza has many locations, which can be seen here.

We visit the Stockton location:

John’s Incredible Pizza
4555 N. Pershing Ave. 
Stockton, CA 95207 
(209) 954-1111 

Get Directions

Community Pick: Things to do on a hot day for kids in Stockton, CA

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
4555 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA 92507
(209) 954-1111

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I love summer. School is out and the days are longer. We swim a lot and go on evening walks. The kids are participating in the summer reading program through the city public library and we’ve signed up for various kids activities in Stockton to keep the kids engaged throughout the summer. Still, it’s difficult to get outside during peak hours of the day when the sun is high and the temperature is unbearable. Especially with another 100+ degree heat wave coming. The kids need to get out, and to be honest, I get a serious case of cabin fever some days too.

I’m always on the lookout for fun things to do with the kids in Stockton. Staying fairly close to home is important to me because of ever-increasing gas prices. And since we’re not planning a vacation this year, we want to make sure the kids don’t get bored and have some good experiences and create some lasting memories to share when school starts.

The city of Stockton offers a wide variety of family activities, such as day camps, Summer Discovery Camp, Children’s Museum and more. Be sure to check out their website for more information and dates.

Even with all of these great and some free activities, we need to get out of the heat and find something fun to do indoors where it is cool. With another heat wave coming, we’re looking for an indoor retreat from the heat. When the kids were younger we loved taking them to Chuck E Cheese. That would be more fun for our youngest, but the 7 and 6 year olds need something more geared to their age group. Scandia and Boomers are also fun places to go, but many of their rides and activities are outside in all that heat.

We have found a place that has something to suit each age group and all of it is indoors. John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is a welcome alternative and has everything you need for a fun day out. You can even make a daycation out of it. Pretty much all you’ll need to bring are the kids. John’s has a wide variety of food to eat and activities that will engage kids of all ages (Moms and Dads, too). Even their amusement park style rides are indoors! Some of the rides are geared toward smaller children, so your toddler can be included.

Here’s what we love about John’s Incredible Pizza:

The Food: We’ll say this is the best food set up for kids and adults anywhere. John’s offers and all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts. For each category they offer many toppings, flavors, combinations and choices. The kitchen is constantly bringing out hot pizza while replenishing the salad and pasta bar. Beverages are all-you-can-drink with an additional cost of $1-2.

The Fun: John’s is unique in that it is completely indoors but offers the fun of outdoor style rides and things to do. Our two favorite traditional rides are the tea-cups and the bumper cars. We mix up the ride fun by playing video and other games. The great part is when the kids get hungry from all the play, you just walk back over to the food side and fill up again. This is one reason why John’s is perfect as an all-day activity for the kids.

A Break for the Parents: John’s is a very active environment, but they still offer quiet seating for dining in their multiple themed rooms. The themes range from cartoons to music videos and one with a more log cabin feel, which is intended to be the most quiet of the bunch. They also offer beer and wine with a 2 drink limit.

If you’ve never been to a John’s it’s probably hard to imagine what it looks like inside. You can go here and take a look.

John’s Incredible Pizza has 8 great locations: Bakersfield, Buena Park (coming soon), Fresno, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, and Stockton. You can view maps to each location here.

Community Pick: Things to do on a hot day for kids in Stockton, CA

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
4555 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA 92507
(209) 954-1111

Sign up for email club
Virtual Tour Sweepstakes

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