Santana High School

As a recent Santana High graduate I think the school is super. A majority of the teachers are very helpful and want their students to be successful. All of the teachers have hours after school where students can come in and get extra help. The campus isn't very big however, and it lacks tables to eat lunch at- most students end up sitting on the ground to eat, or at least did when I was there two years ago. The school is still pretty good and the excellent faculty is worth being a little uncomfortable on lunch break!

Boyd Anderson Studio

I got my senior photos done at the Boyd Anderson Studio and the photographer was very friendly. They took many shots to ensure that a good photo was taken. I was able to view my proofs online and their package prices were pretty reasonable. For our yearbooks they did "touch-ups" on the photos by removing unsightly facial blemishes and whitening teeth. These touch-ups looked very natural unlike some photos where the edits look to obvious and distracting. I would definetly consider using Boyd Anderson for photos in the future such as family portraits.

Sharp Grossmont Hospital

I delivered my daughter here almost two weeks ago and my experience could have been a lot better. Upstairs, the labor and delivery area nurses were great, the staff was friendly and the labor suite was very nice and spacious. Once I had delivered and was moved downstairs to the recovery area, I felt like the "service" started to decline. I didn't ask for much of the staff there and I know nurses have other patients however it felt like I had to ask for something many times before it came, and this was with multiple nurse shifts, not just one person.

After we were I was told by our nurse that she was going to go get me some ice packs, a sitz bath, and a breast pump. 2 hours later we hadn't seen her return. I pushed the call button and was told that they would let our nurse know right away. About another hour passed and my "goodies" still hadn't shown up! I finally asked the woman who was coming in every hour to check my vitals about it and she was able to get me one ice pack and a sitz bath.

Many of our nurses were friendly, it just seems like they all lost track of time. The food was alright, some of it looked really disgusting but on the other hand some of it was delicious.

Dog Woofstock Party

I've been to the Canine Sports Center twice for Pug Rescue Christmas Parties. While I didn't go to specificaly use the agility equipment- and I have no idea how some of it works- it was fun for my dogs to visit and they had a lot of fun. There are different types of ramps for dogs to fun up and down, a hoop, a tunnel, and a few other things. There's also an open grassy space for running room as well. While our pug isn't very agile, he had a lot of fun.

Value Craft

Value Craft does have some good values but most of their "values" are not really that big of a value. The store is pretty big and easy to get confused in. There selection is nothing special although they do have a lot more scrapbook stickers than other craft stores. Everytime I've gone there was only one line open and many people waiting.

It's a nice craft store if you need craft supplies, but it's not worth a special trip to visit if you arn't already going to be in the area.

Two Sisters and Ewe

Two Sisters & Ewe is a pretty small little shop but it's not cluttered like some small stores. They mostly sell yarn but they also have books, and knitting supplies. The yarn they sell is a bit on the expensive side but it is the specialty yarn and high quality brands. They also have already made projects- mostly scarves- with tags that show which yarns were used so you can make your own at home. A big plus to this is seeing how certain yarns look when they are knittied up.

I took a beginning knitters class there and the class size was small- about 4 other ladies. The woman instructing us was very friendly and worked hard to make sure everyone understood. We only learned the basic knitting stitch and the purl stitch, but I'm a slow learner so that's fine with me. They also give you a little card so if you take 5 classes, you get the sixth free.

Everytime I visit the shop I find something new and exciting. This store definetly sets itself apart from other stores.

Pet Works

Often times when walking around the Grossmont Center shopping mall you will see people walking pooches around the mall. Petworks in the mall offers the opportunity for people to be "Puppy Walkers" and walk the dogs from the store. I myself have never been a puppy walker but from my understanding you need to leave your drivers license number with them so you can't steal the dog. It's nice that the dogs here can get some exercise as opposed to being in a cage until they are purchased. PetWorks also has little stalls where you can play with a puppy and see their personality before purchasing them.

They sell some items- toys, snacks, leashes- but their prices seem a little high compared to other places. It's still a great place to purchase a puppy or even stop by to walk one.

Prevue Formal & Bridal

I bought my prom dress from PreVue and they had a nice selection of dresses compared to the department stores and other shops in the malls I looked at. The dresses are sorted on the rack by color and while they have many different styles and colors to choose from, it's not always easy to find one in the size you want. It's pretty dissapointing to find "the dress" only to realize they don't have your size. After much looking I managed to find a dress I really liked in my size. It was about $140 which I think was a bit pricey since it wasn't that fancy, however I really liked it and senior prom only happens once.

Prevue offers an "exclusive dress policy" which they proudly advertise in fliers and outside their store. They say they won't sell the same dress twice for the same event. While this can have it's upsides I would be pretty hurt if I spent a long time trying to find a dress I liked only to be told I couldn't buy it. In my experience though, I was never asked by the employee what school I went to or what event I was buying the gown for. It makes me question just how much they stand by their policy. Of course, the girl could have been new and simply forgot to ask me what school I belonged to.

Cosgrove, Byron P., DDS

I've been to Dr. Cosgrove's office many, many times for fillings and it's always been as much of an enjoyable experience as getting your teeth drilled on can be. I've always been taken in for appointments on time and was usually out within an hour. He's great at explaining what he's doing and makes sure his patients are comfortable. The assistants who work in his office are also very friendly and attentive. After finding his office, I havn't been nervous about going to the dentist anymore. I would definetly recommend him to anyone who is searching for a good dentist.

Photo Makers Of El Cajon

Photomakers is a great place to get photos done. I personally wouldn't use them for family portraits or other photos where I'd want "professional quality" but rather a place to get pictures done with friends or to hand out to friends. The place is very popular with teens and they have a wallet special where you can get 50 wallets for around $20. They have many different background designs to choose from- hearts, bubbles, flames, stars... After you choose the background you can choose one of many colors they have. With all the different combinations of designs and colors there are many different background choices.

In my experience, I've gotten photos done there 4 or 5 times, their pictures arn't sharp. They seem to almost have a slight blur or softness to them, but it looks really nice not out of focus or low quality. I've been very happy every time I've gotten photos done there and would definetly do it again!