Weekly Round-up of Research Studies from PRC!

PRC aka iOpinion is a nationwide research study company. They are always running studies and looking for more respondents. They send me an email once a week with online studies they are looking to fill. Here are just a few:

 

Company Catering Study
Incentive: $200
Who: Decision Makers of Catering Orders for their company
Location: Online
Duration: 90 minutes
Date(s): June 26th-30th, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NM8BVQN

Business Accounting Software
Incentive: $275
Who: Adults, 18 and older
Location: Online Individual Session via Zoom
Duration: 5 mins pre-call / 60 minutes
Date(s): June 26 – July 11, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TLPXXBZ

Cancer Study
Incentive: $175 Digital Incentive
Who: Nationwide Residents
Location: Online via Webcam; from the comfort of your home
Duration: 45-minute webcam interview
Date(s): June 2023
**Proof of condition required**
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://forms.gle/a7VQrBpxx7tmDfKd7

Wound Care (Patients & Caregivers)
Incentive: $300 (both Patient & Caregiver must be present)
Who: Adults- 18-70 years of age
Location: From the comfort of your home
Duration: 60-minutes + Homework
Date: June 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WoundPRCCare

Careers/ Career Paths
Incentive: $250
Who: Participants ages 19-39
Location: Webcam
Duration: 60-minute Interview + 60-minute Homework
Date(s): July 5th-13th, 2023
Time(s): At various times
*You MUST have a working webcam on your desktop or laptop to participate in this study. You CANNOT participate using a tablet, I-pad, or camera feature on your smartphone.
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YW9R2HL

Friday Freebies and Deals!

School’s out for us next week and we are looking forward to summer break!

Looking for some frugal fun this summer? Check out my post here on frugal swim lessons, and my post here on summer reading programs.

The 2023 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

There are some pretty sweet freebies this week- Let’s Dive In!

Freebies:

Free 4-Pack of PLEZI Kids Juice Drink
Free Bowery Farming Zero Pesticide Salad Kits
Free Products & Swag with Chobani Fan Club
Free Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
Free Can of Wild Planet Skipjack Wild Tuna
Free Kids’ Fishing Event at Cabelas & Bass Pro Shops
Free Redbox Movie Rental
Free 4-Pack Kemps Smooth Cottage Cheese at Walmart
Free Skittles Zero Sugar Singles-to-Go Powdered Drink Mix
Free 10ft Lightning to USB Charger for iPhone/iPad/iPod Products
Free Bottle of OPTI-FREE PureMoist Drops
Free Ithaca Hummus
Free Member’s Mark Better Nut Bar at Sam’s
Free Mayawell Prebiotic Soda After Rebate
Free Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer Sample
Free 15-Day Riversol Skincare Kit
Free Aura Bora Sparkling Water After Rebate
Free Friendship Bracelets Craft Event at Michaels
Free Dude Wipes at Sam’s
Free Air Wick Scented Oil Warmer at Giant Eagle
Free Lawn Mower Photo Holder Build Kit at Lowe’s
Free Sample of Skinworks 30% Vitamin C Serum Capsules
Free Sample of Eve Lom Iconic 5-in-1 Cleanser
Old Orchard Fan Club – Earn Free Juice, Gifts & More
Free Smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
National Outlet Shopping Day – Free Gifts, Prizes & More
New Free Samples from Sampler
Free Stand Mixer
Free Pride Has a Story Sticker

Deals:

Fenty Beauty Longwear Liquid Foundation ONLY $13.65 (Reg $28)
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Mophie Portable Battery Car Jump Starter ONLY $34.99 (Reg $100)
Mini Wallet Card Holder Coin Purse ONLY $11.99 (Reg $40)
Treasures of the Vault Disney Baloo Plush ONLY $13.44 (Reg $30)
Rainbow Pool Float Chair w/ 2 Cup Holders ONLY $13.99 (Reg $40)
Kate Spade Carson Convertible Crossbody ONLY $65 (Reg $299)
Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set ONLY $99 (Reg $207)
Sauder Furniture up to 75% Off
Nike 50% Off Sale + Extra 20% Off Coupon Code for Members
Coach NEW Clearance – $75 Purses, $20 Wristlets with 80% Savings
Jimmy Choo Man Eau de Toilette ONLY $39.20 (Reg $95)
Old Navy up to 80% Off Clearance + Extra 30% Off Coupon
Father’s Day Gifts Under $25 at Kohl’s
Crocs Extra 50% off Clearance Sale
Mens Nike Slides as low as $24
Kohl’s Father’s Day Gift Sale – 50% Off Shoes, Clothes & More
Sneaker Sale – Under Armour, Adidas, New Balance & More
KidKraft Deluxe Wooden Workbench ONLY $33.19 (Reg $79.99)
Rolling Kitchen Island Microwave Cart ONLY $108 (Reg $150)
Coach Zip Wristlet With Coach Monogram Print ONLY $22 (Reg $88)
Target Toy Shopping Cart Only $19.99
Michael Kors Watch and Heart Bracelet ONLY $149 (Reg $350)
Febreze Odor-Eliminating Fade Defy Plug ONLY $0.99 (Reg $4.29)
Toyota Tacoma Ride on Car ONLY $179.99 (Reg $399.99)

Looking for Swim Lessons for the Kids- 2023 Edition

Summer is here, or will be soon. The kids need to brush up on their skills-I can’t be the only parent looking for information on swim lessons and getting kids’ water ready.

My usual go-to is the swim lessons held at our local high school district, Grossmont Unified High School District. They have lessons for kids ages 3 and up. Schedules and pricing can be seen here.

The City of San Diego has private, semi-private, and group swim lessons at several of its pools. The prices are pretty decent. The prices and more info can be found here.

If you live in El Cajon, you’ve got some really excellent swim lesson options. Visit the Rec Center online here and take a look at all of the classes. Anyone can take classes, but El Cajon residents (of the incorporated city) can get killer discounts.

The Kroc Center offers swim lessons. Information can be found here.

The YMCA offers swim lessons at many of its facilities. Currently, they are offering private/semi-private lessons only. You do not need to be a YMCA member to take lessons there, however, the rate is cheaper if you are. The list of San Diego, CA area YMCAs that offer swim lessons can be found here.

I also did some digging for parents of kids on the Autism Spectrum. Aqua Pros offers classes specially designed for kids on the spectrum! More information and class prices can be found on their website.

These are just a few of the options available. There are of course private swim instructors and private companies that offer private or small group lessons. The ones listed above are for more of the price-conscious in mind.

Talk Back: If you or your kids have had great swim lessons, leave a comment and let us know where! The more options, the better!

2023 Summer Reading Programs (Free!)

There are 6 days of school left for my kids, and maybe your’s too.  And you know what that means- keeping kids occupied so we don’t have to hear choruses of, “I’M BORED!” And how do we do that?

Around these parts, both kids go to summer school, but we also take advantage of free and low-cost summer programs. One of my favorites is the Summer Reading Programs that are sponsored by both the City of San Diego Library system, but also the County of San Diego Library system.

The City of San Diego Summer Reading Program started June 1st. You can find out more details here.

The County of San Diego Library summer reading program started June 1st. They have all sorts of prizes for kids and adults.

If you want your family to experience a multicultural world through reading, I  recommend PJ Library.  PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through 12 years old.

My kids love learning about faraway places and experiences different from their own. The PJ library books have opened their eyes to new holidays, customs, and ways of life.

Read Conmigo provides free books for kids by mail in Spanish and English to children ages preschool to fifth grade. They are only available to kids in CA, TX, and Florida. We used to receive the books, and they are ok, but my kids aren’t interested in learning Spanish.

Barnes and Noble have a summer reading program starting July 1st. More info here.

Dolly Parton has established the Imagination Library, it is available in select regions (sadly not available in San Diego California), and those who live in participating areas can receive one book for their kids every month via mail.

Book It has a summer program called Camp Book it, where kids can read, and earn free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut! Book It is the FAVORITE reading program in my house. parents can enroll their kids for the summer!

And if you haven’t done it yet, don’t forget to sign your kids up for the 2023-2024 school year Book It program. Teachers can sign their classes up too!

 

Talk Back: If you know of any other reading programs in the San Diego/Southern California area, please leave a comment!

San Diego, CA-Upcoming Dream Dinners Cooking Class!

This landed in my inbox last night, and I thought I’d share it. With Summer Break coming up, I’ll be leaning on Dream Dinners a few times a week to get us through the summer for those days we are busy.

I don’t get paid when school is out (surprise- teachers and school staff don’t draw a paycheck over the summer months unless they work summer school or opt to spread their paychecks out over 12 months- and some districts don’t offer this), so I really need to be cost-conscious over the summer. Dream Dinners is a great way to have restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of our home for 50% (or more) savings compared to restaurant prices.

And the June Dream Dinners Menu has a bunch of my family’s favorites- Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with White Rice (my fav), and Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake (The kids’ fav) were the top two on my list.

FREE* Dream Dinners Cooking Class

Thursday, June 8th at 5:30

Learn how easy it can be to make Dream Dinners at home. During the class learn how to prepare quick, easy healthy, and delicious meals. In this class, you will learn basic cooking skills you can use to make all types of different meals at home. Save time, save money, and have fun!!

This Month’s Featured Entrée will be the Nashville Chicken served with Summer Grilled Veggies.

Sign up for June 8th Class Here

Call/Text 619-460-6800 for more information. La Mesa Dream Dinners will begin offering a series of cooking classes each month. To stay up to date on our classes, go to lamesadreamdinners.com.

 

* No Fee for class, Minimum Purchase required – 3 meals.

Weekend Freebie Round-Up!

We’ve got less than 2 weeks until Summer Break.

The 2023 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

There are some pretty sweet freebies this week- Let’s Dive In!

 

Freebies:

Free Cool Beans Frozen Wrap
Sephora – Free Mini Set or Bonus Points for Your Birthday
Free Full-Size Pack of Saba Pads or Liners (Cali & Texas)
Free Sour Patch Kids at Select Stores
2 Free ILIA Skincare Products
Free Pride Month Painting Craft Event at Michaels
Free Haven’s Kitchen Sauces After Rebate
Possible Free Marlboro Gardening Work Gloves
Free 32 oz. ICEE at AMC Theatres
4 Free L’Oreal Samples
Free SimplyV Plant-Based Cream Cheese after Rebate
Free Pain Relief Patch
Free Lansinoh Soothies C-Section Recovery Pads
Free Custom Fido Alert Pet ID Tags
Free Partake Foods Gluten Free Vegan Cookies
Free Basket Air Fryer
Free THIS PKN Pecanmilk
Ulta – Free Lancome Advanced Night Cream for Your Birthday
Free Captain Carly’s Energy Shot
Free Convection Bread Maker
Free Kroger Pads Sample Pack
Free Colormates Lipstick & Lipliner Pencil
Free 4-Pack of BobaBam After Rebate
Free Kindleaf Maeng Da Green Kratom Sample
Free Orchard Valley Harvest Snacking Nuts at Jewel-Osco
Free Beyond Meat Fourth of July Party Pack
Free Custom Tabby Alert Pet ID Tags
Free Rise Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
Free Back to the Roots Premium Organic Soil
Free Liquid Exfoliator
Free The Bear & The Rat Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats
Free Starburst Zero Sugar Singles-To-Go Powdered Drink Mix
Free Screening of The Flash – Select States
Free American Prairie Wildflower Seed Pack
Free Black Box Wines Hat, Wine Glasses & More
Free Haven’s Kitchen Fresh Sauce
Free Museum Admission – Bank of America/Merril Lynch Cardholders
Free Eye Drops

Deals

Mayview 4pc Rattan Outdoor Patio Set ONLY $149 (Reg $227.68)
Bliss Hammocks Beach Tent ONLY $31.49 (Reg $125)
Toddler & Girls Fisherman Jelly Sandals ONLY $9.22 (Reg $18.99)
Karma’s World Toy Playset with Doll ONLY $12 (Reg $70)
Hart 20-Volt Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit ONLY $149 (Reg $298)
Fisher-Price Patient and Doctor Kit ONLY $10.50 (Reg $24.99)
KidKraft Deluxe Workbench Tools Play Set ONLY $33.19 (Reg $83)
KidKraft Toys up to 66% Off

DIY Gift Bags-Frugal and Reusable!

Every year I look for a new way to save money. And over the past few years, it’s been harder and harder to come up with new ways to save money. And I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but now I’ve got some free time, and Dollar Tree has some really cute fat quarters of fabric (that’s an 18×21 or 22-inch piece of typically cotton fabric). Over the winter holidays, I was watching TikTok and one of my faves creators, Domestic Blisters, had posted that instead of going the route of buying boxes and wrapping paper or paper gift bags, she was going to create a set of cloth reusable gift bags for her families gifts.

I love this idea, and honestly, I don’t know why I had never thought of it before. We are huge re-users of gift bags to the point where they’re mostly tape. And, a lot of our out-of-state/out-of-area relatives send us gifts from Amazon that come in reusable cloth Amazon bags.

We reuse those bags until they fall apart. And in the past, we have had 10 to 20, although in recent years we had started to cycle out ones that were falling apart or just weren’t in great shape.

So on a cold and rainy afternoon, I pulled my box of fabric out of the closet and set to go through it. I have recently acquired a pretty good selection of quilting fat quarters and smaller (left the yard) pieces of various weights of cotton. I squared off all the pieces so there were no round edges or strange shapes, and set to making some gift bags. We will primarily use these for Christmas, but, I wanted them to be used all year so I did not specifically make them Christmas or winter-holiday-themed. And because I used what fabrics I had on hand, they are lots of different colors and prints.

If you have basic sewing skills and can sew a square or rectangle, this is an easy project for you.

Items needed:

  • Fabric: If you are using fat quarters, you will need two pieces- one for the front and one for the back. I used a lot of 1/2 yard pieces- and I folded those in half. Cotton or cotton blend works best.
  • Pins: To pin together your project.
  • Safety Pin: To guide your string/ribbon/yarn through the casing.
  • String/Ribbon/Yarn: about 2 feet-ish (24-ish inches) per bag. You want enough where you can open the bag all the way and have enough to come out of the opening.

You’re basically just making a pillowcase, and on the top of the bag (or on the side of the pillowcase where you would leave it open to put the pillow in), you fold over the raw edge and make a tiny casing.

I fold my raw edge over twice to make sure the inside is nice looking. I frequently use my decorative stitches on the casing to make it a little extra festive.

Make sure to leave a little gap so that you can put ribbon or yarn all the way through to make a drawstring pouch.

We’ve already used some of these bags for my birthday, and my son’s birthday.

1 gift bag can cost upwards of $5, and if it isn’t opened carefully, it can be torn and then trashed. These bags cost about $2 to make (or less if you shop sales for fabric or reuse clothes that are stained or otherwise cannot be handed down. Make sure to cut around stains!) and can be reused for years. Spools of Ribbon can be picked up for less than $2/roll at Michaels, and they frequently have coupons!

So there you have it. In a few hours, you can have your own stack of reusable gift bags!

Weekly Round-up of Research Studies from PRC!

PRC aka iOpinion is a nationwide research study company. They are always running studies and looking for more respondents. They send me an email once a week with online studies they are looking to fill. Here are just a few:

Topic: Benefits Managers (*Proof of occupation will be required)
Incentive: $225
Who: Males and Females Aged 25-65
Location: Webcam Interview via Zoom
Duration: 45 minutes
Date(s): June 8th-16th, 2023
Time(s): At various times

*You MUST have a working webcam on your desktop or laptop to participate in this study. You CANNOT participate using a tablet, I-pad, or the camera feature on your smartphone.

This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.

Take Survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2PTYPW3

Topic: Household Purchases
Incentive: $175
Who: Adults 18+
Location: Online Activities (downloading app required)
Duration: 2 days activities/60 minutes per day
Date(s): June 20 & 21, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.

Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HouseholdPurchases

Topic: Sexual Health
Incentive: $125 – $150 Digital Incentive
Who: Nationwide Males
Duration: 45-90 minute on-site interview
When: June 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.

Take Survey >> https://forms.gle/fXLNRANSpNyfBCAw6

Topic: Electric Vehicle Study
Incentive: $300 – $700 PayPal
Who: NJ & Chicago Residents
Duration: 7-day Driving Journal & 2-hour in-home interview
Date(s): June – July 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.

Take Survey >> https://forms.gle/4WQP1KyTcWujd24F7

Recipe: Honey chipotle chicken thighs

This is a recipe I recently made. I wanted chipotle chicken but with veggies and sauce.

I looked online for a recipe, however, there was nothing that fit the bill. I headed to the kitchen and started cooking.

This meal turned out AMAZING.

Chipotle Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Chipotle sauce from a small tin of adobo pepper in chipotle sauce
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 3T. Hot honey
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large bell peppers or 3 medium bell peppers, cleaned and sliced into bite-sized pieces 
  • Dash cumin
  • Dash salt and pepper
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2T. Corn starch
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions:

  1. In a crockpot, combine all ingredients but corn starch and water.
  2. Cook on low for 5 hours, or high for 3 hours.
  3. Strain sauce into a saucepan, and heat over medium until boiling. While sauce is heating, mix water and corn starch and slowly pour into boiling sauce. Stir until thickened, add back into meat and veggies.

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas. 

If you want extra smokiness, chop 1-2 chipotle peppers and add to the sauce while it thickens on the stovetop. 

This freezes well as well- If you have leftovers.

Spring Cleaning and Organization with Dollar Tree

Over Spring Break we had guests. While our house is clean, it was definitely disorganized. I had reorganized the pantry and kitchen drawers not long ago, so it was my mission to organize some of the other areas of our home including the kids’ rooms, the front bathroom, and the living room.

The wallpaper I chose.

I headed over to Dollar Tree to grab some organizational items. If you haven’t checked out Dollar Tree lately, they have a great selection of baskets, totes, and boxes with lids to help with organizing your space.

I also checked out their peel-and-stick wallpaper to do some DIY bathroom decor.

I picked up a few square frames, removed the artwork, covered it with the peel and stick, and placed it back into the frames. It took less than ten minutes and it was super easy. The best part: they look really cute.

To make our bathroom countertop look a little nicer, after scrubbing it, I put down an edged mirror (also from Dollar Tree) and placed 6 battery-powered faux candles in different sizes on the mirror. 

I also bought a small two-drawer container to corral all of my hair ties and for Qtips. I decorated the top with decals meant for a glass jar. I think it turned out great.

I placed a basket on top of the toilet tank and filled it with an extra roll of toilet paper, wipes, and new washcloths. I scrubbed out the shower, placed down a shower mat (from Ross), and restocked the front bathroom shower with shampoo, conditioner, 2 body washes, a new pouf, a new back scrub brush, exfoliating gloves, and my absolute favorite body scrub from Tree Hut: Moroccan Rose (which does not smell like roses). I also spent time organizing the HBA stockpile under the front bathroom sink, condensing boxes, and half-filled bottles, and removing unnecessary packaging to make storage easier. I also went through the first aid kit and discarded all of the old, expired meds, ointments, and bandages that are no longer adhesive.

The kids love to draw and there are pencils and pens all over the house. I picked up a three-pack of small baskets and placed 2 of them on the kitchen tables, filling one with pencils, and the second one with ballpoint pens. Hopefully that will solve the “MOOOOOOM, where are the pencils???” Quandary.

Heading into the kids’ rooms, I reorganized Margaret’s room with a few baskets and plastic boxes with lids. The headband/hairbow situation had gotten out of hand, but it was easily wrangled with a plastic box with a lid. Now everything is all in one place. Same with underwear and socks. Separated into two baskets and stored on top of her dresser, which has been upgraded and moved into her larger closet. Yes, her room has two closets- one is very small, and basically is only used to hold clothes that need to be hung up. 

Back in the living room, I needed better storage options for our fidget/stim basket and masks. I upgraded to black woven baskets. We still have masks at home (for use when we go to crowded places or when we are feeling under the weather and need to leave home- Target Drive up, anyone?). These weren’t from Dollar Tree, but Dollar Tree Plus and Family Dollar both sell them. And yes, that’s a plastic shoe box with a lid from Dollar Tree next to them- Full of crayons.

So that’s how I spent the 1st three days of my Spring Break. Getting my home organized- It has made finding things a lot easier.