Month: February 2020

San Diego STEM Expo 3/7/2020!

Abby H.

unnamed.jpgWe are more of a STEAM house, because you have to have ART, but I’ll let it slide in this case because the San Diego STEM Expo is coming to PetCo Park on 3/7/2020 and it’s going to be an awesome day full of all kinds of cool kid-friendly fun and learning!

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off with its largest event EXPO DAY, a daylong celebration at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10am to 5pm. EXPO DAY is the Festival’s signature event, with more than 130 local businesses, corporations, and organizations providing interactive, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math exhibits and activities to budding K-12 science lovers.

And to make sure that no kiddo is left out of the fun, there will be a PRE-K ZONE!
Location: Between Park at the Park and the Tot Lot.

There will be STEAM activities for children under 5 at EXPO Day! Visit the pre-k zone to excite your tiny future innovators. All activities are for children under 5 years of age. I know that the big kid can’t wait to introduce little sister to the joys of science!

I’m most excited about the fireside chats: A mini version of the TED Talk. Join industry professionals for an engaging 10-15 minute discussion in an intimate setting! Learn about their careers and what sparked them to the world of science, technology, engineering, and math! Following the discussion, there will be time for the audience to participate in extended conversations and Q&A.

We’ll be packing snacks, riding the trolley, and making an entire day of it!

Food Bank Resources in Northern San Diego County

Abby H.

DSCN2469A few years back, I wrote this post, which I update about once a year with information on Food Banks/Food Pantries and food co-ops in San Diego County. Considering san Diego County is larger than some New England states, I decided to dedicate a post purely to North County food resources, as I have been getting requests for those lately. Thanks to my friends Elizabeth, Kate, Yvonne, and Stephanie for assisting me with the research!

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North County Neighborhood Distribution Sites 2020

There are of course the Neighborhood Distribution sites from The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. There are no requirements or proof of need (no ID either).  Just bring a few reusable bags or a cart to carry your food home.

Learn more about Neighborhood Distributions here. The 2020 Calendar of Neighborhood Distributions can be found here.

If you live in Escondido or Oceanside, check out the Interfaith Community Services Website for information on food.

In Encinitas:

  • The Community Resource Center has Bread distribution and other food distributions several times a week. More information can be found here.

In Vista:

  • North County’s Food Bank 1175 Melrose Way, Vista, CA, 92081 (760) 761-1140 The Emergency Food for Individuals program is direct food assistance available to needy individuals. Program is available every first, third and fifth Monday of the month.
  • Food Distribution at Lamb of God Food Bank 1120 Highland Dr, Vista, CA 92083 (760) 458-4655 every Tuesday and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

In San Marcos:

  • Summit Church 292 E. Barham Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 760.471.6267 or office@summitsanmarcos.comArrive: 11:00 am, food distribution: 12:00 p – 1:00 pmSummit hosts a farmers market-style free food outreach 2x per month!
    Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month, they give 25 lbs of food to anyone
    in need in the front parking lot. Everyone is welcome; there are no requirements!

In Ramona:

  • Ramona Food and Clothes Closet Each 3rd Friday of the month, a truck will bring perishable food items like produce to the store for distribution.  You do not need to qualify for this program.   Patrons are asked to line up before 9:00 AM in an orderly fashion and wait their turn.  

    Each person will receive approximately 20-25 pounds of food per family.  It is a first-come, first-serve basis.  You will need to bring your own bags or rolling carts.

Feeding American San Diego has a map on their website of various resources in the San Diego area, many of them require no proof of need or paperwork.

If you have any food resources to share, please leave a comment!

MyPoints: Refer Friends and You Both Earn 300 Points!

Abby H.

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I’ve been using MyPoints since 2011, and I’ve earned a lot of cashback just by doing my normal online shopping through MyPoints.

Right now they are offering a great deal! When you refer a new user, and they earn 300 points, you both get a 300 point bonus. It’s easy to earn 300 points!

I love using MyPoints. I can earn points shopping online and utilizing in-store pick up with stores like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and JCPenney.

  • I ordered new shoes for the big kid yesterday for in-store pick up from JCP and earned 310 points!

There are so many point earning opportunities.

  • We did our taxes using Turbo Tax and clicked through a link to Turbo Tax on Mypoints and earned 1500 points! That’s enough points for a $10 Gift Card!

You can double dip on earning points or cash back by using a point earning credit card like American Express or Discover Cards, or taking advantage of a points program that rewards you for purchases on their website, like JCP Rewards.

I love that I can earn Amazon Gift cards which I use to offset the cost of holiday gifts.

Talk Back: What is your favorite Cashback program?

 

President’s Day 2/17/2020 Free Admission to your Local YMCA!

Abby H.

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Celebrate President’s Day with a fun and healthy Freebie! All YMCAs are free and open to everyone during regular hours, Monday, February 17, 2020. You can enjoy a healthy time at the Y on the holiday, and invite your friends to come along with you!

And bring your kids along to enjoy the fun of Kids Club or Child Watch! There are tons of fun games and activities for kids to enjoy, and the staff is engaged and spends time with the kids. It’s not just glorified babysitting, it’s a fun time for the kids. My littlest begs to go to the Y daily to see her friends and play.

Remember, any time you refer a new member, you can get a month free!

We’ll be there bright and early! Monday is yoga day for me!

Uptown Jungle: Monthly Memberships Available (and a $15 off deal)!

Abby H.

84129633_2726225264134145_3004108003239526400_o.jpgBoth kids love Uptown Jungle, and I do too. It’s Clean, they have free WiFi, and there is an awesome parents area so I can get work done while the kids play. BUT- I do enjoy pelting the little monkeys with foam dodgeballs on the trampoline too.

For us frequent visitors of Uptown Jungle, the monthly membership is a great bargain. Check it out:

If you’ve got 2+ kids, the family membership is the way to go! For the price of four kids 2-hour admissions, you can take the kids to Uptown Jungle as much as you want all month long!

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The parents lounge

And parents play for free! WOO HOO! If you’ve got a friend or family member who has never been to Uptown Jungle, have them utilize the FREE Buddy Pass!

Oh, but check this out- I know y’all love a deal! I’ve partnered with Uptown Jungle, and they are offering my readers a discount! When you buy a membership here, use discount code HEWES15 for $15 off the first month of membership.

We’ve got our membership, and I plan on taking the kids AT LEAST once a week to get the wiggles out. We hope to see some of you there to bounce and play!

 

 

Spice Deals at Penzeys!

Abby H.

I love to cook, and one thing that really elevates recipes and home cooking is quality spices. That’s why I love Penzeys. They sell quality spices and herbs, and the prices are really reasonable. Oh, and they always have really good deals!

No coupons or codes are needed for the good Lemon Pepper and Ginger prices. Those are automatic for everyone. Online at penzeys.com, once you’ve reached $5 in spending, simply enter Cuddle into the apply code box at checkout. No need to place the box in your basket, the code will do that for you and for free. It’s easy.

And the Fine Print:

*Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box Offer Details
Limit ONE free Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box per household during run of promotion. Minimum $5 purchase required. Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. While supplies last. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Online, visit www.penzeys.com, and enter “CUDDLE” into the “apply code” field at checkout. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Lemon Pepper Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Ginger Powdered Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Educational Programs on Sale this weekend with Age of Learning!

Abby H.

Age of Learning is a great company for parents to know about: They are the people who brought you ABC Mouse! But for those of us with older kids, Age of Learning also has Adventure Academy (For kids 8-11), and Reading IQ- which has tons of great books for kids to read online.

This weekend, through 2/17/2020, Age of Learning is offering 60%+ off on all 3 of their programs for Presidents’ Day!

I’ve already signed up for Adventure Academy and the big kid is loving it!

Receive over 60% OFF on Annual Subscription to ABCmouse.com.  Get 12 months for just $45 total.

(Fine Print: Your payment information on file will be charged now at the price selected above (1 payment of $45.00 or 3 monthly installments of $15.00). Your subscription will renew automatically every year at the same price until canceled.)


Receive over 60% OFF on Annual Subscription to Adventure Academy.

Get 12 months for just $45 total.

(Fine Print: Your payment information on file will be charged now at $45.00. Your subscription will renew automatically every year at the same price until canceled.)

Receive over 68% OFF on Annual Subscription to ReadingIQ.

Get 12 months for just $29.99 total.
(Fine Print: Your subscription will renew automatically at $29.99 and be charged on an annual basis to the above payment information until canceled within the Parent Section.)

2/14/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesFriday Means it’s time for freebies, deals, and cool free events. The bonus is that this week, Freebie Friday is also Valentine’s Day!

Freebies:

Events/In-Store Freebies:

Deals:

File your Taxes for Free with E-File!

Abby H.

Woo Hoo! It’s Tax Season. I’m not kidding- We have already filed our taxes and received our state refund today.

New shoes, here we come (again not kidding, we all need new running shoes).

If you haven’t started your taxes yet, consider E-File.

 

  • E-file.com offers free federal tax returns for those who qualify for a 1040ez.
  • Free Error Correction – Their software will automatically check your tax return for common errors. If our software finds any errors, it will prompt you to correct them.
  • Get Your Refund Quick – Who doesn’t want their refund quickly? Filing online allows you to receive your refund quicker than off-line.
  • Helpful Software – Their software will walk you through common deductions and credits that you may be eligible for with its easy and quick question & answer format.

If you aren’t sure what you need to file your taxes, here are just a few of pieces of paperwork you may need (depending on your tax situation):

  • W-2’s- one from each of your jobs
  • 1099’s: if you are an independent contractor
  • DMV paperwork (if you don’t have this, then the VIN and license plate # from your car, and go here– CA only, I’m sure other states may have something similar).
  • Receipts for any tax-deductible donations
  • Receipts for any medical expenses (co-pays, prescriptions)
  • Paperwork from your Mortgage Company regarding your interest paid
  • Paperwork regarding your property taxes paid
  • Dependents Social Security Numbers
  • IRA Year End Statements
  • Interest Statements from banks

I start a folder (like this one) each year and I put all of the paperwork in it as it comes into the house. Then, after we do our taxes, I print a copy out, pull out all of our supporting documents, put them into a manilla envelope, write the year on the front, seal it, and stash it with our other past years’ taxes. We keep 10 years worth of tax records, just in case.

Talk Back: Have you done your taxes yet?

The Harlem Globetrotters are Coming to Town!

Abby H.

harlemglobetrotterstileThey are back! The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to town, well our town, and probably yours too!

I can’t wait to take the kids. First, we will definitely have to watch some episodes of Scooby Doo from the 70’s!

If you want to take your family, US Family Guide has partnered with the team to save you some money! Save 25% with Promo Code: FUNFAM 

All-New Harlem Globetrotters Pushing The Limits World Tour

This is more than a basketball game. It is more than a show. It is the one and only Harlem Globetrotters in an all-new, larger-than-life world tour. You’ll be on your feet, out of your seat, laughing until it hurts and loving every moment.

The 5th Quarter – The game isn’t over after the final shot! Meet your favorite Globetrotter courtside after the game to get an autograph and photo.

Don’t miss out – get your tickets today and save SAVE 25% for ALL Harlem Globetrotters Games with promo code FUNFAM (Must purchase 14 days before Game Date).