Month: May 2021

Bitmo Perks: Now Earn Points at Costco & Sam’s Club

Abby H.

This is a great deal! I’ve written about Bitmo before, and while I don’t use it as much as other cashback/money-saving apps, I still feel like it’s a good app. Any way you can save money (legally) is a good idea in my book.

Now through the Bitmo App, any time you shop at Costco or Sam’s Club and pay with the linked debit or credit card, you’ll earn points that you can redeem for gift cards.

I earned a $5 Bath and Body Works Gift Card last month, just by doing my usual shopping. I used the gift card in conjunction with a deal available in the BBW app, and I saved $30 and earned a free product!

I am all about double-dipping to save money and score deals!

Speaking of deals, Right now they are offering bonus points when you refer new friends. 20,000 bonus points (that’s a $20 gift card) for everyone that joins, connects a card, and does a transaction within 14 days of sign up. It’s quick and easy!

Fetch Rewards: Last chance to share big points with friends!

Abby H.

 

 

 

 

 

Fetch Rewards is at it again! They are giving out tons of points just for signing up and scanning your first receipt, and there is a giveaway too!

Friends don’t let friends miss out on big points. There’s still time to get 4,000 points when a friend signs up for Fetch with your code! Besties bonus: 2,000 points for your pals, too!

And you’ll also be entered to win a $1,000 Visa Gift Card! The more friends you refer through May 31, the more entries you’ll get. Winners will be notified on June 1. Head to the app and start spreading the word now!

  • 3 friends = 100 entries
  • 5 friends = 200 entries
  • 10 friends = 500 entries!

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points.

5/31/2021 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

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Today is Memorial Day in the US, and a lot of people are spending the day hanging out with friends and family, visiting the graves of their family who served in the military.

We are spending the day at home, hanging out with the kids, swimming in the pool.

I went to the grocery store Friday while the kids were at school, knowing that the kids would be home all weekend and on Monday. 99 Cents Only and Grocery Outlet had tons of great deals, and I was able to stock up for the week (and beyond) and stay on budget.

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

Over the weekend, I did some meal prep: I prepared the last of our CSA veggies (broccoli) to roast and serve with the orange ginger chicken I cooked Sunday night. I also made some sauces to use throughout the week (orange ginger sauce, stir fry sauce, tzatziki sauce), and I made a batch of hummus. And of course, I made cookies for the week (we’ll see how long they last).

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday: Turkey burgers with feta, roasted broccoli, oven baked fries
  • Monday:  Orange Ginger Chicken, roasted veg
  • Tuesday:   Beans, Rice, roasted veggies, quesadillas
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night (nuggets, fruit, crackers, milk)
  • Thursday:  Breakfast for Dinner ( pancakes, eggs, fruit)
  • Friday:  Pizza/Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Meal o’ Snacks and /or leftovers

Please stay safe you guys!

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Cross Country Cafe: K-Cup® Coffee Free Ebook + $5.00 coupon!

Abby H.

I love Cross Country Cafe– They have awesome deals on k-cups, coffee, and supplies to make your morning cuppa Joe even better. Right now they have a cool offer: Free K-Cup® Coffee Ebook + $5.00 off coupon! In addition to their ebook, they also have a section on their website dedicated to coffee recipes- it’s a great resource, especially if you love coffee shop coffee, but you are trying to avoid the drive-thru!

10 Iced Coffee Recipes to Keep You Cool this Summe

And every month, Cross Country Cafe gives away four boxes of K-cups. To enter or learn more, visit their giveaway page here.

She Speaks Knudsen Cottage Cheese Doubles Deal is back AGAIN!

Abby H.

I posted about this deal before and I know a lot of you took advantage of it, and it’s BAAACK!

For every ten Knudsen Cottage Doubles you buy between today and next Tuesday, June 1, She Speaks will give you $25 (up to $100 dollars)! Just send them your receipts by Wednesday, June 2.

It’s bonus money on top of bonus money!

Aren’t you heading to Walmart to buy Memorial Day supplies this week? Just pick up  Knudsen Cottage Doubles (in whatever flavors you choose) while you are there.

How the Program Works:

  1. Shop for it: Head to one of the Walmart stores on this list and buy  Knudsen Cottage Doubles. Purchase 10 Knudsen Cottage Doubles to receive $25 reimbursement (cost is approx. $10 total)
    Purchase 20 to receive $50
    Purchase 30 to receive $75
    Purchase 40 to receive $100
  2. NEW! Email or Upload Your Walmart Receipts: You can now email a photo of your full Walmart receipts to info@shespeaks.com.Or upload the photo HERE. Make sure to send it by Wednesday, June 2 to receive your bonus money. SheSpeaks will reimburse you within two weeks via PayPal or a Walmart e-gift card (your choice).
  3. Enjoy the products you purchased!

For more information, including FAQ and specific product details, visit the program toolkit here.

Legoland California- THE LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD is OPEN!!

Abby H.

The kids and I spent the day at Legoland California yesterday and enjoyed all of the fun and frivolity of Lego Movie World.

Lego Movie World has three new rides:  Emmet’s Flying Adventure Ride, Unikitty’s Disco Drop, and  Queen Watevra’s  Carousel. There is also Benny’s Playship for the kids to play and get their wiggles out, or they can create at Build Watevra You Wa’Na Build zone. And there is a Splash pad right in the middle of it all for kids (and grown-ups) to cool down!

 

 

THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD will be included in the price of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. Guests can purchase tickets and reserve their spot through LEGOLAND California’s reservation system for their desired Park visit. For more Resort information, operating schedule and to make reservations, visit: www.legoland.com/california.

I love that Legoland has hand sanitizer stations all over, they have social distancing set up in lines and on all the rides. All Model Citizens (employees) are masked up.

If you are looking to do Legoland on a budget, check out my post here.

Do you have someone in your party that has a disability? Check out my post about the Assisted Access Pass and how we do Legoland with our kiddo with ASD.

It’s Field Agent Frenzy Time!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love Field Agent, it’s a great hustle to earn extra money while you are out and about doing errands.

Right now, it’s time for the Field Agent Frenzy! Oh yeah, that means for every paid job you complete between May 28 and May 31 is a chance to win an extra $100!

 

What is Field Agent Frenzy? It’s a fun little thing Field Agent does to encourage you to get in the Field Agent App and make some cash.

It works like this– for every paying job you successfully complete between May 28-31, you’re entered into a drawing for a bonus of $100. That’s right– a bonus for work you’re probably already doing.

 

My Referral Code is abxbnqx. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do! I did 5 audits this week in less than 30 minutes and made $45!

If you are new to Field Agent, check out my post all about it here.

5/28/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

Hey Gang! I hope everyone had a great week. I’m moving a little slow this morning. We did Legoland yesterday to cover the opening of The Lego Movie World, and I clocked in about 16k steps wearing a heavy backpack full of snacks. Then we came home and the kids wanted to swim. It’s been 18 months since we hit Legoland, and I’m feeling it today.

I’ll be posting summer reading programs, free summer lunch programs, and more fun free stuff to keep the kiddos entertained in the next week or so, as info becomes available.

If you are looking for birthday freebies, fret not! I put together a list new for 2021- Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced, get vaccinated when it’s your turn!

Freebies:

Free Dart Ball Blaster Toy
Free Suave Pink Walmart Chatterbox Kit
Free Sample of La Roche P Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer UV
Free Perricone MD Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Eye Serum
Free Sample of Coach for Men Cologne
Free Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation Sample
Free Depend Sample Kits for Men & Women
Free V8+ Energy Sparkling Drink
Free Sesame Street Fire Safety Color & Learn Activity Book
Free Shaving Cream + $75 eGift Card
Free Babybel Plus+ Probiotic Dairy Snacks Package
Free New Bright & Adventure Force RC Toys
Free Sample of Estee Lauder Beautiful Magnolia Perfume
Free Sample of L’Oreal Revitalift Glycolic Acid Serum
Free Subscription to Car and Driver Magazine
Free Back to the Roots Organic Potting Mix
Free Sample of Giorgio Armani GIO Cologne
Free Sample of MiN New York Stardust Fragrance
Free Hope Postcard
Free Organicville Pantry Staples
Free SOS Breakup Box – Porkless Rinds, Stickers & More

Deals:

Michael Kors Leather Billfold Wallet ONLY $32 (Reg $118)
Rainbow Print Shorts 2-Pack ONLY $7.99 (Reg $20)
Steve Madden Jackets ONLY $8.99 with Extra 10% Off
Up to 50% Off Toys + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer ONLY $45.99 (Reg $76)
Hanes Women & Men Apparel ONLY $5.99 Today Only
Walgreens Custom Photo Poster $1.99 with Coupon (Reg. $11)
Dash AirCrisp 6-Quart Air Fryer ONLY $49.99 (Reg $104)
Savage x Fenty Women’s Underwear & Lingerie 65% Off
LeapFrog Blue’s Clues & You Blue Learning Watch $5.34 (Reg. $11)
Vera Bradley 70% Off Sale
WikkiStix Traveler Playset ONLY $13.00 (Reg. $20)
Limited Edition NBA Box and FREE NBA Team Jersey with BarkBox
FREE Dog Yacht Float with Your First BarkBox
Burberry Touch Men’s Cologne ONLY $31.99 (reg $75) Father’s Day
Harry Potter Dobby 1000 Piece Puzzle ONLY $8.46 (Reg. $15)

Looking for Swim Lessons this Summer?

Abby H.

Now that things are starting to open back up in California, and it looks like pools may be reopening on June 15th, I’ve been looking into swim lessons for Bitty Bird.

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, facilitated in part by Heartland Swim. They are NOT offering swim lessons this summer, however, the Grossmont Union High School District pools will be open for swimming. You can find the schedule and prices 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 brochure online (swim is on page 19) 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.

La Mesa has limited swim lessons. They also currently require a parent to be in the water with each student.

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!

Cookie Recipe Round-up!

Abby H.

I usually make a batch of cookies per week. It’s generally cheaper to make cookies than it is to buy a couple boxes, and this way, I can control what goes into them (less sugar, Substitute Kodiak Flapjack mix in for AP flour, etc.).

I thought I’d share some of our favorite cookie recipes today. There are two no bake cookie recipes as well, just in case you need something sweet, but it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

I am all about using the right tool for the right job, as a result, I have a collection of awesome kitchen tools to help me cook. You can see my list of must-haves in my Amazon Storefront here.