6/14/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week is our first full week of summer vacation! This week both kids are free, meaning no summer school or structured learning. We’ll be playing and swimming all week long. I’ve got a bunch of errands and phone calls to get done.

Yesterday was my big trip to the grocery store. The price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few weeks, so I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards.

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.

I didn’t do any meal prep yesterday, so I’ll be doing it after the CSA box arrives this morning. Next week we’ll be taking a hiatus from the CSA box. We eat less when it’s hot out, and I don’t want any food to go to waste. It’s going to be hellaciously hot this week, so the meal plan reflects that with lots of cool/cold food.

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: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags.

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: Soup, Salad, and  Toast
  • Monday: Salad, Protein shakes, and Texas Toast
  • Tuesday:   Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, and fruit)
  • Wednesday:  Meal o’ snacks: Fruits, crackers, cheese, granola bars
  • Thursday:  Roasted Veg, chicken, potatoes
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Guess in Ten Game Day (Tryazon Party)

Over the weekend while we celebrated Bitty Bird’s birthday. We also checked out the Guess in Ten games thanks to Skillmatics and Tryazon!

Skillmatics is a new age brand that develops innovative educational products and games that help children build core skills, ranging from math and language to science and logic, through the joy of play!

We played Animal Planet, but if animals aren’t your posse’s jam, Skillmatics makes many other Guess in Ten varieties:

  • Guess in 10 All Around the Town
  • Guess in 10 Things that Go
  • Guess in 10 Cities Around the World
  • Guess in 10 States of America

These games are available on Amazon, or in stores near you.

I’m not sure if the kids or the adults had more fun.

And if you want to learn more about Tryazon, their website has tons of information about all of the cool campaigns and parties they have coming up!

 

6/11/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

bright boxes

Good morning!

This week was Bitty Bird’s 6th birthday and the last week of school. I’ve been super busy, and we’re getting ready for the socially distanced birthday party tomorrow. I’m spending today pulling everything together and packing up the car for the party tomorrow.

As summer is upon us, here are a few freebies to keep your kiddos occupied and fed this summer:

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 Sample of CLIF Kid ZBar
Free Dove Nourishing Hand Sanitizer
Free Dolce & Gabbana The Only One Fragrance Sample
Free Nars Blush Sample
Free Koia Drink
Free $10 Venmo Cash
Free Goody Bag at buybuy BABY Stores
Free Old Fashioned Sundae for Dads at Wienerschnitzel
Free Beauty 360 Unicorn Face Sheet Mask at CVS
Free Lash Conditioning Serum
Free ShiKai CBD Cream
Free Blue Diamond Products After Rebates
Free Online Crafting Classes from Michaels
Free Comfort Zone Diffuser
Free Pair of Mack’s Ear Plugs – Every Weekday
Banfield Pet Hospital – Free Office Visit & Consultation
Free Nature’s Bloom CBD Lip Balm
Score Walmart+ FREE for 15 Days
Free Cosmopolitan Eau de Juice Body Mist
Free Over Easy Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars
Free Dippin’ Dots on Your Birthday
Free Alpha Foods Chik’n Nuggets
Free Freak Flag Organics Mac & Cheese
500 Free Kellogg’s Family Rewards Points
Free Charmin Mega Roll Extender
Free Dermabliss Allergy Care for Pets Sample
Free Sample of La Roche-Posay SPF 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk
Free Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
Free Raising Cane’s Box Combo
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday

Deals:

50% Off Cuisinart Grilling Gifts for Dad + Extra 10% Off
BIC Grip Retractable Ball Pen 18-Count $4.954(Reg. $10)
BIC BodyMark Temporary Tattoo Marker 8-Ct ONLY $9.40 (Reg. $30)
Ring Spotlight Cam with Echo Show 5 ONLY $159.99 (Reg. $285)
4 for $20 Premium Hair Products + Free Shipping
Tommy Hilfiger Crossbody ONLY $36.96 Shipped (Reg $88)
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones ONLY $124.99 (Reg. $200)
BIC Clic Stic Retractable Ballpoint Pens ONLY $3.64 (Reg. $9)
Barbie Large Cash Register ONLY $9.46 (Reg. $20)
BIC Intensity Fineliner Marker Pens ONLY $5.12 (Reg. $12)
Cordless Rotary Tool ONLY $19.99 (Reg. $42)
Magic Cleaning Pads 20-Pack ONLY $5.80 (Reg. $15)
Wakeman Kids Sleeping Bag ONLY $19.99 (Reg $45)
Roku Ultra 2020 Streaming Media Player ONLY $69 (Reg $100)
50% Off at Carter’s and OshKosh + 30% Off at Checkout
UglyDolls Blu-ray + Digital ONLY $7.50 (Reg. $20)
Baby Alive Tea n Sparkles Doll ONLY $10 (Reg. $20)

Earn Cashback on Gasoline Purchases with GetUpside

I learned about GetUpside this morning and it’s a pretty cool program.

One of the hardest things to save money on is gasoline. It’s not like gas goes on sale, and if you live in California you know that the price of gas is out of control!

GetUpside is a free cash back app that users can earn up to 25¢/gallon cash back on gas.  It’s super easy to use:

Use New “Check-In” and skip the receipt. Just Check In to redeem your offer at this station and any other locations that have a Blue Badge. No need to upload the receipt. GetUpside uses the last 4 digits of your cards from recent purchases to verify your purchase. Tap the “Check-In” button when the user is at the business and select which card they’re using – no receipt pic needed.

GetUpside users earn up to 25¢/gallon cash back on gas, up to 45% cash back at restaurants and up to 30% cash back at grocery stores.

GetUpside also has a great referral program. Users can earn a 15¢/gal bonus when they refer friends and give friends and family a 15¢/gal bonus. Referrers also earn 1¢/gal every time their referee gets gas using GetUpside.

And it gets better: Use Promo Code AFF20 to increase the sign-up bonus to 20¢/gal, which is stackable with your first offer for up to $0.45/gal in savings on your first receipt! Heck Yeah!

So now that you know the deets, are you ready to sign up for GetUpside? Click here to get started.

 

Cents of Style: NEW Get Outside Graphics ONLY $19.99

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Graphic Tee

This week Cents of Style is rolling out their Get Outside shirts. They are offering 4 different styles with sizes ranging from S-3XL. Perfect for all your summer adventures, daily errands or as your go-to weekend piece after a long week of work! Don’t let your Adventurous heart miss out on these fun graphics!

To take advantage of the sale price of $19.99, use coupon code FRESHAIR. The code is valid NOW-6/15 at midnight!

 

Kids Bowl Free: It’s Back!

file0001910298986.jpgLooking for something fun, air-conditioned, and cheap to do this summer? Yeah, you are!

Kids Bowl Free has been around for years, and it’s a great way to get kids active even when it’s hot outside. I’m so excited it’s back for 2021!

Kids 2-18 can bowl 2 games for free each day the program is running at participating bowling centers all across the US and Canada. All you pay for is shoe rental- or bring your own if you have them!kidsbowlfree_logo-new-2019.jpg

This program is available all over the US and Canada. The complete list can be found here. Sign up is quick and easy. To get started, register here.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of this deal! It’s one of our favorite summer activities.

AO Opinions: Two Upcoming Projects

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for two upcoming research studies:

The First Survey is about smoking.

  • To be considered, please complete the pre-screener survey here.
  • Compensation: $150 (if chosen)
  • Open to: Smokers 21-55 years old
  • Tuesday, June 22nd or Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021  (Various Times)

The Second Survey is about beverages (coffee).

  • To be considered, please complete the pre-screener survey here.
  • Compensation: $125-$275 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 18-54 year olds
  • Tuesday, June 29th, Wednesday, June 30th, or Thursday, July 1st 2021 (Various Times)

 

Earn $100 in Gift Cards from Bitmo Perks!

Wow. this is a great deal, and pretty easy! 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. One thing I love is that there isn’t much you need to do besides signing up, link your bank card/credit card and start shopping. You can use other cashback apps at the same time too. I frequently double dip with Dosh, Drop, and/or Ibotta with Bitmo.

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

Speaking of deals, Right now Bitmo is 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.

You can repeat this offer 5 times. That’s $100 in gift cards in your pocket.

Oh, and your friends get a little something for signing up too!

Monthly Side Hustle Totals- May 2021

I decided that at the end of each month in 2021 I’m going to post the breakdown of how much I made doing each side hustle/cashback app. My complete side hustle list can be found here and my complete list of Smartphone Apps can be found here.

I know some of you are curious about how much I make doing all of the hustles that I wrote about, and while I do a year-end update, I know some of you don’t wanna wait till the end of the year and that’s understandable.

Some of the side hustles I do frequently, like using the Fetch Rewards App every time I go shopping. Some of them I don’t do as often like Field Agent. I haven’t been really any Field Agent tasks that I’m interested in as of late. Most of them are alcohol-based and since I don’t drink because I’m not exercising to burn off the calories of the liquor I consume, I’m not terribly interested in bringing alcohol into my house.

Some of the hustles are more passive but have cumulative rewards so even though I do them each month, I may not receive a payout each month. It doesn’t make them any less valuable to me, they just take a longer amount of time to earn the reward. Honestly, those are fairly low-time investments, so I don’t feel bad that they take a long time to earn a payout. SBKC and Achievement are two of these.

And some I do in fits and starts. For example, I may not spend a lot of time doing PaidViewPoint surveys for a few weeks, and then I’ll get two or three emails telling me that I have time-sensitive or higher-paying surveys. Then I’ll rush over to the site and do five or 10 surveys and earn five or 10 bucks. It just depends on what’s available at the time.

Some of you might notice from this list that there are a number of research studies, I’ve been trying to do at least 1-2 a month because they tend to pay a lot better than surveys. I have been posting research studies and opportunities on the blog whenever they come across my email. I hope some of you are also applying for them and receiving opportunities to do them too.

Below is my list for May. I did a few Field Agent gigs since both of the kids are back to school full time and that gives me a few more hours each day to work my hustle (and research and write for the blog).  I have been doing a lot of reviews and such but don’t pay cash, but rather pay in-kind (Tryit, InfluensterSocial Nature, and BzzAgent). Each one of those sends a product or samples.

I try not to take the sample only offers because it’s not worth my time to review a bunch of sample size stuff, especially when I can be working with brands and companies that offer me products that are full-size, or they pay me with cash. Because really, as nice as say five dollar tube of deodorant might be, I can’t really pay my utility bill with it.

  • Fetch Rewards: $45
  • Research Study/Focus Group: $75
  • Capterra: $50
  • Pinecone Research: $12
  • Field Agent: $37.39
  • PaidViewPoint: $16.10
  • State of CA Healthy Living Survey: $50
  • Sold some old toys/clothes on FB Marketplace: $75
  • Bitmo Perks: $5

Talk Back: How much do you make each month on your side hustles? Do you have any that you love and want to recommend? Leave a link in the comments below! Please no MLM or Direct Sales Opportunities. 

Fetch Rewards and PepsiCo Tasty Rewards!

 

 

Check your email from Fetch Rewards!

Unlock some PepsiCo perks your taste buds will love!

Whether it’s ice-cold drink or a mouthwatering Frito-Lay snack, make your favorite products even more rewarding. Check out PepsiCo Tasty Rewards!

It’s a program that gives you access to exclusive PepsiCo content, including offers, sweepstakes, and tasty new recipes. Plus, it lives right in the Fetch app.

Joining is fast, free, and deliciously rewarding. Sign up now for a special Welcome Offer to earn more points on the brands you love. I received a special offer for a bonus of 500 points when I buy a PepsiCo beverage and a Frito-lay snack.

 

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.