1/24/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

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Woo Hoo! I’m stoked about this week! I’ve got a Dream Dinners Pick up this afternoon.  I took advantage of the deal I posted last week, and I’ve got 9 meals taken care of – I’ll be spreading those meals over this week and next.

And the CSA Box will be delivered this morning too. Late last week I roasted 2 butternut squashes, and I’m turning the roasted squash into soup today (recipe here). I’m making it vegetarian, so the big kid can try it out too.

Veggies and fruit are delivered 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. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I 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. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.

Dinner: This week we’ll start enjoying some Dream Dinners, and I’ll be posting pics and deets all over my social media!

Please stay safe you guys!

Get Crafty with The Craftsy Customer Appreciation Sale!

 

 

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

Craftsy wants to share the love of crafts with all of their customers! To celebrate, take 65% off ALL classes with coupon code, THANKYOU65.

From cooking, knitting, embroidery, rug making- Craftsy has something for everyone!

If you are new to Craftsy and want to check it out, they also offer a lot of free classes. Here are just a few that I love:

Fetch Rewards: Earn up to 20,000 Points with Unilever Products!

Earn rewards FAST with these brands!

Grocery Store Mix & Match is back. Now through 2/28, spend $15 on a wide range of popular Unilever brands and get 5,000 points*. Redeem this Special Offer up to four times for a total of 20,000 points.

Redeeming this offer is simple. Head to any of these 5,000+ participating grocery stores, buy your favorite products from these Unilever brands, and snap your receipts!

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. I earned $295 in rewards in 2021 alone, just by purchasing my regular groceries and scanning in all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it).

It is simple, takes minutes, and the points really rack up!

 

Tea Collection 3 Days Only: $12 Flash Sale

Now through Sunday, January 23, 2022, you can score some sweet deals on kid’s clothing when you visit the Tea Collection $12 Flash Sale. 

I love their kid’s rompers and dresses. They have lots of cool fabric patterns and designs. My kiddos are outgrowing Tea Collections Sizing, but I still have a niece and nephew to spoil!

Upcoming Diabetes Project $75-$175

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study on the topic of Diabetes.

  • To be considered, please complete the pre-screener survey here. 
  • Compensation: $75-$175 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 35-64 Year Old Diabetics
  • Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022

 

1/21/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

It’s Friday friends! We’ve got a busy weekend now that we are healthy, it’s time for freebies and fun!

I’m going to try and include links to free local events as well. Please remember to follow all local public health guidelines. In California, that means wearing masks inside businesses and public spaces.

I’m working on new birthday freebies for 2022 as well. If you know of any, please drop me an email!

Freebies

Free Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Beef Recipe Chatterbox
Free Harvest One Dream Water
Free Vitamin C Eye Cream
Free Dryer Sheets or Fabric Conditioner
Free Hometown Hero Delta 8 Gummies
Free N95 Masks at CVS & Walgreens
Free Tetley Luck of the Irish Tea Party Kit
Free Supergoop! Ounce by Ounce Starter Kit for Teachers
Free Origins Ginzing Oil-Free Energy-Boosting Gel Moisturizer
Free Sample of AdvantaClear Surface Disinfectant Wipes
Free Sample of Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pacs
Hero Skin Squad – Free Beauty Products
Free Llama Stickers
Free Programmable Coffee Maker
Free Hometown Hero Select Spectrum Gummies
Free Ceramic Cyclone Car Wash at Rainstorm Car Wash
Free Vaultz Lock Box
Free Water Guns
Free Water Guns, Water Slide, Balloons & More
Free Itty Bitty Prettys, Rainbocorns, Pets Alive Toys
Free Zuru 5 Surprise Toys
Free Zuru Max Building Toys
Free LED Fairy Lights
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Bubble Wow Glove-A-Bubbles Toys
Free Remote Control Truck Toys
Free Dude Wipes at Walmart
Free Pizza, Chips, Cookies & More
FREE Trial Box of SkinnyMe Premium Chocolate
Possible Free Secret & Gillette Antiperspirant & Deodorants
Free Sexual Wellness Device
Free Childrens Hospitals Week Bandages
Free Brown Scapular

Deals:

Little Girls Puffer Jacket ONLY $37.50 (Reg $75)
Crayola Colossal Tub of Glitter Art Set ONLY $6.93 (Reg. $25)
Boom Ear Buds ONLY $13.95 Shipped (Reg. $60)
Multi Line Stack Bracelets ONLY $4.99 (Reg $14.99)
Kathy Ireland Women’s Dahlia Bootie Slipper ONLY $21.99
My Squishy Little Dumpling Interactive Doll ONLY $5.94 (Reg $10)
Calvin Klein Gabrianna Leather Mini Tote ONLY $59.97 (Reg $118)
Kate Spade Marti Large Bucket Bag ONLY $119 (Reg $399)
Lucky Brand 65% Off + Exclusive 10% Off at Checkout
Pro Impact Massager ONLY $34.99 (Reg $50)
MUK LUKS Women’s Braelyn Slide Slipper ONLY $16.99 (Reg. $34)
T-Fal Culinaire 16-Piece Cookware Set ONLY $59.49 (Reg $250)
Insignia 8-Quart Digital Multi Cooker ONLY $54.99 (Reg $120)
50% Off Your First Rocksbox: Perfect Valentine’s Gift
MUK LUKS Men’s Mark Bootie ONLY $19.99 (Reg $40)
PowerXL Grill Air Fryer ONLY $69 (Reg $149)
Manhattan Toy Playdate Friends ONLY $10.64 (Reg. $29)
LOL Surprise Boys Arcade Heroes ONLY $6.35 (Reg. $15)
L.O.L. Surprise Ooh La La Baby Surprise ONLY $19.99 (Reg $40)

Hearty Green Goddess Salad

I love Green Goddess Salad Dressing. For those who aren’t familiar with Green Goddess Dressing, per wikipedia: Green goddess is a salad dressing, typically containing mayonnaise, sour cream, chervil, chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper.

A few months ago, I found some vegan Green Goddess Dressing– I like it because it gets its creaminess from avocado instead of mayo and sour cream, and it lasts a bit longer in the fridge.

I love making hearty salads that can withstand a few days in the fridge. It’s a great way to make sure you have yummy veggies on hand for a snack or to add to meal time.

Hearty Green Goddess Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 Persian cucumbers, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a red one, but whatever color you have works)
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1/4 cup Green Goddess Dressing (I like Gotham Greens)

Directions:

  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients.
  • Store in the fridge overnight to allow flavors to mingle.
  • Serve as is, or top a bed of green.

Serves 3-5.

Fetch Rewards: This week, earn a FAST 4,000 points!

Earn an extra 4,000 points when you invite a friend to Fetch and they snap a receipt. Head to the app and share your referral code now through 1/25/2022!

And right now there are some really great bonus point offers!

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 4,000 bonus points. I’ve earned over $250 in rewards in 2021 alone, just by purchasing my regular groceries and scanning in all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it).

It is simple, takes minutes, and the points really rack up!

Q-insights Online Survey for luxury car owners pays $40-$75

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Q-insights is another company where I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County. This upcoming survey takes place virtually!

Q-Insights is looking for owners of the following vehicles 2017 or newer:

Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Audi A5 / S5 / RS5
Audi A6 / RS6 / S6
Audi A7 / S7 / RS7
Audi A8 / S8
Audi Q5 / SQ5
Audi Q7 / SQ7
Audi Q8 / SQ8 / RS Q8
Audi R8
Audi TT
BMW 4 Series
BMW 5 Series
BMW 7 Series
BMW 8 Series 2-Door
BMW 8 Series 4-Door
BMW X3
BMW X5
BMW Z4
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Corvette
Ford Mustang
Infiniti QX60
Jaguar F-Type
Jaguar XJ Sovereign
Land Rover RR Sport
Land Rover Velar
Lexus ES
Lexus GS
Lexus GX
Lexus LS
Lexus NX
Lexus RX
Mercedes AMG GT 2-Door
Mercedes AMG GT 4-Door
Mercedes C-Class 2-Door
Mercedes E-Class 4-Door
Mercedes GLC
Mercedes GLE
Mercedes S-Class
Mercedes SLC
Mercedes SL-Class
Tesla Motors Model S
Tesla Motors Model Y
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

If you qualify for the actual survey, it will be 10-15 minutes long and pay $40-$75 depending on your vehicle.

There are absolutely no sales involved and this would be done strictly for market research purposes. All of your data will be kept strictly confidential.

If you are interested, please fill out the following pre-screener here.

Trying to Add Veggies to Your Meals?

Is one of your New Years Resolutions to eat better or increase your intake of fruits and veggies?

Since we have been getting CSA boxes from Yasukochi Family Farms we’ve been adding tons of fresh fruit and veg to our diet. It’s fun to get the kids involved in preparing and tasting new and different fruits and veggies.

I’ve made a round-up with some of my favorite fruit and veggie recipes to inspire you to add a little more “green” to your family’s meals!