Shopper Army: Try A Free Olay Regenerist Product!

I received an email from Shopper Army this afternoon inviting me to apply to try for free and review one of four Olay Regenerist skincare products, and I thought I’d share the offer with you too!

Why I love Shopper’s Army: You get to test full-size products from leading brands and earn rewards by completing surveys, watching videos, and much more! I love the free products- Right now in addition to the Olay campaign, they have several other products you can review.

Kids Night Out at Parkway Plaza!

Parkway Plaza is back at it with kids’ events!

Gather the kids and take a night off!
Bring them out to Parkway Plaza on the 2nd & 4th Friday of every month for kids’ night out! Craft, dance and play with friends and family in our Channel 93.3 Lounge. Experience the real radio station set up and take family photos at one of the selfie stations throughout the lounge.
The next event is on May 27th!

Luck- Coming to Apple TV+ on August 5, 2022

We love Black Cats, and we also love Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek), so when I found out that the new feature Luck was coming to Apple TV+ on August 5, 2022, I was stoked.

You can check out the trailer here.

From Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation comes the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, who when she stumbles into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, sets out on a quest to bring some good luck home for her best friend. But with humans not allowed her only chance is teaming up with the magical creatures who live there to do it.

We have Apple TV+ as part of our Apple subscriptions, and we love their original programming.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with over 244 wins and more than 961 award nominations and counting, including this years Oscar Best Picture winner CODA.”

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

5/16/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

The end of the school year is coming, and that means one of my jobs is coming to an end for a few months. I’m going to be doing some budget re-tooling this week, and you may notice some posts here or on IG about budgets.

I spent the weekend with the family at a wedding, and then also at a school event. It was a lot, and the kids had a great time.

This morning I’m cleaning out the fridge and making room for our next CSA Box!

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, 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 $28. 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.

I went to the grocery store last night to pick up milk and some misc. groceries last night. With the increase in food costs, we are leaning more and more on our CSA box each week as the base of most of our meals.

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.  The big kid still brings lunch from home.

Dinner: We’re working our way through our monthly Dream Dinners order, and I am making two this week. We’ve got our usual Monday Nuggets and Friday Pizza planned, but other than that I’m cooking a lot this week!

Dream Dinners Fundraiser: Feed 37 people when You Buy 3 Meals for $50!

This just popped into my inbox, and I had to share.

You could feed a classroom full of children when you buy 3 Meals for $50 at the Dream Dinners Foundation Fundraiser.

When you buy 3 Medium Meals for only $50 for you to take home to enjoy with your family, the Dream Dinners Foundation will match the donation. The money raised from this fundraiser will go directly to pay for the supplies needed to pack 20,000 meals! The meals will be distributed to families with food insecurities both locally and abroad.

There are 5 options to choose from, and they are all GREAT. We love the Central Park Garlic Chicken with Oven Roasted Broccoli.

Meals will be available for pick up on Wednesday, May 18th, Curbside Pick up 4pm -6pm.

If you are interested in attending the volunteer meeting to learn more about how you can participate, you can also purchase this fundraiser special and attend the meeting. Call/Text 619-460-6800 or email lamesaca@dreamdinners.com for more details about that meeting.

hand to handmeal packing volunteer tablegirls with plates

PinchMe: it’s Free Sample Friday!!

Surprise!! It’s Free Sample Friday!  PINCHme is hooking us up with a surprise freebie giveaway! I just logged onto my pinchme account and didn’t have any available samples, but you might!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offer samples just for you.

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

I get PinchMe samples every month. Here is what arrived at the end of June for the June 2021 boxes. The One Bar was really good.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

 

5/13/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Woo! May is flying by, and we’ve got a busy weekend ahead of us. Wedding and reception, girl scouts, swimming, playing with friends.

There are so many awesome freebies and deals this week, and the weather this weekend is supposed to be AWESOME (AND WARM) here in San Diego.

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies:

Free Collagenil Skincare Sample Set
Free Bim Bam Boo Toilet Paper Sample
2 Free Pints of Nightfood Ice Cream
Free SnackConscious Protein Bites
Free Craize Snack Crackers
Free Ice Cream at Maggie Moo’s & Marble Slab
Free Tom’s of Maine’s Complete Protection Deodorant
Free Sweetarts Fusions at Select Stores
Free After Sun Skincare Product
Free Food & Drinks at Circle K
Free Products from Influenster
Hidden Valley Ranchology Rewards – Free Samples, Tote Bag & More
Free Classroom Film Screening Kit
Free Access to MyHeritage Ancestry Tools for 2 Weeks
Free ASPCA Pet Safety Magnet & Window Decal
Free Puttisu Kids Facial Sheet Mask
Free Mineral Natural Sunscreen
Free Pint of Frönen Dairy Free Ice Cream
Earn $2 to $75 per Completed Survey – Ages 13+ can Apply
Free Lotus Flower Gift
Free Richard’s Rainwater Sparkling at Whole Foods
Free Jonny Pops Popsicles
Free Small Blizzard Treat at Dairy Queen
Free Subscription to ELLE Magazine

Deals:

Charter Club Multi-Stone Jewelry Set ONLY $11.80 (Reg $30)
Hanes Mens Moccasin Slippers ONLY $8.49 (Reg $34)
Summer Waves 10-Ft Pool ONLY $59 (Reg. $87)
40% Off All Fanatics + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
Necklace and Stud Earring Set ONLY $17.99 (Reg $60)
Costway 10×10 Outdoor Tent ONLY $39.99 (Reg $100)
Whirlpool 3.1 cu ft Mini Refrigerator ONLY $159.99 (Reg $220)
Up to 72% Off Disney Treasures From the Vault Plush Characters
Moscow Mule Mug 2-Piece Set ONLY $14.99 (Reg $40)
Up to 60% OFF Women’s Swim Suits at JCPenney
Kate Spade Harper Satchel ONLY $89 (Reg $359)
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Travel Cosmetic Case ONLY $23.40 (Reg $39)
Neutrogena Therapeutic Shampoo ONLY $3.19 (Reg $8)
Threshold Fuzzy Foam Bath Rugs 2-Pack ONLY $10 (Reg $20)
Discover & Play Piano Musical Toy ONLY $8.60 (Reg. $17)
StyleCraft Supercharged Nano-Ceramic Dryer ONLY $47.97 (Reg $80)

Tryazon: Sweeten Lunchtime with Zollipops and Lunch Notes!

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Brighten your kids’ lunchtime with this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Zolli Candy and MyWish4U. Zolli Candy is all sugar free and is supercharged with smile-friendly, natural ingredients that are actually good for your teeth! Zolli naturally balances your pH and reduces acid in your mouth making it the perfect way to end lunch! ZolliPops and Zaffi are diabetic friendly, keto, gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. Lunch Notes From Me® are a series of notes to tuck in your kids’ lunch to make sure they know they are loved and thought about when they are at school. They have a variety of notes including Facts & Funnies, Riddles & Giggles, Brainteasers & Giggles, and more!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack valued at $75+ with a variety of Zolli Candy and Lunch Notes From Me® to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here.

Recipe: Parm Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

I posted this pic on IG and Facebook the other day, and tons of people messaged me for the recipe. It’s super EASY. And tasty. And slightly addictive.

Here’s the recipe. And you’re welcome.

Parm Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. softened butter
  • 2 T. Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese (make sure your parm is 100% cheese. Some cheaper brands have cellulose filler)
  • 2 pieces of bread (I used Oasis Rosemary Sourdough bread)
  • 2-4 slices of cheese- I used sharp cheddar, but provolone is good too.

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix butter and parm.
  2. Spread the butter mixture on 1 side of each piece of bread.
  3. Assemble sandwich in griddle/frying pan: bread (butter side out), cheese, remaining bread.
  4. cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes, until the parm and the butter have formed a crust. Flip the sandwich and cook on the other side.

This sandwich is good on its own or good with soup. I recommend Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque.

AO Opinions: Upcoming Grocery Project $125

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study on the subject of  grocery shopping (specifically fish products),

  • To be considered, complete the pre-screener survey here.
  •  Compensation: $125 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 25-65 year olds 
  • Tuesday, May 24th or Wednesday, May 25th 2022
  • Times Currently Available: MUST JOIN 15-MINS EARLY (Various times available)