Month: October 2022

Dream Dinner October Mini Bundle Offer!

Abby H.

It’s back! Dream Dinners is now offering Smaller Minimum Orders for a limited time*! Beginning this week until October 21 you can order Eight meals for Only $189

The October Dinner Bundle includes:

  • Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken with Oven Roasted Broccoli
  • Cranberry Buttermilk Chicken with Almond Green Beans
  • Maple Pork Tenderloin with Bountiful Baked Beans
  • Firehouse Three Cheese Pasta with Meatballs
  • Maple Bourbon BBQ Chicken with Bacon
  • Old Fashioned Meatloaf
  • Autumn Chicken Pie
  • Tortellino Al Forno

This offer is not available online. To place your order call/text 619-460-6800 or email lamesaca@dreamdinners.com.

*This offer is only available for a limited time. Contact your store by Friday, October 21st at 9 am to place your order. The bundle offer includes 1 of each entree listed. Any changes or substitutions will be subject to the current retail value of the entree.

 

If you are new to Dream Dinners, check out my amazing giveaway here!

Mabel’s Labels 2022 Holiday Collection Is Here! Get 10% Off Selected Holiday Products! #Sponsored

Abby H.

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

Mabel’s Labels has released its new holiday labels!

This is the perfect time to stock up early on all your holiday stationery and gifting needs!
Now through 10/31/2022, save 10% Off Mabel’s Labels’ select holiday products.

Check out the Holiday Products here!

What is included:
• Holiday Return Envelope Labels
• Holiday Gift Tags
• Stocking Stuffers
• Return Address Stamp  (This is my favorite product)

October 2022: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you.  Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.

Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:

      • Veggie Pasta by Veggiecraft Farms
      • No Sugar Bacon by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Uncured No Sugar Kielbasa Sausage by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Almond Yogurt by AYO Almond Yogurt
      • Squeezable Smoothie by Sweet Nothings
      • Barley Milk by Golden Wing
      • Plant-Based Protein Bar by Lupii
      • Quick and Easy Breakfast by Belgian Boys

And More!

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, and meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

Giveaway: Meal Prep Starter Pack from La Mesa Dream Dinners!

Abby H.6 Comments

I am so excited to share this giveaway with you! I’ve partnered with La Mesa Dream Dinners to give away a Meal Prep Starter kit that contains 4 medium meals (a medium meal feeds 2-3 people, but in our family of 4 it usually feeds all 4 of us with a couple side dishes added) or 2 Large Meals, which feeds 4-6 each.

Y’all know I love Dream Dinners. Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less, and there is no chopping, measuring, or shopping for ingredients. It’s awesome for us busy folks- I put 1-2 Dream Dinners in the fridge to defrost Sunday night, and we’ve got easy meals for our busiest nights.

With the kid’s extracurriculars and therapies, every day is busy right now. I’m up at 5:45am making breakfasts and lunches, washing dishes, and feeding the kitty. By the time 5pm rolls around, the last thing I want to do is spend an hour plus in the kitchen.

Dream Dinners is cheaper than takeout, healthier, and many times, it’s the same amount of dishes to wash. Yes, I serve takeout on plates and use silverware. I’m not eating Chinese takeout out of the little paper boxes with my hands.

If you are new to Dream Dinners, check out my post here with all the details, and how they compare to other meal kits.

Onto the Giveaway- Enter using the Rafflecopter widget/link (it’s not mobile-friendly) below. For a mobile-friendly entry, click here.

The first and easiest entry is to check out the October Menu here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you are most excited about trying. Then click ion the Rafflecopter link below and complete the remaining entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fine Print: This giveaway will run from 10/11/2022 until 10/19/2022. A winner will be chosen at random on 10/19/22 and will be notified via email. The winner must reside in the San Diego, CA county area and pick up their prize directly from La Mesa Dream Dinners. The winner’s contact information will be supplied to La Mesa Dream Dinners to coordinate the delivery of the prize.

This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

10/10/2022 Today is Mental Health Day!

Abby H.

Every day should be mental health day, but 10/10/2022 is International Mental Health Day. The past few years have been hard on everyone emotionally for various reasons, and it’s time to check in and make sure everyone is getting the love and support they need to get their mental health in check.

I am by no means a doctor, and I do not play one on the internet, but here are a few of my tips to foster better mental health. Most of these come from being the caregiver to two neurodivergent people, who have distinctly different mental health needs.

Check with your health insurance carrier to access mental health services. Call the phone number on the back of your health insurance id card and talk to someone. Looking online on your insurance company’s website can be too overwhelming.

If you don’t have health insurance, google sliding scale mental health services + your city. There are mental health services everywhere in person, online, and even via text or app.

Take your meds. If you are prescribed medication, please take it as prescribed. Regardless of what it’s for. When your body is healthy and cared for, that goes a long way.

Move Your Body. Exercise is not a substitution for medication or talk therapy, but it dovetails nicely. Go for a walk. Find a fitness video on Youtube (I like Yoga with Adriene). Have a family dance party, whatever you need to do to move your meatsack through space!

Drink some water. I know, I know. It’s hard to get in a bunch of water each day. Hydration helps our bodies (and minds) focus. I am a self-proclaimed beverage girl. I have 2-3 beverages at all times. I have two Yeti cups (they were promo cups, I’m too cheap to actually buy real yeti cups), plus a water bottle like this one, an insulated coffee cup  (the yeti makes my coffee stay too hot to drink for too long). If you like the style of Yeti’s tumblers, but are on a budget, I also have one of these Beast cups, and they work just as well. I also have a stash of water bottles in my car, which I am constantly refilling. I bring hte kids fresh cold water after school too- along with a snack. Which leads me to my next tip…

When is the last time you ate? Being Hangry is real. If you are hungry or thirsty your mind can become dysregulated, and that can lead to impaired cognition (or just being an asshole to people around you). Have a snack! Make snacks and food available to you and your family. Y’all know I love a good snack bin. Schedule snack times and meal times throughout your day.

Make time for yourself. I’m not going to tell you that self-care is all face masks and bubble baths. Sometimes It’s mindlessly browsing Target, texting with a friend, or cleaning out your car. Doing an activity that helps you feel better goes a long way. I wrote a post a few years ago with more self-care tips, you can check it out here.

And finally- Ask for Help.  I know this one is the hardest, at least for me. Ask for help when you need it… Before you need it. It’s as simple as delegating tasks around the house, ordering groceries from Target in-app, and doing curbside pick up. Find ways to make tasks simpler. I have a robot vacuum and it helps immensely. If you don’t have a village or closeby family or friends, rely on automation and apps.  There is no shame in asking for or hiring help (if that is available to you). If you find yourself in need of some care or gentle coaching on how to organize and clean while you are feeling stressed, I recommend KC Davis’ Book, How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.

I’m here! If you need help finding resources, please feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment on my posts. 

 

 

2022 San Diego Halloween Events!

Abby H.

It’s that time of year: Spooky Season! We’ve got our Halloween decor up, and I’ve started the kid’s costumes. They love wearing their costumes as much as possible, so we’re always looking for fun Halloween events.

Here are just a few that are big hits with my little ghouls:

As more events pop up I will add to this post, and post on Social Media as well.

Talk Back- If you know of any free Halloween events in San Diego, please leave a comment!

 

 

 

10/10/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis coming week is full of extra appointments and errands, so I’m leaning heavily on the meal prep I did yesterday, and stuff that can be cooked quickly.

We’re leaning heavily into the pantry this week as well, and I found a large package of ground beef in the freezer (under a few large bags of frozen veggies), so we’ll be using that to make both meatloaf and a big batch of bolognese sauce (half will go into the freezer for future use).

The big kid and I went to the grocery store yesterday, redeemed a bunch of coupons (thanks to Social Nature), and did our usual weekly shopping.

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. The big kid brings his lunch from home daily, and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday:  Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit

  • Tuesday: Waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese

  • Thursday: Meatloaf, Roast Veg, Rolls

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Spaghetti Bolognese, garlic bread, salad
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Californians: Middle Class Tax Refund Payments are Coming!

Abby H.

I don’t talk about politics or news a lot of my blog, because it’s not what this blog is about. HOWEVER, this piece of news is huge for millions of Californians. I had totally forgotten about the  Middle Class Tax Refund payments that were in the works for California residents until someone texted me about them the other day.

Payments will range from $400 to $1,050 for couples filing jointly and $200 to $700 for all other individuals depending on their income and whether they claimed a dependent. Refunds are available for ITIN filers, in addition to those who file tax returns with a SSN.

You can learn more here, and there is a calculator here to determine how much you may receive.

Payments started going out on 10/7/2022 and will continue throughout the end of the year.

Talk Back: Have you received your  Middle Class Tax Refund payment yet? How will you spend it?

 

Q-insights Los Angeles Truck Study – Pays $300

Abby H.

QI-logoNOslogan.pngQ-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 in Los Angeles.

Q-insights is conducting a research study for truck owners in Downtown Los Angeles. This is a 2-hour focus group that will pay you $300. They are scheduling appointments for between October 11 and October 15th.

They are looking for business owners that have one or more of the following vehicles in their fleet:

Ford Ranger
Chevrolet Colorado
GMC Canyon
Nissan Frontier
Toyota Tacoma
Jeep Gladiator
Honda Ridgeline

If you are interested in getting scheduled for a session please fill out the pre-screener here. If you qualify,  a recruiter will call you back with a few additional questions and try to get you scheduled.

Cents of Style Clearance- OVER 100 Items ONLY $10 (up to 80% OFF)!

Abby H.

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

Cents of Style is hooking us up this weekend.  Their  MOST POPULAR and BEST SELLING items are ALL $10!

This amazing $10 collection includes tops, sweaters, shorts, cardigans, pants, sets, and dresses.

There are OVER 100 different items to choose from with TONS of colors and sizes ranging from S-3XL.

The best part: There is no code!! This ENTIRE collection is marked at ONLY $10– that’s up to 80% OFF!! The sale is valid until 10/11/22 at midnight! FREE shipping for purchases over $40.