June 2025 – Hewes Family Fun

Healthy, Frugal Summer Snacks

June 27, 2025June 26, 2025Abby H.

The kids eat so much when school is out of session.

Because of our current schedule, we are missing out on the free lunches available throughout San Diego County for the next few weeks.

That means I need to spend my money a little more wisely and fill our pantry with healthy snacks.

Here are a few of our favorite snacks- and yes, I buy some of them in bulk from Dollar Tree.

Freeze-Dried Fruit: I love freeze-dried pineapple, Bitty loves freeze-dried strawberries, and Bubs likes freeze-dried mangoes.

Flavor Blasted Goldfish are the kids’ favorite. I like the original goldfish crackers, but really, most flavors are good.

Meji Chocorooms– These are part cookie, part candy. Sometimes Dollar Tree has them, but they are also found at Cost Plus and Costco.

Sobisk Honey Graham Cracker Bear Cookies, 10-ct. Packs. These are really good by themselves or dipped in yogurt.

Sometimes in stores, they have other flavors like chocolate chip or chocolate.

Select Choice Chewy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, 6-ct. Boxes. These bars are comparable to the Quaker Chewy bars. Some locations have other varieties in store, including chocolate chip.

And if you are looking for a wide variety of beverages that everyone will love, Dollar Tree has a great selection of drink mixes. Our current family favorites include Sonic Limeade, Wyler’s Strawberry Lemonade, and Welch’s Orange Peach.

And while not a snack, the kids and I have been carrying around our 40-ounce insulated Stainless steel tumblers from Michael’s. Yes, I had a coupon for each one. It’s keeping us all hydrated, and it’s saving me trips to Sonic, Starbucks, or the gas station while we are out this summer.

Netflix Kids & Family Summer Movie Fun!

June 26, 2025June 26, 2025Abby H.

It’s summer, and that means it’s going to be hot. Sometimes that means a trip to the pool or beach, but sometimes it’s time to draw the shades, turn on the AC, gather the kids, and turn on Netflix for a movie afternoon. My posse is very excited to watch Paddington in Peru. We love Paddington!

If you are traveling with kids this summer, be tablet-ready to “go” with Netflix’s Download feature! Download films and shows for kids (and even seasons in one tap with a new Season Download button) from a variety of offerings before take-off and never worry about a flight attendant announcing, “Apologies, but WIFI is not available on this flight!” again!

Focus Group Connection- L.A. COUNTY – PARENTS, TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS – $250 Paid Research Study

June 26, 2025June 26, 2025Abby H.

Focus Group Connections is a research company located in Southern California. They conduct studies and surveys all over the US.

Focus Group Connection is looking

for young adults aged 16-24 to participate in a unique and exclusive opportunity for community members to share their valuable insights on the captivating topic of “Style” taking place IN-PERSON session in the LA area (Wilshire BLVD) area July 17th & 18th.

Your opinions matter tremendously, as they play a crucial role in shaping future products that resonate with the market.

This engaging study is structured in two parts: the first part involves a brief homework assignment, taking approximately 30-45 minutes of your time, which will need to be completed prior t the study. You will be rewarded with an extra incentive of $50.00 for completing. The second part consists of a TWO-HOUR, IN-PERSON focus group session, where your insights will be further valued with an additional $200 compensation.

Focus Group Connections kindly ask participants to ensure they have transportation to the IN-PERSON session in the Los Angeles area.

This is a limited-time opportunity, and your contributions will significantly impact our market research. We encourage you to seize this chance to make your voice heard—your insights could help shape the future of style!

If interested, please fill in the pre-screen survey here.

Please note – Not everyone will qualify to participate and not everyone will receive a call-back.

Secret Shop and have fun with Amusement Advantage!

June 24, 2025June 24, 2025Abby H.

Y’all know I love to secret shop!

I learned about Amusement Advantage from some friends who have had a blast doing secret shopping and having adventures with their families. Amusement Advantage has all sorts of fun shops: movie theatres, amusement parks, museums, and more! They have opportunities to do secret assignments in almost every state of the US and most of the Provinces in Canada.

From their website: “We only evaluate attractions, amusement locations, and entertainment facilities. Our shops give you the opportunity to have fun with friendly and family and include reimbursement for you and some of your guests’ expenses, and in most cases, a little extra cash profit or extra free tickets for your time and efforts. Click here to see a list of locations we are currently shopping. Curious what other shoppers say about our company? Click here to see reviews from other shoppers just like you!”

If you want to check out Amusement Advantage and see if there are opportunities near you, click here. If you decide to sign up, use my email akeen02037@gmail.com as a referral. We’ll each get a little something extra.

Nothing Bundt Cake: BOGO Bundtlets this Week Only!

June 24, 2025Abby H.

This awesome offer appeared in my inbox, and it’s too good not to share. Check your email to see if you received this offer too!

Now through Sunday, 6/29/2025, when you buy one bundlet in-store or online (not through the app) for in-store pick up, you can get one free with the coupon code BOGOJUN25. This offer is valid at select locations only. Double-check when ordering online to see if this is honored at your local store.

If you want to shop in-store, you’ll need the barcode from the email.

Oh, and don’t forget when you are in the store to ask about their Books and Bundts summer reading program. Your kids can earn free cake by reading this summer.

For other summer reading freebies, check out my post here.

Legoland Water Park: Kid Tested, Family Approved!

June 22, 2025June 22, 2025Abby H.

Last month, Legoland had a summer pass sale, and I took advantage of it, knowing it would be an awesome way for us to spend some time outside having fun this summer.

We used the passes for the first time on Friday to visit the Legoland Water Park.

We’ve never gone to the water park before, and it was pretty fun. Like some parts of Legoland, there are areas of the water park that are great for smaller kids, great for families, and some areas perfect for bigger kids. Here is a map of the park.

We spent a lot of time at the Chima area in the wave pool.

It is a walk-in pool, and the deep end is only 5 feet. The waves come on every 5 minutes, preceded by an alarm. The kids had an amazing time swimming in the waves (yes, we brought their goggles) and lazing in the shallow end.

We rented a locker for $16 and stashed all of our stuff- towels, snacks, dry clothes. We didn’t hunt for pool chairs on the deck because we arrived at 1pm; however, there were tons of chairs still available. I wanted to splash and play in the water with the kids, not sit and watch!

The water slides were also a hit with the kids- I didn’t go on them because my rash guard has a zipper and you can’t have a zippered suit on the water slides (It can scratch the slides). That was cool with me- I waited below in the pool area.

The park wasn’t overcrowded, and there was plenty of water and space. There are tons of fun little areas to splash, relax, and build!

If you’ve never been to Legoland, here is my post about how to go on a budget.
If you’ve got a family member on the spectrum or with a disability, here is my post about using the Assisted Access Pass.

Both of these posts are full of tips for having the best time at Legoland!

Right now, Legoland California has a decent deal on 1 or 2-day park hopper passes.

1 day 3 park passes start at $149 each.
2-day 3-park passes start at $184 each.

Or if you only want to visit Legoland, 1-park passes start at $89!

No pics of the kids this time, but we did spot this Lego Monkey outside the backside of the Lego Hotel!

Remember, parking starts at $35 for the day. For our family, it made the most sense for the kids to get the summer passes and for me to get an annual pass that included parking. Based on how much a 1-day ticket costs and how much we paid, we only have to visit Legoland 4 more times before our passes pay for themselves. We’ve already got plans for our next visit!

6/22/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

June 22, 2025Abby H.

This week has been full of shenanigans. We hit up the Legoland Water Park on Friday. We took advantage of their summer pass deal (no longer available), which allows us to visit Legoland, the water park, and the Sea Life Aquarium as often as we’d like through September!

We took snacks and water, and had a blast.

We also slept in late, made cookies, and did crafts. The adventures continue on!

Here are a few ways that we will be having fun and being frugal:

The Summer Library Reading Program post can be found here.
Fun Free Summer Activities for Tweens and Teens here.
The Summer Movie Deals can be found here.
Don’t forget about Cheap Stuff to do with Tweens and Teens here.
Kids Bowl Free is back for 2025- More info here.

I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here.

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

Freebies:

Dorel Home Products – FREE Coffee Table, End Table, Nesting Tables, or Vanity Desk with Flip-Out Mirror
FREE Sample of Hemp Heart Protein Powder
FREE Sol de Janeiro Body Cream at Ulta After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Breathe Right Extra Strength Strips
FREE EstyBeauty Perfume Sample
FREE $20 Venmo Cash from Truly on July 4th
5 FREE Greeting Cards & $10 Gift Card from Ink’d
FREE Paint or Stain Sample at Lowe’s
FREE Lemonhead Ropes on Rainy Fridays Through August 29th
FREE Brutus Broth Yappy Hours Party Pack
FREE Sample of Trinny London Take Back Time Elixir Serum
Target Baby Registry – FREE Welcome Kit In-Stores
FREE Food at SONIC Every Friday Through August 29th

Deals:

Kenzie Card Case Crossbody ONLY $55 (Reg $199)
Insignia 32-Inch Fire TV ONLY $69.99 Shipped (Reg $130)
Viva La Juicy Gold Couture Perfume ONLY $38 (Reg $106)
The Pizza Hut BOGO Hacks You Need to Know (Yes, You Can Score FREE Pizza!)

Free Frazil Fridays in June!

June 19, 2025June 19, 2025Abby H.

Free Frazil Friday is tomorrow!

Every Friday in June, you can score a free Frazil Slushy drink at a convenience store near you. To find your local participating location, click the link here.

There are lots of locations in Southern California- in fact I found two close to Legoland, which is where the kids and I are going tomorrow!

6/19/2025 PRC Research Study Round Up!

June 19, 2025June 19, 2025Abby H.

PRC aka iOpinion is a nationwide research study company. They are always conducting studies and seeking additional respondents. They email me once a week about the online studies they are looking to fill.

Topic: Insects
Who: Adults, 18-65 years old, residing in Southern California
Dates: June 23 – July 25, 2025
Format: Online Discussion Board – MUST LOG on each day to answer questions (5-10 minutes/day)
Duration: 4-5 Weeks (depending on qualification)
Incentive: $400-$500 (depending on qualification) + $150 (if chosen for part 2)