Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family During Covid Fatigue (& A Giveaway)

So many of us are suffering from Covid Fatigue. Our bodies and minds have been put through the wringer. Worrying about our health, jobs, finances… It takes its toll.

I’m here to tell you- We don’t know when it’s going to end, but there are resources out there to help you. Don’t be proud. Take help that is offered, when you do, it can relieve some of the burden on your mind. 

I post a lot about different free and frugal opportunities to help my readers. When I talk to readers (I text and chat on FB messenger with a lot of y’all), I am frequently met with many of the same responses when I suggest that y’all take advantage of some of the opportunities I post. People feel bad about taking advantage of deals, offers, and freebies. 

I recommend that even if you feel like you aren’t “that bad off”, or that you know there are other people who “have it worse”, take advantage of free food events. Many times I have gone or driven a friend to events and the people sponsoring the events are so glad that SOMEONE has shown up, and because they have X number of items to give, but far fewer people show up.

If you feel like you aren’t in “enough” need, offer to drive people in your bubble, or grab food for t friends and coordinate a porch drop off. Most of them are sponsored or paid for by government entities, grants, or subsidies that are funded by our tax dollars. These resources may not have the ability to store or drive food to people who don’t have transportation. 

Helping others, even if it’s a porch drop off of produce can brighten your spirits. There are so many ways to release some of the heaviness that weighs on you. That heaviness is Covid Fatigue.

Here are a few ways I’ve tried to lessen the stress monster sitting on my chest:

Focus on what I can change. For me that’s making sure we are all clean and fed. That we get outside to play (socially distanced with masks), get fresh air, move our bodies, and get to bed at a decent time.

Work hard, but not to the point where I am burnt out. Tomorrow is another day. Laundry can wait to be put away, the carpet will still need to be vacuumed tomorrow.

Take time to contact friends. It’s hard to be without friends and family for so long. Message them on FB, text them, or pick up the phone. If you don’t have enough spoons for that, scroll through your social media of choice and like some of their statuses. 

Disconnect as needed.  Yeah, I know it’s the opposite of the above, but doomscrolling or constantly refreshing your social media feeds obsessively isn’t good for you. Leave your phone in the other room, or put it in do not disturb mode. 

NuCalm

One thing I have been using to help relax at night so I can get some peaceful sleep is I downloaded the NuCalm appNuCalm is the world’s only patented neuroscience technology clinically proven to resolve stress and improve sleep quality – without drugs. I’ve been using the Reboot for the past few nights, and it’s really helped me fall sleep and stay asleep. You can select whatever amount of time works for you, and you can even loop it if you want to enjoy the peace all night. The kids love NuCalm too. 

Giveaway Time: I’d love to hear about what you do to lessen your stress and battle Covid Fatigue. Leave a comment and I’ll choose one on 12/31/2020. The winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card- But there is one condition- You have to spend it on yourself! Something that sparks joy!

Q-insights Car/SUV/Minivan Survey Pays $100!

QI-logoNOslogan.png

Q-insights is another company that 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.

I received an email this morning that Q-insights is currently looking for people to take part in an upcoming online survey for car, SUV, and minivan owners.

This is an online survey that will be held at the end of January. The survey is 1 hour long and pays $100.

They are looking for owners of the following vehicles 2013 or newer:

  • Chevrolet Equinox
  • Chevrolet Malibu
  • Chevrolet Silverado
  • Chevrolet Tahoe
  • Chevrolet Traverse
  • Chrysler Pacifica
  • Dodge Caravan
  • Dodge Durango
  • Ford Edge
  • Ford Escape
  • Ford Explorer
  • Ford F-150 SuperCrew
  • Ford Fusion
  • GMC Acadia
  • Honda Accord
  • Honda CR-V
  • Honda Odyssey
  • Honda Pilot
  • Hyundai Palisade
  • Hyundai Santa Fe
  • Jeep Cherokee
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee
  • Kia Sorento
  • Kia Telluride
  • Nissan Altima
  • Nissan Pathfinder
  • Nissan Rogue
  • Ram 1500
  • Subaru Ascent
  • Subaru Outback
  • Toyota 4Runner
  • Toyota Camry
  • Toyota Highlander
  • Toyota RAV4
  • Volkswagen Atlas

If you have one of these vehicles and are interested, please fill out this survey screener and one of their recruiters will contact you if you qualify.

Cross Country Cafe: Cute Craft & Enter to Win K-Cups!

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

Cross Country Cafe has a cute craft and a killer giveaway! K-Cup® Pod Christmas Up-cycling CraftCheck out this sweet little dude you and your kiddos can make him in just a few minutes. If you are like our family, you have almost all of the supplies on hand.

And if crafting isn’t your bag, check out this great giveaway:

Win 96 Holiday Blend K-Cup® pods. It’s a winterful life, especially when you win free coffee! Enter our giveaway before 12/31/20.

Win 96 Holiday Blend K-Cup® PodsMonthly Keurig K-cup coffee giveaway- each and every month Cross Country Cafe will be giving away full size boxes of Keurig K-cup coffee to one lucky winner!

Cents of Style Sale: Cardigans & Kimonos 50% OFF Starting Under $10

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

Cents of Style has a sweet (and warm) deal this week! Check out these sweet cardigans & kimonos… It’s so hard to choose, but with over 20 options and at 50% off you will easily end up snagging 2 or 3! Prices are starting at UNDER $10 on multiple styles… I picked up a few for myself!

Remember to use coupon code LETITSNOW at checkout!

Cardigan

Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf Recipe

I’ve been making this for years. It’s easy, tasty, and there are never leftovers!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 pounds ground beef (70/30 is preferred)
  • 1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces (I like the Kirkland brand)
  • 2 egg
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2T dehydrated toasted onions (Penzey’s has the best)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I like cheddar)
  • Pepper as needed (No extra salt is needed as it is in the seasoned breadcrumbs and bacon)

Directions:

  1. pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Spray a loaf pan (or a meatloaf pan) with spray release.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the cheese and mix well. You may need to get in there with your hands. You want all of the ingredients well combined.
  4. Pack half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
  5. Sprinkle cheese over the bottom half of the meat mixture.
  6. Top the cheese with the rest of the meat mixture, make sure that all of the cheese is covered.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
  8. I like to top this meatloaf with Barbeque sauce, but it does have a little heat.

Serve with baked potatoes, salad, and a glass of milk for that wholesome 1960’s dinner. This makes approximately 6-8 servings.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Some people like to use Turkey, chicken, or pork instead of red meat. My mom uses half ground beef and half ground pork. Whatever makes you happy.

Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you are gluten-free.

Unfortunately, this cannot be made vegetarian or vegan.

(San Diego, CA) Flagship Research Seeking Parents fo Upcoming Study!

I got an email this morning from Flagship Research, and they are looking for parents or grandparents with children ages newborn to 4 years old who live in the household that want to take part in an upcoming research usability study. This study is being held at an offsite location in the Carlsbad area in San Diego on Thursday, January 7th, Monday, January 11th through Friday, January 15th at various throughout the day. The study will consist in taking part in a 2-hour one-on-one interview that will compensate $150 if you qualify and participate.

If you are interested, contact Flagship at (619) 849-1111. And let them know that Abby Hewes referred you.

If you don’t live in San Diego and are interested in earning money, here are a few online survey companies I like:

 

12/21/20 Weekly Meal Plan!

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store over the weekend: The kids needed food to keep their tummies full over the next week of winter break, and we were out of a lot of shelf stable stuff. And salad. I am nuts about the Taylor Farms Salads (tangerine Crunch and Avocado Ranch are THE BEST). Our local Grocery Outlet and 99 Cents Only both carry various varieties for CHEAP.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.

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.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

The next two weeks are Winter Break, so we’ll be eating at home a lot. Most places are still closed as cases here surge. Our tradition of zoo trips will be on hold for now. I’m planning a drive to the desert for the day, complete with a picnic lunch and some fun photos. And of course, lots of time next week to play with toys or whatever the kids get for Christmas.

I’m planning on making two batches of soup for lunches. Beef stew and probably vegetarian chili.

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:  Meatloaf, fruit, noodles, & rolls Meatloaf recipe will be posted this week
  • Monday: Soup, salad, and fruit
  • Tuesday: Grilled Cheese, Fruit, and salad
  • Wednesday: Nugget Night (With Birdseye cauli fries)
  • Thursday: Pizza Night
  • Friday:  Pot Roast in the crockpot, oven roasted vegetables, salad
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

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

Fetch rewards: 4,000 Points Per Referral this Weekend ONLY!

Fetch Rewards is hooking us up this weekend!

Here’s a new holiday tradition: tell all your friends about FetchThrough 12/20, you’ll get 4,000 points for each friend you refer to Fetch. They’ll get 2,000 points of their own when they sign up with your code.

Plus, there’s no limit to the Rewards you can earn:

  • Refer 2 friends. Get 8,000 points.
  • Refer 10 friends. Get 40,000 points.
  • Refer 100 friends…well, you do the math.

 

 

 

Let’s get started! If you are new to Fetch Rewards, you can learn more here. When you sign up, use my referral code ND2TB and share the love (and referral points!).

When you sign up, leave your referral code in the comments!

San Diego, CA Area Residents: FREE Produce and Perishable Groceries-12/21/2020

Our friends over at Faith Chapel understand that with all that’s going on in the world that some of us still need help finding healthy food during this difficult time. And that’s it not always safe for us to go to the store or hit up a farmers market.

Distribution is happening Monday, December 21, 2020 at 10:00am!

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977

Got a Tablet? Check out this opportunity from Q-Insights Market Research Company

QI-logoNOslogan.png

Q-insights is another company that 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.

I received an email this morning that Q-insights is currently looking for males and females ages 20-50 who are currently own a
tablet, such as Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The survey would be a 2.5 hour online Zoom focus group being held on January 11, 12, or 13, 2021.

You would be paid $200 for your participation. To see if you qualify, please fill out the questionnaire here. 

For more information about Q-insights, check out the post I wrote here.