Author: Abby H.

Holiday Light Displays: Socially Distanced Family Fun!

Abby H.

One of our favorite family activities this time of year is to drive around the county and check out Christmas lights. I pack some snacks and hot chocolate (or just white milk for the Bitty Bird- She doesn’t like cocoa- I know…), and we head out for an adventure. I usually grab a couple extra fluffy blankets too. They tend to fall asleep on the way home!

I’ve included our family favorites, as well as some that came recommended by my Facebook fans. I did not include any that charge a fee to see. There are quite a few professional displays that charge a fee to drive-thru all over the county.

There are a few that I did not include as I have heard they are dark (Knob Hill in Vista), or the owners of the homes have moved or chosen not to do a display this year.

East County:

  • Jingle Bell Hill (also known as Pepper Dr. Lights). Solomon Ave./Pegeen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 & Bradley. Dec. 8-26, Mon-Th 6-9 pm, Fri-Sun 6-10 pm.
  • 10248 Paseo Palmas Dr. Nicknamed “Tinsel Town”. Dec. 1-25, 5:30-9 pm. Most of the houses on this street are very well decorated with lights and moving displays! They have a Facebook page too!
  •  Starlight Circle, East and West Glendon Circles. Through December 26th, 7-10 pm. This is extremely popular!  Starlight Circle even has a Facebook page!

North County:

  • 12631 Stoutwood St., Poway Off Twin Peaks Rd. & Deerwood St. Nicknamed “The Griswolds.”
  • 23542 Bassett Way, Ramona  Sun-Th, 5:30pm -10pm; Fri & Sat, 5:30pm – 11pm

Be safe, stay in your cars, or mask up and stay socially distant from others.

If you know of any light displays in San Diego County that are active this year and free- Please leave a comment! (that you have gone to- please no linking to other websites)

12/4/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

It’s Friday again! Time to score some freebies, pick up a few deals online, and stay home (or if you have to leave home, wear a mask and wash your paws).

Most of California is going into lockdown (AGAIN), so I’ll only be posting deals that can allow you to socially distance.

Freebies:

Free Chobani Coconut Yogurt for Kroger & Affiliates
Free Dental Assessment Kit
Free 3-Pack of Hallmark Greeting Cards
Free Ritual of Namaste Cream & Serum Sample
Free Subscription to Allure Magazine
Possible Free $150 Research Study
Free Coffee Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Samples of Smell of God Perfume
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Free Breakfast Baconator at Wendy’s
Coca-Cola Insiders Club – Limited Enrollment for Freebies 12/8
Youtube Premium Free for 3 Months
5 Free 4×6 Photo Prints From Walgreens
Free Bone Broth Soup

Deals:

Merry Christmas Cards For Kids 28-Count ONLY $2.98 (Reg. $12)
Altavida 12-lb. Weighted Blanket ONLY $31.99 (Reg. $80)
L.O.L. Surprise S1 Ultimate Collection ONLY $49.99 (Reg. $100)
WowWee Pixie Belles ONLY $4.99 (Reg. $15)
MUK LUKS Women’s Bardot Slide Slippers ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $32)
Dreamworks Dragons Hatching Toothless ONLY $19.97 (Reg. $60)
Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make ONLY $8.69
FREE 2 Months of Kindle Unlimited Reading (Save $19.98)
Shrek 4-Movie Collection ONLY $14.99 on Amazon (Reg. $30)
Trolls & Trolls World Tour 2-Movie Collection $14.99 (Reg. $45)
Bed Head One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer ONLY $26.39 (Reg $60)
Sneezy the Snowman Paperback ONLY $4.79 (Reg. $10)
Amazon Smart Plug ONLY $0.99 (Reg. $25) for Select Users
Bella 5Qt Slow Cooker with Dipper ONLY $17.99 (Reg $40)
Vintage Faux Turquoise Jewelry 3-Piece Set ONLY $2.99 Shipped
Clinique 2-Pc. Merry Moisture Gift Set ONLY $8.07 ($31 Value)
Save $10 on $40 of Select Household Items on Amazon
Cuisinart 22-Piece Aluminum Kitchen Set ONLY $69.99 (Reg $200)
KidKraft Wooden Kitchen Play Set ONLY $99 at Walmart (Reg $190)
Morphe Whoa La La Lip & Eye Set + Bag ONLY $15 ($37 Value)

If you find an amazing deal or freebie, please share it in the comments below.

New PinchMe Samples Drop 12/8/2020!

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming 12/8/2020- Mark your calendars, set an alarm on your phone!

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.

Here are the companies participating in the December Sample boxes:

  • Impossible™ Burger Patties 100% Free Gratuity Coupon
  • Ocean Spray® Growing Goodness™
  • Purely Elizabeth Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
  • Rascal + Friends Diapers
  • SlimFast Keto Fat Bomb Iced Lemon Drop Snack Cup
  • Caliper Swiftsticks Flavored CBD Powder
  • Biotrue® Multi-Purpose Solution
  • KübWipes 100% Natural Cotton Dry Wipes
  • Life’s Grape Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Classic Vine-Dried Grape Snack Variety Pack
  • Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds
  • Blue Diamond Nut-Thins: Hint of Sea Salt
  • Blue Diamond Nut-Thins: Cheddar
  • Boiron Acidil® Meltaway Tablets
  • HARIBO Goldbears
  • Lumify® Redness Reliever Eye Drops
  • Skylar Vanilla Sky Perfume
  • Prima CBD The Daily Softgels
  • Prima CBD Enlightenment Serum

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

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!

Piñata: Make Rent Rewarding

Abby H.

I discovered this app the other day and I decided to share with you.

I was a renter for years, and each month it pained me to write a rent check and wave the money goodbye. Enter Piñata! Piñata is the world’s first and only rent rewards platform that gives you rewards for paying rent and is free.

Every rent day, get Piñata Cash, redeemable for gift cards and free goodies from top brands.

Even when it’s not rent day, Piñata gives renters exclusive deals and discounts to help you save on everyday expenses from CVS and Costco to Best Buy and Sprint to Papa John’s and Disney World. You get an average of $4,000 in yearly savings. You can also get cash back on special deals from your favorite brands.

You’ll get a $30 gift card just for creating your account.

Get Pinata Cash for referring friends & family and helping them earn as well!

Talk Back: If you sign up for Pinata, please let me know what you think!

Exclusive Avocados from Mexico- Recipes, Savings and More!

Abby H.

Growing up in California, everyone knew someone who grew avocados. Creamy, rich, delicious… Avocados are one of my favorite toppings for toast, salads, omelets, enchiladas.

Avocados from Mexico wants everyone to enjoy this amazing veggie! More than just a yummy ingredient in guacamole, check out these important ‘Cado facts:

 

  • Avocados From Mexico contain good fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making them part of a balanced lifestyle.
  • When you eat a meal with avocado, the fruit acts as a nutrient booster to help your body absorb the fat-soluble nutrients found in the other foods.
  • Avocados are a good source of fiber, which slows down digestion helping to leave you satisfied.
  • Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats, are low in saturated fat, and are cholesterol, sugar and sodium free.
  • Eating dietary fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Avocados contain mainly naturally good fats with 5g of monounsaturated fats per serving (1/3 of a medium avocado).

Now that you know all of that, aren’t you longing for creamy avocados from Mexico? Join new Avocados from Mexico – The Avosauce newsletter and get your customized scoop on avocado recipes, health tips and much more.

Looking for a Gift for the Hairy Dude on your list? Try Manscaped!

Abby H.

We’ve all got a hairy dude on our gift giving list. Manscaped has gifts for the hairiest dudes out there! I love their irreverant marketing and products.

Right now they are having a sale- just in time for holiday shopping!

SAVE 20% Automatically off all orders

Not only does being well groomed mean your ear and nose hair (and other hair) is neat and tidy, but having well trimmed nails is important too! The Shears 2.0 Luxury Nail Care Set — The Perfect Stocking Stuffer
MANSCAPED is excited to offer The Shears 2.0, a four-piece luxury nail kit. ($19.99 on manscaped.com)

The Shears 2.0 set includes:
– Slant Tip Tweezers
– Rounded-Tip Scissors
– Fingernail Clippers
– Medium Grit Nail File

The Lawn Mower 3.0 is an ultra-premium trimmer designed for groin and body trimming. ($79.99 on manscaped.com)

There is also The Perfect Package 3.0, our carefully crafted kit that houses all the essentials for properly tending to the groin area. ($79.99 on manscaped.com)

 

The Perfect Package 3.0 includes:

The Lawn Mower 3.0 – The cornerstone of a refined & elevated grooming regime
Crop Preserver – Ball deodorant uniquely formulated to help reduce odor for up to 24 hours
Crop Reviver – Refreshing ball toner spray infused with cooling aloe perfect for active lifestyles
Magic Mat – Set of three disposable shaving mats
The Shed – Luxury travel + storage bag
MANSCAPED Boxers – Get comfy in these soft, chafe-relieving boxer briefs

**NEW** The Crop Care Kit – Just the Lotions & Potions
Already have The Lawn Mower 3.0 trimmer? Then this bundle is a must. Housing all of MANSCAPED’s best-selling formulations this line-up is sure to take your grooming routine to the next level. ($44.99 on manscaped.com)

Crop Preserver- Ball deodorant is a thing, and it’s life-changing.
Crop Reviver- Ball toner is also a thing. Spritz spritz!
Crop Cleanser- Hair + body wash done right.
Crop Mop- Portable wet wipes for balls, butt, and body.
Foot Duster(free gift) – Foot deodorant to show the feet some love, too!

The Weed Whacker Luxury Nose + Ear Hair Trimmer – For Dad (or grandpa)
This premium trimmer is a technological masterpiece, redesigning the traditional nose hair trimmer by focusing on maximum performance and comfort, and offering a sleek, ultramodern design. ($39.99 on manscaped.com)

Standout Features:

Proprietary SkinSafe Technology helps prevent nicks, snags and tugs.
Powerful 600mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery lasts for up to 90 minutes of use.
Premium 9,000 RPM motor powers 360-degree rotary dual-blade system.

 

As soon as our products arrive in the mail, I’ll be sharing pics and my opinions!

December 2020: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

Check out the following sites:

One of my favorite websites is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

December means it’s time for the winter “feasting” holidays (Hannukah, Christmas, and Yule- depending on your religion), so there will be lots of deals on traditional holiday foods. For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:


Save $2.00 on any ONE (1) Incogmeato™ MorningStar Farms® Product
Save $0.50 on ONE (1) Clorox® Liquid Bleach Product, 77oz+. (Excludes trial sizes and pens.)


Save $1.00 On any Unbun product, limit one per visit
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® Veggie Tots, Riced Veggies, Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Veggies, Harvest Protein Bowls, or Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant Veggie Spirals™
Save 35¢ On Any California Dairy Product That Carries The Real California Milk Seal

Review: Cool Maker Girls Spa Night Party

Abby H.

Recently Tryazon sent me three products to host a Cool Maker Girls Spa Night Party. Covid and the County of San Diego regulations threw a wrench in that plan, so instead, I contacted some local mom friends and asked them if they wanted to host their own spa times with their girls. Bitty Bird and I did it yesterday, and we are sharing our kits with our buddies.
We received the following:
Cool Maker, Hollywood Hair Extension Maker. Bitty was most excited about this one. She had pink hair over the summer and has been longing for funky hair again.  It was easy to set up, and while it only held her attention for 20-30 minutes, it was fun.

Cool Maker, GO Glam Nail Stamper Deluxe Salon with Dryer for Manicures and Pedicures. This was frustrating. You must use the polish included, and she didn’t like either of the colors. The polish and the stamps come off when you wash your hands, so 20 minutes later, the few nails we got the stamps to stick to were gone. This is a post COVID activity.
Orbeez – Ultimate Soothing Spa This was the most fun, however, ORBEEZ take upwards of 4 hours to plump up, so prep this one well in advance. You have to use both sachets of Orbeez and the bottle of pre-plumped Orbeez that comes with the kit in order for it to be anywhere near enough. If we use this again, I’ll be getting a lot more to fill the tub up more. The battery-powered motor is a little loud.

It was hard to do all of these activities and take pictures, but I did manage to snag a few:

The nail decals/tape
Bitty loves puppies
What they really look like
Mama’s hair “extension”
Mama’s nail look
This is two sachets of orbeez and the bottle too.
close up of extension
Loaded and ready!
Go Glam!
Peace love and spa day with Mama!
The extension kit (and my scissors not included)

11/30/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

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I went grocery shopping last night and it was a pretty light trip, just the usual goodies: Eggs, coffee, and of course: popsicles.

I rearranged the freezer over the weekend and cleaned out the fridge (oh hi 4-year-old salad dressing!), and discovered some ground beef hidden behind a stack of frozen veg. I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries.

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 the fridge done (I 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.

This week is Thanksgiving break- the kids are home all week. Since we are in the Purple Tier as far as the county’s Covid Cases, a lot of the fun things we usually do are off the table. We will probably skip the zoo this week, even though it is open. It’s a holiday week for most of the county’s school districts, and there will be a lot more people out and about. We’ll be doing outdoor stuff where we can socially distance ourselves from others. We’ll be having a lot of leftovers from Thursday onward. Lunches will probably be protein shakes, pasta and veggies, Peanut butter sandwiches, and beans and rice.

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:  Tri-Tip & Spanish Rice
  • Monday: Salad, Garlic Bread, and Fruit
  • Tuesday: Nuggets, Salad, and Fruit
  • Wednesday: Burgers & Veggie Fries
  • Thursday: Chicken Chili on Baked Potatoes, and Salad
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • 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?

12/1/2020: Celebrate Santee’s 40th Birthday with Treats & Fireworks!

Abby H.

My hometown, Santee, CA is celebrating their 40th birthday this Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

No birthday is complete without treats, and there are lots of locations throughout town giving out yummy goodies!

OFFICIAL SWEET TREAT STOP LOCATIONS
Visit any of our Sweet Treat Stop locations on Tuesday, December 1 to enjoy a sweet birthday treat on behalf of the City of Santee. (while supplies last)

OFFICIAL SWEET TREAT STOP MAP

Santee City Hall – 10601 N. Magnolia Ave, Santee • Gourmet sweet treats handcraft by Lantern Crest‘s Executive Chef Mario Esparza, Chick- fil-A • Brownies, Baklava King, Inc. • Variety of baklava  Drive-thru map (11am – 6pm)
Bagel & Donut Bar – 9720 Mission Gorge Rd Ste E, Santee • Kids – 6 donut holes and Adults – 1 classic bagel with cream cheese (6am – 8pm)
Baklava King, Inc. – (off site distribution of treats at Santee City Hall) • Variety of baklava
Chick-fil-A Santee – (off site distribution of treats at Santee City Hall) • Brownies
Dairy Queen – 70 town Center Parkway, Santee • Small soft serve cone vanilla or chocolate (11am – 8pm)
Eccentric International Chefs – 8925 Carlton Hills Blvd, Santee, CA 92071 • Mini cupcakes, mini cookies & macaroons (4:30am – 4pm)
Go Get Yogurt – 9802 N. Magnolia Ave, Ste 1, Santee • Special birthday size frozen yogurt with one topping of customer’s choice (11am – 9:30pm)
Honey Donuts – 10718 Woodside Ave, Santee  • Donuts, coffee, hot chocolate, muffins or cookies (24hrs)
Kravings Fruit Bar – 9740 Mission Gorge #D, Santee, CA 92071 • Dessert TBA (10:30am – 8pm)
Mary’s Donuts – 8959 Carlton Hills Blvd, Santee, CA 92071 • Donuts (24hrs)
NatSweets – 8840 N. Magnolia Ave #150, Santee • Chocolate chip or birthday cake cookie or a scoop of ice cream (9am-5pm)
The Coffee Corner – 235 Town Center Pkwy Ste A, Santee • Mini acai bowls & Belgian waffles (7:30am – 4pm)
The Cupcake Store – 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd Ste 7, Santee • Mini cupcakes (10am – 5:30pm)
Whipped Cake Shop – Pathways Church Parking Lot 9600 Carlton Hills Blvd., Santee • Gingerbread cheesecake bites (10am – 6pm)

 

In addition to treats, there will be fireworks! At 7:00 p.m. two simultaneous LIVE fireworks shows will be launched from Town Center Community Park and West Hills Park. If you have pets, make sure they are safely inside.

And both park locations where the fireworks are being shot off will be closed to the public- remember to view the fireworks somewhere safe and socially distant.