Author: Abby H.

Earn Money Doing Surveys Online

Abby H.

I’ve written about doing surveys online before, and it’s definitely one of the ways that I make money. For my full list of side hustles, check out this post.

Here are a couple survey companies that are looking for new members!

Create a profile and take surveys to earn cash or gift card rewards with Branded Surveys. They pay you with cash or gift card rewards to complete market research studies. Refer your friends to maximize your rewards (woo hoo).

Pro Tip: Cashouts are possible upon receiving 1,000 points ($10). You’ll also receive these notifications after each survey you take along with helpful tips and hints to improve performance.

  My absolute favorite survey company! Pinecone Research pays $3 per survey. Redeem via paypal or save your points to cash out for other gift cards or shop their catalog.

They send you an email notification when you have a survey available. Complete the survey and earn points to be redeemed for either cash or prizes. Occasionally, they will send you a product to test, too.

Oh, and Vindale Research is a fun one too! Get paid to review products with Vindale Research in addition to surveys!

When you sign up to do surveys online, I recommend that you do the following:

  1. Have an email address solely for doing surveys. Check it a few times a week to make sure that you aren’t missing any opportunities.
  2. If you don’t have a Paypal Account, sign up for one. They are free and most companies that pay “cash” use Paypal.
  3. Keep track of your earnings- I have a Google Sheet that I update any time I receive a pay out.
  4. Have Fun!

2/24/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI forgot to push PUBLISH yesterday. OOPS. Well, last week I juggled stuff around and only posted the meal plan on Instagram. I may go back to that in the future, I’m not sure. I post on Insta about once a day, so not a lot, and I promise it’s not a feed full of perfectly polished, curated pics. It’s usually me, the cat, or craft projects pics taken with my iPhone 4S. Yes, I have a 4s. It still works, it’s a little slow (and small), but if it ain’t broke…

Back to the meal plan- I did a quick grocery trip on Sunday to stock up mostly on kiddo lunch goodies. I picked up a couple items we had run out of, like cream cheese and milk.

While rummaging through the freezer I found what I think is veggie soup, but we’ll find out once it thaws. Whatever it is, it’s for dinner tonight! This is a reminder to label the food in the freezer.

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 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 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: You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

Breakfast: I’ve gone back to a protein shake or coffee with a scoop of protein powder and a few pumps of Sugar-Free Syrup for me, and pancakes or something along those lines (Dave’s Killer Bagels are also a popular request for breakfast) for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch. Usually on pizza day.

I’m fixing to make a big fruit salad today- We’ve got a lot of fruit and I don’t want it to get funky.

  • Monday: Leftover Fritatta and fruit
  • Tuesday: Vegetable Soup (or whatever I took out of the freezer)
  • Wednesday: Chicken Soup, Grilled Cheese sandwiches
  • Thursday: Casserole (I’m thinking about Chicken Tetrazzini)
  • Friday:  Pizza & Fruit
  • Saturday: Leftovers
  • Sunday:  Beans, Rice, and Cheese bowls (with roasted peppers and onions)

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

Community Days at Legoland!

Abby H.

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Everything is awesome! Check out this great deal! LEGOLAND® California is partnering with The Kid’s College to share this great deal!

You can purchase a ticket for a single day on Sunday, March 1, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or Monday, March 2 – Friday, March 6, 2020, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Add a visit to LEGOLAND’s SEA LIFE Aquarium for only $10.

Fine Print:

  • Everyone is welcome, please share with family and friends!
  • Children 2 and under free. Tickets required for everyone 3+. All tickets sales end Friday, February 28 at 6:00pm.
  • The Kid’s College is proud to be LEGOLAND’s non-profit partner for this event. Proceeds from every ticket purchase help provide educational enrichment programs to students in North County Schools through The Kid’s College.
  • Visit the Community Day Information Page for student performance details.

 

We love Legoland! If you are looking for a way to continue the savings after you through the gates, check out our post about Legoland on a budget.

If you’ve got someone in your group that has a physical and mental limitation, pick up an Access Pass.

 

2/21/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesI am looking forward to this weekend! I’ve got some time to myself and I am going to go to the gym and drink coffee, although not at the same time.

This week’s selection of freebies is pretty cool! Fun events for kids too! Let’s dive right in:

Freebies:

 

Magazine

Events

Deals

San Diego STEM Expo 3/7/2020!

Abby H.

unnamed.jpgWe are more of a STEAM house, because you have to have ART, but I’ll let it slide in this case because the San Diego STEM Expo is coming to PetCo Park on 3/7/2020 and it’s going to be an awesome day full of all kinds of cool kid-friendly fun and learning!

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off with its largest event EXPO DAY, a daylong celebration at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10am to 5pm. EXPO DAY is the Festival’s signature event, with more than 130 local businesses, corporations, and organizations providing interactive, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math exhibits and activities to budding K-12 science lovers.

And to make sure that no kiddo is left out of the fun, there will be a PRE-K ZONE!
Location: Between Park at the Park and the Tot Lot.

There will be STEAM activities for children under 5 at EXPO Day! Visit the pre-k zone to excite your tiny future innovators. All activities are for children under 5 years of age. I know that the big kid can’t wait to introduce little sister to the joys of science!

I’m most excited about the fireside chats: A mini version of the TED Talk. Join industry professionals for an engaging 10-15 minute discussion in an intimate setting! Learn about their careers and what sparked them to the world of science, technology, engineering, and math! Following the discussion, there will be time for the audience to participate in extended conversations and Q&A.

We’ll be packing snacks, riding the trolley, and making an entire day of it!

Food Bank Resources in Northern San Diego County

Abby H.

DSCN2469A few years back, I wrote this post, which I update about once a year with information on Food Banks/Food Pantries and food co-ops in San Diego County. Considering san Diego County is larger than some New England states, I decided to dedicate a post purely to North County food resources, as I have been getting requests for those lately. Thanks to my friends Elizabeth, Kate, Yvonne, and Stephanie for assisting me with the research!

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North County Neighborhood Distribution Sites 2020

There are of course the Neighborhood Distribution sites from The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. There are no requirements or proof of need (no ID either).  Just bring a few reusable bags or a cart to carry your food home.

Learn more about Neighborhood Distributions here. The 2020 Calendar of Neighborhood Distributions can be found here.

If you live in Escondido or Oceanside, check out the Interfaith Community Services Website for information on food.

In Encinitas:

  • The Community Resource Center has Bread distribution and other food distributions several times a week. More information can be found here.

In Vista:

  • North County’s Food Bank 1175 Melrose Way, Vista, CA, 92081 (760) 761-1140 The Emergency Food for Individuals program is direct food assistance available to needy individuals. Program is available every first, third and fifth Monday of the month.
  • Food Distribution at Lamb of God Food Bank 1120 Highland Dr, Vista, CA 92083 (760) 458-4655 every Tuesday and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

In San Marcos:

  • Summit Church 292 E. Barham Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 760.471.6267 or office@summitsanmarcos.comArrive: 11:00 am, food distribution: 12:00 p – 1:00 pmSummit hosts a farmers market-style free food outreach 2x per month!
    Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month, they give 25 lbs of food to anyone
    in need in the front parking lot. Everyone is welcome; there are no requirements!

In Ramona:

  • Ramona Food and Clothes Closet Each 3rd Friday of the month, a truck will bring perishable food items like produce to the store for distribution.  You do not need to qualify for this program.   Patrons are asked to line up before 9:00 AM in an orderly fashion and wait their turn.  

    Each person will receive approximately 20-25 pounds of food per family.  It is a first-come, first-serve basis.  You will need to bring your own bags or rolling carts.

Feeding American San Diego has a map on their website of various resources in the San Diego area, many of them require no proof of need or paperwork.

If you have any food resources to share, please leave a comment!

MyPoints: Refer Friends and You Both Earn 300 Points!

Abby H.

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I’ve been using MyPoints since 2011, and I’ve earned a lot of cashback just by doing my normal online shopping through MyPoints.

Right now they are offering a great deal! When you refer a new user, and they earn 300 points, you both get a 300 point bonus. It’s easy to earn 300 points!

I love using MyPoints. I can earn points shopping online and utilizing in-store pick up with stores like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and JCPenney.

  • I ordered new shoes for the big kid yesterday for in-store pick up from JCP and earned 310 points!

There are so many point earning opportunities.

  • We did our taxes using Turbo Tax and clicked through a link to Turbo Tax on Mypoints and earned 1500 points! That’s enough points for a $10 Gift Card!

You can double dip on earning points or cash back by using a point earning credit card like American Express or Discover Cards, or taking advantage of a points program that rewards you for purchases on their website, like JCP Rewards.

I love that I can earn Amazon Gift cards which I use to offset the cost of holiday gifts.

Talk Back: What is your favorite Cashback program?

 

President’s Day 2/17/2020 Free Admission to your Local YMCA!

Abby H.

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Celebrate President’s Day with a fun and healthy Freebie! All YMCAs are free and open to everyone during regular hours, Monday, February 17, 2020. You can enjoy a healthy time at the Y on the holiday, and invite your friends to come along with you!

And bring your kids along to enjoy the fun of Kids Club or Child Watch! There are tons of fun games and activities for kids to enjoy, and the staff is engaged and spends time with the kids. It’s not just glorified babysitting, it’s a fun time for the kids. My littlest begs to go to the Y daily to see her friends and play.

Remember, any time you refer a new member, you can get a month free!

We’ll be there bright and early! Monday is yoga day for me!

Uptown Jungle: Monthly Memberships Available (and a $15 off deal)!

Abby H.

84129633_2726225264134145_3004108003239526400_o.jpgBoth kids love Uptown Jungle, and I do too. It’s Clean, they have free WiFi, and there is an awesome parents area so I can get work done while the kids play. BUT- I do enjoy pelting the little monkeys with foam dodgeballs on the trampoline too.

For us frequent visitors of Uptown Jungle, the monthly membership is a great bargain. Check it out:

If you’ve got 2+ kids, the family membership is the way to go! For the price of four kids 2-hour admissions, you can take the kids to Uptown Jungle as much as you want all month long!

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The parents lounge

And parents play for free! WOO HOO! If you’ve got a friend or family member who has never been to Uptown Jungle, have them utilize the FREE Buddy Pass!

Oh, but check this out- I know y’all love a deal! I’ve partnered with Uptown Jungle, and they are offering my readers a discount! When you buy a membership here, use discount code HEWES15 for $15 off the first month of membership.

We’ve got our membership, and I plan on taking the kids AT LEAST once a week to get the wiggles out. We hope to see some of you there to bounce and play!

 

 

Spice Deals at Penzeys!

Abby H.

I love to cook, and one thing that really elevates recipes and home cooking is quality spices. That’s why I love Penzeys. They sell quality spices and herbs, and the prices are really reasonable. Oh, and they always have really good deals!

No coupons or codes are needed for the good Lemon Pepper and Ginger prices. Those are automatic for everyone. Online at penzeys.com, once you’ve reached $5 in spending, simply enter Cuddle into the apply code box at checkout. No need to place the box in your basket, the code will do that for you and for free. It’s easy.

And the Fine Print:

*Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box Offer Details
Limit ONE free Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box per household during run of promotion. Minimum $5 purchase required. Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. While supplies last. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Online, visit www.penzeys.com, and enter “CUDDLE” into the “apply code” field at checkout. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Lemon Pepper Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Ginger Powdered Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.