Author: Abby H.

Sweet Photo Gift Deals from York Photo!

Abby H.

It’s never too early to start stockpiling photo gifts for Holiday gifts- You know I love to give photo gifts. They are great for relatives, especially those who live far away!
Custom Photo Fleece Blanket – Just $19.99 – Save $38 On Each! Use Code: FLBLANKET. Open to All Customers. S&H Not Included. Order Quantity Limit 3. Ordered Online.

101 Free 4×6 Prints– This is a great deal, and would be great for at least two gifts! 101 free 4×6 prints (use coupon code FREE101).  All you need to turn these prints into a gift is a cute photo album (keep your eyes open at Michael’s- they frequently have good sales on albums, or use a 40% off coupon from their website).

 

Custom Photo Mug Order your 11 Oz. Custom Mug from York Photo for only $.99. Use Coupon Code CUP. Shipping and handling starts at $5.99 These mugs are perfect for Grandparents!

Order your Custom Shopping Bag from York Photo for $1.00. Use Coupon Code FLTOTE. Shipping and handling starts at $3.99.

 

Oh, and the best part: All new customers get 40 4×6 prints, regardless of  what you purchase!

Fun Science Experiments from Little Passports!

Abby H.

We’re huge Science Fanatics around these parts, so when I found out about these cool experiments, I had to share them with you!

**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

30 Days of Science continues on the Little Passports blog with show-stopping experiments! Grab your kids and start exploring science!

Get messy
Get your hands messy and make an eggshell disappear! This fun and easy kitchen experiment answers the question, “Can you peel a raw egg?”


Get powerful
Let the power of polymers wow your kids! Try this simple experiment to make a leak-proof bag. Believe it or not, all you need is a zipper-lock bag and some pencils.

Get tasting
Have you ever had a cold and noticed that you weren’t able to detect a flavor in all of the foods you ate? Assemble your young scientists around a few of their favorite foods and ask, does smell affect taste? This delicious experiment will reveal the answer!

 

Get cool
Inspire your kids to learn about science by virtually visiting the coolest science museums around the world.

Get more

Craving more science experiments? Visit the Little Passports blog.

Be sure to read the bottom of the blog posts – Little Passports has something brewing in the laboratory!

And if you are looking for fun science kits for your littlest scientists, I’ll have a post later in the week with a few of Lil’ Man’s favs!

Two free offers at San Diego area McDonald’s!

Abby H.

Right now there are two great free offers at McDonald’s! Both of which are on the healthy side.

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-9-50-19-amThis week, Sept. 8-10 from 7 to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visit a participating San Diego County McDonald’s restaurant to sample a Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait made with nonfat vanilla Chobani® Greek Yogurt.

Combined with the sweet taste of strawberries and blueberries, and topped with granola, Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfaits are perfect for breakfast, as a side, or a mid-day snack – especially with the classic vanilla taste of Chobani® Greek Yogurt.  YUM! I think Bitty Bird and I will hit up our local McDo’s after the Y today and get a coffee and free Parfait!

And offer #2 is a favorite around these parts!

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On Tuesday, Sept. 13, participating restaurants will offer free breakfast from 6:30-9:30 a.m. to students in kindergarten through eighth grade when an accompanying adult uses the McDonald’s App. In San Diego County, students can enjoy an Egg McMuffin or Egg White Delight, apple slices and milk.

To redeem this offer, an adult must download or have already downloaded the McDonald’s App, present the offer to the cashier and ask the cashier for the free back-to-school breakfast. Students younger than 13 years of age are required to be accompanied by a parent/adult to redeem this offer at participating McDonald’s restaurants. This offer may vary throughout the state and only one breakfast is allowed per student.

The MCDonald’s App is pretty cool. You can earn free McCafe Beverages, and there are coupons that are only available on the app (like BOGO happy meals and free upgrades!).

So there you go! Two tasty deals. Thanks to my Friend Su for the heads up on the second offer!

Recipe: Crockpot Shredded Chicken

Abby H.1 Comment

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.51.25 PMThis is a total time saver! I do this twice a month. It really saves time when it’s time to cook dinner. And on those days when you are just going going going, it’s nice to know that you’ve got something easy and tasty waiting for you!

It’s so easy, All you need is a crockpot, a food scale, and two forks!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs of chicken, whatever is on sale (I used chicken breasts- bone-in with skin)
  • 1 c. broth or water
  • Seasoning to taste- I use a little dehydrated onion ( I like this one from Penzey’s), a little garlic powder, and a little pepper.

Directions:

  1. Cook in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours. Allow to cool.
  2. Shred it with a fork (removing bones and skin).
  3. Grab ziploc bags (I like the snack size ones), our Digital Kitchen Scale, and a glass bowl. I use a measuring cup to scoop the meat (and juices) into the glass bowl, but I am measuring by weight.  The measuring cup is just my scooping tool of choice.
  4. Place the glass bowl on the scale, then turn the scale on- I only want to weight the food, not the glass bowl.
  5. After I weigh the chicken (into 4 ounce portions), I pour it into a snack size ziploc bag, seal it (and squeeze out the air), and put them in the freezer.

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.55.43 PM Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.55.58 PMThen when it’s time to make quesadillas, chef salad, or pretty much any time we want chicken (Hubs like to top his frozen entrees, like this one with a little bit of chicken for added protein), just grab a bag and defrost it in the microwave!

Frequently, I’ll get a larger Ziploc bag and measure out 2 cups- this is just enough for a casserole. Just defrost, mix in the other ingredients and cook!

I also like to make and portion out ground turkey cooked with black beans and fajita blend frozen veggies flavored with Taco Seasoning. It’s great on salads, quesadillas, or in chicken broth for a quick tortilla soup!

 

#Brickortreat is Coming to LegoLand!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.03.21 PMOk, I’m not sure who is more excited about Brick Or Treat this year, me of Big Man!

If you are scratching your head, lemme tell you all about how Awesome Brick or Treat at LegoLand is!

After the gates close and the visitors have left, LegoLand California turns into an enchanted and haunted party for kids (and adults too!). On October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29  Halloween fun and extended Park open hours (5-9pm)! Here are just a few of the fun activities that will take place:

  • Ghost Cruise adventure
  • A new pop-badge challenge through Fun Town
  • A new theater show in Castle Hill
  • A fall festival complete with a LEGO® pumpkin patch building activity and blue-grass style music in LEGO Friends Heartlake City
  • Treat stations with specialty items including a LEGO®commemorative Brick
  • Roaming candy carts throughout the Park and two bonus treat stations inside SEA LIFE® Aquarium.

_EP_5609And the best part is, right now there are Early Bat Specials where you can get tickets to Brick or Treat Nights for just $35 a Person! That’s 4 hours of trick or treating, rides, crafts, and dance parties! Wanna Play all day and party all night? Full day packages start at just $60!

_EP_5355 Keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram feed for photos of our LegoLand Adventures!

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 website 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!

Here are just a few of the new coupons that have me excited:

$0.50 off ONE BOX Reese's Puffs cereal
$1.00 off any ONE PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Brick
$0.60 off any 2 Lipton Recipe Secrets
$2.00 off one Persil
$1.00 off one Jennie-o

San Diego Fire Rescue 5K & Kids Run October 8!

Abby H.

SDFRF_5K_medal_finalI am so excited to share this great event with you all!

Fire danger is real here in San Diego, and as a result, San Diegans have a special affinity for Firefighters and other emergency workers. To help these firefighters train and continue to hone their skills, The San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation is proud to sponsor the San Diego 5K & Kids Run.

The event is on October 8, 2016- It’s also a great way to kick off Fire Prevention Week!

The San Diego Fire Rescue 5K & Kids Run is for everyone and offers several divisions including:

  • 5K Run/Walk,
  • 5K Run/Walk Stroller Division,
  • 5K Public Safety Division,
  • 1-mile Kids Run and a 100 meter Sparky Sprint

Firefighters will run along with participants and meet them at the finish line to hand out finisher’s medals.

Families, the community and race participants can also enjoy the interactive Fire Safety Expo. The Expo features firefighter demonstrations, SDFD specialty divisions including Bomb Squad, Hazmat and Heavy Rescue. Also present will be Sparky the Fire Dog, San Diego Project Heart Beat, CERT San Diego, San Diego Lifeguards, SDG&E Fire Safety House and more.

Race Details:

When:  Saturday, October 8, 2016   First Race Start: 8:30 am

Where:  Embarcadero Marina Park South 200 Marina Park Way San Diego, CA 92101

Admission:      Entrants may sign up online here. I have a special for my readers,  Save $5 off your entry fee with coupon code: SDFIRE5K 

  • $40 – July 1 through September 11
  • $45 – September 12 through October 1
  • $50 – October 2 through October 7
  • $25 – 1 Mile (Kids ages 6 – 12)
  • $10 – Sparky Sprint (Kids ages 3 – 5)

Entry fee includes: race shirt, drawstring goodie bag, custom finisher’s medal, access to the safety expo and beer garden (21+). Individuals, families, and kids are welcomed participants. Awards will be presented for first place male and female in each division!

As the course is very flat and stroller friendly, we’ll be walking as a family, and I’d love to see readers out there as well! If you participate, please let me know!

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School is Back in Session- Time to Start Saving!

Abby H.

Bus2I don’t know about you, but when I’ve got both kids home all the time, it’s a lot harder to keep on my frugal goals.

I’m all about taking advantage of local free and cheap fun (like events at our local library or community center, local parks and splash pads), but for some reason summer vacation always distracts me from frugality. Maybe is the 100+ degree temps we’ve been having most of the summer.

Well, we are into our second week of school and I’ve re-committed to my frugal lifestyle for my family.  Here are just a few things I’ve done over the past two weeks:

  • Meal Plan using what’s on hand in out cupboard before heading the the store. I’ve also planned out school lunches too!
  • Committed to taking drinks with us when we leave the house.  This doesn’t sound like a lot, but when it’s over 100 degrees in the shade, we go through a lot of water on our daily adventures. Check out the cool growler I got on Amazon. It’s supposed to be for beer, but I fill it with ice cubes and water each day and it comes with me in the car- it’s an easy way to get your 8 glasses in! I also take iced coffee with me in the morning to school drop off.
  • Set a schedule for Bitty Bird and I.  Again, a schedule doesn’t sound like a way to save money, but now I know what we are doing each day after Big Boy is at school. I have time each day while she is napping to write, research, and do Amazon Reviews.
  • Plan out shopping trips a little better.  Now that I don’t have two extra sets of hands helping me shop (especially a 5 year old who is constantly near death starvation when in proximity to a grocery store), I can look at ads, check my smartphone apps for rebates and deals. I also have more time to print coupons! This really saves me money (and time).

Now that school has started, I’d love to hear how you’ve recommitted to your goals (whatever they might be).

 

Review: The Monkey Mat

Abby H.

A few months ago, I posted that I was excited about trying the Monkey Mat.  Well, it arrived not long ago and we took it to our play group end of summer splash party at Santee Lakes!

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 7.58.31 AM
Relaxing while brother splashes!

Overall, this mat is great for those who picnic or head to the beach frequently. I thought it was a little too small for all three of us and our stuff. For a park picnic is was great, but it’s def. not a good beach blanket, since we have a lot of stuff to keep sand-free.

I like the stakes- they came in REALLY handy!

With weighted corners, a place for your keys, and lopps to be staked down, what more could you ask for?

Monkey Mat, AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK, allows you to make your space, any place! Originally inspired by an unexpected six-hour layover at the airport (constant cringing while two babies crawled all over dirty floors!), and also by overall active lifestyles, this go-everywhere large mat in attached ultra-compact pouch gives you a clean space on the go – no more bulky blankets! Perfect for all ages, all places – park, beach, concerts, dirty airport/hotel floors, camping, hiking, sports events & more! http://www.monkeymat.com

My readers get to save! Use coupon code “USFAM” for $5 off + Free Shipping!

Daniel Tigers Neighborhood – LIVE is coming to San Diego!!

Abby H.1 Comment

Lil’ Man is stoked! Daniel Tiger and all of his friends are coming to town!!

The legacy of the beloved “Mister Rogers” lives on with the hit television series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, from The Fred Rogers Company and airing daily on PBS KIDS. Now, Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard Trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! coming to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Friday, October 28th at 6:30pm. Tickets at artcenter.org, 800.98.TICKETS, or the California Center for the Arts Escondido Box Office.

Donning his iconic red sweater, Daniel invites the audience on an interactive musical adventure as he and his friends explore the vibrant world of their much-loved Neighborhood of Make-Believe, sharing stories of friendship, helping others, and celebrating new experiences. This live theatrical production filled with singing, dancing, laughter and “grr-ific” surprises will warm the hearts of multiple generations.

And to make this show even more affordable, my readers can Save $5 on Daniel Tiger tickets in Escondido!

@usfg