Author: Abby H.

8/15/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis is our last full week of Summer Break. We have zoo, beach, swimming with friends, and a few other things to do before we start school.

I went to the grocery store on Saturday and picked up milk and bread, other than that we should be good. I re-organized the freezer and found a few things I forgot we had (and were not on the freezer inventory).

No CSA boxes until the weather cools down and I can be home when the boxes are delivered. With the heat and the lack of shade on my patio, if we aren’t home when it’s delivered, some of the more delicate foods can spoil.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods. I received a few more coupons over the weekend, so I’ll visit Sprouts sometime this week to pick up the new foods. I’m focusing on snacks and treats from Social Nature.

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time.

Dinner: I’ve got a couple casseroles/freezer meals this week, and other than that we’re eating easy and quick stuff so I can spend time playing, coloring, building legos, and swimming, which is the plan for the week.

  • Monday: Chicken nuggets, Buttered noodles, fruit, cheese & crackers

  • Tuesday: pollo asada tacos, grilled veggies, rice, refried beans

  • Wednesday: Chef Salad, quesadillas

  • Thursday: Protein shakes and bagels

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (eggs, hashbrowns, crescent rolls, fruit)

The Back To School Countdown has Begun!

Abby H.1 Comment

I know some of your kids have already started school for the 2022-2023 school year, but my kiddos don’t start for another few weeks.

The Back to School countdown has begun, and here is how we are saving money.

School Supplies: Most schools’ public supply lists by class on their website. Once you know who your child’s teacher is going to be, you can purchase supplies. Most teachers like trusted name-brand supplies like Ticonderoga pencils, Crayola crayons, Crayola washable markers, and Expo whiteboard markers.  Here are a few of the stores that have great prices on school supplies!

Target: School supplies starting at $0.25
Walmart: Up to 75% off select school supplies
Office Depot and Office Max: Up to 60% off bestselling school supplies. Save 25% off on backpacks excluding Jansport
Michaels: Teacher Must-Haves, Art Supplies, and more all under $10.00

There will be several backpack giveaways throughout August. There is one tomorrow in Lemon Grove. Information can be found here. 

There will be a backpack and school supply giveaway courtesy of SMOAC on August 20, 2022 at Rio Seco School in Santee. It is a drive-thru event.

Clothing/Shoes: If you are like me, you grab kids’ clothes at swaps all year, but there are some things that you need to buy new. Once you’ve set your budget for clothes/shoes/accessories, keep an eye out for BTS sales (which are in full swing right now).

Because Southern California doesn’t get chilly in the fall, a lot of the standard BTS clothing fare isn’t great for our kids- long pants, turtlenecks, sweaters, jean jackets- I’m sweating just thinking about those! Don’t forget to scope out the sale and clearance racks for shorts and short sleeve shirts!

I love shopping Kohl’s and JCPenney. They frequently have sales, coupon codes, and deals where you can earn Kohl’s Cash/JCP Rewards for future purchases. Earn even more cashback when you shop online and opt for in-store pickup. I like shopping through Mypoints or Ibotta (make sure to check out both of their browser extensions to help you earn points/cashback). This is also a hot tip for Target and Walmart shoppers!

If your budget is a little too tight, check out local clothing swaps! Porchlight is holding one on 8/27/2022 for womens’ and kids’ clothing. More information can be found here.

We also shop a lot at thrift stores- Amvets and DAV are two of my favorites here in San Diego.

Food: I know this might be weird to include, but kiddos have to have healthy food to function and grow. Thanks to the California Universal Meals program, all kids in k-12 education settings will receive free breakfast and lunch if wanted. And I will continue to post about free opportunities for food each month, and more often as they come across my desk. Feeding San Diego Tour is a great resource that has locations all over San Diego County!

 

 

 

 

Homeschooling Parents: San Diego Gameschooling Expo 8/19/22!

Abby H.

The Stronghold is excited to present its very first San Diego Gameschooling Expo!

  • Friday, August 19, 2022
  • 10AM-2PM

Venues:

  • The Stronghold:Check-In and Primary Gaming Area for Ages 6+
  • The Dancehouse: Teen Gaming Area (Ages 13+ only)
  • Yeeha Boba: Trivia
  • Point Loma Library: Parent Conference and Vendor Fair

What’s the Expo about?

Bringing together families for a fun, interactive Gameschooling mini convention accompanied by homeschooling vendors throughout San Diego! Join them for the Parent Conference, Gameschooling activities, Vendor Fair, Prizes, and more!

What’s the cost to attend?

Adults are FREE! Kids Ages 6-12 are $15, and Teens (13 and up) are $20 a ticket. Interested in volunteering to get a free ticket for your kids? They have limited opportunities to waive up to one registration per adult.

What does the ticket include?

Ticket includes access to our Parent Conference, THREE of the Gaming Areas, including the following but not limited to Board Games, Chess, Puzzles, and Trivia. Please note they will not be having Video Gaming at this event.

To learn more about this event and secure tickets, visit their Eventbrite page here. 

 

8/12/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

This week was full of errands and getting ready for school stuff. It’s so hot (already 75 degrees at 7:30am).

We went to the Natural History Museum yesterday, thanks to the free passes the kids scored doing the San Diego County Library summer reading program.

If you are looking for some frugal adventures for this summer, check out this post.

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies

Free Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate with Registry
Free Subscription to Vogue Magazine
Text for $10 Off at Lane Bryant = Free Item
500 Free Trojan Condoms for College Students
Free Screening of Vengeance
Free Sample of SkinCeuticals Cream or Serum
Free Goody Bag at buybuy BABY Stores
Free Grenera Moringa Tea Sample
Free Mott’s & Yoo-Hoo Coloring Book at Sam’s
Free Post-It Notes Samples
Free Micellar Milk Cleanser or Hydrating Cleansing Balm
Free Oxyfresh Pet & Home Products
Free Iron Hawk Swag
Free AMONG US Mini Figures or Airship Toys
Free Downy Light Scent Booster at Select Stores
Free Peta Kids Comic Books
Free 2023 Fellowship Calendar
Free Bon Dévil Ganache
Free $10 ThredUP Credit = Free Womens & Children Items
Free Sample Pack of Exederm Ulta Sensitive Skin Care
Free Gatsby Low-Calorie Chocolate
Free Simple Mills Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies
Free Little Bellies Organic Pick-Me Sticks
Free Millie Moon Diaper Sample Pack
Free Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme + Bright Power Soft Creme
Free Ice Cream at Baskin Robbins
Free Pencil Pouch at JCPenney
Free Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum Sample

 

Deals

DSW 40% Off Sneaker Coupon + Free Shipping
Kate Spade Kitt Large Tote ONLY $69 Shipped (Reg $299)
Disney Minnie Mouse Toddler Bed ONLY $59.99 (Reg $85)
Mainstays Plush Velvet Office Chair ONLY $64 (Reg $75)
Save $10 When you Buy $30 of Select Items
PowerXL Belgian Waffle Maker ONLY $15.99 (Reg $50)
Little Tikes Pack ‘n Go Trike Childs Toy ONLY $58.88 (Reg $84)
Hisense 50-Inch Smart TV ONLY $248 Shipped (Reg $348)
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Morphe Bake & Set Setting Powder ONLY $7 (Reg $14)
Sofia Vergara Top & Skirt Set ONLY $10 (Reg $40)
Barbie Pet Boutique Playset ONLY $18.97 (Reg $34)
Women’s Floral Robes ONLY $7.99 (Reg $22)

Focus Group Connections: Paid Opinion Study $150

Abby H.

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

Currently, Focus Group Connection is looking for parents and children age 6-15 to participate in an online Consumer Research Project taking place on August 16th or August 17th (depending on qualification) on the topic of “Television.” To participate, you must have a working Desktop or Laptop computer with high-speed internet, audio and a working webcam. This study will include a homework assignment to be completed prior to participation and a 75-minutes group discussion. If selected, you will receive $150.00 for your time and insights.

If interested, please click here to fill in the pre-screen. Please note – not everyone will qualify to participate and not everyone will receive a call-back.

San Diego Job Seekers: A.R.C.C. Center is Hiring Caregivers!

Abby H.

I posted about this on my socials too, but I really want to spread the word.

The A.R.C.C. Center is hiring Respite Workers all over San Diego County. If you are interested in working with children and teens who have special needs, gain experience in fields such as Nursing, ABA, OT, Speech, and Education, all while earning $17 plus $5/hr extra for each sibling ($22/hr for 2 kids, $27/hr for 3 kids) and paid mileage, visit arcccenter.org/join-our-team to apply and get more information. Be sure to add my name (Abby Hewes) to your application so they get back to you right away.
We use ARCC for Respite and our Respite sitter is amazing! This is a great opportunity for people looking for a part-time job, weekends, and nights. Families need respite all the time.

AO Opinions: Upcoming Healthcare Project $125

Abby H.

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study on the subject of Healthcare.

To be considered for this study, complete the pre-screener here.

Not everyone who completes the pre-screener will qualify.

Compensation: $125 (if chosen)

Open to: Ages 18+ years of age

8/10/22 & 8/11/22 Free 66pc Lego Brick Set!

Abby H.

We love Legos, and we love free stuff. Check out this amazing freebie, available  8/10/22 and 8/11/22 at your local LEGO store. A limited quantity will be available on each day.

Build a LEGO® Red Brick and take it home with you!

Terms and Conditions
LEGO® Red Brick build model will be available on a first come first served basis.
While stocks last.
Suitable for ages 6+
LEGO® Red Brick build model offer valid on 8/10/22 and 8/11/22 only.
Limited to one LEGO® Red Brick build per person.
LEGO® Red Brick build model cannot be purchased.

8/8/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week is going to be a hot one. We’ve been super cooling the house, and running fans as much as we can. In addition to the heat, it’s been humid- overall I’m not a fan of this weather.

As a result of this weather forecast, we’ll be eating a lot of food that doesn’t require the oven.

Summer break is wrapping up, however, we’ve got all sorts of adventures planned, you can check out some of our adventures here.

I didn’t do much meal prep for this week, just some grocery shopping for produce ($25 worth of salad kits, and fruit), and cutting up fruit yesterday. When it’s hot, the kids don’t eat much beyond popsicles and snacks during the day.

No CSA boxes until the weather cools down and I can be home when the boxes are delivered. With the heat and the lack of shade on my patio, if we aren’t home when it’s delivered, some of the more delicate foods can spoil.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time.

Dinner: I’m planning for a week of cool foods, with very little being cooked in the oven. I may use the toaster oven as needed.

  • Monday: Chicken nuggets, Buttered noodles, fruit, cheese & crackers

  • Tuesday: Salad, hummus & flatbread, fruit

  • Wednesday: Corn dogs, fruit, salad

  • Thursday: Protein Shakes, fruit

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Salad, quesadillas, fruit

Tryazon: Cool Maker – My Style Party!

Abby H.

We had a Cool Maker My Style Party earlier today with some friends and family. I didn’t get a lot of pictures just because I spent so much time fixing the machines and getting projects set up. This is not going to be like a lot of my other reviews or Tryazon party posts. Let me make that clear right now. The entire event was a disaster from start to finish.

Let’s start with the KumiCreator. This machine is cool. HOWEVER, the thread/floss/string that comes with the machine is a nightmare. It’s super shiny/slippery and that makes it really hard to get it started and maintain the correct tension. Especially on the white spools, which have less thread as they are meant to make bracelets. As you can see from the pictures, it was a disaster. I had to pull everything apart, rewind the white bobbins, and set up the machine 4 times. Finally, when the girls who wanted the make bracelets were almost in tears, I pulled out some of the empty black bobbins, wound them with embroidery floss, which is not shiny or slippery, and set the machine back up. They were able to finally use the machine without unwinding the bobbins, catching, or having the tension freak out.

The machine comes with the supplies to make up to 5 trendy bracelets and 2 necklaces! That’s 56 thread spools, 7 beads, and what they call a design book. I’d call it a pamphlet.

Overall, I’d give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Next up is the Cool Maker Stitch ‘N Style Fashion Studio Sewing Machine Toy. OY VEY. I can sew, I’ve been sewing for over 20 years. I made a living full-time as a sewing and design professional. This toy is…. not good. It is a toy. It does not have a bottom bobbin, so it does a weird, loose stitch that easily ravels apart.  This machine takes 4 AA batteries (not included).

The kit comes with a piece of polyester fabric that has projects printed on it- all you need to do is cut them out and sew them together along the guidelines printed on the fabric.  Sounds easy, right?

The Tension on the machine is jacked up and the thread breaks easily (it’s pretty cheap polyester thread). When we pulled the scrunchy out of the sewing machine after it was done sewing (no foot- the machine has a sensor to start and stop sewing), the stitches all came unraveled.

After Margaret and the girls tried to make a scrunchy several times without success, I tried to give it a shot too. The stitches unraveled for me too. I now have to get out my sewing machine and make the girls custom scrunchies, as they are so disappointed that the machine didn’t work like they hoped (and I hoped too).

I give this machine 0/5 stars. It was seriously so hard to find anything positive about it.

I didn’t get a group pic of this event because the girls were grumpy, and the mommas were too busy consoling upset kids. At least there were snacks.

I’ve been part of the Tryazon community for years and this is the first time I’ve been disappointed with the products. I’m going to take the sewing machine apart and give it a tune-up and see if that helps. I’ll also put a different thread on the spool and see if that helps. Using cotton thread may help.

These toys are available for sale at Target, Amazon, and Walmart if you want to give them a try.