4/26/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

Over the weekend, I did some meal prep: I made a batch of potato cheese soup on Saturday evening, and yesterday I cooked rice, made a big salad, cooked marinated chicken thighs, and refilled the snack/school lunch box to make morning lunch prep even easier.

I’m planning on making a couple batches of soup today or tomorrow. I’ll freeze half, and the other half will go into the fridge for my lunch throughout the week. Broccoli Cheese Soup and Copycat Zuppa Toscana are planned (most of the ingredients will be coming in the CSA box today).

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.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

Dinner: 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: Leftovers and roasted veggies (it was Brussels Sprouts and onions with bacon)
  • Monday:  Chef Salad, Grilled Croissants (halved, buttered and cooked on the flat top), smoothies
  • Tuesday:   Steak, Potatoes, Fruit, Roasted Veggies (probably broccoli)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night (nuggets, fruit, crackers, milk)
  • Thursday: Dream Dinners and Roasted Veg
  • Friday:  Pizza/Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Meal o’ Snacks and /or leftovers

Please stay safe you guys!

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

Want 4,000 easy points? Refer friends to Fetch Rewards!

It’s back!

There are thousands of referral bonus points just waiting to be claimed. If you want some, simply tell all your friends about Fetch. Through 4/26/2021, you’ll get 4,000 points for anyone who signs up using your code.

There’s no limit to the Rewards you can earn, so tell everyone. It’s super easy, and each friend who signs up gets 2,000 points.

Referring friends is easy. Step one: share your referral code with friends. Step two: friends enter your code and snap a receipt. Step three: points are deposited into your account.

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!

In order for you to qualify for the increased referral bonus, your friends must enter your referral code and complete a valid receipt now through 11:59 PM PT on 04/26/2021. After 11:59 PM PT on 04/26/2021, the referral bonus will expire.

4/23/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals!

bright boxes

I’ve been hunting freebies and deals all week! Earth Day was this week and there were a few freebies to take advantage of. You can check out my Earth Day post here.

A new year means new birthday freebies. I put together a list for 2021. Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced!

Freebies:

Free Kids Firetruck Foldup Activity Sheet
Target Baby Registry – Free Welcome Kit In-Stores
Free Subscription to Esquire Magazine
Free Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine
Free Tree Seedlings from Arm & Hammer
Free WHOLLY Diced Avocado Package
Free PYT Beauty Cruelty-Free Liquid Lip Gloss
Free PYT Beauty Cruelty-Free Face Primer
Free Pretzel at Auntie Anne’s
Free American Spirit Cigarette Butt Pouches & Gift
Free Mixed Waterproof Stickers Pack
Free Subscription to Runner’s World Magazine
Free Bottle of Frunutta Vitamin C
Free 8×10 Inspirational Quote Print
Free Rowan University T-Shirt
10 Free Promise Cards
Free Sample of Impossible Foods Products
Free CBDa Muscle & Joint Relief Cream Sample
Free Babybel Plus+ at Walmart
Free Ice-Cream, Music Vouchers, SLINKY Shoes & More
Free Medium Hot or Iced Coffee at Circle K
Free Flow Alkaline Flavored Spring Water at Select Stores

Deals:

Cravings: Hungry for More a Cookbook Hardcover $11.07 (Reg. $30)
Little Blue Truck Leads the Way Board Book $4.44 (Reg. $9)
Coach Pebble Leather Wristlet ONLY $39.20 (Reg. $98)
Allure Beauty Box ONLY $23 ($235 Value) + New Mother’s Day Offer
Coach Gifts for Mom from $25 + Free Shipping
Versace Men’s Mini Cologne on Sale for ONLY $7.71 Free Shipping
Weather Radio 2-Pack ONLY $34.99 (Reg $50)
Gorilla Grip Cutting Boards 3-Pack ONLY $14.99 (Reg $40)
Small And Mini Boxy Cosmetic Case Set ONLY $52.50 (Reg $150)
White Sapphire Pendant Necklace ONLY $10 (Reg $50)
Made By Me Window Art ONLY $9.22 (Reg. $19)
Burberry Perfume ONLY $27.99 (Reg $94)
Llama Llama’s Little Library ONLY $13.49 (Reg. $24)

4/22/2021 New Deals from Checkout 51!

unnamedCheckout 51 is one of my favorite cashback shopping apps! Most of the deals/cashback rebates are not store specific, so I can save at stores that don’t accept coupons, like Grocery Outlet and 99 Cents Only.  You can also stack with store sales and discounts.

Here are just a few of the offers for this week!

And in addition to sweet deals on groceries, you can also save on gas at select stations. Information and specific participating stations can be found in their app.

To learn more about all of the Cashback apps I use, click here.

Earn Rewards and Cash Back with P&G Good Everyday Rewards

I just learned about P&G Good Everyday Rewards– It’s a pretty great way to save on products you love, help others, and earn cashback!

P&G Good Everyday is a Rewards Program for your favorite brands, like Tide, Crest, Dawn Bounty, and 60 more.  Earn up to $150 + in Rewards annually for Brands you already use and love.  Enter for chances to win Free P&G Products.  And, P&G Donates to Charity on your behalf.  More participation = More Rewards and More Donations.

To learn more, click here.

 

 

 

2021- It’s Earth Day, Y’all!

0207e888b0d42795291d2b65c42bc1e8.jpg

Once again, there are not too many freebies for Earth Day. Between the pandemic and stores not being open or making a lot of money, there are barely any freebies. I’m not posting deals for Earth Day, because really, do we need to go out and shop?

While the free day to visit the National Parks has passed for earth Day/National Parks Week, don’t fret. There are several other days as well. You can find the complete list here. The only National Park in San Diego is Cabrillo Monument on Point Loma. If you have a 4th grader in your home (We do!!), Check out Every Kid Outdoors. It’s a free program for 4th graders and their families to visit National Parks for free through August 2021!

The next Freebie isn’t super fun, but it might be needed. We’ve been doing a lot of deep purging and cleaning the past year, and I’ve got a bunch of papers that need to be shredded (oh hi 20-year-old tax paperwork!). Check out your local Office Max/Office Depot- Armed with this coupon (Scroll to the bottom of the page)  you can score up to 5 lbs of shredding for FREE!! This deal is valid through 4/24/2021.

And perhaps my favorite freebie this April: if you live in Southern California and have utilities with SDG&E, PG&E, or SoCal Edison, you can join OhmConnect for free and start conserving electricity and earning money (as well as saving on your utility bills). And through the end of April, when you sign up and connect your utility account (it literally takes 5 minutes), You’ll earn $25 straightaway! You can learn all about OhmConnect here. We’ve been using it for 5+ years, and have saved hundreds on our SDG&E bill, and earned almost $1000 from OhmConnect.

And once again, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…

Despite what you read online there are NO Origin Freebies, Disney Store Freebies, Free milkshakes on the west coast, Mac Freebies, Sephora Freebies, Ice Cream Freebies, or free coffee from Starbucks. 

So, that’s it. I know, it’s kinda depressing, but I’ll be on the hunt for freebies for you this week, and I’ll report back on Friday morning.

 

4/18/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThe CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes on Monday, so that’s helped me be able to meal prep.

The kids and I went to the store this morning and picked up milk and some stuff for their school lunches. OH YEAH- School starts full-time TOMORROW!!!

This past week we didn’t follow the meal plan because a mystery illness swept the household. Everyone is better, so hopefully, this week will easier. and also now with 50% more SCHOOL!

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

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.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

Dinner: 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: Leftovers and roasted veggies
  • Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner (Sausage, eggs, pancakes)
  • Tuesday:   Dream Dinners Meal and Salad
  • Wednesday:  Soup and Snacks!
  • Thursday: Dream Dinners and veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza/Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Meal o’ Snacks and Protein Shakes

Please stay safe you guys!

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

DIY Party Fun with Hostess with the Mostess (and a Giveaway!)

Recently I learned about Hostess with the Mostess, and wow! I love throwing parties, and Hostess with the Mostess makes doing DIY parties a cinch and looks AMAZING.

There are invitations and printables for so many types of events and themes!

If you are like me, I host 5-8 parties a year (pre and post-pandemic, but the post will def. be different/smaller). Birthdays, Girls Nights, Holidays (Our family 4th of July Party is LIT). In the past, I’ve handwritten labels, signs, and all sorts of party stuff. I love doing calligraphy, but with a Design Hero All Access Pass from Hostess with the Mostess, I have access to over 120 themes to make any event or party awesome! The Design Hero All-Access Pass also includes:

  • The entire PREMIUM LIBRARY of designer printables, including new designs added regularly.
  • An easy-to-use online customizer, so you can add your own text – instantly.
  • Freedom! No waiting on others for text customization & corrections. Make the edits you want, when you want. 💪
  • TONS of creative fonts, curated & licensed for use in the Design Hero Customizer.
  • THOUSANDS of dollars worth of graphic designs – for a price specifically designed to make them accessible.

And the price- Incredible! Only $99 for a one-year pass, and my readers can save an extra $10 off with coupon code: hewesfamilyfun. If you love hosting parties, making special events even more special with customized printables (including invitations, cards, and wrapping paper), you have to check out Hostess with the Mostess!

Here are a few of the recent pieces I’ve made Hostess with the Mostess. My friend’s birthday is this week, and she loves Champagne. I made printables to go with her gift (which is a case of her favorite sparkling white wine).

Bonus! I’m giving away a one-year pass to one of my readers! Entering is easy. Leave a comment on this post with a memory of your favorite party. I’ll choose a winner on April 27, 2021. The winner will be notified via email!

 

4/16/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals

bright boxes

This week I took it easy. I picked up a couple UFC’s (Unfinished Crafts) and finished them. No pics, as they are gifts.

I’ve been working so hard for the past few months and I’ve been feeling a little burned out, so this week you may have noticed fewer posts this week.

A new year means new birthday freebies. I put together a list for 2021. Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced!

Freebies:

10 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free BBQ with Rollors Party
Free Ultra Slim Computer Monitor
Possible Free Bliss Skincare Products
Possible Free 12 Piece Makeup Pencil Set
Free Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
Free Lamination of COVID-19 Vaccine Card at Office Depot/Max
Free Bai Boost at Select Stores
Free Lane Bryant Gift Card Giveaway
Free Planters
Free Rise Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
Free AHC Sensitive Antiperspirant Pads Sample Pack
Free Dentemp Oral Care Product
Free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Magnet
Free Life is Better with Clean Hands Magnet
Free Xyron Glue Gun
Free Maker’s Mark Ambassador Gifts Every Year
Free Hunter Athletics Products
Possible Free $150 Restaurants Research Study
Free Life is Better with Clean Hands Window Cling
Free $5 Debit Card for Those Who are Vaccinated
Free Subscription to Entrepreneur Magazine
Free La’Re Boudoir Beauty Body Balm & Mocha Scrub Sample
Free Moosejaw Flag
Free Sample of Michael Kors Wonderlust Sublime
Free Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Urban Decay All Night Setting Spray – TikTok Users
Possible Free IL MAKIAGE Skincare Products
Free Gardening Gifts at Lowes in April
Free InfinitiPRO by Conair Luxe Pro Dryer
Free Jr. NBA Magnet
Teachers – Free School Mate Planners, Agendas, Folders & More
Free Sample of Astroglide Toy ‘N Joy

 

Deals:

My First Library Board Book Block 12-Book Set $9.59 (Reg. $16)
Fingerprint Smart Deadbolt Door Lock ONLY $134.99 (Reg $240)
Minimalist RFID Blocking Wallet ONLY $4.99 (Reg. $20)
Outdoor Tackle Box ONLY $9.88 (Reg. $19)
MUK LUKS Women’s Cheyenne Slippers ONLY $18.99 (Reg. $40)
Lunch Box Stove ONLY $34.95 Shipped (Reg. $60)
Time and Tru Women’s Feather Flats ONLY $9.00 (Reg. $15)
Mom Heart Shape Pendant Necklace ONLY $15 (Reg $75)
Comfort Insole Slip-on Sneakers ONLY $16.99 (Reg $50)
MUK LUKS Women’s Chiara Slippers ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $30)
ionvac SmartClean 2000 Robovac ONLY $99 (Reg. $180)
BioShock The Collection for Nintendo Switch $19.99 (Reg. $50)
MUK LUKS Women’s Groove Music Sandals ONLY $29.99 (Reg $60)
Rubbermaid 42-Piece Food Storage Set ONLY $19.98 at Walmart
Mom Heart Bangle Bracelet ONLY $15.99 at JCPenney (Reg $60)
Shark ION Robot Vacuum ONLY $149 (Reg $300)
Instant Pot VIVA 6-Qt 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker ONLY $59 (reg $99)

Tea Collection: Tees and Shorts Sale ($15+)

The Better Together Sale is here! Tea Collection has such cute babies and kid’s clothes, and right now, shorts and shirts are on sale for $15 and up!

$15 & up shorts & tees go together like backyards & popsicles. Now’s your chance to stock up for summer.

Fine Print: Tees & Shorts prices as marked on site. Offer valid from 4/15/2021 through 4/18/2021 at 11:59 PM PT. Discount taken will be pre-tax. Cannot be combined with other promotions. No adjustments on previous purchases. Not redeemable for cash. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards. Limited to stock on hand.