Thanks to the Padres, we all can score a free taco today at Rubio’s! Any time the Pad’s steal a base at a home game, we win! Valid for 1 a la carte taco with any purchase. Limit 1 per person/account. Valid in the following counties: San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire. Check with your local Rubio’s to verify participation.
Not valid on 3rd party apps. When ordering through the Rubio’s App, use coupon code: GOPADRES
What kind of taco are you getting?
Dairy loving peeps! Check out these sweet deals from Checkout 51! Earn Cash Back on cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ice cream—and feel good about it! When buying a product with the Real California Milk seal, you’re supporting Golden State farms and the farm families that run them. Now go dig into some dairy!
Checkout 51 is one of my favorite cash-back 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 other discounts!
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.
It’s Friday! The first Friday of Summer Break, and its Bitty Bird’s 7th Birthday! WOO! We are celebrating by hanging out with some friends, and probably some swimming late in the afternoon.
There are so many awesome freebies and deals this week, and the weather this weekend is supposed to be AWESOME (AND WARM) here in San Diego.
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 Keds Stickers
Free Spotted Lantern Fly Stickers
Free Giant African Snail Temporary Tattoo
Free The Good Crisp Company Potato Crisps
Krispy Kreme -Free Original Glazed Doughnut when Hot Light is On
Free 100GB of Data & Mobile Hotspot for Students & Families
Free Subscription to Harper’s Bazaar Magazine
Free Bus Puzzle Craft Kit at Joann
Free Box of Moonshot Snacks Healthy Cracker
Free Jar of Gooey Hazelnut Cocoa Spread (after rebate)
Free Bella Ella Boutique Necklace
Dropps Laundry Detergent $3 Shipped
Free Soap & Glory Simply the Best Body Yogurt
Free Copy of Pride In Your Words
Free Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Temporary Tattoo
Possible Free $150 Vitamins & Supplements Research Study
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Free Mexican Fruit Fly Temporary Tattoo
Free Philosophy Smooth-Glow Multi-Tasking Moisturizer Sample
Free Subscription to Bon Appetit
Free Medium Dunkin’ Refresher
Free Emerald Ash Borer Temporary Tattoo
Free Famous Amos Cookies at Select Stores
Free Sample of States Organic BBQ Sauce
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Xbox One & Xbox 360 Games
Now Hiring Product Testers
Free The Best Dad Ever – My Awesome Farting Father eBook
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free The Cursed Pharaoh VR Game for Oculus Quest
Deals:
299-Piece First Aid Kit ONLY $17.99 (Reg $31)
Artika Sewing Kit ONLY $5.52 (Reg. $19)
Intex 10-Inch Airbed Mattress Queen ONLY $19.97 (Reg $45)
Online Exclusive: Active Powersoft Dresses ONLY $15 (Reg $45)
Freshware Bamboo Cutting Boards 3-Pc ONLY $13.99 (Reg $25)
Foundation Makeup Brush ONLY $6.79 (Reg $16)
Sharpie Limited Edition 60-Count Set ONLY $20 (Reg. $40)
Queen Helene Cocoa Butter 4-Pack ONLY $5.02 (Reg. $12)
Tonka Steel Classics Mighty Dump Truck ONLY $14 (Reg. $30)
50% off Entertainment & Servingware at Target
Radio Flyer DJ Dance Electric Ride On ONLY $34.99 (Reg. $79)
Just Play JoJo Siwa JoJo’s Dream Car ONLY $10.00 (Reg. $44)
MGA’s Dream Ella Majestic Castle Playset $34.30 (Reg. $100)
Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Flip Flop Sandals ONLY $34.65 (Reg $55)
Bissell Portable Spot & Stain Cleaner ONLY $79 (Reg $124)
Cricut Explore Air 2 Bundle ONLY $149 (Reg $300)
Folio Men’s Black Bracelet Watch ONLY $22.50 (Reg $40)
If you have a BP or AMOCO gas station near you, check out this amazing money saving app!
Because gas never goes on sale, I’m always looking for ways to save money on gas!
Download the BPme app using the promo code OFFER to receive an introductory one-time 50₵/gallon additional discount (via email) on your next fuel up after you complete your first in-app transaction of $10 or more.
When you register for BPme Rewards you will start saving 5 cents on every gallon.
I’ve been using this app for over a year and we’re saving money left and right!
If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.
Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you. Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.
Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:
And More!
And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.
There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, meat-free foods frequently.
Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!
Check out this awesome party opportunity from Chatterbox!
Introducing ARM & HAMMER™ Complete Care™ Toothpaste, now with a new and improved taste and ultra-smooth formula. Don’t brush off this chance to try it for FREE and experience up to 3X more plaque removal than a non-baking soda toothpaste. Now that’s something to smile about!
If you are selected, you will receive:
You must apply and complete the required activities by June 28th to be considered.
One of the best ways to pass a Tuesday afternoon in the summer is to hit up Balboa Park. Each week there are several museums that offer free admission to residents of the City and County of San Diego, and to active military personnel and their dependents. Please be prepared to present a photo ID with your address.
Here is the schedule:
First Tuesday
Second Tuesday
Third Tuesday
Fourth Tuesday
Fifth Tuesdays
The Following Tuesdays: July 26th, 23rd, September 27th, October 25th, November 22nd, and December 27th:
As a lifelong San Diego County resident, I’d pass on the automotive museum, it’s kinda meh (I’m not a gear head). And unless your kids are super into airplanes or outer space/NASA, I’d skip the Air and Space Museum. We paid full price a few years ago, and the kids hated it (ok, mostly Bitty hated it). The Mingei Museum is full of all kinds of stuff (folk arts, useful goods like pottery, clothing, quilts- it’s not super kid-friendly), but it’s pretty interesting.
Take a picnic, and enjoy eating in any one of the gardens/open spaces. Another free activity in Balboa Park is the Botanical Garden and Lily Pond. Right next door is the Spanish Art Village, which is fun to explore as well.
Talk Back: What is your favorite part of Balboa Park?
It’s Monday Morning, and that means Meal Plan time! Can you tell I’ve had my coffee already?
I shopped over the weekend and did some meal prep as well. We should be set for the week!
School is over on Wednesday, and we’ve got two weeks off before summer school starts. I’ve got two lazy days planned for the end of this week, but after that, we are starting fun activities and we’ll be out and about!
Saturday is Bitty’s Birthday Party and we are having a fairy themed affair. Snacks, wands, and wings (fairy wings that is).
Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, 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 $28. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.
With the increase in food costs, we are leaning more and more on our CSA box each week as the base of most of our meals.
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. On Friday night I ran to Sprouts and picked up the monthly freebies, and redeemed all of the Social Nature Coupons I had in my wallet. We’ve got all kinds of yummy snacks and treats!
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. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate. The big kid still brings lunch from home.
Dinner: We’re still working our way through our Dream Dinners order for the month, and I’ve got two meals ready for this week.
If you have Walgreens nearby, checkout this sweet deal on Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent this week!
Through 6/11/22, you can score up to 5 bottles (25 load size) of any variety of Arm & Hammer Laundry Soap for just $1.99 (normally $7.49). I prefer the purple cap variety, but really, it’s a personal scent prefence. No coupon needed, and you can even buy it online or through the app and pick it up in the store!
I’ve been using this laundry detergent for years, but I only buy it when it’s on sale. This is a definite stock up sale price for me.
Wednesday is the last day of school for us. And we’ve got two weeks of fun and frolic before summer school starts, so that means it’s time to bulk up our craft supplies and try out some new crafts.
Dollar Tree does not disappoint. Since they’ve increased prices to $1.25 per item, I’ve seen a huge increase in the quality and variety of craft items, including cotton fat quarters, which are great for all sorts of sewing and crafts.
If you are looking for some ideas for fun, inexpensive summer crafts, check out the Dollar Tree Blog here.
I picked up one of their bottles of dye for tie-dying, and I took pics for Instagram. I’ll post a final pic this morning. Overall I’d give it 5/10. I chose dark purple, and it came out more of a wisteria color. There is a lot of fading, but if you use some of my tie-dye tips here (especially the washing soda pre-soak), you may have greater success. Colors available include Green, Pink, Purple, Red, Turquoise, Yellow.
And I made this cute sign the other night. All the supplies came from Dollar Tree!
The wooden sign, The butterfly stickers, one of the colors of paint (white), and the black permanent marker I used to outline the leaves.
All told, this craft cost less than $6 and I have a cute welcome sign for the front door.
There are all sorts of fun crafts available at Dollar Tree! I’ll be posting more of our crafting adventures on Instagram this summer, if you see a craft that interests you, please comment and I can do a tutorial!
Hewes Family Fun 