family

Family fun at The San Diego Kids Expo & Fair (and a giveaway)

Abby H.5 Comments

KIDS fESTSummer means tons of family fun all over San Diego! One of our favorite is the The San Diego Kids Expo & Fair and it’s right around the corner! It’s a
fun springtime fair complete with music, dance, sports demos, games, cooking classes, plus a NEWLY added Playland that kids will LOVE!

The spring San Diego Kids Expo & Fair is happening at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Saturday April 25 and Sunday April 26 from 10am to 5pm.

I took kiddo last year and we had a blast. There is tons of fun stuff to see and do, including two of our favorite things: The play area sponsored by Playtown and Free Kids Workshop by Home Depot. If you’ve got a kiddo that loves princesses, you’re in luck, there will be character photo ops too!

Kidsfest 1 Kidsfest 2In addition to fun activities indoors, there are all kinds of fun activities and rides outdoors, including a zip line, Human Hamster Ball, Water Rollers, Laser Tag, Xorbing Balls, Body Bubbles.

You can learn all about The San Diego Kids Expo & Fair on their website, including hours and ticket prices.

Giveaway Time!! The awesome peeps over at the The San Diego Kids Expo & Fair have generously offered a family pack which includes two adults tickets and unlimited children under age 12, valid for either Saturday April 25 or Sunday April 26. It’s easy to enter! Just leave a comment letting me know why you are excited to win this giveaway. I’ll choose a winner on April 18th in the evening!

Getting Crafty at Home: Play Dough!

Abby H.1 Comment

This is another “Don’t eat this” recipe, but it’s oodles of fun to make and play with!

Play doh can get expensive, especially when the kids mix the colors or leave the lid off, and you are constantly having to replenish the supply.  The following recipe is super easy to make, and most of you have the ingredients in the house. I don’t recommend having the kids help you make this recipe.

Play Dough/Doh

Ingredients:

  • 1c flour
  • 1c warm water
  • 1/2c salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (you can also use melted coconut oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional, but it makes the dough last longer)
  • Food Coloring (I use Wilton Gel Food Coloring– it’s less messy)

Directions:

  1. Mix dry ingredients together, set aside.
  2. In a sauce pan, combine water, oil, and food coloring, stir over low heat.
  3. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined. cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
  4. Turn dough onto cutting board, and when warm to the touch, knead for 2-3 minutes until dough is elastic.
  5. Store in zip-loc bags or air tight containers.

I made 5 batches last week, each one a different color for Lil’ Man and his buddies to play with!

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.59.00 AMI’ve made other recipes, including one with conditioner and corn starch (smells nice, but it’s super sticky and gets stuck to EVERYTHING), and by far, this is my favorite recipe. It lasts a long time, doesn’t get moldy (that’s important), and doesn’t dry out INSTANTLY if you leave it out.

 

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.59.06 AMYes, the brown Play Dough looks like poop! But the kids don’t care- they were mostly concerned with having brown, so they could have dirt play dough for their cars.

You can also add glitter if you’d like. Some recipes recommend that you add essential oil or scent, but with littler kids, I do not recommend that, it will just encourage them to eat it.

Here are a few of the Play Dough toy sets that Lil’ Man loves:

We also use cookie cutters, a garlic press, potato masher, and whatever fun looking kitchen gadgets we find at the thrift stores or the 99 Cents Store.

3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake!

Abby H.3 Comments

I love this cake recipe. It’s quick, easy, and it disappears so quickly! And the best part, it’s loaded with pumpkin, so you don’t have to feel bad about serving it to your family. It’s easy enough that you can let even the littlest chef help you prepare it without risking a total cake failure!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.50.18 AMIngredients:

  • 1 Cake Mix (chocolate or Devil’s Food) I prefer the mix with pudding it it- the cake is moister
  • 1 small (approx 15 oz.) can of pumpkin
  • 1/2-1c chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

 

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix and pumpkin. I used an electric mixer, but you can always mix it by hand.
  2. Add chocolate chips, stir to combine.
  3. Bake as directed on cake mix packaging. If making cupcakes, do not use cupcake liners, use spray release. Remember, there is no added fat in the recipe, so you’ll need the spray release, or you’ll be picking muffin-y goodness off the cupcake liners!

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.50.28 AMThis is the yummiest, fudgiest cake you’ll ever have. This is a great cake to take to potlucks!

  • Vegan Option: Use a vegan Cake Mix, and Vegan Chocolate chips
  • GF option: Use a GF cake mix

It was so good that we snuck some cupcakes for breakfast!Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 10.50.41 AM

We also shared it with our friends at a play date! Even our pickiest eaters gobbled up the cupcakes!

Shopping Online to save big!

Abby H.3 Comments

One of the ways I am able to keep us so well dressed (or in kiddos case, just dressed- that kid grows like a weed!), is I am always on the hunt for a good deal on clothes.

Here are a few ways we save:

I am always looking for coupons for department stores. JCPenney’s and Kohl’s are notorious for having dollar off (for example $5 of $25+ purchases) or percent off coupons. These coupon are either paper coupons mailed to you, or available to print on their website. In the case of JCPenney’s, these coupon codes can be used online too! Both Kohl’s and JCPenney’s give you the option of ordering online and having items shipped to the store closest to you for either free or a reduced shipping.

I order most of our clothes online, for a few reasons:

  • Better selection than most stores, in terms of sizes and clearance goodies.
  • I can search for extra discounts and coupon codes while I’m online.
  • I can shop whenever (yes, even at 2am!).
  • I can go through a shopping aggregator for extra savings.

Which brings me to my next tip: Use a Cashback/Points site. Two of my favorites are Topcashback or Mypoints. You will earn cash back in the form of a paypal payment,  an Amazon.com gift card, or points that can redeemed for gift cards. You can use these sites along with a coupon code to save even more!

Most of these sites work with thousands of stores, so you’ll find a store that you like to shop!

If you have a rewards credit card, use that too.  I do not ever use ATM/Debit Card online. While our bank account is FDIC insured, there is a long process involved in getting your money back in cases of fraud, whereas with our American Express, I make a few calls, and fill a form out online, and it’s done. PLUS- I earn extra cash back when I shop online at certain retailers or types of retailers.

Use Gift Cards (or Paypal)! If you have a pre-paid gift card from a rebate or gift, or if you have a Paypal Balance (I usually have a few bucks in my paypal account from doing surveys online), use it! Most online retailers accept Paypal.

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 8.08.32 AMHere is one of my last JCP.com purchases, using some of the tips above:
Kiddo needed new shorts. He keeps growing, so it was time for new shorts!

 

 

 

3 pairs of shorts $5.49/each
Polo Shirt $8.99
Subtotal: $25.46
Sales Tax .80
S&H: $3.95
_____________________________

Discounts:
-$10/$25 purchase coupon code (was available on the JCP website)
-$10 Gift Card (from the JCP rewards program)
Total Out Of Pocket $10.21 (I used my Paypal Balance to pay this)

I shopped through Topcashback to earn an extra 3% cash back (approx. .15.  Every penny helps!)

Now hopefully the kid will stay the same size long enough for him to wear these new clothes out!

 

Recipe: Mother’s Milk Lactation Cookies

Abby H.

00707With the second small friend on the way, as well as many friends having kids, I’ve been whipping up batches of lactation cookies like whoah. A batch of these cookies makes a great gift!

The key ingredients to these cookies are Flax, Brewer’s Yeast, and Oatmeal. Brewer’s Yeast and Oatmeal are galactagogues, meaning they promote lactation. Flax contains Omega-3’s, which are needed for brain function and development and can be passed through breast milk. You need all three of these ingredients.

Don’t Worry: If your spouse or relatives eat these cookies, they won’t start lactating!! Galactagogues only stimulate milk production in those already lactating!

This Recipe makes A LOT of cookies (4-5 dozen). I freeze them, and thaw them 3-4 cookies at a time. 4-5 dozen cookies will last a new mom a few weeks.

Unlike my other recipes, there are no substitutions or work arounds. Each one of these ingredients is needed. This recipe cannot be made nut/seed free, or vegan.

Mother’s Milk Lactation Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 c. oats (Old fashioned is preferred, but Quick cook works as well. DO NOT USE STEEL CUT OATS!)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 c. Nut butter of your choice (I’ve used both Almond and Peanut- If you have nut allergies, try Sun Butter)
  • 1/4 c. brewer’s yeast (You can buy it at Sprouts or Whole Foods)
  • 1 stick butter, softened (1/2 c)
  • 1 c brown sugar, packed
  • 1 c white sugar
  • 1 T vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 c. ground flax seeds(You can get them in the bulk food section at Sprouts or Whole Foods)
  • 1 1/3 c. warm water (you may need a little more, depending on how dry the weather is)
  • 1 bag chocolate chips
  • Dash of salt

Optional: Nuts, dried fruit in place of the chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, oats, soda and baking powder. Set Aside.
  2. in a small bowl, mix the flax and water. Set aside. The mixture will be kind of gooey- almost the consistency of a raw egg.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, nut butter, yeast, vanilla, and sugar.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, mix until combined.
  5. Add the flax/water mixture.
  6. Add the dry mixture, and mix until combined.
  7. Add the chips, dried fruit or nuts.
  8. Scoop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet or into greased mini-muffin pans.
  9. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

Shutterfly: 101 free 4×6 prints!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2015-04-05 at 7.31.12 PMI love me some free photos! Photo gifts are THE BEST for grandparents and other relatives that don’t live close by.

Right now Shutterfly is giving away 101 free 4×6 prints when you use coupon code CARROT by April 7, 2015. You are still responsible for shipping and taxes, but it’s usually less than $5.00 all in!

I order 2 sets of 50, plus 1 extra photo (usually of something silly for my purse to share with friends). Then when the photos arrive, I separate the sets, and fill two inexpensive photo albums (usually less than $5/each at Michael’s with a 40% off coupon). Then I have two great holiday gifts! One for each set of Grandparents! If you are anything like my family, you have TONS of photos on your phone or camera that you *need* to print!

To get started  on your ordering your free 101 prints, click here.

Sales Cycles: When are items on sale?

Abby H.

file0001262541721Sales are cyclical- certain items are on sale during specific times of the year, either due to holidays or special events. For example- Barbeque sauce is on sale in the summer, when people barbeque a lot. Manufacturers and stores will put out coupons and places items on sale to entice shoppers to spend more. Use this to your advantage. Combine sales with coupons and increase your stockpile and plan your menu.

Here are some examples (but not a complete list):

JANUARY

Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
Gyms have sales and free trials
Healthy Food including Veggies
Television and other Electronics (Super Bowl Sunday)
OTC Medications (FSA’s expire in Jan./Feb.- Use it or Lose it!)
Winter Clothing and Shoes (Formal clothes are usually 75%+ off)
Organizers (totes, Christmas ornament storage containers)
White Sales (Sheets/Towels)
Snack-y food for Super Bowl parties: chips, dip. Velveeta, salsa, taquitos. There are often times really great rebates for snack food and beer or soda around the Super Bowl.
FEBRUARY

Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
Healthy Food including Veggies
Furniture and House wares
Candy and Chocolates

MARCH

March is National frozen food month. Many Stores like Albertson’s have a “fill a bag” sale where you are given a paper or plastic bag and you receive a discount (typically 15-25%) on each frozen item in that bag.
Spring Apparel (Easter Dresses and Suits)
Depending on when Easter falls, look for sales on Easter Dinner food: Ham, Prime Rib, stuffing, veggies, eggs, and Easter Basket Supplies.
Luggage and Travel (Spring Break)
Spring-cleaning sales will start and there will be rebates for cleaning supplies- especially with SC Johnson Products.
Between March 13-17th (St. Patrick’s Day) Corned Beef, Potatoes and Cabbage are all Dirt Cheap. Stock up!
During Lent, seafood is inexpensive.

APRIL

More Spring cleaning sales and rebates
Paper products (plates, napkins) start to have really good sales.
Paint & Wallpaper (In the same vain as spring cleaning, a lot of people start to spruce up their homes in the spring)
Jewish Foods and Eggs (Passover)

MAY

May is the start of picnic season. Barbeque food, Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, condiments will all be on sale throughout the summer and will be until September.

Auto Maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune ups)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
Bug repellents – Sprays and Candles
Home Maintenance (carpet cleaning, duct cleaning)
SPF and After Sun products (like Aloe)

JUNE

Summer Clothes
June is National Dairy Month- Dairy Products
Summer Activities (local attractions sometimes have “locals only” days or rates)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)

JULY

Air Conditioning units
Summer Sports Equipment & Craft Supplies (things for families to do together)
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)

AUGUST

BBQ and Patio Equipment (Just in time for Labor Day!)
White Sale – Linens and Towels
Back to School Supplies – Sales may Start in Late July, Depending on when school starts in your part of the world)
Bathing Suits and the last remnants of summer clothes
Back to school clothes
Jackets and light coats for fall
Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
Breakfast foods (cereal, oatmeal, juice, bars) Cereal sales will start this month and continue into September as school starts up.
Lunch box food- juice boxes, lunchables, snacks, chips, yogurt

SEPTEMBER

The traditional Back to School Sales will start. For most school, classes begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. This is a great time to stock up on snacks that are healthy and shelf stable. 100 calorie snack packs, fruit leathers, 100% juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter. Watch the inserts for Lunchables coupons too- they will start going on sale!

Back to School Supplies (Office Depot, Staples, and Walgreen’s often have Freebies)
Canned Goods. Canned soup and spaghetti sauce also starts to go on sale in September.
Frozen Pizza

The last three months of the year are packed full of holidays. Now is the time to stock up on “holiday foods”- Stuffing, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth/stock, cranberries (you can freeze the real ones for up to 6 months!), marshmallows, pudding, gelatin, flour, sugar, French fried onions, cream of mushroom soup. These ingredients can be used in everyday foods, not just once a year. Stock up when they are cheap (OR free!) and you will eat well all year.

There are LOADS of rebates during the last three months of the year for “holiday” foods, especially food that is usually served when entertaining, like crackers and cheese.

OCTOBER

Home goods such as serving dishes, and glassware (to prepare you for the onslaught of entertaining you will be doing for the holidays)
Candy, nuts
Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)
Fall/Winter clothing
Fabric, Patterns, sewing machines (Halloween)
Coats/Jackets

NOVEMBER

Winter Clothing
Blankets and flannel sheets
Heating Devices (space heaters, in wall heating units)
Turkey, ham
Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
Baking goods (flour, sugar)
Baking wear
DECEMBER

Toys –Coupons.com usually has coupons for Fischer Price Toys in December
Gift Items There will be a lot of TMF offers and rebates on personal care this time of year. Stock up and fill your stockings and keep your wallet full.
Post-Holiday Sales I like to stock up on plain colored paper goods after each holiday and stockpile them to use throughout the year for parties and events. No one will know the red napkins are from Valentine’s Day, not from Christmas. Light Blue gift paper from Chanukah will wrap a present for a baby shower gift just the same.
Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat There will be a lot of rebates, keep your eyes open!
Canned goods (broth, soups, etc)
Prime Rib, Turkey, Ham

Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough. Cookie dough freezes really well for about two month. You can also find plain colored paper goods, including plain colored wrapping paper and tissue paper after each holiday in the clearance section.

Easy, Family Friendly Water Saving Tips

Abby H.

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You may have heard, California is in a pretty severe drought situation, which has led to some pretty severe water use restrictions.

As a California Native, I honestly don’t remember a time when we haven’t been actively conserving water. However, now it’s more important than ever.

How can you and your family help out? Like most things, small tweaks can lead to big  changes, especially if many people pitch in.  Here are a few examples of ways YOU and YOUR FAMILY can help out:

Fix any leaky faucets. It may be as simple as replacing a worn out gasket in the faucet. Depending on how many drips you count per minute and how many faucets you have that are drip drip dripping, you could be wasting up to 5 gallons of water A DAY!!!

Limit showers to 5 minutes or less.  I know take a long, hot shower is nice, but realistically, most ladies don’t need to wash their hair every day, and all that water is just going down the drain. If you need to relax, take a bath.  Once you are done… try the next tip.

Got kids who still take a bath? Once they (or you!) are done, scoop the some of the water out of the tub in a bucket (I like the 5 gallon Homer Buckets from Home Depot) and use it to water your lawn, houseplants, or even your garden. For more tips and info on how and when it’s ok to use gray water in your garden, check out this segment from KPBS Midday Edition.

Only run the dishwasher when it’s full. That seems like a no-brainer, but it really does save water!

Use the correct setting on your washing machine! If you don’t have a large load, remember to change the load size on your washing machine. Using Energy Star rated appliances will not only help you save electricity, but it will also help you save water! Read the washing machine  manual to learn about which water settings should be used.

Turn off the sink while you are brushing your teeth or shaving. You could save up to 8 gallons a day per person who brushes their teeth.

Consider removing your lawn. I know having a lush, green lawn is a source of pride for some homeowners, but now is not the time!  You can Xeriscape, which is where you pull out the lawn and replace it with decorative rocks or mulch and native, drought tolerant plants. It’s really pretty. And you’ll be saving tons of water!

Pick up some rain barrels. I know, I know, we’re in a drought! But it still does rain here from time to time. The City of San Diego has a rebate program for those who purchase and install rain collection barrels. For those of us who can’t install barrels, you can always set out buckets to collect water and store it appropriately.  We always set out a few buckets to collect water for our patio garden.

Take your car to the carwash! Most commercial carwashes use  recycled water, so taking your car to the carwash is a great way to conserve water. It’s a lot more water efficient- the average commercial carwash uses 30-50 gallons of water per carwash (and most of it is or can be recycled), whereas a DIY at home car washing can use upwards of 100 gallons of water!

Compost your kitchen scraps! Instead of running your garbage disposal (which requires water!) to dispose of organic waste (that includes food waste), start a compost pile/bin.  You can find small compost bins (including table top versions!) at Home Depot for those who don’t’ have a large yard (like us). In addition to most food waste, yard waste, newspaper, and cardboard can be added to compost piles/bins. You can learn more about composting here.

So, there are just a few ways you can be water wise. How do you like to conserve water?

Review & Giveaway: Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap

Abby H.6 Comments

290x188-Dial-Sugar-Promo-SigI love being a Purex Insider! It’s a blogging program where I get to try out new products and share them with you! The latest product I was able to sample was the Dial® Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap. It’s  the newest member of the Dial® Boutique Collection Hand Soap line, bringing luxury to your hand washing experience.

IMG_2966With an indulgent scent inspired by freshly cut Sugar Cane, this premium formula with gentle micro scrubbers cleanses deeply while moisturizing and smoothing skin.

When it arrived, I put it in the hallway bathroom, which is the one that Lil’ Man uses most.  He’s really into washing his hands right now, because it, “Makes the yucky germs go away!”

Everyone who has used it over the past 2 weeks loves it. The little micro scrubbers really help get your hands clean (which is great since Lil’ Man and I have been gardening a lot recently and we get pretty gross!), but it’s very moisturizing (thanks to the Sunflower oil).

I’m super excited to share this new product with you, in fact, you can enter to win a coupon for a free bottle.  Just check out the Rafflecopter widget here to enter!

Dole Fruit and Oatmeal Money Maker Deal!

Abby H.1 Comment

 

IMG_2969Right now, most 99 Cents Only locations  have Dole Fruit & Oatmeal for 99 Cents a 2 pack.

A Facebook fan told me these retail for $2.00 a pack at the mainstream grocery store- that’s nuts!

Here is a way you can score these little beauties for free- and make .50 on each package!

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 9.59.34 AMThere is a Snap By Groupon rebate for $1.50 back! Which means you pay $.99, submit for the $1.50 Snap Rebate and it’s a .50 Money maker (and there is no limit as to how many you can purchase and receive the rebate on).

Not a SNAP by Groupon member, You can sign up here! SNAP by Groupon is an app for your enabled device that gives you cash back when you buy specific items (at any store!)- items change about once a month, and there is always in interesting mix of items, including fresh fruits and veggies! You can cash out once you reach $20 in savings!

I tried one of these oatmeal cups this morning, and it was pretty good (but a little sweet). They’d be great to stash in your desk at work, or to donate to a food bank or shelter. Deals like this are just one way that you can help others and maintain your food budget!