family

10/16/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

This Friday’s freebies and deals have some awesome goodies! Now that Amazon Prime day is over, there will be other deals (and some might say better deals).  And the Freebies- awesome!

As always, if you find an amazing deal or freebie, please share it in the comments below.

Freebies:

Free Pancakes at IHOP
2 Free Hemp CBD Cigarettes
Free Subscription to Sports Illustrated Kids
Free Sample of Clay Love Face Mask
Free Back to the Roots Terrarium Kids Grow Kit
Free Sample of Face Love Co. Antioxidant Face Oil
PINCHme – Free DIY Compressed Facial Mask
Free Back to the Roots Self-Watering Succulent Kit
Free Sample of Clinere Earwax Cleaners
Romano’s Macaroni Grill – First Responders Eat Free in October
Free Hartz Pet Toy
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free 32 oz Dr Pepper at A&W
Free Pipcorn Cheese Balls at Sprouts

Deals:

Paint by Sticker Book ONLY $6.11 (Reg. $10)
Artificial Christmas Trees ONLY $75.00 (Reg. $250)
Toy Story Glow In The Dark Wall Decals $6.09 (Reg. $16)
Rainbow Unicorn Cuddleez Plush ONLY $6.98 (Reg. $35)
Tools of the Trade 13-Piece Cookware Set ONLY $41.99 (Reg $120)
Tools of the Trade Nonstick Roaster & Rack ONLY $11.99 (Reg $30)
Melissa & Doug Farm Animals Puzzle ONLY $9.12 (Reg. $20)
Lightweight Microfiber Comforter ONLY $19.99 (Reg $110)
Melissa & Doug Beauty Salon Play Set ONLY $23.09 (Reg. $50)
Mason Jar Wall Sconce Décor Set ONLY $15.33 (Reg $28)

Staying Healthy This Fall and Beyond!

Abby H.

Fall and Winter are the prime time for illnesses to go around, especially the flu. While the flu shot isn’t effective against all strains of influenza, it does help to keep those to receive it safely again many strains.

Most insurance companies offer no or low-cost flu shots, but if you are uninsured and facing financial difficulties, even $20 for a flu shot can be out of reach. Thankfully there are organizations and resources to help keep you healthy and safe.

If you are in San Diego County, Champions for Health offers free Flu shots, PCV13 shots for those over 65, and Tdap shots for those between the ages of 10-64. They have opportunities all over San Diego County throughout the fall.

If you or your children are in need of vaccinations (flu and beyond) but are without insurance, the san Diego County Health and Human Services Agency offers no-cost vaccines. More information can be found here.

In addition to vaccines, there are a lot of other ways you can stay healthy this fall and winter. Most of us are already doing them!

  • Wash your hands frequently- use soap and water and scrub for at least 20-30 seconds.
  • Try not to touch your face.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when your sneeze (either with a tissue or cough or sneeze into your elbow).
  • Use hand sanitizer when you cannot wash your hands with soap and water.
  • If you are wearing re-usable/cloth masks, make sure to wash and dry them frequently. Disposable masks should be used once and thrown away. Please remember to clip the elastic ear loops before throwing the mask away- animals can get caught up in the loops.
  • Avoid sick people, and if you aren’t feeling well yourself, do not go out in public.
  • Eat well, include lots of vitamin and mineral rich foods.
  • Stay Hydrated. This is my favorite water bottle.

Today is National Dessert Day!

Abby H.

My kids are ready to celebrate! I’ve found some freebies and low-cost deals for those of you looking for some sweet deals (see what I did there??) and some of our family recipes if you are in the mood to cook.

 

If you are trying to stay on budget, here are a few of our family favorite dessert recipes:

 

If you’ve discovered any other awesome deals or freebies for this National Dessert day, please leave it in the comments below!

Kabrita: BOGO Sale!

Abby H.

My kiddos were all about Kabrita when they were little squishes. I got an email from them this morning with a really great deal!


For the rest of October, Kabrita USA will help families enjoy even MORE gentle Organic Goat Milk Porridge: buy ONE case of Porridge, get a second case of Porridge FREE! 

Prefer to stock up on Formula?? In November, buy ONE case of Goat Milk Formula, receive a case of Porridge FREE!

That’s two great deals! If you haven’t tried Kabrita for your kids yet, check out my post here with a deal on their free sampler package. If your kiddos have sensitive tummies, I recommend Kabrita.

All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. I’ve used Kabrita for both of my kids. This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

10/12/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays, but yesterday was a busy day (swimming reservation at the Y, a special needs conference, and lots of playtime), so I didn’t have a chance to post.

It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the weekly calendar/schedule and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’m hitting up the store this morning for some last-minute items that I thought we had (note to self: Do not put empty cereal box back in the cupboard). I’m thinking about making a batch of cookies today to have a sweet dessert for the kids.

Thanks to some local deals, offers, and the school lunches the kids bring home, I have been able to keep our grocery budget to $60 per week for the past 3 weeks! It’s amazing. The extra money is going into our holiday savings account.

If you have kids between 2-18, check with your local school to see if they are offering free lunches and/or breakfasts. You can also check the USDA Website– but it might be a little out of date.

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 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 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 (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunches will be whatever the kids want for the time being. The big kid has lunch at school, so it’s whatever he chooses from the lunch box in the cupboard, plus some fruit and juice or milk. Since the little girl is in the morning cohort at school, she has lunch at home. Buttered noodles, yogurt, apple slices, and a popsicle are her go-to lunch.

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:   Salsa Chicken and veggies ( I didn’t end up making it last week like I had planned)
  • Monday:  Entrees & Salad
  • Tuesday:  Chick’n nuggets (vegetarian nugs for our buddy) and fruit
  • Wednesday:   Sausage and Peppers in the Crockpot, noodles, and veggies
  • Thursday: Chicken Tika Masala, rice, veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Breakfast for Dinner

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

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

Family Recipe: Bean, Rice, & Cheese Bowls

Abby H.

You may have noticed that BRC Bowls is a regular item on our weekly meal plan posts.

Beans and Rice are pantry staples in our home. You can do a lot with both, but the BRC bowl is a quick, easy, and healthy meal that everyone in our home can agree on. If I’ve got more time, I can add roasted veggies too.

We use vegetarian, fat-free refried beans because a lot of commercially made refried beans contain lard, and since I’ve got a small vegetarian in the house, I gotta keep meals vegetarian as often as possible.

It’s also a great recipe to make extra servings of and store in the fridge for lunches throughout the week.

Here is the basic recipe:

Bean, Rice, & Cheese Bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 large can refried beans– approx. 28 ounces (or make your own from scratch), heated per package directions. Sometimes we use Ranch-style Beans instead.
  • Rice (I usually make 2 cups rice with 4 cups veggie broth so we have lots of leftovers)- The variety of rice is up to you, but we love jasmine or basmati rice. Did you know that you can freeze cooked rice in portions?
  • Cheese- your choice of variety. I really like the Mexican blend, which generally consists of a blend of Monterey Jack Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Queso Quesadilla, And Asadero Cheese.
  • Roasted vegetables (optional, but I recommend). I like to roast onions, garlic, bell peppers, potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. Cut them up into bite-size pieces, toss in avocado oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Roast in the oven on a baking sheet for 30-ish minutes at 450 degrees. You can also add 2 T. of fresh lime juice for some zest.

Directions

Once all ingredients are cooked, assemble individual bowls as follows (from the bottom up):

  1. Rice
  2. Roasted veggies
  3. Beans
  4. Cheese

You can do it in whatever amount each person wants. Kids don’t like cheese? Skip it. Watching your carbs? Go easy on the rice.

As I said before I make a few extra servings in leftover containers and stash them into the fridge for lunches later in the week. The girl kiddo loves rice with butter for lunch, so I always make extra rice for her.

Coming to Netflix: Jingle Jangle A Christmas Journey

Abby H.

If you haven’t heard about this movie, Be prepared to be wowed! I’ve seen stills all over Facebook (mostly in my costuming groups- the costumes you guys, THEY ARE FABU!) and I am so excited to share Jingle Jangle with you!

First off, here is the official trailer (on youtube).

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

SERIOUSLY- LOOK AT THIS COAT!

From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert and featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and “This Day” performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility.

This movie looks like it is going to be a hit with our family. And one thing I love is that it’s so different from the traditional holiday movies- There is no Santa Claus, no small town where the holiday love story happens (sorry Hallmark movies, you get no love from me).

I can’t wait to watch this movie with the kids- Jingle Jangle comes to Netflix on November 13th.

 

Meal Kit Round-Up (Reviews and Deals/Coupons)

Abby H.

In my 10+ years as a blogger, I have reviewed a fair number of meal kits on the market. With the seemingly never-ending quarantine and the new normal being social distancing, something different is now more appreciated than ever.

I love trying out meal kits, they are a great way to try new recipes with new ingredients that I may not already have on hand. Here are a few of the meal kits that I’ve tried, links to reviews, and any deals or coupon codes I could find.

Overall, my favorite meal kit company is Dinnerly.

They have a nice mix of kid-friendly dishes and stuff that is decidedly more “grown-up food”. I wrote a review here. In addition to having a nice mix of dishes to choose from, the other thing I like is that Dinnerly is the first subscription meal kit service to offer $4.49 per serving. My big qualm with meal kits is that the meals can sometimes be upwards of $8-$10/per serving. At that point, you might as well go out for dinner!

Freshly is the next up on our highly received Meal companies. I reviewed Freshly in 2016, and it’s a little different that most of the other meal companies in that all of the food comes already cooked. All you do is heat and eat.

The portions are big, so if you wanted to stretch them, all you would need is an additional side, like a green salad.

Right now when you use Promo Code: LAUNCH15 you will save $60.00 on your first 4 orders($15 per order).

Here is one that I did not get a really great impression of…Home Chef. Maybe it’s because I picked recipes that had a lot of delicate ingredients (read my review here) that don’t transport well, but that was a few years ago, and they may have different recipes and perfected their shipping packaging by now.

If you want to give it a shot I found a deal for you: Right now when you order Home Chef and receive $60 OFF. That’s $10 OFF your first six orders.

I will say the thing that has changed and that I like is that you choose from up to 38 chef-inspired, customizable recipes each week — including oven-ready meals, quick-prep options, and grill packs.

Here is one that I personally haven’t tried, but I’ve seen pictures all over Instagram and a few of my blogger friends rave about- Martha & Marley Spoon.

It seems pretty simple: Each week, 10 days before your delivery day, you’ll receive an email with meal choices. If you’d like to swap recipes, you can do so under “My Account”.

Everything is shipped to arrive fresher than you might see at the supermarket. They guarantee you’ll be able to use the ingredients for at least 4 days after you receive them, with the exception of fish which should be cooked within 48 hours.

Talk Back: I’d love to hear about Meal Kits that you have tried and which ones have worked for you and your family!

10/5/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays, but yesterday was a busy day, so I didn’t have a chance to post.

It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the weekly calendar/schedule and prepping the snack box for the week.

I didn’t have a chance to shop over the weekend, so this morning after school drop off, I’m hitting up Food4Less for a few things. I stocked up on fresh fruit last week (there was a produce giveaway locally, and that filled both fruit bowls). Big Kid has requested home made apple sauce, so I’m going to make it this morning as well as Kodiak Chocolate Muffins.  The free school lunches that our school is providing gives us some yummy stuff the kids like (baby carrots, milk, and apple slices to name a few), and the stuff that they don’t care for or contains meat we share with some of our friends who have kiddos that aren’t able to stop and pick up free lunches.

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 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 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 (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunches will be whatever the kids want for the time being. The big kid has lunch at school, so it’s whatever he chooses from the lunch box in the cupboard, plus some fruit and juice or milk. Since the little girl is in the morning cohort at school, she has lunch at home. Buttered noodles, yogurt, apple slices, and a popsicle are her go-to lunch.

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:  Leftover Extravaganza
  • Monday:  Entrees & Salad
  • Tuesday:  Pancakes and fruit
  • Wednesday:   Patty Melts made with Veggie Burgers
  • Thursday: Salsa Chicken and veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Breakfast for Dinner  (I’ve been itching to make blueberry waffles with vanilla ice cream)

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

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

Earning Money with Surveys!

Abby H.
Kitty is on the prowl for surveys!

I know a lot of us right now are unemployed or underemployed. There are a lot of Get Rich Quick scams out there (here are few to avoid), and I wanted to share with you some ways you can earn money at home in a legit way.

I do a lot of surveys online through various companies. Some of my favorites can be found here on my Side Hustles page.

Recently, a few more survey companies have been brought to my attention, so I thought I’d share them too.

Inbox Dollars is a company where you can earn cash by doing the following:

    • Online activities: Take Surveys, Watching Videos, Shopping, and More.

And when you sign up, you get a $5 bonus!

 

Kashkick is another company that I’ve heard about from several readers and friends.

Receive cashback from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, referring your friend, and subscribing to special promotions.

 

 

LifePoints comes highly recommended by my friend Lisa.

Join one of the largest influencer communities in the world. They’ve rewarded over $20 million to our members in the last year alone.

Share your opinions on numerous products and popular brands. Complete surveys and get paid for it!

Earn points that can be redeemed for rewards of your choice. Join today and get 10 LifePoints to kick off your earnings!

I’ve been a member of MyPoints for over 10 years. In addition to using Mypoints to shop online to use points, you can earn points for searching the web, reading emails and visiting websites.

I earn about $15/month using Mypoints for my online shopping, in addition to surveys, and reading emails from them.

 

Opinion Outpost is another company that comes highly recommended.

Someone contacted me via my Facebook page and during the course of our chat, he told me he makes approx. $400 USD per WEEK using Opinion Outpost. Ok, so obviously this isn’t common, but, if you have a lot of time to dedicate to surveys and doing work online, anything is possible!