11/19/2023 Weekly Freebies

The 2023 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but there are additional resources for outside my area as well.

It’s Freebie time! There are all sorts of cool freebies this weekend.

Free Jar of Sauz Hot Honey Arrabbiata or Summer Lemon Marinara After Rebate
Free Coffee Every Friday at Xtra Mart Convenience Stores
Free Suavitel Cuddle Sweater With Pet + Fabric Conditioner
New Free Samples from Sampler
Free Moisturizer or Serum with Vitamin C + $60 eCode
Free Bottle of Koia Protein Shake After Rebate
Free No7 Beauty & Skincare Products
Free Ocean Spray Zero Sugar Juice Drink Chatterbox Kit
Free Bestway New Year’s Hot Tub Party Pack
Free Tom Ford Oud Wood Fragrance Sample
Free 20 oz Coke or Sprite with Alltown Neighborhood Perks
Possible Free Wild Friends Sunflower Nut Butter
Sign up for a Free Healthy Snack Box
Free Simple Mills Pop Crackers
Free Cartier Fragrance Sample
Possible Free GoodWheat Pancake & Waffle Mix
Free Can of Better Booch Kombucha After Rebate
Free Sample of L’Oreal Midnight Cream
Free Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
Possible Free Halo Top Light Ice-Cream
Free Gifts of Your Choice from Sleigh
Free Open Nature Entertaining Crackers at Select Stores
Free Tiny Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies at Publix
Free AERIN Mediterranean Honeysuckle Fragrance Sample
Possible Free True Story Foods Kurobuta Bacon
Free Can of Doctor D’s Sparkling Probiotic Drink After Rebate
Free Watercolor Stockings Craft Event at Michaels
2 Free Trolls Band Movie Tickets for Xfinity Rewards Members
Free Thanksgiving Printable Activities, Games & More
Free Flashlight, Screwdriver Set or Parts Holder at Harbor Freight

 

Fall Recipe Round-Up!

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Thanksgiving in the US is just a few days away, and for most of us, it means cooking a HUGE feast to share with family or friends.

I wanted to share with you some of my family’s favorite fall recipes- They are all pretty tasty, and easy to make. Some are great for Thanksgiving dinner, and some are just tasty fall recipes.

Upcoming changes to IKEA Family benefits

If you are like me, you’ve been a member of the IKEA Family benefits program since its inception.

I received an email from them the other day and I had to share it since it’s a pretty big change:

Thank you for being a loyal IKEA Family member. We have an important update to your IKEA Family benefits. Effective 2/1/24, IKEA Family members will no longer receive 5% off in-store on all furniture and décor. All currently enrolled and new members can enjoy this benefit through January 31, 2024.

Stay tuned for new ways to save throughout the year with offers and perks as an IKEA Family member.

In the meantime, continue to use IKEA Family benefits like free coffee and tea in our Swedish Restaurant (every day!), 90-day price protection, previews of store events, exclusive access to IKEA Family member discounts, and more.

We aren’t huge Ikea shoppers, but the discount was nice. Will this change to their IKEA Familiy benefits program change your shopping habits?

11/5/2023 Weekend Freebies!

The 2023 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

It’s Freebie time! There are all sorts of cool freebies this weekend. 

Freebies:

Free Longbottom & Co Virgin Mary Bloody Mary Mix After Rebate
Free Doritos Locos Taco at Taco Bell
Free Box of Beekeeper’s Naturals Kid’s Throat Soothing Lollipops After Rebate
Free Sample of Pharma-C Triple Action Hemorrhoid Pads
Free 4-Pack of Nuby All Silicone Softees Pacifiers
Free Gucci Guilty Elixir de Parfum Fragrance Sample
Free Member’s Mark Better Nut Bar at Sam’s
Free Kroger Sample Box
Free Genio Della Pizza After Rebate
Free Sample of Enfagrow Toddler Nutritional Drink
Free Grand Slam at Denny’s for Vets & Military Personnel
Free Monopoly Knockout Game Night Party Pack
Free Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
Free Jar of Brooklyn Delhi Sauce After Rebate
Free Samples at Ulta Beauty Kiosks
Free Creed Aventus Fragrance Sample
Free Sample of Twist + Lick Dog Dental Gel
Free Gucci Guilty Pour Femme Fragrance Sample
Sam’s Merry Express Event – Free Samples, Gifts & More
Free Ocean’s Halo Trayless Seaweed Snack
Free Sample of Revlon Illuminance Skin-Caring Foundation
Free Simple Mills Pop Crackers
FREE Sample Mail Call for November
Free Sample of BIODERMA Atoderm Intensive Balm
Free Box of MingsBings After Rebate
Free Sample of EQUAZEN PRO Jelly Chews
Free MicroSculpt Microcurrent Facial Device
Free Bottle of ZEN Calm & Stress Relief Gummies After Rebate
Free Large Fries at McDonald’s
Free Real Food From The Ground Up Snack Product After Rebate
Free Bulgari Le Gemme Tygar Fragrance Sample
PlayStation Plus – Free Mafia ll, Dragon Ball, Aliens Fireteam Elite Games
Free Download of Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes
Free Kohl’s Game Card on Black Friday
Free Heroic Fire Truck Build Kit at Lowe’s
15 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
5 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free NFL RedZone Channel Preview for Select Providers
Free 2024 Rainin The Art of Pipetting Calendar
Free Photo with Santa & More at Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s

State of the Blogger November 2023

Hey friends, it’s been a hot minute. Honestly, with everything going on in our lives, by the time the kids are in bed, and I’ve got all of my household reset tasks done for the night, I am too exhausted to sit down and blog.

In fact, I “wrote” most of this using my phone’s talk-to-text feature. Seriously. So tired.

The past three months have been busy, and have been snowballing too insanely busy. Hopefully, this month will be a little more forgiving, but I don’t hold out much hope.

I have been using a lot of KC Davis’ resources to keep my house and my life somewhat organized. Using a weekly care task list has been very beneficial. As well as having an end of day reset task list. The end-of-day reset basically it’s just a way for me to give “future me/tomorrow me” a break.

While all of these are on the daily list, they don’t always all get done. A bare minimum is that I take my meds and drink a bottle of water before bed. Sometimes it’s the bare minimum and sometimes I get all of it done.

Between kid’s activities and family stuff, it feels like every weekend has just been something.

This week it was a few activities in the morning, and I spent time this afternoon rearranging parts of the garage, steam cleaning the couch, living room carpet, and my bedroom floor, as well as refilling pantry stables in the kitchen.

Because the one thing I have been putting off in the past month or so is a large restock grocery trip. Our stockpile of key ingredients has dwindled, and since we don’t have a garage attached to our home, bringing up large loads of groceries is my least favorite thing about grocery shopping. However, I broke down and did it last night. I went to Costco by myself and got all of the things we stock up at Costco. And I got a couple extra treats.

So what you can expect to see from now until the end of the year is:

  • More easy, healthy, and tasty recipes
  • Realistic Deals for gifts, and practical gifts for the whole family (including a post with $15 or less stockings from Dollar Tree for each member of the family)
  • Weekly Freebies
  • More time-saving ways to keep your home running smoother

Originally I had a bunch of stuff planned, including giveaways and contests, however, my favorite family blogger event- WOW Summit by Moms Meet was canceled because the May Group (its parent company) went bankrupt earlier this year.  I always connected with brands, bloggers, and friends there. It was a big event for me to go to and came home with all kinds of goodies to share via giveaways and contests. That was the second blogging event that was canceled this year.

I’ve got some meal prep to do- Have a great evening, and I promise, good stuff is coming!

 

Penzeys Sale: $35 for $50 in Gift Cards!

This is one of my favorite deals. It makes a great gift for the home cook, baker, or foodie in your life. It can be used in-store or online.

This deal is back, but only until Sunday, October 8, 2023!

Penzeys is offering two $25 Gift Cards for just $35. Limit of TWENTY Embrace Hope Gift Cards per household during the run of the promotion. Cannot be used on the date of purchase. Cannot be used to purchase other gift cards. Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. The offer ends at midnight on Sunday, October 8, 2023.

 

9/24/2023 Weekly Freebies

The 2023 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

I hope y’all are ready for some cooler temps and fall fun. I’m looking forward to wearing some of my favorite Halloween shirts and leggings!

Freebies:

Free Coffee Week at Circle K
Free Dannon Light & Fit Zero Sugar Smoothie or Cup at Publix
Free Perfect Bar at Select Retailers
Free Ardor Energy Organic Energy Sparkling Water
Free NABISCO Snacks & Candy Celebrate Halloween with CVS House Party Pack
Free Subscription to Vogue Magazine
Free Airwick Essential Mist Diffuser
Free Luki Lab – Pinxies Party Pack
Free Quantum Energy Square After Rebate
4 Free COVID Tests Starting Sept. 25th
Free Sample of L’Oreal Metal Detox Shampoo & Mask
Possible Free BIC Break-Resistant Mechanical Pencil
Free Yellowstone Coffee Arabica Coffee
Free Fabalish Mayo After Rebate
2 Free L’Oreal Samples
Free NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit or NasaFlo Neti Pot
Free Sample of Tanologist Face + Body Drops
Free Cold Brew Frozen Coffee at Rita’s
Free Rituals Invigorating Treat Gift Set
Free Baby Samples & Full Sized Products from Amazon
Free Mother-in-Law’s Everyday Kimchi
10 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Beekeeper’s Naturals Sample Pack
Free $10 ThredUP Credit = Free Womens & Children Items
Free Daiya Plant-Based Pizza
Free Member’s Mark Coffee Pods at Sam’s
Free ASPCA Pet Safety Magnet, Window & Door Decal
Free Green Valley Lactose-Free Cream Cheese
Free Blue Bunny Champion of Fun Chatterbox Kit
Free Rituals Renewing Routine Gift Set
Free Carolina Heat-and-Eat Rice Pouches at Walmart After Cashback
Free The Last Kids on Earth Welcome Kit
Free Early Screening to Gen V for Prime Members
Free 1 Month of Paramount+
Free 2023 National Parks Entrance Days
Free Drink at Dunkin’
4+ Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Where is Bear Book
Best Free TV Apps to Download Now (Free TV Streaming Services)
The 16 Best Free Sample Boxes to Request

Italian Meatball Soup Recipe

I posted about this soup earlier in the week on Instagram. It’s easy to make and is super filling. The best part is that you can make it as simple or elevated as you want, and as your budget allows

If you like to make everything from scratch, make your own meatballs and tomato soup. On a financial or time budget- use premade. I double-checked and all ingredients are available at Dollar Tree, so even the tightest budget can try it!

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

  • 8-12 meatballs (I used these Smithfield Power Bites)
  • 1 can/jar Tomato Basil Soup (I used Rao)
  • 1 14.5oz can salt-free diced tomatoes
  • 6 Oz (half of a 12 oz. bag) frozen onion and pepper blend (I used my slap chopper to make the onions and peppers much smaller pieces)
  • 1T butter or oil
  • 1T minced garlic 
  • 2T chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1T of the oil 
  • 1c. pasta shape of your choice (I used medium shells)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a deep pot, warm oil and saute the frozen onion and pepper until the onions are translucent and fragrant about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Add in garlic, and sundried tomatoes and it’s oil and stir frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add in the soup, bay leaf, meatballs (mine were frozen), and canned tomatoes.
  4. Allow soup to cook covered on medium/low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Pour uncooked pasta into soup, turn to low, and cover again. cook on low for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.
  6. Top each serving with parmesan cheese as desired.

This recipe makes 4-6 servings. It can be easily doubled or tripled.

Tips:

  • It freezes well also.
  • It can be made vegan or vegetarian. Use vegan/vegetarian meatballs and soup.
  • GLUTEN FREE: Substitute GF Meatballs and Pasta

It’s Souptember- Soup Recipe Round up!

It’s September! Cooler weather is ahead- and while it’s still hot here, I’m ready for soup. To celebrate Souptember, here are just a few of my favorite soup recipes:

Family Recipe: Albondigas (Meatball Soup)
 Veggie Cheese Tortellini Soup
Crockpot Chili Recipe 
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Colonial Chowder
Veggie Soup 
Chicken Fajitas Soup 
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Potato Cheese Soup
Hearty Veggie Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Veggie Tuscan Soup
Homemade Chicken Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup CopyCat Recipe
Chicken Corn Chowder
Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque
Butternut Squash Bisque
Beef Stew
Harvest Veggie Ravioli Soup

 

9/4/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis long holiday weekend has been chill. We swam, deep cleaned bedrooms, and did our weekly reset. We reset today, and the extra day off was really needed. Back to school hit us hard.

I made big batches of vegetarian chili and chicken noodle soup yesterday for this week and beyond. I put a quart of each in the freezer for later.

The freezer and fridge are organized and the meals are planned for the upcoming week and beyond.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is delivered on Mondays. It arrived about 2:30 today, and I was ready to dive in and get prepping!

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

For those of you who 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 (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 a Cliff Bar, fruit, and bagels for the littlest kiddo. The big kid has 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. The big kid brings his lunch every day (The same thing every day), and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. With the rising costs of meat, we get most of our protein from using meat as an addition to our meals, not the main component. I realize this may not work for all families, but it helps us immensely.

  • Sunday: Chicken noodle soup, green salad, cheese toast
  • Monday: Chef Salad or protein shakes (big kid isn’t a big salad fan), and fruit
  • Tuesday:  blistered tomatoes w/ pasta, garlic bread (recipe forthcoming)

  • Wednesday: Vegetarian Chili, cornbread, fruit salad

  • Thursday: Protein shakes and fruit trays

  • Friday: Takeout night
  • Saturday:  Leftover night