My Favorite Things Giveaway!

I had posted on Facebook that this would be up a few days ago, but life got in the way.

To celebrate making it through 2024 mostly in one piece, I wanted to host a giveaway with a few of my favorite things, including a $25.00 Target gift card because a few of my favorite things can’t be shipped safely.

I’m making this one easy: Read this post, Check out the rafflecopter widget here to complete the entries, and poof- you are entered!

This gift pack includes:

The Giveaway closes on 12/16 and I will choose a winner on 12/17 and email them to get their address for shipping your prize!

Western Eagle Foundation- Northern San Diego County Food Programs

I found out about Western Eagle on TikTok- it just popped up on my For You Page. After checking out their website, I had to share.

Western Eagle Foundation is located in Temecula- That’s in Northern San Diego County (about an hour from my house). They have several programs including a Food Bank, Food Pantry, and customized food boxes.

If you are in Northern San Diego County and need food resources, definitely check out the Western Eagle Foundation.  They post on Instagram daily with what foods they have available in their customized food boxes as well as upcoming food pantry and food bank dates!

12/6/2024 Friday Freebies and Deals

Hey Gang! I took today off my day job because my littlest one needed a trip to the dentist. I’m trying hard to finish the year with some good posts! I think there are some good freebies and deals this week.

My comprehensive list can be found here if you are looking for free food resources. I will be updating it in the coming week with a few new free and low-cost resources. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Freebies:

Deals:

Friday Freebies and Deals: Black Friday Edition!

I hope everyone survived their family meals yesterday! I’m not a big Black Friday poster, but I did want to share the freebies and deals available this weekend.

My comprehensive list can be found here if you are looking for free food resources. I will be updating it in the coming week with a few new free and low-cost resources. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Freebies:

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here!  sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.
Free Kohl’s Game Card on Black Friday – Over $1 Million in Prizes
Free 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
Free $5+ Shop Cash
Free $500, $100 or $10 Coupon & More at JCPenney on Black Friday
Free Hims Hair Care Products
Macy’s Black Friday $1 Million Free Reward Card Giveaway
Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan – Free Photos with Santa, Gifts & More
Free Holiday Bears at Target
Free Issey Miyake Parfums Le Sel d’lssey Fragrance Sample
2 Free Movie Tickets to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Free Lowe’s Bucket of Gifts on Black Friday – a $150 Value
List of Stores and Brands That Give Away Freebies During Black Friday: 2024
Free Air Wick Plug in Scented Oil Advanced Gadget
Free Showtime, Cinemax, STARZ & More for DirecTV Subscribers – Starts Today
Free Helzberg Ring Sizer
Free Balmain Paris Fragrance Sample
Free Donut Every Wednesday at Dunkin’ + More Deals
Free Mystery Promo Card Giveaway at Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s
Free Hair Samples: Discover Your Next Favorite Product for Free
Get Free Personalized Letters and Creative Activities from Banjo Robinson

Magazine Subscriptions:

San Diego Regional Center’s 2nd Annual Family-Vendor Resource Fair!

If your child is a client of San Diego Regional Center this event is a great opportunity for you to learn about how SDRC can assist your child and family.

On 9/28/2024 at the Town and Country Hotel, SDRC is presenting its second annual Family-Vendor Resource Fait.

For more information, or to sign up, Family-Vendor Resource Fair.

Legoland: Don’t Miss This Summer Ticket Deal!

Legoland California has an awesome deal going on right now, perfect for an end-of-summer staycation!

Get up to four $39 Kids Resort Hopper Tickets with the purchase of an Adult Resort Hopper Ticket! Hurry, a limited number of tickets are available at this price each day, for a limited time only. Get them before they’re gone!

Resort Hopper Tickets include LEGOLAND Theme Park + SEA LIFE Aquarium + Water Park.

When to Visit: Now – September 13, 2024

If you are enjoying Legoland on a budget, check out my ideas for saving money in the park here.

Water Park is closed on select dates during the promotional window. Check the operating calendar for more information. On dates the Water Park is closed, the offer is valid for a SEA LIFE Hopper Ticket.

Questions? Click here for FAQs.

8/18/2024 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg4 days until school starts for us… Not that I’m counting.

I meal planned for the next two weeks last night as I was inventorying the kitchen. But to make it easier, I am only posting 1 week at a time

I’m trying hard to increase the kids’ fiber and protein intake. I can tell the difference when they are filling up on both- if nothing else, it helps them sleep better.

Thanks to the great freebies from Social Nature and Aisle, we’ve been trying new foods lately. It’s fun to try new foods.

If you 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 good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I 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.

Breakfast: I’ve been really into protein coffee lately. It helps me hit my protein goals and keeps me full until lunch. I use premade protein shakes like these. The kids request bagels and fruit most mornings. The big kid is on a smoothie kick; his favorites are here. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. We eat lunch at home most days, and I pack snacks and water for us when we are out having summer adventures. Now that we are focusing on BTS, I reorganized the snack totes (yes there are two) and set up for making school lunches. I take my lunch to work and meal prep lunches once a week.

Dinner: Now that I’m back to working full time, I’m leaning heavily into meal prepping. I’ve got all kinds of meals in the freezer, and hopefully, once the temperature drops- It’ll be soup time!!

  • Sunday:  Dream Dinner, Salad (Dream Dinner Deal here)
  • Monday: Beans, Rice, and Quesadillas, Salad
  • Tuesday: Pasta Bake, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

  • Wednesday: Mac n’ Cheese, Smoothies, chips (first day of school)

  • Thursday: Breakfast for dinner- Pancakes, smoothies, sausage

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza

Weekend Freebies and Deals!

I’m in the final stretch of BTS prep, which is why there was no Freebie Friday post yesterday. But there are some

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here! Check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

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

Freebies:

Free Air Wick Plug in Scented Oil Advanced Gadget
Free Sample of dermaFIT Muscle Retention Cream
Free Sample of Stopain Extra Strength Pain Relieving Gel
Free Make Your Own Sloth Door Hanger Craft Kit at JCPenney
Free Sample of SUNSHIELD+ Tinted Mineral Sunscreen + Organic 3-in-1 Cream
Free Sample of Crave Me Cookies + Free Shipping
Free 2025 Rainin The Art of Pipetting Calendar
Free Mini-Treehouse Craft for Kids at Lowe’s
2 Free Bags of Undercover Snacks Chocolate Quinoa Crisps After Rebate
Free Sample of John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-Up Creme
Free Green Valley Lactose Free Cheese After Rebate
Free 6-Pack of BUBBL’R Antioxidant Water
Free 4-Pack of ProGo Protein & Energy Bars
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s
Kleenex is Giving Away $500,000 to Schools
Free Kim Crawford Summer Club Party Kit
Free Stay at the Rice Krispies Re-Treat Suite
Free Marinela Sweet Snacks Chatterbuy Kit
Free e.l.f. Lash XTNDR Mascara
Free LEGO Creativity Workshops – Sign Up Now
Free Sample of Friskies Party Mix Original Crunch Cat Treats

 

Deals:

Target Kid Boots as low as $14
Kate Spade Jewelry as low as $12 (Reg $39+)
Free Crest Toothpaste
Kate Spade Wristlets From $29 (Reg $139) + Free Shipping
Purex Detergent ONLY $2.99 (Reg. $8.99)

Tryazon: Cake-N-Bake Game Night!

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Introducing Cake-N-Bake Challenge a brand new game in this new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, sponsored by Hey Buddy Hey Pal! Bring the excitement of baking shows into the game room with a fast-paced, color-matching, cake-building game!  With 3 different ways to play, the fun keeps going. Perfect for ages 4+ so it’s great for family and friend game nights.

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack with the brand new title Cake-N-Bake Challenge, and other fun extras to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/cake-n-bake-game-night-party/

Using Canva to Streamline Household Mangement!

Are you familiar with Canva? It’s a website where you can make all sorts of media- both print and digital!

I love it because I have made forms including inventories, visual schedules, and weekly calendars. It has been an immense help in keeping my home running more efficiently, which is definitely needed with two neurodivergent kids.

Here are a few that have really helped me: