Free Fun at JCPenney’s Kid Zone (8/10/2024 & 9/14/2024)

Y’all know I love JCP. They have great sales, an incredible loyalty program, and the Kids Zone!

The Kids Zone is an in-store program where kids can make and take a free craft in-store once a month.

Parents receive a 10% off in-store coupon. The best part is that the 10% off coupon can be stacked with other JCP coupons.

August’s craft is a cute pencil pouch and notebook!

Find your closest JCP location here.

And if you are a teacher, JCP is offering a 35% off coupon. You can learn more and sign up here. 

 

Need Help with Back to School Supplies?

The Larry Himmel Neighborhood Foundation is here to help!

For the past eight years, they have been hosting our annual Back-To-School Haircut Drive, where kids aged 18 and under can enjoy:
Free haircuts
Free school supplies
Free food
Tickets to local attractions throughout San Diego County

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, August 10
Time: 9am – 1pm (Last haircut starts at 12:30pm)
Location: Skyline Church (11330 Campo Rd, La Mesa, CA 91941)

For more information, check out their Facebook Page. 

SMOAC is hosting a FREE BACKPACK GIVEAWAY on 8/3/2024. More info can be found here.

Free School Supplies is a website with listings by state of charities and non-profits that provide free and low-cost school supplies.

If you are a military family, check out Operation Homefront. They have Back-to-School Brigade events all over the country.

 

Free Backpack Giveaway- 8/3/2024

It’s back for 2024!

This event is SUPER popular, and supplies run out quickly.

A  backpack and school supply giveaway courtesy of SMOAC on August 3, 2024 at Rio Seco School in Santee. It is a drive-thru event.

I’m working on collecting more info on Back to School giveaways, and I’ll have another post coming up soon!

7/26/2024 Weekend Freebies and Deals!

This week was a lot- Half Price games at Dave & Buster’s on Wednesday, Playing with friends at the park, swimming, and of course, trying to stay cool while we have some hot (and moist) summer weather.

If you are looking for stuff to do this summer, check out my 2024 guide to a fun, frugal Summer Break. It’s San Diego County-specific, but there are many great ideas if you aren’t local to me.

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.

This week the freebies are a bit light, but with school starting soon, I think the freebies will start ramping up.

Freebies:

Free Cinnamon Sugar or Original Pretzel at Auntie Anne’s – Today
Free Burger Every Friday at Burger King
Free Pulled Pork Sandwich Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – Today Only
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens – Last Day
Free Sample of Beggin Dog Treats, EverRoot Soft Chews, Fancy Feast Broths & NEW Purina ONE Wet Food Coupon
Free Sample of Avatara Kombucha The Wake-Up Call Eye Cream
Free Donut Every Tuesday & Free Iced Coffee Every Friday in July at Krispy Kreme
Free Sample of Organifi Green Juice 15
Free Air-Dry Clay Rings Craft Event at Michaels
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Can of Doctor D’s Sparkling Probiotic Drink After Coupon Rebate
Free The Last Kids on Earth Welcome Kit
Score a Subscription to Real Simple Magazine – No Credit Card Needed
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s

Deals:

Free Axe Body Wash
Up to 60% Off Outdoor Furniture + Free Shipping
Kate Spade Kristi Crossbody ONLY $69 (Reg $249)
Wet n Wild Makeup & Brushes as low as $0.60 Shipped on Amazon
Target Kid Boots as low as $14
Style & Co Women’s Boots as low as $9.93 at Macy’s
Melissa and Doug Toys up to 70% Off
Flash Sale: 60% Off Swimwear for the Family
Wayfair: Up to 80% Off Area Rugs + Free Shipping
Arm and Hammer Detergent Buy 1 Get 2 Free
Doorbusters Sale at JCPenney: Save up to 60% Off Select Styles

July- New Offers from Social Nature!

Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the offers available now:

    • Period Cramp Relief Cream by Control
    • Organic Fruit Jerky by Solely
    • Organic Fruit Gummies by Solely
    • Natural Coconut Spread by Kokada
    • Organic Iced Tea by Eat the Change
    • Instant Boba Drinks by BOBABAM

 

 

 

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, and meat-free foods.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck! There are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

FTC Disclosure: As with some offers I post, I receive payments for clicks, purchases, and/or registrations made through affiliate links in this post.

6/19/2024 Weekly Freebies and Deals

This week was a whirlwind! I’m looking forward to our adventure today- We’re going to The Wave Waterpark in Vista.

If you are looking for stuff to do this summer, check out my 2024 guide to a fun, frugal Summer Break. It’s San Diego County-specific, but there are many great ideas if you aren’t local to me.

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 Mini-Treehouse Craft for Kids at Lowe’s
Free Perfect Bar at Aldi
Possible Free Afia Foods Falafel Bowls
Free Good Culture Probiotic Milk
Free Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese at Select Retailers
Free Sample of AlchemyTT Nourish Scalp Oil!
Free Simply Lemonade with Raspberry ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment Sample
Free Sample of Obagi Medical ELASTIderm Facial Serum
Free Snack Smart for Back-to-School Party Pack
Free Taco Bell Dips ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free Stur Water Enhancer at Target
Free Taco Bell Kits ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
College Students Eat Free on Thursdays at IKEA
Free Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing Ruler
Free Virtual Pet Check-Up with Petzey from Purina

Deals:

Free $15 Target Gift Card with Purchase of Two Select Diapers
ProFit Handheld Percussion Massage Gun ONLY $36.99 (Reg $75)
50% Off Everything at Old Navy
Kate Spade Sadie Envelope Crossbody ONLY $79 (Reg $279)
Discovery Mind Blown Kids Toys up to 67% Off
Cooks 2 Quart Air Fryer ONLY $24.99 at JCPenney (Reg $60)
Aeropostale Jeans Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Cooks 3-Piece Frying Pan ONLY $17.99 (Reg $50)
Nike Kids up to 70% Off + Extra 25% Off
Walmart Toys up to 75% Off
North Face Outerwear up to 58% Off

My Recent Cash Outs from Cash Back Apps

I’m not earning Benjamins, but every little bit helps.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a few weeks, but I have been recovering from surgery, and trying to take the kids on short adventures.

You guys know how much I love a good cashback app, and here are some of my recent cashouts, and how I’m coming on reaching the payouts on a few more apps.

 

Cashback apps where I have almost reached the threshold for payout: 

  • Ibotta: right now I’m at $23.75
  • Drop: they ran out of gift certificates/rewards so I will try again on Thursday. They release a limited number of each week. Right now I have enough points to cash out $25 worth of rewards. It has taken me almost 2 years. I count this is one of my very passive apps to use. 

If you are interested in learning more about the cashback apps, I use, check out my cashback app page here. Many of the apps I use are affiliate-linked, so when you sign up for them, you will receive a bonus for first-time use, and I will also receive a small bonus. Think about it as buying me a Slurpee, or buying my kids a donut. 

For more information about the use of Affiliate links, check out my disclosure page. 

Aisle: Cash back Rebates at your fingertips!

Have you heard of Aisle? It’s a cash back program, where a majority of the products available have 100% back rebates.

It’s super simple:

  • Visit Aisle. Enter your zip code to find rebates available near you.
  • Select your rebates, enter your cell number, and Aisle will text you a reminder and details on how to submit your rebate (it’s via text).
  • You can also enter your zip code and they’ll text you the three closest stores that sell the product!
  • Purchase the products, snap a pic of your receipt, and text it.
  • Money is paid via Venmo or Paypal.

Here are just a few of the brands: HOP WTR, Stur, Unite Bar, Pop & Bottle Functional Oat Milk Lattes, Yesly Enhanced Still Water Beverage, B.T.R. Nation Dark Chocolate Brownie Superfood Bar, August Tampons And Pads, Dark Chocolate Coconut Zing Bar, and hundreds more!

If you are looking for more Cash Back apps, check out my list of favs here!

This Week’s Meal Plan!

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI forgot to hit Publish on this post on Sunday night and just discovered it in my drafts. Oops.

We are back in the kitchen, and I will be posting pics of it on Instagram this week. I absolutely love my new kitchen. It has tons of counter space, and cabinets, and my new dishwasher is 1000 times better than the old one.

I picked up a bunch of stuff that was stashed in my mom’s chest freezer that I was unable to make without a kitchen, so the only grocery shopping I did this week was for some milk and plain bagels for the girl child.

Thanks to the great freebies from Social Nature, 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 and these. The kids request bagels and fruit most mornings. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

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 of the time over the summer. Sometimes we take advantage of the kid’s free summer lunches (info here).

Dinner: I’m back in the kitchen again and the CSA boxes are coming weekly. I’ve got all kinds of plans for batch-cooking soups and stews over the coming weeks.

  • Sunday:  Dream Dinners (Chicken Tarragon with roasted potatoes)
  • Monday: Smoothies or Protein shakes and snack trays
  • Tuesday: Grilled Cheese sandwiches (cheese of your choice), fruit, chips

  • Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, chips, fruit, and veggies with hummus

  • Thursday: Chicken nuggets or a veggie burger, fruit, and chips

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza

Tryazon: Crazy Aaron’s Putty is Back with New Products!

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.

Crazy Aaron’s has brand new products for fall! Be one the first to get to experience the new lineup in this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, sponsored by Crazy Aaron’s! Explore brand new SCENTsory Putties, the first ever Mega Tin Sunshine Moon thinking Putty that changes color in the sun and glows in the dark and new Slime Charmers! The Slime Charmers features three different kinds of slime for various textures and playing experiences.

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack for free with a selection of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty worth over $280 to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/crazy-aarons-back-to-school-party/