It’s one of our favorite months of the year. We are definitely a crafty family. While I was researching for this post, Bitty Girl was drawing Gatcha girls at the kitchen table, and Big Kid was drawing maps for the dragon game he’s making.
If you need some ideas to get your creativity flowing, here are a few:
Michaels offers free online classes on a variety of crafting topics. Many of their classes are free. Check out their offering here.
Dollar Tree has an amazing selection of paints, wooden items, soft crafts, craft kits, iron-ons, beads, you name it- And everything is $1.25/each or less! You can order in bulk online with free shipping to your closest store, or head in-store to check out the selection.
AllFreeKidsCrafts Spring Crafts eBook is now available for download here. I found 3 new crafts for the kids to do today!
I’m sick y’all. I have a sore throat. I can’t speak. I think I might have gargled hot asphalt. I lose my voice about once every few years- I guess it’s my time.
Yesterday was my birthday, and I got to celebrate with my kiddos and mom. I had dinner with a friend, and in true Gen X style, we went to the mall after dinner.
Here in San Diego, February is Museum month, and that means 50% off admission to selected museums. Digital passes good for 50% off of up to four passes can be printed here, or visit your local City of San Diego or County of San Diego Library branch location.
Don’t forget that there is also Free Museum Tuesdays all year long for San Diego Residents and military families.
If you are looking for a fun road trip, or live outside San Diego County, there is a collection of 30+ museums in the LA/OC/Santa Barbara area with free admission offers next Sunday, 2/5/23.
I’ve been working on this list off and on for over a month. The birthday freebies are starting to trickle into my inbox. Sadly, there aren’t many additions this year, and there are more than a few previous offers/deals that are no longer available.
Remember to read the fine print for these offers. Most of them are for adults, ages 18+ (19 in some states). Some offers require the coupon/offer be printed out, and some you can just show your phone.
This guinea pig is ready for some freebies.
First off, if you live in CA, OR, FL, NY, SC, AZ, WA, and NV, check out eBirthdayClub. There are TONS of great freebies on this site.
Members of the Cost Plus World Market Explorersprogram get a surprise birthday gift, among other perks; you will also get a 10% off coupon upon enrollment.
Torrid– Members of the DivaStyle Club will receive $10 off their next purchase of $10+
bareMinerals (cosmetics)- The birthday freebie changes each year. At this time I’m unsure if you can get it in store, their website is unclear.
Dave & Buster’s: $10 in free game play for those in the D&B Rewards Club.
Join the Sally’s Rewards Club and score a $5 coupon on your birthday, as well as tons of other super sweet perks!
Free Food Birthday Goodies:
Roundtable Pizza: Download their app, sign up for their rewards, and they will add a free personal pan pizza and 20 oz soda for your birthday (Received in 2023)
Red Robin: FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
Rubio’s Free plate/combo (You have to download their app)
Del Taco Free Shake (You also get something free when you sign up!)
Starbucks – Download their app and get a free birthday handcrafted beverage of your choice on your birthday only.
Baskin Robbins– Download their app, and you can receive a small scoop of ice cream for your birthday.
Bj’s Brewhouse– Rewards members receive a free Pizookie for their birthday.
Jersey Mike’s: Free Sub for your Birthday! (No matter what you read online, there is no Subway or Submarina birthday Freebies- Those deals are DEAD)
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: When you sign up for a Smile-age Account, you’ll score a free Fro Yo for your B-day! (I love Menchie’s!) Received in 2023
Nothing Bundt Cakes: Join their email list and receive a FREE Bundlet on your Birthday. (look for the link at the bottom of their website) Received in 2023
Sbarro Rewards Club: Free piece of pizza for your birthday when you purchase a drink. You’ll also get a coupon for a free slice when you sign up.
Panera– Sign up for MyPanera and get a free pastry or sweet on your birthday.
El Pollo Loco- Sign up for Loco Rewards to get a FREE birthday meal (2pc Chicken Meal or Classic Chicken Tostada Salad.)!
And as always-
There are tons of other birthday freebie lists, but they may include offers that are not available here or may include stuff that I don’t consider worth it (like a free Rice Krispy treat when you buy an entree that’s $10+, looking at you Noodles & Co. That’s a hard pass from me, or the Aveda “freebie”- pay $10 and receive a product valued at $23+… No thanks).
Another deal that everyone and their mama go nuts about is Benihana Japanese Restaurant – a complimentary meal up to $30 when you purchase an Adult meal at Regular Price (You must sign up for The Chef’s Table club). This used to be a FREE meal, no strings attached, but it has changed to basically a BOGO. That’s a no go for me, but it may still get you excited.
I have not included Ulta in my list because you have to make a purchase the year previous (and it needs to be a certain amount- I’ve been told different amounts by various Ulta Employees anywhere from $5-$50), so for me, that’s not a freebie. If I have to buy something to receive something, that’s a BOGO deal.
If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.
Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you. Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.
Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:
Parmesan Crisps by Joyfull Bakery
Cruelty-Free Body Wash by The Seaweed Bath Co.
Premium Sparkling Tea by Sparkling Botanicals
Kids Juice Drink by PLEZI
Plant-Based Milk by Koita Foods
Meatless Nuggets by Quorn Foods
Plant-based Chicken Alternative by Sweet Earth Foods
And More!
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 frequently.
Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!
I started this post last night, but then I had to scurry to prep for all the rain we are getting over the next few days. For some reason, all of the umbrellas are in the detached garage? Who knows.
This week has been busy with work, appointments, and applying for some big campaigns for the blog, including several that will feature giveaways!
Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday. I am currently on the hunt for new 2023 birthday freebies!
I’m posting a lot less these days because I now have a full-time job outside the house, and y’all- I’m freaking exhausted at the end of the day. weekends are spent doing family stuff (mostly playing with legos and drawing), and doing kid activities like martial arts and girl scouts.
I wanted to share with you some ways you can save money, score freebies, and even earn some money each month without running all over town, spending hours of time doing little penny surveys, or scanning your entire grocery order to earn points for junk (looking at you Neilson panel).
This is how I’ve been doing it for years, and now that I have even less time, I’m leaning on these more.
Automate
Use the calendar in your phone to remind you of appointments, neighborhood free food distributions, sales, and even coupon events: I seriously put the Bath and Body Works coupon dates in my calendar so I remembered to use them.
I bought a subscription to Yasukochi Family Farms CSA boxes. This way my fresh fruit and veggies are delivered to my door each week.
Set up auto-shipments for most needed household items. Vitamins/supplements, specialized food, and even pet food. There are all sorts of companies that offer this service including Amazon, Chewy, and Vitacost are just a few.
I order from Dream Dinners once or twice a quarter. Now that they have lower minimum orders, I can grab a few favorites and try a new meal with greater ease. I order online, and pickup is so easy- I drive up and they deliver to my car!
Organize
I reorganized the kitchen over Winter Break. I have printables available for free. If you are interested, please drop me an email and I can send them to you. They print in color or black and white.
I meal plan weekly. I may not have time to post them on the blog each week, but I’ll still have pics up on Instagram each week- it helps keep me accountable. I spend about an hour on Monday evenings meal prepping fruit and veggies that come in our weekly CSA box.
For more organization tips that work in our home, check out my post about managing a household with neurodivergencies here.
Disconnect
This one is hard, but I am trying to consume only meaningful media. Don’t be afraid to disconnect from Social Media Platforms, people, or advertising that does not serve you or your life. Unfollow people and brands, delete or pause apps as you see fit. Engage with media in a manner that serves you and fulfills you. Do what feeds your soul and makes you a better person.
Unsubscribe from emails that don’t serve you. It will make your inbox smaller and you won’t miss information and freebies that you actually want. In my case, it’s freebies from Social Nature, PinchMe, and research study invitations.
In the same vein, I am trying to consume less physical media, specifically, mail and advertisements. If I don’t see sales, I won’t be tempted to shop. Junk mail and sale fliers go directly into the recycling can next to our group mailbox.
Saving Money
This is the big one, the reason you wanted to read this post. All of the above will help you save money, but here are a few specific ways that I use to save money on top of all of the above.
Use the notes section on my phone to keep a running list of our stockpiles: Toiletries, laundry soap, canned goods, and paper products.
Use the notes section of my phone to keep a running grocery list for the week. As we run low on items, I add them to my list. Right now I shop at three stores: Food4less, Grocery Outlet, and Dollar Tree (for specific items that are cheaper there). Unless I have coupons or freebie offers for other stores-usually from Social Nature, I stick to those three. At this point with inflation, we eat meat once or twice a week.
Use money saving/rebate apps. My list is here, and it’s pretty up-to-date. Fetch, Ibotta, and Shopkick are my go-to apps, and they yield me the biggest payouts.
Did you know that March is National Craft Month?
My throat is still very scratchy, and I have a raspy voice. But I made it through the week, and I’ve got freebies galore to share!
Here in San Diego, 
If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then
I’m posting a lot less these days because I now have a full-time job outside the house, and y’all- I’m freaking exhausted at the end of the day. weekends are spent doing family stuff (mostly playing with legos and drawing), and doing kid activities like martial arts and girl scouts.
Hewes Family Fun 