7/11/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgSummer break is here! We’ve got all sorts of adventures planned, you can check out some of our adventures here.

Summer school started, and I’m back on campus helping teachers and kiddos for the next two weeks. Then the big kid is going to equestrian camp for a week- he’s stoked.

This weekend we delved deep into our summer to-do list. I cleaned the garage, and pictures were posted on Instagram.  We also washed, dried, and put away ALL of the laundry, it was an insane undertaking.

The kids and I went to Costco late last week for our quarterly stock-up trip- Trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, and of course we got a rotisserie chicken. It’s featured a bit in this week’s meal planning.

No CSA boxes until the weather cools down and I can be home when the boxes are delivered. With the heat and the lack of shade on my patio, if we aren’t home when it’s delivered, some of the more delicate foods can spoil.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods. I received a few more coupons over the weekend, so I’ll visit Sprouts sometime this week to pick up the new foods. I’m focusing on snacks and treats from Social Nature.

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 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 pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging 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. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time. The kids get free lunch at summer school too!

Dinner: We finished our last Dream Dinner last week! I’ll be ordering more next month once the new menu comes out. I’m trying to get us to eat together as a family more often and get the kids into eating more fruits and veg, so you’ll notice that our meals are pretty simple this week.

  • Monday: Buttered noodles, fruit, cheese & crackers

  • Tuesday: Beef kebabs (from Costco), rice, salad, pita bread

  • Wednesday: Chicken broccoli casserole 

  • Thursday: homemade chicken soup, grilled cheese

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday:  Breakfast for dinner, I’m hoping for waffles or omlettes.

7/14/2022 Kung Fu Panda Day at the San Diego Zoo!

To Celebrate the new Kung Fu Panda Series coming to Netflix, head on down to check out the fun at the San Diego Zoo on July 14, 2022.

Celebrate with:

  • face painting
  • photo booth
  • giveaways and more!

And once you get home from the fun, check out the new series on Netflix, launching the same day!

Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight

SYNOPSIS: Jack Black returns to KUNG FU PANDA in the new series KUNG FU PANDA: THE DRAGON KNIGHT. When a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons, Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction — and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way.

Notable Voice Cast:  Jack Black as Po, Rita Ora as Wandering Blade, James Hong as Mr. Ping, Chris Geere as Klaus Dumont, Della Saba as Veruca Dumont, Rahnuma Panthaky as Rukhmini, Ed Weeks as Colin and Amy Hill as Pei Pei

Executive Producer: Peter Hastings (Captain Underpants TV; Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) and Shaunt Nigoghossian (Blood of Zeus)

Co-Executive Producers: Chris Amick and Ben Mekler (Kipo)

Animation Studio: DreamWorks Animation

Based on: The popular Kung Fu Panda Film Series

7/8/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

We spent time at the pool this week and eating popsicles. If you are looking for some frugal adventures for this summer, check out this post.

There are so many awesome freebies and deals this week, and thankfully the weather is set to cool down through the weekend and into next week!

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies:

Text for $10 Off at Lane Bryant = Free Item
Free Sample of Garnier Miracle Nectar Leave-In Treatment
Free Sample of Hit! Balm Extra Strength or Daily Relief
Free Sample of Xyzal Allergy 24H
Free Sun-Maid Recipe Booklets
Free Sample of Hit! Balm Extra Strength or Daily Relief
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Orijen & ACANA Single Protein Dog Food
Free Item of Your Choice at Micro Center
Free Magical Herbal Soap Sample
Free Sample of Carol’s Daughter Shampoo & Conditioner
Free VTech Tag You’re It Party Kit
Free $10 ThredUP Credit = Free Womens & Children Items
Free Beaded Glass Jars Craft Event
Free Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels Samples
Free Dippin’ Dots on July 17
Free Sample of Sorion Herbal Cream
Free Access to MyHeritage Ancestry Tools for 2 Weeks
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Gain Fireworks Scent Boosters at Sam’s
Free Biosteel Sports Drink at QuikTrip
Free Gain Fireworks Scent Boosters at Select Stores
Prime Members Score GrubHub+ FREE for a Year ($119.88 Value)
Free Perricone MD Acne Relief Treatment
Free Sample of CLIF Kid ZBar
Free $10 Every Friday with Samuel Adams
Free Goody Bag at buybuy BABY Stores
Free Amazon Smart Thermostat After Rebate
Free Nutpods French Vanilla Almond + Coconut Creamer at Walmart
Free Daily Crunch Sprouted Nut Medley
Free I Heart Equality Sticker
Free Sub at Jersey Mikes
Free Freestyle Snacks Natural Greek Olive Snacks
Free PRIDEFUL Bath & Body Bundle
Free Body Lotion
Free Gatsby Chocolate Bar
Free Cirque du Soleil 60 Minute Specials
Free Killing Floor 2 PC Game
FREE 12 Easy Weeknight Dinners eCookbook
Free Geneforge 1: Mutagen PC Game
Free Ancient Enemy PC Game

Deals:

Marble 15 pc Makeup Brush Set ONLY $8.49 (Reg. $17.99)
Women’s Notch Collar and Pants Sleep Set ONLY $9.99 (Reg $20)
40% OFF Select Faux Greenery at Target
Amazon Prime Day 2022 Deals & Freebies
Michael Kors Bedford Leather Pocket Tote ONLY $99 (Reg $198)
Free So Delicious Ice Cream at Select Retailers
Morphe 18A Blue Ya Away Palette ONLY $5.40 (Reg $20)
Kate Spade Spencer Kisses Crossbody ONLY $75.60 (Reg $168)
Traveler’s Club Kids 5-Piece Luggage Set ONLY $69.99 (Reg $180)
Today ONLY: $8 Kids and Toddler Jeans at Old Navy
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Bella Pro Series 4.2-qt Analog Air Fryer ONLY $24.99 (Reg $60)
Lysol Bathroom Cleaner Spray ONLY $2.34 (Reg $7)

Frugal Fun at the Zoo!

We are big zoo go-er’s and have been for decades! We’re always looking to live on the frugal side, and for us having zoo memberships is a great way to support our local zoological society, their conservation efforts, and see the cool animals whenever we want.

Here are a few ways to save money and get the most out of your visit when you visit the San Diego Zoo:

  • If you plan on visiting more than twice in 12 months, consider getting a membership. Memberships for aduts start at just $95/year, whereas a 1 day ticket is $69.00. Membership has it’s perks including discounts on concessions and merch.
  • Don’t forget your snacks and water bottles! There are tons of water fountains to refill your bottles throughout the day. And if you have a refillable Zoo cup, you can get unlimited refills of fountain beverages each day for $5 per day. We have a zoo cup, but usually we just stick to our water bottles. We also bring our Snack backpack with us, stocked and ready to go!
  • Take advantage of all of the perks of buying a ticket or pass. Animal Encounters, Skyfari, free shows, the bus tour, the Kangaroo bus, all of these and so many other cool things come free with your ticket/pass.
  • Seasonal Events. There are a lot of cool events that happen throughout the year- Night time zoo happens all summer, there are fall/halloween/harvest events, and Junglebells in the winter. And these are all included with your ticket/pass.

And with the new Children’s Zoo area, there is a fun water feature for kids to play in- so if you anticipate your kiddos wanting to play, bring extra clothes and/or a towel.

The San Diego Zoo is an awesome zoo full of animals and plants of all kinds! It is definately a must visit for Southern California.

Talk Back- How do you and your family enjoy your favorite places on a budget?

7/15/2022 An All Inclusive Day of Play for Families!

We’ve gone to this event in the past, and it’s always a fun time with great resources.

FREE community event with activities, games, crafts, raffles, shopping, and resource booths for families of all abilities.

Activity Stations for kids including favorites:

  • Light Saber Creation Station
  • Jurassic Photo Op
  • Under-the-Sea Sensory Tent
  • Super Wheelchair Course
  • many more!

Family Resources & Networking  – Resource and service providers will be on-site to speak with parents and offer helpful information. Be sure to pick up a copy of Flourishing Families and San Diego Family at the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego booth.

Sign up for your FREE TICKETS here.

New PinchMe Samples Drop July 12, 2022

Sample Tuesday is Coming on 7/12/2022- Mark your calendars, set an alarm on your phone!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offer samples just for you.

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

I get PinchMe samples every month. Here is what arrived at the end of June for the June 2021 boxes. The One Bar was really good.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

Fetch Rewards: 4,000 points per friend- Ends Tomorrow!

Fuel your next free gift card with referrals! Invite your friends to Fetch and earn 4,000 points when each of ‘em snaps their first receipt. The offer ends 7/6/22 so move fast!

And right now there are some really great bonus point offers!

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score 4,000 bonus points. I’ve earned $145 so far in 2022 just by purchasing my regular groceries and scanning all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it).

It is simple, takes minutes, and the points really rack up!

7/5/2022 Weekly Meal Plan!

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI took Sunday and yesterday off to hang out with the family and play with the kids. But we’re back, and ready to get down to work!

Summer break is here! We’ve got all sorts of adventures planned, you can check out some of our adventures here.

We’re having two dream dinners this week, and I’m making the pesto bbq pizza, but I’ll be cooking it in the oven (we don’t have a bbq).

I’m trying to stay out of the store this week, and rely heavily on why we have on hand.  I do need to do a quarterly Costco trip, but that’s mostly to get essentials (sturdy trash bags, ziplocs, paper towels, etc.). However, a rotisserie chicken may end up in my cart…

We’re taking a break from the CSA. It’s been so hot here, and we’re not home when they are delivered and I don’t like leaving the box out in the heat. It’s been almost 100 at our house for the past week. 

As soon as my summer job is over and I’ll be home during the delivery time slot, we’ll be back to it.

And the big kid decided that maybe he wants to try meat after being a vegetarian for 6-ish years. So, we are slowly trying to introduce meat back into his diet. I’ve planned meals this week that have some meat but also allow him to eat semi-vegetarian if he wants.

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

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 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 pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging 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. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time. We’ll be hitting up the free lunch sites several times a week over the summer.

Dinner: We finished our last Dream Dinner last week! I’ll be ordering more next month once the new menu comes out. I’m trying to get us to eat together as a family more often and get the kids into eating more fruits and veg, so you’ll notice that our meals are pretty simple this week.

  • Monday: Family party (bbq pulled pork, salad, brownies, fruit)
  • Tuesday: Nuggets, fruit, chips/crackers
  • Wednesday: Al pastor tacos, salad, corn
  • Thursday: BBQ chicken, salad, fruit
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Pancakes, eggs, and fruit

July Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to your app ASAP.

Not all Sprouts locations will have these freebies, so I suggest trying larger Sprouts locations in your area.

These are full-sized freebies- not small sample-sized products. they are located in the store with the other products of the same type.

Not all accounts will receive all the same products.

Free Food Resources for July 2022(San Diego County)

Woo! A new month means a reminder about all of the free food options there is here in San Diego County.

Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions, especially those that serve a large portion of the community.

I recommend showing up a little early with a bottle of water and a book and waiting in line. Time passes quickly in these lines, and it’s a great time to learn from others about community food options. Remember to socially distance and follow local masking regulations.

You can find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for July 2022 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such. You can learn more here about the Feeding San Diego Together Tour.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide). The San Diego Foodbank website also has resources for Diaper banks, free food resources for seniors, and more.

All kids in public school K-12 in the State of California are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches at school. More information can be found here. I’ll have more information on 2022 summer feeding programs as soon as they are available. 

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.