frugal

AHA Sparkling Water Chatterbox!

Abby H.

Check out this awesome party opportunity from Chatterbox! Add a little sparkle to your cocktail (or mocktail!) with delicious NEW AHA Sparkling Water flavors, including Pineapple Passionfruit, Blackberry Lemon, and Fuji Apple White Tea. And the best part? There are no sweeteners, no sodium, and no calories. So sip AHA-way!

If you are selected, you will receive:

  • $10 Walmart gift card
  • 2 recipe cards including 3 AHA Sparkling Water mocktail/cocktail recipes

You must apply and complete the required activities by June 5th to be considered.

To get started and apply, click here.

 

Recipe: Hot Honey Ginger Carrots!

Abby H.

This recipe is so easy and so tasty. You probably already have some (if not all) of these ingredients in your kitchen.

We get carrots in our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box every week, and with a few extras we have hanging around in our fridge, I make these weekly.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs of carrots
  • 2 T oil of your choice, I used Yasukochi Farms Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons Yasukochi Farms Honey
  • Pinch Ground Ginger
  • Pinch Pepper Flakes

Directions:

  1. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in a cold oven. Pre-heat to 425 degrees.
  2. While the oven and pan heat, peel and cut into spears or bite-sized pieces, and toss carrots in oil, salt, and pepper.
  3. Roast carrots in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring mid-way.
  4. Once the carrots are cooked, toss in a bowl with honey, ginger, and pepper flakes, as serve right away.

These carrots are so good. If you don’t want the heat from the pepper flakes, omit them. The honey and ginger plays nicely with the natural sweetness from the carrots.

5/6/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

I’m off work today! It’s Lunch on the Lawn at my kiddos school. We’ll have lunch with Bitty first, then with The Big Kid. It’s going to be a warm, sunny day. I’m looking forward to meeting their friends.

There are so many awesome freebies and deals this week, and the weather this weekend is supposed to be AWESOME here in San Diego.

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:

Free Lego Duplo Floating Animal Train or Red Panda Playset
Free Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel
Free Sample of Nars Orgasm Blush
Free USPS Shipping Supplies
Free Kerasal Foot Care & Nail Care Products
Free Gatsby Chocolate Bar
Free Subscription to Women’s Health Magazine
Free Picket Fence Planter from Home Depot
Free Hearthsong Ninjaline Ninja Star 7-Piece Hanging Obstacle Co
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Lego Duplo Floating Animal Island Playset
Free Walmart Welcome Baby Registry Box
Free Bowhunting World or Predator Xtreme Magazine
Free National Parks Pass for Military & Dependents
Free Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes
Octoly – Free Beauty Products
Free Aveda Botanical Repair Product
Free Sample of Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio
Free Tena Sample Kits
Free ClarityRx Down + Dirty Microexfoliant Sample
Free Sample of VetriScience Calming Supplement for Dogs
Free RollinGreens Plant-Based Me’eat
Free Bubbies Gluten-Free Mochi Ice Cream
FREE Personalized Children’s Book – Only $1 Shipping
Free Subscription to LEGO Life Magazine
Free Sew & Stuff Rainbow Craft Kit at Joann
Free Sample of Mizensir Ambre Magique Fragrance

Deals:

Igloo MaxCold Evergreen 28qt Cooler ONLY $29.99 (Reg. $60)
Calico Critters Village Pizzeria ONLY $19.97 (Reg. $40)
55% Off Bogs Women and Girl Boots + 15% Off at Checkout
Barbie Doll and Grocery Store ONLY $14.99 (Reg $30)
VIP Pets Color Boost Styling Head ONLY $10 (Reg. $30)
75% Off Bionica Lightweight Strides + 15% Off at Checkout
Reebok Mini Backpack ONLY $9.49 (Reg $30)
Guess Women’s Pranze Sneakers ONLY $38.81 (Reg $69)
Reebok Racerback Bralette Set ONLY $6.99 (Reg $26)
Imaginext DC Gotham City Playset ONLY $25.51 (Reg. $60)
Sterling Silver Mama Bracelet ONLY $20 (Reg $125)
Sedona 12-Inch Roasting Pan & Rack for ONLY $7.96 (Reg. $40)
Up to 60% Off Joe’s Jeans + 15% Off at Checkout
Lite-Brite Ultimate Classic Retro Toy ONLY $7.49 (Reg. $20)
Igloo MaxCold Evergreen Backpack Cooler ONLY $22.49 (Reg. $45)

Free Craft Event at JCPenney for Kids 5/14/2022

Abby H.

Are you heading to the mall on 5/14? Check out this fun, free craft from JCPenney’s.

Visit the Kids Zone inside JCPenney and kids can decorate a holiday magnet.  Parents/Adults score a 10% off coupon, which can be combined with another coupon. JCP Coupons can be found here.

JCPenney hosts a fun craft event in store for kids on the second Saturday of each month.  They are easy for kids, and fun, free activity.

In-store events are only where local mandates allow.  All kids must be accompanied by an adult.

Looking forward to June, there is a cute baseball craft, which includes beads, charms, a cord, keyring, card, envelope, and marker.

And if you are looking for Mother’s Day deals, check out the JCP Doorbusters! You’ll save 60% off regular prices!

 

Cinco De Mayo Recipe Round-Up!

Abby H.

It’s Cinco De Mayo! Let’s celebrate the Mexican victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. Wanna learn more about the holiday’s origins? Here is the Wikipedia article.

If you are looking for some tasty recipes with a Mexican/South American flare, here are a few of mine:

Chipotle Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
Beefy Taco Skillet
Black Bean Veggie Soup
Beef Machacas (Slowcooker recipe)
Corn and Avocado Salsa!
Homemade Pico De Gallo (Fresh Salsa)

None of these are authentic, as they were created in my kitchen here in San Diego.

Talk Back: What are your favorite Cinco De Mayo favorites?
 

Free Food Resources for May 2022(San Diego County)

Abby H.

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

The spring is bringing many new and improved free and low-cost food options around San Diego County! I posted last week about The Feeding San Diego Together Tour.

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 May 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.

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. 

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

May 2022: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

The printable coupon market is slowly coming to an end. Smartsource no longer offers printable coupons, and you may notice that there are fewer coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper. This is in favor of more offers available on apps. But if you love printable coupons….

  • Coupons.com (printable coupons, e-coupons, and a cashback app)

One of my favorite websites is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

May is the start of picnic season. Barbeque food, Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, and condiments will all be on sale throughout the summer and will be until September. Some of the sale items include:

    • Auto Maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune-ups)
    • Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates for WYB beer or soda)
    • Bug repellents – Sprays and Candles

For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:

Save $2.00 on ONE (1) Sonoma Gourmet Item (The Kale Pesto Sauce is great)
Save $0.75 on any ONE (1) Barilla® Chickpea or Red Lentil Pasta
Save $6.00 on any ONE (1) Culturelle® product
Save $0.50 on any ONE (1) pack of Energizer® Batteries up to 20 count
Save $2.00 on any (1) BENGAY® product (excludes trial & travel sizes). BenGay is life around here lately with my tendonitis.
Save $1.50 on ONE (1) 10 lb or larger package of TIDY CATS® Cat Clumping Litter (excluding LightWeight)

Penzeys: $50 Gift Cards just $37.50

Abby H.

This is my favorite deal!! Through tomorrow, 5/4/22 at midnight, $50 Penzeys Spices Giftcards are only $37.50. 

These are not available for pick up, but gift cards ship for free!

If you have home cooks or bakers in your life, this deal makes the BEST gift (Mother’s Day is coming!!)

 

 

Cents of Style: NEW Markdown and ALL Clearance Items B2GO FREE Starting AT $5!

Abby H.

Clearance** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

This week Cents of Style is hooking us up with some sweet deals. This is a great opportunity to snag some of their favorite and best-selling items BUY TWO GET ONE FREE!! There are OVER 200 to choose from with sizes ranging from S-3XL. This deal includes shirts, sweaters, pants, skirts, shorts, tanks, graphic tees, accessories, jewelry, and basically a little bit of everything!

To take advantage of this deal use coupon code: BOGODEAL at checkout.

 

5/2/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI started this post yesterday but forgot to hit the Publish button.

This morning I chopped and prepped fruits and veggies. I’m roasting veggies, making a fruit salad, and making a big ol’ green salad. These will be part of our meal plan for the week.

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $28. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

I will need to pick up milk this week, but other than that, we’ve got everything we need for this week, grocery-wise.

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. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.  The big kid still brings lunch from home.

Dinner: We’re working our way through our monthly Dream Dinners order, and I am making two this week. We’ve got our usual Monday Nuggets and Friday Pizza planned, but other than that I’m cooking a lot this week!

  • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Tuesday: Carne Asada Taco Salad, Beans, Rice, and quesadillas (for the kids)
  • Wednesday: Waffles and Fruit Salad
  • Thursday:   Chicken Castoletta, Roasted veggies
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Soup (I’ve got a couple kinds in the freezer to choose from), Bagels, and fruit