kids

5/11/2024 Weekend Freebies!

Abby H.

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

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

I packed up my kitchen this week, and the flooring will be here next week! I am so happy that my house will be put back together soon!

Freebies:

Free Jovial Truffle Mac & Cheese After Rebate
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Pear Foods Gourmet Spice Blend
Free Made By Dentists Stickers
Free Pack of Pampers Wipes Free & Gentle Offer
Free Celsius Energy Drink at Select Stores
Free Lil’ Gourmets Pouch After Rebate
Free Acne Balm Recovery Cream + $45 eGift Card
Free Donuts, Coffee & More with Krispy Kreme Dozen Days of Deals
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s
Free Monster Energy Drink at Pilot Flying J
Free Perrigo Store Brand Products – Includes Walmart Equate & Target Up&Up
Possible Free Ocean’s Halo Organic Seaweed Snack

Deals:

Kohl’s Mother’s Day Gifts as low as $10 + Free Store Pickup
Did You get The 40% Off Kohl’s Coupon?
Shaving Kit 50% Off Pay ONLY $4.50 + Free Shipping
Mother’s Day Jewelry Sale as low as $6 or Less at Kohl’s + Free Store Pickup

5/22/2024 Full Spectrum Soccer Clinic at Santee Sportsplex!

Abby H.

If you have a friend or family member with social, emotional, of physical special needs ages 5-20, this event looks like a great night out!

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 6-8pm at the Santee Sportsplex there is a Full Spectrum Soccer Clinic.

The event is free, however, the Sportsplex does have a $3 per 18+ entrance fee.

For more information, check out the graphic on this post. I found this information via email from my kids’ school. Googling the contact name and phone number didn’t give me any additional information or a website, so I’m unsure which organization sponsors this event.

Local Event: Boys & Girls Clubs of East County: Community Health Fair

Abby H.

The Grossmont Healthcare District is sponsoring a FREE Community Health Fair on May 2nd. We’ve gone to these events in the past and last time I won a free set of pots and pans.

These events have great information, resources, and freebies for the whole family.

Come to the Health Fair to learn about community health & wellness, and resources, and enjoy a meal! Don’t miss this FREE family event:

  • Taco cart dinner
  • Haircuts for children
  • Eye screenings
  • Self-care kit for children
  • BGC STEM Activities
  • Info from local health & wellness professionals…and more!


When: Thursday, May 2 | 5-7 PM
Where: Brady Family Clubhouse (7600 Junior High Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941)
Contact: Brandie Warren 619.440.1600 ext. 303 or brandie@bgcec.org

JCPenneys has a New Rewards Program!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love JCP.

They have amazing sales and deals, their towels are my favorite. They have clothing for the entire family, even tall sizes. We’re a tall family, and JCP is a go to for pants for all of us.

They’ve revamped their rewards program, and it’s looking pretty sharp.

Check it out:

  • The fastest way to earn points is to have a JCP or JCP Mastercard! Earn 1.5 points for every $1.00 spent at JCP or 1 point for every $5 spent at other merchants if you have a JCP Mastercard! If you use a different payment method, you will receive 1 CashPass Point for each $1 spent on a qualifying purchase up to the Point Maximum.
  • 200 Points is a $10 CashPass Reward!
  •  $10 JCPenney CashPass Reward (200 points) will be added to your Rewards Program account on your Birthday (requires member provide Birthdate within their JCPenney Rewards account.)
  • With each purchase at JCPenney stores, simply provide the phone number or email address linked to your JCPenney Rewards account at checkout to ensure earned CashPass points are assigned to your profile.
  • When shopping online, sign in to your jcp.com account before checking out on jcp.com to earn CashPass points on your purchase.

More questions can be answered on the JCP FAQ page here.

If you are new to JCP Rewards, sign up here and score a $10 CashPass just for signing up!

Great Deal on General Mills Cereals at CVS!

Abby H.

This deal was in effect last week too, and I took advantage of it. Now through 4/27, you can score selected sizes and varieties of General Mills cereal at CVS for just $1.99 each!

And the deal gets better-

There is a $1.00/2 coupon you can load to your CVS card!

There is also a $1.00/2 rebate available on Ibotta and Shopminium (you cannot combine them).

Here is how I did the deal, and I used the self-checkout.

Transaction 1:

Buy two General Mills Cereals, $1.99/each $3.98
Use $1/2 coupon on card
Pay out of pocket (or roll CVS extra care bucks): $2.98
Redeem the Ibotta Rebate for $1/2
Final Out of pocket: $1.98/2 or .99/each

Transaction 2:
Buy two General Mills Cereals, $1.99/each $3.98
Pay out of pocket (or roll CVS extra care bucks): $3.98
Redeem Shopminium Rebate for $1/2
Final Out of pocket: $2.98/2 or $1.49/each

That’s 4 boxes of cereal for $1.24/each. For reference, the same-sized box of Reeces Puffs cereal I bought at CVS is $4.39 at Target.

Don’t forget to add your receipts to Mypoints/Swagbucks, Fetch (They frequently have bonus offers for General Mills Products), Receipt Hog, Receipt Pal, and Receipt jar for extra points/cash back.

If you are new to some of these apps, check out my Save with Smartphones page here. Some of these apps have bonus points when you sign up with my referral code (and I earn some points too!).

Save $$ on Prescriptions with SingleCare!

Abby H.

I am all about saving money any way I can, y’all know this! Everyone in our house has at least two daily prescription meds. It seriously adds up. That’s why I was excited to learn about SingleCare.

SingleCare is a free service that helps you save money on your prescriptions. Sign up with SingleCare and receive a free prescription discount card and new users receive a $3 Off Coupon on the first eligible prescription you fill, just for signing up.

SingleCare offers discounts on 10,000+ brand-name and generic drugs. Save up to 80% on the retail or “cash” price.

Next time you fill a prescription, tell your pharmacist you have a SingleCare coupon card, and ask them to fill and process your prescription with it. They’ll input the magic numbers and apply your savings.

To get started saving with SingleCare, sign up for a free card here.

 

Reset Day Rituals: Set yourself up for success

Abby H.

I’ve posted on Instagram before about my weekend reset ritual, which, I usually do on Sundays. I wanted to share my complete rituals/routines (your choice), in hopes it may inspire you. Having all of these rituals in place really keeps the Sunday Scaries away.

Starting the week ahead of the game fills me with a feeling of success.

These may be things you already do. I feel that having these reminders all in one place is super helpful. I have these reminders set in my phone as well.


Having outfits set up in my closet is key for me. I didn’t do it last week, and I was off my game every morning- I was spending so much time deciding what to wear.

I’m tweaking my sleep hygiene routine, but, as soon as I find one that works, I’ll post about it. The older I get, the more I value my sleep.

4/15/2024 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgFinally, after almost 4 months our kitchen reconstruction is beginning. Friday the 19th the demo will take place, and a few days later the reconstruction will begin. I look forward to having a full kitchen, a sink, and a dishwasher.

I did a quick trip to the grocery store yesterday and picked up some salads, fruit, and cheese.

I cleaned out the pantry and fridge yesterday to prep. I am packing up the kitchen over the next few days.

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. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: With the kitchen being boxed up and demolished this week, our meals will be cooked in the air fryer, microwave, or cold (salads, sandwiches, etc). We have an electric skillet, so we can have grilled cheese and skillet casseroles.

  • Monday: Chicken strips, green salad, fruit

  • Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner

  • Wednesday: Soup and Grilled Cheese

  • Thursday: Snack trays (turkey, cheese and crackers, fruit, popcorn, cookies)

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftovers
  • Sunday:  Fridge clean out night

Spring 2024 Upcoming Clothing Swaps!

Abby H.

Earth Day is coming soon and that means clothing swaps!

Slow Down Party on Hourglass Field:

  • Tuesday, April 16, 2024
  • Hourglass Field House 10440 Black Mountain Road San Diego, CA 92126.
  • 5 to 7 p.m

Come by to wind down after a long day, exchange some wardrobe pieces, learn about the circular economy, and build community with fellow San Diegans. No registration is required, and walk-ins are welcome. Please bring no more than one grocery bag full of donations that are lightly used with no rips, stains, or odors. Donations are welcome, but not necessary to take home a new outfit!

Celebrate Earth Day with the Mission Trails Regional Park!

  • Monday, April 22, 2024
  • Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail San Diego, CA 92119
  • 6 – 9pm

This swap is a little different because it’s a fundraiser for the park as well as a swap, but it still looks like a fun night!

Women, Men’s, and Children’s Clothing- Clothes should be clean, in wearable condition, and free of stains, rips, or tears that are not part of the clothing design. No undergarments or socks, please. All leftover clothing will be donated.

For more information, please visit the website or contact the park directly. mtrp@mtrp.org
(619) 668-3280

Porchlight clothing swap: The Porchlight clothing swap is back! Just in time for summer.

  • June 8, 2024 
  • 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
  • 9:30-11:30am

For more details, check their website, or their social media. 

If you aren’t in the immediate San Diego, CA area, I suggest googling Clothing Swap (your area) 2024 and see what pops up.

For more info on clothing swaps and clothing for those in need, check out my article here. 

Tea Collection: 20% Off Sitewide!

Abby H.

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

It’s that time of year! Tea Collection is back with their 20% off Friends and Family event.

I love Tea Collection’s cute kid’s clothes, especially their dresses. Now through Sunday, April 21, 2024, save 20% sitewide.

Find everything you need for summer at vacation-friendly prices.  I’m picking up a couple of their SPF 50+ bathing suits for my little lady.

If you’ve got a kiddo from newborn-size 12, there are tons of cute pieces of clothing waiting for your kiddos!