February is Fun for Seniors at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!

Abby H.

If you have a senior in your life and you want to send them on a frugal adventure, check out this sweet deal!

The kids posing with Jefferson’s Sloth

During the month of February, all visitors age 65 and older receive free admission to the Safari Park. Enjoy the sights on an Africa Tram, see the platypuses and other Aussie species at Walkabout Australia, wander through Tiger Trail, take a stroll around Mombasa Lagoon, and relax with refreshments on the patio at Kijamii Overlook. There’s a world of sights to see—all at the Safari Park!

For more information about Seniors Free, check out the Seasonal Events section of our FAQ page.

Seniors 65+ must present valid photo ID at turnstiles for free entry. Parking is not included.

My kids love the Safari Park, and while we are waiting for our tax refund to renew our zoo/safari park membership, this deal is definitely a must-do for anyone over 65!

The kids love Meerkats.


Some frugal tips for visiting your local zoo/animal park (These are all true for the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, your local parks may differ)

  • Bring your water bottles, and fill up at the drinking fountains/filling stations all over the park.
  • Pack your own snacks/lunch. There are tons of picnic/eating areas all over the parks.
  • Bring some cash for 1 treat/toy/souvenir. With cash, you have a firm budget.
  • If you are a zoo/safari park member, you may get a discount in the shops/restaurants (check online).

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season… 3 Recipe Ideas!

Abby H.

And that means cute little faces outside local stores, coming door to door, or like my kid, asking you politely on her mom’s blog to buy please buy Girl Scout Cookies from her personalized GS Cookie website here.

There is a really tasty new variety this year, adventurefuls, but like so many things in life right now, they are out of stock due to supply issues. You may be able to find them from a girl in your area.

Once you’ve got your hands on the cookies, there has to be more than eating them as is, right?

Yup, here are a few ideas that were brainstormed recently by some of us GS Cookie fanatics.

Thin Mint Brownies: Mix up your favorite brownie batter (either from a mix or scratch, your choice), and crumble 12-15 cookies (about 1/2 -3/4 of a sleeve). Mix into the batter, and bake per directions. Crunchy, minty bits in each bite.

Lemon Ups Cheesecake parfaits: I made these last week and they are BOMB.

For the no-bake cheesecake filling: Cream 1 8 oz. brick Cream Cheese, fold in 1 tub of Cool Whip, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

In a parfait dish (like this one), layer, Lemon Ups cookies (I cut each one into 4 pieces and scattered them across the bottom), then the cheesecake mixture, then a layer of sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries (any combination), and repeat until the dish is full. Top with any remaining berries.

Refrigerate 4-6 hours, allowing time to set up (I made mine the day before I needed to serve it to give it enough time to set up).

If you have a hankering to use your Samoas, You can substitute those in for the lemon cookies and use strawberries or raspberries only (blueberries just don’t mesh well with Samoas).

We’re making Samoas Cheescake cups next week. Using the same no-bake cheesecake filling recipe above, line the wells of a cupcake pan with aluminum cupcake liners (like these). At the bottom of each, place a Samoas cookie. Fill the remaining space in the cup with the cheesecake filling. Top with half a Samoas.

Drizzle the top with caramel syrup and store in the fridge 4-6 hours before serving.

2/11/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

It’s Friday friends- This weekend is busy, as always, but let’s start off with some freebies and deals!

I’m going to try and include links to free local events as well. Please remember to follow all local public health guidelines. In California, that means wearing masks inside businesses and public spaces.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies:

Free Acne Dark Spot Treatment Pads + $75 eGift Card
Free Duracell Batteries at Office Depot & Office Max
35 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Magellan Sticker Sheet
Free Lasio Keratin Pro Kit
Free Hometown Hero Delta 8 Gummies
Free Copy of Amazing Me It’s Busy Being 3! Book
Free Hometown Hero Select Spectrum Delta 9 Gummies
Free Conair Hair Dryer, Hot Rollers or Epilator
Free 16 oz. Smoothie or Juice at Nekter Juice
Free Annapolis Pride Car Magnet
10 Free Custom 3D Flamcard Photo Card at Walgreens
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Atoria’s Family Bakery Flatbread Product Coupon
Free Hi-Chew Gummies Candy
Free Hartz Delectables Squeeze Up & Delectables Lickable Treats
Free Origins Ginzing Oil Free Energy Boosting Moisturizer Sample
Free 2022 Sand Scripts’ Magnetic Calendar
Free Dude Wipes at Walmart
Free Pizza, Chips, Cookies & More
Free Amala Beauty Skincare Product Sample
Free Bibigo GOTCHU Korean Hot Sauce Samples
Free Truly Grass Fed Natural Creamy Butter
Free I Read Banned Books Sticker & Bookmark
2 Free Hartz UltraGuard PROMAX Flea & Tick Cat Collars
Free Valentine’s Photo Box Craft from Home Depot
Free Disney, Barbie, Peppa Pig or Spiderman Toy
Free Macy’s Fragrances

Deals:

Martha Stewart 3-Pc Mixing Bowl & Utensils Set ONLY $13.93
Martha Stewart Love 3-Pc Container Set ONLY $17.93 (Reg $50)
PlayMonster Yeti in My Spaghetti ONLY $8.99 (Reg. $18)
70% Off Everything for Home at Wayfair + 10% Off Coupon
Sterling Silver Heart Pendant Necklace ONLY $22.98 (Reg $125)
25-Pound Pet Food Container ONLY $12.99 (Reg $29)
Kate Spade Lady Marmalade Bundle ONLY $45 (Reg $128)
MUK LUKS Women’s Boardwalk Stroll Sneaker $19.99 (Reg. $55)
The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs $2.39 (Reg. $5)
Meal Prep Containers 20-Pack ONLY $12.99 (Reg $30)
50% Off Champion + Extra 10% Off at Checkout
Free VDay Robe Bundle from Super Chewer with Your First Box
Revlon Crystal C + Ceramic Curling Iron ONLY $12.59 (Reg. $25) 
Free Queso Blanco at Chipotle
Lace Up Sandals ONLY $14.99 (Reg $40)
Gemstone Bar Necklaces ONLY $5.99 (Reg $25)
Sushi Go Card Game ONLY $6.29 (Reg. $15)

 

February 2022: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 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:

  • Primal Kitchen Mayo
  • Primal Kitchen Dips
  • Primal Kitchen Plant Based Queso
  • Brainiac Kids Applesauce
  • Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Snacks
  • Parmesan Crisps by Joyfull Bakery
  • Maxine’s Heavenly Soft Bakes Cookies
  • Seal the Seasons Frozen Fruit
  • Hand-Crafted West African Bowls by AYO Foods

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, 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!

Family Recipe: Bread Bowl Cheese Dip

Abby H.

This recipe is perfect for potlucks, parties, basically any time you want to eat cheesy dip from a bread boule.

It’s been in the family for years. At least 25.

 

It is not healthy. It is not low sodium. This is a sometimes food for sure.

Bread Bowl

Serves 10-12 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz jar Cheese Whiz (It has to be cheez whiz)
  • 10 slices Hormel Dried Beef
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 1 brick cream cheese
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 bread boule (I like sourdough, but whatever you enjoy)

Directions:

  1. To prepare the bread bowl, cut a shallow square at the top of the bread. Pull it off in one piece, reserve. Pull out the soft interior of the bread until there is a decent-sized cavity. Tear the “guts” of the bread that you pulled out into bite-size pieces. Do the same with the under/soft side of the square piece that was cut off. This is now the “lid” to the bowl.
  2. On a foil-lined baking tray, scatter your little bread “guts”. these will be heated up and used to scoop the dip up.
  3. Rinse the dried beef very well. It is very salty. Once it has been rinsed and patted dry (I use a paper towel), cut into bite-sized pieces. I prefer mine to be smaller than a penny.
  4. Rinse the green onions and slice. I usually use the bottom 1/4-1/2 of each, discarding the very white end part with the roots (ick).
  5. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, cheez whiz. Fold in the dried beef and green onions.
  6. Pour mixture into the bread bowl cavity, top with the bread lid. Wrap in tin foil, place on a baking tray, and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
  7. After the initial baking time, unwrap, remove the lid of the bowl and bake for another 15 minutes.
  8. During the last 5 minutes of baking, place the tray of small torn bread pieces in the oven to crisp up.
  9. Serve bread bowl HOT with torn bread pieces, crackers, cocktail bread, crudities, whatever appeals to you.

For my family, the best part is tearing off pieces of the bowl to eat once most of the interior dip has been eaten.

Bread Bowl makes a great dish for THE BIG GAME, which is this coming Sunday.

AO Opinions: Upcoming Teen Project $250!

Abby H.

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study on the misc. topics for teens.

  • To be considered, complete the pre-screener survey here.
  • Compensation: $250 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 13-17 Year Olds: * PARENT TO COMPLETE FORM *
  • PART 1: Monday, February 14, 2022 – Sunday, February 20, 2022 – 5 ACTIVITIES TO COMPLETE OVER 7 DAYS, 3 HRS TIME COMMITMENT ($250, if chosen)PART 2: FOLLOW-UP WEB INTERVIEWS (1 HOUR) Monday, February 28, 2022 – Friday, March 4, 2022 (MUST BE AVAILABLE IF CHOSEN, $100)

Fetch Rewards: Earn Extra Points stocking up for the Big Game!

Abby H.

Fetch Rewards has a great deal just in time for the big game! I love these offers because I can redeem them Grocery Outlet, and There are a lot of brands that I already buy!

Earn big on Hellmann’s®, Knorr® & more. Spend $15 on popular Unilever brands at grocery stores and get 5,000 points*. Redeem up to four times for a total of 20,000 points.

Need a little help drawing up dinner plans? Elevate your spread with game-winning recipes from Hellmann’s.

Redeeming this offer is simple. Head to any of these 5,000+ participating grocery stores, buy your favorite products from these Unilever brands, and snap your receipts!

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 2,000 bonus points. I earned $295 in rewards in 2021 alone, just by purchasing my regular groceries and scanning in all of my receipts (grocery, mass merchandiser, gas receipts, restaurants, you name it).

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

And here is the fine print: *Offer valid 1/08/2022–2/28/2022. The offer will be live until 2/28/22 or until 150,000 offers have been redeemed. Limit 4 redemptions per household, equating to a maximum of 20,000 points. Offer is only available at these participating grocery retailers. This promotion excludes purchases made at mass/superstores, club stores, discount stores and drug store retailers. Offer valid in the U.S. only and open to legal U.S. residents 18 and older. Limits and restrictions apply. See Terms & Conditions for complete details.

Dream Dinners: Send a Dinner Care Package to Your Friends and Family

Abby H.

This is such an amazing idea- I love it! As many of you know, we lost my dad a little over a week ago, and so many people have reached out to support my mom. One of the ways is with a hot meal.

If you have someone with a loss in their family, or they are recovering from an illness, or maybe they’ve added to their family, bringing a meal is a great way to help.

Dream Dinners has a great option for February. It includes a complete, cook-from-frozen, vegetarian meal with no prep work:

Spinach & Artichoke Ravioli Bake Garlic BreadHope's Cookies

Available in 2 sizes. The medium bundle serves 2-3 and the large bundle serves 4-6. Ordering is easy, just email at lamesaca@dreamdinners.com, and Marsi’s amazing staff will work with you to schedule a pickup.

Want to send more than just one meal? Send them a Meal Prep Starter Pack with 3-6 freezer meals! For just $99, you’ll provide them with delicious, easy meals that they can thaw and enjoy any time they need a break. Marsi and her team at the La Mesa Dream Dinners location offer home delivery and can bring it right to their door for you. You can order a Meal Prep Start Pack online at DreamDinners.com.

If you aren’t in San Diego, it’s cool! There are Dream Dinners locations in 21 states, and many of those locations offer local delivery too!

Parents Helping Parents: Behavior Resources at Home Class

Abby H.

download.jpgOn February 22, 2022, the Santee School district is presenting a behavior training with a “Make it, Take it” for behavior resources at home.

Visual Schedules: Children benefit from increased structure and predictability. Help take the stress out of your daily routine by providing
your child with a visual schedule.

Behavior Contracts: Contracts help keep kids on track and reduce family battles. Let us help you create one for your home!

Zones of Regulation: Help teach your child how to identify how they’re feeling and then utilize a co teach them about self-control.

Positive Reinforcement: Learn how to shape your child’s behavior with positive discipline. This will help to reinforce behaviors we want to increase in the home.

Santee’s Behavior Team Come meet Santee’s behavior team and find helpful strategies to implement at home. You’ll leave with individualized strategies and resources that you can begin implementing right away. You’ll have access to three team members to help you create individualized systems for your child! Listed above are just a few of the strategies you’ll go home with!

This event is free- If you have any questions, or wish to RSVP, contact the school district office at (619) 258-2300

Date & Time: 2/22/22 9:30am-11am
Location: Santee School District 9625 Cuyamaca. Santee, CA 92071

Cents of Style: Comfiest Clothes on Sale This Week- Save an Extra 20%!

Abby H.

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

I’m a big fan of loungewear. This week Cents of Style is delivering the good, with an EXTRA 20% off of their comfiest sweatpants, layering tanks, biker shorts, and joggers!

And most of these items come in sizes xs-3XL.

TO take advantage of this deal, at checkout use coupon code  RELAXING and it makes ALL under $20 and MANY under $10! Don’t forget FREE Shipping over $40! The code is active until 2/15/22 at midnight!

PantsI picked up a couple pairs of the Lucille lounge pants, and the Alexis High-low tops. These layering pieces are perfect for cozy winter days at home.