Naomi’s Closet: Helping San Diego, CA area women in need

Abby H.

I’ve written about Naomi’s Closet before, but it’s been a few years, and I wanted to bring it to the attention of some newer readers.

If you are a San Diego, Ca area resident, female, and in need, I have a great resource for you.

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Naomi’s Closet is run through the Santee United Methodist Church (Located at 8964 N. Magnolia Ave., Santee, CA 92071). They provide up to five items of clothing per month (Your choice from a very good selection in a wide variety of sizes), and 2 toiletries.

Starting in September, Naomi’s Closet is open on the following days and times:

  • Wednesdays 10am-12pm
  • 1st & 3rd Saturdays 9am-1pm

No appointment is needed, just show up during open hours. You do not need to show proof of need.

Donations accepted during open hours: Seeking clean, gently-used casual and business-casual clothing (no suits please), accessories, shoes. New/unused undergarments, sports bras, toiletries, and hygiene items of any type or size. I donate a lot of the toiletry freebies I receive, as well as clothes that I no longer wear.

If you have questions, or you would like more information, you can contact Naomi’s Closet at naomiscloset@cox.net.

 

Monthly Side Hustle Totals August 2021

Abby H.

I decided that at the end of each month in 2021, I’m going to post the breakdown of how much I made doing each side hustle/cashback app. My complete side hustle list can be found here and my complete list of Smartphone Apps can be found here.

I know some of you are curious about how much I make doing all of the hustles that I wrote about, and while I do a year-end update, I know some of you don’t wanna wait till the end of the year and that’s understandable.

Some of the side hustles I do frequently, like using the Fetch Rewards App every time I go shopping.

Some of the hustles are more passive but have cumulative rewards so even though I do them each month, I may not receive a payout each month. It doesn’t make them any less valuable to me, they just take a longer amount of time to earn the reward. Honestly, those are fairly low-time investments, so I don’t feel bad that they take a long time to earn a payout. SBKC and Achievement are two of these.

And some I do in fits and starts. For example, I may not spend a lot of time doing PaidViewPoint surveys for a few weeks, and then I’ll get two or three emails telling me that I have time-sensitive or higher-paying surveys. Then I’ll rush over to the site and do five or 10 surveys and earn five or 10 bucks. It just depends on what’s available at the time.

Some of you might notice from this list that there are a number of research studies, I’ve been trying to do at least 1-2 a month because they tend to pay a lot better than surveys. I have been posting research studies and opportunities on the blog whenever they come across my email. I hope some of you are also applying for them and receiving opportunities to do them too.

August was busy with back-to-school stuff, so I didn’t have time for any research studies, which are usually a large part of the money I make each month. I have been doing a lot of reviews and such but don’t pay cash, but rather pay in-kind (Tryit, Influenster, Social Nature, and BzzAgent). Each one of those sends a product or samples. In August, I received a new mattress valued at over $500, a new juicer, and skincare valued at $100, all in exchange for a review!

I try not to take the sample only offers because it’s not worth my time to review a bunch of sample size stuff. Especially when I can be working with brands and companies that offer me products that are full-size, or they pay me with cash. Because really, as nice as say five dollar tube of deodorant might be, I can’t really pay my utility bill with it.

  • Fetch Rewards: $50
  • Dosh: $25.62
  • Capterra: $50
  • Ibotta: $33.14
  • Pinecone Research: $12
  • SBKC: $20.00
  • UpVoice: $10
  • Misc. Rebates: $13
  • Class Action Lawsuit payouts (these I didn’t apply for, I just received checks in the mail) $42.25
  • Bitmo Perks: $10
  • Ohm Connect: $50

Talk Back: How much do you make each month on your side hustles? Do you have any that you love and want to recommend? Leave a link in the comments below! Please no MLM or Direct Sales Opportunities. 

September 2021: 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!

September is the end of back-to-school sales and the end of summer sales. Labor Day sales include BBQ foods and grills.

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 $0.50 on ONE (1) RAGÚ® pasta sauce
Save $0.75 any ONE (1) Dannon Light + Fit® Nonfat Greek Yogurt 4pk
Save $1.00 on ANY TWO (2) EXTRA® Gum Singles Packs (15 ct.)

Free Food Resources for September 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means that it’s time for the monthly update of free food resources in San Diego.

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

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 September 2021 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.

Upcoming Hair Color Project pays $125

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 subject of Hair Color!

  • To be considered, please complete the pre-screener here.
  • Compensation: $125 (if chosen)
  • Open to: Females 22-49 years old that Color hair at home 
  • Tuesday, September 14th, Wednesday, September 15th, or Thursday, September 16th, 2021
  • Various Times Available

Daily Schedules for Kids (with tips for ADHD Family Members)

Abby H.

Recently, I posted our daily schedule for school days on Instagram.

Because the littler kiddo is still learning to read, I do a combination of words and pictures. I find that it also helps as sometimes when kids become disregulated, reading can be a little too much for our brains.

The Afternoon/Night section doesn’t have times because while bedtime is at a fixed time, it is important to grant the kids some freedom in the afternoons to relax and decompress from school. After being “on” all day at school, I like to give them 30 minutes to an hour after school to have a snack and relax without any kind of demands put on them.

There are of course times when that is not possible, for example when we have appointments immediately after school. Having a schedule for them to see really helps them organize and be aware.

Having two neurodivergent kiddos, it’s important to have visual reminders of schedules, family rules, appointments, etc. around the house. Each kid has a calender in room that is updated monthly with upcoming appointments, days off school and holidays. Updating those each month is something I do the first day of each month. I use stickers in addition to writing to help remind the kids of upcoming events on the calenders.

With Neurodivergency sometimes comes what we call “losing time”. The concept of time can be hard for kids to grasp, regardless of their neurodivergency. Another way that we help keep the kids on schedule is to use the old theater trick where we give them a one hour “call”, a 30 minute call, a five minute call, and then a time to go call. Grown ups call out, “One hour until X”, and the kids answer back, “Thank you one hour!” Making them repeat the amount of time they have left until we leave or transition activities puts it in their mind that whatever they are doing/playing/watching will come to an end.

Talk Back: I’d love to hear about the tips and tricks you use to keep your family on schedule!

 

 

 

Starbucks Copycat Recipe: Medicine Ball/ColdBuster/Honey Citrus Mint Tea

Abby H.

This is one of my favorite hot drinks when I am not feeling well. Fever, sore throat, generally feeling run down, this drink is where it’s at.

But… I’m cheap and it’s not always convenient to hit up the ‘Bux. So I did a little research and found a frugal way to make this drink at home. I usually get my tea at Target or Walmart.

I use lemon juice in place of steamed lemonade for two reasons: Less sugar, and I like to use lemon juice (I prefer freshly squeezed but I’ll use True Lemon in a pinch).

I make 32 ounces at a time. that’s about two servings, perfect for when you don’t feel well.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. In a large, heatproof container (I use a teapot), combine water, honey, and lemon, stir until honey is dissolved.
  2. Add tea bags and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Remove tea bags and serve.

Makes two generous servings. Feel free to add more honey if you prefer your tea sweeter, or less lemon.

 

8/29/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis coming week is going to be great! A little busy with doctors appointments, but other than that, it’s looking to be a fun week with warmer temps (and that means after school swimming).

I hit up the grocery store on Thursday and did some batch cooking and menu planning for this week. It was the only day last week where I was not busy with appointments.

I kept the grocery shopping at budget. I had to go to three stores however, because my usual stores didn’t have everything I was looking for. The supply chain is starting to get wonky again, so you may notice some items are taking longer to get back in stock on shelves.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

No CSA box this week. We’ll be back on it next week!

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. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and you can find them for sale here on my Etsy Store.

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. The Ancient Grain bagels from Einstein Bros. are the current family favorite. I pick them up on Mondays when a dozen is only $7. I slice them and freeze them to keep them from going bad too quickly.

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, but so far, there is nothing on the menu that appeals to the kids.

Dinner: We’ve got a pretty good schedule down for dinners. We have nuggets (vegetarian for the boy child, chicken for the rest) on the nights that we have respite. It’s quick prep and clean up, and I can serve it on our cafeteria trays with other fingers foods (we have trays like these) like cut-up fruit, crackers, and cheese. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday: Machacas Bowls (Rice, Beans, roasted veggies, and Machacas)
  • Monday: Chicken Tetrazzini with brocolli, watermelon
  • Tuesday: Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Wednesday:  Impossible Burgers with Chimichurri sauce, Salad, buttered noodles
  • Thursday: Veggie Fritatta, toast
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit

Please stay safe you guys!

Upcoming Beverage Project Pays $125

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 subject of Beverages.

  • To be considered, please complete the pre-screener here.
  • Compensation: $125 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 18-44 year olds
  • Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at Various Times

Apply for Stone Brewing’s Hazy IPA Chatterbox!

Abby H.

Chatterbox has partnered up with Stone Brewing to give you the unique experience of trying an absolute Juicy Citrus Bomb of a beer! Stone Hazy IPA has a special hop combination with tons of orange, lemon, melon, mango and pineapple notes. It’s smooth and easy to drink so it’s perfect for craft beer lovers and Hazy IPA connoisseurs.

If you are selected, you will receive:

1 $15 Visa gift card
4 Stone Hazy IPA stickers
You must be 21 or older to be a Chatterbox for this event. This event is only open to residents of the contiguous United States EXCEPT in Louisiana, North Dakota and South Dakota. (Note: Residents of California and Texas will be selected via sweepstakes.)

You must apply by September 21st. To apply for this Chatterbox, apply here.