San Diego, CA Area Residents: FREE Produce and Perishable Groceries-12/11/2020

Abby H.

Our friends over at Faith Chapel understand that with all that’s going on in the world that some of us still need help finding healthy food during this difficult time. And that’s it not always safe for us to go to the store or hit up a farmers market.

Distribution is happening this Friday, December 11, 2020, beginning at 10:00am.

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977

Save Time and Money with Amazon Subscribe & Save!

Abby H.

Now that Southern CA is back under a stay at home order, I’ve been looking for more ways to save money and keep us out of stores.

Enter Subscribe and Save from Amazon. I’ve been using Subscribe and Save for about a year for food items that we eat a lot of that are cheaper on Amazon (like Squeezy pouches, PBFit, Malt Powder). Talking to some friends online yesterday afternoon, I realized that not everyone knew about Subscribe and Save!

Key Benefits of Subscribe & Save

  • Save up to 15% on a large and growing selection of everyday essentials!
  • Need an item now? Yes, customers now have the option to receive the item within the usual 1-2 day shipping window for a 5% discount, and activate the subsequent deliveries of the subscription for up to 15% discount.
  • Authentic products sourced directly from brands and their authorized re-sellers.
  • Set it, forget it, and never run out.
  • Save a trip to the store – save time and money. You can have your favorite products delivered straight to your door.
  • No fees. Available for any customer with no long-term commitment, for FREE.
  • Change or cancel a subscription anytime.
  • Coupons-  There are usually coupons available for selected Subscribe & Save. You can always check here.

And there are all sorts of categories that have Subscribe & Save: Household Supplies, Baby Supplies, Pet Supplies, Groceries, Personal Care, and Health & Wellness.

I ordered toilet paper and a couple cleaning supplies through Subscribe & Save this morning!

And don’t forget that you can connect your Amazon account to Dosh and Receipt Hog to earn points for your Amazon purchases as well! Check out my Smart Phone Apps page for all the info on these apps.

12/6/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store on Friday while the kids were in school. I picked up some essentials and dug through the cupboard once I was home and discovered that I hadn’t updated the cupboard inventory after my last trip.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty. We’re looking at some cold night time temps this coming week, so soup is on the menu twice this 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 the 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 like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

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.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Kids are back to school and that means that school provided lunches are coming home again. Neither kid loves them, but there are things that each kid eats from them, so I try to include those in their daily lunches. Littlest kiddo has lunch at home, the big kid takes his lunch to school.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Leftovers (this week we had leftover Chinese and pizza)
  • Monday: Soup, Salad, Garlic Bread, and Fruit
  • Tuesday: Nuggets, Salad, and Fruit
  • Wednesday: Veggie Soup, garlic bread, and fruit
  • Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (probably waffles and fruit, maybe eggs too)
  • Friday:  Pizza Night
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Holiday Light Displays: Socially Distanced Family Fun!

Abby H.

One of our favorite family activities this time of year is to drive around the county and check out Christmas lights. I pack some snacks and hot chocolate (or just white milk for the Bitty Bird- She doesn’t like cocoa- I know…), and we head out for an adventure. I usually grab a couple extra fluffy blankets too. They tend to fall asleep on the way home!

I’ve included our family favorites, as well as some that came recommended by my Facebook fans. I did not include any that charge a fee to see. There are quite a few professional displays that charge a fee to drive-thru all over the county.

There are a few that I did not include as I have heard they are dark (Knob Hill in Vista), or the owners of the homes have moved or chosen not to do a display this year.

East County:

  • Jingle Bell Hill (also known as Pepper Dr. Lights). Solomon Ave./Pegeen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 & Bradley. Dec. 8-26, Mon-Th 6-9 pm, Fri-Sun 6-10 pm.
  • 10248 Paseo Palmas Dr. Nicknamed “Tinsel Town”. Dec. 1-25, 5:30-9 pm. Most of the houses on this street are very well decorated with lights and moving displays! They have a Facebook page too!
  •  Starlight Circle, East and West Glendon Circles. Through December 26th, 7-10 pm. This is extremely popular!  Starlight Circle even has a Facebook page!

North County:

  • 12631 Stoutwood St., Poway Off Twin Peaks Rd. & Deerwood St. Nicknamed “The Griswolds.”
  • 23542 Bassett Way, Ramona  Sun-Th, 5:30pm -10pm; Fri & Sat, 5:30pm – 11pm

Be safe, stay in your cars, or mask up and stay socially distant from others.

If you know of any light displays in San Diego County that are active this year and free- Please leave a comment! (that you have gone to- please no linking to other websites)

12/4/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

It’s Friday again! Time to score some freebies, pick up a few deals online, and stay home (or if you have to leave home, wear a mask and wash your paws).

Most of California is going into lockdown (AGAIN), so I’ll only be posting deals that can allow you to socially distance.

Freebies:

Free Chobani Coconut Yogurt for Kroger & Affiliates
Free Dental Assessment Kit
Free 3-Pack of Hallmark Greeting Cards
Free Ritual of Namaste Cream & Serum Sample
Free Subscription to Allure Magazine
Possible Free $150 Research Study
Free Coffee Wednesdays at Dunkin
Free Samples of Smell of God Perfume
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Free Breakfast Baconator at Wendy’s
Coca-Cola Insiders Club – Limited Enrollment for Freebies 12/8
Youtube Premium Free for 3 Months
5 Free 4×6 Photo Prints From Walgreens
Free Bone Broth Soup

Deals:

Merry Christmas Cards For Kids 28-Count ONLY $2.98 (Reg. $12)
Altavida 12-lb. Weighted Blanket ONLY $31.99 (Reg. $80)
L.O.L. Surprise S1 Ultimate Collection ONLY $49.99 (Reg. $100)
WowWee Pixie Belles ONLY $4.99 (Reg. $15)
MUK LUKS Women’s Bardot Slide Slippers ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $32)
Dreamworks Dragons Hatching Toothless ONLY $19.97 (Reg. $60)
Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make ONLY $8.69
FREE 2 Months of Kindle Unlimited Reading (Save $19.98)
Shrek 4-Movie Collection ONLY $14.99 on Amazon (Reg. $30)
Trolls & Trolls World Tour 2-Movie Collection $14.99 (Reg. $45)
Bed Head One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer ONLY $26.39 (Reg $60)
Sneezy the Snowman Paperback ONLY $4.79 (Reg. $10)
Amazon Smart Plug ONLY $0.99 (Reg. $25) for Select Users
Bella 5Qt Slow Cooker with Dipper ONLY $17.99 (Reg $40)
Vintage Faux Turquoise Jewelry 3-Piece Set ONLY $2.99 Shipped
Clinique 2-Pc. Merry Moisture Gift Set ONLY $8.07 ($31 Value)
Save $10 on $40 of Select Household Items on Amazon
Cuisinart 22-Piece Aluminum Kitchen Set ONLY $69.99 (Reg $200)
KidKraft Wooden Kitchen Play Set ONLY $99 at Walmart (Reg $190)
Morphe Whoa La La Lip & Eye Set + Bag ONLY $15 ($37 Value)

If you find an amazing deal or freebie, please share it in the comments below.

New PinchMe Samples Drop 12/8/2020!

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming 12/8/2020- 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.

Here are the companies participating in the December Sample boxes:

  • Impossible™ Burger Patties 100% Free Gratuity Coupon
  • Ocean Spray® Growing Goodness™
  • Purely Elizabeth Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
  • Rascal + Friends Diapers
  • SlimFast Keto Fat Bomb Iced Lemon Drop Snack Cup
  • Caliper Swiftsticks Flavored CBD Powder
  • Biotrue® Multi-Purpose Solution
  • KübWipes 100% Natural Cotton Dry Wipes
  • Life’s Grape Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Classic Vine-Dried Grape Snack Variety Pack
  • Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds
  • Blue Diamond Nut-Thins: Hint of Sea Salt
  • Blue Diamond Nut-Thins: Cheddar
  • Boiron Acidil® Meltaway Tablets
  • HARIBO Goldbears
  • Lumify® Redness Reliever Eye Drops
  • Skylar Vanilla Sky Perfume
  • Prima CBD The Daily Softgels
  • Prima CBD Enlightenment Serum

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

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!

Piñata: Make Rent Rewarding

Abby H.

I discovered this app the other day and I decided to share with you.

I was a renter for years, and each month it pained me to write a rent check and wave the money goodbye. Enter Piñata! Piñata is the world’s first and only rent rewards platform that gives you rewards for paying rent and is free.

Every rent day, get Piñata Cash, redeemable for gift cards and free goodies from top brands.

Even when it’s not rent day, Piñata gives renters exclusive deals and discounts to help you save on everyday expenses from CVS and Costco to Best Buy and Sprint to Papa John’s and Disney World. You get an average of $4,000 in yearly savings. You can also get cash back on special deals from your favorite brands.

You’ll get a $30 gift card just for creating your account.

Get Pinata Cash for referring friends & family and helping them earn as well!

Talk Back: If you sign up for Pinata, please let me know what you think!

Exclusive Avocados from Mexico- Recipes, Savings and More!

Abby H.

Growing up in California, everyone knew someone who grew avocados. Creamy, rich, delicious… Avocados are one of my favorite toppings for toast, salads, omelets, enchiladas.

Avocados from Mexico wants everyone to enjoy this amazing veggie! More than just a yummy ingredient in guacamole, check out these important ‘Cado facts:

 

  • Avocados From Mexico contain good fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making them part of a balanced lifestyle.
  • When you eat a meal with avocado, the fruit acts as a nutrient booster to help your body absorb the fat-soluble nutrients found in the other foods.
  • Avocados are a good source of fiber, which slows down digestion helping to leave you satisfied.
  • Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats, are low in saturated fat, and are cholesterol, sugar and sodium free.
  • Eating dietary fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Avocados contain mainly naturally good fats with 5g of monounsaturated fats per serving (1/3 of a medium avocado).

Now that you know all of that, aren’t you longing for creamy avocados from Mexico? Join new Avocados from Mexico – The Avosauce newsletter and get your customized scoop on avocado recipes, health tips and much more.

Looking for a Gift for the Hairy Dude on your list? Try Manscaped!

Abby H.

We’ve all got a hairy dude on our gift giving list. Manscaped has gifts for the hairiest dudes out there! I love their irreverant marketing and products.

Right now they are having a sale- just in time for holiday shopping!

SAVE 20% Automatically off all orders

Not only does being well groomed mean your ear and nose hair (and other hair) is neat and tidy, but having well trimmed nails is important too! The Shears 2.0 Luxury Nail Care Set — The Perfect Stocking Stuffer
MANSCAPED is excited to offer The Shears 2.0, a four-piece luxury nail kit. ($19.99 on manscaped.com)

The Shears 2.0 set includes:
– Slant Tip Tweezers
– Rounded-Tip Scissors
– Fingernail Clippers
– Medium Grit Nail File

The Lawn Mower 3.0 is an ultra-premium trimmer designed for groin and body trimming. ($79.99 on manscaped.com)

There is also The Perfect Package 3.0, our carefully crafted kit that houses all the essentials for properly tending to the groin area. ($79.99 on manscaped.com)

 

The Perfect Package 3.0 includes:

The Lawn Mower 3.0 – The cornerstone of a refined & elevated grooming regime
Crop Preserver – Ball deodorant uniquely formulated to help reduce odor for up to 24 hours
Crop Reviver – Refreshing ball toner spray infused with cooling aloe perfect for active lifestyles
Magic Mat – Set of three disposable shaving mats
The Shed – Luxury travel + storage bag
MANSCAPED Boxers – Get comfy in these soft, chafe-relieving boxer briefs

**NEW** The Crop Care Kit – Just the Lotions & Potions
Already have The Lawn Mower 3.0 trimmer? Then this bundle is a must. Housing all of MANSCAPED’s best-selling formulations this line-up is sure to take your grooming routine to the next level. ($44.99 on manscaped.com)

Crop Preserver- Ball deodorant is a thing, and it’s life-changing.
Crop Reviver- Ball toner is also a thing. Spritz spritz!
Crop Cleanser- Hair + body wash done right.
Crop Mop- Portable wet wipes for balls, butt, and body.
Foot Duster(free gift) – Foot deodorant to show the feet some love, too!

The Weed Whacker Luxury Nose + Ear Hair Trimmer – For Dad (or grandpa)
This premium trimmer is a technological masterpiece, redesigning the traditional nose hair trimmer by focusing on maximum performance and comfort, and offering a sleek, ultramodern design. ($39.99 on manscaped.com)

Standout Features:

Proprietary SkinSafe Technology helps prevent nicks, snags and tugs.
Powerful 600mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery lasts for up to 90 minutes of use.
Premium 9,000 RPM motor powers 360-degree rotary dual-blade system.

 

As soon as our products arrive in the mail, I’ll be sharing pics and my opinions!

December 2020: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

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

Check out the following sites:

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!

December means it’s time for the winter “feasting” holidays (Hannukah, Christmas, and Yule- depending on your religion), so there will be lots of deals on traditional holiday foods. 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 any ONE (1) Incogmeato™ MorningStar Farms® Product
Save $0.50 on ONE (1) Clorox® Liquid Bleach Product, 77oz+. (Excludes trial sizes and pens.)


Save $1.00 On any Unbun product, limit one per visit
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® Veggie Tots, Riced Veggies, Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Veggies, Harvest Protein Bowls, or Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant Veggie Spirals™
Save 35¢ On Any California Dairy Product That Carries The Real California Milk Seal