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September Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Abby H.

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to your app ASAP.

Not all Sprouts locations will have these freebies, so I suggest trying larger Sprouts locations in your area.

These are full-sized freebies- not small sample-sized products. they are located in the store with the other products of the same type.

Not all accounts will receive all the same products.

ZENB for Plant-Fueled Pasta and Sauces- Perfect for Picky Eaters!

Abby H.

I’ve got two picky eaters. The big kid has a lot of food aversions (textures, tastes/flavors), which is pretty common for people on the spectrum. The little kid will try new foods with greater frequency, but she loves noodles with butter.

We’ve tried so many different brands of pasta, trying to find something that tastes great and has good nutrition. a lot of veggie-based pasta gets weird and gummy when cooked, so has a weird flavor, and then there’s the “zero pasta” which is stinky even after you spend twenty minutes rinsing it.

Enter ZenB Pasta! Made from 100% yellow peas, including the skins. It comes in a variety of pasta varieties: Penne, Elbows, Rotini, Spaghetti, and Agile.

It’s an amazing source of protein and fiber. It’s gluten-free and vegan!

Both kids tried ZenB over the weekend and loved it. They both asked for seconds, which is unheard of. I love that it’s a great source of protein- it’s hard to get protein into kiddo sometimes.

If you want to check it out, The ZenB website currently has a free shipping offer, when you shop here.

And if you are looking for some new sauces, ZENB has the hook-up! ZENB Gourmet Pasta Sauce, made from WHOLE vegetables, for a rich depth of flavor.

 

Frugal Tips for Quality Skin Care

Abby H.
My skincare routine

I love good skincare products. Quality ingredients, no fillers, and botanicals and natural ingredients that are clinically proven to heal and nourish the skin.

These types of products can be really expensive. Here are a few tips for saving big bucks on quality skincare:

CVS sells Dermalogica, Vichy, La Roche Posay, Murad, and other Spa/luxury brands. If you are a CarePass member, you’ll score a $10 ExtraCare Bucks each month. Learn more about the CarePass program here. 

Also, CVS sends out 30% off coupons once a quarter. You can combine these coupons with any ExtraCare Bucks you might have.

I have been saving up my Fetch Rewards for CVS Gift Cards, which I combine with coupons and ExtraCare bucks to lower any out-of-pocket I may have.

CVS also has a Beauty Club, where you earn gifts and discounts when you shop.

FYI- CVS’s online selection varies from their in-store product availability.

Looking for some free stuff? I sample and review skincare products through several review programs:

  • Bzzagent- I’ve been a member for about 15-ish years. You can sign up here, and they’ll email you when they have products that might fit your needs.
  • Influenster- They partner with brands and expect you to share your samples (called voxboxes) on your socials and report back. It can be a lot of work, but they frequently send full-size luxury brand products (Charlotte Tillbury and Laura Mercier for example).
  • And to a lesser extend Smiley360, they mostly have cleaning supplies and house-type stuff, but sometimes they have skincare or cosmetics available. It’s like Infuenster.

You can find out more about these social sharing/Word of Mouth marketing companies where I get a lot of my free skincare products here.

If you are looking for a list of my favorite skincare products and tools, I’ve compiled an Amazon List here.

 

Earn Cash and Giftcards with Ohm Connect!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 5.02.27 PMWe’ve been using Ohm Connect since its inception. It’s a great way for California, Texas, and New York residents to conserve power during heavy usage times, save on your power bill, and earn cash and gift cards.

Texas and New York joined Ohm Connect back in April, but we Southern California residents have been conserving power and saving with Ohm Connect for years! ‘ve been using it since 2016.

And to prove it’s legit, here are screenshots showing that I’ve cashed out $90 to Paypal this month!

And I’ve also cashed out $20 in Amazon Gift Cards this month! I’m saving Amazon Gift cards to do holiday gift shopping later in the year.

Joining Ohm Connect is easy and quick. To get started, click here. You’ll need access to your gas/electric/power account handy, so I recommend doing this at home. And when it’s time to conserve power, you can opt into receiving texts or emails- whichever you prefer. Ohm Connect with contact you the day before to give you the heads up.

Ohm Connect is available to Southern CA residents who have the following power companies: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric.

In New York, Ohm Connect is available to those with ConEd.

And in Texas, Ohm Connect is available to everyone. 

 

As always,  I only post about products and services I personally use and I feel are a good fit for my family and my readers. Please refer to my disclosure page.

 

Enter to Win Hulafrog’s Family Vacation Giveaway

Abby H.

We could all use a vacation, right? Hulafrog contacted me with this contest, and I had to share. I’d love to take the kids to see some of our National Parks, and I think this trip is so amazing.

THE ULTIMATE NATIONAL PARKS FAMILY VACATION: A once-in-a-lifetime family vacation to Utah’s Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks guided by Austin Adventures, the family-owned Montana-based company that has been curating one-of-a-kind experiences for families for over 35 years.

TRIP DURATION: 6 Days, 5 Nights

VALUE: Up to $15,000

To learn more about this trip or to enter the giveaway, check out the Hulafrog website here.

New PinchMe Samples Drop 8/9/2022!

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming on 8/9/2022- Mark your calendars, and 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.

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

I get PinchMe samples every month. Here is what arrived at the end of June for the June 2021 boxes. The One Bar was really good.

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!

It’s Back! Make $10 by writing Software Reviews with G2!

Abby H.

G2 is a peer-to-peer review site. If you are looking to learn about new software before you purchase it, G2 is a great place to look. Right now G2 is offering $10 Amazon gift cards to those who review software that you have used in your business. It’s a quick, easy way to share your opinions of software and earn a little extra.

Plus, once you have reviewed for them, they will contact you when they are looking for more reviews (with incentives). I earn about $30/month from G2 writing reviews. It doesn’t take long, and it gives me a little extra fun money.

You will need to log in with either Google Business credentials or your LinkedIn account.

To get started, click here.

2022 California Climate Credit- It’s Back for August and September!

Abby H.

It’s back! I posted earlier this year about the credit on your April bill, and now we are getting credits in both August and September!

This August* your utility bill will include an electric credit identified as the “California Climate Credit.” Your household and millions of others throughout the state will receive this credit on your utility bills.

In the past years, the electric credit was applied in April and October, and the gas credit was applied in April. For 2020-2022, the California Public Utilities Commission authorized SDG&E to temporarily shift the electric credit to be applied in August and September.

Changing the distribution months will not change the total value of the climate credits you receive in a year. The shift will provide bill relief for customers – during what are typically the hottest months of the year – and reduce bill volatility.

The gas credit will continue to be applied in April. In 2023, the climate credit will revert back to its original timing of April and October unless the Commission directs otherwise.

The California Climate Credit is part of California’s efforts to fight climate change. This credit is from a state program that requires power plants, natural gas providers, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases, to buy carbon pollution permits.

The credit on your bill is your share of the payments from the State’s program. The Climate Credit is one of many programs resulting from landmark legislation called the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

The California Climate Credit is one way Californians are working towards a zero-carbon state. Find other ideas for energy and money-saving upgrades for your home while reducing your carbon footprint at energyupgradeca.org/the-movement.

And if you are looking for more ways to save energy and money, check out Ohm Connect! We’ve been using Ohm Connect for 5+ years and we’ve saved thousands of dollars on our power bill, and earned thousands of dollars in gift cards and cash via PayPal!

I cashed out some of our points for a $10 Amazon Gift card a few weeks ago, and we almost have enough for another Amazon Gift Card!

 

August Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Abby H.

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to your app ASAP.

Not all Sprouts locations will have these freebies, so I suggest trying larger Sprouts locations in your area.

These are full-sized freebies- not small sample-sized products. they are located in the store with the other products of the same type.

Not all accounts will receive all the same products.

Recipe: Chicken Corn Chowder

Abby H.

This is a super easy recipe! I made this on Saturday night to be served this week (and some went into the freezer for future meals).

We had a rotisserie chicken, so I made the stock from scratch and used some of the rotisserie chicken meat, but that’s optional. You could use canned broth/stock and canned chicken if you wanted.

You may have most of these ingredients on hand!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. butter
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 2 cups corn (I used corn from a past CSA box that I had roasted, removed from the cob, and froze for later use), canned or frozen corn is great. If using canned, rinse the corn before using
  • 1.5 cups chicken, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces (You can use canned chicken, drained and rinsed, or rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 cup whole milk (or 1 can evaporated milk)
  • 4 cups chicken broth/stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1t. Poultry seasoning

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot, melt butter and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add corn to the pot, stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low for 10-15 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken and heat throughout.
  4. Remove the bay leaf prior to serving.

Serve with green salad and popovers.

Dietary options:

  • For dairy free, use your favorite cooking oil/spread and non-dairy milk.
  • For vegetarian options, omit chicken (or use your favorite meat-free chick’n alternative), and use veggie broth in place of chicken broth.
  • This recipe is naturally gluten-free.