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Coffee Cake- The Best Breakfast Ever.

Abby H.

Coffee cake is one of my favorite breakfast quick breads. I didn’t have time to whip up a batch, but if you are looking for a tried and true recipe, check out my post here. https://hewesfamilyfun.com/2021/02/10/simple-frugal-recipe-coffee-cake/

If you’ve got a boxed coffee cake mix (Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one) and want it to taste a little more scratch-made, check out my tips here for improving boxed cake mixes.  

And if you are looking for some coffee to go with your cake, here are some easy coffee shop-style recipes you can make at home without any fancy equipment.  

And if you want your coffee on the go, or any drinks for that matter, check out the Panera Unlimited Sips Club. New subscribers who sign up for a monthly Unlimited Sip Club subscription through May 31, 2026 and enter promo code SIP3 at checkout will receive three months of an Unlimited Sip Club monthly subscription for $3/month plus tax. Remember to use Promo code: SIP3 at checkout!

5/22/26 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

I hope everyone has a great three day weekend! The big kid and I are off on a camping trip.

I  updated my birthday freebies for 2026- You can find the post here. The list mostly offers what you can find in Southern California.

If you live outside Southern California, check out this list: Free Birthday Stuff: Get The Best 100+ Freebies on Your Birthday!

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here.  It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are available outside my area.

Freebies:

Unlock the Magic of Your Big Day: List Of The Best Free Wedding Samples & Freebies
FREE Subscription to LEGO Magazine
FREE Grill Spatula Giveaway at Lowe’s on June 20th
$1 Million in FREE Domino’s Emergency Pizzas
FREE $20 Purchase at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Wendy’s Merch Every Wednesday at 3pm ET
FREE Mesothelioma Cookbook + FREE Shipping
Sweet Surprises: How to Score Free Chocolate
FREE Sample of Stopain Extra Strength Pain Relieving Gel
Kids Bowl FREE All Summer
FREE Buffet & Beverage for Graduates at Golden Corral
FREE $25 Purchase at Target After Cash Back
Memorial Day Freebies & Deals RoundUp
FREE Hero Micropoint Patch
FREE Moonpig Greeting Card + FREE Shipping
FREE Grüns x Popsicle Gummies
FREE Sample of New Skin Kids Liquid Bandage Paint
FREE Planet Fitness Summer Pass for Teens
FREE Sample of Vagisil Coconut Water Lily Feminine Wash
FREE Pint of HALO TOP Ice Cream
FREE Ozark Trail Soft Cooler at Walmart After Cash Back
Get Tons Of Free Stickers Online: Updated Monthly
FREE Samples of YSL Myslf Eau de Toilette Intense & Y Iced Cologne
Here Are 6 Ways To Get Free Baby Formula Samples

Deals:

Save With the Lululemon First Responder Discount: Get 15% Off
Carote 19-Piece Pots and Pans Set ONLY $39.98 (Reg $140)
50% Off Everything at Old Navy – T-Shirts, Shorts, Pants & More!
Aeropostale Jeans & Shorts Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Walgreens Photo Coupons & Promo Codes: 50% Off Gifts, 50% Off Posters & Banners, 50% Off Photo Books & More
Beautiful 4 Qt Digital Slow Cooker ONLY $25.97 (Reg $50)
Dollar General Coupons: Save Money on Gain, Dove Men+Care Body Wash & More
Disney Minnie Mouse Book & Toy Organizer ONLY $25 at Walmart
Cuisinart Toaster Oven Broiler ONLY $59 at Walmart (Reg $89)
Best Cheap Sewing Machines for Advanced and Basic Sewing Projects in 2026
P&G Rebates: Get Up to $15 For Buying Your Favorite P&G Brands
Thermos Funtainer Insulated Food Jar ONLY $10 (Reg $21)
P&G brandSAVER Coupons: Get Digital & Printable Coupons From Your Favorite P&G Brands
Tweezers Set ONLY $3.99 on Amazon (Reg $10)

5/10/2026 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

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May is a busy month for us, so it’s important to me that I plan out our meals on Sunday nights for the week.

To keep my grocery budget down, I shop at Aldi (using Instacart, I wrote about how to do it here), our local Grocery Outlet, and use cashback rebates that offer a lot of 100% back (I wrote a post about some of my favorite apps here).

I skipped a grocery trip this week- We have plenty of food, and we had a  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box subscription drop off last Monday and have plenty of fruit and veg to get us through this week. I did a quick grocery inventory on Saturday morning to make sure we’d be ok.

Breakfast: The kids tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a slice of toast with goat cheese and spicy honey.

Lunch: Monday through Friday, I pack my own and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning. This week, my lunch is a fridge clean-out. I saw a friend from out of town this weekend, and I have a lot of leftovers from cooking, plus some soup my mom gave me.

Dinner: This week, dinners are pretty simple. We have busy days, so I want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. If one of the kids ends up not liking something, they can have a sandwich, a fruit, and a homemade smoothie.

This week’s available fresh fruits are: Gala Apples, cherries, and strawberries.

  • Sunday: Leftovers (We had a lot this week)
  • Monday: Cheesy Brats, chips, fruit, and smoothies

  • Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner (bacon and eggs)

  • Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner (I’m teaching that night)

  • Thursday: Quesadillas, beans/rice, fruit

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and whatever leftover fruit is hanging around.

5/4/26 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

May is a busy month for us, so it’s important to me that I plan out our meals on Sunday nights for the week.

To keep my grocery budget down, I shop at Aldi (using Instacart, I wrote about how to do it here), our local Grocery Outlet, and use cashback rebates that offer a lot of 100% back (I wrote a post about some of my favorite apps here).

I skipped a grocery trip this week- We have plenty of food, and we had a  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box subscription drop off last Monday and have plenty of fruit and veg to get us through this week. I did a quick grocery inventory on Saturday morning to make sure we’d be ok.

Breakfast: The kids tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a slice of toast with goat cheese and spicy honey.

Lunch: M-F I pack myself and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning. This week, my lunch is fridge and freezer clean out leftovers.

Dinner: This week, dinners are pretty simple. We have busy days, so I want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. If one of the kids ends up not liking something, they can have a sandwich or a fruit and a homemade smoothie.

This week’s available fresh fruits are: Apples (3 kinds), oranges, and bananas.

  • Sunday:  Italian Night.
  • Monday: Chicken and Veggies

  • Tuesday: Tortellini Soup, Salad, and Bread

  • Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner (I’m teaching that night)

  • Thursday: Vegetarian chili, bread, and salad

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and whatever leftover fruit is hanging around.

April 2026 Monthly Side Quest Totals!

Abby H.

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year, I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

Here are the ways I earned money, and how much I earned on each side quest in April. It was pretty busy for me, but I tried to make as much time as I could for my surveys and such.

  • MyPoints:  $20 in Amazon gift cards, mostly from my daily surveys, but I did do some shopping through their app and website to get points as well.
  • PaidViewPoint: $10.49 via PayPal
  • G2: $35 Amazon gift card
  • Receipt Hog: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Fetch: $6.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Galloway Research: $25 Amazon Gift Card for a Survey I did about school lunches for kids
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ): $22.46 between  Social Nature and Aisle.
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. I spent a lot of time over the summer making/uploading educational materials to my TPT account. $23.75

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out:

May 2026: 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 usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

This month, there aren’t a ton of free/100% Cashback offers available, but I’ve listed them below.

Wild Tuna in Olive Oil by Rio Mare
Multipack Sparkling Water by Sanzo

There are a lot more offers for BOGO or a percentage off, including brands like Daiyo, Ripple, Calafia Farms, SunButter, Back to Nature, and Javvy Coffee, to name a few.

If you are looking for other rebate sites, similar to Social Nature, check out Aisle,  WeStock, or Peekage.

March Monthly Side Quest Totals

Abby H.

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year, I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

Here are the ways I earned money, and how much I earned on each side quest in March. March was a slow month for side quests. I’ve been working on blog stuff, and then Spring Break!

  • MyPoints: I have earned $20 in Amazon gift cards, mostly from my daily surveys.
  • PaidViewPoint: $10.72 via PayPal
  • Fetch: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ): $6.50 between  Social Nature and Aisle.
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. I spent a lot of time over the summer making/uploading educational materials to my TPT account. $23.52

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out:

April 2026: 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 usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

There are so many offers this month! Here are the Free/100% Cashback offers available now:

Organic Chocolates by VGAN
Fluoride-Free Toothpaste by Davids
KBBQ Fried Rice Roll by Ocean’s Halo
Organic XL Seaweed Snacks by Ocean’s Halo
0 Sugar Grape Energy Drink by Black Rifle Coffee
0 Sugar Energy Drink by Black Rifle Coffee
Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew by Black Rifle Coffee
Lightly Sweet Biscuits by Effie’s Homemade
Whipped Feta dip and Spread by Athenos
Skipjack Wild Tuna by Wild Planet
Wild Tuna in Olive Oil by Rio Mare
Neuro+ Smoothie Blends by Brainiac Foods

Proctor & Gamble: It’s Our Home Rebate Up to $15 Back!

Abby H.

Everyone loves to save money, right? Check out P&G brandSAVER Perks! Save on brands you love, earn rewards, and make an impact. Here are a few of the offers/deals available:

  • NEW It’s Our Home Rebate: Up to $15 Back.
  • Join P&G brandSAVER to unlock up to $15 back when you shop Tide and 20+ more brands.
  • Take quizzes, answer surveys, or scan your receipts featuring P&G Products.
  • Collect points for each engagement and redeem them for prizes like digital rewards and sweepstakes entries.

January Monthly Side Quest Totals

Abby H.

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

Here are the ways I earned money, and how much I earned on each side quest this month. I have done some side quests, but I have not yet received the reward.

  • MyPoints: I have earned $20 in Amazon gift cards and approximately $25 in pending points. They should be available by the end of February.
  • PaidViewPoint: $11.45 via Paypal
  • G2: $10 Amazon gift card
  • Fetch: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ): $12.50 between  Social Nature and Aisle.
  • Receipt Hog: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Class action lawsuits (I use SettleMate to help me find ones that I might qualify for): $14.70
  • SBKC: $ 20.00 visa gift card (this was from envelopes that I had mailed back to them in December 2025)
  • Evidation: $10 via Venmo
  • BrandClub:  $10.29
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. I spent a lot of time over the summer making/uploading educational materials to my TPT account. $42.44.

I can use my Amazon Gift Cards to pay for my monthly subscriptions for two months. I use Amazon subscriptions to buy household items that are cheaper on Amazon than local store prices.

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out: