Kids Obstacle Challenge Comes to San Diego!

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I love the Kids Obstacle Challenge! It’s a super fun challenging event that gets kids moving and thinking! And, it’s coming back to San Diego County at Kit Carson Park in Escondido on April 20th.

From their website, “Our mission is to inspire and challenge kids, and forge family bonds, through adventure and obstacles. We are committed to helping foster a more active, adventurous, and perseverant younger generation.”  I am happy to partner with Kids Obstacle Challenge this year! They have offered my readers a 15% discount with coupon code ADVENTURE15 at checkout.

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I love that parents run for free- it’s a great way to get out and participate in an activity together without breaking the bank.

There are waves starting all morning, so there is no need to get up at the crack of dawn. Waves are done by age, so everyone has a chance to play and go at their own pace.

I hope to see a lot of you there!

 

Freebie Friday Round-Up!

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There are all kinds of awesome freebies this week!

Dairy Queen Free Cone Day

Free Sample of CeraVe Winter Relief Skincare

Free Wireless Earbuds

Free Sample of FLIP Lube

Free Hydroxycut Products

Free Pre-K Pass for Kids at Select Theme Parks

Free $6 FandangoNOW Credit

Free Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask Sample

Free Just Because Greeting Card at Hallmark Every Friday

Free Giovanni Hair Care Product

Free Spring Fishing Classic Event at Bass Pro Shops

Free LEGO Movie 2: Make and Take Event at Barnes & Noble

Free $10 Off $15 GrubHub Restaurant Delivery Coupon

San Diego Kids Expo & Fair- Win 5 Free Tickets!

resized logo.jpgIt’s back!! I can’t wait to take the kids. The San Diego Kids Expo and Fair is a two day event catering to kids and families, on October 20th and 21st ant the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

This event contains two parts. There is an Indoor expo portion housing a large variety of businesses showcasing products and services that cater to kids, babies and families. You can expect many FREE activities, specials appearances and performances.

San Diego Kids Expo Pic.pngThe second portion is the Outdoor fair with a Rock n’ Roll stage and rides like a zip-line, pedal kart race cars, zorbing balls, euro bungees and more! There is also an Inflatable Playland for children 8 and younger that features bounce houses and jumpies. Outdoor fair attractions can be accessed with either an All Access Wristband or Playland Wristband purchase. If you are looking for an affordable fun weekend with something for the whole family, the San Diego Kids Expo & Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is the place to be!

And you can enter to win 5 tickets to the event! Entering is easy:

  1. Head over to the event page on Facebook here.
  2. Invite 10 friends to it and share the event in order to be eligible to win.
  3. Leave a comment on this post that you’ve done steps one and two.  Winners will be chosen October 15th and need to respond to the notification by Tuesday, October 16th.

Tickets are good for either day.

*Kids 12 and under admission is FREE. Most indoor activities are FREE. An All Access Wristband or Playland Wristband purchase is required for participation in outdoor fair activities. All vendors, activities and attractions subject to change.

Parking is $14 cash per vehicle at the Fairgrounds entrance.

For more information please visit www.sandiegokidsexpo.com

Friday Freebie Round up!

8101f95433a1458fa8c2371f3b11b849It’s Friday and that means it’s time for freebies!  This week there is a pretty good selection and variety!

Free Samples:

Free Sample of L’Oreal Pure-Clay Charcoal Mask
Free Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Cleanser
Free Sample of JOHNSON’S COTTONTOUCH Newborn Lotion at Walmart
Free Sample of Epistémé Vita-CE Serum

Free Food:

Free Sample Pack of Trident Vibes Gum
Free Halo Top Ice Cream Coupon (void in CA 😦 )
Free Ocean’s Halo Vegan Broth
Free True Citrus True Appreciation Gift
Free Pepsi Zero Sugar or Diet Pepsi at 7-Eleven
Free Box of Flow Water
Free Hormel Compleats for Kroger & Affiliates
Free Coffee & Doughnut at Krispy Kreme

Free Magazines:

Complimentary Subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids
Free Magazines from Mercury Magazines
Complimentary Subscription to Woman’s Day Magazine

Free Events:
Mark your Calendars- Saturday is FREE MUSEUM DAY!!
Clean Out Your Closets, it’s SWAP TIME!!

October is Kids Free Month in San Diego!

Clean Out Your Closets, it’s SWAP TIME!!

Ya’ll know I love me a good Clothing Swap. If you are a San Diego, CA area resident, there is a great swap coming up on the 29th of September.

Skyline Church in La Mesa is hosting it’s twice a year swap, and boy am I excited! I’ve been cleaning out our closets, dressers, and every space that we store stuff.

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I even cleaned out my trunk to make room for all of the new stuff we’re taking home!

In addition to clothing, they also accept housewares and all kinds of other stuff, so I’ve been going through the kids bookshelves to take along any books they may have outgrown or any duplicate books.

We’re dropping stuff off next Thursday afternoon. I’ve always got extra items, so if you’re a local and want to come but you don’t have anything to swap, let me know!

If you can’t make this swap, but want to learn more about future swaps all over San Diego County, Check Out Thread Bumpin’– It’s a Meetup.com group, especially for clothing swaps. It’s free to join. If you are new to clothing swaps, check out my post here all about them and why they are so cool!

Finally: If you are in need of clothing, but have nothing to swap, two good free clothing resources in San Diego are The Closet on 54th (Men, women, and children’s clothing) and Naomi’s Closet (only women’s clothing).

Talk Back: Have you ever been to a clothing swap? What is your favorite part?

October is Kids Free Month in San Diego!

Screen Shot 2017-09-26 at 8.56.48 PMI know I’m early, but it’s worth bookmarking… Kids Free October is back for the 8th year!

For those of us with curious kids, this is perfect! Kids can get into over 40 museums in the San Diego area free with paying adults (all the info can be found here).

Some of the participating organizations include:

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Fleet Science Center (Galleries only)
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
Living Coast Discovery Center
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Making Music
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
Timken Museum of Art (it’s always free for everyone FYI)
Women’s Museum of California

A full list can be found here. Oh, and as part of free October, Kids can get into the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park free when accompanied by a paying adult!  Other Kids go free attractions include: Legoland, Sea World, and the USS Midway!!

More info can be found here, and other fun, free stuff for kids can be found here and here.

And I’m hoping to have more info on some free events for Halloween over the next few weeks.

Moms Meet Wow Summit 2018 60% off All Tickets This Weekend Only!

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Uh, yeah… This is INCREDIBLE NEWS! I love Moms Meet, and the Wow Summit was a blast when I went 3 years ago- which is the last time it was in San Diego.

It’s coming back to So Cal, in Anaheim, November 2-3, 2018. I couldn’t be more excited, and now tickets are 60% off this weekend only!

Friday is bloggers only- There are networking opportunities, workshops, meeting with brands, plus lunch from Table5 Pizza, and an evening cocktail party.

Saturday is for everyone! Get ready for a full day of learning and connecting! Moms in attendance will hear from guest speakers, attend educational workshops, and sample tons of free products in the exhibitor room. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away with an amazing goody bag!

 

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There are some amazing sponsors that I can’t wait to meet and learn more about: Table5, Solgar, CV Science, Lindsay, Don’t go Nuts, and True Made Foods, just to name a few.

If you want to buy tickets, here is the link. at 60% off with code: LABORDAY. Honestly if you live in OC/LA, it is worth the goody bag to go. Tickets for Saturday only are $39 before the 60% off!

And if you aren’t able to come, don’t worry, you can live vicariously through me, as I’ll be posting a ton of photos on Instagram!

Freebie & Deals Round Up!

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I check out each one of these before posting. Yes, I do get a lot of mail! I  broke it down into three categories to make it easier to navigate.

 

Samples:

 

Magazines:

 

Events:

 

6 Tips for Getting Ready for Back to School!

back-to-school.jpgIt’s coming… For some of us, back to school is NEXT WEEK! For others it’s later in August, and some lucky folks, have until Labor Day in September. Regardless of when your kids go back, it’s nice to be prepared and save money.

 

Here are a few ideas to help you prepare and stay on budget!

Packing an Awesome School Lunch.

Shop Online to Save Big-  I love shopping online, especially at JCPenney and Kohls. Lots of great deals to be had, coupons, and ship to store to save even more!

There is a backpack and school supply giveaway in Santee on August 19th. More info here.  If you need school supplies sooner, Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber is sponsoring a Back to School Kick off and Community Health Fair on 8/11/18.

If you are worried about being able to provide a nutritious, healthy lunch for your kiddos, The San Diego Food Bank sponsors Neighborhood Distributions throughout the month all over the county. You can go and get free, fresh produce- usually between 10-30 lbs. per family.  No proof of need- Just grab your reusable shopping bags and go!

a72904da152a0795ba05aaecba3a28bc.jpgAdjusting back to the school-year schedule can be a little tough- That’s why we start to get the kids back to bed at their regular time starting the beginning of August. For our kiddos, keeping them busy and active all day, really helps. Trips to the playground, beach, zoo, and pool really help.

We’ll be hitting up the night time zoo this week!

And one last back to school tip: Let your kids play and hang out with friends as much as possible before they go back, especially if they aren’t able to see some of their friends at school. We’re hosting a K’Nex Play Time Party with Tryazon this Wednesday at Shadow Hill Park in Santee! If you and your gang will be in the area, please stop by! There will bea chance to win prizes, yummy snacks, and cool toys!

 

Planning for Pregnancy with Sharp Hospitals

My sister-in-law is about to have her first baby. Some months ago, we loaned her husband, my brother-in-law a copy of The Expectant Father.  While he was reading the book, he discovered that we had left a set of our oldest’s ultrasounds in the pages of the book.

She texted me a few days ago to let me know that they were mailing them back.  I received the ultrasounds today, and it really took me back to when I was pregnant with my oldest. I had no idea what I was in for. He was unexpected, and so neither myself nor my spouse knew what to expect beyond what modern media tells us (and what I’d experienced babysitting family and neighbors growing up). Reading the books we had purchased blindly at the bookstore (so many books on being pregnant and birth are available!) were helpful, but learning about what we needed to know first hand from professionals would have been so much better. I wish I had known about Planning for Pregnancy Events from Sharp.

CORP00264-Planning-for-Pregnancy-B-1080x1080.jpgComing up July 23-26 at 5 different Sharp locations throughout San Diego County is a free Planning for Pregnancy event where you’ll meet doctors including a Sharp-affiliated reproductive endocrinologist, OBGYN and other experts.

 

In addition to getting your questions answered about pregnancy and preparing for pregnancy, you will learn more about:

  • Preparing your body for pregnancy, including diet, birth control and what to avoid
  • Having a baby later in life
  • Choosing an OBGYN and pediatrician
  • Reproductive planning
  • Determining your natural fertility schedule and optimizing your ability to get pregnant
  • Fertility challenges and treatments, including how common conditions — such as endometriosis and fibroids can impact pregnancy
  • Support groups and classes at Sharp HealthCare. We used a lot of these support groups after our oldest was born. I had a lot of challenges with breastfeeding and PPD.

What I really like about these classes besides that they are free and open to ANYONE, regardless of which insurance company you have, is that doctors and specialists are there to help you on your journey to parenthood. Wherever you are in your journey, even if you’ve just gotten married or are thinking about kids someday in the future, this class at Sharp can help you.

I’ve taken a lot of classes at Sharp- all of which were free, and easy to sign up for. If this Planning for Pregnancy Event sounds like something you are interested in, you can learn more, and RSVP here.

This post was sponsored by Sharp, however all opinions are my own. You can read my disclosure policy here.