free

6 Days of Free Crafts at Michael’s 3/8-3/13/2020!

Abby H.1 Comment

Michael’s is hosting 6 days of Free Kids Crafts 3/8/2020-3/13/2020!

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  • Sunday 3/8/2020: Craft Stick Bee 2-4pm
  • Monday 3/9/2020: Pom Pom Caterpillar 4-6pm
  • Tuesday 3/10/2020: Stained Glass Kite 4-6pm
  • Wednesday 3/11/2020: Beaded Butterfly 4-6pm
  • Thursday 3/12/2020: Friendship Bracelets 4-6pm
  • Friday 3/13/2020: Clothespin Birds 4-6pm

Parents/guardians must remain on-site. Each craft is free, including supplies!

Kids Club! Saturday 10am - noon

If this doesn’t work for your schedule, check out Kids Club! Each Saturday 10am-noon, your kiddos (ages 3+) can choose from 2 30-minute projects. Most projects are free or have a low cost.

2/28/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesIt’s Friday, and a leap year, so there is another excuse to celebrate. Also, leap year means some cool free offers too!

If you haven’t checked out my birthday freebies list, what are you waiting for? I updated it for 2020-Everyone has a birthday, go sign up for some freebies!

Let’s dive into the pile of freebies and deals and see what’s cool…

Freebies:

Magazine Subscriptions:

Events:

 

Deals:

 

Leap Year Freebies and Deals:

Olive Garden: Take Home entrees will be $2.29 Saturday. Entrees include choice of Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. There’s also a birthday deal!

Del Taco: To mark the limited return of its crispy Jumbo Shrimp Taco, get a coupon on the Del Taco app for a free shrimp taco with any purchase to redeem Leap Day weekend.

Stella Artois: The beer brand has a Leap Day fund with $366,000 until it runs out. Get a rebate for a six-pack, 12-pack or 24-pack. of beer purchased through Saturday and apply for the rebate by March 6 by tweeting @StellaArtois or posting on its Facebook page and using #UnCancelPromo this #LeapDay. Learn more at www.stellaartois.com/LeapDayFund.

 

 

2/21/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesI am looking forward to this weekend! I’ve got some time to myself and I am going to go to the gym and drink coffee, although not at the same time.

This week’s selection of freebies is pretty cool! Fun events for kids too! Let’s dive right in:

Freebies:

 

Magazine

Events

Deals

San Diego STEM Expo 3/7/2020!

Abby H.

unnamed.jpgWe are more of a STEAM house, because you have to have ART, but I’ll let it slide in this case because the San Diego STEM Expo is coming to PetCo Park on 3/7/2020 and it’s going to be an awesome day full of all kinds of cool kid-friendly fun and learning!

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off with its largest event EXPO DAY, a daylong celebration at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10am to 5pm. EXPO DAY is the Festival’s signature event, with more than 130 local businesses, corporations, and organizations providing interactive, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math exhibits and activities to budding K-12 science lovers.

And to make sure that no kiddo is left out of the fun, there will be a PRE-K ZONE!
Location: Between Park at the Park and the Tot Lot.

There will be STEAM activities for children under 5 at EXPO Day! Visit the pre-k zone to excite your tiny future innovators. All activities are for children under 5 years of age. I know that the big kid can’t wait to introduce little sister to the joys of science!

I’m most excited about the fireside chats: A mini version of the TED Talk. Join industry professionals for an engaging 10-15 minute discussion in an intimate setting! Learn about their careers and what sparked them to the world of science, technology, engineering, and math! Following the discussion, there will be time for the audience to participate in extended conversations and Q&A.

We’ll be packing snacks, riding the trolley, and making an entire day of it!

Food Bank Resources in Northern San Diego County

Abby H.

DSCN2469A few years back, I wrote this post, which I update about once a year with information on Food Banks/Food Pantries and food co-ops in San Diego County. Considering san Diego County is larger than some New England states, I decided to dedicate a post purely to North County food resources, as I have been getting requests for those lately. Thanks to my friends Elizabeth, Kate, Yvonne, and Stephanie for assisting me with the research!

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North County Neighborhood Distribution Sites 2020

There are of course the Neighborhood Distribution sites from The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. There are no requirements or proof of need (no ID either).  Just bring a few reusable bags or a cart to carry your food home.

Learn more about Neighborhood Distributions here. The 2020 Calendar of Neighborhood Distributions can be found here.

If you live in Escondido or Oceanside, check out the Interfaith Community Services Website for information on food.

In Encinitas:

  • The Community Resource Center has Bread distribution and other food distributions several times a week. More information can be found here.

In Vista:

  • North County’s Food Bank 1175 Melrose Way, Vista, CA, 92081 (760) 761-1140 The Emergency Food for Individuals program is direct food assistance available to needy individuals. Program is available every first, third and fifth Monday of the month.
  • Food Distribution at Lamb of God Food Bank 1120 Highland Dr, Vista, CA 92083 (760) 458-4655 every Tuesday and Thursdays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

In San Marcos:

  • Summit Church 292 E. Barham Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 760.471.6267 or office@summitsanmarcos.comArrive: 11:00 am, food distribution: 12:00 p – 1:00 pmSummit hosts a farmers market-style free food outreach 2x per month!
    Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month, they give 25 lbs of food to anyone
    in need in the front parking lot. Everyone is welcome; there are no requirements!

In Ramona:

  • Ramona Food and Clothes Closet Each 3rd Friday of the month, a truck will bring perishable food items like produce to the store for distribution.  You do not need to qualify for this program.   Patrons are asked to line up before 9:00 AM in an orderly fashion and wait their turn.  

    Each person will receive approximately 20-25 pounds of food per family.  It is a first-come, first-serve basis.  You will need to bring your own bags or rolling carts.

Feeding American San Diego has a map on their website of various resources in the San Diego area, many of them require no proof of need or paperwork.

If you have any food resources to share, please leave a comment!

President’s Day 2/17/2020 Free Admission to your Local YMCA!

Abby H.

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Celebrate President’s Day with a fun and healthy Freebie! All YMCAs are free and open to everyone during regular hours, Monday, February 17, 2020. You can enjoy a healthy time at the Y on the holiday, and invite your friends to come along with you!

And bring your kids along to enjoy the fun of Kids Club or Child Watch! There are tons of fun games and activities for kids to enjoy, and the staff is engaged and spends time with the kids. It’s not just glorified babysitting, it’s a fun time for the kids. My littlest begs to go to the Y daily to see her friends and play.

Remember, any time you refer a new member, you can get a month free!

We’ll be there bright and early! Monday is yoga day for me!

2/14/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesFriday Means it’s time for freebies, deals, and cool free events. The bonus is that this week, Freebie Friday is also Valentine’s Day!

Freebies:

Events/In-Store Freebies:

Deals:

File your Taxes for Free with E-File!

Abby H.

Woo Hoo! It’s Tax Season. I’m not kidding- We have already filed our taxes and received our state refund today.

New shoes, here we come (again not kidding, we all need new running shoes).

If you haven’t started your taxes yet, consider E-File.

 

  • E-file.com offers free federal tax returns for those who qualify for a 1040ez.
  • Free Error Correction – Their software will automatically check your tax return for common errors. If our software finds any errors, it will prompt you to correct them.
  • Get Your Refund Quick – Who doesn’t want their refund quickly? Filing online allows you to receive your refund quicker than off-line.
  • Helpful Software – Their software will walk you through common deductions and credits that you may be eligible for with its easy and quick question & answer format.

If you aren’t sure what you need to file your taxes, here are just a few of pieces of paperwork you may need (depending on your tax situation):

  • W-2’s- one from each of your jobs
  • 1099’s: if you are an independent contractor
  • DMV paperwork (if you don’t have this, then the VIN and license plate # from your car, and go here– CA only, I’m sure other states may have something similar).
  • Receipts for any tax-deductible donations
  • Receipts for any medical expenses (co-pays, prescriptions)
  • Paperwork from your Mortgage Company regarding your interest paid
  • Paperwork regarding your property taxes paid
  • Dependents Social Security Numbers
  • IRA Year End Statements
  • Interest Statements from banks

I start a folder (like this one) each year and I put all of the paperwork in it as it comes into the house. Then, after we do our taxes, I print a copy out, pull out all of our supporting documents, put them into a manilla envelope, write the year on the front, seal it, and stash it with our other past years’ taxes. We keep 10 years worth of tax records, just in case.

Talk Back: Have you done your taxes yet?

2/7/2020 Freebie Friday!

Abby H.

bright boxesWe made it through another week! Time for some freebies, fun, and deals!

I’ve gotten some emails from readers who are interested in Freebies available outside the US, and please note that I am always keeping my eye open for them. If you are a freebie fan like I am, I recommend checking out Mysavings, as they frequently have freebies and samples available for countries all over the world.

 

Coupons/Deals

San Diego Family Fun Fest 2/9/2020!

Abby H.

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Are you looking for a free, fun outing for your family this weekend? Check out the San Diego Family FunFest brought to you by San Diego Family Magazine.

 

Sunday, (Feb 9), 10 am-1 pm at the Salvation Army Kroc Center (in the Corner Zone), 6845 University Ave., San Diego 92115.

Have a blast with more than 30 Family Fun Activities & Resource Booths!

  • 2 Bounce Houses
  • 40” Inflatable Obstacle
  • Zipline
  • Swings
  • Double Shot Basketball
  • Angry Birds Slingshot
  • Imagination Playground Blocks (life-sized foam tinker toys)
  • Giant Connect 4 & more!

Dance along with the DJ, win cool raffle prizes, explore family resources and take playtime to a whole new level!

You can find out more on their Facebook Event page. Barring weather concerns, we’ll be there! I’m excited about the Imagination Playground Blocks.