Comic Con is Coming to San Diego… Are you Ready?

file3411293943936.jpgOk, so if you are new to town, or have been living under a rock for some time, you may not be aware that Comic-Con is coming to town next month! July 19-22 the downtown area turns into a completely different place!

You’ll see your favorite heroes and villains for comics, movies, tv, and cartoons! If you haven’t gotten a pass to comic con, you are probably out of luck, unless you are able to win one (all of the radio stations have contests a few weeks before). Passes sell out fast, but just because you haven’t gotten one, doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on all the fun…

Outside Comic Con has a great listing (and it keeps getting updated!) of all of the fun events around the con. Some are free, and some are not. Some are kid friendly, and well, others are not.

There is usually an area between the New Children’s Museum and the Trolley Tracks that is chock full of fun events and demos, and behind the convention center there has been movie and cartoon screenings on the grassy area.

If you want to wear a costume, here are my tips for doing it on the cheap.  I’m not planning on dressing up for con this year- I’m butt deep in designing and making costumes for Romeo & Juliet!

Regardless of your costume status, my recommendation is to wear comfy shoes, ’cause you will be walking a lot! And bring a refillable water bottle. And a snack (protein bars are great!). And a camera (or really, just your phone these days!).

 

Freebies for Donut Day on June 1st!

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Ok, so first let’s find out why there are two National Donut Days... Thanks Mental Floss.

Now that we’ve figured out that mystery, it’s onto the free donuts….

So far as I can tell, the only place giving away FREE DONUTS with locations in CA and NO PURCHASE is.. Krispy Kreme!

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Dunkin’ Donuts is giving away a free Classic Donut with the purchase of any drink.

There are no Duck Donuts locations in CA yet, but it looks like they are all over the East Coast…  Enjoy a FREE Classic Duck Donut on June 1, 2018 including cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or bare. NO purchase is required!

There are plenty of location, regional chains and independent Donut shops that participate too!  If you know of one, please leave a comment!

Free Meals this Summer for Kids!

file0001360139839.jpgI’m still pulling together resources and lists, so I’ll be posting more resources as they become available.

School will be out within a month for most kids in San Diego, and that means there are some parents (and kids) who usually rely on free or subsidized school lunches may find themselves wondering what to do.

Thankfully, a lot of great organizations have stepped up and partnered with local area schools, libraries, rec centers, and civic organizations to provide free breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for al kids 18 and under this summer.

You can search here for a list of California Department of Education sites that offer free meals (some sites offer breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks).

Some Library sites offer lunch too! Here is a complete list of areas that offer free lunches or snacks.

Some County of San Diego Library Locations offer lunch or snacks. Here is a filtered list for the month of June. Most libraries have a print calendar each month available that can be picked up with more info. The El Cajon Library on East Douglas has a really great lunch program in the summer with a fun activity/craft afterwards.

San Diego Unified School District has partnered with some awesome sponsors to host the Sumer Fun Cafe 2018 all over San Diego County! Lunch will be served at over 30 locations all summer for kids 18 and under! The kick off Summer BBQ (with free lunch for adults too) at Skyline Hills Park 6/20/17 10:30am-2:00pm! There are all kinds of activities too!

What I love about this program is that there are tons of rec centers hosting these lunches and they are usually adjacent to a playground, which means after a long morning of playing, the kids don’t have long to wait to get a yummy lunch!

Looking for a few ideas of summer fun with a nearby lunch?

If you know of more summer lunch programs for kids in San Diego County, I’d love to hear about them! Please leave a comment!

Free and Low Cost Summer Movies for the Family!

One of my favorite things about Summer Vacation is that lots of businesses and parks get into the fun of summer with free and low cost movies!

Screen Shot 2018-05-25 at 11.55.08 AM.pngRegal Cinemas has $1 movies all summer! Each location has a different schedule, but the same movies. Here is the complete list and your closest location.

Screen Shot 2018-05-25 at 11.58.02 AM.pngSummer Movies in the Park is an awesome summer long event that takes place all over San Diego County in various city and county parks. There are lots of great movies for kids and families to chose from!

Santee Lakes will be hosting Movies and More at the Lakes all summer long! The event is free, but park admission is $10 per carload during the event. If you go in earlier in the day and just play at the park, it’s $6/carload. The first movie is on June 22nd, and it’s Lego Batman! Here is the calendar with all of the events taking place at Santee Lakes all summer!

 

Which movie are you looking forward to seeing with your kids this summer?

Freebie Friday!

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We’ve been busy getting ready for our camping trip next week, but I am sitting long enough to share these awesome freebies!

Free Subscription to Redbook Magazine

Free Redbox Game, DVD, Bu-ray Rental

Free MAKEbreak Celebration Slime Event at Michaels

Free Sample of Garnier Whole Blends Oat Delicacy

Target Baby Registry – Free Welcome Kit In-Stores

Free Subscription to Sports Illustrated

Free Sample of The Republic of Tea Tea Bag

Free Father’s Day Event at JCPenney

Free 2-Year Subscription to Midwest Living Magazine

Free Just Because Greeting Card at Hallmark

Free Larabar for Kroger & Affiliates

Free Red Bull at 7-Eleven

Free The Original MakeUp Eraser

Complimentary Subscription to Real Simple Magazine

 

What is your favorite freebies this week?

Free Fun this weekend!

Wow- I’ve been busy this week! I haven’t had a chance to sit down and post all week, but I’ve been trying to post on Facebook and Instagram- so remember to keep up with me there too.

This weekend there will be all sorts of free fun going on! Today is both Free Comic Book Day, and also Cinco de Mayo.

Here are just a few ways to celebrate:

Free Comic Book Day is always the first Saturday in May. Find your local Comic shop that participates here. Most shops have tons of free comics and other fun stuff (like cosplayers who will pose for photo ops with kids. Our favorite shop usually has Batman.)

Cinco_de_mayo_logo1.pngCinco de Mayo- Luckily for us, we’ve got Old Town San Diego State Historic Park close by! Each year, Old Town hosts an amazing festival with music, dancing and art.

If you don’t want to brave Old Town, There is also a festival at Balboa Park,and The Timken Museum will be having a fun, free craft (and the museum is always free to visit).

If you want to avoid the crowds, check out Chicano Park. There are some amazing murals, and it’s close by some pretty tasty restaurants.

And if you are looking for other free fun, The San Diego City Libraries area great place to start. County Libraries may also be having fun stuff too.

Santee has Creative Play ~ Each Saturday from 10:30-11:30 am. Children learn through play! Meet new friends and have fun while developing early learning skills. Geared for ages 5 and under (but they are not strict with it- as long as the kids behave).

La Mesa’s branch library is hosting a Sensory Playtime tomorrow.

 

What kinds of fun events will you be going to this weekend?

Score Free Stuff and Share Opinions!

 

UPDATED 2021 to remove programs that are no longer in business.

I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies recently in my mailbox, and I mean full-sized items, not simple sample sized sachets of lotions or laundry soap.

But how, do you ask? Word of Mouth Marketing or (WOM).  It’s not new.  Remember the “I told two friends, and they told two friends” commercial from the 1980′s? That’s word of mouth marketing.  Since the invention of the internet, WOM marketing has been amplified, lucky for us consumers!

Here are just a few of my favorites and some of the cool things I’ve gotten lately:

Screen Shot 2018-04-29 at 10.31.11 PM.pngBzzagent A WOM (word of mouth) website that helps spread the word on tons of great products. Sign up for campaigns when there are products that interest you, use them, and share your opinions (as well as coupons and samples!) with others in person or via the Internet. This sharing is called “buzz”, and the more you buzz and report your buzz, you earn Mypoints points, and chances for early invitations for more campaigns. I’ve been a Bzzagent for eight years, and I receive 2-4 campaigns per year. In the last year, I’ve gotten campaigns for: Glade Atmosphere Collection Purell Hand Sanitizer, Edwards Frozen Pie, Alexia Frozen Potato products, and Spin Master Toys.

Smiley360  is much like BzzAgent, in that it is also a WOM (Word of Mouth) website. Sign up for campaigns and you will receive samples to use, and coupons to share with friends. Report your sharing and earn points! I’ve received Laundry detergent (full sized bottles), vitamins, supplements, tampons, and razors all in the last year.

In the same vein as the two above, Generation Good by Seventh Generation uses the same type of interface as Smiley360. I’ve gotten Full size laundry and menstruation hygiene products from Generation Good.

Moms Meet I love Moms meet, but I haven’t been getting a lot of stuff from them as of late. Read my post here telling you all about Moms Meet and their awesome sampling programs.

Screen Shot 2018-04-29 at 10.58.50 PM.pngSocial Nature is different. Sign up for food or beauty products that you’d like to try (they are in both the US and Canada), and if you are selected, they’ll mail you a full sized product (or a coupon to get the item for free in a local store). Then after you try it, complete a survey and do a few social media shares ( FB, IG, Twitter, etc.). This year I’ve sampled: Vegan Miso Soup, Ocean’s Halo Ramen Broth (it was crazy good), Little Northern Bakehouse bread, Emerald Valley Kitchen Salsa, A. Vogel Herbed Sea Salt, and the biggest family fav: Hip Chick Farms chicken tenders!

Home Tester Club is pretty cool. They are one of my new favorites. You sign up to review items and they send you something. A lot of the time they don’t notify you prior to shipping, you’ll get a package in the mail and a few days later, you’ll get an email notifying you that you were selected and a link to the survey to complete once you have sampled the product. I’ve gotten a Changing Pad Cover, Flushable Wipes, Makeup Remover, and a moisturizer.

And that’s my most up-to-date list of the WOM marketing companies that I use and get free stuff from.  I recommend any and all of these companies!

If you’ve got another WOM Marketing company that you’d like to share, leave a comment!

 

 

 

Tax Day & Earth Day Freebies!

0207e888b0d42795291d2b65c42bc1e8.jpgLet’s be honest… Most of us have already done our taxes, gotten our refunds and spent them. For some of you, you are waiting until the last second.

Regardless of your status, we can all agree that free is good. Here is a list of freebies that are available this week.

Free Hot Dog on A Stick (or Veggie Dog) 4/17/18

If you live near a Hardee’s: Free Sausage Biscuit at Hardee’s  (Carl’s Jr. isn’t participating.. Sorry West Coasters).

National “Chill out Day”! Free Kona Shaved Ice on April 17th From their webpage, “Our motto is “No taxation without relaxation!” It’s free shaved ice for all of working America on Tax Day. Come chill out with us!”

Now I’ve heard that there are some Chick-Fil-A locations that are giving away free 3 count Chicken Minis.. I’ve emailed some people I know that do PR for CFA and I’ll post when I get confirmation/denial.

Now in some states you can’t specifically say the freebie is for tax day (some laws about the freebie being a bribe or gift for doing your taxes), so they may just be freebies. And not all of these are available every area, so you may want to check before you leave home.

Other Freebies this week that I don’t necessarily think are Tax Day Freebies, more like Earth Day (on 4/22) Freebies:

5 Lbs of free shredding at Office Depot or Office Max

Staples – Free 1 lb. of document shredding

National Parks – Free entrance days on 21st
Ikea:  4/21 & 4/22: Each day, the first 200 IKEA FAMILY members to show their membership card will receive a free gift! (One per customer per day.)

Saturday SNAJDA laundry bag
Sunday STAJLIG multifunction hanger
Saturday and Sunday Talanda milk chocolate bar or Talanda dark chocolate bar

 

Screen Shot 2018-04-15 at 9.22.17 PM.pngNOT FREE, but Gift with Purchase…. Disney Stores Go green! Get a FREE reusable tote bag with any purchase on Earth Day, April 22nd, at any Disney store location.

 

Now in past years that have been more freebies, but like so many things, those days have passed. If you plan on taking advantage of any of these dales/freebies, maybe do some other free stuff on the way. Visit a park, go for a walk, or if you are at the mall, duck into See’s Candy for a free sample. Heck, if you are at Ikea and are a Family Rewards Member, go upstairs to the Cafe and get your free cup of Coffee!!

Find (Frugal) Family Fun in Your Community

xmas eve 013.JPGSummer vacation is on the horizon, and that means that there will be choruses of, “I’m bored!”

Having a kid who has ADHD and ASD, I frequently hear that lament after school (like, before we even pull out of the school parking lot in the afternoon) complete with body slump and flailing of arms.  To combat this, I’ve assembled a list of events that can keep kiddos entertained with little to no cost.

Everyone knows about their local, neighborhood parks for free fun outside, but don’t forget your local libraries and community centers for sources of free fun!

Our local library has events after school (starting at 3pm) for kids grades K-3, including:

  • Read with Grandma Marcia ~ Every Tuesday
  • Kids Exploration Day ~ 2nd Wednesday of the month
  • LEGO Club ~ 3rd Wednesday of the month
  • Creative Play ~ Each Saturday from 10:30-11:30 am. Children learn through play! Meet new friends and have fun while developing early learning skills. Geared for ages 5 and under (but they are not strict with it- as long as the kids behave).

With all of these activities, a responsible adult must be present and participate.

Check out your local library’s website.

San Diego County Libraries

San Diego City Libraries

Screen Shot 2018-04-14 at 6.38.53 PM.pngIf you have a Starwood Mall nearby you (Here in San Diego, Parkway Plaza is a Starwood property), check out their kids club called MallStars. From the Parkway Plaza website, “MallStars Kids Club offers exclusive kid friendly events in a safe, community environment, throughout the year. MallStars Kids Club is a FREE kids club open to kids 10 years of age and younger.

The program features exclusive, kid-friendly events for its members throughout the entire year. MallStars members also receive free giveaways; a quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and special offers; as well as priority registration and exclusive invites to mall events.”

Last Month we got to make pizzas, and learn how to roll out dough with friends at Fuertes NY Pizza!

My kiddos love the beach- I know not everyone has the beach near them, but if you do- take advantage!  Google your favorite beach and Tide Chart and find out when low tide it. Low tide is the perfect time to hunt for shells. If you are in San Diego, or will be visiting this summer, check out Coronado for the SS Monte Carlo. It’s a sunken ship that is visible and explorable at low tide.

If you have a YMCA membership, check out their free programs for members. Our local Y has Open Gym three times a week, plus a mommy and me craft time for little kids, and lots of other fun programs that are included in our monthly dues. If you are interested in checking out the YMCA but are lacking funds, I encourage you to visit your local Y and ask about scholarships or financial aid.

I also find lots of local events and free fun stuff by checking the “Events You May Like” section on Facebook Events.

Talkback: I’d love to hear what kinds of free (or cheap) fun stuff your family does!

Friday Freebies!

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It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for some freebies! Now that school is back in session and we’re all healthy- I’ll be posting more often!

Here is a fairly extensive list of Freebies. There are all kinds of goodies. This is a nationwide list, so some of the stores are not in our area. Here are just a few of my favorite freebies:

What is your favorite freebie?