fun

Free Bowling for Kids This Summer!

Abby H.1 Comment

file0001910298986.jpgLooking for something fun, air-conditioned, and cheap to do this summer? Yeah, you are!

Kids Bowl Free has been around for years, and it’s a great way to get kids active even when it’s hot outside.

Kids (usually ages 2-18, but it varies by location) can bowl 2 games for free each day the program is running at participating bowling centers. All you pay for is shoe rental- or if you are like us, you’ve got a pair of bowling shoes (thanks to the local AmVets thrift store that had them last year for $5/pair).

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This program is available all over the US and Canada. The complete list can be found here. Sign up is quick and easy. To get started, register here.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of this deal! It’s one of our favorite summer activities.

 

2019 Free Meals this Summer for Kids!

Abby H.3 Comments

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Like last year, I’m still pulling together resources at the time that this is published, and I’ll be adding additional sites as soon as I can.

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.

For any of these opportunities, there is NO PROOF OF INCOME OR PROOF OF NEED REQUIRED. You take your kiddos, show up at a location near you during the lunch period (each location sets its own hours), and the kids get a yummy, healthy lunch for free. Menus vary, but all lunches meet USDA guidelines for a healthy lunch (think of the food pyramid).

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).

Screen Shot 2019-06-01 at 1.52.03 PM.pngFor those of us in Eastern San Diego County, Cajon Valley School District sponsors free lunches!

Menus will probably be available in the next few weeks. Last Summer every Friday was pizza day! And there are usually vegetarian options daily for those of you who have meat-free kiddos (previous options included bean, rice, and cheese burritos, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, cheese sandwiches, nut butter sandwiches, or Uncrustables)!

Last summer The El Cajon Library had lunch and activities (crafts, story time, etc) each day (Monday -Friday).

Screen Shot 2019-06-01 at 2.03.13 PM.pngSan Diego Unified School District has partnered with some awesome sponsors to host the Summer Fun Cafe 2019 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 Penn Athletic Field on 6/20/19 10:30am-2:00pm! There are all kinds of activities, community resources, and even free produce for families to take home!

Most locations will be serving lunch on June 17-August 16, 2019.

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?

  • There is a lunch location down at the Waterfront Park- which is also free (You have to pay to park at the meters)! It has a great playground and a splash area.
  • The Tierrasanta Rec Center has a cool kids splash ground that’s open early in the day. It’s not free, but it’s pretty cheap ($2/ kid, $4/adult).

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!

If you aren’t in the immediate San Diego area, text FOOD  (Or COMIDA for a list in Spanish) to 877-877, or call 211 and you can find a list of free summer lunch locations near you.

 

Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

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Free Samples, Food, and Events:

Free Magazine Subscriptions:

Summer Reading Program at San Diego Area Libraries!

Abby H.

Summer is upon us! And that means summer reading program at both San Diego County and City of San Diego Libraries!

Screen Shot 2019-05-16 at 5.49.13 PM.pngThe County of San Diego Library System has not yet put up their 2019 reading program. But their main website is here and las years summer reading program can be found here. I’m going to go talk to the kid’s librarian over at our local branch this weekend and see if I can get some info to post.

srp_2019_web_bannerThe City of San Diego Library System has its 2019 reading program up here.

Each program is different, and the prizes for each program are pretty cool. From tote bags and free lunches, to raffle tickets to win awesome grand prizes like drones and Lego sets, these programs are a great way to motivate kids to keep reading all summer long.

In addition to reading programs, there are also fun events at county and city libraries throughout the summer. My recommendation is to check out your local branches Facebook page. The Mission Valley branch has tons of great summer events planned!

 

 

Family Event: Queen Bee Market – Spring Shopping Expo 4/26-4/27!

Abby H.

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Looking for some fun shopping this weekend? Head up to the Del Mar Fairgrounds and get ready to shop and support local, small businesses!!

Have you ever wished Etsy was a real store, filled with talented artisans and specialty crafts you could shop for in person? North County natives and sisters, Allison Gharst and Kellie Dooley, the owners behind Queen Bee Market, take that idea and turn it into reality. The two-day shopping expo takes place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 and will feature nearly 100 hand-selected artisans, including local and regional crafters. And, entry is only $3!

Queen Bee Market _Sketchy Notions.jpgKellie and Allison, took over operations and ownership of Queen Bee Market in 2015 after participating as vendors for several years. Both mothers themselves, they first got their start selling products on Etsy. Now, they hand-select each of the vendors that showcase at Queen Bee Market,

A few of the standouts for the April event include Bare Naked Botanicals, a line of artisanal vegan skin and body care; Momma Pots, maker of handmade and hand-painted concrete pots; Lu+Elle, a line of handmade bags; Chalk Couture, a chalk-centric line of DIY home décor; Blessed Little Bird, maker of customizable jewelry and trinkets; and more.  A full list of vendors is available at Queen Bee Market,

Queen Bee Market_Shoppers Browse Burma Boutique.jpgBut it’s more than shopping… Aside from all the spring shopping opportunities, Queen Bee Market will also offer interactive make-and-take stations and workshops where you can learn how to create your own hand-stamped jewelry, personalized chalkboard and how to blend essential oils to keep pets healthy and pest-free, among others.

Each Queen Bee Market event selects a local charity to support. This event will support the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank with on-site donation barrels to collect non-perishable food items and a virtual food drive where people can securely donate funds before they arrive at the market. Shoppers who donate five items will receive a Queen Bee Market shopping card worth 10 percent off their purchase at the expo. Not sure what kind of food items the food bank needs? Check out my post here with a list of items that are commonly requested.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Coming to DVD & Blu-Ray on May 7th!! (Giveaway) #WBSponsored

Abby H.15 Comments

The Lego Movie 2 The Second Part 2D.JPGDisclosure: Warner Bros. supplied me with a free copy of The Lego Movie2: The Second Part for my family. All opinions are my own.

Everything is AWESOME! We are HUGE fans of anything Lego, so when I found out that The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part was coming out on DVD & Blu-Ray on May 7th, I told the kids and we decided: MOVIE PARTY!

If you can’t wait until 5/7, you can buy a digital-only copy on starting April 16th! “The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part” will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others.

If you aren’t “in the know”, Here’s the movie synopsis:

It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are now facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than it can be rebuilt. The battle to defeat the invaders and restore harmony to the LEGO universe will take Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett) and their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds, including a galaxy filled with fantastic planets, strange characters, and catchy new songs. It will test their courage, creativity and Master Building skills, and reveal just how special they really are.

And of course, there are special features… The kids and I love the special features from the Lego Batman Movie, so I’m sure the special features on The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part will be just as awesome. They include:

  • Everything is Awesome Sing-along – Sing-along, trivia, games and more!
  • Commentary – Fun behind the scenes commentary by filmmakers​
  • They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2​ – Featurette highlighting A-list voice talent including Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Tiffany Haddish
  • Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short – Holiday themed animated short
  • LEGO Sets in Action – Animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2
  • LEGO Designers – LEGO toy designers highlight key play sets in TLM2 product line
  • Outtakes & Deleted Scenes – Never before seen scenes
  • Super Cool Music Video – Music video by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island
  • Promotion Spots – Fun custom spots featured during the theatrical campaign

 

And because everything is AWESOME, our friends at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment want to give a DVD of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part to one of my readers!

Entering is easy! Leave a comment on this blog post with your favorite Lego Memory. It could be building Legos as a child, with your kids, visiting Legoland, or going to see The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (or any other Lego Movie) in theatres. I’ll choose a winner at random on May 4th.

 

 

 

#TheLEGOMovie2

Spring Break in San Diego!

Abby H.

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Spring break is upon us, and I know that without a plan, I’d go nuts for two weeks. Here are some of the adventures we plan on getting into:

Legoland: There is a new 4-D Movie, based on the popular Lego City cartoons! You can check out a preview here. Plus the usual fun stuff, and of course Granny’s Apple Fries. YUM.

Balboa Park: As we have two weeks off, that gives us two opportunities to enjoy two Resident Free Days down at Balboa Park. If you can’t get down to Balboa Park on a free Tuesday, you should definitely make it down for the new exhibits and films down at The Nat. 

Tide Pools: The Pacific Ocean is still too cold to swim in during April, but it’s never too cold to explore the Tide Pools. My favorite Tide Pool is at Cabrillo National Park. Here is a list of the 6 best Tide Pools in San Diego.

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The Big kid and his friends at the Tierrasanta Pool back when he was a little guy.

Swimming: While the ocean may be cold, our local pools are not. The Cameron Family YMCA has a great children’s splash pad/pool, The Ned Baumer Pool in Mira Mesa has a kids pool/splash pad, and the Tierrasanta Pool has a fun splash pad for littler kids.

San Diego Zoo: As I’m sure most of you are aware, the Pandas are going back home to China at the end of April (April 27th to be exact). I’ll be taking the kids to the zoo at least once to say goodbye to the pandas and see the other animals. But, no trip to the Children’s Zoo Playground. The Children’s Zoo is closed while they remodel the area.

Play dates at the Park: We’ll be playing with our friends at the park, investigating the creeks, and doing crafts with our friends. I’ve ordered a couple craft kits, including a suncatcher kit, and a Bouncy Ball making kit.

Being Lazy at Home: I can’t be expected to run all over town for 2 weeks, right? We’ll for sure have (at least) one day at home where we will hang out in our PJ’s, eat popcorn, and watch movies.

Talk Back: If you haven’t already had your spring break, what will you be doing?

April 11 is National Cheese Fondue Day!

Abby H.9 Comments

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Who doesn’t love cheese? Ok, so vegans and those who are lactose intolerant, but the rest of us LOVE cheese!

The Melting Pot is celebrating National Cheese Fondue Day April 8-11 with an awesome build your own fondue deal for just $12 per person.

Step 1 – Select Your Cheese Blend: Aged Cheddar and Emmenthaler or Gruyere, Raclette and Fontina or Butterkase and Fontina

Step 2 – Select Your Base: Lager Beer/Bouillon blend, White Wine, Vegetable Bouillon or Redbridge Gluten Free Beer

Step 3 – Select Up to 3 Add-Ins (additional items are $.50 per item): Brie, Feta, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Basil Pesto, Creole Mustard, Green Goddess, Salsa, Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Garlic, Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, Bacon, Jalapeno, Almonds, Walnuts, Asparagus, Artichokes, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Scallions, Shallots, and Diced Tomatoes.

Step 4: Select Your Seasonings: Black Pepper, Garlic & Wine Seasoning, Mustard Powder, Nutmeg, Tabasco, Worcestershire

Step 5 – Select Premium Add-Ins (Optional – $1.50 each) Serves 1-2:

Andouille Sausage, Salami, Prosciutto, Apricot Almond Orange Crackers,

Grilled Vegetables – Bell Peppers, Asparagus, Fingerling Potatoes

Roasted Vegetables – Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Zucchini

$12.00 per person*
All cheeses are served with artisan breads, seasonal fruits and veggies.
Choose one per cooktop. Vegan cheese available. See server for details.

*Price includes: cheese fondue for 1 and artisan dippers. Tax, gratuity and surcharge not included in price. Must order per person. Valid only on April 11, 2019. A 4% surcharge will be added to all Guest checks to help cover increasing costs and in our support of the recent increases to minimum wage and benefits for our dedicated Team Members.

To find your local location and book a table, click here.

If you want to celebrate National Cheese Fondue Day at home, here is my favorite Fondue recipe.

 

Talk Back: What’s your favorite cheesy dish? Do you like Fondue?

 

April is Autism Awareness Month: How You Can Help & Support Those in Your Life Touched by ASD!

Abby H.

ribbon-large.jpgIt’s been 3 years since our big guy was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We work hard each day to spread awareness and acceptance in our local community and circle of family/friends.

You or someone you know is effected by Autism, whether you know it or not.

If you are looking for more information about Autism support for you or family/friends, I recommend:

The Autism Society- They have links to local branches, where you can find local support groups for moms, dads, and siblings. Most branches have monthly meet ups and events. It’s a great way to meet parents who are in the same boat you are!

National Federation for Autism Research- Based in San Diego NFAR has many great resources, including monthly Mom and Dad meet ups, where you can have a hot meal, network with other Autism parents, and listen to a speaker. They also have a fun program for kids 2-8 called Engage & Connect at Kid Ventures in San Diego.

Screen Shot 2019-03-29 at 11.56.08 AM.pngIf you are looking for a fun way to meet other special needs families and do a fun activity, iFly has a great All Ability Night. The San Diego location has it’s all Ability night on June 2, 2019.

Easterseals also offers assistance to families with kids on the spectrum, including respite, and help for caregivers.

Finally, here is my post: 5 Ways you can Help a Special Needs Mom.

 

Upcoming Clothing Swaps!

Abby H.

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It’s time to start cleaning out the closets, dressers, and drawers! My favorite clothing swap is this weekend!

I love clothing swaps- it’s a great way to get gently worn clothes and other goods (I love looking for linens and new accessories), and get rid of the clothing your kids have outgrown.

The Skyline Swap is scheduled for March 30, 2019. I’ve got it in my calendar and I’ve started the bag of clothes to swap! It costs $2.00 to get in, kids under 12 are free. I have two huge bags in my garage ready to go!!

Porchlight Community is hosting a Clothing Swap on April 27th at their office in Clairemont.

And if you’ve got kids, Bethel Christian Assembly in Alpine is hosting a kids clothing, toy, and gear swap on June 8th.

And as always, here are a few other clothing resources:

Naomi’s Closet is located in Santee, and they provide clothing and toiletries to women in need.

The Sonrise Church in Santee has a clothing swap too! One for kids clothes, and another for women’s clothing. Miss Charity’s Closet & Little Blessings Boutique 2nd Saturday of every month at 9:00 am Contact Charity Murphy for more info clmurphy71@gmail.com

If you are looking for a group that hosts clothing swaps more frequently, check it out the Thread Bumpin’ Meet up Group. They host a monthly swap in OB area.

And Finally, the Closet of 54th isn’t a clothing swap per se, but they do help those in need with new to them clothes. They are open once a few times each month. You can find them on Facebook. They are located at the Calvary Lutheran Church, 3060 54th Street, San Diego, CA. Contact The Closet at thecloseton54th@gmail.com.

 

Talk Back:  I’d love to hear about other San Diego area clothing swaps that you know of! Favorite swaps and/or what your best score has been!