Summer Movie Deals for 2024!

One of the kid’s favorite summer activities is to hit up the local theater for a showing of one of their favorite movies.

Big buckets of popcorn, snuck in candy (shhhh), and a drink and they are ready for 2 hours of fun in the Air Conditioning.

In my search for theater chains offering this fun this summer, several of our old friends are not participating as of the writing of this post.

Select Reading Cinemas will have the Reel Kids program, where throughout the summer (June-August) there will be kid-approved movies for the reduced price of $1/ticket!

And perhaps my kids’ favorite,Regal Summer Movie Express is back! Express tickets are just $1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays featuring summer movies the whole family will enjoy. Availability varies by location. My kids are excited to see Puss in Boots, Across the Spider-verse, and Angry Birds 2.

AMC has nothing planned per their website, but they do offer discounts for students and the elderly.

Cinemark (No locations near us) has 8 weeks of Movie Fun planned. More Details can be found here.

Talk Back: What summer movies are you looking forward to seeing?

2024 Summer Reading Programs!

Summer break from school means summer reading programs from the local library systems, plus a few other places.

Here are a few of our favorite summer reading programs. I’ve listed the prizes that I could find, but at the time this post was published, not all of the prizes were known.

Unless specifically stated, the programs start June 1st.

Book It has a summer program called Camp Book it, where kids can read, and earn free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut! Book It is the FAVORITE reading program in my house. parents can enroll their kids for the summer!

The City of San Diego Library system program has published its prizes this year, and lemme tell you, it’s pretty amazing.

Children (Ages 0- 11)

  • 1 Book
  • Pass for 2 for The San Diego Natural History Museum (the NAT)
  • Pass for 2 for The San Diego Model Railroad Museum
  • Pass for 2 for the San Diego Automotive Museum
  • Pass for 4 for The San Diego New Children’s Museum
  • Free 3 oz yogurt from Yogurtland
  • Free kid’s meal from Mendocino Farms
  • Free kid’s meal from Panda Express

Teens (Ages 12-17)

  • 1 Book
  • Pass for 2 for The San Diego Natural History Museum (the NAT)
  • Pass for 2 for The San Diego Model Railroad Museum
  • Pass for 2 for the San Diego Automotive Museum
  • Free 3 oz yogurt from Yogurtland

Adults (Ages 18+)

  • Free book at participating Friends of the Library Book Sales and Used Bookstores
  • Pass for 2 for The San Diego Natural History Museum (the NAT)
  • 1 reusable utensil kit

For more information or to sign up, click here

The County of San Diego Library summer reading program started June 1st. They have all sorts of prizes for kids and adults.

If you want your family to experience a multicultural world through reading, I  recommend PJ Library.  PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through 12 years old.

My kids love learning about faraway places and experiences different from their own. The PJ library books have opened their eyes to new holidays, customs, and ways of life.

Read Conmigo provides free books for kids by mail in Spanish and English to children ages preschool to fifth grade. They are only available to kids in CA, TX, and Florida. We used to receive the books, and they are ok, but my kids aren’t interested in learning Spanish. The books were super useful for me learning to read in Spanish (Beyond what Duolingo teaches).

Barnes and Noble have a summer reading program starting July 1st. More info here.

Dolly Parton has established the Imagination Library, it is available in select regions (sadly not available in San Diego California), and those who live in participating areas can receive one book for their kids every month via mail.

Weekly Freebies and Deals!

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here! Check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but there are additional resources outside my area.

Part of my kitchen is done, but the contractors are waiting on two cabinets. School is over in less than two weeks, and I am looking forward to my summer of fun with the kids.

Freebies:

Free Sample of L’Oreal Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Free Kokada Coconut Spread After Rebate
Free Grilling Cooking Classes at Williams Sonoma
Free Real Food From The Ground Up Snack Product After Rebate
Free Shark FlexBreeze Fan
Free Sample of Geaux Nuts White Chocolate Crunch
Free Museum Admission for Bank of America/Merril Lynch Cardholders – This Weekend
Free Prepare with Pedro: Disaster Preparedness Activity Book
Free Celsius Energy Drink at Select Stores
Domino’s is Giving Away $10 Million in Free Pizza
Free Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese at Select Retailers
Free Peace Out Limited-Edition Pride Acne Healing Dots
Free Screwdriver, Work Gloves, or Cable Ties at Harbor Freight
Free Tovolo Summer Freeze Party Pack
2 Free Bottles of Barcode Fitness Water After Rebate
Free Amazon Prime for Students for 6 Months
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Sample of NYX Marshmellow 10-In-1 Smoothing Primer
Free Safe Infant Sleep DVD
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s
Free Good Culture Probiotic Milk
Free Grill Gift Card Box Workshop at Home Depot
Free 5-Piece Scotch Porter Beard Collection Sample Set
Free OREO Movie Night Party Kit

 

Deals:

Covergirl Perfect Blend Pencil ONLY $0.79 (Reg $5.79)
Jordan Sneakers up to 50% Off with Extra 25% Off Coupon Code
Michael Kors up to 60% Off + New 25% Off Coupon, Purses start at $67!
Scott Toilet Paper 12-Pk ONLY $3 (Reg. $5)
Bic Flex 3 Razor ONLY $0.99 (Reg. $4.99)

5/11/2024 Weekend Freebies!

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but there are additional resources outside my area as well.

I packed up my kitchen this week, and the flooring will be here next week! I am so happy that my house will be put back together soon!

Freebies:

Free Jovial Truffle Mac & Cheese After Rebate
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Pear Foods Gourmet Spice Blend
Free Made By Dentists Stickers
Free Pack of Pampers Wipes Free & Gentle Offer
Free Celsius Energy Drink at Select Stores
Free Lil’ Gourmets Pouch After Rebate
Free Acne Balm Recovery Cream + $45 eGift Card
Free Donuts, Coffee & More with Krispy Kreme Dozen Days of Deals
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s
Free Monster Energy Drink at Pilot Flying J
Free Perrigo Store Brand Products – Includes Walmart Equate & Target Up&Up
Possible Free Ocean’s Halo Organic Seaweed Snack

Deals:

Kohl’s Mother’s Day Gifts as low as $10 + Free Store Pickup
Did You get The 40% Off Kohl’s Coupon?
Shaving Kit 50% Off Pay ONLY $4.50 + Free Shipping
Mother’s Day Jewelry Sale as low as $6 or Less at Kohl’s + Free Store Pickup

5/22/2024 Full Spectrum Soccer Clinic at Santee Sportsplex!

If you have a friend or family member with social, emotional, of physical special needs ages 5-20, this event looks like a great night out!

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 6-8pm at the Santee Sportsplex there is a Full Spectrum Soccer Clinic.

The event is free, however, the Sportsplex does have a $3 per 18+ entrance fee.

For more information, check out the graphic on this post. I found this information via email from my kids’ school. Googling the contact name and phone number didn’t give me any additional information or a website, so I’m unsure which organization sponsors this event.

JCPenneys has a New Rewards Program!

Y’all know I love JCP.

They have amazing sales and deals, their towels are my favorite. They have clothing for the entire family, even tall sizes. We’re a tall family, and JCP is a go to for pants for all of us.

They’ve revamped their rewards program, and it’s looking pretty sharp.

Check it out:

  • The fastest way to earn points is to have a JCP or JCP Mastercard! Earn 1.5 points for every $1.00 spent at JCP or 1 point for every $5 spent at other merchants if you have a JCP Mastercard! If you use a different payment method, you will receive 1 CashPass Point for each $1 spent on a qualifying purchase up to the Point Maximum.
  • 200 Points is a $10 CashPass Reward!
  •  $10 JCPenney CashPass Reward (200 points) will be added to your Rewards Program account on your Birthday (requires member provide Birthdate within their JCPenney Rewards account.)
  • With each purchase at JCPenney stores, simply provide the phone number or email address linked to your JCPenney Rewards account at checkout to ensure earned CashPass points are assigned to your profile.
  • When shopping online, sign in to your jcp.com account before checking out on jcp.com to earn CashPass points on your purchase.

More questions can be answered on the JCP FAQ page here.

If you are new to JCP Rewards, sign up here and score a $10 CashPass just for signing up!

Great Deal on General Mills Cereals at CVS!

This deal was in effect last week too, and I took advantage of it. Now through 4/27, you can score selected sizes and varieties of General Mills cereal at CVS for just $1.99 each!

And the deal gets better-

There is a $1.00/2 coupon you can load to your CVS card!

There is also a $1.00/2 rebate available on Ibotta and Shopminium (you cannot combine them).

Here is how I did the deal, and I used the self-checkout.

Transaction 1:

Buy two General Mills Cereals, $1.99/each $3.98
Use $1/2 coupon on card
Pay out of pocket (or roll CVS extra care bucks): $2.98
Redeem the Ibotta Rebate for $1/2
Final Out of pocket: $1.98/2 or .99/each

Transaction 2:
Buy two General Mills Cereals, $1.99/each $3.98
Pay out of pocket (or roll CVS extra care bucks): $3.98
Redeem Shopminium Rebate for $1/2
Final Out of pocket: $2.98/2 or $1.49/each

That’s 4 boxes of cereal for $1.24/each. For reference, the same-sized box of Reeces Puffs cereal I bought at CVS is $4.39 at Target.

Don’t forget to add your receipts to Mypoints/Swagbucks, Fetch (They frequently have bonus offers for General Mills Products), Receipt Hog, Receipt Pal, and Receipt jar for extra points/cash back.

If you are new to some of these apps, check out my Save with Smartphones page here. Some of these apps have bonus points when you sign up with my referral code (and I earn some points too!).

Save $$ on Prescriptions with SingleCare!

I am all about saving money any way I can, y’all know this! Everyone in our house has at least two daily prescription meds. It seriously adds up. That’s why I was excited to learn about SingleCare.

SingleCare is a free service that helps you save money on your prescriptions. Sign up with SingleCare and receive a free prescription discount card and new users receive a $3 Off Coupon on the first eligible prescription you fill, just for signing up.

SingleCare offers discounts on 10,000+ brand-name and generic drugs. Save up to 80% on the retail or “cash” price.

Next time you fill a prescription, tell your pharmacist you have a SingleCare coupon card, and ask them to fill and process your prescription with it. They’ll input the magic numbers and apply your savings.

To get started saving with SingleCare, sign up for a free card here.

 

4/20/2024 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but there are additional resources outside my area as well.

I packed up my kitchen this week, and the flooring will be here next week! I am so happy that my house will be put back together soon!

Freebies:

Free Sample of ILONA Beauty Vaporwear Live Streaming Moisture
Free Ladybug Zip Pouch Bag at Natural Grocers
Free Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese at Select Retailers
Free CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Sample
Free Givenchy Irresistible Eau de Parfum Sample
Possible Free Full-Size BONKERS Cat Treats
Free Sample of NYX Marshmellow 10-In-1 Smoothing Primer
Free Perfect Bar After Rebate
Possible Free 6-Pack of Aura Bora Herbal Sparkling Water
Free Winged Wellness Product at Target After Rebate
Free Children’s Board Books in English & Spanish
Free Sample of Stem & Root Melatonin-Free Sleep Supplements
Free OrganicGirl Greens Salad After Rebate
Free Plant at Lowe’s
Free Sample of e.l.f. SKIN Youth Boosting Retinoid Serum
Free Cookie at Insomnia Cookies thru 4/22
Free Real Food From The Ground Up Snack Product After Rebate
Verizon Up Rewards – Possible Free $56 Fandango Super Ticket Code
Free Nike Products
Possible Free Keebler Sandies Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Free Chomps Stick at Target After Rebate
Free Box of Earth Breeze Eco Sheets After Rebate
Free Air Wick Plug in Scented Oil Advanced Gadget
Free Good Culture Probiotic Milk
Free $5 Shop Cash
Free Earth Day Craft Event at Pottery Barn Kids – Today
Free Garden Cart Planter Craft for Kids at Lowe’s
Unlock Free Disney Movie Insiders Points with Promo Codes Today
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free $10 for Signing up for JCPenney Rewards
Possible Free Hellmann’s Sandwich Plushie
Free LEGO Creativity Workshops – Sign Up Now
Now Hiring Product Testers – Get Your Name on the List
Free 2024 National Parks Entrance Days
Free Fries Every Friday at Wendy’s

Deals:

L’Oreal Elvive ONLY $1.50 (Reg. $5.49)
Vitamins & Supplements BOGO Free on Amazon
Melissa and Doug Toys up to 80% Off
Aeropostale Graphic Tees Buy 1 Get 2 FREE – Like $8.32 Each
Free La Colombe Coffee
Style & Co Women’s Boots as low as $9.93 at Macy’s
Revlon Nail Polish ONLY $0.79 (Reg $5.79)
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) ONLY $89 (Reg $129)
DSW Shoes $10, $20 and $60 Off Coupon Code + Free Shipping
Up to 50% Off Makeup at Ulta
Cooks 6-Qt Stainless Steel Slow Cooker ONLY $22.49 (Reg $50)
 Kate Spade Lucy Medium L-Zip Wristlet ONLY $39 (Reg $139)
Crocs Two for $50 Sale
Kohl’s Jewelry up to 90% Off
Sephora Beauty Products up to 80% Off at Kohl’s

Recipe: Banana chocolate chip muffins

I made these muffins after I discovered some overly ripe bananas chilling on the counter last weekend.

These are made with Kodiak Flapjack mix instead of AP flour. This gives the recipe a little more protein and a little more filling.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
  • 6 tablespoons oil/fat of your choice (melted butter, coconut oil, avocado oil)
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark, your choice)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk of choice 
  • 1.5 cups Kodiak Flapjack Mix
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice
Nutritional Information Courtesy of Fitness Pal

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Line muffin tin cups with cupcake liners.
  3. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except flapjack mix and chips with an electric mixer.
  4. Once the wet ingredients are fully combined, blend in flapjack mix.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Evenly distribute batter into lined tin wells.
  7. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick/knife comes out clean after inserted into muffins.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This recipe is not vegan. Kodiak Flapjak mix contains milk ingredients.