kids

Free Event This Saturday! 17th San Diego International Children’s Film Festival

Abby H.

This weekend is the 17th San Diego International Children’s Film Festival.

After an exciting festival opening, last Sunday at Comic-Con International Special Edition, the 17th annual San Diego International Children’s Film Festival continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at the San Diego Central Library downtown, 330 Park Blvd.

There will screen dozens of short films from around the world – animation, live-action, and documentary. These films are good for all ages, from toddlers through teens and beyond. See the complete film schedule at www.childrensfilmsd.org

Admission is free for everyone, and you don’t need tickets. Just show up anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and enjoy the films in the library’s beautiful Neil Morgan Auditorium on the ground level. If you have a moment, please register your planned attendance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/206726182577. There will also be some fun giveaways at the event!

Porchlight Community Holiday Toy Swap – Reuse, Reduce, Give Love!

Abby H.1 Comment

Our friends over at Porchlight Community are hosting a toy swap on December 11, 2021. 

ToySwap – Bring your gently loved toys to swap out. Save our environment, Save Money, Donate and Help Charity!

About this event:

  • Walk away feeling great about contributing to your community while having fun with no financial worry.
  • Any leftover items will be donated to other local nonprofits.
Where: 8888 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite B, 92123
When: 9 am to 11:30 am
Toy Drop-off: Thursday 10am to 6 pm
How it works:
  • Drop off a box or manageable box of clean, gently used, or new toys.*Must be in good condition and have no missing parts. Electronics must come with batteries to test working conditions.
RSVP via Eventbrite here

Free Food Resources for December 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means that it’s time for the monthly update of free food resources in San Diego.

With over 20 holidays and celebrations taking place in December, there is plenty of need. Here are a few Christmas/Holiday events where free toys/food are available.

Some food banks and charities will have extra distributions this month.

Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions.

You can still find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for November 2021 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide). The San Diego Foodbank website also has resources for Diaper banks, free food resources for seniors, and more.

All kids in public school K-12 in the State of California are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches at school. More information can be found here. 

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

Flagship Research: Juvenile Diabetes Study, $975 for parent & child

Abby H.

I receive emails from Flagship Research with information about various studies, and this one is a great way to help others (and potentially your kids) if someone in your family has type 1 (also called Juvenile) Diabetes.

Flagship Research has been asked to invite young people, age 6-11, who have diabetes to participate in a study starting the week of the 6th of December.

Participants will need to be available for 6 and a half hours and will be paid $975 for their help in the research.  They also have a travel allowance.

If you are interested, please fill out the pre-screener survey here. If you qualify, someone from Flagship Research will be in touch with you.

 

 

Recipe: Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Abby H.1 Comment

I don’t really like Cracker Barrel, and there isn’t one close to us, but these potatoes are delish. In some places, these are called Funeral Potatoes. While doing my weekly meal prep this morning, I realized I had all the ingredients and decided to make a pan. It’s a great side dish for any holiday event. I improved it a bit as well.

I’ve included substitutions to make it vegan below.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Serves 6-10

Ingredients:

  • 1 large bag frozen hashbrowns, defrosted
  • 1 can condensed cream of soup (I used cream of mushroom because I have a vegetarian in the house, other people use cream of chicken)
  • 8oz sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar, but Colby jack is good too), divided
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1T. butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
After being baked. It was..sampled.

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees, Spray a 9×11 baking dish with spray release.
  2. In a small pan, saute onions in butter until translucent- about 5-10 minutes.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, hashbrowns, and sauteed onions.
  4. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish, top with remaining cheese.
  5. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
  6. Serves 6 as a main dish or up to 10 as a side dish.

This casserole is great reheated and is good for up to 3 days in the fridge, but it won’t last that long.

Vegan substitutions: In lieu of dairy sour cream and cheddar cheese, use your favorite vegan brand. In place of soup, use your favorite white sauce and 1/4 cup diced mushrooms. Saute onion in your favorite spread or oil. If you need a good white sauce recipe, there are directions in this recipe.

AO Opinions: Upcoming Toy Study $150

Abby H.

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study for Parents of children ages 1-6 for a study about toys.

To be considered, please complete the pre-screener survey here.

 

Compensation: $150 (if chosen)

Date: Tuesday November 16th or Wednesday November 17th 2021 Multiple times available each day

Free Food Resources for November 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means that it’s time for the monthly update of free food resources in San Diego.

With Thanksgiving later this month, make sure to check your local distributions or Food Banks to see if there is a turkey or ham giveaway. In the past, the Santee Food Bank has had a drawing for those who visit early on in the month to receive a voucher for a free turkey from the local Grocery Outlet.

With supply chain issues and truck driver shortages, many of last month’s distributions were mainly canned or shelf-stable goods. Fingers crossed that food banks will start receiving more fresh goods.

You can still find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for November 2021 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide). The San Diego Foodbank website also has resources for Diaper banks, free food resources for seniors, and more.

All kids in public school K-12 in the State of California are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches at school. More information can be found here. 

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

10/31/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgTHE FRIDGE IS WORKING. I repeat, the fridge is working.

I’m not holding my breath, but for now.. I’m hitting up Grocery Outlet this week for condiments (oh how I’ve missed mustard and pesto), and the meal planning is back on!

I’m looking forward to cooking meat! And having ice cream in our freezer!

Beyond that, I’m looking forward to having produce in the fridge that I can cook all week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and you can find them for sale here on my Etsy Store.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. The Ancient Grain bagels from Einstein Bros. are the current family favorite. I pick them up on Mondays when a dozen is only $7. I slice them and freeze them to keep them from going bad too quickly.

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year, but so far, there is nothing on the menu that appeals to the kids.

Dinner: This week I’m planning a freezer and fridge restock, so we’ve got a lot of yummy stuff planned! And baking- I’m planning some tasty baked goods this week too!

  • Monday: Nuggets, fresh fruit (green grapes and bananas are on tap), cheese and crackers
  • Tuesday: Salsa chicken, rice, beans, and roasted veggies
  • Wednesday: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, popovers, meatloaf, and mashed taters
  • Thursday:  Fritatta, fresh fruit, garlic bread
  • Friday: take out
  • Saturday: leftovers (I’ll probably repurpose the leftover salsa chicken into quesadillas for me and the girl kiddo)
  • Sunday: breakfast for dinner – It’s pretty popular at my house.

Please stay safe you guys!

Celebrate Halloween with Rubio’s “Booritos”!

Abby H.

Hey friends! Are you looking for a tasty meal on Halloween before you dive into huge piles of candy?

Check out this awesome deal from Rubio’s!

It’s all about the Halloween treats at Rubio’s, when every Boorito on the menu is just $6.99 all day on October 31.

Simply bring the coupon: https://www.rubios.com/coupons/halloween-boorito to any of Rubio’s participating locations, or use code BOORITO when placing an order online at Rubios.com or on the Rubio’s App.

Guests in California, Arizona, and Nevada can get any burrito for $6.99, from responsibly sourced seafood to USDA choice steak and all-natural chicken raised without antibiotics, to vegetarian options. Favorites include the Ancho Citrus Shrimp Burrito, Wild Alaska Salmon Burrito, Burrito Especial with all-natural chicken, California Burrito with USDA choice steak, or the Bean & Cheese Burrito, just to name a few.

I’m looking forward to a veggie boorito myself. mmm.

Langostino Lobster fans won’t want to miss special fall entrees, including the Puerto Nuevo Burrito made with Langostino Lobster, the Langostino Lobster Bowl, and the Langostino Lobster two taco plate.

Rubio’s locations are open for dine-in, and guests may also order online, or through the app, for contact-free curbside or express pickup, or delivery. For more information and to view the menu, visit Rubio’s, Facebook, and Instagram.

10/26/2021 Weekly Meal Plan and Life Update

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe are starting week FIVE with no full-size fridge and no freezer. Still living that #coolerlife.

We are still waiting for our fridge to get fixed. They’ll be out with the parts on 10/30/2021. Never buy anything from Sears or American Freight (formerly Sears Outlet). Seriously, this has been a nightmare.

The CSA Box came yesterday and I did some light meal prep. I’ll post pics on Insta later today with info about our fun meal prep for lunches this week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and you can find them for sale here on my Etsy Store.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. The Ancient Grain bagels from Einstein Bros. are the current family favorite. I pick them up on Mondays when a dozen is only $7. I slice them and freeze them to keep them from going bad too quickly.

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year, but so far, there is nothing on the menu that appeals to the kids.

Dinner: Until this fridge debacle is over, I won’t be doing any meal prep beyond the stuff in the CSA box. We’re trying to eat up as much of the produce as possible. We’re eating a lot of salads early week, and more hardy stuff (roasted potatoes and baked apples with grilled cheese and soup) towards the end of the week, with our usual Friday night takeout. I want a new fridge- I miss bacon!

  • Monday: fresh fruit, rotisserie chicken, bread and butter
  • Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup with veggies
  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fresh fruit, salad
  • Thursday: Roasted veggies tossed with pasta and pesto
  • Friday: take out
  • Saturday: leftovers
  • Sunday: breakfast for dinner (pancakes, eggs, fruit salad)

Please stay safe you guys!