san diego

Finding Clothing Swaps in your area!

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps. It’s a great way to keep stuff out of landfills! And with how fast kids grow, it’s nice to share clothes with other families.

Since the pandemic started, there have been almost no clothing swaps, but slowly they are starting to come back. If you are looking for some swaps in your area, here are a few recommendations:

Check out Meetup. I’m a member of Thread Bumpin’, a clothing swap group in San Diego.  They post swap opportunities (swapertunities?) as they become aware of them, and various members host swaps as well.

If you are feeling brave, this article is full of ideas for hosting your own swap (not just limited to clothes).

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 kid’s 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

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!

BitMo: Shop New Brands and Earn Points!

Abby H.

Bitmo is an app that I don’t use too often, but when I do, I save money and it makes me feel good!

It’s an app that you can use to send and receive gift cards.

After you download the app, you connect your frequently used cards to your account. When you spend money at their supported retailers in-store, you earn points (similar to how Dosh works).

You can also earn rewards when you shop through the app at specific retailers, like a lot of other apps (Dosh and Ibotta to name a few).

And one other thing that Bitmo does is it donates 2% of your gifting spend (that’s how much you spend on gift cards for others) to a charity- there are currently eight, including the San Diego Zoo, Rady’s Children’s Hospital, Feeding America, and The Salvation Army.

Bitmo has added more stores where you can earn money when you shop in-store. Some of the new stores include Autozone, Big5 Sporting Goods, Circle K, Cub Foods, Dickey’s BBQ pit Dutch Bros. Coffee, El Pollo Loco, Flying J, Giant Food Stores, Shop Rite, Meijers, Piggly Wiggly, Jackin in the Box, and Joann’s Fabrics. Some of my favorite existing stores include Target, Starbucks, CVS, and Sprouts.

 

If you are new to Bitmo, you can earn  10,000 bonus points (that’s a $10 gift card) when you join, connects a card, and does a transaction. Bitmo runs referral bonuses a few times a year, but it’s usually for a $2-$5 Dunkin’ gift card or something small.

They are a San Diego, CA area business too. It’s cool to support local businesses, especially right now when a lot of small, local businesses could use the help.

Dream Dinners Flash Sale! Light and Lean Dinner Bundle!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love Dream Dinners. Check out this amazing deal- It’s only good through tomorrow, and it’s the perfect way to start the year off with easy, healthy meals.

Get nine delicious, healthy medium meals for just $185!

Order before 9am Friday, January 21, 2022, to get all nine under 450 calorie dinners from our January menu for just $185. This is a great way to jump-start your resolutions and try out some new recipes.

The Light and Lean Dinner Bundle* includes a medium of each of the following:

A Medium Meal feeds 2-3 adults (honestly, it’s usually 3+ in our house), so you’ll be getting 18-27 restaurant-quality meals for $185!

Our local store here in East County is La Mesa, run by Marsi and her friendly staff! Store Email: lamesaca@dreamdinners.com  Store Phone Number: 619-460-6800

**The Vegetable and Chickpea Curry over Coconut Rice is under 450 calories when not served with coconut rice, and the Greek Island Shrimp with Pasta is under 450 calories without the pasta. For some additional healthy side ideas, visit their blog at https://blog.dreamdinners.com/healthy-homemade-side-dishes-for-the-new-year/

Free Food Resources for January 2022(San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new year means new opportunities to find free food resources in San Diego County.

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.

Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.

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 January 2022 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.

Free Food at Faith Chapel throughout 2022!

Abby H.2 Comments

Pastor Josiah emailed this morning with some great news to share!

Faith Chapel will be having free food distributions on the 1st & 3rd Mondays throughout 2022 at 10:00am.

Faith Chapel
9400 Campo Rd.
Spring Valley, CA 91977

This is a drive-thru-style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. The types of food vary, but in the past, there has been milk, cheese, eggs, canned goods, seasonal fresh produce, shelf-stable dry goods (beans, pasta, etc.).

In addition to free food, there is also a boutique open to be shopped at during these distribution times. Everything in our boutique is FREE and available to any guests that come through. You can find everything from clothes to household furnishings, kitchenware, toys, etc.

To speed up the food lines, please RSVP here. 

ADA Foundation: Give Kids A Smile Program!

Abby H.1 Comment

This came into my email from the kid’s school yesterday.

Dental screenings, sealants, and fluoride varnish at no cost to families! Dental sealants and fluoride varnish are a safe and painless way to help present cavities. This program is for children 1-18 years of age at participating offices from February 14 – March 7, 2022. To find out more information, click here.

These services are done by appointment only. Find a list of participating dentists here.

Looking for a Holiday Gift? Give the Gift of a Stress-Free Meal!

Abby H.

There are some people who are impossible to shop for. They either have everything, or they don’t need/want stuff.  Well, I’ve got a great solution!

Everyone has to eat! Gift your family and friends near and far with easy, delicious meals from Dream Dinners. There is nothing better than filling their freezer with meals and giving them a break from the kitchen.

You have a couple options:

  • Have Dream Dinners Delivered: Ship four delicious dinners directly to their home. *Available in select states and zip codes.
  • Dinner for the Night: Add an extra meal or two to your monthly order to gift to friends and family.
  • Gift Card: Not sure what meals they would enjoy? A Dream Dinners gift card is the perfect solution.

And if you’ve never tried Dream Dinners, now is a great time! January time slots are filling up fast and there are a lot of great options in January’s menu (including lower-calorie options if part of your 2022 plans includes losing weight/eating less).

I’ll be writing more about Dream Dinners later this Month and into January. I’m really excited that they have more vegetarian options! If you are a San Diego, CA area local, keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page for more information about a Dream Dinners event in January at the location in La Mesa, CA. 

SDG&E: Save $500 on a new water heater!

Abby H.

Are you an SDG&E customer? Do you need a new water heater?

Energy Star

Now through 12/31/2021, SDG&E customers can save up to $500 instantly when you purchase a qualifying electric heat pump water heater, plus additional savings:

  • Energy Star
  • Save up to $350* per year on energy bills
  • Up to $3,750* in savings over the operational lifetime
  • Efficient and environmentally friendly

To take advantage of this deal:

  1. Visit sdge.com/rebates for eligible models and participating locations.
  2. Rebate will automatically be deducted during checkout.

Additional savings may be available through tax credits.

Check your eligibility before purchase.

*Based on the average family of four. ENERGY STAR®. March 19, 2020. US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy. See website for full details.

Offer is available only to SDG&E® residential customers. Coupons may only be redeemed for the product you preselected at the retail or distributor location chosen during coupon sign-up. Offers and deals differ by brand and by-product.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by SDG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Rebates and incentives are provided on a first-come, first-served basis until program funds are no longer available.

Free Craft Event at JCPenney for Kids- 12/11/2021

Abby H.

Heading to the mall this weekend? Check out this fun, free craft from JCPenney’s.

Visit the Kids Zone inside JCPenney and kids can decorate a holiday magnet.  Parents/Adults score a 10% off coupon, which can be combined with another coupon. JCP Coupons can be found here.

JCPenney hosts a fun craft event in store for kids on the second Saturday of each month.  They are easy for kids, and fun, free activity.

In-store events are only where local mandates allow.  All kids must be accompanied by an adult.

 

And looking forward to January 2022, check out this cute penguin craft:

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!