WOW! Have you seen this great giveaway? Flagship Cruises has partnered with Carnitas’ Snack Shack, USS Midway, The New Children’s Museum and San Diego Parks and Recreation for a fun Cruise, Eat and Play Giveaway!
There will be 3 winners at random who will each receive:
Enter here now through July 10, 2019.
This week, there are a bunch of cool freebies and deals. I’m digging all of the free Magazine subscriptions!
Samples:
Magazine Subscriptions:
In-store Events/Freebies:
Deals:
On June 22 from 10am-1pm, the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego and San Diego Family will be holding an All-Inclusive Read 3×3 Literacy Event: 3 Authors, 3 Hours, 3 Times the Fun at the San Diego Central Library.
San Diego Family Magazine is partnering with the San Diego Central Library @ Joan & Irwin Jacobs Common, Binford I CAN, Too! Center to promote literacy in kids from 0-10, put a free book in the hands of every child, teach empathy and compassion through stories and promote summer reading.
Every child that attends will receive a free book (while supplies last) donated by San Diego Family Magazine. We will have 3 authors (Salina Yoon, Sally J. Pla and Andrea Zimmerman) each read two of their books, followed by a craft for the kids.
The San Diego Central Library houses the Binford I CAN, Too! Center serving children with accessibility needs and their caregivers. The Binford I CAN, Too! Center offers access to technology, allowing patrons access to the following:
In addition to the technology and equipment, the Center also provides periodic programming for and about children with special needs. These programs provide children with the opportunities to socialize, learn and have fun. Additional resources include large print and braille books, Sensory Integration Kits for children on the autism spectrum, and parent resource materials.
I’m excited to take the kids to this event and check out the Binford I CAN, Too! Center this summer.
It’s here again… Summer Vacation. Soon we shall hear the sounds of sighs, the boredom, and the wailing about how there is nothing to do or eat.
Ya’ll can feel me, right? Ok, so here are some ways to beat the boredom without breaking the bank.
Kids Bowl Free All Summer! Just pay for bowling shoe rental!
Free Summer Lunches for kids– Lots of locations have events or activities nearby, so you can have fun and have a free lunch!
The splash ground at Santee Lakes is GREAT! It’s only $2.00 per kid to play and if you park outside the Santee Lakes, you don’t have to pay to park! Take a picnic and it’s a great frugal outing! We go at least once a week in the summer and it’s always
a GREAT time!
The Santee Lakes hosts free summer movies throughout the summer. If you park your car outside the gates (there is lots of street parking!), there is no cost of the movies. If you drive your car into the park, it’s $8.00 per car, regardless of how many ppl are in your car. Bring a picnic and some blankets and kick back for a fun family movie!
There are a bunch of municipal pools in San Diego that have open swim times, and a couple that have splash pads!
Most San Diego, CA area YMCA locations have fun events for kids a few Saturday nights per month. Our local Y does Kids Night at the Y twice a month. It’s only $20 per kid (Just a little more if you aren’t a member), and your kids go have fun for 4 hours. It’s cheaper than a sitter and a lot more fun!
Speaking of the YMCA- Most locations have pools, splash pads, or other aquatic fun, entrance is included with YMCA membership. If you aren’t a member, entrance fees are just a few dollars (it varies by location).
Balboa Park still offers Free Tuesdays at various museums in the park.
San Diego County Libraries have story time and various kid events each week. I love taking the kids to the Santee library story time!
El Cajon, La Mesa, and Escondido all have classic car shows/rallies each week that are free. Most have free live music too! Check out some sweet rides, cool tunes, and have a fun frugal night with the fam!
San Diego County has great parks, as do most of the cities in San Diego County! Our favorite parks include Big Rock Park in Santee, Kennedy Park in El Cajon, La Mesita/Junior Seau Park in La Mesa, Harry Griffin Park in La Mesa (great for little kids).
If you’ve got a Starwood Managed Mall Near you (We do- It’s Parkway Plaza), check out their fun kid’s events each month called: MallStars. There are different crafts, games, and sometimes even snacks for the kids (10 and under) to do! Times and locations within the mall vary, so check with mall management.
Talk Back: What kind of stuff do you do to keep your family entertained for free?
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).
For 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).
San 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?
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.
Summer is upon us! And that means summer reading program at both San Diego County and City of San Diego Libraries!
The 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.
The 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!
Mainly Mozart has a great trilogy of concerts this weekend at Bread and Salt in San Diego. The best part is that all three concerts are FREE. You need to register here for tickets.
Cello Meets Guitar
Friday, May 3 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights | 7:00pm – Concert
Crossing Borders
Sunday, May 5 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights | 2:00pm – Concert
Music, Inspiration, and Autism
Sunday, June 2 | Bread and Salt, Logan Heights |7:00pm – Concert
Mainly Mozart has a great series called Mozart & the Mind- and they are having an event on June 1st featuring Key Note Speaker- Temple Grandin. If you are a Regional Center Client, click here for information on how you can attend The June 1st or June 2nd Mozart & The Mind Symposium for free.
In honor of Día del Niño (Children’s Day), Cross Border Xpress (CBX) – the bi-national bridge connecting San Diego to the Tijuana International Airport – will be collecting toy donations for children in need as part of their “One Toy, One Smile” initiative.
To participate, users of the bridge can simply bring a new toy to the CBX San Diego ticket counter and, in exchange for their donation, receive one FREE southbound CBX ticket ($16 value). Donations will be accepted through April 28.
This year CBX pledged to donate 100 toys to Hospital Infantil de las Californias, a children’s hospital in Mexico, which will, in turn, give children a toy prior to medical procedures. Through the generous guest and staff donations last year, CBX was able to donate to multiple organizations in Tijuana, including Orphanage Emmanuel and Casa Morada del Niño Jesus. CBX aims to increase donations and expand to even more organizations this year.
Cross Border Xpress is located at 2745 Otay Pacific Drive, San Diego, CA 92154 (map).
Join me at the largest natural parenting convention EVER!
I can’t wait for MommyCon San Diego on November 23rd. MommyCon is being held at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley.
This multi-day event features amazing shopping, interactive workshops, inspirational speakers and so much more. I loved the goody bag that I got last year! And of course, no event for moms (and dads) is complete without a snack station with all kinds of tasty snacks and drinks from some of the sponsors.
To view the schedule, buy tickets and get more info go to MommyCon.com and use code “MTAH19” for 10% off!
Are you or a family member in the military? Check out their Military Ticket Program.
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!
Hewes Family Fun 