Fiona and her visit with The Vets

Special Thanks to Moms Meet and The Vets for selecting our family to be part of this campaign. While we did receive compensation for this campaign, all opinions expressed are my own.

Fiona, waiting for her vist (with a Tiktok filter)

If you follow me on social media, you know that our kitty Fiona is a chonk muffin. She, like most of us, has gained weight during the pandemic. And I’ve been a little concerned for her health, she’s also developed what sounds like a cough too.

Scheduling an appointment was super easy. It was all done online/via text, and it really helped ease my fears about getting Fiona to the vet. Wrangling a cat into a carrier, down the stairs, and into the car with two kids was not my idea of a good time.

Knowing that The Vets are staffed by full-time veterinarians and veterinary technicians that care only for cats and dogs in-home made me feel a lot better. The focus on pet parent education about animal health and wellness was great. Dr. Ngo and her vet tech Lea were amazing. They answered all of my questions about Fiona’s health, and got to the bottom of her “cough”. It turns out it was not cough but a reverse sneeze. She may be allergic to pollen (everything outside our house is blooming and dropping pollen like whoah right now). Now we have a plan of action to help mitigate her allergies.

Fiona is very “food motivated”, so Dr. Ngo used tiny treats to ease any fear and win Fiona over.

Getting Fiona’s vitals was a team effort. Much like human health care, The Vets use veterinary health care uses a device that takes the pet’s temperature via their ear, which was a relief to both Fiona and Margaret, who was a big help during the visit as well. She distracted Fiona with her favorite toys, gentle pets, and of course treats. Temptations are Fiona’s favorite.

We learned that when cats carry excess weight it can lead to diabetes, joint pain, and shortened life expectancy. We’ve already made some changes to her feeding schedule and the amount she receives daily, as she already eats “Old indoor fat kitty” food.

Getting Fiona on the scale was an exercise in patience. Treats and pets were used and she finally plopped herself onto the scale. I love that The Vets use digital scales and other modern tools to keep pets healthy.

Fiona got a wellness check from nose to tail, including listening to her heart and lungs, checking her teeth and mouth (yup she’s got teeth, and boy are they sharp!), looking in her ears, checking her nails and paws, checking her for lumps and bumps, and checking her peepers.

Overall she is a healthy girl. We received a prescription for Revolution Plus, which kills fleas before they lay eggs, kills ticks for a full month, prevents heartworm disease, and treats and controls roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites. While she is mostly an indoor girl, she does like to go outside with us, so it’s important we keep her a healthy girl.

Did you say “BATH”?

Fiona is getting a bath this weekend (shhh, don’t tell her), and after she is clean and dry we’ll apply the Revolution Plus between her shoulder blades and she’ll be all set for the next month.

If you’ve got a cat or dog at home and dragging them out to the vet for care is not your idea of a good time, or if you have pets that are nervous or anxious in the car, The Vets is a great resource for you and your pet. It was about the same price as an in-office visit to our local vet and much less stress on the entire family.  I would 100% recommend this service to any of my readers who have a cat or dog in their homes.

 

As always,  I only post about products and services I personally use and I feel are a good fit for my family and my readers. Please refer to my disclosure page. Thanks again to Moms Meet and The Vets.

 

Faith Chapel: 7/31/22 Backpack Giveaway!

This popped up in my inbox last night. I know a lot of you are keeping tabs on school supply and backpack giveaways, and Faith Chapel in Spring Valley has got you covered!

For those of us who start back to school early, this backpack giveaway is perfect.

This Sunday, July 31st, Faith Chapel will be giving out 400 FREE stuffed backpacks! Details will be shared during our 10:30am service so plan on attending. Registration begins as early as 9:30am.

Students must be present to receive a backpack.

Come to Faith Chapel’s main campus to register, enjoy the service, then receive the stuffed backpacks with school supplies.

Faith Chapel
9400 Campo Rd.
Spring Valley, CA 91977

And don’t forget that Faith Chapel hosts two Neighborhood Distributions per month! To learn more, check out my post here. 

2 Upcoming Clothing Swaps in San Diego!

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kids wardrobes (and my own).

There haven’t been too many clothing swaps since the pandemic started, but I have found two coming up that are going to be GREAT!

Saturday, August 06, 2022, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Foothills Church 365 W Bradley Ave, El Cajon CA

The women’s ministry is hosting a FREE clothing exchange! You can swap gently used women’s & children’s clothing and infant essentials. They have limited space, so please no toys or books. There will be no childcare available, so keep that in mind. If you want to drop off items early, Look for the bins in their lobby. I’m dropping off items tomorrow.

August 27, 2022 Porchlight Community Services, Inc. 8888 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite B San Diego, CA
Clothing Swap
From their site “We invite you to be part of our SWAP PARTY! Bring clothing, accessories, personal hygiene, or toiletries, OR you’re welcome to donate a bag of canned/shelf-stable food to participate. *Expired food will not be accepted*”

This is a fundraising event, donate what you can ($5 suggested) or you can bring canned goods to donate on the event date to participate. We will gladly accept them on the day of the event.

Please drop off items to swap in advance: 8/25 Thursday 10 am-5 pm or 8/27 Saturday *Before 9 am.  For more information, check out the event page here. And to learn more about Porchlight Community Services, check out their website.

And if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post from earlier this year here.

Dream Dinners: Save Time & Savor Summer with a July Mini Bundle!

It’s that time again! Time for a Dream Dinners Bundle Sale!

Summer is all about making memories, so we’ve put together a bundle of under-30-minute meals to maximize your time in the sun.
Order in the next 72 hours to get eight medium-size meals from our July menu for just $180*. Spend more time by the pool and less time grocery shopping and meal prepping this summer!

The July Mini Bundle includes:

  • Kentucky Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Fries
  • Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches with Onion Rings
  • Coconut Shrimp with Tropical Chili Sauce
  • Orange Asian Chicken with Garden Vegetable Rice
  • Turkey Florentine Burgers
  • Charred Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
  • Backyard BBQ Chicken with Corn Medley
  • Creamy Tortellini with Bacon and Peas

A Medium Meal feeds 2-3 adults (honestly, it’s usually 3+ in our house), so you’ll be getting 16-24 restaurant-quality meals for $180!

This offer is only available for a limited time

Contact your store by Friday, July 22nd at 9am to place your order.

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.

Sea World-Free Tickets for U.S. Veterans!

Did you know that veterans can receive up to four free passes to Sea World? It’s true!

Screen Shot 2017-07-06 at 7.19.30 PM.pngThe response to this opportunity earlier this year was so overwhelming that Sea World decided to offer it to you again! To show their appreciation for those who have served our country, they are offering U.S. military veterans FREE SeaWorld San Diego tickets for themselves and up to three friends or family members.

This limited-time offer is only available online through July 31. Get your tickets by verifying your military status through ID.me at the link below and use them by July 31!

This isn’t available at the park, so you’ll have to sign up here and fill out all the forms before you go.

Parking isn’t included in this offer and starts at $17, depending on which level of parking you select.

 

Comic Con 2022 is Coming!

San Diego Comic-Con will be back in town July 21-24 at the convention center downtown. If you haven’t bought or won tickets (most radio stations give away tickets in the weeks leading up to the event) don’t fret, there are tons of free and cheap events and fun to be had outside Comic-Con in the general Gaslamp area.

There is usually an area between the New Children’s Museum and the Trolley Tracks that is chock full of fun events and demos, and behind the convention center there has been movie and cartoon screenings on the grassy area.

Here are a few events that have caught my attention:

Outside Comic Con has great info on offsite events.

If you want to wear a costume, here are my tips for doing it on the cheap.  We’re not going this year, it’s very hard to navigate with inattentive kids, and really, I don’t feel safe being in crowds that size.

Regardless of your costume status, my recommendation is to wear comfy shoes, ’cause you will be walking a lot! And bring a refillable water bottle. And a snack (protein bars are great!). And a camera (or really, just your phone these days!).

7/22-7/23 OOLY Warehouse Sale in Carlsbad, CA!

This sale has been on my calendar for weeks and I has to share it.

I love Ooly. Never heard of them? Ooly, the whimsical and colorful arts, crafts, and school supply brand, will host its annual warehouse sale at OOLY Headquarters in Carlsbad July 22-23, 2022.

The woman-owned, San Diego-based company, will invite the community to its headquarters to take advantage of deeply discounted products ahead of the back-to-school season. With a portion of the profits benefiting ArtReach and Casa de Amparo charities, the annual event will also feature a craft activity area complete with OOLY favorites for visitors to enjoy. 

Where: OOLY Headquarters 5607 Palmer Way Carlsbad, CA 92010

When: Friday, July 22 from 12:00pm-6:00pm & Saturday, July 23 from 9:00am-3:00pm

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the following local charities. Both will be in attendance to highlight their work in the San Diego community.

ArtReach With a commitment to bringing art alive for children and classrooms, ArtReach empowers children with creative play and uniqueness. www.artreachsandiego.org

Casa de Amparo  supports those affected by and at risk of child abuse and neglect, through a range of programs and services that promote healing, growth, and healthy relationships. www.casadeamparo.org

ABOUT OOLY: OOLY is a whimsical and colorful arts, crafts, and school supply brand inclusive of an array of expressive and creative items for kids, adults, and everyone in between. Known for fun and trend-forward products, OOLY sparks imagination and inspires self-expression, inviting you to CREATE YOUR HAPPY. OOLY is a woman-owned, San Diego-based company that launched in 2005. For more information, visit ooly.com.

7/14/2022 Kung Fu Panda Day at the San Diego Zoo!

To Celebrate the new Kung Fu Panda Series coming to Netflix, head on down to check out the fun at the San Diego Zoo on July 14, 2022.

Celebrate with:

  • face painting
  • photo booth
  • giveaways and more!

And once you get home from the fun, check out the new series on Netflix, launching the same day!

Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight

SYNOPSIS: Jack Black returns to KUNG FU PANDA in the new series KUNG FU PANDA: THE DRAGON KNIGHT. When a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons, Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction — and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way.

Notable Voice Cast:  Jack Black as Po, Rita Ora as Wandering Blade, James Hong as Mr. Ping, Chris Geere as Klaus Dumont, Della Saba as Veruca Dumont, Rahnuma Panthaky as Rukhmini, Ed Weeks as Colin and Amy Hill as Pei Pei

Executive Producer: Peter Hastings (Captain Underpants TV; Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) and Shaunt Nigoghossian (Blood of Zeus)

Co-Executive Producers: Chris Amick and Ben Mekler (Kipo)

Animation Studio: DreamWorks Animation

Based on: The popular Kung Fu Panda Film Series

Frugal Fun at the Zoo!

We are big zoo go-er’s and have been for decades! We’re always looking to live on the frugal side, and for us having zoo memberships is a great way to support our local zoological society, their conservation efforts, and see the cool animals whenever we want.

Here are a few ways to save money and get the most out of your visit when you visit the San Diego Zoo:

  • If you plan on visiting more than twice in 12 months, consider getting a membership. Memberships for aduts start at just $95/year, whereas a 1 day ticket is $69.00. Membership has it’s perks including discounts on concessions and merch.
  • Don’t forget your snacks and water bottles! There are tons of water fountains to refill your bottles throughout the day. And if you have a refillable Zoo cup, you can get unlimited refills of fountain beverages each day for $5 per day. We have a zoo cup, but usually we just stick to our water bottles. We also bring our Snack backpack with us, stocked and ready to go!
  • Take advantage of all of the perks of buying a ticket or pass. Animal Encounters, Skyfari, free shows, the bus tour, the Kangaroo bus, all of these and so many other cool things come free with your ticket/pass.
  • Seasonal Events. There are a lot of cool events that happen throughout the year- Night time zoo happens all summer, there are fall/halloween/harvest events, and Junglebells in the winter. And these are all included with your ticket/pass.

And with the new Children’s Zoo area, there is a fun water feature for kids to play in- so if you anticipate your kiddos wanting to play, bring extra clothes and/or a towel.

The San Diego Zoo is an awesome zoo full of animals and plants of all kinds! It is definately a must visit for Southern California.

Talk Back- How do you and your family enjoy your favorite places on a budget?

7/15/2022 An All Inclusive Day of Play for Families!

We’ve gone to this event in the past, and it’s always a fun time with great resources.

FREE community event with activities, games, crafts, raffles, shopping, and resource booths for families of all abilities.

Activity Stations for kids including favorites:

  • Light Saber Creation Station
  • Jurassic Photo Op
  • Under-the-Sea Sensory Tent
  • Super Wheelchair Course
  • many more!

Family Resources & Networking  – Resource and service providers will be on-site to speak with parents and offer helpful information. Be sure to pick up a copy of Flourishing Families and San Diego Family at the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego booth.

Sign up for your FREE TICKETS here.