San Diego Deals and Steals

We Have Moved!

2010-12-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

'A Night In Bethlehem' Grace Presbyterian Church of Vista

2010-12-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

Grace Presbyterian Church in Vista is having a special Christmas celebration on Saturday December 18, 2010 from 4 - 7pm

1450 E. Vista Way, Vista, CA 92084

Click here to check out their website!

This event is free for the whole family!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Holiday Wonderland ~ Del Mar 12/5

2010-12-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

Santa's Magical Village ~ December 4th & 5th

2010-12-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

I LOVE all of the great holiday events we can check out right now! "Santa's Magical Village" will be held on December 4th & 5th.

There will be a Christmas Craft fair, annual tree lighting, food vendors, free entertainment, an inexpensive breakfast with Santa, a parade and more!

We love this little event and we hope you will check it out too!

Enjoy ~
Kate

FREE GIFT ALERT - Michael's free make & takes! 12/5

2010-12-01T00:04:00.000-08:00

FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT ALERT - & Take - Santa's Workshop - Michaels

2010-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Little People Live Holiday Show! San Diego Zoo November 20th & 21st

2010-11-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

Little People Live Holiday Show! is something my kiddos have been looking forward to all year!

Two shows will be held - 1pm & 4pm on two days - November 20th & 21st - it is held at the Wegelforth Bowl (there will be lots of signs inside the Zoo)

The event is free but you will still need to pay for admission into the San Diego Zoo.

The last time we checked out the Little People live show at the San Diego Zoo it was VERY popular! Lots of fun music for the kids and they even got a goodie bag with a free DVD! I am not sure if there will be give aways this year - but the show itself is worth the trip if you've got little ones.

We'll see you there!

Holiday Open House at Michaels - 11/13

2010-11-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

FREE Seattle's Best Coffee! Every Friday this month!

2010-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Holiday Gift Card Bonuses! Use to your advantage!

2010-11-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are here! Ok, not exactly, but once Halloween is behind me I kinda consider it 'almost Christmas' - so I hope you will all bear with me! First off - I am gonna be sharing LOTS of holiday goodies here - but please know our family does not take advantage of every deal - I just want to showcase as many ways to save during the holidays as possible - I hope you can find a few from the lot.

One cool thing about the holidays - stores REALLY want your business - so many of them offer awesome extra incentives. This is the time of year when you can order a gift card with a little something extra attached. I made a list like this last year and it was pretty popular - I hope this year it will be even better!

1. Outback Steakhouse - buy a $100 gift card and they will give you a $20 gift card - awesome!

2. Spa Finder gift cards are back at Costco (yay!). You can buy a $100 gift certificate for only $79.99 - if you've got an Executive membership you are also getting 2% back. Not that I advocate CC here, but if you have their American Express card there is also a percentage back. I ask for these for Christmas AND I buy a couple extra to hold me throughout the year. I stretch out salon visits as far as I can, but when I do I like to walk in with that immediate 22% discount (Spa Finder + Executive membership). FYI - I am not super fancy, I probably would never color my hair except that I just can't accept that at 31 years old my hair is more gray than it is brown....for reals.

This list will get longer! Make sure to check back!

Enjoy ~ Kate

Birthday Freebie #9 ~ Victoria's Secret $10 gift card

2010-11-09T07:18:00.001-08:00

So this might not work for everyone (sorry guys) - BUT Victoria's Secret fans get a $10 gift card mailed out on their birthday.

I do NOT have a Victoria's Secret credit card - but I did sign up at VSPink -I have got to say - best customer loyalty program hands down. I get 'free panty' coupons in the mail ALL the time - seriously - all the time. There is no rule against men joining VSPink - I signed my husband up too - they don't mind! MOST places won't allow more than one per address but Victoria's Secret doesn't mind - just one per person. I don't ever suggest working a system or using a fake address or anything like that - but if it is allowed - why not?! Since our birthdays are two days apart we've got TWO $10 gift cards - yay!

remember to go to SanDiegoDealsandSteals.com

2010-11-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

20% off COACH Factory Stores

2010-11-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Giveaway Robeks Mission Valley ~ Family 4 pack of smoothies - FIVE winners!

2010-11-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this giveaway!

Robeks in Mission Valley is sponsoring this awesome giveaway (and this is just the beginning!)

FIVE lucky winners will win a family four pack of FREE SMOOTHIE gift cards!

Robeks Mission Valley is located at 1025 Camino de la Reina #4 SD CA 92108

(next to Target)

Our family LOVES Robeks! We love fresh, healthy smoothies! Our kids think they are a very special treat and I never feel guilty treating them to a smoothie at Robeks!

*please note these gift cards are only good at Robeks Mission Valley* I know we have lots of readers who live, work, and go to school in the area - good luck!

We LOVE featuring local businesses on San Diego Deals and Steals! Thank you so much to Robeks Mission Valley for sponsoring this sweet giveaway!

Winner will be drawn Thursday evening 10pm (ish) Please only enter once! Want a second entry? Share this giveaway via Twitter (make sure to tag SD_DealsNSteals so I can see!)

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Birthday Freebie #8 - Starbucks!

2010-11-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

$4 for a ticket to the Head to Toe Women's Expo! 1/2 off!

2010-11-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

$3.50 off a $10 purchase at Ulta

2010-11-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

Additional 20% off clearance at Loehmann's w/ printable coupon!

2010-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Birthday Freebie #7 - Applebees!

2010-11-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party! November 9th - 6pm

2010-11-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner - McDonalds McChicken Sandwich Giveaway Winners!

2010-11-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

FYI - the blog is getting more awesome!

2010-11-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

So we have put this off long enough - we are finally moving to a self hosted Wordpress blog - woot!

This essentially means we will be able to do more stuff and make the blog easier to navigate - the blog address will remain the same.

I am mainly mentioning this because SanDiegoDealsandSteals.com will be down a good portion of the day on Sunday 11/6/10 - but we will have it up and running again as soon as possible and it will be better than ever!

Don't worry! If you need a San Diego Deals and Steals fix during those dreaded dark hours on Sunday please make sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter - I will continue to update those pages on Sunday especially while the main site is down.

Nearly 800 fans 'like' us on Facebook & 400 (and growing quick!) following us Twitter! - I share even more info there - it is completely free to follow so make sure to use the fun free resources!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Birthday Freebie #6

2010-11-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

50% off at Build a Bear workshop! $10 for a $20 gift certificate - GROUPON

2010-11-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend's Groupon is great for the holidays!! If you have any little kiddos on your list you gotta check it out! $10 for a $20 Build a Bear Workshop voucher - nice! This is in TUCSON's Groupon - you do not need to be from Tucson to take advantage!
Remember to purchase through ebates to get an additional 6% off!

I don't mean to be a broken record here - but Groupons are a GREAT way to get an excellent birthday or holiday gift at a fraction of the cost!

Get your GROUPON here!

Remember also right now Ebates.com is offering 6% back on your Groupon purchase! If you are new to Ebates (sign up at the link above) - you'll get $5 off your first purchase in addition to your 6% back!

Not from San Diego? Check out Groupon to see if your city is listed & start saving today!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Childish Couture SAMPLE SALE! up to 90% off!

2010-11-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday North County Craft Fairs!

2010-11-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday seems to be the kick off to craft season and you have LOTS of great choices in North County if you want to get started on your Christmas shopping!

Here are just a few Christmas Craft Fairs Saturday 11/6

1. Grace Church in Vista 10:30 - 4:00 - 1450 East Vista Way Vista CA 92084

This is an awesome craft fair! There are door prizes, raffles, coffee, and treats and really adorable and high quality crafts! This will be my second year participating as a crafter (yes I craft too!) and I really hope you will stop by! I will be selling cutie patootie hair bows, hats, headbands, and tutus! All the money we raise at our booth goes towards our adoption expenses - so I really hope you will make it out!

2. San Elijo Holiday Boutique in San Marcos 10am - 4pm - 1105 Elfin Road San Marcos CA 92078

I have never been to this fair myself but I have heard nothing but good things! If you enjoy craft fairs you should check it out too! This is a free event as well.

3. Faith Lutheran's Holiday Bazaar in Vista 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Faith Lutheran Church & Schools

700 E. Bobier Drive Vista, CA 92084 760-724-7700
Again - I have not been to this craft fair myself but it is a FREE event and SANTA will be making an appearance!

These craft fairs are all fundraisers for churches & community projects so it is a great way to support our community just by shopping! Also it helps out local crafters! I do really hope you will check a craft fair or two out and if you go to Grace PLEASE come by and say hello! ('Josie Belle Designs')

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Buy 1 Snapfish book get 2 free - what?!

2010-11-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Giveaway McDonalds McChicken Sandwiches!

2010-11-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

Christmas on the Farm ~ Bates Nut Farm

2010-11-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

McCafe Winners!

2010-11-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the McCafe Giveaway! I wish I had enough for everyone! Make sure to come back tomorrow for another SD McDonald's sponsored giveaway!

The winners are....

Michelle S.

Joann B.

Rose S.

Debbie T.

Kimberly D.

Winners will get an email from me shortly - please respond within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn.

Enjoy ~
Kate

McCafe Giveaway! FIVE lucky winners!

2010-11-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

75% off costumes at Target!

2010-11-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Birthday Freebie ~ Baskin Robbins

2010-11-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Disney Movie Rewards = AWESOME!

2010-11-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Not at all SD specific - but if you have small children or if you are at all interested in Disney yourself you have got to sign up for Disney Movie Rewards
This is a free program - points can be earned with Disney movies and music. They also often have free codes available online!

They also offer awesome discounts everytime a new movie is released (usually an $8 - $10 coupon!)

The rewards are really awesome - I earned enough points this year to get my son a Lilo & Stitch pillow & clock set (he has a surfer themed room) and an awesome Buzz Lightyear wings & laser set!

I needed a few extra points to get the Buzz prize and a friend gave me her extra codes she wasn't going to use - yay! I had more than I needed after I inputed them all so I donated 100 points towards their charity program that donates a movie to children in need (nice right?!)

This is one of those awesome every little bit helps online programs.

You can earn toys, movies, photobooks, and more! Prizes from Disney are even shipped free!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Carlsbad Village Street Fair!

2010-11-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Carlsbad Village Street Fair is one of our family's favorite street fairs! The weather always seems to be amazing and there is always lots of great free entertainment as well as awesome food and vendors!

Make sure to check it out - November 7th 8am - 4pm

call 760-931-8400 for more info

also - make sure to check out the 'China Doll Designs' booth! Kristin (reader, subscriber, and awesome tip sender!) sells the following... 'ring slings (baby carriers) for adults and children (for their dolls), blankets, nursing covers (AKA Titty Teepee's), taggy blankets, kids aprons and hair clippys. I started about 4 years ago, and mostly do business from word of mouth, and I do the Carlsbad Street Fair twice a year. I thought this may be a great opportunity to give your subscribers a discount, if they mention they saw my wesbite www.Chinadolldesigns.com on your website I will give 15% off their purchase.'

Make sure to stop by and check it out! Make sure to mention you saw it here for your 15% off!
We will be there!
Enjoy ~ Kate

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Birthday Freebie ~ Benihana $30 gift certificate!

2010-11-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

The great candy swap! Noodles & Company! 11/7/10

2010-11-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Birthday Freebie ~ Joe's Crab Shack

2010-11-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

Lego Party for kids at Borders - 11/06

2010-11-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Noodles & Co - FREE Sandwiches for all at UTC! TODAY 11/3/10

2010-11-03T04:15:00.000-07:00

FOUR lucky winners are....

2010-11-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Birthday Freebie! Free Dessert at Jack in the Box

2010-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

My hubby's birthday and my birthday are both in November - and you can bet that our family takes advantage of LOTS of birthday freebies! There are SO many to choose from!

I will be do my best to post a fun birthday freebie the entire month of November in honor of what we like to call the '3 day birthday extravaganza' - we feel it is necessary to celebrate the day inbetween our birthdays too.

Birthday freebie #2 ~

Jack in the Box offers a free dessert item on your birthday - must have ID -no purchase necessary!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Subscribe, 'Like' me on Facebook & follow me on Twitter ~ It can be very rewarding!

2010-11-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Want an easier way to keep up and share the fun stuff you find here?

1. Subscribe via email - this is completely free - you will get one email each day, I never sell, share, or use your info for any other reason - it is simply to make sure you never miss out on a great deal! Check out the subscribe via email option at the top right of the blog. Make sure to verify your subscription - you will get an email asking you to verify that you in fact requested the e-newsletter and you were not spammed & the next morning you should start getting a once daily newsletter!

2. Follow me on Twitter - here's the link! Join my other 325+ Twitter followers! Also please feel free to retweet anything you think your followers might enjoy! I'd love to retweet great deals you find too!

3. 'like' me Facebook - here's the link! This is also a great way to get links for FACEBOOK FREEBIES - I will provide direct links and hot tips to facebook promos - also I will give hints occasionally on where to find a valuable 'Swagcode' for those of you doing Swagbucks! See what 775 (and growing!) fans are buzzing about!

Share with friends and family too! Most of my readers have heard about http://www.sandiegodealsandsteals.com/ 'through the grapevine' - do you have a friend that might enjoy saving some money around town? Please pass it on! There is an easy to use 'share' button at the bottom of every post - you can send any entry via email or share on several different social networking sites.

Also - if you have a 'hot tip' you would like to share with readers (family friendly please!) - please email me at SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com as I would LOVE to share more family friendly, inexpensive events with my readers! I'll of course will give you a 'shout out' in the post inspired by you!

Remember I update daily, so make sure to subscribe or check back daily!

Thanks for reading & thank you for sharing!

Enjoy ~
Kate

GIVEAWAY Head to Toe Women's Expo! Subscribers exclusive!

2010-11-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

I draw winners tonight!!
Make sure to enter! I draw THREE winners Tuesday night!
Head to Toe Women's Expo is coming to the Del Mar fairgrounds!

November 12, 13, & 14th

I am so excited about the Head to Toe Women's Expo! I LOVE checking out new products and these events tend to be an awesome place to get free samples and enter for giveaways!

Want to win TWO TICKETS for a fun girls day out? I have THREE sets of two tickets!

THREE lucky subscribers will win two tickets!

This giveaway is for San Diego Deals and Steals verified subscribers only! Your email must be on our subscriber email list or you will not qualify. Subscribing to San Diego Deals and Steals is FREE - make sure to enter SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com to your safe sender list and make sure to verify your subscription!

THREE Winners will be drawn on Tuesday evening (8pm (ish))

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Grace Church Christmas Bazaar! 11/6/10

2010-11-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Check out one of the BEST Christmas Craft Bazaars around!

Grace CHurch in Vista is having a Christmas Bazaar on Saturday November 6th from 11am - 4pm

This is a great event - no charge at the door - but you should make sure to bring money to buy presents from local vendors and crafters! There is also a fundraising raffle and inexpensive pastries and coffee - all for a great cause.

I LOVE Christmas craft fairs and usually have a booth at several each year - I participated in this one last year and it was BY FAR the best run and there was a great variety of awesome vendors. Make sure to stop by my booth and say 'hi!'

Happy Shopping!
Kate

Corey Villicana Photography

2010-11-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just FYI - 'Life with Little Ones Photography' is now Corey Villicana Photography - if you are planning on having family portraits done for the holidays I HIGHLY suggest booking quickly! She is talented, professional, and her rates cannot be beat! Check out some of her lovely work below.....

We recently had our family portraits taken by Corey Villicana of Life With Little Ones Photography and we are SO HAPPY with the results! She was simply amazing with my not always so willing models. There are so many freelance family photographers today but but Corey is truly an artist. To top it all off her rates are so affordable! Please check out her website read her introduction, as she writes far more eloquently than I do anyway.....Enjoy ~

Hello. My name is Corey Villicana.

I am the photographer behind the camera at

Life with Little Ones Photography.

I 'm a huge fan of photography, I have been for as long as I can remember.

Some of my earliest childhood memories involve my father with his Nikon 35mm in hand. He would follow my sister and I throughout our day, capturing our most quiet and obscure moments right along with our loudest and most exciting. I first learned from watching him. And then started practicing. My camera did, and does come with me everywhere that I go; my eye to the lense, reading light and capturing spirits.

Having two little boys of my own has been my muse.

Once they were born, I knew that the photographs I took of them served as more than a moments enjoyment, rather a lasting documentation of their childhood.

The images that I have of my boys are pure treasure.

When I decided to take Life With Little Ones Photography and turn it into a business, I thought first of what I would want as a mother of young children, looking to have her family photographed.

I knew first that I would need it to be reasonably priced, so that the cost of the session didn't interfere with the excitement and happiness that the images would bring.

I knew that I would want a quick processing time so that I could have the images within days of the session.

And lastly, I knew that I would want flexibility and leniency in reproducing and enlarging of the images.

This has become the way of business at Life With Little Ones Photography.

All of this for you.

Scheduling
A session lasts between 60 to 90 minutes and will be held at a predetermined outdoor location. Length of time may vary depending on the number of people being photographed during the session. Late afternoon or early evening light is the best to work in and will be highly suggested for a successful session.

Session fee
An $150.00 sitting fee covers both my time and talent. This fee also includes full access to the pre-selected, edited images from the session.

Images
All of the pre-selected, edited images will be made available to you on CD and included in the price of your sitting fee. You will be welcome to print and enlarge freely without limitations or restrictions. A sneak peek of your session will be posted to this website for your immediate viewing.

For more information, about Corey Villicana and Life With Little Ones Photography,

please visit

lifewithlittleonesphotography.blogspot.com

http://www.coreyvillicanaphotography.com/

19th Annual San Marcos Trails Day ~ can I borrow your horse?

2010-11-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

For reals - I would love to borrow your horse for this.

The 19th Annual San marcos Trails Day will be held Saturday November 6th from 9am - noon. It is totally free! You can saddle up your horse or hike by foot. There will be special access to trails not usually open to the public.

Hike with varying levels of difficulty will be offered.

Meet at the south end of Santa Barbara Street in San Marcos - be ready to ride/hike at 9am.

I'm not really expecting someone to loan me their horse, but stranger things have happened. If you are planning on riding anyway I sure would love to take your mild mannered spare for a spin!

Happy Trails to You ~

Kate

San Elijo Holiday Boutique

2010-11-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

San Elijo Hills is holding a holiday boutique with crafts, food, and music on Saturday November 6, 2010 from 10am -4pm.

It will be held in the San Elijo Rec Center which is located at

1105 Elfin Forst Road in San Marcos

Call 760-744-9000 for more information

Enjoy ~
Kate

'Shop Under the Stars' ~ Carlsbad Premium Outlets

2010-11-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Monday November 1st you are invited to 'Shop Under the Stars' at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets. The event is from 5pm - 9pm - it is an awesome cause AND an awesome value!

I went last year with my good friend Suzanne and we had an awesome time!

Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door - this includes complimentary hors'd'eourves and a glass of wine or 'shoppertini' - it also includes a complimentary souvenir tote that is FULL of exclusive savings for many stores and each bag has a gift card /gift from one of the outlet stores (last year my bag had a $20 gift card to BOSE as well as a $5 gift card to Papaya - not too bad!)

This would be a really fun girls night out, it is a great cause, and a VERY good value too! win, win!

Several local children's charities will benefit and I truly hope to run into you there!

Click Here for more information!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Veterans Cruise FREE on Hornblower for Veterans Day!

2010-11-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hornblower is treating ALL Veterans to a FREE cruise on Veterans Day ~ November 11th! Isn't that an awesome deal? Please forward this information to any Veterans in your life - the certainly deserve this very cool freebie!

Click here for more info!

Enjoy ~
Kate

PF Changs ~ Free Dessert for your birthday!

2010-11-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

My birthday is on November 27th & my husband's is November 29th - and you can bet that our family takes advantage of LOTS of birthday freebies! There are SO many to choose from!

I will be do my best to post a fun birthday freebie the entire month of November in honor of what we like to call the '3 day birthday extravaganza' - we feel it is necessary to celebrate the day inbetween our birthdays too.

Birthday freebie #1 ~

PF Changs will send you an email for delicious cake or cheesecake on your birthday when you join their email list - nice!

$5 Family Fun night at Iceoplex - great deal!

2010-10-31T19:21:00.001-07:00

Every Monday is $5 family fun night at Iceoplex in Escondido. 6pm - 7:45pm just $5 including skate rental! Not free, but a pretty good deal for sure!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Chick Fil A Monday night deals for Students

2010-10-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Repost! - if you are a high school or college student you might want to get a study group going at Chick Fil A on Monday nights...

This deal is confirmed at Chick Fil A in San Marcos as well as Quarry Creek (Oside)

Monday nights students with valid ID can get a free sandwich with the purchase of a side and a drink - not a total freebie, but a nice deal!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Free Kid's Birthday Party at Ikea San Diego ~ 1st Tuesday of every month!

2010-10-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

THis Tuesday! If you have a child under 10 having a birthday during the month of AUGUST check out this fun birthday freebie! YOU MUST REGISTER!

FREE KIDS Birthday Parties

IKEA San Diego hosts FREE KIDS birthday parties on the first Tuesday of every month. 4-6pm

Party is for all children turning 10 years old or younger during the selected attended party date. Each birthday child is allowed to invite two of their friends to the party. Event includes face painting, a magic show, soda, and cake. Plus, each birthday child will receive a gift from IKEA.

call (619)283-6166, ext#1330 to reserve a place for your child and their buddies.

San Diego Botanical Gardens ~ FREE every 1st Tuesday!

2010-10-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

The first Tuesday of the month is always free at San Diego Botanical Gardens (formally Quail Botanical Gardens), you will still have to pay for parking! Have four or more people in your car and your parking is FREE too!

This is always a fun day for young familes, but we have even taken advantage of it as a free date and to entertain out of towners!

Enjoy ~ Kate

Candy Trade In ~ San Marcos 11/1/10

2010-10-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

Candy 'Buy Back' all over town!

2010-10-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

Click Here for a list of places you can bring all that excess candy to be bought back! They will give you $1 a pound for all that sugar. This is really a very cool program - all candy is shipped to our troops serving overseas.

We already have a HUGE bowl full of candy from our trick or treating earlier this week - we plan on going today and tomorrow too - our kids are only allowed one candy a day and my hubby and I just don't really care for most candy (if it isn't an Almond Joy or a dark chocolate TJ's peanut butter cup it is really of no use to us!)...there is no way we can use it all and we are so happy we have this opportunity to share!

I know that a $1 a pound will make it easier for many kids to part with their cherished candy!

November 1 - 5

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Shameless Plug Sunday ~ Special news our family is excited to share!

2010-10-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Shameless Plug Sunday!

So if you have been following this blog for any amount of time you know that our family's frugality (and this blog) was born out of the desire to adopt internationally when our one modest income didn't seem to be able to make that a reality.

We adopted our son in 2007. Best. Decision. Ever.
Worth every sacrifice - we are not a wealthy family (by American standards - certainly not by San Diego standards) - but we cut corners, we both worked a little extra, we put the final travel on a credit card to worry about later and brought our son home. I'm not saying we are poor - I'm just saying it wasn't easy.

I am so excited to announce that we have committed to a very cute little girl who lives in Eastern Europe through a very cool organization called Reece's Rainbow. They advocate for kids who statistically are much less likely to be matched with a family....ever. Their 'special needs' make them significantly less desirable. When there are SO many orphans in the world (nearly 150 million documented) - people really can be very picky about what kind of child they choose. Children with disabilites simply fall through the cracks...children with even minor disabilities often end up in institutions - for this reason we committed to choosing a harder to place child.

We noticed 'Marissa' months ago and slowly but surely things started to fall into place......She will be two this November and she is so adorable I can't stand it.

Long story short, A LOT still needs to happen before she is home. That kills us. Once we have committed to her we want her home. Unfortunately with intercountry adoption it just doesn't happen that fast. We will HOPEFULLY travel to bring her home as early as Spring 2011, but it could be later. There is no way to know - we are ok with that. We don't like it, but we accept that it is part of the package.

So here is my shameless plug - we will have LOTS of paperwork, legality, and travel fees - we've got a couple fundraisers in place that we'd love for you to consider and/or pass along....

(please know we can afford to raise another child, we simply fundraise the necessary funds to complete an intercountry adoption - the same way a missionary/humanitarian worker would)

Click Here and scroll down to 'Marissa' - Reece's Rainbow is essentially a grant organization - any donations help remove some of the financial burden associated with adoption and are tax deductible - I would LOVE for you to consider this. I know not everyone can, but if you can and feel lead, please know our family would very much appreciate it!

We have also set up a Just Love coffee store - this is an awesome organization that helps on so many levels - it is fair trade coffee in Ethiopia - it helps farmers as well as children waiting for families in Ethiopia - they also donate $5 from every bag of coffee purchased to our adoption fund (sweet right?!) - it is about the same price as Starbuck's Coffee - but it is such a great cause! I know so many people buy coffee for themselves, their office, for gifts anyway - I hope you will keep this in mind too!

As odd as it sounds - this blog is a fundraiser of sorts. Our family has budgeted to live on my husband's income alone. We started this blog to keep us accountable to our finances but also as a way to make a little extra money to deposit into our adoption fund. We make a little money with ads. The more traffic and subscribers we have - the more attractive we are to advertisers. As weird as it may sound - if you share this blog - it potentially helps us raise the funds we need faster! Also all our little referral programs (swagbucks, ebates, circlebuzz, etc) help us save money too!

Oh! and for those of you still reading who may want to know - we will keep her given name (not 'Marissa') as her middle name - we are planning on naming her Claire.

Shameless personal plug - yes - I know. But I really wanted to share!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.....

Kate

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CHEAP Christmas Present alert - $20 Shutterfly book, mug, & 50 prints!

2010-10-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

FREE Entry for kids at the San Diego Zoo ~ OCTOBER

2010-10-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

REPOST - last day!! Also - TONS of great freebies all over Balboa Park on Oct 31st - including free entry to all museums with a paying adult - sweet deal!

Click here to check out the events page of the San Diego Zoo. One very important upcoming event - FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS THE ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER! Kids under the age of 11 are free. This is NOT per adult - making it excellent for schools, youth groups, playdates, etc!

Enjoy ~
Kate

$8 off Toy Story 3 (excellent discount for Holidays alert!)

2010-10-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

FREE $3 MP3 Credit on Amazon!

2010-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Discounts for Halloween at TGI Fridays!

2010-10-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Free Craft Every Saturday for kids at Lakeshore Learning Centerplus15% off coupon

2010-10-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Lakeshore Learning Center is an awesome educational and craft store with several locations all over San Diego - our family really enjoys the San Marcos store.

Every Saturday Lakeshore Learning Centers offer a FREE kids craft from 11am -3pm!

Click the link above for more details and also for a printable 15% off coupon.

Enjoy ~
Kate

Halloween on Elm ~ Carlsbad - free trick or treating event!

2010-10-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

The City of Carlsbad presents 'Halloween on Elm' - a free family event on Saturday October 30th from 2 - 9pm.

In the Carlsbad Village!

There will be trick or treating, carnival games, costume contests and more!

We'll see you there!

Enjoy ~
Kate

20% off coupon for Coach Factory Stores!

2010-10-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Safe Trick or Treating TONIGHT - Vista Palomar Park!

2010-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Remember Friday is 'Mega Swagbucks' day! Remember to sign up for 30 free bucks!

2010-10-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Repost! Seriously - this is such an easy way to add just a little more into your budget! No spam, no extra work - just a few free gift cards (or other swag!) - easy peasy!

Swagbucks is one of the only internet 'freebie' programs I endorse, and if you haven't already checked it out, read my MUCH LONGER entry on them on this blog. If you are already signed up remember that Friday is MEGA SWAGBUCKS day. You really should use Swagbucks for your searches everyday to 'win' points, but Friday's are the BEST - they are far more generous with their wins and the amount you can win each time - 100 in one hit sometimes! NICE! Sign up here on my blog to get started if you haven't already, they will start you off with 30 FREE bonus sign up bucks!
Click Here To Get Started!

Click the link if you want to sign up & start earning today. You won't get rich, but you will earn free gift cards & prizes for what you do anyway!

I'm saving the gift cards I earn on Swagbucks to use for 'free' Christmas - imagine that?!

Enjoy ~
Kate

'Fine Free Friday!' ~ ALL SD County Libraries!

2010-10-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Church 'Harvest Festival' options

2010-10-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

CircleBuzz Winners!

2010-10-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Follow Me on Twitter! SD_DealsnSteals

2010-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Kids Eat FREE at Chili's ~ Halloween Weekend!

2010-10-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Menchies Frozen Yogurt is open & offering fun discounts Halloween weekend!

2010-10-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY! CircleBuzz - FOUR winners! Enter today!

2010-10-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

*Repost!* Lots of entries already but there are FOUR chances to win! This is a great giveaway to enter folks! Your email will not be used for any other purpose other than to contact you in the event that you win =)
CircleBuzz is sponsoring an awesome giveway exclusively for San Diego Deals and Steals readers!

You must be subscribed to CircleBuzz to win (simply click the link). If you are a parent and you really only want to subscribe to one online coupon company I HIGHLY suggest CircleBuzz - everything is family friendly and they are a great local business!

FOUR lucky readers will win a $10 CircleBuzz! Any $10 CircleBuzz you choose! The only rule is that the credit must be used before 11/30/10 - plenty of time to find something your family can enjoy!

Please only enter the giveaway ONCE! Four winners will be chosen using our random number generator on Thursday October 28, 2010 at 8pm(ish)

Thank you very much to CircleBuzz for sponsoring this giveaway!!!!

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Trick or Treat in the Village ~ Carlsbad 10/31

2010-10-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Fallbrook Halloween Festival 10/31

2010-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

52% off Custom Jewelry ~ Christmas Gift Savings Alert!

2010-10-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Boomers! Discount! Buy today - good til next May!

2010-10-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

Kid's Eat Free ~ Boston Market ~ this weekend only!

2010-10-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

Balboa Park ~ Park Wide Halloween Family Day! 11am - 3pm

2010-10-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

FREE EVENT Safe Night Out Halloween Party ~ Boys & Girls Club Oceanside

2010-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat - Escondido 10/30 2-4pm FREE!

2010-10-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

Escondido Promenade ~ Applebees - Kids eat free Halloween weekend!

2010-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Add SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com to your safe senders if you subscribe!

2010-10-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends ~

If you are planning on subscribing to San Diego Deals and Steals - make sure to first add SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com to your address book as a safe sender!

You can sign up on the top right hand corner via 'feedburner'- just enter your email!

A few people are reporting that they never got their verification email after signing up - that is a bummer! This verification is simply set up to prevent spam - but it looks like it is getting spammed out! Make sure to check your spam filter and to add us to your address book.

Also - you will not get another email until you verify your request - once you verify you will get one e-newsletter emailed each morning from me! That's it - no spam, nothing else - just great SD Deals!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Halloween Trick or Treating & Pet Costume Contest ~ Carlsbad Premium Outlets

2010-10-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Carlsbad Premium Outlets has a fun family friendly (including the four legged members!) Trick or Treat option for you starting at 3pm on Halloween afternoon - October 31st.

visit http://www.carlsbadpremiumoutlets.com/ for more info!

Haunted Market ~ Sunset Market ~ Oceanside 10/28/10

2010-10-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Our family really likes to get as much mileage out of the kid's Halloween costumes as possible - so we like to check out LOTS of free community Trick or Treat events.

On October 28th come on down to the Oceanside Sunset Market between 5 & 7:30pm

There will be FREE trick or treating for kiddos under 12 (sorry big kids!)

Enjoy ~ Kate

Family Pumpkin Painting ~ Oceanside 10/30/10

2010-10-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Trunk or Treat ~ El Cajon 10/27

2010-10-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat on India Street ~ 10/29 ~ Little Italy

2010-10-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Encinitas ~ Safe Trick or Treating! October 31st

2010-10-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

FREE Halloween Event at Borders ~ Carlsbad

2010-10-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

80% off on Restaurant.com with discount code 'Pumpkin'

2010-10-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Toy Story 3 FREE Storytime at The Disney Store 10/30

2010-10-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

FREE Make & Takes at Michaels Saturday & Sunday! 10/23 & 10/24

2010-10-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

San Marcos ALIVE ~ October 24th

2010-10-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

San Marcos Alive ~ Celebration of the Arts -

October 24th

10am - 4pm - San Marcos Civic Center - GREAT family event!

This is a not a huge venue - but if you have young kids that are into make & takes this is totally worth the drive! Our kids LOVED the crafts at the last San Marcos ALIVE.

There will be free live entertainment, juried art shows, fine art, food, and more!

call 760-744-9000 for more info or check out http://www.san-marcos.net/

Bring your little artist & enjoy ~
Kate

FREE kid's admission to Legoland & Sealife Aquarium (adult ticket purchase required)

2010-10-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

25% off with Capture It Photography!

2010-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Easy Pumpkin Muffins!

2010-10-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe was so popular on San Diego Deals and Steals Facebook Page that I thought I should share it here too! They are SOOOO good & so easy!

Easiest Pumpkin Muffins/Cupcakes Of All Time!

One box Yellow Cake mix
One can Trader Joe's organic pumpkin (plain pumpkin)
add one tablespoon cinnamon
add one teaspoon nutmeg
mix together

IGNORE directions of the yellow cake mix (no eggs, water, oil)

bake at 350 for about 20 minutes

that's it! seriously so easy!

want a tiny bit of a challenge - here is my friend Amber's delicious cream cheese frosting....
1 8oz package of cream cheese (soft)
1 stick of butter also soft
3+ cups of powdered sugar ( I just add sugar till I get the right consistancy)
teaspoon of vanilla
Cream the butter and cream cheese in mixer
Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix till it becomes the right texture.
this is a very tasty addition - but they are tasty without frosting too!

Enjoy ~ Kate

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Trick or Treat in Del Mar this Sunday 2-4pm!

2010-10-21T07:30:00.000-07:00