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30 Birthday Freebies!

July 29, 2025 by Niki

Here’s some birthday math for you: I have 3 kids ages 25, 22, and 21. That’s 68 birthdays so far, not including me and Benny, of course. I have been signing them up for birthday clubs at our favorite restaurants since they learned how to hold their own forks. It used to be a fun family tradition, collecting their birthday freebies. It was an inexpensive way to get them little extra treats. Max and Zoe’s birthdays are 2 weeks apart, and we took advantage of that for dining out as a family. Now that they’re adults, they’re in charge of signing up for their own freebies, aaaaaand they don’t. WHY? I taught them better than that! 😉

Today is MY birthday, so I’ll be collecting a few of MY freebies. We were in the middle of a move last year on my birthday (it sucked), but this year I took the day off work and I’m going to play, and shop, and eat too much sugar! Because I’m a planner and have been doing this for over 25 years, I have some tips for you if you’d like to get in on the birthday freebie action:

  1. Sign up for the loyalty emails from your favorite restaurants and stores. I know, I know, you don’t want a bunch of “spam” clogging up your inbox. I get it. You have a couple of options here – You can create an email filter to collect loyalty program emails in one place, then browse through and delete them every once in a while, or you can set up a junk email and use that address to sign up for things. Both options give you control over how often you sift through these emails for coupons and of course, your birthday freebies that come around once a year. Some restaurants allow you to sign up your family members too.
  2. Sign up BEFORE your birthday month. This ensures you qualify for whatever that particular company offers to its loyalty members.
  3. Download their apps. If you’re an app person, this makes redemption of your coupons and rewards fast and easy. You can print them off and take them with you, which may seem like an unneccessary step since many of us have our phones glued to our person most of the time anyway, but you do you!
  4. Pay attention to expiration dates. Some rewards are only usable on your actual birthday, while others might be good the whole month, or for a week or two after your special day. If you’re printing your freebies, write the expiration date on a top corner of the page and stack them accordingly so you use them in the order of their expiration. If you’re redeeming freebies with the apps, create a note in your phone with a list of your freebies, including when they expire.
  5. Invite a friend to tag along. I often ask friends to meet me at the places I’m a loyalty member so I can collect my freebies while connecting with my friends. BONUS!

I live in a metro area and have a lot of options near me, but I don’t redeem all of my rewards every year. Some years are busier than others, so I prioritize my favorites in case I can’t get them all in before they expire. Here’s a list of my 30 birthday freebies this year. If you do this too, I’d love to hear your favorites!

AMC Theatres – Free Large Popcorn & Large Drink
Chick-fil-a – Free Dessert
Chili’s – Free Dessert
Chipotle – Free Guacamole (which is why I prefer Qdoba – it’s always free)
Cold Stone Creamery – $5 off your purchase
Crumbl – Free Single Cookie
Culver’s – Free Frozen Treat
Denny’s – Free Everyday Value Slam Breakfast
Einstein Bros. Bagels – Free Egg Sandwich w/ purchase
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers – Free Mini Sundae or Concrete (specialty or 1 topping)
Jersey Mike’s – Free Regular Sub
Menchie’s – $5 off your purchase
MOD Pizza – Free No Name Cake
Nothing Bundt Cakes – Free Bundlet
Old Spaghetti Factory – Free Pasta Classic
Panera Bread – Free Birthday Pastry
Piccino Wood Oven Pizza – Free Dessert
Qdoba – Free Queso & Chips
Red Robin – Free Burger w/ $4.99 purchase
Smashburger – Free Birthday Shake
Sonic – Free Small Shake w/purchase
Starbucks – Free Drink (Only on your birthday)
Steak N Shake – Free Specialty Shake
Subway – Free Cookie
Taco Bell – Free Baja Blast Freeze
Torrid – $20 Birthday Reward
Waffle House – Free Classic Waffle w/purchase
Wendy’s – Free Small Classic Chocolate or Vanilla Frosty w/purchase
Ziggi’s Coffee – Free 16 oz. drink

Keep in mind that this list is for adults, so check out kid offers near you. If you’d like more details about the rewards and expiration dates, I created a Google Sheet you can copy here, accessible to anyone with the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Da1mb4v9im4Xy7PFSDA839nqtfkn_t0cAd1E4UFQd_0/edit?usp=sharing

Enjoy your birthday freebies! I know I will! 😉

Posted in Life Hacks, Parenting, Works for me | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

No More Catch-all Sundays

September 16, 2024 by Niki

It’s 11:27pm. I’m sitting here sipping tea, thinking about the week behind me and the one ahead. The house is peaceful. I can hear Pete upstairs talking to someone online, while the rest of the family is already asleep. Well, Momo the sugarglider is running laps on her wheel. She’s the most energetic of us all at this time of night. She’s got me thinking about the Sundays of the past when I was doing the same thing.

Can you relate?

I grew up in a Christian faith that teaches that Sundays are a day of rest. Ha! After being in some form of church leadership for over two decades before my departure, I’m here to tell you I think that’s bullshit. Sundays were NEVER relaxing for me, especially after having children. I spent years spinning too many plates, and wearing too many hats, and I convinced myself that it was all good. I was fine. I didn’t know how to rest, and when I tried, I felt guilty because there were so many things to do, and I am a do-er. I’m an over-do-er.

Sundays were for church all morning and sometimes into the afternoon, then coming home and doing ALL the things – laundry, prepping for the school week – homeschooling for three different grade levels, and my Friday classes at the private school where I taught, housework, meal prep, etc. I just kept moving. I was living by Newton’s 1st law of motion. 😉

For over 30 years, yes – even before kids, Sundays were my most exhausting day of the week. Not everything about them was bad, I mostly enjoyed what I was doing at the time, but I’m a little sad about it now. I want to give that Niki a hug and tell her it’s okay to sit down and rest, guilt free. And in case you’re wondering, Saturdays were often the same kind of crazy that just bled over into Sundays. The really hard Sundays bled over into Mondays. The weekends were for getting the things done we didn’t complete during the week, and stressing over all of the things we needed to do in the coming week. I was an expert at running on that wheel.

In contrast, I’m finally resting on Sundays, and it’s wonderful! I wake up when I want to, get dressed (or not) and meander down the stairs for tea and food. Sometimes Benny and I have brunch together. Since he’s usually up by 4 am, he’s often eating lunch while I’m eating a late breakfast, but it’s still together. We actually connect on Sundays now. It is no longer a day of checking tasks off a list, or filling it with prep for the week. I’ve intentionally made it a unhurried day for myself. We occasionally slip a few tasks in, and that’s okay, but my catch-all Sundays are a thing of the past!

Some Sundays I stay in pajamas all day and read, or play in my planner, or work on a creative project, or watch movies with Benny. Some Sundays I meet up with a friend for a coffee/chai date, or go to a movie by myself or with one of my kids, or attend live theatre. This afternoon I went to see Hamlet with Zoe and my friend Mary at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. It was excellent! My biggest stress of the day was the traffic on I-25 because there was a Rockies game AND a Broncos game. Fun times.

Tonight I enjoyed an hour-long phone chat with a long distance friend, and started one of two online art classes I’ll be taking over the next few weeks. Benny went to bed early. Zoe was in the kitchen making simple syrup from the lavendar she picked a few days ago. Pete was gaming online with friends. Max was out of town for the weekend, so he was hanging out with his dog and catching up with the family. We’ve all created a new rhythm for our Sundays – one of rest. Finally.

I’ll leave the wheel-running to Momo.

Posted in Family, Free to be me, Random | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Catching up after Covid

July 11, 2023 by Niki

Whew! Where to begin? So much has happened in the almost three years since I’ve posted here. I’m ready to share again, so grab a cup of tea and fall into your favorite chair. We have some catching up to do!

September 28th, 2020. That’s the last time I posted. I was whining about my 10th day of Covid. I was sick and sad, having just lost my dear Linda, my sweet and sassy friend and mentor. I had to miss her funeral because of Covid. I had no clue that things were about to get much, MUCH worse. 

Later that same night, just a few hours after I posted here, my beloved father-in-law had a heart attack and died. Two days later, I was hospitalized because my Covid infection was so bad that I couldn’t breathe well on my own. The day I came home from the hospital, Benny was admitted. We watched my father-in-law’s funeral online, me from home, and Benny from his hospital bed. Visitors were not allowed, and I was still too sick to go see him anyway. Our family was grieving way too many things at once, and our kids were terrified they’d lose us too. We were thankful they did not get sick!

The hospital sent Benny home too soon, and when he went for a follow up appointment with a pulmonologist, they took him straight from that office to the closest ER at a different hospital. He was put through some pretty aggressive treatments and came home nine days later, but there were a few days there we were concerned he wouldn’t make it. He had a talk with his doctor about whether or not he needed to try to get his affairs in order. Forgive this quick summary of our story, but we survived Covid-19. Benny was off work for 72 days. It was a ROUGH time for our family. One of the roughest things we’ve faced so far. 

Our kids were rockstars and took care of us. My friend Kelcy created a Meal Train for us and our people rallied and brought us food, sent gift cards and money, and gifts. A couple of my friends made a birthday cake for Zoe, who turned 18 the day after I came home from the hospital. We were enveloped in loving support, and I will forever be grateful for every single person who took care of us through that whole horrific season!

You know what didn’t survive Covid? Some of my friendships. Every time I’d see people in my Facebook feed THAT KNEW US still shouting that Covid wasn’t that big of a deal, or hear our dumb ass president talk about “the China virus” or the “plandemic”, I wanted to scream and punch something. We (the world) lost way too many loved ones to Covid, and I decided I didn’t want to spend my energy on people who would downplay a virus that put me in the hospital for a week and almost took my husband from me. Aaaaand, some of them didn’t like what I had to say and unfriended me on Facebook. Buh-bye! 

We spent the first half of 2021 recovering. That year we made the difficult decision to end SEVENS, our long-running ministry and food bank. I went full-time at my job. Pete graduated from high school officially bringing my homeschooling days to an end, as well as my years of teaching at FACE. I didn’t grieve that season’s end because I was truly grateful for it, but I did grieve how it ended. My longtime friend and director of our school and I had a falling out and she made the end of our schooling era pretty shitty. It was such a shock! It was bad enough that Pete decided not to walk with his class, and we had our own celebration at home. A few of our mutual friends decided I wasn’t worth trying to work through the drama, so she got them in the divorce. Ugh. What a painful season that was! 

2022 was better than the previous two years. Life evened out a bit for several months. We entered a new season with all three kids being legal adults. We both had job security and we both got raises! I started writing again, mostly for myself – nothing public. We still dealt with some long Covid symptoms, but were vastly improved. The fall of 2022 brought an unexpected medical diagnosis and I started taking my health more seriously. That’s ongoing and I may post more about that in the future. I will say that I am LOVING my water fitness class and the smell of chlorine has become a comfort scent as I make forward progress on my health journey.

I want to share so much more with you, but I’ll save some things for future posts. 😉

So, where have you been? What’s happening in your life? Where are you headed this year?

Let’s reconnect!

Posted in Big Announcements, Family, Free to be me, Joy in the Journey, Learning to Cope, Loooong Post | 2 Comments »

Covid-19, Day 10

September 28, 2020 by Niki

Yep. I have it. Every day I get a text from my parents and several friends asking if I’m starting to feel better yet. The ugly truth is I feel so much worse than I did 10 days ago when I tested positive. Each day my worst symptoms change just a bit, but every day I. Am. Miserable. I know who I got it from, and I have been self-isolating so I don’t spread it to others, except Benny because we share everything. Yikes. The rest of the family tested negative, then Benny started having symptoms and tested positive on the second test. Thank God our kids are fine and totally self-sufficient!

You’ve probably heard this affects every person differently, so here’s what I’m experiencing in case you want to compare notes, or if you’re one of those people still spouting off that this is, “just the flu” and not that bad.

I’ve had a constant headache that doesn’t go away with medication or even ice on the back of my head and neck. I’ve got sinus congestion and drainage, which is probably what is causing my sore throat. I’m coughing so hard I’m vomiting or peeing myself, sometimes both. My fever is fluctuating between 99 and 101.7 degrees. There is no part of my body that doesn’t hurt – even my hair hurts. I lost my sense of taste and smell, which was pretty trippy. Now that my taste is coming back, every flavor feels like too much – too sweet, or too spicy, or too bland. I’m asthmatic and my chest is so tight I can’t take a deep breath without choking. I have just enough energy to get myself up to use the bathroom which is good because…diarrhea. UGH. I am not sugarcoating anything for you. This virus is nasty!

I am monitoring all my vitals, taking supplements and vitamins, and my doctor says I’m doing everything I am supposed to do – I just have to rest and drink lots of fluids and wait this out, unless I can’t breathe, then I’m heading to the ER. I am weary.

I was crushed to have to miss Linda’s funeral last Saturday, and even though it was livestreamed, I was so sick I slept right through it. ☹

As hard as this is, there are silver linings in the form of our people:

  • My SIL in Washington ordered us enough pizza to feed the kids for a few days, and she and my brother call me every day to check on us and tell me they’re praying for us.
  • Benny’s BFF brought me yogurt, bananas, and OJ when those were the only things I thought I could keep down. He continues to check on us and drop little things off here and there.
  • One of my tribe did a grocery trip/porch drop off for us.
  • One of my tribe sent me a Grubhub gift card.
  • One of my tribe dropped off Manuka honey, Elderberry, and Goldenseal Root for me today. We are throwing everything we can at this to see what helps.
  • Our parents call or text us every day, and several friends keep checking in on us. That makes me feel loved.
  • My older brother (by a year) left me a “Checking on you, baby sister” message, and my younger brother who has already recovered from Covid checked on me too. Brothers for the win!!
  • My boss/friend has been extremely understanding about my need for flexibility with my work schedule.
  • Benny qualified for special PTO that won’t count against his regular PTO so even though my income is suffering right now, his is not.

I know we will recover from this and for that I am grateful, but it’s day 10 and recovery isn’t happening just yet, and patience has never been a virtue I possess. It blows my damn mind that I still have a few friends calling this a plandemic, and a hoax. I kind of hate them right now, but I wouldn’t wish this on them either.

Please be smart and stay safe, friends!

Posted in Family, Learning to Cope, Prayer Requests | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

Loving Linda

September 15, 2020 by Niki

She called me a breath of fresh air. She also called me out on my shit. She took me to lunch and gifted me with pretty things. When we lived states away from each other, she wrote me long, handwritten letters. She looked me in the eye when she talked to me and every now and then she’d reach out and squeeze my hand. She laughed at my jokes, reassured me I’d be just fine when I was weighed down with worry and sadness, and she always ended our chats with, “I love you, honey.”

I wrote this about her in a blog post 15 years ago:

“I had the privilege of spending a few precious hours with Linda today, my friend and mentor. It’s so nice to know we live in the same town again – even for a short time. She picked me up and we went shopping for a bit, went to her eye doctor, then enjoyed lunch together. We ate Chinese food, and since she had her eyes dilated, she asked me to read the fortune from her cookie. I made one up that kept us laughing for several minutes. There is seldom a moment of silence when we are together!

Linda is 60 something, has blonde spiky hair (Clairol, like me), beautiful eyes and a bright lip-sticked smile. She loves big silver jewelry – the bigger the better, fell in love with her husband when she was 17, collects chili pepper stuff, loves chocolate, and reads more than any woman I know. She has some health challenges, but mostly takes them in stride. She is the only woman in my life that prays with me every time we’re together. She and I have talked and struggled through some deep stuff. She gives me wise counsel and points me back to God. She has two daughters already, so I tease her that I’m a bonus. Her daughter Corrine calls me her sister from another mother.

Linda gives the best hugs and she’s always thrilled to see me. As much as I get from our friendship, she tells me that I’m a drink of fresh water! Nobody has ever talked about me like that. The funniest thing about our relationship? We met at a garage sale! Our friendship dates back to BC – before children (mine of course – hers are older than me). She is one of my favorite balcony people. How I love and respect this woman! She affirms me and releases me to be who I am. She makes me a better me.” ~April 2005

Corrine contacted me late last night to tell me Linda passed away yesterday, surrounded by her family. I don’t know the details yet, I just know I am aching and heartbroken. It’s been hard to breathe all year, but this loss has been my greatest and I need a pause. I learned long ago not to wait to let the people I love know how I feel about them. The comforting thought holding me together right now is that there is no doubt in my mind that Linda knew the depth of my love for her. Say what you need to say. Do it now. Don’t wait.

Posted in Family, Joy in the Journey, Learning to Cope | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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