You have asked, and now we’ve answered some of your most burning questions regarding our little blog! Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Feel free to post it in the comments section of this post, and we’ll answer it!
1. Can you share your daily schedule with us? I’d like to know how you plan your day…like when you have breakfast, what you do after that, what do you do in the afternoon, etc.
Sure! I have never thought to post this because I think of our daily schedule as being quite boring, but I get asked this question a lot, so here goes our Summer schedule (a bit different from other times of the year)…
The girls are generally up at 7:30am, sometimes a bit earlier or later depending on how much we did the day before. We usually go down stairs, eat breakfast and that’s when Emily and I will discuss what we would like to do that day. For the most part, I let her take the lead on this for at least one project during the course of the day. For example, if I have several errands to run that day, I might tell her that we need to get those things done first, and then ask her what she would like to do after that.
There are days when she has what I refer to as “illusions of grandeur” — plans that are simply too complicated or too involved to be done in a day. If that is the case, I’ll suggest that we start drawing up the plans that day, or begin the first couple of steps of the project to be completed over the course of the week/month/season/whatever. It’s a good compromise.
After breakfast, we get dressed and get to work on our project! It’s these pockets of time that I’m particularly grateful for, even if they only last for a few minutes!
Emily will usually help me to get lunch ready, and Clara sometimes helps to set the table. After lunch, Clara goes down for a nap — this is the one part of our schedule where I am super-strict! Do NOT mess with the nap time! Go directly to bed, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
At this point, sometimes I will put together the post for the blog while Emily plays quietly. Or Emily and I will do some light housework together downstairs, or perhaps another small project geared towards older kids which Clara wouldn’t be able to participate in. It really doesn’t matter, and depends on our mood that day, the condition of the house, the weather, etc.
Once Clara is up, we’ll finish up with whatever housework or project we’re working on, and have some story time. I’ll read at least 3 books, and Emily will read at least 2. Sometimes we’ll visit a local playground, the library, or maybe the zoo until it’s time to start prepping dinner. Again, Emily is a big help with that! Even if some days all she does is play with Clara so I can get dinner ready, it is a big help!
Mark comes home from work, we eat dinner, and enjoy some family time together. He gets the girls ready for bed (because he’s awesome) while I schedule the post for the blog for the next day.
2. Have you ever tried freezing the recipe for your Homemade Chewy Granola bars?
I have not tried freezing the granola bars simply because they never last long in our house! However, I have received many emails from readers who claim that they freeze quite well! Also, if the bars are wrapped in wax paper, they will last for 2 weeks and still be delicious!
3. Is bleeding art tissue paper the same as gift tissue paper? Where can I find bleeding art tissue paper?
No, it is not the same. Bleeding art tissue paper spreads color when it is wet, and gift tissue will not. This makes bleeding art tissue paper a good alternative to messy paint. Bleeding art tissue paper is inexpensive and can be purchased online through Amazon or Blick Art.
4. What is contact paper and where can I buy it?
We use clear contact paper for many projects, as it is a no-mess alternative to glue. It is clear, and one side has adhesive backing. It is very affordable, and you can find it at Target in the shelf-liner section.
5. Where can I buy colored masking tape?
Another supply we use quite often in various projects is colored masking tape. It is available at Blick Art, and also online through Amazon. In some cases, you may be able to substitute with colored electrical tape, which can be found at Target.
6. Where can I buy canvas board?
Any art supply store will carry canvas board, as does Wal-Mart. You can substitute with corrugated cardboard.
7. Do you get tired in the afternoon? If so, how do you handle that?
Yes, of course!! Sometimes I manage to sneak in a nap while Clara is napping and Emily is playing quietly. Otherwise I have a not-so-secret stash of dark chocolate and organic tea which helps perk me up! Thank goodness for dark chocolate!!
8. How do you get your husband to comment on your blog?
He needs very little persuading from me! What I love about the blog is that when Mark comes home, he can check and see what we have been up to during the day while he is at work. If you’ve never read the comments, you are missing out! Mark has built up his own little fan club here on Inner Child Fun with readers clicking just to see his comments!!
9. Have you always been frugal? If not, when did you start living the frugal lifestyle? Was it hard to transition?
Yes, I can say that we have pretty much always been frugal, and I grew up learning lots of money-saving tips from my parents. We have always lived on half of our income — even when Mark and I were first married, we didn’t have kids, and we were both working. This allowed us to save up for the house, and stay out of debt. When I made the decision to stay home with the girls, it was a fairly easy transition financially since we had always lived on just half of our income.
10. I would like to feature your projects on my blog. Is it okay to use one image and link back to Inner Child Fun?
Absolutely!! I really appreciate the link back to Inner Child Fun, and you may use one image per post to link back.
11. How can I learn more about advertising on your blog?
Our blog gets over 200,000 hits per month, and many of our readers are made up of parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers of young children.
There are many ways to advertise here on Inner Child Fun including displaying your ad in the sidebar, sponsoring a post, sponsoring a product giveaway, and more! Email me at valerie (at) innerchildfun (dot) com for more information and for a list of our current rates.
12. I LOVE your blog!!! What are some things I can do to help support Inner Child Fun?
THANK YOU!!! Here are some other ways you can help to support Inner Child Fun, so we can continue to post fun, unique, easy, and frugal activities:
— Recommend Inner Child Fun to all of your friends, family members, co-workers, children’s teachers, moms clubs, homeschool groups, pediatricians and any one else you think may be interested!
— Spread the word by liking us on Facebook, subscribing to our feed, or following us on Twitter. You can even sign up for Sponsored Tweets using my links and I will get a small referral fee, while you make some extra money tweeting — A win, win!!
— If you have a blog, link back to Inner Child Fun. Use the button on the sidebar, or you may include one photo from the blog in your post with a link back here.
— If you have done any of the projects we’ve featured here, or were inspired by our blog to create your own version, please blog about it and link back to us!
— Leave a Tip in the Jar— Any amount is very much appreciated, and goes right back into the blog to help make this site even better!!! As a special thank you, you will receive a personal email with an original photo detailing exactly how your donation has been spent and how it has helped us to continue to post unique, fun, easy, and frugal activities!
Have a question that wasn’t answered here, and it’s keeping you awake at night? Ask in the comments section, and we’ll answer it, and as always a big heartfelt THANK YOU for all of your support!!
