Happy President’s Day! Emily and I had an exciting morning over at The 10! Show’s studio in Philadelphia to talk about frugal family activities for winter. They featured several of the crafts and activities I have posted about on this blog. In case you missed the show, here is a clip of our segment. A […]
Indoor Sandbox
February 15, 2009 by
One of the things Emily misses the most about Spring and Summer is playing outside in her sandbox. I created an indoor version that was a big hit for both of my girls. You might already have an inflatable pool (most likely it is hanging out in the garage for the winter). We brought ours […]
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2009 by
Happy Valentine’s Day! How frugal are we? We celebrate Valentine’s Day the day after. There are some real advantages to this, including: Restaurants are less crowded. Valentine chocolates/flowers, etc can be found for 50-75% off. Better babysitter availability. This morning we prepared a special breakfast of Apple Cinnamon French Toast with bacon, and enjoyed some […]
Save Money on Your Phone Bill
February 13, 2009 by
A great way to save money without really feeling the pinch is to find ways to lower your phone bill. There are many options available, so how can you find the one that is right for you? Here are some things to consider when trying to save money on your phone bill. Limit your long […]
A Not So Sweet Valentine Treat
February 12, 2009 by
Emily came up with the idea for these cinnamon toast hearts, and I ran with it because they do not contain huge amounts of sugar — and she will eat it! These were made with toasted whole grain bread (cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter), topped with some butter, and cinnamon. I outlined the heart […]
Spring Baskets
February 11, 2009 by
This was such a simple, easy project and it made Emily and I feel a little closer to Spring. This afternoon we worked on Spring baskets made from strawberry cartons, ribbon, and pipe cleaners — all found in our Invention Kit. We filled them with some tissue paper and a bunch of Hershey’s kisses — […]
What Valentine’s Day Is Really About…
February 10, 2009 by
This afternoon I took the girls to a retirement community to give the residents there some much needed company this time of year. In return, Emily and Clara received TONS of attention. Emily made a Valentine placemat with some construction paper and stickers, and then proudly showed it off to the residents while they were […]
Tissue Paper Bouquet
February 9, 2009 by
Can’t wait any longer for Spring to arrive? We had a great time creating this flower bouquet from tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Don’t they look beautiful? So simple to make and extremely frugal! Spray with a little perfume and they will smell fabulous too. These tissue paper flowers are so colorful and are sure […]
Frugal Generosity
February 8, 2009 by
Do you want to continue with charitable giving while still saving money? If you are low on funds, there are plenty of other creative ways to be generous to those who are less fortunate. Here are some of the best resources that allow our family to give more while spending less cash: Click to Give […]
The Frugal Princess
February 7, 2009 by
I found these templates for princess gear from HP and they are FREE! We printed this beautiful wand and this personalized tiara and put them together in minutes. They do not even use a lot of printer ink! Tip — I found these go together much easier using tape instead of glue. Emily could put […]
Free Stickers!
February 7, 2009 by
Visit the Gmail blog for some free stickers! Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Click here for details. These look really cute!
The Money Garden
February 7, 2009 by
Who says money doesn’t grow on trees? This $10 seed investment boasts that it can yield over $650 worth of vegetables on just one tenth of an acre! For more gardening tips, see my recent post Garden Planning.
Frugal Fun Outdoors – Snow Painting
February 6, 2009 by
This afternoon, Emily and I took some spray bottles filled with a few drops of food coloring and some water to do snow painting. This was a big hit! I had to bribe her with some hot cocoa to get her to come back inside. I helped her spell her name out in the snow… […]
Frugal Valentine Mobile Project
February 5, 2009 by
I spent some time with Emily yesterday creating this Valentine Mobile for our dining room. It is so simple and easy to make (and extremely frugal). To make your own mobile all you will need is some tissue paper, white glue, a paintbrush, embroidery floss or ribbon, scissors, a marker, and a zipper storage bag. […]
The Secrets to Once a Month Grocery Shopping
February 4, 2009 by
If you have never tried once a month grocery shopping, February is the perfect month to start! With just 28 days, if you are already accustomed to shopping every other week, once a month shopping for this month will not feel like much of a stretch. Here are some tips to get started: Leave the […]
Valentine Book Making
February 3, 2009 by
Emily and I made these adorable little books from empty cereal boxes and deeply discounted craft supplies from Big Lots. The decorative paper, brads, and a complete Valentine rubber stamp set cost less than $5 combined. We will probably make several crafts from these materials combined with items from our Invention Kit. What better time […]
Stained Glass Snowflakes
February 2, 2009 by
A friend of mine recently hosted a Royal Snowflake Ball and it was the inspiration for this twist on classic paper snowflakes using white paper and colored tissue paper. For the Ball, she had story time for all the princes and princesses by reading snow-themed stories, and the kids decorated their own snowmen out of […]
Free Breakfast at Denny’s
February 2, 2009 by
If you watched the Super Bowl last night (and you did watch, didn’t you?), then you probably saw that Denny’s is offering a FREE Grand Slam Breakfast tomorrow (Tuesday, February 3rd) from 6 AM – 2 PM! For more information, or to find a Denny’s near you, click here.
