For many households, food can be one of the highest monthly expenses (second to rent or mortgage). Fortunately, there are several tricks to slashing your grocery bill while still maintaining a healthy diet. Meal planning is one technique, and you may find it works well for your family. If you have never tried to reduce […]
Afternoon Play Date
January 25, 2009 by
Mark worked late almost every night last week, so the girls and I went into “survival mode”. In case you are not familiar with “survival mode”, it goes something like this: 1. Do the bare minimum to get by with housework, laundry, or cooking. 2. Leave piles of dirty dishes on the countertops. 3. Do […]
The Great Thermostat Debate
January 24, 2009 by
The Deneen household is kept at a fairly constant 66 degrees during the winter (sometimes lower if we leave the house for a long period of time). I have noticed that hardly anyone else seems to keep their thermostat set this low. We dress the kids in layers, and we wear sweaters this time of […]
Get a Deal on Disney
January 23, 2009 by
Disney is now offering a package to buy 4 nights, get 3 more nights with tickets free! Plus, when you travel between 3/1 – 3/9 and 3/17- 3/29, you’ll also get a $200 Disney Gift Card. Click here for details.
The Day We Unplugged – Part II
January 22, 2009 by
This is something that has been on my “To Do” list for awhile – organizing the Learning Studio. Last summer, Mark and I (mostly Mark) created this fabulous space in the house for the girls to get creative. It is full of every craft supply you could possibly imagine, plenty of books, and a good […]
The Day We Unplugged — Part I
January 22, 2009 by
I thought it would be fun to outline what we call “unplugged day” in our household. Every so often, we try to have a full day where we do not watch any television or play video games. It amazes me how productive I can be on these days! This morning, I had a conversation with Mark […]
8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget
January 21, 2009 by
You may be surprised to learn that eating healthy foods can be good for your waistline and your budget! Here are some of our favorite tips for eating healthy without spending a lot of money: Drink Water — Kick the soda habit. Not only is soda loaded with sugar and calories, it is also not […]
Weave a Placemat
January 20, 2009 by
This craft is so frugal, and keeps kids busy for a good while. Younger kids might need a little bit of help, but the older ones will have no trouble. Use these as a great opportunity to teach patterning! To make your own woven placemats, you will need: Two sheets of contrasting construction paper Scissors […]
Frugal Way to Occupy Kids During Football
January 18, 2009 by
Trying to watch the football game on TV and looking for a frugal way to keep the kids entertained? I thought this would be a fun topic, since the Super Bowl is coming up! Thanks to ThriftyCraftMama for posting about this fabulous frugal activity that will keep kids occupied all through the game. (Worked well […]
Raising baby green — on a budget
January 16, 2009 by
Clara at 7 months old. In most cases, being frugal is also good for the environment and vice versa. However, raising baby green can sometimes be challenging for your budget since what is best for the environment may not always be the most frugal choice. Organic baby food, for instance, usually costs considerably more than […]
The Invention Kit
January 16, 2009 by
Several of the crafts Emily and I create are products of the Invention Kit. We love recycling materials and finding new uses for things, so we set aside a separate box with things that might be useful for future projects. Here are some of the things we keep in the Invention Kit: Egg Cartons […]
Printable Coupons for Organics
January 15, 2009 by
Here is a great list of online printable coupons for organic items: Organic Valley — Save on milk, cheese, soymilk, and butter. Each coupon can be printed twice. Also, click here for a printable coupon for $2 off the purchase of any 2 Organic Valley products. Mambo Sprouts — Many coupons here for green cleaning […]
Enjoying a few good books
January 14, 2009 by
Clara enjoys some quality story time. This morning we lounged around in our pajamas for far too long, but we were busy enjoying some good books. Emily came downstairs and wanted to snuggle with Clara on the couch. She enjoys reading to her little sister, and Clara thought the pictures in this Snow White story […]
Fun with Scissors
January 13, 2009 by
Emily cutting white paper. Much of today was spent with me running around like a chicken with its head cut off in a vain attempt to clean and de-clutter the house. Did I say house? I meant kitchen. Yes, from 9am until 3pm I scrubbed and tidied up the kitchen from top to bottom. Now […]
Family Drawing Time — Portraits
January 12, 2009 by
Wow! This is my 100th post already!! Want to know how your kids really see you? Try a family portrait day! Each member of the family takes turns drawing everyone else. This makes for some interesting artwork, especially from the little ones. Here are some of Emily’s drawings: From Left to Right: Me (what […]
Homemade Chewy Granola Bars and Sledding Fun
January 11, 2009 by
Mark and I took the girls sledding this afternoon, and everyone had a blast! Afterwards, Emily and I whipped up a batch of these delicious homemade granola bars while Mark visited a friend to watch the football game. We go through several boxes of granola bars every month in our household, so by learning how […]
Family Snow Day
January 10, 2009 by
We are enjoying our first big snow of the season here in the Lehigh Valley! Today we enjoyed some time out in the snow — all bundled up, of course. Snow days make for great frugal entertainment. Emily had a terrific time playing with Mark in the backyard, and afterwards we had some hot cocoa. […]
Orange-Cranberry Scones and a Slow Morning
January 9, 2009 by
These homemade scones were a fabulous frugal breakfast treat! Mark left for work early this morning, but I was kind enough to save some for him. No high fructose corn syrup in these scones! I am not much of a baker, but I am so proud of how these turned out. They are so simple […]
