Earlier today we made simple shamrock cards using a potato stamper, and a paper bag. Emily really enjoyed this past activity so much, that we decided to try a slightly different version with shamrocks instead! Cool, huh? Who knew you could have so much fun with potatoes and paper bags? To make your own shamrock […]
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here…
March 15, 2009 by
It is starting to look like St. Patrick’s Day at our household, thanks to this cute rainbow suncatcher Emily and I put together! To make your own, you will need tissue paper in rainbow colors, clear contact paper, a hole puncher, black construction paper, gold foil (we used candy wrappers) and some yarn. Lay a […]
Shamrock Lanterns
March 4, 2009 by
Last night Emily helped make some Shamrock lanterns from empty baby food jars, tissue paper, glue (mixed with water), and some thin gauged wire. The white tissue paper almost looks like frosted glass. To make your own lanterns, cut pieces of tissue paper into squares. Mix the glue with water for a 50/50 mixture. Invite […]
Mardi Gras Fun
February 24, 2009 by
This morning I helped Emily make this cute Mardi Gras mask from some leftover craft supplies, cardstock, stickers, a drinking straw, and some glue. First, I drew a pattern using a pair of her sunglasses as a guide for where to put the holes for the eyes. Emily traced the pattern onto the cardstock. If […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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. […]
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 […]
Fun with Felt – Play Valentine Mail Set
January 29, 2009 by
Emily does not know it yet, but I am going to surprise her with this homemade felt play mail set for Valentine’s Day! Isn’t it cute? I know, I know, 25 cent postage… those were the days, right? As a learning tool, the address labels and stamps can be moved around. She can practice placing […]
Preparing for Special Guests
January 27, 2009 by
Since we have made the decision to eat out less, we have been entertaining at home more often. Yesterday afternoon was spent preparing to get together with friends from college to celebrate Chinese New Year! We planned to get Chinese take out, eat with chopsticks, and spend some time getting caught up with one another. […]
Create 6 FREE Valentine’s Day Cards
January 27, 2009 by
Stories by Everyone is running a special for 6 FREE Valentine’s Day Cards. You can upload a photo to personalize them — very cute! Shipping is also free. Enter code valentine at checkout. Offer expires 2/1/2009. Not valid with any other offer.
Top 5 Fun Freebies for Inauguration Day
January 19, 2009 by
Tomorrow is Inauguration Day, and there are some fun freebies to be had! Here are some you won’t want to miss: Download America’s Song — A free .mp3 download courtesy of Oprah. This song is sure to get you into a patriotic mood! Krispy Kreme Donut — Visit your local Krispy Kreme for a free […]
Thrift Store Finds — Woo Hoo!
January 17, 2009 by
I have been on the look-out for next year’s holiday dresses for the girls, and at the thrift store today I found these gorgeous dresses (in next year’s sizes)! Aren’t they beautiful? Emily’s cost just $4.99! Clara’s was $3.99, but they had a sale for 50% off all blue tagged merchandize, making this cute dress […]
Download Suze Orman’s New Book — For FREE
January 9, 2009 by
From now until January 15th, you can download Suze Orman’s new book, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan for FREE — courtesy of Oprah. For more information, click here. From the site: This book is copyrighted. You may view and download the file, but you may not copy the file or share or forward it to […]
6 Tips for Motivation to Stick to a Budget
January 7, 2009 by
The New Year’s resolutions have been made, and many people have resolved to “spend less money” in 2009. Setting up a budget for the new year can be easy, but finding ways to stay motivated can mean the difference between budget success and failure. Here are some strategies to keep you motivated and on the […]
8 Frugal New Year’s Activities for Kids
December 31, 2008 by
Waiting for the ball to drop? Don’t know how to keep the kids occupied? Try some of these ideas: Video Game Tournament — For more information on this, be sure to check out my post on 5 Ways to Save Money on Video Games. Coloring Pages — Click here to print out New Year’s Eve […]
