Recently, Emily and I made a bunch of pretend play sweets from dollar store sponges for her little sister’s holiday gifts. They were great fun, super frugal, AND very easy to make!! Emily cannot wait to gift these to Clara as part of her Christmas gift, and I love how pretend play food can lead […]
Blinkybug Invasion!
November 7, 2011 by
Mark made some super-fun “blinkybug” toys for Emily, and the two of them spent some quality time together making and later playing with these all afternoon. After all, making your own toys is a lot cheaper (and WAY more FUN) than buying them!! These little critters have blinking LED lights that turn on when their […]
5 Simple Ways to Foster Gratitude in Kids
November 4, 2011 by
So much of the frugal lifestyle is filled with cultivating a sense of appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. A nice side benefit of learning to be grateful for what you already have — you’ll save money!! Yay for saving money! It’s never too early to start encouraging your kids to express thankfulness and gratitude. Here […]
10 Inspiring Things to Make with Newspaper
November 2, 2011 by
I love crafting with newspaper because it is so readily available, cheap, and completely biodegradable. Here are 10 inspiring projects made with newspaper from our site and around the web! Cottage Hill shows how to make recycled newspaper pots for seedlings. Just in time for the holidays, Martha shows how to make trees from […]
DIY Scratch Art Pages
November 1, 2011 by
Do you have a kid who loves scratch art?? Did you know you can make your own scratch art pages?? It’s true! Aaaaand it’s a lot cheaper (and more fun!) to make your own! To make your own scratch art pages, you will need: a kid who LOVES to color, a sheet of card stock […]
Spider Web Sun Catchers
October 29, 2011 by
Know what’s LOTS of FUN?? Last-minute crafting for Halloween…. in your pajamas!!!! Clara loved making these spider web sun catchers using clear contact paper, and a few items from the dollar store. First, invite the kiddos to break up fake spider webs from the dollar store into small pieces. Clara LOVED this part — such […]
10 MORE Cheap Boredom Busters for Kids
October 27, 2011 by
Here’s a look back at 10 MORE of our favorite (and very frugal) boredom busters… Build (and re-build) Newspaper Play Structures Go on a Teddy Bear Picnic… you may even spot some magic! Make a Window Display Build a Flashlight Pose with Plexiglass Build a Marble Run Download our free […]
Candy Corn Treat Bags
October 25, 2011 by
Clara helped me make up some cute treat bags this afternoon — using paper plates and watercolor markers! We had so much fun making these, and they are perfect for filling with popcorn, pretzels, or other yummy snacks. I used watercolor markers on the back of a paper plate to color the outer rim yellow, […]
Nature Crafts and Activities for Kids You Will Want To Do RIGHT Now
October 24, 2011 by
Nature crafts and activities are a great way to enjoy the outdoors with kids, promote sustainability, and encourage little ones to conserve. Added bonus — many times nature provides us with free art materials! Here are some of our favorite simple, beautiful projects from FFFB and around the web that will make you want to […]
I’m in Highlights High Five!
October 21, 2011 by
Exciting news!! Pick up a copy of the November issue of Highlights High Five, and you’ll see a fun (and frugal) little crafty project from yours truly… aren’t these mushrooms the cutest?? Highlights High Five is an ad-free monthly magazine specifically designed for children ages 2-6 years old with puzzles, poems, stories, crafts and recipes, […]
DIY Paint with Water Pages
October 20, 2011 by
Remember those “paint with water” books from when you were the kid?? Weren’t they the best? We had lots of fun with a set of watercolor pencils this afternoon, and Clara loved making her own “paint with water” pages!! If you don’t already have a set of watercolor pencils, Crayola makes a good set, and we […]
Apple Taste-Test Activity!
October 18, 2011 by
Do you have a hard time deciding which kind of apple to buy at the grocery store or farmer’s market?? Then it’s time for an apple taste-test! We put four popular organic varieties to the test, and it was SO much FUN!! First, visit your local farmer’s market or grocery store and choose one or […]
Creepy Crawly Seek and Find… and a PBS Kids Giveaway!
October 17, 2011 by
We made some seek and find bottles, and Clara and I had SO much FUN with this!! She enjoyed the entire process, and afterwards loved the challenge of finding all the creepy critters in the bottle. They are very frugal to make, and are a great way to keep the kiddos occupied in the car […]
What To Do With All Those Pumpkins
October 16, 2011 by
Is your house overflowing with pumpkins? Did the kiddos get a wee bit carried away with their haul from the pumpkin patch?? Need a few inspiring ideas to put those pumpkins to good use?? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are 10 of our favorite ideas from around the web — all made with […]
Quick Craft — Halloween Photo Frames
October 13, 2011 by
Clara and I had lots of fun crafting these festive photo frames for Halloween, and we cannot wait to mail them off to faraway family and friends! It was a super-quick project that she could do with very little help from me. For the spider design, I cut the frame from a sheet of thick […]
Favorite Halloween Crafts
October 12, 2011 by
Here’s a look back at some of our favorite (and frugal) Halloween crafts from years past… so much fun!! Five Little Bats Finger Puppet Play Set Creepy Crawly Placemat Spooky Bones — Perfect for an indoor “fossil hunt”! Candy Corn Family Play Set Spider Web Place Cards Fun, festive, and very […]
Adventures in Bird Watching!
October 11, 2011 by
Recently, I took Clara on an educational (and frugal) field trip to Hawk Mountain, a wildlife sanctuary open to the public year-round. It was a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Autumn afternoon! There is a modest trail fee, which is totally worth it, but Clara was free since she falls into the 3 years […]
Favorite Fall Recipe and.. A Giveaway!
October 10, 2011 by
Last night I thought it would be fun to try something different for dinner, so I picked a new recipe from the Slow Cooker Classics from Around the World cookbook — Chardonnay Pumpkin Sausage Sauce. It was a BIG hit!! I loved it because it was quick, and very easy to make. It’s perfect for […]
