Low-Mess Color Collage

When Emily came home from school this afternoon, I surprised her with this quick and easy color collage project. It was a great way to unwind from the school day! To make your own, you will need some colorful crepe paper. We used party streamers — they worked perfectly and are very inexpensive! Emily loved […]

Silly Straws

Thanks to the latest research from our exclusive laboratory, we have now scientifically proven…. ….that milk drunk from a homemade silly straw…… …..is (shockingly) 25% yummier!! To make your own super-silly straw, insert flexible straws one inside the other and wrap packaging tape around the parts where two straws overlap. When you’re done sippin’, make […]

Toddler Art — Autumn Tree Painting

Clara and I worked on this simple Autumn painting project together this afternoon, and I think it is one of my all-time favorites! I was so pleased with how well it turned out, and I wish you could have been here to see the look of pure joy on her face when she spotted the paints […]

Creepy Crawly Placemats

Here’s a festive Halloween craft that toddlers or preschoolers could make! These creepy crawly placemats make fun gifts for family or friends. The best part is that this project uses common household items you probably already have on-hand!   Clara surprised her big sister with a creepy crawly placemat this afternoon! Here’s how to make […]

Weekend Rewind — Pumpkin Printed Treat Bags

Emily still has this trick-or-treat bag she decorated last year, and she plans to use it for trick-or-treating again this year! We have some great posts lined up for next week, so be sure to check back. You won’t want to miss it! Today’s project was inspired by Lisa Anne from Smell the Coffee, Lisa! […]

10 (Frugal) Autumn Things That Make Me Happy

So much of the frugal lifestyle is made up of finding ways to celebrate the little things in life. Here are some of my favorites! Taking the girls to an organic orchard to pick apples. Trips to the playground with a girl whose feet never seem to hit the ground. Library visits on rainy days. […]

Candy Corn Family Play Set

This CUTE project can be done in just a few minutes, and is perfect for the kiddos to do during Halloween get-togethers! To make your own candy corn family play set, all you need are some inexpensive make-up sponges and a bit of paint. Dip the fat end of a make up sponge in some […]

Indoor Leaf Pile!

Tired of rainy days?? For a good time, cut out leaves from several sheets of colored tissue paper — you can cut through several sheets at one time, so it goes quickly. Play in your indoor leaf pile!!!!! These leaves are great fun to toss around! It’s fun for grown-ups, and kids alike! Rake them […]

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

We have had such great luck with these super-simple frugal paper kites! This time, we decorated a few for Halloween…. …went to a local park, and flew them!! It was so much fun! Even Clara could get her kite off the ground easily — and that’s saying a lot for a 2 year old! Complete […]

Spooky Bones

Inspired by Martha Stewart Living magazine, we made a super kid-friendly version of these spooky bones using just newspaper, cheap-o paper napkins, masking tape, and a 50/50 mixture of glue and water. Once they were dry, we took turns hiding them around the house for an indoor fossil hunt! Roll up a sheet of newspaper […]

Owl Family Play Set

It is good to be home again, and we are back to our usual fun crafty selves! Before I left for NYC, I had left a few paper towel rolls on the kitchen counter to be used for a some upcoming craft projects. Turns out, a certain someone (aka Mark) got a little too trigger […]

Autumn Activities Galore!

Here are some of the most popular Autumn crafts and activities we’ve done here on FFFB — enjoy!! These Fall Leaf Coasters are easy to make and quite functional as well! Make up a set of fun bat finger puppets using craft foam and googly eyes! This beautiful autumn leaf garland is my favorite way […]

Around the Web – Pumpkin Crafts

Don’t you just love pumpkins? Here are some quick, easy, and frugal pumpkin craft projects for the kids (and grown up too!) Enjoy!! This pumpkin craft uses rolled up strips of construction paper. Find out how at Kaboose! This adorable pumpkin uses toilet paper for stuffing! See the complete instructions at Craft Elf. Grab some […]

Around the Web – Owl Crafts

Some fun owl crafts for the kiddos (and grown-ups) to make…. Enjoy!! This owl snack by Christy over at Superheroes and Princesses is cute and nutritious! Whooo whooo! These stuffed owls look like so much FUN to make! Find out how at Elsie Marley. I’m loving these cupcakes by Almost Unschoolers! Cute and EASY…. my […]

Around the Web – Apple Crafts

I’ll be traveling to NYC this week, but not to worry as I have several posts lined up. For today, I thought I would leave you with some really fun apple crafts to keep all the kiddos happily occupied. Have fun!! Learn how to make this fun apple garland over at I Can Teach My […]

Education Nation Week

Over at NBC they are celebrating Education Nation Week, which means all this week they will be featuring lots of helpful tips for school and learning! To help kick-start the week, I took a trip to the studios in Philadelphia to tape this fun segment featuring educational arts and crafts. The co-host, Heather, is a […]

Introducing… Awesome Remote!

Need a little more awesomeness in your life? Introducing…. Awesome Remote! The must-have gadget that makes everything just a little more awesome!!! Awesome Remote comes with these great features to make everything AWESOME!!! Instant Gift Bacon!!!! Sunshine Money Balloons Mail Flowers and….. Bubbles!!! Awesome Remote makes even the most un-cool situations instantly more awesome. Don’t […]

FREE Museum Day

In honor of FREE Museum Day, an event sponsored by Smithsonian Media with over 1300 museums from across the country participating, we took a trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. It was awesome, educational, and frugal!! I printed out a pass for Mark and I to have free tickets, Clara is under […]