All four of us enjoyed some late night baking this evening. We made gingerbread cookies! This is an activity Emily has been begging me to do for ages, but I’m not much of a baker. At all. Clearly, it was time to call in reinforcements! Hey, I know my limits. First, find the perfect cookie […]
Handmade Holidays — Fabric Dollhouse
November 9, 2009 by
When I set out to do this project, I thought it would take me about a month to complete, or at the very least, a few weeks. I was wrong! Thanks to this wonderful (and free!) tutorial over at UK Lass in the US, I had almost the entire doll house complete before the girls […]
Stunning Winter Tree Silhouette
November 3, 2009 by
We noticed many of our trees have lost almost all of their leaves, so we were inspired to create something special. With very little help from me, Emily was able to paint this silhouette with beautiful results! To make your own, all you will need is a little masking tape, paper, and some watercolor paint! […]
This Bakery is for the Birds
November 2, 2009 by
We thought the birds could use a little love this time of year, so we made a fresh batch of bird seed cookies! While we were “baking” these, we could hear birds chirping loudly outside our kitchen window. Emily kept telling them to be patient! First, Emily traced a heart shaped cookie cutter onto corrugated […]
As Seen On The 10! Show
February 16, 2009 by
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 […]
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… […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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. […]
Free Tea Samples
January 1, 2009 by
Mmm… I love tea! Mark and I drink tea year-round, but especially during the cold winter months. Here are some great samples you can request for free! I have personally requested and received these, and I highly recommend the following: Yogi Tea — Sample pack includes Meditative Time, Mexican Sweet Chili, and Berry Anti-Oxidant. I […]
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 […]
Lights in the Woods – An Update
December 31, 2008 by
A few days ago, I posted about Flint Hill Farm’s Lights in the Woods event. Last night, Mark and I bundled the kids up in layers and layers of clothes, packed everyone into the car, and drove 25 minutes to Coopersburg, PA to check it out. For $5 per adult and $3 for children 3 […]
Frugal New Year’s Craft Idea — Sparkly 2009 Banner
December 30, 2008 by
Emily had a great time making this sparkly 2009 banner! You can add glitter glue or further decorate it, if desired. To make this frugal 2009 New Year’s Banner, you will need: Two empty cereal boxes Aluminum foil Pencil Glitter Glue (optional) Yarn Hole Puncher Cut out the largest sides of the cereal boxes. Draw […]
