I thought it would be fun to share our Summer Bucket List today — which seems to grow longer by the minute, as I keep adding things to the list! Many of these activities are either very low cost or free (yay!!), and the kiddos are really looking forward to crossing things off of the […]
Cheap Thrills — Driveway Painting
June 28, 2011 by
For a fun time, gather up some empty dish soap bottles. Make up a batch of sidewalk chalk paint with 4 Tbsp. cornstarch, 4 Tbsp. water & 5-10 drops food coloring. Pour into a bottle and fill the rest with water. Repeat for each color. Put on play clothes or bathing suits, and invite some […]
Photo Shoots on the Cheap
June 15, 2011 by
Please give a warm welcome to our newest sponsor, Kodak! From now until June 19th, visit a local Kodak Kiosk near you for a special BOGO deal on their 8″ x 10″ photo books — get two photo books for the price of one. These make great personalized gifts for dads or grandfathers this Father’s […]
Wordless Wednesday — Sprinklers!!
June 1, 2011 by
They say that money can’t buy you happiness, but for $4.99 it will buy you a sprinkler at Target — and that’s almost the same thing. Lots of good (clean) FUN!!
Cheap Thrills — Lava “Lamp”
April 5, 2011 by
The rainy days of Spring are the perfect excuse to try some easy science experiments!! For a little science fun, fill a small plastic bottle with water and vegetable oil leaving a few inches of space at the top of the bottle. Add a few drops of food coloring, then slowly add a few effervescent antacid […]
Low-Mess Color Collage
November 2, 2010 by
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 […]
Candy Corn Family Play Set
October 19, 2010 by
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!
October 15, 2010 by
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 […]
Pretend Car Wash
August 18, 2010 by
Inspired by Emily’s recent request for a car wash toy, both of the girls were kept busy for a long time with this pretend car wash activity, and they had a lot of fun! To make up the cars, I pressed down on a sheet of inexpensive craft foam with car and truck shaped cookie […]
Solar-Powered Lunch!
July 7, 2010 by
We had a scorcher of an afternoon today — prime conditions to make our own solar oven! We recycled a pizza box and a clear plastic lid from a disposable cake pan. Add a little aluminum foil, and voilá… a super eco-friendly and frugal solar oven!! We even made our own sun tea, just to […]
Vacation 2010 Highlights
June 19, 2010 by
We just returned from our favorite frugal vacation spot — a cabin we rented in beautiful Montebello, Virginia! Here are some of the highlights from our week-long trip! We enjoyed lots of fishing and swimming (well, more like splashing) in the lake. We went exploring on several nature hikes together. We had to visit the […]
Hurray for Playgrounds!
June 2, 2010 by
After driving to nearby Lewisburg, PA — We are all suffering from a serious case of playground envy! Seriously. My skull still hurts from trying to wrap my brain around the size of this GINORMOUS playground. The girls wasted no time! When Mark wasn’t looking, I had a go at the climbing wall, swings, slides, […]
Sunday Snapshot — Flying Fun
May 30, 2010 by
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Wishing everyone a safe and fun holiday weekend!!
Cheap Thrills — Simple Bean Bag Game
May 20, 2010 by
For a fun time, sew up a few easy bean bags. Then take them to your driveway for a test run with some targets drawn with sidewalk chalk! It’s so much fun, and a great way to practice addition by keeping score! It’s not solely about the execution…. bonus points for style! Extra bonus points […]
Ladybug Cuteness
May 12, 2010 by
This fun ladybug picture was inspired by a recent ladybug sighting at the playground a few days ago. In our household, we are all about celebrating the little things in life! The best part — this project is very low cost!! Did you know that Home Depot has paint chips in the shape of leaves? […]
Finger Painted Strawberry Prints
May 11, 2010 by
For a colorful and fun project, roll out a long piece of freezer paper, and dip your child’s thumb into some red paint. We used Crayola Washable paint. Make two thumb prints next to each other to make a heart shape. Have your child dip their pinkie finger into some green paint and write a […]
Cheap Thrills — Inspired by Dandelions
April 30, 2010 by
For a fun time, have your kids collect dandelion seeds from the yard or park. This may sound easy in theory, but if your kids are like mine, they may get a bit distracted on their quest for seeds. No, no, we’re not blowing the seeds all over the ya— Oops! Too late!! That? That’s […]
12 Ways to Boost Happiness (for FREE!)
April 8, 2010 by
In need of a little pick-me-up? To help prove the old adage that the best things in life are free, here are a dozen quick and easy happiness boosters that our family has enjoyed — and they won’t cost a penny! From Left to Right: 1. Make a card for someone you love using paint […]
