This is how we spent our morning — designing our own hockey table, and it was so easy! Emily had a blast, and is still planning to devote the rest of the afternoon to table hockey. A few years ago, one of our neighbors had a moving sale and sold this fabulous coffee table to […]
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 […]
Ribbon Dancer
February 23, 2009 by
I could not believe what a hit this was — so simple and Emily adored it! I was cleaning out a “junk” drawer in the kitchen and came across a plastic spatula that I rarely use. It inspired a day of ribbon dancing. We played some Brazilian music on the stereo, and this little girl could not […]
Save Money on Electronics
February 21, 2009 by
One of the questions I am asked quite frequently is “How do you get the best deals on electronics?” Here are some of my favorite tips to save big bucks on that new digital camera, laptop, or other electronic purchase: Network: Let everyone know that you are in the market to buy a (insert electronic […]
Save Money on Eating Out
February 20, 2009 by
Go to Restaurant.com and use checkout code DINE to purchase a $25 gift certificate to your local favorite restaurants for just $2!! Certificates do not expire for a full year, so it is a good time to stock up. Offer good today only. We have used these before (and given some as gifts), and it […]
Frugal Fun with Music
February 20, 2009 by
This afternoon we made musical instruments from recyclables. This was a big hit and Emily is still making lots of new sounds with her drum, guitar, and shaker. We made the drum with an empty oatmeal canister. If you saw this post, you would understand why we have a lot of these! This version of […]
The Celebration Continues…
February 19, 2009 by
Emily had this idea to make a birthday book for Mark’s birthday. She used one of her old, beat up board books and transformed it into this! This took quite a bit of work, and she completed it in several stages. She was quite proud of herself. I helped with some of the cutting and […]
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
February 17, 2009 by
You did not think I paid full price for chocolate covered strawberries, did you? We made them ourselves! These were so easy to make, and so much fun! To cut costs, I waited until strawberries were buy one get one free at the grocery store, and used chocolate from an after-Christmas sale. I buy about […]
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 […]
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 […]
Save Money on Your Phone Bill
February 13, 2009 by
A great way to save money without really feeling the pinch is to find ways to lower your phone bill. There are many options available, so how can you find the one that is right for you? Here are some things to consider when trying to save money on your phone bill. Limit your long […]
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 […]
Spring Baskets
February 11, 2009 by
This was such a simple, easy project and it made Emily and I feel a little closer to Spring. This afternoon we worked on Spring baskets made from strawberry cartons, ribbon, and pipe cleaners — all found in our Invention Kit. We filled them with some tissue paper and a bunch of Hershey’s kisses — […]
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 Generosity
February 8, 2009 by
Do you want to continue with charitable giving while still saving money? If you are low on funds, there are plenty of other creative ways to be generous to those who are less fortunate. Here are some of the best resources that allow our family to give more while spending less cash: Click to Give […]
The Frugal Princess
February 7, 2009 by
I found these templates for princess gear from HP and they are FREE! We printed this beautiful wand and this personalized tiara and put them together in minutes. They do not even use a lot of printer ink! Tip — I found these go together much easier using tape instead of glue. Emily could put […]
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… […]
