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 […]
What Valentine’s Day Is Really About…
February 10, 2009 by
This afternoon I took the girls to a retirement community to give the residents there some much needed company this time of year. In return, Emily and Clara received TONS of attention. Emily made a Valentine placemat with some construction paper and stickers, and then proudly showed it off to the residents while they were […]
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 […]
Free Stickers!
February 7, 2009 by
Visit the Gmail blog for some free stickers! Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Click here for details. These look really cute!
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… […]
Frugal Valentine Mobile Project
February 5, 2009 by
I spent some time with Emily yesterday creating this Valentine Mobile for our dining room. It is so simple and easy to make (and extremely frugal). To make your own mobile all you will need is some tissue paper, white glue, a paintbrush, embroidery floss or ribbon, scissors, a marker, and a zipper storage bag. […]
Valentine Book Making
February 3, 2009 by
Emily and I made these adorable little books from empty cereal boxes and deeply discounted craft supplies from Big Lots. The decorative paper, brads, and a complete Valentine rubber stamp set cost less than $5 combined. We will probably make several crafts from these materials combined with items from our Invention Kit. What better time […]
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 […]
Frugal Family Fun — Super Bowl Edition
February 1, 2009 by
Mark is originally from Pittsburgh, so we have been busy preparing for the Super Bowl at the Deneen household! We created these cute puffed rice cereal treats: Made this awesome sun-catcher with construction paper, tissue paper, and some tape: And whipped up a batch of some frugal snacks including: air-popped popcorn, homemade pizza, and loaded […]
Super Bowl Frugal Snack — Make Your Own Pizza
January 31, 2009 by
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday! I thought it would be fun to post this easy (and very frugal) recipe. Our family enjoys making homemade pizza together so much that we hardly ever order delivery anymore. A bread machine takes all of the labor out of kneading the dough, and I have frequently seen […]
Garden Planning
January 30, 2009 by
Even if you have never planned a garden before, now may be a terrific time to start. Our family just signed up for a garden plot through the local community center, and I think Emily will benefit from watching and caring for all our vegetables, herbs, and flowers. If you do not have the space […]
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. […]
Afternoon Play Date
January 25, 2009 by
Mark worked late almost every night last week, so the girls and I went into “survival mode”. In case you are not familiar with “survival mode”, it goes something like this: 1. Do the bare minimum to get by with housework, laundry, or cooking. 2. Leave piles of dirty dishes on the countertops. 3. Do […]
Get a Deal on Disney
January 23, 2009 by
Disney is now offering a package to buy 4 nights, get 3 more nights with tickets free! Plus, when you travel between 3/1 – 3/9 and 3/17- 3/29, you’ll also get a $200 Disney Gift Card. Click here for details.
The Day We Unplugged – Part II
January 22, 2009 by
This is something that has been on my “To Do” list for awhile – organizing the Learning Studio. Last summer, Mark and I (mostly Mark) created this fabulous space in the house for the girls to get creative. It is full of every craft supply you could possibly imagine, plenty of books, and a good […]
The Day We Unplugged — Part I
January 22, 2009 by
I thought it would be fun to outline what we call “unplugged day” in our household. Every so often, we try to have a full day where we do not watch any television or play video games. It amazes me how productive I can be on these days! This morning, I had a conversation with Mark […]
Weave a Placemat
January 20, 2009 by
This craft is so frugal, and keeps kids busy for a good while. Younger kids might need a little bit of help, but the older ones will have no trouble. Use these as a great opportunity to teach patterning! To make your own woven placemats, you will need: Two sheets of contrasting construction paper Scissors […]
