Search Results for: blog family fun for less

Touring the City on Less: Food Extravaganza

The summer and fall are great times to tour a fun city. Of course, you want to do it for less. Yesterday I shared the money-saving way to save on transportation around the city. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Today it is all about having a food extravaganza. Part of the fun of visiting a city is all of the great food that you can try. Most cities offer a variety of great food, different fusions and ethnic dishes, traditional and down home fare. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity because of … Continue reading →

High-Flying Fun

If you are looking for an easy and affordable way to keep your kids busy this summer, grab a kite and head outdoors.  Kite-flying is a breeze when you’ve got the entire family working together to bring your colorful flying machine to life.  Getting a kite to take flight also lends itself to a slew of educational opportunities.  Kids can get hands-on lessons in math, science, history and geography all while having fun.  What’s more, there’s something to be said about the sense of pride a child feels when she gets a kite to dance across the summer sky. Fortunately, … Continue reading →

An Affordable Treasury of Fun

There’s no easier way for kids to explore new and exciting worlds than cuddling up with a favorite book.  Adventures await on each page and there’s no telling where your child’s imagination can take her once she peels back the front cover. And that’s just with one book.  Imagine the fun kids can have when they are gifted with a treasury of stories. If you are looking for an affordable way to keep your kids entertained this summer, consider investing in a box set of books.  My daughter adores her Little Critter Bedtime Stories set.  The colorful collection is a … Continue reading →

Frugal Friends are Priceless

If you surround yourself with frugal friends, saving money will be easy. Yesterday, after the town parade and free hot dogs and games, my family headed over to an area attraction that was sponsoring free admission for the day. The promotion wasn’t widely advertised. It wasn’t mentioned on the website or put on any community calendars, so not too many people knew about it. Thanks to a faithful frugal friend, though, who alerted me to the event, my family of five was able to enjoy the afternoon, which included a free tour, a narrated tram ride, and time in “the … Continue reading →

Sip Up Summer Fun

Think about your favorite summer activity.  Do you cherish lounging by the pool, barbequing in the backyard or sitting on the front porch watching your kids catch fireflies? Regardless of where you most enjoy spending the dog days of summer, there’s nothing quite like an ice cold beverage to beat the heat.  Of course, you can’t have fun in you are totally tanked.  Nor is it much fun for kids if they get stuck drinking water while the adults gleefully sip colorful fruity concoctions from neon straws. This summer, have fun making these nonalcoholic tropical drinks that can be served … Continue reading →

Balancing Blogging and Mothering

I squinted to make sense of scattered letters through the glare on my screen.  Focused attempts at deciphering HTML became distracted by bursts of giggling from the other side of my window.  Rejoicing from finally making a text box that scrolled, I missed a small excited voice asking me to “look at me”.  Dripping hair and sopping wet footsteps ran inside to beckon me to join their mini water park complete with a blow up monkey pool.  Promising just five more minutes I shooed away wet fingers from my computer.  Next I looked up and the time for sprinklers, popsicles, and water slides … Continue reading →

Family-Friendly St. Patrick’s Day Travel

You don’t have to blow a hole in your budget in order to have a blast with your entire clan on St. Patrick’s Day.  There are a slew of family-friendly events being held across the country this weekend to celebrate the Irish in all of us.  And the best part—most are free to attend, including: Chicago:  For more than four decades, the city of Chicago has been honoring St. Patrick by coloring the town green.  On Saturday, March 16th, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers will head out in boats to dye the Chicago River green prior to the kick-off of the … Continue reading →

Irish Fun

Easter candy has been on sale at my local Target, Wal-Mart and Walgreens since the day after Valentine’s.  Who the heck is going to want to eat those treats by the time March 31st rolls around? Nothing like blaming the Easter Bunny for giving your kid stale candy. And what about Lucky the Leprechaun? He’ll be fortunate if he gets a Peppermint Pattie or some other mint-flavored goodie before St. Patrick’s Day rolls around. Unless it’s egg or bunny-shaped, he’s probably out of luck. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer the same fate.  You don’t have to hail from the … Continue reading →

Homeless Man Does the Right Thing

I write a lot about celebrities who give back, but sometimes it is nice to read about a real person doing the right thing. Billy Ray Harris is a homeless man who was panhandling on the streets of Kansas City.  Last week, Sarah Darling decided to do the right thing and help out her fellow man, in this case, Harris.  She unzipped her wallet and dumped her change in this cup. But, Darling dumped more than her change.  She had forgotten that she had taken off her diamond engagement ring earlier in the day and put it in her wallet. … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading →