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

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

Basket Full of Fun

Easter is right around the corner and there is no shortage of egg, chick and bunny-shaped paraphernalia available to cram into your loved ones’ baskets.  But what if you don’t want to stick with the traditional basket or fillers this year? For those looking to hop down Bunny Trail with a few unique Easter or spring-themed treats, consider the following: Teacup:  Personalize plain, inexpensive teacups for your family members and friends and fill them with foil-covered chocolate Easter eggs.  Next, nestle a few artificial flowers inside, and then wrap the entire cup in organza or tulle. Bakery Boxes:  Plain, cardboard … Continue reading

Save on Theme Park Fun

Spring break must be right around the corner given the number of commercials I’ve seen for various theme parks. Traveling to major amusement parks doesn’t come cheap, especially if you are planning to visit with your entire family.  Admission, coupled with parking, meals, and souvenirs can easily cost you hundreds of dollars.  Fortunately, there are ways to save on wholesome theme park fun without breaking the bank. For starters, consider looking for package deals.  Places like Disney and Universal Studios often offer discount tickets to guests bundling airfare, hotel and park admission.  In other cases, using a reputable travel agent … Continue reading

Frugal Seasonal Family Getaways

If you can deal with dirty looks from your kid’s teacher, then consider heading off on a pre-Christmas getaway.  Families working with a tight budget, who want to sneak in a winter vacation before Santa Claus comes to town, must act now. Dozens of family-friendly vacation destinations are offering money-saving deals for clans who complete their travel before Christmas Eve, including: California:  Don’t wait to do Disney during your child’s winter break from school.  Rather, if you want to save big on hotel accommodations, travel during the first three weeks of December.  That’s when you will find deals like the … Continue reading

Fall Fun

Fall is finally here and my family and I have been taken full advantage of the cooler weather. We excitedly unpacked our cool weather sweaters, pants, and shoes (no more sandals). My son was particularly enthusiastic about getting to wear his hoodies, hats, and mittens. As we were getting ready to spend some time outside, he would jump up and down saying, “I wanna wear my sweater with a hood, I wanna wear my gloves!” He also enthralled with his sister’s warm weather clothes. She also had a sweater and hat as well as couple sweaters with hoods. The most … Continue reading

Save on Leaf-Peeping Packages

Tis the season to venture outside to view fall’s fabulous foliage. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to soak up the season’s best scenery. With a little effort you can score substantial savings on leaf-peeping vacation packages offered from from coast-to-coast. Some popular options include: New York: Upstate New York is home to one of the country’s most impressive leaf-peeping vacation destinations—-Adirondack Park. Spanning more than six million acres, the park is filled with massive trees whose leaves are set ablaze in magnificent colors each fall. Best of all, there’s no admission fee to the park, … Continue reading

Last Minute Summer Fun the Frugal Way

It seemed as though we woke up one day and realized that summer vacation was almost over. My husband finally got some time off, so we planned some vacation time. Of course, we tried to do it as frugally as we could. Here are some of the ways that we saved. We chose local attractions, within two hours drive. This way, we wouldn’t have to spend money on accommodations, which can be a significant cost when you a family of five. Most hotels will not accommodate families of more than four in a regular hotel room, which means you either … Continue reading

The Family That Vacations Together…

According to a national survey, more than 500 million camping trips are taken during the summer months. That’s breaks down to roughly 15 percent of the U.S. population–or a whole lot of families– looking to spend at least part of their time off from school and work bonding in nature. The Outdoor Foundation survey also revealed that the younger a child is exposed to camping, the more likely he or she will be to embrace the idea of sleeping under the stars in a tent. Nearly half of those polled said they first went camping when they were 7 years … Continue reading