Fun Items for Frugal Dress Up Play

There is a quick and easy way to entertain your preschooler for at least half an hour or so. Let him or her play dress up! Preschoolers tend to love this activity because it lets them “become” someone else for a while. Dress up is a great opportunity for using one’s imagination. Here are some frugal ideas for dress up play. Frugal Dress Up Ideas for Preschoolers Old Costumes Previously worn Halloween costumes are great for playing dress up in. Your child can become a princess, a superhero, or both in the same day. Reuse the Halloween costumes that your … Continue reading

Simple Summer Fun

After an extended school year, brought about by using too many snow days in the winter, classes are officially over for kids in my neck of the woods. And by woods, I mean fenced in backyards where parents can let their kids roam free before cabin fever sets in. If you are looking for simple projects to keep your kids entertained during the endless days of summer, consider the following: Fluorescent Slime Materials: Glow-in-the-dark paint Elmer’s glue gel Borax Hot water Directions: Combine one cup of hot water with a cup of Borax.  Stir until the Borax won’t dissolve anymore. … Continue reading

Affordable Snow Day Fun

  With yet another wicked winter storm readying to slam into several states from New Mexico to Illinois, millions of parents are gearing up for a snow day.  For kids, having a day off from school is a dream come true, but for many moms and dads the unexpected break is a true nightmare, especially if said children turn restless and cabin fever strikes. To preserve your sanity as Old Man Winter blasts into your neck of the woods, consider the following fun and affordable projects and games designed to keep your kids busy and out of trouble: DIY Decorative … Continue reading

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Old Man Winter doesn’t want to loosen his frigid grip on the country.  So, what do you do when the snow is piling up and the temperatures refuse to rise over freezing?  Create a winter-themed scrapbook layout.  Or, if you live on a frozen tundra like I do, consider crafting an entire memory album filled with snowy seasonal memories. Take your kids and your camera outside for a bit and snap shots of winter play.  You don’t have to stay outdoors for an extended period of time; rather, go out with the goal of building a snowman, a snow fort … Continue reading

Winter Inspiration

Old Man Winter is relentless.  As if the bitter cold weren’t enough, now we’re dealing with a wicked ice storm that’s threatening to bring our city to a standstill. Of course, as I sit here and complain about our latest round of putrid weather, there are likely some people loving every minute of it.  I suppose the ice is pretty to look at as the moonlight glistens off of its surface… provided that surface doesn’t belong to the power lines that help keep the lights on in my home. Believe it or not, I am not a winter hater.  I … Continue reading

Free Fun to Battle the Winter Blues

This week, much of the nation has been paralyzed by brutally cold temperatures.  In my neck of the woods, several school districts closed because it was simply too dangerous to allow children to be exposed to -35 degree windchills. Old Man Winter’s brutal blast has forced many families indoors where they are spending quality time together watching movies, playing board games and cooking.  Fortunately, these activities don’t have to put a strain on your household budget, including the movie-watching. These days there are a slew of simple ways you can avoid paying high fees for movie rentals.  One of the … Continue reading

Inexpensive Indoor Fun

The weather outside is frightful. And by frightful I mean 15 degrees below zero without the windchill.  Schools in our area closed yesterday because it was simply too dangerous to have kids wait outside for the bus. Old Man Winter’s brutal cold slap is being felt across the nation.  The bone-chilling temperatures have most families cuddling up together as they wait for the spring thaw to arrive.  Of course, all that togetherness can be a bit too much for kids and adults to handle, especially if the weather pattern persists for multiple days. If you are looking to keep your blood pressure … Continue reading

Affordable Ways to Combat the Winter Blues

So much for my New Year’s resolution. I’ve been consuming carbs at a frightening pace while battling severe allergies. Truthfully, I doubt the two are correlated.  Rather, I am blaming the wicked winter weather.   I’d bet a hundred bucks I wouldn’t be tempted to gorge on donuts, French toast and cinnamon buns if I were basking on a beach right now… in a bikini. Winter is brutal here in the Upper Midwest, which is why so many people suffer with seasonal doldrums.  The winter blues can strike family members of all ages, including children.  Consequently, it’s a good idea to … Continue reading

Winter the Fun and Frugal Way

Winter is a great time to have some frugal fun. Reduce your entertainment budget with the following ideas. Fun in the Snow If you are lucky enough to have snow in your region this winter, then you can have a ton of free fun such as: Putting water and food coloring into spray bottles, then creating snow art. Will you create the Mona Lisa or Bart Simpson? Building a snowman or two. Have a family contest for the biggest, most creative or funniest creation. You can also gift someone a homemade snowman kit. Just provide an old hat, charcoal briquettes, … Continue reading

It’s Not About What You Don’t Have

..but what you do with what you do have. An outgrown girl’s dress can become a nice shirt. An old video game system can be repaired for hundreds of hours of fun. A romantic dinner can be had at home instead of at a pricey restaurant. By focusing on what you do with what you have, with your blessings, you’ll live a happy life, not to mention a frugal one. As I mentioned yesterday, I was turning over the kids clothing from summer (and spring) to Winter (and fall). I won’t kid you, it was a lot of work and … Continue reading