St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. While many will be spending the day celebrating the luck of the Irish at their corner pub, if you have your own band of little leprechauns at home, then you might benefit from the following kid-friendly holiday activities: HOMEMADE POT OF GOLD Materials: Markers or Crayons Paper plate Scissors Gold glitter Glue Directions: Gently fold the paper plate in half, trying not to crease it tightly. Draw a capital letter “D” on the plate, using the light crease line as starting point for the back of the “D.” You should have about … Continue reading →

St. Patrick’s Day is a major deal at my daughter’s school. She attends a Catholic school, which honors the patron saint of Ireland and engineers. As part of Thursday’s celebrations students are allowed to ditch their standard red, white and blue uniforms and go green. My first grader loves non-uniform days and since green is her favorite color she is determined to go all out for St. Patrick’s Day. This, of course, meant that we had to haul it over to Party City the other day because wearing her “Mom’s Good Luck Charm” shirt and green pants simply wasn’t going … Continue reading →

Mother Nature and the St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun must be at war in my neck of the woods because after a string of cloudless days forecasters are predicting that March 17th will be a major washout. Thunder, lightning, heavy rain, fog; everything that could possibly cancel an outdoor St. Paddy’s Day celebration will descend upon our city this Thursday. Consequently, I will be moving our green-themed festivities indoors. Still, we won’t let the gloomy weather put a damper on our St. Patrick’s Day fun. Here are some of the activities we’re planning for the holiday: Look Like a Leprechaun Fill … Continue reading →

Forget about hiring a party planner for St. Patrick’s Day. You can make your friends green with envy by hosting a simple yet fun St. Paddy’s Day celebration complete with all the bells and whistles you’d find at a party planned by the pros. Start by going green–literally. Decorate your home from top to bottom with inexpensive green-hued streamers, balloons and cardboard cut-outs in the shape of shamrocks and leprechauns. You can find St. Patrick’s Day decorations at party stores, discount chains and online. However, if you are working with a tight budget, then simply make your own decorations. For … Continue reading →

My 6-year-old is down to party anytime, anywhere, for any reason. Fortunately, I don’t have to hire caterers, a band and petting zoo animals for her to have a good time. As long as the celebration involves balloons and cake, she’s good to go. Fortunately, I have those items and a few more inexpensive goodies to make our St. Patrick’s Day party a fun and frugal affair. Given that March 17th isn’t a major holiday in the United States, the celebration doesn’t have to be complicated, fussy or extravagant. However, since we are Irish, we certainly can’t let the day … Continue reading →

I recently saw the cutest St. Patrick’s Day cake advertised in Target’s weekly sales flyer. Instead of the traditional shamrock or leprechaun-inspired cake designs the discount retailer had a pot of gold cake that really caught my eye. Then, I looked at the price. You’d need to find the bling at the end of the rainbow to pay for the sweet St. Patrick’s Day treat. In all fairness, it’s not as if the cake would set you back a month’s salary, bit for the size of the cake, I didn’t think it was worth the money. So, my frugality got … Continue reading →

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, but don’t look for me to be heading out to the bars to put away pints of Guinness on March 17th. Rather, I will be spending the day partaking in far more kid-friendly fare, including making a bunch of green treats and sharing a holiday smile with my 6-year-old. If you are searching for ways to make your kid smile on the upcoming holiday, consider tickling his funny bone with the following riddles: Q: Why do frogs like St. Patrick’s Day? A: Because they’re always wearing green Q: When is an Irish … Continue reading →