Tag Archives: frugal fun

More Treasury Fun

When was the last time you got a whole lotta fancy on a frugalista’s budget? Right now you can gift your favorite young reader with a double dose of Fancy Nancy treasuries without breaking the bank. Best-selling author Jane O’Connor teams up with ultra-talented illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser to once again take youngsters on a resplendent ride to Fancyville. At the helm of the grandiose getaway is the one and only Fancy Nancy.  The girl with the vibrant vocabulary and whimsical wardrobe is back in Fancy Nancy Storybook Treasury.  The sturdy hardcover book features six stupendous stories filled with teachable … Continue reading →

Our Day of Free Fun

Because we are on a limited budget, it sometimes takes a bit of creativity to have low-cost fun, and free is even better. Today was a good summer day in the free department for the kids. After an early morning dentist appointment (free, but not necessarily fun), we headed over to our local library for their Tuesday morning program. Today, the kids got to make their own bubble solution and wands and also experience making giant bubbles. We went home with the wands and a recipe to make our own giant bubble solution. We took advantage of the trip to … Continue reading →

Free Boredom Busters for Summer

Monday was the last day of school for our kids, and they “escaped” school, eager for some fun. While their friends all headed off the camp the very next day, it was left to me to make sure that each day had some new adventure planned, all while keeping house and working from home. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources to help me. Our local community, for example, provides a number of free and low-cost activities. On Tuesday, the kids learned about cave painting and created their own art through a library program, and they also got to … Continue reading →

Free Coloring Pages for Memorial Day

Posted on by

Looking for an inexpensive way to keep the little ones entertained over the Memorial Day weekend? Try some of these Memorial Day coloring pages. You can download them and print them out for free! Even “big kids” can have fun with these. Crayola.com has a coloring page that is called “Memorial Day”. It shows a picture of an American flag and an eagle, with mountains in the background. Crayola.com has a coloring page called “Color the flag of the USA”. As you may have expected, the coloring sheet has an image of an American flag for kids to color. Crayola.com … Continue reading →

Fun Ideas for a Spring Staycation this Year

  For some families, spring break is almost here.  Having a week or two off from school is the ultimate idea of fun for many kids, but for moms and dads the seasonal vacation can be dreadful, especially if money is tight. Fortunately, you don’t have to drop thousands of dollars to make your child’s spring break memorable.  With the price of gas hitting record highs, millions of families are opting to stay close to home this season.  The idea of taking a staycation is even more tempting when you consider how much money you can save while still having … Continue reading →

Busy Bees

With snow and rain saturating much of the nation, it may be hard to believe that spring is right around the corner.  If you are aching for the first signs of the season, but don’t have the cash to spend on a tropical escape, consider these fun and affordable projects that will really get your kids buzzing: Printed Bees:  Your kids don’t have to be mini Picassos to decorate your home with pretty flowers and busy bees.  To make a vibrant spring mural, have your children draw a bunch of flowers with crayons, markers or colored chalk on a piece … 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 →

Spring Ahead

I can’t wait for spring to arrive. Actually, I’d love to fast forward to summer.  However, when it’s 2 degrees out with a windchill factor of 25 below zero, I will happily settle for a shot of spring. Since I can’t control Mother Nature, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands by injecting a little spring fun into our home.  My 8-year-old is sick and tired of the snow and cold, but we can’t afford a trip to the Caribbean, so we’re making do with the following budget-conscious spring-themed activities: Spring Art:  Let your kids flex their creative … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: November 17th Through November 23rd

There has certainly been some good news about gas prices going down, but I don’t think that we are out of the woods just yet. Being good stewards of our resources is a necessity. Take a look at last week’s articles about Frugal Living. November 17th Frugal Living Week in Review: November 10th Through November 16th Job losses seem to be increasing to the point where I am hearing about more and more people that I know being laid off. But I am hopeful that things will turn around. Look for some future posts on dealing with some of these … Continue reading →

Lying in the Grass

Posted on by

One of the true joys of this spring, thus far, has been lying on the fresh cut grass with my three year old daughter close by my side, looking up at clouds and giggling as we pretended to see puffy-white versions of goats, dolphins and mommy’s big pregnant belly floating past us, up high in the sky. I truly could stay there with her as a bright, inquisitive toddler for the rest of my life – hearing her vivid and hilarious imagination come through loud and clear as she manages to articulate the sheer, unadulterated bliss that we both feel … Continue reading →