Summer Fun!

The festive 4th of July bike parade in the parking lot of our church- thanks to Melanie for this great photo!

Okay, we're coming into the end of July now- anyone in a summertime fun rut? Sometimes it takes a little imagination to make your own summer fun, so I thought I'd share a few fun (and FREE!) things that we have done this summer, and some things I've heard about people doing. Please share your own ideas in the comments section!

1. Bike Parade- my friend Drea had the great idea to gather all of the kids in our playgroup at our church parking lot and have them decorate their bikes for a bike parade. She then had the younger kids sit on the curb while the older ones rode their festive bikes and threw candy to the little ones, and then they switched- the younger ones rode and threw candy to the older ones. It was great fun- the kids had a blast decking out their bikes (crepe paper streamers, pipe cleaners, decorative wire with stars on it, balloons, etc.) and then the candy just made it even better! A fun morning was had by all. We decided that next time one of us would bring a cd of marching band music to play during the parade. The possibilities are endless!

2. Pool Party- We held an impromptu pool party at our house about a month ago- I invited a few friends over to play in our kiddie pool, and I invited them to bring their pools/slip-and-slides, etc. We just made PB & J sandwiches for the kids, and everyone brought side dishes (grapes, cheese, pretzels, etc.) and we ate a picnic lunch. It was very relaxed and fun, and there are few things that really bring that summertime feeling than a bunch of kids running around the backyard in their swimsuits! I can't wait to do it again!

3. Treasure Hunt Hike- A hike in the woods is always an adventure, but especially if you're under 4 feet tall! A few weeks ago, a few friends and I got our kids together and met at a nearby park where there are some walking/jogging trails that go through the woods. We had our kids dress in "hiking clothes" complete with their backpacks and baseball caps, and then we handed out some egg cartons for them to use as their "treasure boxes." Their goal was to fill each spot in the treasure box with something special they found on the trail- by the end of it, the boxes were filled with berries, leaves, rocks, sticks, pine cones, acorns, flowers, and more! It was a great opportunity to have fun learning about nature, and encouraging even the littlest ones (1-2 years) to experience different sights, sounds, smells, and textures. We were also able to talk with the older ones about what is safe to touch and eat, and what is not safe. 

Halfway along the trail we stopped for a rest and ate our "rations"- a snack we had packed in their backpacks, and then we went back to a pavilion by the playground where we sat at picnic tables and the kids showed each other all of their "treasures". It was a fun, interactive experience for all of us!

4. Free Movies!- There are lots and lots of movie theaters around that offer free (or super cheap) kids' movies in the summer, and if you're not sure if you have any in your area, check into it! If your local theater doesn't offer it, get some other moms on your side and approach the manager about starting it- there are always hundreds of moms and kids that show up at ours each week. I love it because my 2yo and 4yo can get the opportunity to see a movie in the theater without me worrying that they'll be too loud or they won't like it and we'll have to leave- all the kids are loud and nobody cares, and if they do get tired of watching it (they usually do about halfway through) we can just leave. It's also a nice option for those rainy days!

5. Camp GonnaWannaFLY- For you flybabies out there, this is nothing new, but for anyone that is curious about this fun camp, check out www.flylady.net. She will give you some great ideas for your at-home camp, including weekly or daily themes (colors, music, nature, etc.) and fun camp rules and activities for the campers that are not only fun, but get the house clean and organized as well! I read about one camp whose motto (you have to get the campers to decide on a motto) was "Make it fun and it will get done!" The campers did things like trading "mess hall duty" and cleaning each others' "bunks"- I really wish I could remember all of the different things I read about- just check out the site!

6. Playground Tour- This is something I've read about but we haven't tried it out yet- you make a list of all of the playgrounds in your area and then either over a course of a week or the course of the summer, you visit each one and have fun! If you have older kids you can even make a rating system and decide which ones you like best. It is fun to discover new places to play near where you live!

So I hope these ideas give you some renewed excitement for your summer fun! Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine while it lasts!

What are some fun free things you do in the summertime? Leave a comment and share!

NOTICE: All Couponing Posts Moving to My Other Blog!

Hello, friends! For those of you who come to read of my couponing adventures, I would like to announce that I am moving all couponing content to my other blog, "Gettin' Deals". I had started that blog awhile back and not really posted on it much, then I started using this as my primary blog and I've been posting my deals here, but I feel the couponing does not really fit my goal with this blog, and so I would like to move it to its own location. I will still occasionally post about couponing here- perhaps do a series about how to get started, or just how I fit it into my schedule, things like that- but the weekly deals and other pertinent posts will primarily be on the other blog. 

Be sure to come back here for ideas on how to make your thrifty life beautiful, and leave lots of comments! I love comments!

Have a beautiful day!

Quarter, Nickel, and Two Pennies

That's how much I spent at CVS this week! I had to go to a different store because I was hoping to get the photo book deal and my usual store said their Kodak kiosk wasn't working. The store I went to is notorious for being out of stock of deal items (must be more people like me in that area!) so I wasn't able to get some of the deals I wanted, like the Cheerios. Oh, and it ended up being a bummer too because their kiosk didn't have the software for the photo books.

But no problem, because I spent $11 in ECBs, $0.33 out of pocket, and I got all of this with $12.50 in ECBs in return that I'll use next time. The anti-itch spray was just something we needed- not on sale. :-)

The Thought That Counts

This is a little thank-you gift I made for a neighbor who took care of our dog while we were out of town last week. I bought the cool jar at Goodwill for $2, then decorated it with some leftover paper scraps, ribbon, and some embellishments from the dollar store. My kids helped me make the oatmeal cookies that filled it!

I am a huge fan of making gifts for people, not only because it is thrifty, but because I believe that a handmade gift using your own unique talents can be not only more meaningful but also of a higher quality than a store-bought gift.

Over the last few years, as I have become a wife and a mother and a homemaker I have tried to develop talents that I can use to create unique homemade gifts. Not only has it been a lot of fun for me to learn new things, but I have also been able to enjoy the process of gift-giving far more because I am giving of more than just my monetary substance- I am giving of myself: my time, my talents, my creativity and my heart.

I think I have knit scarves for nearly everyone in my family, as well as a few baby hat and scarf sets. I even had one friend who told me that the scarf I made for her baby helped him with a physical condition he had called torticullis (kind of like a permanent crick in the neck) and his physical therapist wanted to know where she could get the baby scarves for all of her little patients! Other gifts I have made include fleece ponchos, theraputic neck warmers (sewn bags of rice and dried herbs), sachets, scrapbooks, hand-drawn sketches, painted wooden home decor signs, and probably many more things that I just can't think of right now! 

One handmade item that really sticks out in my mind is not one that I made, but one that was given to me- a set of blocks for my son from my brother and sister-in-law. They made them out of two-by-fours, and they simply cut them to various sizes and shapes and then sanded them down. They gave them to my son for Christmas probably 3 years ago and he still plays with them nearly every day. I still get friends asking me where I got such wonderful blocks- I think my brother and his wife could have a business on the side! But the most important thing about that gift to me was that it was truly from the heart- my brother is an architect and his wife is an artist, and so they wanted to share something they love with their little nephew, and I know it took several hours of hard work, but now my son has something from them that he will always cherish and enjoy, and will probably be able to pass on to his children and grandchildren.

So I would encourage everyone to think outside the box, utilize your talents and skills, and challenge yourself to put your heart into the gifts you give. 

Do you have any unique and creative gift ideas? Leave a comment! 

A Week for the Beginner Couponer

For those of you who have given a thought to giving couponing a try, but don't have a huge stash of coupons from the last three months, this is the week for you, specifically at Rite Aid! Rite Aid has a few great deals using coupons from last Sunday's (7/13) paper. Thanks to moneysavingmom.com for these great deals!

First, you need to understand about the Rite Aid Single Check rebate program. It has an odd name, but all it means is that throughout the month (the rebates change by calendar month) whenever you purchase a rebate item (identified in their monthly rebate flyer) you enter the information from your receipt online, and then once you have entered all of your receipts for the month, you can submit them and they will send you a single check- it's all in one check, not a lot of little rebate checks for individual items. Hence the name, "Single Check Rebate".

So here are a few deals for this week!

Electrasol Powerball Tabs or Gelpacs- on sale $2.99

Use $2.25/1 coupon from 7/13 SmartSource insert (an insert is a coupon section in the Sunday paper)

Get $2 Single Check Rebate #257

Free plus $1.26 overage after coupon and rebate!

Lysol Neutra Air Spray 10 oz.- on sale B1G1 (Buy One Get One Free)

Buy 2 and use B1G1 coupon from 7/13 SmartSource insert

Get both free after store sale and coupon! (I have had clerks try to not let me do this before because they don't think the register will accept it, but I just kindly ask them to try it and it always works!)

L'Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss Shampoo/Conditioner- on sale B1G1

Buy 2 and use B1G1 coupon from 7/13 SmartSource insert

Get both free after store sale and coupon

My Rite Aid trip this evening was not entirely successful because they did not have the Lysol or the L'Oreal shampoo in stock, but I was able to snag a few other deals. Out of pocket I spent $8.58 (includes tax) and I should be receiving $7.49 back in rebates. So I spent about $1 for the Electrasol, Tone hand soap, Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste, and 2 packages of maxi pads. Not a bad night's work! Lucky for me I have several other Rite Aid pharmacies in my area that I can check with to find my other out-of-stock items. I would hate to miss a freebie!

Hope this helps any newbies out there! Be sure to post a comment if you try it out and let me know how it went!

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Lately I've been on a bit of a kick to increase my food storage. I'm Mormon, and being self-reliant and "temporally prepared" is an important part of our religion. Well, I'm also getting into "going green" and I recently read something that inspired me to do both- for free! 

In the LDS family home storage pamphlet entitled, "All Is Safely Gathered In", it reads, "Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted. If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soda." (read more here)

Well, it sounded like a great idea to me, especially since my husband recently made a connection with a guy who can get him his favorite sodas for really cheap, so he's drinking a lot of them! I just rinse out the bottle with warm soapy water and then refill it with clean water from the tap. And I now have a nice collection of water bottles sitting on my counter.  Now if only I had a place to store them...

It's funny though, whenever I do things like that, my motivation comes from this idea that someday I could be in the midst of a disaster emergency, where food and water will be scarce and the only thing that my family has to survive on is the items I have stored. I always wonder if that one extra item will be the difference between life or death. Wouldn't I just kick myself if it came right down to it and one of my precious little ones was wasting away from hunger or thirst and I just knew that had I filled one more water bottle, they would be okay? It really makes you think...

For others of you preparing for TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), what are some ways that you have found to bulk up your storage without thinning out your bank account?

Free Decorating Book

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for this link- get a free decorating book here (just click on "order book"). I love free stuff! :-)