Where to Find Free Valentine Printables

Want a fun, free, activity that your kids can do for Valentine’s Day? There are plenty of Valentine’s Day coloring sheets that you can print out for free. They make wonderful Valentine’s Day cards for grandparents and relatives that live far away. In addition, there are also some kid-friendly Valentine’s Day cards that parents can print out and their kids can sign and give to their classmates. Printable Valentine Coloring Pages Crayola.com has two Valentine’s day inspired coloring pages. Both of them are cute and have large spaces that little kids will find easy to color. Choose a Cupid or … Continue reading

The Free Money Box

In our home, we have a free money box. Thanks to this box, we have been able to afford things, both necessities and treats, that we might not otherwise have, or at least been able to justify. To start our free money box, I purchased an inexpensive but sturdy cardboard box with a lid and label. I titled the label, and set to work. I started by going through the house and gathering up all of the unused gift cards that we had from the many places that they were hiding: drawers, purses, bags, cards, closets, pockets, etc. All of … Continue reading

More Fun Pregnancy Symptoms: Leg Cramps

In the middle of the night a few weeks ago I woke up with a terrible pain in my leg.  I cried out about it, and immediately began trying to rub and move my leg.  My more-than-half-asleep husband drowsily watched me do this.  He watched me try to bend my leg, to rub it, to put weight and hobble around the room on it.  When I made it to the bathroom he followed me, and asked me if I thought I was just having Braxton-Hicks.  In my leg.  Now we know that if I go into labor in the middle … 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

Another Source of Free Events!

If you want more free activities to do with the kids than you could possible fit in this summer, use this free source. pick up a free copy of your own local regional parenting magazine. Regional parenting magazines are geared for parents and caregivers, and they are filled with lots of helpful articles that deal with all sorts of subjects, from breakthroughs in healthcare to recommendations about the best learning toys. I should know. I often write articles for regional parenting magazines, and I interview top experts in their chosen fields. There really is a lot of great information for … Continue reading

Have Fun this Summer

I never put together a summer bucket list.  I saw blogs filled with printables and ideas for a bucket list and just pushed the idea aside.  I quietly envied those with the freedom for a bucket list but figured I would never have the time.  It was summer and that meant it was my time to get some projects completed and work on building up my graphic design business again.  My business partner and I have a list a mile long of how we will run our business and what services we would offer.  Most of June has consisted of … 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

Have Fun Repurposing School Supplies

Forget about packing lunches; unpacking my kid’s backpack on the last day of school has got to me the worst mom job ever. The sheer volume of crud that is shoved into that Scooby bag is mind-boggling.  While I’d love to dump the contents of the entire bag into the trash, I am far too frugal to let even the smallest pencil stub enter the garbage if it can serve a purpose somewhere in our home. If you are looking to save money this summer, don’t give into the temptation to dump your child’s old school supplies.  Rather, sort through … 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