Valentine Link Love
I have many blogs that I read every day looking for great ideas that I can share with you, and even learn a few things myself. This last week there have been some great Valentine links that I thought I would share with you:
The Frugal Family Fun Blog has a cute idea to make scratch and sniff Valentine’s.
Little Birdie Secrets shares her tutorial to make Heart Strings.
If you have some of those cute heart buttons, you can make this adorable onesie called Wearing Your Heart on Your Chest.
Print these free Chuck E Cheese Valentine Cards (they are good for five free tokens per child)!
Skip To My Lou shares her tutorial on making a Ladybug Valentine.
Dollar Store Crafts has a cute Valentine lei that looks absolutely adorable!
What have you found around the Internet lately that is Valentine related? Is it something we would all enjoy? Email me the link! I would love to see it.
Continue reading Valentine Link Love …
From Econobusters.
Today’s headlines: Christmas customers spending less
Here’s an assortment of headlines from the news this morning about the frugal / penny pinching / handmade Christmas 2009 season in Michigan and across the U.S.
- Detroit News: It’s going to be a merry, but frugal Christmas.
- AnnArbor.com: Retailers turning to discounts. (Local reader alert: Interviews include a shopper from Maybee, Mich.).
- Associated Press article at MSNBC: Shoppers are out, but wait for more discounts.
If you are looking for ways to spend less money, but still have an enjoyable Christmas, go to my sidebar “Help! I Can’t Afford Christmas!”.
It’s a little late in the season to take on tasks that require advance planning such as negotiating a smaller gift-giving list among the relatives or applying for financial assistance. But if you are looking for frugal family fun or gift ideas under $20, it’s still possible to follow up on those tips.
Continue reading Today’s headlines: Christmas customers spending less …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Family Memories
Do you have many family memories this year? How can you keep up with all those memories?
I found a really neat tutorial this week that can be fun for the whole family. Or better yet, let each child make one for their own memories!
All you need is a clear ornament, some construction paper, pretty ribbon, and then however you want to decorate it on the outside.
Writing down your family memories is a great way to reminisce about all the fun you have had over the year. It is also a good time to reflect on your struggles and how the Lord brought you through each one. You can use this as a time to get a great conversation going over dinner, or use it as a family evening fun time.
Once you have your memories down, you can follow this tutorial I found at The Crafters File Box for making a Family Memories Ornament. Here is the finished product:
What are some of your favorite memories?
Continue reading Family Memories …
From Econobusters.
Day 4~Tiny Turkey Dinners
Here’s a fun project to put together this weekend and surprise your guests with on Thanksgiving, or even share with friends in the days before.
Family Fun has great instructions for making this Tiny Turkey Dinner.
Photo courtesy of Family Fun
When I originally saw these I thought they were adorable but was sure they’d take way too long to make. However, a friend of mine made a batch and said they only took about 15 minutes to decorate. That’s not bad at all. And you know the kids will have a blast sharing them with friends and neighbors!
Here are my friends’ cupcakes. Did she do a great job or what?
If you decide to make a batch, I’d love if you took a picture and shared a link to it here.
Continue reading Day 4~Tiny Turkey Dinners …
From Econobusters.
Day 11~Fall Family Fun
Fall is a great time for family fun and togetherness, and you don’t need to spend money to enjoy being productive. Below are a few ideas you might try.
-Have a family bake day. Include Dad and the kids and make pies, cookies, muffins and more. You’ll have fun and get a jump on the holiday baking as well.
-Work together to create an autumn centerpiece or vignettes around your home. Take a trip to the grocery store for gourds, apples, pumkins and scour the neighborhood for sticks, leaves and other pretties. You could even assign each family member their own spot to decorate. Have fun decorating as a family.
-Do a fun fall craft like making cornhusk dolls (you can use them for decorations!), foliage friends, gorgeous gourds, or technicolor acorns.
-Make an apple pie and homemade ice cream and enjoy them during a family movie night.
Enjoying these activities together are sure to make wonderful Fall memories.
Continue reading Day 11~Fall Family Fun …
From Econobusters.
Day 11~ Fall Family Fun
Fall is a great time for family fun and togetherness, and you don’t need to spend money to enjoy being productive. Below are a few ideas you might try.
-Have a family bake day. Include Dad and the kids and make pies, cookies, muffins and more. You’ll have fun and get a jump on the holiday baking as well.
-Work together to create an autumn centerpiece or vignettes around your home. Take a trip to the grocery store for gourds, apples, pumkins and scour the neighborhood for sticks, leaves and other pretties. You could even assign each family member their own spot to decorate. Have fun decorating as a family.
-Do a fun fall craft like making cornhusk dolls (you can use them for decorations!), foliage friends, gorgeous gourds, or technicolor acorns.
-Make an apple pie and homemade ice cream and enjoy them during a family movie night.
Enjoying these activities together are sure to make wonderful Fall memories.
Continue reading Day 11~ Fall Family Fun …
From Econobusters.
Day 13~Tepee Treats
I love talking to my kids about the pilgrims and indians that first Thanksgiving. What they had to eat is not at all what we eat today, however, their own “thankful” feast was more than enough for that day and time.
You can read all about that first Thanksgiving from The History Channel. While you are learning about the indians, the kids can make these adorable tepee treats I found at the Family Fun website.
- Photo courtesy of Family Fun
These are so fun to make and they taste yummy too!. The directions can be found HERE.
Continue reading Day 13~Tepee Treats …
From Econobusters.
Day 20~An Edible Craft For Kids
This has got to be the cutest thing I have ever seen! The other day, I was visiting the Disney Family Fun Website and they had this adorable video on making Pilgrim Hats. I was intrigued so I watched the video. I was hooked instantly! The reason I got so excited is because I am always looking for things the kids can make without my supervision. . .you know, things that do not involve the stove or oven. Well I found it!
Look how adorable these little hats turned out! 
And to top it off, they were very frugal to make! I went to Aldi’s and purchased a bag of large marshmallows for .79, one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips for $1.29, and a bag of chocolate striped cookies for .99. The icing I made from scratch. So, for a total of $3.07, my kids were able to make this very adorable craft. And the best part is, after making them, we get to eat them! Our batch wound up making 24 cookies. That comes out to around .13 a cookie! Now where in the world are you going to find that deal anywhere else??
Here are the directions for making your own pilgrim hats!
Take the cookies from the package and turn them upside down on a baking sheet so that the stripes are face down. Take the chocolate chips mentioned above and melt them. Once melted, take a toothpick and stick in the marshmallow and dip them in the chocolate. You can use another toothpick to push the marshmallow off onto the top of the cookie.
Once you have done that for all the cookies, stick the baking sheet in the refrigerator so that the chocolate can harden. Make your icing and tint it yellow. Spoon into a small ziplock bag and snip off the corner to make a piping bag. Make your buckles for the hats.
If you prefer, you can watch the video on how easy these come together.
Continue reading Day 20~An Edible Craft For Kids …
From Econobusters.
Day 25~Frugal Family Fun: Scavenger Hunt
One fun and frugal family activity is a fall scavenger hunt. Have fun with just your family, or invite a few friends to join in the fun. You can wrap up the festivities with pie and ice cream. Ask each family to bring a pie to help keep things simple.
Use your imagination to make your own list of items to find or use one of the lists below. Give each individual, family, or group a list of items to find and a bag for their goodies and you’re off! A digital camera can be used as a fun way to record items that are too large to carry.
Here is a great Scavenger Hunt list from EverythingMom.com. It’s unlikely you could find everything on the list, but it would make a great contest to see which team could find the most items. Or work on the entire list as a family, maybe taking more than one outing to find all the items.
Or try this ABC checklist or this more simple list of items to hide and find. Here is a pretty, ready-to-go list that involves getting to know your neighbors.
And you don’t need to freit if the weather is uncooperative. Simply use this fall newspaper scavenger hunt to have some fun!
Enjoy! (And don’t forget the pie and ice cream once you get home!)
Continue reading Day 25~Frugal Family Fun: Scavenger Hunt …
From Econobusters.
Day 29~Party Favors for Thanksgiving
I love making homemade trinkets to give to my guests on Thanksgiving. In the past, I have used toilet paper tubes that I have painted and decorated and filled with homemade candy, or potpourri. But this year, I am going to make something that the kids can actually help me with.
I found this adorable pinch pot on the Family Fun website. 
To make this cute little pinch pot, all you need is modeling clay. They suggest that an adult make the actual pot because of the clay being so hard to push into shape. But the kids can paint them for you in fall colors or with Thanksgiving symbols on them.
To personalize them even further, you can add a name tag on them and use them as place holders at the table so that everyone knows where they are sitting. Once you are done, fill them with homemade goodies or you can use store bought candy that has been wrapped in fall colored wrappers.
Tomorrow I am going to share one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes! It is simple and frugal and tastes oh so delicious!
Continue reading Day 29~Party Favors for Thanksgiving …
From Econobusters.