Summer activity ideas for kids - many that don't involve money!

It didn't take long after school was out for that dreaded question. Mommy, what can we do???? In order to keep my sanity, I came up with a whole bunch of ideas for my boys (and for me) to prevent that question from coming up too often!

I came up with 6 lists.
1. Activities for rainy days at home (inside the house) that are basically free.
2. Activities for rainy days - outings that cost money.
3. Rainy day outings that are free or very cheap
4. Activities for warm & sunny days at home (outside) that are free
5. Activities for sunny days - outings that cost money - gas or entrance fee.
6. Sunny day outing ideas that are free (parks, beaches, etc.)

My friend Colette suggested I share my lists, so here goes. Keep in mind that my boys are 5 and 6 1/2 and these are ideas for weekdays. We don't seem to have any trouble coming up with things to do on the weekends, especially in the summer. There is a festival every weekend around here!

1. Rainy Day activities at home that are free

- playdough

- painting

- Lego

- cars

- Tinkertoys

- make a craft

- cut pictures of out magazines, make a collage

- put on a puppet show

- make cookies/muffins with Mommy

- play a game (Zingo, CandyLand, Connect Four, Battleship, Memory, Hungry Hippos, etc)

- PlayMobil

- dress up

- jigsaw puzzle

- finger painting

- do an exercise video with Mommy

- Hide and Seek

- activity books (colouring books, dot to dot, hidden pictures, mazes)

- read a book or two or three or four or five or.....

- write in a journal

- act out a play or a story (a fairy tale?) and Mommy will video tape it

- look at photo albums

- draw pictures on paper or chalkboard

The following at home activities have a bit of a cost involved:

- stamp on T shirts

- make stepping stones

- make a pinecone bird feeder

2. Rainy Day outings with a cost involved.

- Everett Children's Musuem (we have a membership)

- Seattle Children's Musuem

- Bouncy places (Pump it Up, Jump Planet, 3-2-1 Bounce)

- Creation Station

- the Museum of Flight

- Pacific Science Center

- Seattle Aquarium

- Everett Skate Deck (rollerskating and inline skating)

- Chuck E. Cheese

3. Rainy Day outings that are free or cheap

- Library events - there are a lot of concerts and other activities including story time

- McDonald's play area - the one in Redmond is especially fun

- Free movies - Tuesday mornings - details here

4. Sunny day activities at home (free)

- sidewalk chalk

- hopscotch

- basketball

- ride bikes

- run through sprinkler

- slip and slide

- water balloons

- wash the car

- watch bugs with a magnifying glass

- play hockey/soccer outside

- sandbox

- frisbee

- play in plastic pool

- make sun prints

- play marbles

- throw bean bags

5. Sunny Day Outings that are free or almost free

- Parks/Playgrounds (I compiled a big list of our favourites and ones we haven't visited yet)

- Beaches

- Free Concerts - the city of Lynnwood has free events on Wednesdays at noon starting June 30th

- Pick fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

- The Zoo (we have a pass)

6. Sunny Day outings that cost money (mostly gas or an entrance fee)

- Miniature golf (Interbay in Seattle or Willows Run in Redmond)

- Arlington Kangaroo Farm - (Wednesdays through Sundays only)

- The Funny Farm in Monroe (seriously, that is the name!) - has kangaroos, llamas and camels

- Tacoma Zoo

- Snoqualmie Train

Note: I have only been to the train in Snoqualmie, not the other places, so I can't vouch for them.

I hope this helps someone! Check your local parks and recreation for ideas and Family Fun has great ides for backyard games and crafts as well.

I'm linking to Flaunt it Friday.
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Wordless Wednesday

Peonies at Bothell Country Village

June 20, 2010

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Recommended reading

I love the Flourishing Mother (Andrea)'s blog. She writes thoughtful posts that stay with me for a long time. Today's post is about forms of communication and how e mail pales in comparison to phone calls and phone calls aren't as effective as face-to-face communication. I agree 100%. She quotes from a book called Oblivion. Another one to add to my "to read" list!Pin It

Score!!

Look what I found at Goodwill on Friday!!!!

NOTE: this is NOT my photo.

I looked on eBay and the shade is selling for over $50 dollars! How much did I pay? $3.00

On Saturday, I found a candlestick lamp base (at Goodwill, of couse) for $4.00 that fits and matches PERFECTLY! Ta da!

A beautiful Shabby Chic lamp for $7.00 that now resides on my bedside table. My table doesn't always look this tidy, btw. :)

I'm linking up to Today's Thrifty Treasures linky party.

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The Last Day of School!

Photo from today's "Aloha to 1st Grade Party."

Today is the last *real* day of school for my oldest son - tomorrow is a Field Day with early dismissal. I can't believe it is over. I have mixed feelings. I'm looking forward to a break from driving. My son goes to a Christian school that is about 10 miles away and I don't carpool with anyone - yet.

One thing I'm sad about is saying goodbye to his teacher, whom I have *loved*. She has been such a blessing! I have volunteered in the classroom almost every Monday and have enjoyed spending time with his classmates - most of the time! :)

Since I am such an obsessive photo-taker, I had to take a Last Day of School photo.Here's the First Day, for comparison. I think someone has grown a little.Now, to plan a summer vacation and sign up for swim lessons!

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Goodwill Hunting and Painting Perpetually

Every Saturday morning, early, I hit the road in search of garage sales and/or estate sales. I've become pretty savvy about which sales will have the good stuff (antique furniture, picture frames and decor items are on my wish list) and which ones to just skip. I was surprised this morning, while cruising through a community garage sale, how many people had such small amounts of things put out to sell. Why not call it a closet sale instead? Come on people! I'm such a garage sale snob! ;)

Here's a photo of this morning's treasures.
A grand total of $9.25 was spent - my biggest splurge was the bongo drums for $5. They are VERY popular with a certain little boy. The kid chair (sorry, kind of hidden behind the $1 dahlia plant!) was free!

On Memorial Day, I scored big time using CraigsList. I got a dresser in the style I wanted (Queen Anne? I'm not sure) in great shape for $20!!! I plan on painting it white but I'm waiting until the weather stays dry for a week or so before I get my hubby to haul it outside. :)

I painted so many things today - almost all of these items I have found at Goodwill (or other thrift stores) in the last few weeks.
1. wood magazine rack
2. candle sconces
3. tiny wood bench
4. wood chair
5. in/out tray
6. metal magazine rack
7. wood-framed clock
8. silverware box

I have a tip for Goodwill shoppers. Go late Saturday afternoon or evening. If you go then, we will find so many new items being put out on the shelves since Saturday is such a big day for donations. You can get the good stuff this way. It goes without saying that you need to visit your favourite thrift store often to check for new items.

I'll be posting some before and after painting photos soon. Did I mention that I also planted and weeded today? What a day!

I'm linking to Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.
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Happy Victoria Day!

Today is Victoria Day in Canada - a national holiday. Why? To commemorate Queen Victoria's birthday and the current sovereign (Queen or King)'s birthday. Victoria Day is the last Monday before or on May 24th. May 24th is Queen Victoria's actual birth date. To Canadians, Victoria Day weekend means that winter is finally over!

Want a fun way to celebrate? I recommend watching The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt. I watched it over the weekend and LOVED it. It was great to learn more about Queen Victoria's early years of her reign and see an inspiring love story and marriage.


Other great movies about Queen Victoria:
- Victoria and Albert


- Mrs. Brown (about the end of Queen Victoria's life)

My home province was named after her fourth daughter - Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. Of course, the city of Victoria, BC, was named after Queen Victoria.

I love all things Victorian. I'm going to read this book soon:

to learn more about one of my favourite historical figures.Pin It

Do you like the new look?

I finally upgraded my blog to something pretty. :)

I promise I have a post coming with some actual content as well.Pin It

Easter etcetera

Happy Belated Easter! We had a very nice quiet Easter weekend. The boys found eggs in the backyard doing a mini scavenger hunt set up by my hubby - thanks, Sweetie! No big community egg hunts for us - too crazy and greed-filled. As I recently admitted to a surprised friend, I don't put any candy inside the eggs and my boys still love to find them. Yes, they do get chocolate for Easter. I'm not *that* mean! Here, they are during the hunt. (That's the playhouse by the way, not my front door!)

Since we didn't have any family in town this year and I didn't want to cook a special meal for just the four of us - we went out for brunch after church. I can totally recommend the place we found - La Galleria in Edmonds. We had a very delicious 3 course brunch for $16 each. Very quiet which was good for us but probably not for business!

I've added a new hobby - I know, I know, I hardly need one! Silk flower arranging. I decided to make the table decorations for my son's upcoming "He is Risen" class party. One thing led to another and I'm knee-deep in moss, wire cutters and the smell of hot glue is in the air. Here is one of my arrangments (sorry for the dark picture):
Also for the party I made an Easter diorama (for lack of a better name). Check it out: I used a styrofoam tray, moss, stones, twigs and I painted a split wooden egg (which is supposed to be the empty tomb). I found the idea here, to give credit.

As Easter was approaching I was searching for videos for my sons to watch. I decided to look up the Jesus movie that is used around the world as an evangelism tool. I found this movie which is geared towards children - you can watch it for free on your computer. It captivated my kids and it can be watched any time of the year. Another good Easter video about Christ's resurrection is


Now, I should concentrate on spring cleaning. Who wants to help?Pin It

Surviving the time spent in the car

I spend a lot of time in the car. My oldest goes to school ten miles away, without a school bus. My youngest goes to preschool, not at the same campus.

One thing we've been doing to make the drive time more enjoyable is listening to audiobooks from our local library. Our current favourite is the following:

If you aren't familiar with Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, may I introduce you? She has an upside down house, she has pirate treasure buried in her back yard and helps all the mothers in the neighbourhood with a cure for bad behaviours such as Answer-Backers and Never-Want-to-go-to-Bedders. I also love the names for the friends of the mothers who ask for advice such as Mrs. Ragbag, Mrs. Grassfeather, and Mrs. Moohead. Very funny. There are several books in the series including Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm, and Hello Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. They are a great read aloud if you don't get the audio version.Pin It

Thoughts on Valentine's Day

Today was my son's Valentine's Day party at school. I dropped in and took some photos. The kids had decorated boxes for collecting valentines. It was great to see the different personalities demonstrated by the choice of boxes. My son (and I) made a crocodile who eats valentines! The parents had secretly submitted a letter to their child telling them how much they loved them. I helped a few kids who weren't able to read theirs. Such a sweet idea.
OK, so I'm going to sound like an old fogey now so after that disclaimer.... I was disappointed to see that no other child in my son's class handed out handmade valentines like my son did. Yes, it was tedious and time consuming but I find it sad that simplicity, creativity and imagination are sacrificed for convenience. I also know that my son's cards were very frugal since they were made with red hearts, some stamped images, a couple stickers and a handwritten note. (sorry, I didn't get a photo before they were handed out). I'm just not a big fan of the mass produced licensed character "valentines" that are so popular now. Plus, there seems to be an expectation that candy has to come with the valentine, making the whole thing very expensive. Ok, rant over. :)

I stayed up late last night making something like this to attach to the cards. I had to make sure the kids didn't think they were edible and accidently take a bite!

Hubby and I have to wait until next weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day since our babysitter is busy. Oh well, it should be quieter. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!Pin It

Happy New Year!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

OK, so we all know that New Year's Eve is the time for resolutions. Well, I thought it might be a good idea to put mine down on "paper" and share them with my 2 readers. Thanks for sticking with me as I took a "blogging break" AKA, I was too lazy and/or busy to post since November. Yikes!

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Write in my blog more frequently. Maybe once a week is attainable. :)

2. Write in my journal more regularly. I keep a 5 year diary but it has been sadly neglected.

3. Read more. I read 60 books in 2008. I don't know how many I read in 2009 but it was much less. I would like to read at least 40 in 2010.

I have some other resolutions but they are private.

What are your resolutions/goals for 2010?Pin It

Tightening the belt

Like many people we are trying to cut our expenses down. My current project is my grocery bill. I've been surprised at how high it is since I'm a fairly careful shopper. I hardly buy any convenience foods, I shop around, etc.

So, here's what I've been doing:

1. Making a price book. This is kind of time-consuming but essential for figuring out which store to shop at and whether or not something is a good deal. The concept is explained here. If I can figure out how to share mine (done in Excel) I'll do that.

2. Cutting coupons. Ugg. I don't like doing this but I'm talking myself into it. It requires organization which isn't my strong point. Did you know that if you live in the Seattle area, Red Plum coupons (which used to only come in the Sunday papers) are now delivered to your mail box? This takes away the excuse of "I don't want to buy the paper just to get coupons."

3. Joining the frugal community. There are lots of websites/blogs to help you save money on groceries/meals and find coupons and freebies. A couple I've found are:
- Grocery Smarts - this site helps you find the best weekly deals at your grocery store plus links to printable coupons.
- Money Saving Mom
- Five Dollar Dinners
- Thrifty Northwest Mom
- Northwest Coupon Lady
- Centsible in Seattle
- Seattle Mom Deal Finder

4. Follow fellow frugal folks on Twitter. @frugalgirls @MomAdvice @Freebies4Mom are just a few.

5. Actually go through the grocery fliers. I'm embarrassed to admit this but I used to just toss the fliers, just to eliminate the clutter. Now, I'm reading them and figuring out what bargain shopping is worth my time.

What are your tips/tricks for saving money on groceries?Pin It

Workout music

Well, I joined a local gym. My physical therapist has been bugging me to get moving and I just wasn't doing anything at home, even though I have a bunch of exercise DVDs and a simple treadmill (which I can't set up myself) which is gathering dust. Anyone want it? $25 bucks and its yours!

I've been obsessively researching music and BPMs. What are BPMs you ask? Beats per minute - very important for working out. The right BPM will match your pace. I do a fairly brisk walk so I look for a BPM between 119 and 125. This website helps you determine the BPM and I've found some by just doing a Google search of the song title and BPM.

The right music makes *such* a difference. I get to a good pace and I can easily do 40 minutes on the treadmill.

Here's my current favourites:

1. Waterfront - Simple Minds - 119.4 BPM
2. Beautiful Stranger - Madonna - 124 BPM
3. Because the Night (MTV Unplugged version) - 10,000 Maniacs - 123.75
4. Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac - 123.27
5. Fields of Fire (400 Miles) - Big Country - 123.1
6. Praises - Newsboys - 121
7. Spirit Thing - Newsboys - 124
8. Even Better Than the Real Thing - U2 - 124
9. New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) - Simple Minds - 123.16

My playlist is much bigger but it is in flux - I'm adding and dropping songs all the time.

I'll post some more songs after I give them a trial walk. Get it? ;)Pin It

School boys

Both of my boys are settling into their schools and both of them love their schools and their teachers. My youngest, C, goes to preschool 3 mornings a week and his teacher was the "helper teacher" for A's teacher two years ago. A attends a Christian school (which is a 20 minute's drive away) and is in Grade 1. I'm doing a lot of driving!

A received the Student of the Week award today at the weekly chapel. I was so proud! It is given to one student in each class who exhibits a particular character quality. This week's character quality was gentleness. He was the only boy among about 13!

And to continue the bragging, A received his progress report last week and it was extremely positive! His reading was tested and he reads at a Grade 3 level - he is in his second month of grade 1.

I love my boys and I love being their Mommy.Pin It

Craft I made + links time again!

So, on Labour Day we were supposed to go the Fair but we found ourselves in a downpour that included thunder so we took cover in a craft store. How did that happen? :) One of the fun things we found was this, only bigger:I painted it and put a treasure map inside with pirate stickers - voila! a treasure box for my youngest.

C loves it! He put his favourite treasure inside - his stuffed guinea pig, hamster and mouse that he calls "The Guys!"

So, as usual, I have too many tabs open. Yada yada. Time for some link sharing.

Want to better organize your child's closet and help them pick out outfits, quicker? Here are some cool day of the week printables to help!

How to save money at Starbucks. I follow some of these tips already. Make sure to register your SB card - you save on syrup and refills of drip coffee.

Simple Mom has written this amazing article about finding motivation at home, something I struggle with. She also wrote this great series called "How to Be Disorganized and Unproductive at Home" - part 1 is called Don't Enjoy Your Job.

A fun mosaic craft to make, especially if your family eats a lot of cereal.

Now that the weather has turned (at least in my part of the world), I'm looking for indoor activities. Here are 20 good ones (none of which involve a TV).

Feeling overwhelmed? This post from Like a Warm Cup of Coffee was an encouragement to me.Pin It

Menu plan Monday (with links to recipes)

I haven't participated in this carnival in ages but since I'm starting some new routines now that school has started (and today is a holiday!), I actually have my menu list done on a Monday as opposed to some other day of the week.

Here are the main dishes we'll be having this week, in no particular order.

- Quinoa Chili

- Fusilli, Squash and Bacon

- Beef Stroganoff

- Chicken and Brocolli Pie

- Beef, Spinach and Rice

I saw Julie and Julia this weekend and in honour of Julia Child, I think I'm going to attempt her Beef Bourguignon NEXT week!Pin It

First day of school!

Well, we survived. I think it went very well. Daddy and I dropped him off this morning while little brother stayed home with Grand Dad (who has been visiting for the last week).Daddy walking him in.A in his classroom. He's probably thinking, "Mom, when are you going to leave?"

I think he's going to LOVE school - he thrives in a structured environment. My only concern is whether or not he will be challenged adequately. Time will tell.

And little brother? He had the best day ever - he got to play with his GrandDad all day - games galore and they built this incredible Lego tower together. I was amazed at all that I was able to accomplish today, uninterrupted!Pin It

Six years ago today.....

Alexander was born! It was a difficult birth - water broke 3 1/2 weeks early, it was Labour Day weekend but labour didn't progress, had pitocin, had to start and stop pushing since the OB had to leave (twice)for emergencies, epidural wore off, suction birth, he had jaundice, etc. Wow, I'd actually forgotten some of those details.
Birthday#1 - cowboy theme
Birthday #2 - ElmoBirthday #3 - Thomas the Tank Engine themeBirthday #4 - farm themeBirthday #5 - zoo/safari themeI can't believe my little guy is going to school on Tuesday! For the whole day, every day! I don't think it has really hit me yet.
Yes, he loves his water. :) No big party this week. We're postponing it until September and people are back from vacation. He will however, be receiving a present that he's been asking for since oh, 2006. We're such sucker parents that way. :)Pin It

Desert Island blogs

I read too many blogs. Well, I used to, that is. I won't tell you how many are in my feed reader. Its a big number. I need to spend less time on the computer. Who doesn't?!

There is a radio station I enjoy called The Mountain and they often feature "desert island discs" where people pick just a few albums they would listen to if stranded on a desert island. So, I decided it would be fun to pick my desert island blogs. The ones that I would read if I could only read a few. Yeah, yeah, there wouldn't be internet access on the desert island, I know! Just roll with it, OK? :) Now, I didn't include friends' blogs because that would just be cruel to pick amongst those!

Here are my favourite blogs, the ones I could *never* give up reading:

1. Mommy Life - Barbara Curtis has an amazing story. I can't do it justice. Go read it! She is the mom of 12 and she writes about politics, her family, the arts, children with Down Syndrome, and many more topics.

2. Amy's Humble Musings - Amy has the best links. She loves Glenn Beck, her husband is a rocket scientist, she has 6 kids and a terrific sense of humour. She really is humble, too.

3. The Crafty Crow - this blog posts links every day to amazing kid crafts and activities from all different blogs. Eye candy and sometimes we actually make a craft inspired by CC.

4. Mommy Brain/Books and Movies - Carrie loves books and movies and she is a terrific reviewer. I will pick a movie based on her recommendation and I don't think she has ever steered me wrong. ;)

5. Kids Lit - a children's librarian posts reviews of books for young children as well as books for teens. I love to learn about newly released childrens books.

6. The Flourishing Mother - Andrea is very cool and inspiring. I don't know what else to say. She loves Fernando Ortega and Led Zeppelin. Need I say more? She just had baby #4 so she's taking a little break from blogging right now.

Honourable mention: (see how hard this is?)
- Muses of Megret
- The Mother Load
- Make and Takes
- Jennifer's Favorite LinksPin It

Beaches and blueberries

We're squeezing every last drop out of summer that we can - school starts September 1st for my oldest and September 14th for my youngest (preschool).

Yesterday we went to the beach with Colette and her kids and Sarah and her girls. At first I thought it would be too cloudy and cool since it rained just slightly in the morning but it turned out to be perfect weather for hanging out. No worries about sunscreen and the temperature was just fine.

Here are some photos:
My son introducing his friend to the joys of maps. :)Earlier in the week we went blueberry picking with another friend and her kids. I was surprised to see how many blueberries are still ready for picking.The farm also had gorgeous sunflowers:
Another outing this week was the beach at sunset (for kite flying and roasting marshmallows).Guess who ate too many marshmallows?Pin It