Binkies and Briefcases

Our daughter Abigail turned ten this year and she asked for a Minute to Win It birthday party theme. The kids have been loving watching reruns of that show! It was a great idea because that tween age group can be tricky. They are getting too old for some traditional kid stuff, but are still too young for more mature things. She also requested a Twilight-themed birthday cake, which she wanted to decorate herself. Um, okay. Turns out, it made a great theme for that age group, kept them all engaged, and it also happened to be the easiest and most affordable birthday party we’ve ever thrown. Yay! [Read more…]

When you have a large family, entertaining kids all day every day can get very expensive! A trip to the movies can easily set our family of seven back more than $100, so we are always on the lookout for low cost, or even better, FREE summer activities for kids. The good news is that with just a little bit of research, you can find whole bunch of completely free stuff to do!

Our kids range in age from 7-12 and these are the low-cost things we’ve done so far this year that have added up to save us a ton this summer! We live in the York/Lancaster area of PA (and are moving to Tampa, FL NEXT WEEK…eeek!). These are the activities local to us, but the general ideas apply everywhere. 

Free and Low-Cost Summer Activities for Kids 

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This is not exactly a gorgeous, Pinterest-worthy project, but it is one of the most practical things I’ve ever made and it’s a great way to re-use and recycle something that was destined for the trash! My girls LOVE this simple hair accessory storage because it’s easy for them to make and use themselves, and now they can always find a hair tie or headband when they need one. No more running around the house trying to find a ponytail holder on hectic school mornings.  [Read more…]