Finding Your Local Family Fun!!!

Last summer, with the price of gas so high, we had to find local family fun much more often. Surprisingly enough, there are lots of fun things your family can do "close-to-home" that won't make you go very deep in your pockets, if-- at all.


As the school year comes to an end take a look at this list and start making plans for how to spend some family fun times with your kids. :)

• Go Bowling--for free! Click here to see if your local bowling center is participating in this special summer program offering 2 free games a day with the purchase of a discounted family summertime pass.


• Visit the Library. See if there is a free story time or summer reading program that encourages kids to read a certain amount of books. Don't forget, the library is an excellent sources for borrowing DVD's as well.


• Call your local Historical Society. Lots of museums will offer special kids programs to foster art appreciation. Hands on learning even a "make-it-and-take-it" craft can sometimes be part of the fun.





See a performance at the Community Theatre. Live performance is wonderful and can be very affordable at your local community theatre. High School and College drama societies usually put on at least one performance a year as well. If there's a Childrens Theatre group it might inspire your kids to join up! Roller Skating Rinks offer hours of fun and are a great place to meet up with friends. Ask if there are discounts during slow times, or special discounts for groups, or for kids with good grades.


























• Pack a picnic for a day at the park. My family loves the park and we're lucky that we live near a very nice lake city park as well as state parks. Packing a picnic lunch can be fast, easy and very inexpensive.


• Head to your nearest Zoo or Aquarium. These are great places to find deep discounts on family or seasonal passes, especially if you live fairly close by and can visit often.Our local library has passes to the Aquarium for $2. If your kids are anything like mine, animals are always a hit! :)

In addition to these ideas for local family fun don't forget to check your community newspaper; your town's board of tourism; and the public relations office at City Hall for any upcoming fairs or festivals.

Finally, next time you drive past the local hotel stop in the lobby and look for the display rack full of pamphlets and brochures intended to familiarize guests with all the local attractions and happenings.

Frugal Friday!! Bubbles/Homemade Laundry Detergent

Well today is Frugal Friday ..

What fun we have playing with bubbles around our house! You can make your own bubble fun play with a simple empty spool of thread and your favorite castile liquid soap. Can’t get much better than this for frugal fun!

Supplies:
Empty spool of thread
Castile liquid soap (Dawn’s dishwashing soap, Dr. Bronner’s or Trader Joe’s castile soap all work well! I prefer the natural castile soap as my little girl likes to eat the bubbles!)
Water

Combine about 1 Tablespoon soap with 1/4 cup water in a small container. Dip one end of the empty spool into your soap and blow out the other end! I store the spool in the container with a lid until future use. An 8 oz jam jar works perfect. Have fun!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Recipe adapted from Green Clean by Linda Hunter

1 cup castile liquid soap (Dr. Bronner’s or Mountain Rose Herbs are good choices as they are organic and main ingredients are coconut oil & olive oil) OR Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
2 cups water
1/3 cup salt
1 cup baking soda or washing soda
vinegar

Warm the salt and baking soda in water until mostly dissolved. Transfer to a one gallon container. Add your soap fill the rest of the jar with water, this giving you 1 gallon of detergent. Use 1/4 -1/2 cup per load, depending upon how dirty the load is. Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to your wash during the rinse cycle. This works as an effective fabric softener and disinfectant. Depending upon the hardness of your water, you may want to decrease the water quantity or increase the soap quantity.

Please note: do not add essential oils to your detergent. These oils will break down the fiber in your clothing. If you want a particular fragrance, try putting a few drops of essential oils on a rag and throwing it in the dryer. This will add fragrance but not transfer to your clothing.

Free bowling for kids & cheap for the rest of the family ($25 all summer for up to 4 adults!)
http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php

Of course there is only 1 in Vermont! But I thought it would be good to post it anyway. Something fun for the family to do on a rainy day .

Go HERE and use code Babylegs and you will get them for $3.85 a pair! Wool pairs will be $7.70. If you or someone you know has or is expecting a baby, these are great during the cold months to make for easy diaper changes. Cloth diapering mamas like myself love these, but they are great even if you use disposables! And believe me when I say this is a great deal! They also have beautiful amber teething necklaces!

If you are a frequent browser at CVS and Walgreens, then you may have seen the Try-Me-Free tags that hang around the Organix shampoos and conditioners.

Well this week, these products are on sale B1G1 Free! Buy 2, get one free after the sale, and get the other free after the rebate! Sounds like a great deal to me! Be sure to get one with one of the rebate forms, because that is the only way to get the deal.

Or if you would like to try no-pooing click here very frugal I must say.