I just realized...
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| Sun, 12-21-2008 - 8:24pm |
that when I am really trying not to spend money, I have more fun with my kids. They are 4 and 7, and they don't need any money to have a good time! DH worked this week-end. Between hibernating from the storm and watching cash flow, I knew we were not going out to do much. But, I thought ahead and did some planning. Saturday after lunch we went and bought a few last minute gifts and to the dollar store for bags and tissue paper. Then we went home. We made tags to put on the gifts. Lots of paints, sparkles, and stamps (which is always in our home). We spent hours, and we had a great time.
Today we took a big roll of paper and laid it on the floor. The girls laid down on it and I traced them. We cut them out and taped them on the wall. The girls had a blast coloring themselves and my oldest colored and cut some jewlery and a crown for herself. Life sized paper dolls. This afternoon we made some chocolate covered pretzels, which we will give to four families that we are close friends with, along with handmade cards.
Cuddled to watch the grinch who stole Christmas, and then tucked the kids into bed. So, I entertained by kids with about $10 for the whole week-end. And when I think of some of the best memories I have with my kids, they don't cost money...cuddling to read stories, afternoons in the park, doing crafts. I have always enjoyed the "simple things" but have never felt blessed not to have money to do stuff with.
Tara


Great ideas! I like the making gift tags for gifts idea. I need some of those. I don't have paper big enough to trace my kids although that sounds like a ton of fun!
Abbie
What great ideas
I make gift tags out of old Christmas cards. It's a good way to recycle them. I tear or cut a small tree or skater or deer from a card and then glue it on a little folded card cut from the folded part of a card. My problem is that I have dozens of gift tags that I made in previous years, but I don't use very many each Christmas, especially this year, since I have cut back so much!
This year I've only received 4 or 5 Christmas cards. I didn't send any out myself, although I plan to make some Happy New Year cards with my daughter's stamps, inks, and sparkles.
The chocolate-covered pretzels sound great. I love them and never thought about making them myself. To make them, do you use the chocolate disks that they sell to make candy?
Mary Jo
I totally agree with that! You had some great ideas, too!
Goal #1:
As for dipping the pretzels.... it is possible they have improved the chocolate disks, but I have always cringed at the taste of the Wilton chocolate.
That's a
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
Tara