Lowe's: Build and Grow Clinic This Saturday

Just a reminder that Lowe's is offering another one of their "Build and Grow" Clinics this Saturday, August 22nd.

It looks like they are building school buses, like the one pictured above. You can sign-up HERE for some frugal family fun!



Also, they are having another "Build and Grow" clinic on Saturday, September 12th, when they'll be building a Lowe's Drum! You can sign-up for that one, too at the same time!

Hope you all have a great weekend with your kids, no matter what you do! :)

Family Christian Stores: Free Veggies Tales Event on 8/1

If you are looking for something FREE to do with the kids this Saturday, Moms By Heart has a posting HERE about a great FREE Veggie Tales event going on at Family Christian Stores!

Our Blueberry Picking Pics and Tips

Sorry for the slower postings today. It was a last minute decision to go blueberry picking. We were going to go last Wednesday but they had to close for a week to let more ripen. (I respect that they do this so you don't spend hours picking and getting hardly any!) Anyway, Rich had a root canal today and called on the way home to say he felt OK and that he'd watch Kaydi so Tater and I could do our 2nd Annual Blueberry picking together. (Isn't he sweet?) I wasted no time getting us ready and off we went! Cool thing is, Kaydi slept almost the whole time we were gone--so Rich got to relax most of it. Here's some pics of our day: (You can see last year's pic of him HERE. WOW has he grown up!)


Here's Tater reaching way back to grab a big bunch of blueberries. I was glad there were so many at his height level.


He absolutely refused to smile today. This is him just being the goof that he is! :)


My "expert" attempt at getting our picture together.


We picked almost 11 pounds--which is 5 cookie sheets full!

TIPS IN CASE YOU GO BLUEBERRY PICKING

1) First, you can check PICK YOUR OWN to see if there's a location by you.
2) It's better to go early before the sun gets super hot. We didn't make it until the afternoon this time. It was 82 degrees out and felt at least 100 in the bushes! We only stayed about an hour.
3) Always call your location before you go! Sometimes they do have to close during their picking season.
4) Don't forget to bring the sunblock!
5) Definitely bring a water bottle. You'll need it!
6) Make a day of it and bring a cooler with your lunches. Some have a kids/picnic area at them. Ours had a sandbox and swings.
7) Bring a little container, such as a sour cream or cottage cheese container. Ours gave us a big metal bucket to fill. It gets heavy quick! I brought a cottage cheese container and put it right under the bunches and slid them off into it. It goes sooo much faster and it helps prevent a lot of waste from them falling.

TIPS FOR FREEZING

I went twice last year. The first time, I washed them and froze them. On my second trip, two "veteran pickers" told me to not wash them, as they clump when they freeze. That you should "flash freeze" them on cookie sheets, just long enough to get solid. THEN put them in Ziploc bags. (I make a note on the bag that I need to wash them, so I don't forget!) The ones I did the first time were clumped and soggy when they thawed...and the second...perfect! :) I'm not saying this is the only or right way. It's just what worked for us.

I really hope you find a place to go blueberry picking! It might be a fun outing for you. Ours were $1.85lb, to give you an idea on pricing. So we spent $20.07 on a fun outing and enough blueberries to last for quite awhile for our waffles, pancakes, smoothies, cereal, snacking, etc.

National Parks: Fee-Free Weekend, July 18-19th

Photo from NPS.Gov.

National Park Service set up 3 weekends over the summer that are fee-free for all National Parks that normally charge an entranace fee. Well, this weekend is one of them! So if you are looking for a frugal outing, head over to your National Park! More Fee-Free Park Info HERE.

Thanks, Coupon Cravings!

Home Depot Workshop: Picnic Caddy on July 4th

The first Saturday of every month, Home Depot offers FREE Kids' Workshops between 9AM and Noon for kids 5-12 yrs old. What's on the Agenda for July 4th? This super cute Picnic Caddy!



And look what's on the schedule for August 1st---A Message Center!



So make sure you mark your calendars so you don't forget. It might be a great frugal family outing---and some cool gifts, too! I wish one of my kids was 5-12! :)

Family Outing: Apple Picking at Boggio's

I had mentioned to my sister that we wanted to go apple picking and she recommended a location by her. Yeah, it was a bit of a drive for us, but with the added opportunity of spending time with both my sisters and their family, it was well worth it!!

We got there around 11:30 and it was a bit chilly out. We headed over to the petting zoo, first. I didn't think we were going to get Nathan out of there! He was fascinated with feeding the goats, sheep, cows, llama, chickens and donkeys. Well, until he almost got eaten by one! I was taking a picture and after I took my shot, I saw Nathan's arm was almost up to the elbow in the donkey's mouth! I guess the donkey wanted the food pretty bad! I was freaked out, to say the least, and got him free right away. He had some teeth marks on him but no broken skin! Nathan was still ok with the animals but we left all the same.

We then went apple picking. Nathan had so much fun pulling them off the trees! We were lucky and found some really low hanging branches so he was able to pick his own. On the way back, he was hugging two apples in his arms and wouldn't let you take them. He finally let go when he saw the tunnels he could crawl through and the haystacks he could climb on. For a little guy, he was quick and fearless!

Next, we took him on a pony ride. Rich was allowed to hold him on and walk around with them. It was a pretty long ride and they made it worth the money. Next...lunch! The smells were GREAT. We had a hot dog, chili dog, porkchop sandwich, drinks and some chips. If I had been thinking, I would have packed us a lunch. But since this was probably our last major outing for the year, it was nice that we "splurged."

It was getting warm out and the bees were making their prescence all too known so we decided to leave. In the end, the day cost us $28.35. This included 1 peck (12 lbs.) of apples, food for feeding animals, pony ride, lunch, 1 gourd, 2 donuts (their apple cider donuts are AMAZING!) and 3 coloring books that I'll save for Halloween gifts to offset candy for Nathan.

If you are in the Chicago area and are looking for a great apple orchard, check out Boggio's in Granville. We had so much fun! The prices were reasonable and there were several activities for the kids. We only did half of them ourselves!

Hope your weekend was fun, too! Now I just have to find some great apple recipes! (Feel free to share any links to some!)

Pics: Cold Stone Creamery

We just got back from having some delicious ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. We tried out both the Nutter Butter and Oreo Make a Wish Creations ice cream. Can you tell Nathan enjoyed his? It was a nice little family outing and it only cost us a donation to a great organization. It doesn't get much better than that!

Hoping you were all able to partake, too!

Culver's: BOGO Value Basket

Sign up here to receive special e-offers from Culver's restaurant. I signed up yesterday and received a BOGO Value Basket offer today. Check your local Culver's, as some also have "Kids Eat Free" on Monday nights. Use your coupon on a Monday and take the family out for a fairly inexpensive "outing."

Don't forget to save your Kid's Meal tokens for additional free meals or gear!

Enjoy!

Family Time: A Day at the Zoo

I was a little quiet on the blog-front this weekend, as I was spending some quality "family time" with my parents, whom were in town. Rich was in Michigan for the Nascar race so I decided to take my Mom to the Brookfield Zoo. My sister and niece tagged along for the ride. This was the first test of a potentially expensive outing. How did I hold up?

I had received free admission to the park. Both my sisters are members so I was able to get free parking, dolphin show and children's zoo tickets and discounts on the butterfly exhibit and carosel ride. In the end, Nathan and I only dished out $8! ($2.50 for butterfly exhibit, $3 for 2 carosel rides for the kids {picture of Nathan and my Mom above} and $2.50 for two sandbox animal claws that Belle and Nathan played with when we got home.)

The great thing about Brookfield is that they allow you to bring in your own lunch! I brought in some freebie snacks and bread that I picked up on my amazing grocery store trips. My sister brought some veggies and bottled water. And my Mom picked up the lunchmeat. In the end it turned out to be a really great day and surprisingly, we kept it very frugal!

So if you have family members or friends with zoo passes, don't be afraid to ask if you can borrow them. In return, you can get them all those great freebies at CVS! :)

$2 Tater Thursdays - Dog Park & PetSmart

Today turned out to be the perfect Tater Thursday. On our way to get into the SUV, Tater started his "eh-eh," letting me know he wanted me to see something. There was a little white butterfly in the front yard and he began to chase it, laughing so cute the entire time. Then, off we went to...the Dog Park!

When we first got there, a little jack russell greeted Tater at the gate. The owner came over and held his collar so Tater could pet him and I asked if it was OK if Tater gave him a treat. Instant friends! This little guy came up to Tater quite frequently afterwards. It was all women dog owners there at the time and they LOVED that Tater came to visit. I think it made their visit a little better,too! Tater found a tennis ball in the grass area and began to bounce it around, chasing after it. If only Jack had been there to play! I wasn't crazy enough to take two goldens, a toddler and my pregnant self to the park! :) Airplanes flew overhead (which fascinates Tater). I let him run around for awhile and then off to our next stop...

Petsmart! Some may say that they have higher prices,but they provide such a unique shopping experience that it can be worth it! Today wasn't a shopping day but a "mini-zoo day." We checked out the "birdies," "kitties," mice/rats, fishies and of course, more doggies! Their Doggie Day Camp was empty but there were a couple "shoppers." Now the whole point of $2 Tater Thursdays isn't to spend $2, but to try to not spend more than $2 for the entire outing. But, Tater and I both knew that when we got home, we'd get "yelled at" by Homer & Jack so we picked up some treats for them. I gave Tater his $2 bill and he handed it to the cashier (which she loved!).

We came home and had a picnic under our little tree with Homer & Jack.(pictured above) Tater loved giving them their treats and they seemed to forgive us for ditching them.

Total cost for our outing: $1.29. Since we had to go to the bank and return movies that were due, it wasn't any extra gas expense. I didn't want the extra money to be "rolled over," as I'd like to keep it to $2 or less, so we decided to put the change in a special Piggy. At the end of the year, we'll take one really nice outing with what's left.

If you decide to do a doggy park adventure, here are some tips:
1)Remember: The dog park is for the dogs! Don't expect the dog owners to protect your child. Always ask if it's ok to pet each dog. Never give them a treat without permission. And avoid large gatherings of dogs. They could "play fight" and accidently knock your child over.
2)Dogs will be dogs! If you don't like your child being licked or jumped on, don't take them! The little dogs like to jump a lot and yes, your child could end up with a small scratch. But as long as you keep a close eye on them, they'll be ok. Also, if the dog park is PACKED, don't stop! You want to have fun, not get hurt.

So if your week has been a little "ruff," consider taking the day off and checking out your local dog park!

$2 Tater Thursdays - Blueberry Picking

So first I have to explain that "Tater" is our nickname for our son, Nathan. Silly how he went from Nate to Nater to Tater but that's how it all happened. :) This week, Tater and I went out on a blueberry picking adventure. I made the mistake of going mid-afternoon, when it was a lot warmer out, but in the end, it turned out to be a good time. Nathan did more digging than picking. But we did end up with a little over a lb. of blueberries. The days' expenses were $1.98 for an hour of fun and making memories! On the tractor ride to and from the bushes, I ended up talking with the same woman. She shared in some blueberry tips and "grandmothered" Tater by cleaning him up on the way back. It was a fun little experience.

So I've come to the idea that every Thursday will be $2 Tater Thursday. I want to try to get Nathan out into the world to experience something new and have some fun but we have to stick to the $2 or less limit. It will be fun to see what things we can come up with! Tune in for next week's adventure!!

On a side note: I did go back on Saturday and picked 4.69lbs more of blueberries. They are frozen and ready for our waffles, cereal or just plain eating alone!!