Affordable Vacation Ideas for Large Families

There’s a reason most parents are so good at finding bargains; it’s because kids are expensive! And every
addition to the family demands that the breadwinners and bill-payers reexamine the budget and find
ways to cut back in order for a family to live within its means. In many cases, this could mean cutting out
unnecessary expenditures, and vacations are often the first thing to go. But a little R&R is definitely a
must for anyone who works hard, especially when you’ve virtually got two full-time jobs going on. Plus,
you want the kids to see new places and get comfortable with travel. However, in order to bring the whole
brood along you may have to cut some corners when it comes to planning your trip. So here are just a few
vacation ideas that are eminently affordable for the family on a budget.

1. Camping. You will shell out some cash initially for this type of trip, what with all the gear you’ll
need to outfit a large family (tents, sleeping bags, clothing, etc.). The good news is that you can
use your equipment over and over again so that the upfront costs become negligible over time.
Plus, you can go just about anywhere and avoid the cost of a hotel, which is a major savings for a
large family.

2. Day trips. Don’t have the money for a multi-day vacay? Don’t fret. Take a moment to consider all
of the many amazing trips that are within close range of your home. You could plan for several
weekends away each year instead of one major vacation, including days at the beach, hot springs,
nearby national parks, monuments, landmarks, and even roadside attractions. If you’ve run out of
fun ideas in your own hometown, just pop over to the next dot on the map and see what they have
to offer. Then be home in time to sleep in your own bed.

3. Visiting family. If you want to get way out of town you can easily dispel costs [Read more…]

Daily Deals! Coupons, Savings, and More!

Fruit Stand Right now at Little Tikes you can Save $20 and get Free Shipping on the Neighborhood Market by Little Tikes! Now only $99! This is a limited time sale (valid 4-3-12 thru 4-16-12)

A play store with three different themes: fruit stand, ice cream shop and bakery. The play food set and chalkboard sign lets kids create their own store. Doors, shelves and a cash register foster role play and interaction. The chic design and easy rolling wheels make it perfect for any playroom.

Address Labels

Right now at Current Labels you can save $5 on any order of $25 or more! This offer will end on 4/3/12. They have a wide variety of address labels, home and office products, personalized pencils, and so much more! I love their round address labels!

G&J Sports

Right now you can score Girls (2T-12 [Read more…]

Pear Upside Down Cake Recipe

I love making this cake, it’s easy and my kids always enjoy it no matter which fruit I choose to make it with. Whether it be pineapples, apples, apricots even or pears, this cake is sure to please! There’s never been left overs so don’t ask if it keeps well, we’re lucky it lasts fifteen minutes after it’s pulled from the oven. This is the basic recipe for Pineapple Upside Down cake, so if you want the pineapples, just sub the pears and add maraschino cherries along with pineapples slices. Just don’t count on having leftovers!

Pear Upside Down Cake


Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 ripe pears, sliced

1 1/3 cups flour

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F

In a round cake pan (9 in) or even a 8×8 square pan melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Simply place it in the preheated oven at 350 and wait till the butter melts. Take the pan out and stir in the 1/3 cup brown sugar along with a tablespoon [Read more…]

Wordless Wednesday! With linky

Come join Have Sippy Will Travel, Blessed Elements Create, Hobbies On A Budget and Untrained Hair Mom on a Wordless Wednesday Hop.

Follow [Read more…]

A Funny For You

I think most of you know that I am endlessly entertained by zombies. I know. It’s sad. And since it is now 2012, this will either be the “Golden Age of Man” or bring on the Zombie Apocalypse, LOL- soooo….either way- live it up! Haha. OKOK. This video amused me. So I am sharing it with you.
As it is made by the son and husband of [Read more…]

Everything You Need to Have Movie Night at Home

Your family loves nothing more than a night at the movies. But rising gas costs, escalated theater ticket
and concessions prices, and annoying audience members playing with their smartphones have made
going out to the movies a less than appealing experience. Well not to worry, you can recreate a night at the
movies at home, with even better results. You get to pick the movies and the screening times, and with the
incredible improvements in audio-visual technology, the viewing experience can be just as spectacular as
at your local theater. And with the added bonus of no sticky floors. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need
to have a family movie night from the comfort of your very own living room.

Pick the movies. If time is tight, you can certainly watch a single film and be satisfied. But a movie
marathon is a great idea if you can extend the experience. Think about going with a theme, like
all comedies or all love stories, or even watch a series of films in one sitting, like “The Lord of the
Rings”, “Twilight”, or the “Harry Potter” films. You can ask your friends and family to vote for what they
most want to see, or surprise them with a fully curated evening. Either way, a movie marathon will make
[Read more…]

Dot to Dot Earth Day Books- Tales from Around the World- Review and Giveaway

Lets celebrate Earth day with some books! These books are not only fun tales that are beautifully illustrated, but also have a grander purpose. These are the new Earth Day books by Dot to Dot Children’s Books.

These books are written by women and children of actual endangered places like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Republic of Congo, and Nicaragua. I’ll give you a quick run down of each book. Sam Learns Some Lessons is about an elephant dealing with water shortages and is from Tanzania. The Snow Leopard Dream from Afghanistan is about a young girl befriending a snow leopard. Shuba and the Cyclone is about a river dolphin and a heroic crocodile. Yara’s Amazing Nose is about a tapir and its nose and comes to us from Bolivia. The adventures of a young tiger saving its mother comes to us from Somalia in the book When Honey the Tiger Flew. Ndeze and Ndakasi’ s New Home is about two orphaned gorillas. Carey’s First Day follows a new born sea turtle trying to make it to the ocean. Kajo and Akari’s New Friend has two curious chimp brothers following a butterfly around the forest.


All of these books are unique and different offering a unique look at endangered animals in their natural habitat. We especially liked the Ndeze and Ndakasi tales. The main reason I think the kids liked these books are because my thick [Read more…]

Should You Contribute to Your Child’s College Education?

You simply can’t believe it. Seems like just yesterday, you were bringing your child home from the
hospital, and now your daughter or son is about to walk across a platform to receive their high school
diploma. One huge milestone is done, but another one is right before the both of you: them earning a
college degree.

For years, it’s been a debatable topic: Should a parent contribute to their child’s college education? After
all, being that it’s something that prepares a child for living on their own as an adult, shouldn’t it be
something that they pay for independently?

Enough time spent on this earth will cause you to realize that very few things are that black-and-white or
cut-and-dried. In making the decision of whether or not to contribute to your child’s college education,
here are some strong factors to consider.

Education Is an Investment

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people with a college degree earn up to four times more money
than those with only a high school diploma. Therefore, when it comes to equipping your child with the
tools needed to be an accomplished adult, this is a great reason to consider assisting them by financially
contributing to their college education.

Education Should Be a Student’s Top Priority

There are many studies to support the fact that a lot of young college students either don’t reach their
fullest academic potential or they continue to drop out of college because of the financial pressure that’s
placed upon them with they have to pay for their college education on their own. With the average price
of attending a private non-profit college or university currently being somewhere between $35,000, even
a part-time job barely puts in a dent when it comes to the cost of tuition and room and board. When your
child has financial assistance, it takes some of the pressure off financially; this frees them up to put more
focus on where it really belongs: their classwork.

Your Financial Support Makes Them Feel Supported

Telling your child that you believe in them is one thing. Showing them that you do by making the sacrifice
to help them with their college education is far more effective. This doesn’t mean that you have to, or even
should, pay for all of their education. After all, [Read more…]