"Date Night" & other activities for you and your little man!

Life is busy, and I know that mine certainly qualifies! Especially as a single mom, the days are just filled with "to-do" lists, and not enough "doers" to do them :-)! However, even in the chaos, I know that time is so valuable. I do my best to stay in the present and value each minute of this life with my little man, as someday he won't be so little anymore.

On Friday nights, I have done my best to have "date night" with my little guy. Of course as he has gotten older, he prefers to call it "food night" as the thought of date night with his mother just isn't "cool"! I set aside a few hours to take him somewhere special. It may be Dairy Queen, McDonalds, or even the local Mexican restaurant. However, there have also been times we just pile up on the couch, popcorn in hand, and watch a great family movie together. Either way, it is our time, uninterrupted by life's demands, and the very special time that he will remember always.

The following list includes other special activities you can do that are affordable (or free) and that your little guy will love:

* Light sparklers and run around the yard, or a park together!

* Meet him for lunch at his school.

* Have a picnic together.

* Be "Archaeologists" and scout for special rocks, leaves, insects, etc., in your yard, at the beach or a park.

* Take a bike ride.

* Dance together! We have our own routine that we have done since he was 2 years old. We often add to it and break it out when the moment strikes us!

* Speaking of dance... we dance to Michael Jackson on the Wii game! We LOVE this and completely laugh at ourselves :-)!!

* Do artwork together, build something, put a puzzle together.

* Bake a cake, make cookies, or let him help you prepare dinner.

* Volunteer together (Nursing Home, Soup Kitchen, Animal Shelter, etc.) which is especially good for teaching him the value of giving back.

* Sing Karaoke together!

* Walk with him to school or just anywhere that is peaceful and talk about what you see along the way.

* Go to a museum or a craft fair and let him tell you about the things he would like to create himself. Help him achieve those things if possible.

* Plant a garden. Let him pick out what to plant (vegetables, flowers) and let him manage them as they grow.

* Build a birdhouse. We have loved this! Each year we welcome new little bird families and love to see the creation of life!

* If you can, build a backyard swing for two. We have one that we have enjoyed so much. We read, we watch wildlife, or just have great talks together.

* Read about history and explain to him how far we have come...and how far we have yet to go!

* Have a yard sale and let him make his own money by gathering his unwanted toys to sell, and by selling lemonade.

* Build a scrapbook or a collage of your lives. Let him help you cut pictures from magazines and your own photos.

* Take an overnight roadtrip to somewhere special, or, just a daytrip. We have gone strawberry picking, or to the zoo, to a sporting event, or monster trucks!

Hope these help you create special memories and also help you slow down in this hectic world! I know they have certainly helped me!

Free (or inexpensive) ways to have fun with your kids!!

I love to have fun! I think there is a big part of me that is truly still a kid. And even if you think you are too old to partake in some of these fun ideas, well, you may just surprise yourself...and your kids too! And, they will love and appreciate you all the more for it guaranteed! So, here are some great ideas of things that we do to have fun on a small (or no) budget!...

Volunteer together (I bring him to the Nursing Home I work in and they adore this)!,
Light sparklers and run around the yard (like crazy people). I know my neighbors just love this hee hee!!,
Read books,
Do arts & crafts,
Pray together! My son loves to pray & it is adorable to listen to what he says...oh, if we could all be so innocent and free :-)!
Play boardgames or make up fun games,
Have a picnic!
Dress up in funny or unique costumes,
Attend the Lowes or Home Depot free "Build & Grow" Workshops on Saturdays,
Go to a Park,
Bike together,
Swim Together,
Plant a garden (my son loves watching our little plants grow)!,
Set up camp…indoors. He loves this too!! We put up a tent and pretend we are in the deep woods!
Watch a DVD, make popcorn, have a movie review afterwards,
Bake together,
Go to the library,
Paint T-shirts,
“What animal am I?” guessing game. This will bring "the kid" out in anyone!,
Fly a kite,
Gather items to donate to charity. My son feels so good about being able to help out others in need. It's also a great way to get rid of way too many unused toys!,
Roast marshmallows (we do it in our Chiminea) :-)!,
Dance together. The dog often joins us. We laugh hysterically!,
Have a foam dartgun fight or watergun fight. Mommy is good at this!! Ha Ha!!
Take pictures. My son has his own Fisher Price Camera and enjoys this so much!,
Blow bubbles,
Have an American Idol Contest!,
Tickle or pillow fights…or both!

More than anything, enjoy yourselves. Life is simply too short to be too serious!

Some ways I save money...

So, people always ask me how I am able to save money and stretch a dollar so far? These days especially, that is a hot topic! Well, since I have been on my own since age 16, and had to learn the hard way, it's become a lifestyle for me. In fact, I don't even buy anything anymore unless it's on sale, or I can get a discount, or I have a coupon, etc. (you get the picture)! But, as far as things I do around the house on a daily basis to save money, and with my son? Well, here are a few things, and I'll be posting the best (most helpful) websites later:

Cut my hair and cut his hair
Color my hair (used to use Nice & Easy, but just switched to Loreal Excellence-works better and longer)!
Do my own manicures, and pedicures (including French)
Cut and maintain my own lawn and gardening, fertilizing, weeding, edging, etc.
Buy quite a bit at the Dollar Store (you would be surprised at the deals)!
Run my errands together to save gas
Keep my tires inflated well and the oil changed regularly
Buy prescriptions at WalMart for the $4 generic version and get antibiotics for free at Publix
Consistently look at the end tabs at places like Target, Walgreens, etc. There are some really great deals. Even grocery stores usually have a section of markdowns.
Do my own taxes (save you receipts in one place to make it easier at year-end)
Do my own small home repairs
Work-out at home with equipment, DVD's, and some learned techniques
Regularly review my home/auto insurance for the most competitive rate
Built my own website and maintain it
Check my favorite manufacturers website for promotions and deals and also become a member (when they keep your info private) to regularly get coupons mailed to you
Keep the air/heat at the bare minimums and use ceiling fans also
Use heat control curtains and close them when I am gone (I also recently had my windows tinted with solar film that blocks up to 65% of sun)
Change my home A/C filters regularly
Groom my own dog
Buy my dog's meds online (heart worm, flea/tick, etc). Saves tons of money!
Decorate, clean, and maintain my entire house
Pressure wash (small areas only) when needed
Use drink mixes and never buy sodas
Use my cellphone and not a land-line
Stockpile grocery/household items when they are 50% & use coupons too
Regularly go to garage sales to find items to re-sell (baby and kid items are always a hot ticket)!
Turn the water off in the shower when not needed during aspects of showering
Only eat out at places that offer BOGO deals or kids eat free deals
Go to the movies only before 5pm, and not too often
Buy the Sunday Paper from the biggest city near me (better coupons) and add to my coupon stash or give them away to friends in need
Turn off lights when not in use, and try to use artificial light sparingly
etc, etc, etc....

So, you may think some of those things are extreme, or time consuming, or not worth it. However, they become very worth it when you tally up how much you save each month, and can use that money for other needed things, and even a vacation fund! You would be amazed at how much you can teach yourself to do, if you only try!

Paying it forward and planting a garden...

Just went through my son's clothes again. He grows so fast it's hard to keep up with him anymore! Though I do sell some of his things on eBay and at the Kids Consignment, I mainly give his things to others in need. There are so many hurting families these days especially. In fact, I just spoke to a friend today and found out they lost their home. It's heartbreaking. They have a little boy themselves, so, that is where a "care package" went today full of my son's things. She was grateful, and I was happy to do it. It's all part of "paying it forward" folks. It's the right thing to do, and the bonus is that it makes you feel good! Since I am a garage sale Queen, I often pick up things for others when I see them. I am tickled when I see their kids using what I have passed onto them.

On another note, today I seriously started working on a vegetable garden. I preface this with the hope that the deer will not come to kill it, or whatever land digging monster I have that continually turns up my shrubs and lawn!! I purchased a short fence which should help...I hope. I have several vegetables that I am planting. My goal is to eventually have enough that I can just go to my garden when I want fresh vegetables. So much cheaper, healthier, and convenient. Plus, what a wonderful thing to do with my son. He has his own little watering bottle and loves to help me. It's the simple things that bring the most joy, and this is one of them. Why don't you try one too? Even if it is just in a window box in an apartment! Enjoy!