If your budget is tight (whose isn’t?) you can still plan a killer Father’s Day this upcoming weekend. Try one of the following…

Plan a hike & picnic: Grab the whole family, or even another family and their dad, and head into the woods. Find the best hiking trials in the U.S.

Plant a tree: I know, the green in me, wouldn’t let me not say it. You can get a tree for very little $ and plant it with dad for a long lasting gift that also helps the environment.

Pamper dad: Even men like cool body care products. You can make an inexpensive homemade sugar scrub or soap for dad using more manly scents like amber, tangerine, or mint.

Vinyl bliss: Grab a second hand vinyl from the record store and make dad a cool vinyl bowl for chips.

Crafty kids: Have the kids make one or more crafty projects for dad. Free tips on how to make gifts, cards, and all sorts of art projects for Father’s Day can be found on many websites.

Wake him up right: Plan a fabulous breakfast event with unique food choices that he doesn’t get everyday.

Play fix-it: If your dad is older he might appreciate some handy help around the house - plant some flowers, fix something in need of fixing, mow the lawn, or slap a fresh coat of paint on the porch.

What other low-cost Father’s Day gift ideas do you have?

[image via stock.xchng]

Happy Memorial Day! I hope that you all are enjoying this day with friends and family.

I am so thankful for the sacrifice that our military has made over the years for our freedom and safety.  Freedom is not free.  Having grown up in a military town made me very aware of the duties and sacrifices of our service men and women, as well as those of the wives and families they left behind.  I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to tell them “thank you” today.

image sxc.hu

Right now, actually until 1 pm today, JC Penny’s is having a 75% off sale.  Check out your local flier to see what is involved and if you need anything.  Remember, if you don’t need it, even 75% off isn’t a good deal.

Also, they have free shipping on anything over $69 including outlet items.  Not bad if you need something.

I have been cracking up today as I have heard several worst Valentines’ Day gifts.  I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.

1. A gift certificate to the gym.
2. A gift certificate to Jenny Craig.
3. A bathroom scale.
4. Something he/she is obviously allergic to.
5. A totally shoot em up movie for the girlie girlfriend.
6. A sappy chick flick for the beefy guy
7. The book Sex for Dummies
8. Cooking lessons
9. Lingerie 2 sizes too small, and finally … Read more
   
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A cute and easy craft for kids.

For many, money is tight this year.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great Valentine’s Day.  Dismiss your expectations about what Valentine’s Day should be.  This is a day to make your mate feel special and to spend time one another. 

1)  Make a romantic dinner at home.  I don’t know about you, but in the past few years, I have given up on going out on Valentine’s Day.  It is not fun to go to your favorite restaurant and wait an hour or more to be seated.  It’s not romantic at all!  Instead, make a special meal at home.

2)  Create a romantic ambiance. Dim the lights, light some candles, and play soft music.  You probably already have the candles in your home.  If not, you can pick up some for just a few dollars.  If you don’t have the music, set up a free playlist at youtube or borrow some music from your friends.

3)  Make your own Valentine’s cards.  A store bought card that says, “Love you” isn’t very special.  What makes a card special is that someone took the time to write something meaningful inside the card.  A handmade card also shows sincerity.  There are websites out there with free clip art or you could make a card and put a picture of the two of you on the cover. 

4)  Swap babysitting with a friend.  Offer to watch her kids on February 14 if she’ll watch your kids on February 15.  Remember, you don’t want to go out on the 14th anyway.  You could also wait until the kids are in bed to celebrate.

5)  Enjoy a movie at home. Last year, my hubby and I did not have a sitter, so I made a special dinner and after the kids were in bed, we enjoyed the silence in our home and watched a movie together.  I bought some sparkling grape juice for just a few dollars and some strawberries.  It was fun just to spend time together.

6)  Make your own decorations.  The internet is full of crafts, garland, and the sweetest decorating ideas.  Many of them aren’t time consuming.  For a fun activity, get the kids involved.

7)  Make your own fabulous desserts.  Enjoy a special treat together such as the famous frozen hot chocolate.  No Fuss Fabulous has a recipe that sounds pretty simple and they show you how to make it as a gift for friends.  Or use your left over candy canes to makes the cutest heart lollipops and cupcakes or make heart shaped cheesecakes from Skip to My Lou.

8)  Forget the store bought gift and give your spouse something special from you.  You know your spouse and you know what he/she likes (or at least you should!).  If your husband is always begging you to go to the car show with him, then tell him you’re taking him to the car show.  If you husband’s love language is touch, then give him a 30 minute massage.  If your husband’s love language is words of affirmation, then make individual hearts for him with special sayings on them or things you appreciate about him and place them in random places throughout the house, or you could tape them to the door for a heart collage.

9)  If you want to buy something for your special someone, begin shopping ahead of time and looking for something that doesn’t cost a lot.  If your honey likes cars, then maybe you could buy a magazine subscription.  If your significant other likes coffee or chocolates, then you could make them a basket of homemade treats with a few favorite store bought items.  Get creative and stay within your budget.

10)  Let the kids be thrifty too.  My kids love to make things.  Get the kids involved by letting them make their own valentines this year.  Family Fun has some really cute Valentine card ideas.  Of course, you can search the web for printable Valentines too.

11)  I know I said 10 ways. Consider this a bonus.  :)   Try not to send flowers this year.  The mark up at Valentine’s Day is insane.  If you do want to give flowers, consider buying them from your local grocery store or supermarket.  They actually have some nice fresh flowers and arrangements for a fraction of the cost.

Also consider checking out 50 Thrifty Links for Valentine’s Day.

What ways can you save this Valentine’s Day?

images used with permission of SkipToMyLou

Let me let you in on a little secret … STAY HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  We didn’t and I am still exhausted.  So I thought I would share my holiday with you so you can see how staying home is an option worth considering.

I would like to say, however, that we really enjoyed seeing family.  We only get to go home once a year but this year seemed especially hectic for some reason.

Dec 23rd - I worked a 10 hour shift and packed some

Dec 24th - I worked an 8 hour shift and packed some

Dec 25th - We flew to Houston and then took a 1 hour drive to my dad’s.  Total travel time: 11 hours

Dec 26th - We visited with my dad, mom, all my sisters, and had Christmas at home

Dec 27th - We took some time to go and see Kemah Boardwalk.  I was amazed at how hurricane Ike tore up Galveston.

Dec 28th - We said goodbye to my family and drove 3 hours to my aunt’s house in south Texas.  There we had a good time with my mom’s side of the family.  This was the first year my grandma wasn’t there to great us and it was very hard for me.

Dec 29th - My kids got to feed the cattle and ride around on the ranch.  They had a great time with their cousins.

Dec 30th - We ate lunch at my favorite restaurant from childhood and drove 2.5 hours to my sister’s house.  My mom and sister met us and my older sister and her two kids for dinner.

Dec 31st - We flew to Missouri to see my mom and dad.  Total travel time: 11 hours

Jan 1st - We celebrated my dad’s birthday and had Christmas in Missouri.  Turkey Butt finally got Chou Chou.  She didn’t put that silly doll down for days!  My allergies kicked in so I started taking Benadryl every 4 hours until Monday.

Jan 2nd - We played with the kids and mom and my dad even got to hang out with Turkey Butt for 2.5 hours while we put away the tree.  I had to call my doctor’s office to get DH an antibiotic as he was ocne again very sick.

Jan 3rd - We took the kids to the park for a while.

Jan 4th - We finished packing and flew home.  We fell into bed around 1 am.  Total travel time - 10.5 hours

Jan 5th - I had to be at work at 7:30 am.  By the time I got home, my eyes were bloodshot and my face still had lovely hives from my allergy attack at mom’s.  My co-workers said I looked like I was wasted!

Jan 6th - I took the kids to school and baby sitter and then took a nap.

Total travel time: ridiculous and I lost count

Total allergy/sick time: way too much

Total family time: priceless

I have had some technical difficulty and haven’t been able to blog for 3 weeks. Did you miss me?  I sure have missed you guys, but I am back and am looking forward to hearing from you and telling you all about my crazy holiday soon.  How did your holiday go?

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that everyone has a blessed and happy year.

This is the time of year when folks traditionally make resolutions.  I do try to examine my life and see what areas need improvement.  Self evaluation and reflection are a good thing. 

I’ve steered away from making resolutions though.  I guess it’s because they’ve become so cliché and many resolutions aren’t taken very seriously.  I prefer to call it a goal or commitment. 

Do you make resolutions, goals, or commitments?

image from discoveryeducation

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Here’s one of my favorite Christmas songs, “O Holy Night”. I hope you enjoy it.

And just for laughs, here’s a little video that I made at ElfYourself.com.

BTW, I’m sure you’re missing Kelly, so I’ll let you know we are having some technical difficulties that our tech guys are trying to resolve. I’m sure if she could, she would be here giving you all best wishes. I hope you all have/had a great holiday!