This weekend is Mother’s Day and I really hope that each and every one of you get spoiled and have wonderful family time   And for the non-mom’s out there – make sure you show your mom extra lovings this weekend!

I am just posting a craft today to share – feel free to share it with your hubby or maybe the kids can make it for the Grandparents.  I posted a nice and easy recipe this morning for Breakfast Strata that you can make the night before, so if you need a handmade breakfast without waking up early – it’s YUM!

Brighten your day with a bouquet of these everlasting blooms Festive Flowers.

What You Need:
3-inch fabric squares
Rubber bands
Pipe cleaners

What You Do:
-Stack four 3-inch fabric squares so that all the edges match up.
-Starting from one end, fold the stack accordion style to create 1/2-inch-wide pleats, then tightly wrap a rubber band around the center.
-Sandwich the pleated stack between the bend of a folded pipe cleaner, then twist together the ends to form a stem.
-Separate the fabric layers to form a round, ruffled flower and remove any shaggy threads from the cut edges.

If you plan on heading out to dinner as a treat make sure you check out Restaurant.com before you leave the house – this is an easy way to save a bundle!

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Cinco De Mayo is just 2 days away – How will you be celebrating??  We don’t have to go out to have our celebration – there are lots of FUN things that we can do at home that won’t break the budget

First up – Food – What’s a celebration without FOOD?!

Idea – A Build-Your-Own-Taco-Bar

We actually do this on a regular basis and the kids really enjoy the idea that they “made” their own dinner.  Get all your favorites ingredients – Beef/Chicken, Shredded Cheese, Lettuce Shreds, Tomatoes, Taco Shells, etc. and put them into bowls…Let everyone take it from there!

If you are a PUBLIX shoppers – alot of these ingredients are actually on sale RIGHT NOW!

Mission Flour Soft Tortillas, Multi-grain, 10 ct, BOGO $2.69
-$1/1 Mission Tortillas Peelie
-$1/2 Mission Taco Shells or Kits 4/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 4/31/2012)

Cholula Hot Sauce 5 oz, BOGO $3.59

Pasta or Rice a Roni Side Dishes, 3.8 to 7.2 oz, BOGO $1.29 – Grab Spanish Rice
-$1 off Chicken When you buy (4) Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni 4/18 Winn Dixie Ad (manufacturer’s coupon) (exp 7/31/12)

Old El Paso Dinner Kit, 8.4 to 19.2 oz, BOGO $3.19
-$0.50/2 Old El Paso Dinner Kits, Chiles or Beans

Breakstone’s Sour Cream 8 oz, BOGO $1.65

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, BOGO $4.49/lb – Shred it or dice it up for Chicken Tacos!

Fresh Express Shreds! Lettuce, 8 oz, BOGO $1.99

Chi-Chi’s Seasoned Ground Beef, 18 oz, BOGO $5.99
-$1/2 Chi-Chi’s Product Facebook Printable
-$1/2 Chi-Chi’s Product

Looking for more recipe ideas?  I posted a Enchilada Casserole this morning and there is a nice list of FUN recipes here too.

Here’s a FUN craft that easy to do and the kids will love to SHAKE
Paper Bag Maracas
What You Need:
Newspaper
Small paper bags or bakery bags
Poster paints
Paintbrush
Dried beans
Small pebbles or seeds
Craft glue

What You Do:
Cover your work surface with newspaper. Decorate the outside of 2 paper bags with poster paints. Paint stripes, zigzags, or a Caribbean design to match your other band instruments. After the paint has dried, put dried beans, small pebbles, or seeds in the bags.

Thin the craft glue with 2 teaspoons of water. Paint the outside of the bags with the diluted glue. While the glue is still wet, twist the top 4 inches of each bag into a handle. Coat the handles with another layer of glue. Let it dry overnight.

Here’s another craft that takes a day or two to make – and it looks like FUN – so I wanted share this one too
Balloon Piñata
What You Need:
Balloon
Newspaper
Large bowl
Water
Flour
Paint
Paintbrush
Yarn
Candy and toys (optional)
Broom handle or bat
Blindfold

What You Do:
To make a balloon piñata, tear newspaper into strips. Mix flour and water together to make a paste. Blow up a balloon, and cover it with strips of newspaper dipped in the flour and water paste. Cover the balloon completely. Allow it to dry for a day or 2, turning it occasionally during that time.

When the balloon is dry, paint it in bright, decorative colors. Then, with adult help, cut the top off the balloon and punch several holes around the top edge. Thread yarn through the holes, tie them together, and hang up your piñata. Fill the balloon with candy or toys if you want to use it (and break it) for the piñata game!

Most importantly – Have Fun!

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The ads at Publix have been awesome lately and they got to be thinking about our Frugal Family Fun Post.  How about a party?!  You can plan it with just your family or you can plan it with your children’s friends.

Send out invitations!

Even if you are just sending them to your hubby and the kids…They will think it’s FUN getting a special invitation There are plenty of places that offer FREE e-mail invites – try punchbowl.com or evite.com

FUN things to do:

There are all sorts of wonderful games that you can play on-line – our family favorites are NickJr.com and PBS Kids.  Each site has printables as well.  Honestly, my kids LOVE it when I give them some construction paper, crayons, scissors, and a glue stick ad tell them to CREATE.  It’s wonderful to see their imaginations at work.  If you would like a craft – this is a nice and easy one that will also get their imaginations going for Puppets…

What You Need:

Letter-size sheet of paper
Tape
Markers
Colored paper (optional)
Scissors (optional)
Tacky glue (optional)

What You Do:

Fold a letter-size sheet of paper in thirds lengthwise

Tape the seam closed

Fold the paper in half. Fold the ends in half, in the opposite direction, so that the paper ends up accordion-folded into four equal sections

Create a face with markers and, if you like, colored paper pieces attached with tacky glue. Slip your thumb and fingers into the two ends of the folded paper to bring your puppet to life.

**For an even easier version – use a brown paper lunch bag and use the flap at the bottom for the “mouth” and create from there!

Food

These are some GREAT deals at Publix that you can grab for your party:

Jose Ole Taquitos or Tacos, 10 to 22.5 oz, BOGO $5.99 – my kids LOVE the mini tacos
-$3/2 Jose Ole Product (zip 90210)
-$1/1 Jose Ole Brand Item, 16 oz+
-$1/1 Jose Ole, 16 oz+ 04/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 06/16/2012)
-$1/1 Jose Ole Brand Item, 16 oz+

Flatout FoldIt Artisan Flatbreads, 8.5 or 9 oz, BOGO $2.99 – I actually really like these to replace bread in a sandwich, you can use then to make mini-pizzas, I even use then to dip in my hummus!

Dole Fruit, Fruit in Gel, or Parfait, 4 pk, 2/$4 - Easy Treat
-$0.50/1 Dole Fruit Bowls Fruit in 100% Juice
- 55¢ off when you buy any TWO DOLE® All Natural Fruit Bowls
- 65¢ off when you buy any TWO DOLE® Fruit Parfaits
-$1/2 Dole Gels or Fruit Parfaits 04/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2012)
-$1/2 Dole All Natural Fruit Bowls, in 100% juice 04/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2012)
-$0.50/2 Dole Parfaits 01/29/2012 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2012)
-$0.50/2 Dole Gels 01/29/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/30/2012)
-$0.50/1 Dole Parfaits 01/29/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/30/2012)
-$0.75/2 Dole Gels Cups 01/29/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/30/2012)

Nestle Toll House Cookie or Brownie Dough, 16 to 16.5 oz, 2/$5 – Dessert
-$1/1 Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough 03/25/2012 SS Insert (exp 05/25/2012)
-$1.25/2 Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough , any variety

Wind-down time

Text message BRAND, TOM, OR ALVIN to 39777 and you will get a FREE code worth $3 for Blockbuster Express!

Most importantly – HAVE FUN!

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With Earth Day just around the corner, I thought this week we would focus on some FUN Earth Day goodies To start us off is a Bug Mountain Cake.  This just looks like a super FUN cake.  I know my mom (who’s a teacher) has said that some of the cutest treats that come into the school are Dirt Cupcakes – This just looks like a bigger, messier, version

What You Need:

1 dome cake (baked in a 2-liter bowl, such as Pyrex)
1 baked 13″ x 9″ x 2″ cake
3 to 4 cups chocolate icing
2 to 3 cups crushed chocolate cookies (suggestions: chocolate graham crackers, fudge cookies, and chocolate wafer cookies)
Plastic bugs, spiders, and snakes, washed and dried for decoration

What You Do:

Arrange the round cake atop the rectangular cake

Cover the cakes with the icing, then sprinkle on the cookie crumbs. Decorate with the plastic bugs, spiders, and snakes. (For safety, remove the toys before serving.)
*For the dirt, I would pulse the cookies in a food processor, or if you feel like getting messy – let the kids smash them

This looks like a super cute craft – I know my kids love seeing things that they had part of grow…This is the Grass Head Guys Craft.

What You Need:

2 tablespoons grass seed
Nylon stocking foot
1 cup potting soil
Plastic yogurt container
Water
2 googly eyes
Permanent marker
Double-sided tape
Card stock, craft foam, and so on, for clothing

What You Do:

Spoon the grass seed into the stocking foot, and the potting soil on top of the seed. Tie a knot in the stocking, leaving the excess fabric hanging. Fill a yogurt container halfway with water and place the stocking head on top with the nylon tail in the water to serve as a wick. Attach googly eyes to the head and draw on a mouth with permanent marker. To decorate the yogurt container, tape on clothing made from card stock or other materials.

FREEBIES!

Verde - FREE Verde Energy Audit App for iPad (org. $4.99) until Earth Day [download here].  The application walks you through the process of listing your personal electrical usage, and together with your local KWh cost found on your electricity bill, Verde will calculate your total energy consumption, and make suggestions on how you can make changes to save money, and save energy!

Disney Store – Get a FREE reusable tote [bring in 5 plastic bags to exchange] on 4/22

Target – Get a FREE reusable totes [these always go so fast] on 4/22

Origins – Get a FREE cleanser when you exchange an empty or unused bottle [read more here] on 4/22

Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores - FREE trees on 4/23!

H-E-B - Bring in 5 plastic bags to exchange for a FREE tote bag between 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on 4/22

Starbucks - bring in a resuable cup and get a FREE hot or iced coffee or a hot or iced tea on 4/22

Earth Day Printables & Activities - Head over to About.com here to check out the list!

Michael’s Arts & Crafts – Get a FREE tote for kids when they “Make-It-Take-It” from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. on 4/22.

Jo-Ann Fabric - Snag a FREE tote bag if you are one of the first 50 customers on 4/22.

Pottery Barn Kids: Get a FREE packet of sunflower seeds from 4/21 – 4/22 [to go with your FREE tree from Lowe's]!

Recyclebank - Earn over 500 points when you get your “Passport to the Planet” [throughout April]

National Park Week - FREE Admission from 4/21 – 4/29 to tons of parks! Find yours here.

Caribou - FREE cup of coffee on 4/22 when you use your own cup!

Thanks to Military Wives Saving for helping us with the FREEBIE list!

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Good afternoon!  For this week’s Frugal Family Fun post – I thought I would point out some of the wonderful FREE activities that are available around town for the next couple weeks

Michael’s

Body Art Make-It Take-It – Sat, April 21, 1pm – 3pm Have some fabulous fun with body paint. Ages 3 and up. While supplies last
Earth Day Tote Make-It Take-It – Sun, April 22, 1pm – 3pm Decorate a trendy tote for Earth Day. Ages 3 and up. While supplies last.

Lowe’s

Game Show Chip Drop Game – Saturday, April 14th – Your child will love building this kit as much as playing this classic game show game! Bring your child to Lowe’s and they can build their own Game Show Chip Drop!
Terrarium – Saturday April 28th – Spring is here and it’s time to start gardening! Your child will love learning about plants and watching them grow with this great Terrarium kit!
*Note – you have to register on-line for the FREE Lowe’s Kids Clinics now

Lakeshore Learning Center

Cowboy Boot Bag – April 14th – 11a.m. – 3 p.m. – Kids can decorate a Wild West tote fit for any cowboy or cowgirl!

Little Gardener Apron – April 21 st – 11a.m. – 3 p.m.  – Decorate an apron in Earth Day themes – These look super cute

Fancy Feathered Bird – April 28th – 11a.m. – 3 p.m. – Kids can decorate multi-colored birds that they can proudly display by hanging in the air

Now, remember one of the biggest expenses that are incurred while we are “out and about” are eating expenses.  So, if you are going to eat out – try to plan on eating out for lunch.  Lunch menus are always cheaper than dinner menus.

Check out Restaurant.com before you leave the house – this is an easy way to save a bundle!

Pack snacks – you and the kids!  I always have a Fiber One or Kashi Bar in my truck for me and a few goodies in my purse for the kiddos.

Most importantly…HAVE FUN!

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I know that you all probably have lots of your own plans going on this weekend, so for this week’s Frugal Family Fun post – I found a cute craft that the kids will enjoy making and everyone will appreciate the egg-tra decorations!

What You Need:

14 plastic pull-apart eggs
Puffy paint
Egg cartons
2 large heavy-duty paper plates
Scissors
Glue
Green craft foam
Twist ties

What You Do:

First, decorate 14 plastic pull-apart eggs with puffy paint and let them dry. (Overturned egg cartons make great workstations and drying racks; just set each egg half over a carton cup bottom.)

Cut the rims from the paper plates and glue them together. Glue green craft foam leaves around the ring, leaving 1 1/2 inches between them.

To attach the eggs, tightly wrap twist ties (one for each egg) between the leaves around the paper plate ring, then simply close the egg halves together over the ties.

Have Fun and Enjoy your Easter-Egg Wreath!

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There so many adorable crafts and recipes that celebrate Spring and Easter, so this week and next, I’m am going to focus on EASTER FUN.  I saw this craft and I thought it was just adorable!!  What a cute idea

Try your hand a making a tennis ball duckling with the kids!

What You Need:

Tacky Glue
Orange craft foam
1 tennis ball
2 googly eyes
1 2-inch yellow pom-pom
Yellow and orange craft feathers
Black permanent marker

What You Do:

1) To hatch your own duckling decoration, first use tacky glue to glue together two 4-inch squares of orange craft foam.

2) When the glue is dry, cut out a 1-piece set of webbed feet, then glue a tennis ball to the feet.

3) Glue 2 googly eyes and 2 duck bill shapes cut from more orange craft foam to a 2-inch yellow pom-pom, then glue the pom-pom to the tennis ball.

4) For the wings and a tail, glue yellow and orange craft feathers to the sides and back of the duck.

5) Finally, dot nostrils on the top of the bill with a permanent marker.

Here is a recipe that you can definitely enjoy year round…Breakfast PIZZA!  Now we have made this with crescent rolls as the crust – as well as with pizza dough as the crust – I am VERY curious to try it with the biscuits.

What You Need:

1 (16.3-ounce) tube buttermilk biscuit dough
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Toppings for decorations (some suggestions would be red, yellow, and green peppers, red onions, and cooked breakfast sausage.  I usually put eggs on mine as well – it turns out GREAT)

What You Do:

1) Remove the dough from the tube and separate it into biscuits. Pull apart each biscuit to make 2 thinner, even layers. Place all the dough pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them gently, gradually molding them together to form a single egg shape.

2) Bake at 350º for 8 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.

4) Mix together the oil, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl. Brush this mixture over the cooled crust. Cover the crust evenly with the mozzarella, then sprinkle a layer of Parmesan on top.

5) Add toppings to create stripes, polka dots, and other accents so that the pizza looks like a decorated egg (a great job for kids). Return it to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

6) HAVE FUN

I found these goodies on FamilyFun.com

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It is a BEAUTIFUL day here in Florida and my kids have Spring Fever BAD!  They are getting bored doing the same ole, same ole at the house – being outside is Ok – but they want something NEW   While we love Disney – I can indeed to that trip VERY frugally – I can’t drive to Disney every time the kiddos get bored…So, that got me t thinking about our Frugal Family Fun post and I thought about the things we have here in town.

Here are some FUN ideas for your family:

Visit the airport -  I know every time we go to take a family member and send them on their way – the kids always beg me to stay and watch the planes come and go.  So, how about a trip just to do that?!  You can watch the planes – guess where they are traveling to – make up stories about where they are flying to and why.  Use your imagination and have a BALL!

Visit a local establishment – Look up a local newspaper, town hall, or radio station.  We actually have a coffee “plant” (not sure the correct term for that?!) but they roast the beans and everything there and I have never been – how cool would it be to take the kids and show them??  Children’s minds are sponges – they love to absorb new things!  All we need to do is find the FUN things out and about to let them enjoy

Now, remember one of the biggest expenses that are incurred while we are “out and about” are eating expenses.  So, if you are going to eat out – try to plan on eating out for lunch.  Lunch menus are always cheaper than dinner menus.

Check out Restaurant.com before you leave the house – this is an easy way to save a bundle!  Plus we can get a $25 certificate for just $3 right now with code: SPRING!

Pack snacks – you and the kids!  I always have a Fiber One or Kashi Bar in my truck for me and a few goodies in my purse for the kiddos.

Most importantly…HAVE FUN!

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Since Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day – I thought we would do some FUN crafts and snacks to celebrate.

First up is a little Leprechaun Craft!

What You Need:
Toilet paper tube
Green craft foam
Acrylic paints: green, skin-tone, pink, and brown
Black permanent marker
Tacky glue
4 brown pipe cleaners
Decorative button

What You Do:
For this crafty little decoration, first trace around the end of a toilet paper tube onto a piece of green craft foam.

Step 2: Draw a 2 1/2-inch circle around the first circle, then cut them both out to create a hat top and brim and set them aside.

Step 3: Next, using acrylic paints, paint the paper tube green. Add a skin-tone face and hands, plus rosy cheeks, as well as a band of brown paint around the back for hair.

Once the paint has dried, use a permanent marker to draw on facial and clothing details, then use tacky glue to stick on 3 coiled brown pipe cleaners: 2 in the back for hair and 1 around the face for a beard. For feet, fold another pipe cleaner in half, then tightly coil and pinch the ends, as shown.

Place the folded pipe cleaner inside the tube and glue the feet to the edge. Glue on the hat top and brim and a 5 1/2- by 1/2-inch strip of craft foam for arms.

Finally, glue a decorative button to the hat brim. If you want to see a HOW TO VIDEO of this craft – head here!

There are a bunch of St. Patrick’s Day themed events going on around my town for FREE – I’m sure there are in your neck of the woods too – The easiest thing to do is to search “Free Family St. Patrick’s Day activities in XXXX) and you’ll be surprised by all the local goodies you’ll find!

Need a sweet snack to help celebrate? I found adorable shamrock cookies

What You Need:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Green food coloring

What You Do:
Measure the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir well and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff.

Add several drops of green food coloring. Knead the dough until the color is evenly distributed. (Make sure children wash their hands immediately after kneading–food coloring can be messy.)

Gather the dough into two balls, flatten into disks beginning at the edge of the dough and working toward the center. Cover with plastic and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

After the dough has chilled, place one half on a large piece of plastic wrap, cover with another piece of plastic wrap and then roll until it is 1/4-inch thick. Lift off the top sheet of plastic wrap and cut out shamrocks, beginning at the edge of the dough and working toward the center.

Place each shamrock on an ungreased baking sheet. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown. Remove to a rack to cool. For particularly festive shamrocks, decorate them with green candies or frosting.
Makes about 34 adorable shamrock cookies!

I know I have said a couple times that Family Fun is one of my favorite websites – that’s where the goodies were found for today’s FUN too!

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