Easy, Breezey, and Inexpensive Family Fun

Local Festivals are so much fun!We just came home from our churches "Flower and Garden Show." There are tons of these all spring and summer long. No cover charge (usually), plus inexpensive yummy food, equals a day of fun. The Local Festivals are put together as a fundraiser for the organization hosting it, so don't think posh. The idea is to go w/an open mind ready for adventure. That and comfortable walking shoes are all you need to entertain your kids on a relaxing spring/summer day.
What's To Eat:
The food is usually good bbq or homecooked goodness for less than McD's. For $12 we fed our 4 kids and ourselves. Bring a water bottle, as beverages can be the most pricey items. Before going to a new festival, I always make sure the kids have a snack - just in case the choices are not in our pallette. Nothing can ruin a fun day out than 4 overly hungry kids!
What's To Do:
There is always something or someone to see. Some have music and live entertainment, a variety of vendors and some even have rides for the kiddos. You won't know unless you went the year before, how much is going on at any one festival. In North Wilmington, DE they have several full blown carnivals w/rides worthy of entertaining your teenagers all spring long. A little bit into the country of PA it's a church's bbq w/kiddy games like sack throws and ball tosses. In tiny towns of Maine the entire tiny town has events on the same day. The firehouse has a pancake breakfast, the library has a blow-out book sale, the restaurants have street side service and booths all over and someone has put together games for the kiddies. The excitement of people enjoying the festival environment is enough to entertain young kids w/out a big pay out. It's like Chucky Cheese outdoors, but no coins w/mice and the food is waaay better! (Although, if you get cotton candy, you will still be sticky!)
How to Find 'Em:
Keep an eye out in your local paper's calendar of events, local business bulletin boards, and lo calchurch bulletins. Churches, Auxillaries, Hospitals, Parks and anyplace looking to raise money is prone to have an event. Look for anything titled: Flower Market, Arts/Crafts Show/Bizarre, BBQ, Pig Roast, Festival, etc. Mark your calendar as you see festivals advertised. Just a quick entry of day, times, location and you have something to do whenever you need it.
Tips:
1. Your Mother was Right. Go to the bathroom before you leave the house! Once you get there make note of where the bathrooms are located before you go to any activity. Parking is sometimes a far walk from the food and bathrooms.
2. Go w/Your Gut. Bring water bottles and some small snacks (granola bars, pretzels, nuts, etc). You may not like polish sausage or Gyros. Some festivals have only one kind of ethnic food.
3. Feet Don't Fail Me Now. There is a huge field w/nothing on it the day before. There are a hundred cars parked before you arrive. They are between where you parked and the festival. Wear comfy shoes!
4. Bees Love a Festival, too! Bring a dose of Benedryl, just in case. It is small and now w/portable individual kid spoons. You never know which of your kids (friend's kids) will be allergic until they are stung. Late summer, early fall festivals are really the tough ones, especially at orchards. The bees are drunk w/nectar and people have missed the trash can all summer long. So, the bees are all over the picnic tables and trash cans. Sit on the lawn away from the area, if possible!
Most Importantly, be open to finding fun in anything in your path. And you will get the benefit of seeing your families faces light up and the action around you.
Have fun finding the local flavor around you!

So Much to Read Out There in BlogLand!

I will get back to Part 2 of the 3R's, but wanted to take a minute to fill you in on some fellow bloggers who I am following.
I'm all about the details and little moments in life. That detail can be, at times, an idea that is just so simple it's an eye-opening thrill! Every so often I'm lucky enough to stumble upon some of these fantastic, shout-out-loud ideas. Until now, I was only shouting to myself which is quite annoying after awhile, not to mention worrisome. Great ideas, inspiration and savings, you can find it all in the Blog Community. Check out these Fab BlogLand Ladies:
This one is fantastic! I'm jealous that I didn't think of it first! (BTW: that is the biggest compliment that I can give.) Storage, Re-Puposing, Games and Family Time ... This idea has it all! Board game art is fantastic for game rooms, playrooms even kid bedrooms. So please click to see what to do w/all those board games: infarrantly creative: Game Board Storage Art. I'm new at blogging, but think I am now following her. Check out her other posts, there are some more Fab ideas.
I also follow GOMOM! for wonderful organizational ideas. Molly Gold produces wonderful dayplanners for moms. Her newest one is an eco-friendly printable one that's tied in w/DIY. She is also very positive and I find it refreshing and not annoying, as perky can so easily become. Check her out at:

Let's not forget to save our pennies and fill our shelves with freebies, as well. For all things couponing I go to ForTheMommas.com. She scours the flyers, coupons and sites for the best savings and freebies. Check her daily at www.ForTheMommas.com
Not sure if this one started w/a Lady or a Man. Either way, it's Fab! Let's not forget the ultimate site to buy all things handmade, Etsy! Check out the tons of creative people and their stuff at www.etsy.com. There are so many different items, you'd never have to buy from a big box store again.
Have fun surfin' the inspiration web!

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse ... Chic and Saving all in one!

Advertisers want you to think you must buy new eco-friendly products to be considered green and, therefore, chic. I counter with the fact that you are already chic! ... and green is not a new concept! Good job for whatever 'green living' you can fit into your life! ANY recycling that you can do is valuable.

Did you know how much more you can do? Let's look at some Easy and Money Saving ways you can be Green. (This will be part 1. There is just too much fun info to share.) In that light, on the here are photos of one of my project rooms to share with you. Please excuse the people in the shots. I always forget to get before and after pics!

Recycling in our home is BIG. I'm talking about the three R's here. Recycle, Reduce and Reuse. It wasn't so apparent to me, until recently, how much we do of the 3 R's. I thought it was stuff everyone did, until a friend was teasing me about it. She writes a blog on saving and couponing, ForTheMommas.com. We joke that she saves when she buys, and I re-purpose. I realized this is good info that needs to be available. It's so easy to be green and it actually saves you money.

So, I started thinking of all the easy things that I do to be green. Most of them are second nature: using a shoebox for kids trinkets, saving a bin that used to hold nailpolish and pulling it out when the pollypockets need a home, using the styrofoam from meat(washed well) to mix paints. I've always leaned towards using what I have. I should say, "re-purposing" what I have to make what I need. This is #3 of the 3 R's, ReUse. It's a big one. If you don't use it, what will happen to it? landfill.
I truly hope this sparks your imagination and gets your creative juices flowing for what you can re-purpose!

The items re-purposed from others in this make-over include the green chair w/ottoman, dresser under t.v., and the shelves. The mirror on the wall was the project that made the room.

We bought this antique headboard at auction in an old barn w/100 yrs worth of dust and grime for $25. We cut the holesto remove warped areas so the mirror would sit flush. Murphy's oil wiped over it 2xs and it looked beautiful! The mirror was cut to size at the local hardware store $5/sq ft, approx $30. The trim to hold in mirror cost about $7. We picked up some stain to match it to the headboard, $3. Antique headboard mirror completed for under $70 and we had our room centerpiece!

"Oooo" Moments - How Not to Plan for Them.

Subway is not a place w/4 kiddos, but they had a fab time, despite. The movie was put on once we were settled at home, but the real show was beforehand in the driveway looking up at the stars!!!!!
I forgot to turn on the light when we left, but that mistake became a surprise gift! There we were, in our driveway, all looking up at a ton of brilliant stars! The kids were all happy, chatting to each other. I know ... happy, no arguments!
My lil' girl didn't know what we were looking at and played along. I turned her head up to look and whispered, "Stars." She replied w/a face as bright as the stars. In a stunned voice she said, "Oooooo!"
We can't plan for those moments. I tried to plan the whole day w/activities that were supposed to accomplish that 'oooo' moment.
It happens in an instant, all on its own, when you stop to look at the stars.

Following into the Folds of Peace

Life w/4 children can be a rollercoaster ride. Did I mention that I don't like rollercoasters? Sometimes it is so crazy you think your head will Pop! And then, just as quickly, you become aware of something greater than yourself. You can have an epiphany or a breakdown. Some days, I'm lucky enough to have the epiphany. Yesterday, was one of those moments.
In the midst of the crazy, it came to me. I realized, when you're at your wits end, you can put on the ipod. You can pull out the art supplies and retreat into it. Yet, when you look up from your pallette, the kids will have joined you. They will be all around you, like a comforting pillow, doing their own creating.
They will follow you to the beat of your own peace and find their own. You can't give it to them, only lead them to it.
(38 yrs to figure that one out!)

BTW: I highly recommend the use of ipods/mp3s for toning down your children's noise, if only by your own perception!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - All Recipes

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - All Recipes

Movie Industry: Enough is Enough

I've been using IMDB (International Movie Database) since ... well a very long time. I'm kinda insulted that they are actually charging for their imdbPro. Imdb was the one place I could go (anytime) to get great movie info. Past, present and pending movies, as well as info on actors, has always been at my finger tips. This was just curiosity info, and so fun to read.
So, today when I was just looking up whether or not Outlander (the novel) was really going to be a movie, I looked to imdb. Then, WHAM! Once again, someone wanted money. I had to join ImdbPro to see the info, for a fee of $12.95 per month.
Really, they couldn't just share the info. What w/all the ads and shared links and traffic funds generated, they needed more?
Why does the movie industry charge money like a hospital, now? Not savin' any lives. It's just for fun. That's right, I said it.

The movie industry is just for fun!

No validity other than entertainment.
So, why are we all paying out the wazoo on every aspect of it? $10.50 for one ticket ... $12.95 for info on a movie that isn't even made, yet!
... As I see it, I should really charge the movie company to find out the info. See, then I tell all my friends about the movie that is going to be made, so they can make plans to see it and get all excited that it is coming out! Word of mouth is pretty valuable. How about, all you movie moguls put out the info you want to spread and we charge you everytime we mention it on the web, email, phone convo, at the water cooler? Just sayin'

Asked to Join

Everytime we turn around, we are asked to spend our money or time.
Last year we were totally spent and stretched w/time and money. Looking around, I was stupified. We were frazzled, and tired, and just plain confused. How did it happen? We thought we were keeping it on track, one activity a season. Well, scouts, dance and religious ed are all year. ... hmmm ... We obviously hadn't thought it through that well.
This year, I've gone on a calendar purge. I'm learning to say, "no," to anything not adding to the overall joy of my family. So, I challenge you to do the same. Purge the clutter on your calendar!
However, there are things worth the time. You have to decide what it is in your life that comes up and is worth the time.