Pillow Pen Pals

This post was originally published a couple of weeks ago, but we are enjoying this activity so much that I decided it was a perfect post to bump up and share on WFMW!

The kids and I have recently become "pillow pen pals".  I got the general idea from a post on Pinterest, where a mom posted the journal that she and her daughter share... and said she got the idea from another blogger, who got it from another blogger, and so on.  Obviously this is a fun idea that's making the rounds in blog-land!

I loved the idea, so I put my own spin on it: simply using two notebooks from my school supply stash and hiding them under the kids' pillows for them to discover the first night.  It turns out that my kids have loved it!

For my daughter, age 9, I write a short note each day.  I try to end it with a question for her to answer when she writes back.  She quickly picked up on that and starting ending with questions of her own for me.   I'm surprised by the things she asks... what exactly I do all day at work, for example. Who knew that she even thought about that?  :)

For my son, age 6, I keep things very simple.  I print one or two lines each day asking him an open-ended question.  (I use simple words but his sister usually reads his to him anyway.)  I'm trying to encourage him to practice his writing.  Sometimes I get a full sentence or two, and other times I get one-word answers.  Since he is not one to share a lot, I'm finding that sometimes his answers surprise me... like the night he write that the thunderstorm was "scary", even though he never said a word while it was storming

 I refuse to correct grammar or spelling in these notes, because I don't want this to feel like a school assignment.   It's become a lot of fun for all of us, and reading their sweet notes to me has quickly become my favorite part of the day.

Share your own 'Works for Me Wednesday" tip HERE.   

 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links- see my policy here.

WFMW: Frugal Jesse Tree

I have planned for several years to do a Jesse Tree with my kids.  Last year we even colored some free paper ornaments I printed from a website, but that's as far as we got-- the readings were too complicated for my kids to understand.  This year, though, I've got my act a little more  together!

If you're not familiar with the concept, a Jesse Tree is basically a "tree" of some sort, to which a family adds an ornament each day up until Christmas. The ornaments tell the story of Jesus' ancestors, and of the events before Jesus' birth,  leading up to Christmas, through a daily Bible reading. (Here's a better explanation.)

You can purchase kits and books to make a Jesse Tree. There are tons of books on Jesse Trees available. There are also some really cool Jesse Tree craft kits available. 

For the more frugal minded folks like myself, though, you can easily create your own tree. You can use any of the free printable ornaments offered online (like these: Faith Magazine, OSV in two sizes, or the ones we'll be using this year from Paper Dali) and let your children color them.

Or, you can get a little more creative and sew, felt , or sculpt your own ornaments (like these: Simple Mom, The Mac and Cheese Chronicles).  I confess, I've spent a couple of hours online searching through the many creative ways that people make their Jesse Tree ornaments.  Check out the beautiful varieties that Catholic Icing found!


There are also lots of places to find printable reflections and explanations of each day's ornament. I like these from RCA church-- they are geared more towards children, and include a discussion question each day. There are plenty of others out there, including OSV's printable version.


The reading my family is using this year come from Kathleen M. Basi's new book: Joy to the World: Advent Activities for Your Family.   (*Note: this is NOT a sponsored post- I purchased this book myself after finding it online.)  The book includes daily readings that are geared towards younger children.  There are also pages of clip art tags that you could cut out and use for your ornaments... though the graphics aren't great if your kids want to color them.  

Jesse Trees either started on December 1st, or, on November 29th, depending on which source you use for your readings and ornaments. There's still plenty of time to get your tree together and share this activity with your family.

Remembering the real "reason for the season" definitely works for me!
Check out more WFMW tips at We Are That Family!

WFMW: Easy Math Practice

My daughter is in second grade this year.  Each month her teacher sends home two blank calendars- one for recording minutes spent reading, and one for recording minutes spent practicing simple addition & subtraction. The idea is that the faster they can recall the simple math facts, the easier it will be for them to do the more advanced math in class.

Here are the free or cheap ways we practice simple math facts:

• a dollar store workbook.  My daughter loves to use as she plays school with her younger brother- I think he's learning, too!
• as we're driving in the car, anywhere, we will quiz DD verbally.  Her younger brother gets into the act, too, although his answers (after he runs out of numbers he throws anything out there- "Chicken!"  "Blue!") don't necessarily fit the question.  :)   It makes it fun for everyone.
• use this free online math quiz-- very basic, just like flash cards
• a set of Princess flash cards, picked up for $1 at Target
• play this free online math pumpkin game-- kids have to solve the math problem to plant/ care for their pumpkins
• play this free online soccer math game- for each correct answer, kids get to aim and kick a ball into the net
• using free printable worksheets from Kidzone or any of the many homeschool sites 
• play the free math games on Gamequarium-- all kinds of themes, from Tom & Jerry to Outer Space
• and this last one won't apply unless you happen to have a child with Type I Diabetes.... but DD helps us add up the carbs she's eaten at each meal so we can figure out her insulin dose.  She can't always add the larger numbers in her head, but she'll help by using a calculator or piece of paper.  I'm pretty sure that if I had known back in school that one day my math skills would be needed to calculate the "medicine" that keeps my daughter alive, I'd have done much better in algebra!

Free and fun math practice works for us!  If you have any other math practice tips, I'd love to hear them.

Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We Are That Family.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

EASY Target bargains- no complicated deals

 I know a lot of people don't think they have time for coupons, or they think it's too much of a hassle.  While that can be true, you can also save a lot just by spending a few minutes online before you go to the store. There are plenty of blogs out there that do all the bargain-hunting work for you- Bargain Brianna and Totally Target are among my favorites.

I had a good day at Target yesterday.  Scouting out these deals online and printing the coupons took me less than ten minutes, and was well worth it in my opinion!  In addition to the 30-some glue sticks my kids needed for school ($.25 per 2-pack), I also got some easy deals:

Chef Boyardee canned pastas: 

priced at $.99 per can

coupon on the Target site for $1 off per can= FREE

Juicy Juice 8-pack juice boxes (The small size= 15 carbs each, perfect for treating low blood sugars!)

regular price: $1.99

coupon on Target site= $1 off

total= $.99 for an 8 pack!

 

Hunts Pudding 4-pack, priced at $.95

coupon on Target site= $1 off

total= FREE

Archer Farms 64oz. apple juice on sale, $1.50 per bottle

coupon on Target site= $1 off 2

two bottles= $2 total

Schick Hydro razor= $6.99
newspaper coupon for $5 off= $1.99 paid
online rebate for full price= FREE plus possible profit

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the free post-it notes that others have found.  I'll keep looking, though!

A few other bargains: a much-needed $6.98 clearance dress shirt for my husband, school notebooks for $.15, and a dozen pencils for $.75. 

Complicated coupon deals don't work for me.... but simple ones like this do!  Share your own WFMW tip and read others HERE and check out more Penny Pinching Party tips HERE.

 

 This post contains affiliate links to products via Amazon for illustration purposes.  Target has in no way compensated me for this... I'm just a big fan of the bargains at their store!   You can read my policy here.

WFMW: free chore chart & game

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company and I am not being compensated in any way for this post.

A few weeks ago I was surfing online for a creative chore chart idea for my kids.  I came across a site called HandiLand.  This FREE site allows you to create chore charts for your kids, and when they complete their chores, they earn points. (They can also lose points for committing an infraction that the parent adds to the list, such as fighting with a sibling.) The points are  then redeemed for virtual items in HandiLand, where the kids create their own Cool Cat character.   They can buy clothes, furniture, etc. for their cat to use.  

I like this system for several reasons- it's easy enough for the kids to do themselves, and it's simple for me to log on and add or remove items from their chore lists.  I can print out the weekly chore chart (tip: shrink it to fit on one page) and keep track of points off-line.  There's also an option for "real world" rewards with points that the system tracks-- the site suggests basing your child's allowance on these points.  My kids don't receive an allowance yet, but I think this system could work for us.

My kids are enjoying their virtual cats, and I'm enjoying how easy it is to get them to do their jobs... this system definitely works for me!   Check out more WFMW tips here.

WFMW: online time= great snail mail

Besides social networking... making friends... learning about other lifestyles... do you know what else happens when you make good use of your time online?   You get fun surprises in the mail!

This box arrived last week:

Seriously, this is the biggest cleaning caddy I've ever seen- easily twice as deep as the one I already owned.  I had no clue what this box was when it arrived, but apparently I won one of the Right At Home prize packs.  That was simple to enter- just click and enter your details.  And they have another giveaway going on right now-- you can enter to win a back to school package!

I love to read.  And at least once a week, FREE books arrive in my mail box, because I've applied to various companies and been accepted to write book reviews.  If this sounds like something you would like to do, I know that both Bethany House and The Catholic Company are accepting applications for new reviewers right now.

I receive coupons and free samples in the mail almost daily.  I only request those that I know we'll use.. not every single offer available out there.  (I used to request anything I heard of, but that just resulted in a lot of mail going straight to the trash.)  Reading blogs like: The Freebie Blogger and Money Saving Mom helps keep me alert to the new offers that are available.

Blogs also alert me to great giveaways.  I've won several over the past few years since I started blogging. In the last few months I've won a gardening package from Simply Serve, some Wonder Hangers from Sarah, and just this week-- an American Girl doll through Blissfully Domestic!  (Shhhh- don't tell my daughter- she will be receiving this for Christmas!)  And I don't enter that many giveaways- maybe only 1/3 of those that I see. 

Now, of course, you have to be careful who you give your personal information to, or else you'll wind up with a mailbox full of junk.  I only provide my mailing address to reputable companies, and I opt out of receiving extra catalogs, fliers, etc. when I can.  

Finding fun surprises in my mail box definitely works for me!  Head on over to Works for Me Wednesday to share your own tips and read some others!

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

WFMW: $3 wall art

I needed some cheap artwork to hang on the wall of the kids' bathroom when we first moved into this house.  I had a country blue & red plaid shower curtain, and decided to go with a Raggedy Ann theme.  

 The pictures came from a vintage Raggedy Ann & Andy book that my sister had given me- she'd gotten it with a bunch of other books through FreeCycle.  The 8x10" frames were $1 each from the local dollar store.  I thought they were a perfect match to the country feel I wanted in that room.  (It's hard to tell from my poor camera phone photo, but they came painted dark blue with white spattered paint-- they  kind of look like enamelware.)

 

Sadly, these pictures came down this week.  We've just redecorated the kids' bathroom... again it was done  frugally, just in a theme that they chose themselves this time.   Check back soon for that post!  :)

Cheap and easy wall artwork works for me!  Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We are THAT Family! 

$3 Spring Decor: Works for me Wednesday

I have a thing for birds lately... I don't know if it's just Spring, or if it's related to my new-found interest in Twitter, or what it is.  I've seen  several bloggers post about their cute & crafty bird decorations recently (one of my favorites: SongbirdTiff's book bird),  I've been wanting to add some birds somewhere around my house. 

I don't really do seasonal decorating, other than the front door, but it's always on my "someday" list.   "Someday" I'll have a stash of seasonal decorations to change out... someday I'll have time to craft again.... someday I'll decorate with all things that I make myself.  Right now, though, time and budget are very restrictive in terms of what I can do... so I find myself not changing things very often.

So when I bumped into these little guys at the dollar store, I just had to have them:

And best of all... I loved them just the way they were.  I didn't put them away in the craft room to be altered "someday"... I came home and put them out right away.

The birds are fairly big- about 5" in length- and they have more weight to them than I would have expected from a dollar store decoration.  They were $1 each, and the moss for the basket was also $1.  I plopped  them in a basket I already had, and *poof*, a little touch of Spring has arrived.

Would I like to have a birds everywhere... a new door wreath... all kinds of Spring decorations to put out?  Of course!  But in the meantime, these little birds are within my budget and took no time at all to arrange.  There's something very satisfying about this simple little project- I smile every time I see it.  I paired it with a giant fern (free- gifted from my parents) on the table in our entryway, and I love it.

Now I'm keeping an eye out for some turquoise eggs like The Single Nester's...      

Cheap & easy seasonal decor works for me!  Share your own tips at Works for Me Wednesday!

  

WFMW: Potty training?

This week's edition of WFMW is backwards.... meaning that I get to ask YOU for some advice!

Here's the thing: my 3 year-old son was pretty much potty trained last month. It was not easy, but he did it- even taking himself to the bathroom when needed most of the time.   Now, in the last two weeks, we're back to tantrums when asked to potty and he's needing diapers (pull-ups leak, and the "natural"  method is not for us).  We were using a reward system at first (candy) and had gotten to the point where it was phased out.  There was no traumatic potty event, and when asked, he cheerfully answers that he will use the potty next time... but he doesn't.   He just won't do it anymore.  And he has to do it... preschool starts in August, and they won't let him attend unless he is fully potty trained.

So..... please share your tips and tricks to get him back on track.   And to answer more questions or ask your own, link up to Works for me Wednesday.

WFMW: free Blackberry apps

I. love. my. BlackBerry. I admit that I am one of those people... you know, the ones that have the Blackberry attached to them 24/7. I recently saw Jerry Seinfeld do a bit on a talk show, and he was talking about how people carry a Blackberry in their hands at all times, as though the BlackBerry itself demands to be out where it can see things. I laughed so hard that I cried... and yes, I saw myself in what he was saying. You just have to watch the video, it's hilarious:

I have an older model BlackBerry... the kind I could get for free the last time it was time to upgrade our phones.  Of course I'd love to have the newest edition, but really, this one works really well for me.  That is partially due to the wide variety of free apps that are available. 

Here are some of my favorite FREE apps:

• Google Mobile: Thanks to Google Sync, when I recently had to replace my BlackBerry (free, under warrenty, thank goodness)  I did not lose my address book- all my contacts were all saved in Google Contacts. I also sync my Google calendars (work, home, kids schedules) to my BlackBerry. And, since I use Google Reader on my computer, I can also use it on the mobile app... meaning that I can always read blogs from my phone.
• Slacker radio: This free app allows you access to all kinds of music. You can choose from their stations- I've had fun recently listening to some music from my high school days. You can also use Slacker on your computer with a free account.   And... I'm pretty sure Slacker radio and a $5 pair of headphones saved my sanity during my hospital stay last month!
• Twitter: Now that I'm using Twitter a lot more, putting it on my phone was a natural step. I know there are a lot of Twitter apps out there, but this one from Twitter itself is simple to use and works exactly like the site does. I have it set to notify me audibly if I receive a direct message or a mention.
• Facebook: I use this one daily to check in on my friends' status messages.
• Ka-glom: This free tetris-style game is entertaining enough for me, yet easy enough for my kids to play. It's helped pass the time several times when we've been stuck in waiting rooms.
• MemoPad:  Ok, this one actually came pre-loaded on the phone.  It allows me to keep running lists on anything-- I have one for books I want to read, blog post ideas, a running grocery list, and more. 

Free apps to make my BlackBerry even more functional definitely work for me.  Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips HERE.... and be sure to let me know if you know of a great app that I've missed!

This post may contain was not sponsored in any way but may contain affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

WFMW: $8 Greenhouse for Brown Thumbs

Do you have Spring planting fever yet? I do!  By July, I'm tired of yard work. My flowers get watered, big weeds pulled, and that's about it.  But right now... I'd happily empty my bank account on plants and seeds for the yard.

 Last week, during Spring Break, the kids and I started a bunch of flower seeds in one of those Jiffy seed greenhouses.  I'd never tried one before but have been looking at them the last few years.  Seeing as I mostly have a brown thumb when it comes to indoor plants, I've always been leery of trying my own seedlings-- I figured they wouldn't live long enough to make it outdoors.   (Why is it that I'm ok with outdoor plants, but the indoor ones need my husband's care to survive??)  

This one was really quick and easy-- pour in some water, push your seeds down in the peat pellets, and *poof* you're done.   Most of our flowers have sprouted and we have 2" seedlings growing.  It was SO easy, and the kids really enjoyed it.   We've all enjoyed checking on our "baby flowers" each day.

It was also frugal-- all together, I spent about $8 for the greenhouse kit and the seeds, which is less than one flat of flowers.  Next year it will cost even less- I'll just need the peat pellets and flower seeds.  Around here, $8 won't even buy a flat of summer annuals... and hopefully we'll wind up with even more plants for our money. 

And yes.... I do realize that those of you with green thumbs could do this even cheaper with paper cups and dirt from the yard.  But, since I've saved money by not killing off the seedlings  so far and therefore completely wasting our time/money, this is still a pretty frugal project in my book!

Using a "cheat" kit to grow our own flowers from seeds definitely works for me. Check out more WFMW tips HERE. 

This post was not sponsored but it does contain affiliate links.  You can read my policy here.

WFMW: frugal purse organizer

I have admired various (expensive) purse organizers forever.  I always thought it would be handy to just move one bag with all my stuff from one purse to another.... but, of course, I wasn't about to shell out $25+ for it.

A couple of weeks ago at a local discount store I bumped into my perfect (frugal) solution:  a mesh cosmetic bag with three outer zippered compartments.  (Mine is a Podulars brand, but unfortunately I couldn't find a link for you.)   It's perfect-- small and lightweight, but with three different sized compartments to separate my stuff--- medications, lip balm, pens, etc.   It fits just right in my smallest purse, with enough room for my wallet and phone to go next to it.  And best of all, I only paid about $6.... much better than those expensive organizers!

Finding frugal solutions to life's minor annoyances.... that definitely works for me!   Check out more great WFMW tips at We Are That Family.