Happy Father’s Day to all those dad’s, almost dad’s, father figures (you are just as important!) who love us, play with us, keep us safe and above all, make us laugh!
I think this photo montage from AwkwardFamilyPhotos says it all!
BUT really dad, we just want you to know we LOVE YOU because YOU are YOU! Emmy says it all HERE.
photo: TheKennedyAdventures.com
Though it has been hard to imagine in New England, the warm weather will be back and the kids will be home looking for something to do.
Whether you are away on vacation or enjoying a frugal STAYCATION, when it is HOT there is nothing better than WATER FUN to get the kids outside and cool things down a bit. My friend Dianna over at The Kennedy Adventures just did a series – 5 Days of Water Play – and I cannot wait to give them a try… check them out:
I absolutely HATE pinatas at parties, but I am definitely going to give the Waterballoon Pinatas a try this summer.
If you want to plan a staycation or frugal vacation somewhere in the US, go no further. Yesterday we talked about STAYCATION 2013 Boston: Frugal Fun in Massachusetts and how you need to make sure you UNPLUG, PLAN and be CREATIVE! Lucky for us over 90 ther bloggers who did the same for their part of the country and here they are. What a fantastic resource!
Be sure to come back and let me know what great staycation ideas you have for YOUR home state.
NW (or all), Connecticut :: Parenting Miracles
Boston (or all), Massachusetts :: Maven of Savin
Central, New Jersey :: Our Good LIfe
Adirondak Mountains and Central, New York :: For This Season
Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York :: Ann’s Entitled Life
Syracuse, New York :: I am THAT lady
Erie, Pennsylvania :: Growing Kids Ministry
Greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania :: Family Balance Sheet
Hershey, Pennsylvania :: Good Deal Mama
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania :: Beyond the Cover
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania :: The Coupon “High”
Poconos, Pennsylvania :: Bucktown Bargains
Scranton, Pennsylvania :: Bucktown Bargains
Des Moines, Iowa :: Make the best of everything
Aurora, Illinois :: A Savings WOW!
Central, Illinois :: The Homeschool Scientist
Chicago, Illinois :: Chicagoland Homeschool Network
Naperville, Illinois :: The Sensible Mom
Schaumburg, Illinois :: Ravings By Rae
Fort Wayne, Indiana :: Simplified Saving
Indianapolis, Indiana (Metro Area) :: In Good Cents
Muncie, Indiana (Central IN) :: the daisyhead
Northern Indiana :: So Dough Savvy
Kansas City Area :: Kansas City Mamas
Metro Detroit, Michigan :: Saving Dollars and Sense
Grand Rapids, Michigan :: Give Me Neither
Oakland County, Michigan :: Bargain Shopper Mom
Minneapolis, Minnesota :: Creative Couponing
Rural Minnesota (either Southern our Lake Country) :: Mommysavers.com
St. Cloud, Minnesota :: Frugal Finders
Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas :: Kosher on a Budget
Springfield, Missouri :: Getting Freedom
Cincinnati, Ohio :: Family Friendly Cincinnati
Columbus, Ohio :: Cleverly Simple
Dayton, Ohio :: Savings Lifestyle: Dayton
Mansfield, Ohio :: The Traveling Praters
NE Ohio :: Raising Lifelong Learners
Northeast Ohio (Canton, Akron, Cleveland) :: Sisters Shopping on a Shoestring
Black Hills, South Dakota :: Little House Living
South Dakota :: Moms Mustard Seeds
Oshkosh, Wisconsin :: Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom
NOT IN MASSACHUSETTS, have no fear, check out these Staycation Ideas across the U.S.
Memorial Day approaches, HIGH gas prices remain and we are all looking for frugal summer fun. More and more people will be sticking close to home for STAYCATIONS, but this by no means you are settling. When is the last time you just took a look around you? There are so many resources and fun things to do that we overlook daily.
A staycation does not need to be a “what we did because we could not afford to go away”. It can be an adventure and you should plan it with as much excitement and vigor as you do a vacation. Whether you are taking a full week off or using your days as a series of long weekends, it is important that you “pretend” you are actually away and on vacation.
I am lucky enough to live in Massachusetts where over 12 million tourist pay lots of money each year to visit. So why is it that we feel we have to travel for vacation? There is so much to do in this state in addition to all of the obvious Boston and historical attractions. It is really easy to forget what is around you when you live here. As you begin to plan, be sure to check out BostonCentral as well as some great daily deals on local attractions through Groupon, Eversave, LivingSocial, and Amazon Local so keep an eye out for those as well.
Below are some fun activities and resources in Boston and Massachusetts to help you plan a wonderful staycation:
Kids Bowl FREE is back again this year and I am so excited my local bowling alley is participating.
Every child can get TWO FREE games every day all summer long! You will have to pay for shoe rental if you do not have your own. Once you register for the bowling center near you, you will have coupons emailed to you weekly.
In addition you can also upgrade to a Family Pass for $24.95 which will get you 2 games per person for up to 4 adult family members. That is a great a deal for some inexpensive family fun.
Kids Bowl Free is in 950+ locations in 46 states – plus Canada
Disclosure: I post about this every year regardless, but I was given a FREE family pass for my family this year.
Guess WHAT???
It is hard to believe and who knows how I will get in shape in time, but I will be riding 20 miles in the Best Buddies Challenge.
YES Tom Brady will be there, NO he will not be riding :(. I was hoping for a little drafting action behind him but alas his Patriot’s contract does not allow him to ride.
We like to save money on the things we NEED so we can buy the things we WANT and DONATE to others in NEED. So this is one of the ways I will help DONATE to others in NEED this year.
There are 7.5 million Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – and more than 200 million people with IDD worldwide. Children with IDD often grow up experiencing a life of rejection and isolation. Through Best Buddies, hundreds of thousands of people with IDD have successfully moved from segregation and desolation to a new acceptance in their family and community.
On June 1st, I will participate in the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port with the Merrill Lynch team – a ride, run or walk in support of Best Buddies International and my friend’s daughter Sophia!
I am using this RIDE to not only raise money for this great cause, but to also give myself a much needed fitness goal.
I am not asking you all for donations – you all can choose the people and charities you like to donate to without influence from anyone, let alone me. What I am asking for is your PRAYERS as I train and try to stick to my diet!
BUT if you are local, there will be a WICKED FUN FUNDRAISER I am helping to sponsor.
Best Buddies WICKED FUN FUNDRAISER
April 20, 2013 from 7 pm – midnight
Moseley’s on the Charles, Dedham, MA
We have some awesome entertainment lined up:
There may also be some local celebs showing up as well as a LIVE Auction. Tickets are only $30 each!
What a great deal for a band, comedian and DANCING all night to the DJ! All proceeds support the Best Buddies Challenge and are tax deductible.
You can purchase individual tickets or reserve tables of 10. Plan a big couples night out!
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE
OR you can MAIL A CHECK made payable to “Best Buddies” to: Best Buddies / ML Team, PO Box 338, Sheldonville, MA 02070
Tickets will be mailed out March 31, 2013.
I will keep you up to date with my training… more to come!
This Saturday 2/2/13 is the Home Depot Kid’s Workshop. From 9am – 12pm you can build this cute Valentine Card Holder for FREE.
It is a rainy, chilly day here in New England – the perfect day to snuggle under a blanket and watch movies all day. Do you have Netflix?
You can instantly watch unlimited TV episodes & movies over the Internet right on your TV, computer and various mobile devices. We stream Netflix through our Wii – I still that is the coolest thing.
Watch as much as you want, as often as you want for only $7.99 a month. For me, that is cheaper than 2 On Demand movies from cable. Not sure about it?
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