Free and Frugal Friday: One Sale A Day

I love the site One Sale A Day to find some great sales on merchandise. They usually have a family item, jewelry item, tech item and special deal item, which all change on a daily basis. I actually purchased quite a few Christmas gifts thru the site this past year. There is no expedited shipping so if you need something the next day, that is not going to happen, but it you are willing to wait a week to get a great deal than this site may be for you.



www.1saleaday.com

Traveling Thursday: Zoo Classes and Overnights

Ohio is a great state for zoos with some of the nation's premier zoos residing here.
We have a pass to the Cincinnati Zoo and frequent the Columbus Zoo quite a bit a bit as well. Not only are the exhibits top-notch, but they also offer educational classes that many people may not be aware of. The Cincinnati Zoo classes are always well-done and it gives the kids a little bit more of an intimate look at the behind-scenes lives of the animals.
They also sponsor family overnights where you can pick a location out of a list http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifof possibilities of what animals you would want to sleep near. What a fun and inventive family outing!



www.columbuszoo.org




www.cincinnatizoo/education.org

Wonderful Wednesday: Valentine's Day Ideas for the Kids

I thought this was such a cute idea that I picked up on Pinterest and I wanted to include the blog link here. I started it a little late with the kids, but just cut a few days out so instead of 14 days of Valentine's Day, we are at about 10 days! They really love the notes and look forward to it every day.

www.welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com

Teaching Tuesday: Eequalsmcq.com

Eequalsmcq.com is an engaging science curriculum site. There are several books to download for a fee and the elementary life science book is available for FREE download. Whether you want to use it as a main science text or for supplemental reasons, it is a very thorough, interesting and fast-paced text.

www.eequalsmcq.com

Yummy Monday: Blueberry Cream Muffins

Blueberry Cream Muffins are a favorite homemade addition to any meal. The kids love them and blueberries are such a healthy choice.
This recipe is easy to put together and the sour cream keeps them extra moist. It makes 24 muffins, but I usually half it.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp.baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
2 cups (16 ozs.) sour cream
2 cups blueberries (fresh or thawed if frozen)

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs.
2. Gradually add sugar.
3. While beating, slowly pour in oil; add vanilla.
4. Combine the dry ingredients; add alternately with the sour cream to the egg mixture.
5. Gently fold in blueberries.
6. Spoon into greased muffin tins.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Free and Frugal Friday: Home Depot and Lowes Kids Workshops

Home Depot and Lowes offer FREE kids' workshops to foster do-it-yourself skills, promote creativity and teach tool safety. The workshops are aimed at the 5-12 yr. old age group and the kids not only get to keep the craft they made, but will get an apron and certificate of completion. My daughter really enjoys these workshops and has made some handy gadgets along the way.

www.homedepot.com

www.lowes.com

Traveling Thursday: Kids Love Travel series

One of my favorite travel book collections is the Kids Love Travel series. A family traveling and discovering different travel destinations for kid-friendliness and interest. They give very helpful recommendations on navigating more popular tourist destinations as well as providing some information on often overlooked travel gems for families. I have the Ohio book and have used it extensively- didn't even know a few of the places that were listed even existed. There are more than a dozen books available and I have found many at our local library. It has been an invaluable resource for helping to plan our family travel.

www.kidslovetravel.com