Frugal Fun Challenge

2/17-2/19 Mardi Gras Celebration

2012-02-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

23rd Annual Mardi Gras Celebration
February 17-19 & 21!

Mark your calendars for the best Mardi Gras Celebration in Los Angeles! Join us for a weekend full of traditional New Orleans and Zydeco music, bead-throwing, strolling parade bands, arts and crafts and face painting for kids, authentic Cajun food, beer, and much more! Grammy-nominated Lisa Haley & The Zydekats return along with other Market favorites including, T-Lou & His Super Hot Zydeco Band, Eddie Baytos & The Nervis Bros and Lula Afro Brazil!

Kick off the weekend activities with our annual Mutti Gras Pet Parade & Costume Contest! Dress up your pooch for a chance to win great prizes and treats! Registration is free. Call Three Dog Bakery at 323-935-7512 or visit them at stall #710 to register your four-legged friend.

Click here for a complete Mardi Gras schedule.

The party continues on Fat Tuesday, February 21 with traditional New Orleans tunes with Eddie Baytos & The Nervis Bros on the West Patio from 6:30-9:30pm.

All activities are free!

2/11/12 -Target Free Family Saturday: Ready, Set, Go!

2012-02-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

FREE ALL DAY at the Japanese American Museum!
http://www.janm.org/events/familyfestivals/

Learning, crafts, and fun for the entire family! February’s theme is healthy living. Generously sponsored by Target, these special Saturdays are filled with fun activities giving families unique ways to learn, play, and grow together.

ALL DAY CRAFT ACTIVITIES:
Hop, skip, and jump on over to the Museum to embellish a jump rope.
Make a recipe holder for your favorite healthy recipes. We’ll have some recipes from Kidding Around in the Kitchen ready to go along with your creation!
Ruthie’s Origami Corner: An apple a day, keeps the doctor away! Make an origami apple with Ruthie.

SCHEDULE:
11AM – Doors open

11 AM – 12:30 – Chef Naoko Moore teaches you how to eat healthy by making onigiri (rice balls)! (1st come 1st serve, limit 15 students)

1 – 2 PM -- Chef Sonoko Sakai teaches you how to eat healthy by making delicious miso soup! (1st come 1st serve, limit 15 students)

1 - 4 PM - Kidding Around the Kitchen is happy to show families how to make their own Ready Set Go Delicious Kebabs

1 – 4 PM – SPECIAL! Artists from our Drawing the Line: Japanese American Art, Design & Activism in Post-War Los Angeles exhibition will be in the galleries talking about their work.

1 PM – Cut a rug! Learn how to Bon Odori (style of dancing performed during a traditional Japanese festival)

2 PM – Palpitating Panthers Jump Rope Team performance and workshop

3 PM – Let HoopItUp teach you how to hula hoop your way to good health

4PM – Doors close

2/11/12 - Valentine Treat Bag Make'n Take

2012-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Valentine Treat Bag Make'n Take
Sat Feb 11, 2012 1pm to 3pm

Join us for a FREE make'n take event and create an adorable Valentine treat bag. Contact your local Beverly's for more details. Event not available at Carmichael location.

Free Toy's R Us Lego Friends Event - Feb. 4th

2012-01-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.alexslemonade.org/lego-friends-event-toysrus-stores-february-4-2012

LEGO® Friends Launch N’ Build Event at Toys R Us
Friday, February 4 from 12pm to 2pm
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to experience LEGO® Friends - the brand new building craze - and create a complimentary lemonade stand to take home and add to any LEGO Friends set! For each stand built, LEGO will donate $1 to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation* to help fight childhood cancer.

Please note: This event is intended for children ages 5 and up. Parental supervision is required at all times. All event materials are available while supplies last and are distributed to participating children only. Limit one stand per child and quantities are limited. *Up to $10,000.

Free Museum Admission

2012-01-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

Museums Free-For-All’ Saturday-Sunday, January 28th and 29th, 2012.
http://museumsla.org/news.asp

Participating Museums:

* The Annenberg Space for Photography - Both Days
* The Autry National Center - Both Days
* California African American Museum - Both Days
* California Science Center - Both Days
* Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles - Both Days
* Fowler Museum at UCLA - Both Days
* The Hammer Museum - Both Days
* The Getty Center - Both Days
* The Getty Villa**- Both Days
* Laguna Art Museum- Both Days
* Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
(Both Hollywood & San Pedro Locations)- Saturday, January 28th Only
* The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) - Saturday, January 28th Only
* Museum of Tolerance - Sunday, January 29th Only
* Museum of Latin American Art - Both Days
* Pasadena Museum of California Art - Both Days
* Santa Monica Museum of Art - Saturday, January 28th Only
* Skirball Cultural Center*** - Saturday, January 28th Only
* Zimmer Children's Museum - Sunday, January 29th Only

*Regular parking fees apply. General museum admission only. May not apply to ticketed exhibitions.
**Timed tickets are required. Visit http://www.getty.edu.
***Timed entry to the Noah’s Ark exhibition will be on a walk-up, first-come, first-serve basis on this date.

LACMA - Free Kid's Membership

2012-01-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

We headed out to the Zimmer Museum today because we had a Living Social coupon that was about to expire. We finally got there and were turned away because they were to crowded. They were very generous and gave us a FREE family admission pass to come back!!

The kids were disappointed, so we scrambled to find something else do in Los Angeles that was kid friendly. It was decided that we were close enough to the La Brea Tar Pits to pay them a visit. While walking, we spotted the LACMA museum. They were having their Family Sunday day where kids could make crafts. The theme was the Zodiac. My youngest made a headband and colored her zodiac sign of the pig. My oldest made a cute rabbit puppet out of paper and a Chinese take-out box. Her sign is not really a rabbit; but she liked it better than her sign of the monkey. When they were finished with crafts, I stopped at a sign-up table to get both girls free membership to the museum which included a free adult for each girl. Their membership is free until they are 18.

I'm not a big fan of art museums; although I do like some contemporary art. This museum had 4 art pieces that I really liked. Yes, just 4! One is a giant balloon animal shaped like a dog. Another was 2 animal floaty rings climbing a chain link fence. The best exhibit was the Metropolis (?). It's a giant speedway that has 1500 matchbox cars racing around a track along with 19 trains going around. That was pretty fun to watch.

It turned out to be a fun and unexpected adventure.

Free Scaryface Pancake at IHOP

2011-10-26T11:32:00.001-07:00

Legoland California

2011-10-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

Our family was due back for another Legoland trip. The last time we were there was on my oldest 4th birthday. She is now 7 and my youngest is 4. We decided to come and celebrate both their birthdays since they are 6 weeks apart. Our day was spent half driving and the other half at Legoland. It took us 2 1/2 hrs to get there and an excruciating 4 hrs. to get back which included a dinner stop at In & Out, YUM! Even with TVs in the car the girls managed to complain the whole way home. Still, we did save money by not staying in a hotel.

I never pay full price for any amusement park; so I got some coupons on ebay to get the kids in free with adult admission. We saved about $120! We also brought sack lunches to eat inside to save even more.

Legoland was decorated for Halloween with pumpkins everywhere, a giant lego pumpkin to take pictures in, a giant ghost, hay stacks and other festive items. It was not crowded at all. The longest line was about 5 min. long at the Dragon roller coaster. This was my oldest favorite ride along with the horses that take you along the track. My youngest went on that horse ride 6 times and still wasn't tired of it. We even saw a guy roller blading along the pathway. That's how few people there were. You can't do that at Disneyland! My oldest was in heaven at Mini Town. She loves Playmobil and has a world of it in her room. Her eyes lit up when she saw several towns of miniatures.

I wish I wasn't so frugal so I could have bought the Granny Smith Apple Fries with Vanilla Cream on top. It looked soooo delicious; but it cost $5! I had to walk away.

Overall, it was a fun day at Legoland.

Mini Golf Mix-Up & McDonalds

2011-09-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

So, I got these coupons at the Kid's Day event and told the girls we would all go mini golfing at Mountasia. The day had come and right before we left to Mountasia I noticed that the coupons had expired yesterday! I thought that kids 3 and younger got in free, so I would just need to pay for my oldest. We got down there and were ready to pay when the employee said that kids 2 and younger play free. I was not planning to spend $14 on golf; so I told the girls they couldn't play. Yes, there was a meltdown right in the middle of the place. I came up with a compromise to spend $5 on games and they could use their McDonald's gift certificates to eat dinner at McDonalds. They were happy with that and even like this idea better. Whew! $5 of games lasted a whole 15 minutes and then we were off to an early dinner at McDonalds.

Since it was so early we let them play in the play area. Those play areas are pretty disgusting. There are kids standing on table tops with dirty bare feet, climbing on poles, and food on the floor. One girl even dropped her chicken nuggets on the floor, picked them back up and threw them in the trash. Then, apparently the mom didn't want to pay for another meal, had the girl go back to the trash and get her nuggets. Yuck! We got the girls out cuz we couldn't stand being in there anymore and ate dinner.

We actually didn't even save that much money from the original $14 golf price. Hubby and I got a couple items from the $1 menu which was about $4 plus the $5 on games. We ended up only saving $5. A couple days later I had found another Mountasia coupon that expired the day we went and it was in the car the whole time!

Kid's Day

2011-09-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the afternoon at the Newhall Park for the annual FREE Kid's Day event. The girls were entertained by various vendor booths, many of which had a game or craft for the kids. A few of our favorite vendors who give out free admission tickets were not there this year; but we did get some coupons for free mini golf at Mountasia. My youngest spent a lot of time at a preschool booth, playing with all their learning activities. The girls also expelled some energy at the bouncer and at the park playground. We ate free hot dogs, free Chick Fil A chicken nuggets, and snowcones. We also participated in a free raffle to try to win Disneyland or Magic Mountain tickets. We had to stick around for 2 hours to see if we won but of course we didn't win anything :(

L.A. County Fair

2011-09-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today is fair day! My daughter always has the 3rd Friday off from school which we designate as L.A. Country Fair day. Fridays are great because you get free admission if each person brings 5 Ralph's brand cans. Our 1st stop is always Fairview Farms to see the pig races, look at all the animals, run around in the hay stacks, and get some chocolate milk at $2 each for both girls. Believe it or not the milk is the only thing we bought here.

They had tractor pulls for the kids that my girls wanted to try. My youngest wasn't able to do the pull with all the weights added; so she sat out while the oldest gave it a try. She was the 1st one to go with another 9 yr. old boy. The boy won by 1 foot and my oldest beat all the rest of the kids who were even a few yrs. older than her. They passed out ribbons to everyone who participated. She was so proud of herself for coming in second place that she wore her ribbon all day.

After tractor pulls, the girls had to go to their favorite part of the fair which is the Ralph's grocery store and farm area. It is very cool how they put it all together by planting seeds in the ground, milking a cow, getting a chicken egg, and picking corn, veggies and fruit. They get play money for supplying the food they grew and then use it to go grocery shopping.

We then went to see a ariel circus performance, played in the princess kitchen, saw some sharks and then to the dino area and back to the Ralph's' grocery, farm area.

We didn't spend money on any rides or games; but the food was the most tempting part! We said we would get one fair food for all of us to share. We settled on chili cheese fries and began to search for them. We found a couple vendors who had them for about $7-10. I was not going to spend that much on a fry snack. It was close to dinner time and the smell of fair food was getting the best of us; so we left to forge outside of the fair for our own fair food. For dinner,we got $5 pizza from Little Caesar's and got my chili cheese fries at Weinerschnitzel which was all less then the fries at the fair.

Zimmer Children's Museum - Free Admission

2011-09-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

On the 10th Anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, we decided to take a breather from all the memorial services on TV by going to the Zimmer Children's Museum for FREE. We had never been here before and had to go since they were offering free admission today.

The girls had a lot of fun playing in the waterway exhibit and swimming in a shipwreck ball pit. They spent the most time in the grocery store shopping, cleaning, organizing and eating. There was also a synagogue, a bookstore and a bagel shop which they didn't spend hardly any time in these areas. They did have fun playing hopscotch in the pretend park area. It was a good couple hours of Free fun!

The museum does have another Free admission day on Sunday, September 25th, 2011. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is also that week. So they are throwing a big party! Join them for a day of reflection and celebration as they welcome a new year with friends and families of the Zimmer! There will be activities for all our Zimmer families to learn from and share with one another. The Zimmer will be open normal Sunday hours from 12:30pm – 5:00pm.

Free Breakfast Entree at Chick Fil A

2011-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

There's still time to get your free breakfast entree at Chick Fil A. Promotion is going until Saturday, September 10th. Click here to make your reservation.

Homemade Applesauce

2011-09-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

In trying to ditch the fruit in can, bag, jar and cup with high fructose, I made applesauce.

Sarah's Applesause
I peeled, cored and chopped just 2 apples to start and put in a sauce pan
Then added 1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
and cooked for 15 min. covered until tender.
Then put it in the food processor.

The warm cinnamon applesauce tasted and smelled delicious! My oldest said she didn't like warm applesauce; so I put it in the fridge to cool down. After a few hrs. I had her try the cold applesauce but it was too cold. This baby bear wanted something to be just right at room temp. Ugh! The rest of us loved this recipe warm or cold.

I then tried to just simply slice up the apple for my oldest. She loves them! She now is off the sugar filled applesauce cups and eats the fresh stuff. She loves them even more when the apples are peeled.

Banana, Mango Smoothie

2011-09-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

While I was at the grocery store, I was pondering over just how much processed foods there are and everything has a ton of fructose syrup, sugar and preservatives. I always buy the canned fruit, fruit cups and jarred applesauce because they last longer and so my daughter doesn't have brown apples at school. My goal this trip was not to buy fruit in a can, bag, cup or jar and try to get them to eat fresh fruit.

My 1st stop is the produce section. Believe it or not, half of my shopping cart gets filled with stuff from this section. This time, I actually put a mango is my shopping cart! I never had a mango before. My youngest sniffed it and didn't want anything to do with it; but in the shopping cart it went anyway.

Strawberry, Banana, Mango Smoothie
I got home and unloaded all my fruit. I love smoothies and decided to make one. I threw in my blender...

1 cup strawberries,
1 banana,
1 mango,
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk.

It was delish. Smoothies are a great way to get a lot of fruit into you, even that mango! My youngest loved it. My oldest spit it out :(

Escaping Carmageddon to See Pirates

2011-07-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

We were not planning to go anywhere near the 405 freeway this weekend. Instead we headed in the opposite direction to Ventura and spent the day with the pirates including Capt. Jack Sparrow. The pirates entertained us with sword fights, action shows and sing-alongs. The treasure hunt and visiting exotic birds are fun too. The kids also really enjoy getting ice cream at Coastal Cone and playing some games at the arcade. It's also a great escape from the heat although it has not been terribly hot these days. Escape Carmageddon and see some pirates!

Pirate Days, Saturday & Sunday, July 16-17, 1 to 4p.m.: Return to the mystical times when the pirates roamed the seas during the 6th Annual Pirate Days Festival. The event features professional pirate live-action shows, pirate themed activities, magic shows, treasure hunts, pirate costume contests, pirate vendors and much more. Admission is free. Free shuttle parking available on Harbor Boulevard.

No Free Slurpees For Us

2011-07-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

The girls were excited to go and Slurpees after lunch; but I told them we would not get them if there was a huge line. So off we went to 7-11 for free Slurpees around 2:00. We still had 10 hrs. left on this freebie; so we took a chance. There were many cars driving into their parking lot; so I had my doubts on there being a not so long line. To my surprise, I got a parking spot right in front. Then I looked up. On the door was a sign that said No More Free Slurpee's. I told the girls the news and the disappointment grew and grew. I said I would still take them to get one. But as I got out of the car, a mom and her kids came out with disappointment. I overheard the mom say to them something like the Slurpee machines weren't working right.

Again, I had to bring bad news to the girls. I tried to make it up by getting ice cream or something else; but their hearts were set on Slurpees. Told them we would go back the next day when they could get a frozen Slurpee and not the nasty watered down syrup that comes out when the machines don't work right. Fast forward. The next day they shared a nice frozen half coke half grape (yuck) Slurpee. I was only out $1.50.

Free Slurpee at 7-Eleven on 7/11/11

2011-07-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our Birthday, Your Bash
Stop by for a FREE 7.11 oz Slurpee drink, general merriment and a one-man dance party should you choose to start it. “Running Man” and “Raising the Roof” welcome. “Macarena” NOT welcome.

Time: Monday, July 11 at 12:00am - July 12 at 12:00am

Location: Participating 7-Eleven Stores

Solvang & Camping

2011-06-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! After much discussion on what where to go and what to do, plans changed and we ended up planning something else up until the very last minute. I am not one for last minute planning; but it came together and we had a great time.

Two days before my day, we decided to go to Solvang for the day. The evening before, about 9:00pm, I realized that we would be driving on windy roads in the dark. To avoid that issue; I started looking for a cheap place to stay for the night. Everywhere was well over $100/night. I needed to find something much cheaper. Then came my bright idea. I said, Lets go camping! Hubby was was not too thrilled about the idea of going camping and looking in the garage for camping gear (just a tent and 2 sleeping bags) at the very last minute. He didn't complain too much because I think he was too tired to waste the energy and because it's what I wanted to do for my birthday. The girls have been wanting to go "real" camping somewhere besides our backyard. We didn't tell them we were going cuz I wasn't even sure they had space available.

It seemed impossible to get going in the morning. Hubby did realize the night before we needed stakes for the tent. We headed out to buy them when I asked, You packed sleeping bags, right? He gave me that look of, I forgot. At that moment, we turned around to get them. All he had to remember was a tent and sleeping bags and he forgets half of the items!

We finally get on the road to Solvang! We stopped Sunny Fields playground to eat a picnic lunch. After lunch the girls played on this awesome castle looking playground.

From there we rented a surrey from Wheel Fun for $25 and rode it around Solvang's danish village. The guy gave it to us for a little longer than the hr. rental time; but it only took us about 20 min. to ride around the village. So, we spent the rest of the 40 min. going around and around the designated streets.

We then got the girls some ice cream at $3 each for a kids scoop, emphasizing to be careful the scoop doesn't drop. Of course, 3 min. later my oldest drops her ice cream on the dirty ground. Since, I paid $3 for a barely eaten ice cream, I quickly picked it up and put it in a bowl for her to continue eating. I'm sure the 30 sec. rule doesn't apply to ice cream. I just told her to not eat the bottom that landed on the ground. That became impossible when the ice cream started melting. That's the last time they get a cone!
Solvang is famous for their danishes and cookies; so hubby and I had to get one. We didn't get the famous butter cookies. Instead we both got an apple filled danish cookie with almonds at $1.75 each. It was tasty! We stopped for photo opts of the girls in the wooded red shoe and at a windmill.

After walking through the village, we went to Classic Organic Farm where you can pick your own berries. My youngest loves strawberries and was so excited to be able to pick them herself. The oldest doesn't like strawberries; but they did have raspberries for her to pick. Everyone was happily picking berries. The owners are too busy working in the fields to take money from customers; so they implemented an honor system of what you take and drop your money in the barrel. We picked a pint of strawberries for $2 and got half a pint of raspberries for $2.50.

After berry picking, we went to Ostrichland! Ostrichland is a bunch of ostrich and emu wandering around a fenced in field waiting for you to feed them. So, for $12 the 4 of us got to enter Ostrichland. Hubby and I fed them rabbit food from a bowl which sits on a dustpan. You hold on to the dustpan handle with 2 hands, and the ostrich peck away. They were entertaining to watch for about 10 min. It was a fun experience to at least try once.

Since the famous Split Pea Andersen's soup was right down the street; we had to pay a visit. I'm not a huge fan of pea soup; but I do like it especially when it's in a bread bowl with all the fixin's added such as diced ham, croutons, cheese, chives, and bacon which was $9.50. The girls got their picture in the HAP-PEA and PEA-WEE cutout and we headed for the lake.

We got to the Cachuma lake around 8:45. Luckily they had quite a few spaces ($25/night) available. We drove around the dark trying to find campsite numbers. We picked a space somewhat close to bathrooms, a playground and showers. Hubby used the the car's headlights as he put together the tent. He got it up in about 5-10 min and I threw the sleeping bags and blankets inside. The girls were so excited to find out they were going "real" camping! We played a game of UNO and had somewhat of an uncomfortable sleep on the hard ground.

The next morning, the girls woke up before 7:00; super early for me, to use the restroom. Early bird hubby took them. He went back to sleep when the girls were hungry. I was still too tired to get up and had the oldest go to the car right next to the tent to get her berries to eat and some dry cereal.
Hubby went to the general store to look for firewood so we could make Smore's. We can't do
camping without a fire and Smores! But $10 for firewood and lighter fluid was too much. The girls wanted to collect twigs and put them in the pit. We started to light them; but needed fluid. As hubby was leaving for the store again; our camping neighbors had noticed our struggle of trying to make Smores and were very nice to give us a couple logs with some fluid. We had our fire and our Smores. Camping complete! After our Smore breakfast, I took the girls to the playground while hubby packed the car. We then stopped at their nature center before we left for home.

It wasn't necessarily a frugal birthday; but it was a fun birthday!

Free Father's Day Card from Tiny Prints

2011-06-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Get 1 Free Father's Day card from Tiny Prints. Enter promo code: FREEFD

Offer Expires 6/13/11

Natural History Museum

2011-06-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of history or museums ...yawn. But, my husband loves them and wanted to check out the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. It was the 1st Tuesday of the month, so we all got in free. I haven't been here in quite a while so I had an ounce of enthusiasm for things I may not have remembered seeing before. We also avoided the $8 parking fee by parking by the swim building. It was about a block further down; but it was free!

The 1st area we went to see were the minerals, gems, rocks. There were so many pretty gems to look at. The girls were also very interested in looking at them and had fun telling what each gem looked like. They would say, "Mommy, this looks like snow, like icicles, like ice cream with chocolate chips on it". They also loved looking at the jewels and the big diamonds. They are going to be typical girls when they grow up who love jewelery. Just the opposite of their mom. The only bling I wear is my wedding ring and a Tinkerbell watch I took from my daughter cuz I need one and she didn't wear it.

The 2nd areas we went to were the animal dioramas. Rather than looking at these dioramas, I could have seen most of these animals alive at the zoo. My 3 year old was wondering why the animals didn't move as she zoomed past all the dioramas. She did have fun guessing what all the different animals there were. She did give a lot of deer answers which I would have too for the caribou, elk, black tailed deer, white tailed deer, mule deer, etc, etc. I think we had seen quite enough of the deer species.

We then went into a bird exhibit; which I guess is a little interesting if you like birds. There were some exhibits with buttons that did things and the girls loved pushing all the buttons. It quickly became annoying when you hear all kinds of bird noises at once for a period of time from them button pushing. So, quickly moving on to...

The Dinosaur area. This is what hubby was most excited about. It turned out they had the main dino area closed for a bigger area to open later this summer. We did see them working on a couple huge fossils in the dino lab.

The Insect Zoo was interesting to see and the girls enjoyed looking at various specimens under the microscope in the Discovery Center.

Overall, I'm glad I didn't pay to come here. Heck, I wouldn't even come back for another free Tuesday visit for another long time.

Painting & Creepy Puppet Show

2011-06-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Today, there were a few different free activities going on; so we decided to them all!
First, we went to Home Depot's Kids Workshop to build a valet organizer for Father's Day. This would actually be very useful for hubby. My husband always comes to help; so this was not going to be a surprise Father's Day gift. Plus, the girls had other plans for their organizer. The oldest wanted to use it as a museum for her Playmobil set and the youngest wants to use it for her doll house. So much for being a gift for dad!

After the girls got home and painted their organizers; we stopped at Beverly's craft store for their rock painting event. They were showing them how to paint a ladybug. Of course, my youngest had to go against the flow and wanted to paint a puppy. Hubby helped her with that while I browsed the store.

Our last free outing of the day was to the Puppet Festival. The outdoor festival had a variety of puppet performances which included marionettes, ventriloquists, and a session where kids could play with different types of puppets. There was also a couple craft tables to make butterfly and caterpillar puppets which the girls enjoyed.

A giant 15 foot scary lookin' pink fairy puppet thing came walking around on stilts from time to time. It was definitely an attention getter; but not our cup of tea.

The shadow puppet show was the grand finale of the night. They encouraged people to stay until the end to see this award winning show and we were looking forward to watching it. Then they mentioned the performer had based the story on her survival of cancer. Since, the majority of the audience were children, I thought it would be a celebratory story. A story that might include butterfly, birds or some type of friendly,renewal images. But nooooooooo! It turned out to be CREEPY. The performer came around the seating area waffling this awful incense around. Then, the show began with eerie organ music. The 1st shadow image was a bird, a friendly image, then a tree (OK, not so bad). Then, she started talking about herself getting sick, she needed to find a doctor, she was being eaten up inside. She was dying, dying, dying as a shadow of an old lady that looked like death appeared during her narration. That's when I said it was time to leave. We were the 1st of several families with small kids who left. I don't know who decided to show this material at a place where kids are the majority of the audience. Aside from the giant pink fairy & the shadow performance, the festival was entertaining.

2011-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

$10 for $20 worth of clothing from Old Navy and Groupon
For $10, you get $20 worth of graphic tees, dresses, and other summer apparel at Old Navy. This Groupon expires July 30 and can be combined with in-store promotions.

$5 off Coupon at Supercuts

2011-06-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Click here for a $5 off coupon for any haircut at Supercuts.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

On the evening before Memorial Day, we headed to LA Canada Park, Flintridge to watch their firework display. They started about 20 min. late; and the girls were getting impatient. It was more of a goofy impatience than being cranky. They had just come back from playing in the playground and kept their energy as we waited. The fireworks were about to start when I got out the glow necklaces. Ooooo! To our disappointment, they didn't even work:( I had a package left over from last year and apparently glow things have an expiration date. So, on with the show!

On Memorial Day, ALL of us dressed in our red, white and blue. After making my husband feel guilty to show respect and wear the colors; he then participated. We went back to the same park, where they had FREE activities. The girls enjoyed playing in the bouncers, blowing bubbles, coloring, the petting zoo and the playground. We had a picnic lunch and paid $3 for snow cone treats for the girls. For dinner, we BBQ'd hamburgers at the house. Yummo!

Blockbuster - Free Movie Rentals

2011-05-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Just rent one of Blockbuster's newest releases for $2.99 and enjoy unlimited movies priced $1.99 or less for FREE through July 4 (1-day rentals, 1 at a time).* Download Coupon Here.

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-05-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

I got a blog award from The Steady Hand!
Thank you very much for this fun surprise!

Here are the official rules:

•Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
•Tell your readers seven (7) things about you.
•Give this award to fifteen (15) recently discovered bloggers.
•Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

Okay 7 Things about me:

1. I love 80's music, especially U2

2. I love fish crackers! My parents get me a big box for my birthday and Christmas

3. I check Accuweather.com everyday for weather updates.

4. My favorite time of day is when the girls go to bed; so I can relax.

5. I don't like to go shopping! I do like to shop online.

6. Wish I had more time to clean my house

7. Like to visit new places and try new things

15 other Blogs I think you should have a look at:
1. Crafty Kids 101
2. Fun Frugal Mommy
3. At Home with Michelle
4. The Simple Buffalo Life
5. And We're Off Too...
6. Coffee & Camo
7 . Melomamma
8. Mom Blog of Two Little Misters
9. Sounds Like Crazy
10. From the Mudroom
11. Joyful Mommies
12. From New York to Italy
13. Jenny Sulpizio
14. My DIY Life
15. My Cup 2 Yours

2 -for -1 Movie Tickets

2011-05-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Movies are always better with a friend, so treat yours to 2-for-1 movie tickets available exclusively through this page for Visa Signature cardholders.

2-for-1 tickets must be purchased on a friday and used the same day. One offer per card per month. Offer valid for a limited time and while supplies last.

Placerita Canyon Open House

2011-05-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

My husband had a meeting in the morning/afternoon; so I decided to take the girls to Placerita Canyon's open house. My youngest got to wash clothes like they did in the Pioneer days. They also gave opportunities to saw wood and make a quilt. We saw all kinds of animals, such as snakes, a porcupine, opossum, hawks, and even a baboon who was grooming one of the docents. The girls wanted to go on a hike. We did the same hike we had done a couple months ago; but we had a different docent leading us. So we got some new info and he took us to the stream to look at tadpoles. After about an hour of hiking, I paid $2 so the girls could pan for some fool's gold.

Butterflies on Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

I had bought my daughter the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Kit for her birthday last year. The weather was finally the right temperature to order the caterpillars. We have been watching them transform into their chrysalis. I thought it would be fun to go to the Butterfly Pavilion in Los Angeles and check out the butterflies on Mother's Day.

By the way, this turned out to be not so much of a frugal challenge but a rip off instead. First we had to park at the Natural History Museum's parking lot. That was $8! I was not expecting to pay to park in that lot. I thought there was free parking about 8 years ago when I last went. I guess, I should have expected something to change in 8 years :)

We had a picnic lunch at the park right next to the parking lot and headed over to the Butterfly Pavilion. The cost for the 4 of us was $7. I did expect to pay that price; but I did not expect to have both girls screaming at the top of their lungs because they were afraid of butterflies flying at them. It was pretty embarrassing; but I paid an outrageous $15 to get here and they were going to stay until I was finished looking. After about 15 min. of being in there with screaming and complaining girls, we left.

We walked next door to the California Science Center. This place is free! We spent a few hours over there finishing up the areas we did not have time for last time. We all had a great time here.

Our day ended with the usual KFC dinner take-out per my mom's request every year. Finger Likin'Good!

Money Scrounging for Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

A Cinco de Mayo celebration at a park in Santa Monica was this weekend's free pick. Our first obstacle of getting there was gas. The gas light in the car had been reminding us for about 10 miles before we were ready to leave to get gas. I wasn't near the cheap gas station by our house; so I went to gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas on the way to Santa Monica. We found an Arco that was $4.19 a gallon in San Fernando. We stopped only to find out that was the cash price. I was not about to pay the fee to use their credit system or ATM. We had $6 cash with us in which all of it went to get about 1 gallon of gas.

We got down to our destination to find out they charged for all their activities such as bouncers, slides, and games. We had gone there about 2 years ago to the same event where they had games and crafts for FREE. So, I was a little disappointed they charged. I steered the girls to the playground area of the park and the water fountains. It was a 90 degree day; so the girls had fun getting wet. After swinging for about 15 min. they were quickly dry and scooted around the park in their scooters. Since I wouldn't pay for bouncers or games, we decided to try to the girls ice cream from the ice cream truck. We spent our last amount of money on gas; so we had to scrounge money from my wallet. We found $5 of change which we bought ice cream with having left over change. I was happy that we were able to make it to Santa Monica and back to my cheap gas station on about 1 gallon of gas.

Off to Disneyland!

2011-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the fun day!

Pictures, Bowling, Eggs

2011-04-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 weeks my oldest had been asking when Easter was coming; so that she can color eggs. The day finally came; but she had to wait a little longer until after dinner. No particular reason to color them after dinner; just they way we've always done it plus we had a busy schedule during the day.

First thing was to take the girls annual Easter pictures at JC Penney. About 2 years ago, I found this great coupon on free sitting fees up to 4 people. It expires in June; so I'll be sad to not be able to use it for this year's Christmas pics.

After pictures, we went home for lunch and then back out for 2 games of FREE bowling! We got there at a perfect time because they were starting their Neon Lights hour (where house lights go off and music and lights come on). The girls LOVED this and began dancing around. My oldest said "This is the Life!" HA HA

Then, FINALLY the egg decorating began which was great for the time being. We just used the basic PAAS kit that costs about $1. I told them they could put stickers on the next day because we had to wait till the eggs dried. The next day came and the meltdown began because the stickers wouldn't stick. The eggs still had moisture from being in the fridge. I tried to dry them with a paper towel; but then the coloring was coming off. The blow dryer seemed to work; but I was not about to blow dry over a dozen eggs. So, my oldest got one egg to put stickers on. The youngest didn't care to much. I think this is the reason why I had not given them the stickers in the past. Now I know for next year.

Flubber Recipe

2011-04-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

We discovered Flubber at the kids' day event. The girls loved playing with it! Here's the recipe.

Flubber

Mixture 1:

1 ½ cups warm water

2 cups Elmer’s Glue

Food coloring

Mixture 2:

3 tsp. Borax

1 cup Warm Water

Stir mixture 1 together in 1 bowl.

Mixture 2 in another bowl.

Make sure both are mixed well.

Pour mixture 1 into mixture 2.

There is no need to stir the mixture but you can if you want because it is the chemical reaction that actually makes the flubber. When it is in a glob work it for 2-3 minutes. Initially it feels wet but it eventually dries up to the final product.

Kids Play Day

2011-04-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Our local college, College of the Canyons, hosted a free play day for kids. We have been there once before and the kids had a good time. This year, it was so hot when we got there. Despite the heat, the girls enjoyed making crafts such as hand print flowers, ladybugs, a cape, squirt bottle painting. They played games such as a bean bag toss, ring toss, and spin the wheel for prizes, They hula hooped, watched a volcano erupt, played in sand and water boxes. One booth had this stuff called Flubber. It feels and looks kind of like slime. They hung it on a strawberry basket and it just oozed out of the holes and came down so the kids could cut it, roll it and use cookie cutters to make things. The play day is mostly geared towards the preschool and Kindergarten age; but my 6 year old really enjoyed it.

$2 Baja Fresh Bowl

2011-04-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

After David Kim, the CEO of Baja Fresh, appeared on Undercover Boss; he learned how hard it is to work front line of the restaurant. He is using his pain for our gain in giving us a Baja Bowl for just $2. I don't know how much these bowls normally cost - maybe around $6? Looks like this deal is pretty good! Click here for your coupon. Expires Apr. 24th.

More Crafts and Ice Skating

2011-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

I only had to go into work for half day today; so I was able to go and take the girls to another Michaels craft day of decorating Easter pails. They spent quite a bit of time making their pails looks beautiful.

After crafts, we went to take my oldest daughter to try out an ice skating class. She put on her skates and helmet, then hobbled over to the skating rink. I was nervous for her as she was stepping out onto the ice with an ice walker they provide as help for the newbies. She got onto the ice and they quickly took away everyone's walker :( Then, I got even more nervous. The teacher had them walk like Frankenstein with their arms extended out, walking very slow. It was kind of funny to watch the kids walk like that and fall all over the place. My daughter was doing great for her 1st time out on the ice; but I couldn't tell if she was having fun or getting frustrated. After the class was over, my nerves calmed down. My daughter said she loved the class! So, off to sign her up for a few days of ice skating camp in the summer.

Crafts & Cheap Movies

2011-04-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't see any frugal fun things to do this weekend; so I thought we could go check out the "cheap movie theatre"; Valley Plaza 6 in North Hollywood. But, at the last minute, I saw that Michaels was doing a free craft day with Color Explosion Coloring; so we did that.

Then, I saw that Screamin Daily Deals had a deal on Ice Skating Camp. I had been looking into ice skating camp for my 6 year old for a summer activity. She has never stepped foot on ice and I wanted her to try it before I spent money on camp. We got down to the ice station to check it out. They said she could try out a class for $10; but the next class available was Sunday. My daughter was so disappointed she couldn't go ice skating right then and there.

We had a little bit of extra time in the day; so we decided to go to the cheap movie theatre. Tickets are only $3 each; but if you go on Tuesdays, they are just $1.50. They also have $1 hot dogs everyday! Pretty enticing, huh? I felt a little guilty spending $12 on movies; but it was the original plan for the day and the kids remembered the plan. And it is very rare for us to go the the movies; so, off we went.

I've never been to this theatre; so I was a little skeptical on what this theatre would look like since the prices were so cheap, didn't show new releases and located in North Hollywood. We get there, and its exactly how I pictured it. It's pretty run down. They take cash only and you pay at the concession stand. My girls had to use the bathroom. Ugh. What kind of surprises would I find in there? Just as I thought... filthy. They tried to repair a hole in the floor with a piece of cardboard taped on. But that patch didn't work, cuz it looked like someone just stepped on it and put a hole in the middle to expose a muddy, water filled hole. We finally get out of the bathroom and to the seats. The seating area wasn't too bad; but obviously it was no Kodak theatre. We saw Gnomeo and Juliet. It was cute and entertaining. Despite my review of this movie theatre, I would still probably go back because I can't pass up $3 a ticket. I just have to try my best to avoid that bathroom.

Free Fruit Pie

2011-04-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

A nice warm FREE apple sounds good! The weather is supposed to be cool on Friday; so this dessert will hit the spot.

If you don't want to share the site with friends; you can also get the coupon at ralphs.com in their new electronic coupon page. I love electronic coupons! You don't have to worry about forgetting the clipped ones. Just click on the ones you want and they get loaded onto your grocery club card.

April Fools Dinner

2011-04-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

My girls loved the April Fools dinner I gave them last year, which was an Oreo cookie dinner with a breakfast for dessert.

This year, I wanted to do something a little different using the same concept. My 6 year old wanted a fruit salad to be apart of the special dinner. I couldn't believe my ears. She actually asked for something healthy to eat. I made sure to incorporate a fruit salad into the dinner. Here was the dinner menu.

Appetizer: Fruit salad (bananas, apples and strawberries over angel food cake, covered with whip cream.

Dinner: Eggs (melted marshmallow with a yellow M&M in the middle) & bacon (a mini Milky Way smashed and stretched out. This idea was from Family Fun. (Picture above shows different ingredients to make the same dish)

Dessert: Scrambled eggs and an English Muffin

April Fools!

An American Hero

2011-03-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

God Bless You and Your Family

The Cost of Freedom

Last weekend, the Santa Clarita Valley received a reminder of the cost of freedom. PFC Rudy Acosta—a child of Santa Clarita, born and raised here—laid down his life for our freedom. A sacrifice of this magnitude can be little understood. Only a brave few have an understanding of or willingness to undertake such a sacrifice. PFC Acosta was one of those.

Kids Bowl Free

2011-03-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Register Here Select bowling centers and schools around the country are participating in the first ever Kids Bowl Free program. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer. Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Bread Recipe

2011-03-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love Macaroni Grill mostly for their bread. It is not very often that I go there. Maybe, once a year to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary. My strategy - to eat a half a loaf of delicious bread and leave some room for dinner. Then, eat the rest of my dinner for a lunch that I would actually look forward to eating.

You don't need to spend money to eat at Macaroni Grill to have their delicious bread. You can make it at home and have it whenever you want! Be careful. Eat everything in moderation. Slice and dip in olive oil and cracked pepper. Yum-O! Here's the recipe which I give credit to Jo Lager for posting it on allrecipes.com.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

Ingredients

1 cup water

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle. Press Start

$5 for $10 Donation to Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami Fund

2011-03-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Due to Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent after shocks, Japan is suffering from what its prime minister is calling the "worst crisis since WWII." The country's northern coast has been totally devastated, leaving the land and the people in ruins. Just like you, we here at LivingSocial want to lend a hand, so we are going to match your donations. For each $5 donation through this offer, we will also donate $5 to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy, and hope that by merging our efforts with yours and working directly with the American Red Cross, we can help with immediate aid and long-term recovery plans in Japan.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Eating Green

2011-03-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to come up with some green meals, well actually a dinner to help celebrate St. Patty's day and make it a little fun for the girls. So far, we had Lucky Charms for breakfast. No wait, we had the frugal Lucky Charms version - Magic Stars. Tastes and looks about the same.

Lunch, I didn't pack anything special but green grapes.

I am part Irish and my mom used to serve the traditional St. Patty's dinner of corned beef and cabbage. Yuck!! That just made me dread the holiday. So here's MY plan for a green dinner. For my husband and I, I'm planning to have a 3 cheese ravioli dinner with pesto, green salad with broccoli and maybe cucumber if I have it. I also made some bread that tastes just like the one they serve at Romanos Macaroni Grill. It is YUM-O! I'll post the recipe another time. I'm looking forward to eating that the most. It really has nothing to do with green. Although it does have green rosemary inside. So, I guess that counts. I was just craving to eat it with the pasta dinner.

I'm stuck on dinner for the girls. They will not eat pesto, the green part of the dinner. Maybe, pasta mixed with green food coloring. Haven't tried it; so I'll see how it turns out.

For dessert, I might take advantage of the Free green ice cream at Chick-Fil-A.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Free Green Ice Cream @ Chick- Fil -A Valencia

2011-03-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Baskin-Robbins Mini Parfait Giveaway - 3/16/11

2011-03-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Score FREE Mini Soft Serve Parfaits Wednesday 3/16/11 and Friday 3/18/11. Check out their Facebook Page. They already had a giveaway today which sold out in seconds to the first 50 people who clicked on their link and entered an email address. Good Luck!

Family Game Night - Free Pizza & Hasbro

2011-03-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hasbro and Tombstone® have teamed up to bring your family the perfect Family Game Night solution. For a limited time, get a free (up to $7.01) Tombstone® Pizza when you buy any Hasbro Game. Offer ends 4/30/11. Original cash register receipt required for redemption. Visit Hasbro.com for the PDF Offer Form for complete details. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

While you are at Hasbro.com, check out their free kid friendly Online Games!

Hop to a Loss of Patience

2011-03-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend's free event led us to the Grove where the upcoming movie, Hop was being promoted. The girls enjoyed finger painting on big wooden easels, getting an airbrushed design on their arm, coloring, and taking pictures with the Hop rabbit and chick. They also had a Hop mural where anyone could finger paint using a paint by letter method. My oldest had fun painting a small section of the chick.

The girls earned a reward for having good character at our house. Good character means being nice to each other and share. They picked ice cream for the reward. They were excited to see an icecream place at the farmer's market part of the Grove. We stood in line for about a second while I'm scanning the menu board for prices. The smallest cone was $3.75. Almost $8 for 2 icecreams would be breaking the frugal challenge. Sharing 1 cone would just be asking for trouble; so we quickly left the line.

So, on we go on a hunt for cheaper icecream when we decide to ride the trolley first. We were the only ones there when the trolley stopped. I, the one who has patience at the moment decide to wait and let people get off before I got on. But then, a swarm of people just cut right in front of us and filled up the row. We missed the trolley. What just happened here? I told my husband we should have just pushed the people right of the way and not let them cut in front of us. Thankfully, my 6 year old put me in check from my ranting. She gave ME a lecture on how it is not nice to push people and I should be be kind to others.

We left the Grove to what I thought would be a quick stop at Toys R Us. I ordered something online; so I could just be quickly in and out of the store. They looked up my order and saw it was cancelled. CANCELLED!?? Apparently, the store didn't bother looking at the order to fulfill it, so it got cancelled. I spent about 10-15 min. waiting while they made phone calls to resolve the issue. They told me they credited my account and I would just pay for it again. I gave them my gift card that I used and they told me it has a zero balance. It will take 24 hrs. for my balance to return to the card. Now I have to pay for the item, go back to the store after 24hrs so they can cash out my gift card. What a huge waste of time! So much for ordering online. At this point my patience is wearing thin.

Next stop - The Northrige Mall on a shoe hunt. We go down the escalator where we are convinenlty let off where the Happy Animal Rides are. The girls wanted to ride; so that became their reward instead of icecream. They charged $5 for 1 child/1 animal or 2 kids/1 animal for 6 minutes. There was nobody there to take my money. Afer waiting a few min. someone finally comes. She's on her cell. I'm holding $10 in front of her. Then, someone else comes, hands out money and the lady takes it. Am I just invisible today?? I just got so upset, I put the money literally right up to her eyes to make sure she could see I was trying to pay. Still on the phone. She doesn't give me back change. I put my hand right in front of her face to show her she needs to give me $5 change. My girls picked out the animal to ride. My youngest gets on first. Then, the oldest was trying to get on. Before the oldest gets on, the lady turns on the animal. I said no, not yet. Still on the phone. She doesn't hear. I then yelled at her, TURN IT OFF!! My oldest got on and they happily rode their animal. Still on the phone, she just left to talk in the department store. She was nowhere in sight. She must have been gone for 10 min. She comes back, helps a couple more people that had been waiting then leaves again. This was the worst customer service I had experienced in a long time! I just couldn't believe it. The girls animal just kept going. They must had been riding for about 15-20 min. More people showed up waiting and the girl was not there again! I lost my patience with her and I just started turning on animals for whoever wanted to ride again.

Here's the trick to getting free Happy Animal Rides if you ever get an incompentant employee who's not there doing their job. Find the switch under the belly, turn it on. Then, turn on the switch on the head. Have Fun!!

Finding Cheaper Gas

2011-03-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

Gas prices are climbing higher and higher. Ugg! By shopping around, you can save money everytime you go to the pump. Although, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg at the pump; I also don't waste my gas driving 5 miles out of my way to get to the cheapest station to save a quarter at the pump. I do like to see where I can get the cheapest gas in the areas I drive by the most. The easiest way to find cheaper gas is to look online.
A great site is Gasbuddy.com. Find your location and do a seach for your local gas prices. Everyday people enter these prices as an incentive to win prizes such as free gas. If you want to try win prizes too; just sign up and start entering gas prices for points. So far in my area, Sams Club and Costco have the cheapest price at $3.83 per gallon

7 Tax-Filing Money Savers

2011-03-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

Tax filing season can be painful, and not just when you owe the IRS money.

The process of collecting all of your information and figuring out where to get help and how to file forms is fraught, and the amount you spend getting your taxes done can sting.

Here's how to make the whole process less costly:

File for free. The Internal Revenue Service sponsors free filing for anyone who earns less than $58,000, and you can find a list of preparers on its website at www.irs.gov/efile. Choose one that includes a state return in that offer; not all do.

Use a popular program for free. The major tax software offers, including TurboTax, H&R Block At Home, and CCH's Complete Tax all have different free versions available on the Web. Most will give you free federal filing as long as your return isn't any more complex than a 1040EZ or a 1040A, forms which exclude complexities like self employment, capital gains and rental properties. CompleteTax is offering free prep and filing for anyone who was unemployed during 2010, is switching from a major competitor, or owes money to the IRS. TaxACT offers free federal prep and filing for everyone.

Choose your program carefully. Every one of those free prep offers comes with some kind of financial strings attached. Most charge for state filing, or for versions which allow you to import your information from last year. And most also offer more full-fledged federal programs for a price. So, comparison shop carefully, based on the forms you have to file, and find the final total price for federal and state preparation and filing before you choose which program to use. Then lock it in. CCH claims that some programs raise their prices during the tax season.

Get free advice, too. Folks who earn less than $49,000 can get free advice from IRS-certified volunteers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) by calling 1-800-906-9887 (learn more here). If you're over 60, you can get help from the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program run by AARP and sponsored by the IRS. (Call 1-800-829-1040 or learn more here). H&R Block is offering free preparation and filing of 1040EZ forms in its retail offices for all ages and income levels.

Skip the extras. You already know you should run screaming from anything that looks like a refund anticipation loan, right? These "deals" give you instant access to your refund, but at a cost that can equal annualized interest rates well above 100 percent. If you've done without that extra cash this long, you can wait a few more weeks for your money. Have the IRS direct-deposit it to your checking account, file electronically and it should show up in 3 weeks or less. Don't pay your software or preparation fee out of your refund, either: That's a messy process that puts your preparer between your refund and you. TurboTax charges $30 for that; other firms may offer that "service" for a fee as well.

Squeeze more into your retirement account. It's the only way to turn the clock back to 2010. You can feed your traditional or Roth IRA until April 18 this year and count it as last year's contribution. Even if you don't get an immediate tax break, you'll save down the road with a Roth. The limit for 2010 contributions is $5,000, plus an extra $1,000 if you are 50 or older. If you have a high-deductible health plan, you have until April 18 to stash money in your health savings account, too. The money you put into that account is tax deductible, and it comes out tax free if you spend it on healthcare, so it's even a better deal than an IRA.

Get a review. Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, and that's true when it comes to good tax advice. Even if you like doing your taxes yourself, it's worth running your forms past a pro every few years, to see if they find deductions you might be missing. But, wait until after tax season to do that; they'll have more time to focus. H&R Block offers a "Second Look" program in which it will review up to the past three years of returns; the $30 price on that drops to free at participating locations starting Monday, February 14, the company said. If they find anything great, you can always file an amended return.

Riding on the Metro

2011-03-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

Riding on the Metro...reminds me of a great 80's Berlin song.
I really don't use public transportation to get around; but was looking for an excuse to take the girls on the Metro or Metrolink just for a fun and different experience. My problem had been finding a destination with a short walking distance from the Metro station.

This weekend, I found my destination at the Chinese Lantern Festival in L.A; which had free admission. By taking the Metro, we didn't have to bother with finding parking at the festival or paying the $5 and up parking fees. Our tickets were $6 roundrip for all of us; so I'm sure I saved at least some money on gas and the girls had fun on their 1st Metro ride.

Does everyone just go on the honor system when they buy Metro tickets? Not once did we have to give or show our tickets to anyone one. We could have just got a free ride each way. I also didn't understand the TAP button. I waived the tickets, tapped the button, nothing happened. Luckily, no one was there watching this newbie Metro rider. Later, I read that they do random ticket checks; but I wonder how many people get free rides.

The Lantern Festival was fun. We watched a magic show and the girls made lots of crafts and listened to a story. I also turned in a survey to get a free gift which was a box with a tiger bank inside. Now, I have to find a place for this bank. I think the Goodwill pile is a great place for it :)

Hands-Free Toothpaste Dispenser

2011-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was so tired of cleaning bathroom sinks with toothpaste all over the place from messy toothpaste tubes. I think 1/4 of the tube got all over the sink. Just a waste of money and a big mess. My oldest actually wanted the Hands free dispenser for Christmas cuz it looked like fun to use and TV commercials can sell kids anything. That was actually going to be a gift for both of us. We have been using it for about 2 months and it works great. She uses the WHOLE tube of toothpaste without all the mess and wasted toothpaste.

I still have another issue. My youngest doesn't like the same flavor as my oldest; so their bathroom sink is still a mess. Well, I guess it's not double the mess. Need to work on finding flavors that both will like.

Results of IHOP's National Pancake Day

2011-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

So, I got home from work and half joking asked my husband, "Want a free pancake dinner from IHOP?" His ears perked up as well as my daughter who accidentally overheard. I still had my doubts about going because of the anticipated long wait.

My husband called to see how long the wait was. There wasn't much of a wait. Then, I started going into frugal thinking mode. In order to get free pancakes for everyone, we would still have to pay for drinks unless we ordered water. My husband thought that would be a bit embarrassing though. Then, we would need to leave a tip for the waitress and make a donation to the Kid's Network. We were lookin' at $20 for a free pancake dinner. Even though it was for a good cause, I didn't want to part with my $20.

My daughter was looking forward to a possible pancake dinner. The solution was to just make pancakes at home. We pretended the kitchen was IHOP, had the girls place their order and we were their waiters. The girls enjoyed their pancakes complete with whipped cream, bananas, and chocolate chips to make a funny face. I saved $20.

Free Pancake Day at IHOP

2011-03-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

IHOP is giving a FREE shortstack of pancakes to each guest today from 7:00am-10pm.
Make sure you leave a donation for the Children's Miracle Network hospitals and other designated local charities. The goal is to raise $2.3 million

National Pancake Day normally takes place on Shrove Tuesday; but they wanted to create some buzz and excitement prior to Shrove Tuesday.
What is Shrove Tuesday? It is a day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fast and prayer called Lent. It is also known as pancake day because it was considered to be a last feast with ingredients such as sugar, eggs, fat which was restricted during fasting.

My kids would love to eat pancakes for dinner; but don't think I want to be waiting forever in a line that I'm anticipating will be very long. Enjoy the free pancakes for those who take advantage of this good deal and good cause.

Walgreens Toys for $2

2011-02-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Went to Walgreens to return and exchange something and ended up buying things I was not planning to buy. I have the store manager to blame for pointing me in the direction of the $2 dollar toys that were on clearance. I did buy a puppy shape sorter for my nephew's Easter basket and a decorate your own water bottle kit as a gift for my 6 year old.

I went to a Walgreens in North Hills; so not sure if all Walgreens have the $2 discounted toys.

Dr. Seuss Party

2011-02-26T21:29:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday at our 2nd annual Dr. Seuss party at Lakeshore Learning. This year, they decided to skip out on the face painting and birthday cake. They girls had fun making a few crafts such as a Dr. Seuss bow tie, hat and book. They listened to a story, played a bean bag toss game over and over and over again and were entertained from all the floor display toys.

Fire and Ice

2011-02-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

Went to see a Mad Science show at the Valencia library. It was entertaining and the girls enjoyed it. He experimented with fire and special paper, Low and high air pressure with balls, and used dry ice with "potions" to create science experiments. My 6 year old was excited because he was using science terms of gas and liquids that she's learning in school.

President's Day

2011-02-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

The Ronald Regan Library normally has a couple good free events during the year; so we thought we check it out for President's Day. It was not a good event in terms of free activities for kids. I guess that was not the emphasis though. The main attraction was the museum; which we don't visit. Because what 6 & 3 year old want to visit that?

If you don't get there when the event starts, then you will have to park down the hill and wait for a shuttle to pick you up. Well, we got there about an 1 1/2 later and we had to park at the adjacent park. It took about 25 min. for the shuttle to pick us up. Luckily, we were at a park, so the girls could just run around. They were also entertained when the family in front of us found a caterpillar. Finding a caterpillar is very exciting when you're waiting in line that long.

Finally, we get there and there is a huge line waiting to get into the museum.
I think some people thought it was free; but it wasn't. We found the activities for kids and were disappointed. There were 2 crafts to make a president's hat and a penney necklace. There was also a table to make a Lincoln log cabin. The girls had fun making the 2 crafts and then we sat and ate our sack lunch while listening to George Washington tell his life story, followed by a jazz band. The highlight was making the Lincoln log cabin.

I could have just bought some Lincoln logs at the store and used some construction paper to make the crafts at home. If it wasn't as far, I wouldn't have minded because I like to just get out of the house and do something different. Now, I know for next time, that the museum is the main attraction on President's Day. I'll stick with coming back for their 4th of July event.

Candyland-Japanese American Museum

2011-02-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

The Japanese American Museum's Target Free Saturdays have not failed us yet; so we had to check out their candyland event. No, not the candyland board game - just a bunch of free candy to help celebrate Valentine's Day.

We got there and immediately stood in a line to get to the candy buffet table. They had an assortment of candy from different countries around the world. The girls got to pick 3 pieces to put in a box. If they wanted more, they could get back in line. As the line got shorter, we went back a couple times so they could get candy that is not very common to get in US stores. It was fun to try candy from the different countries. A favorite was the Taiwan(I think)Jello type candy.

The girls had fun making candy leis using 8 pieces of candy, a long cello bag and some yarn. They also made a cupcake flower using paper cupcake wrappers and a pipe cleaner. Last, was the sweet message box, where they took a wooden circle to decorate and wrapped it like a piece of candy, put it in a box to decorate to give to their Valentine.

They snuck in something healthy among the candy fest. How dare they! A table to make your own fruit kabob lined the wall. It was full of bananas, apples, strawberries, and pineapple. My youngest, who loves fruit, put everything on her stick and gobbled it right up. My oldest, who is not a fruit eater, just made hers from apples, took a couple bites and gave the rest to me.

Another highlight was the photo chocolate lollipops. We stood in line to have the girls picture taken, then we could watch as they printed their picture with edible ink onto chocolate lollipops. They girls have not eaten their faces yet. They look to cute to eat.

The last treat of the day was a Japanese dessert called Mochi. He demonstrated how they make it and gave out samples. It is made from rice and looks and tastes like a rainbow marshmallow. But unlike marshmallows, I could only handle eating just one. The 1st one tasted good; but not so much after that.
The girls only had one complaint with their fun filled candy day. Which was, I want more candy!

Jam Packed Day

2011-02-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

There were a lot of little things that I wanted to do which made for a jam packed day. To start the day, Barnes and Noble had story time for kids. Biscuit the puppy made a visit to the kids. My youngest loves dogs and Biscuit; so she was very excited to see him. They also listened to Biscuit stories and colored a Biscuit page.

After story time, we went to Home Depot to do their monthly Kids Workshop. They were making heart shelves. My oldest loves hearts and she was very excited to build her shelf and paint it when we got home.

We ate a quick lunch and back out again to go to the Animal Presentation at Placerita Canyon Nature Center. This did not appeal to my oldest; but my husband was interested in checking it out. It is an hour long presentation and brought out and talked about some kind of bird, a snake, taranchilla, and a skunk. It was interesting; but both the girls were bored and wanted to leave. We didn't stick around for the last animal.

After the animal show, we went to McDonald's to get the girls a chocolate fudge sundae treat. We are doing 'Kids of Character' at home to be kind. My oldest got enough stamps to pick a treat; and she chose ice cream.

Once the ice cream was scarfed down, it was time to go to Castle Park for a birthday party, where the kids had fun playing skeeball, eating pizza and cake and golfing.
After all the days activity, the girls still had a ton of energy in the evening. I guess all the sugar they ate didn't help any.

California Science Center

2011-01-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

I had just found out that the California Science Center has FREE admission with $8 parking. It was a rainy day; but decided to take the drive anyway. I think this place is the best FREE place for the family; especially kids.

There are a lot of interactive things for the kids to do, such as building bridges, making buildings with Tinker Toys, learn how solar energy works when driving a car using a remote, touch an ice wall, building structures to make them earthquake proof and more. They had an earthquake simulator as well. I don't know why anyone would want to wait 15 min. line to feel and earthquake. I guess it's a good experience for kids to know what one will feel like if they never felt one.

They also have a couple play areas for kids. One area is for kids 7 and under and the other is for kids maybe 10 and under. The aquariums filled with fish and sharks as well as the small touch tank was fun to see. You can also pretend you're a barnacle trying to catch food (ping pong balls).

The place closed before we got to finish. We spent about 3 1/2 hrs there and could have probably spent at least another hour. We will definitely be back for another visit.

We Need CHNOPS! Comet at Griffith Observatory

2011-01-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

I had not been to the Griffith Observatory in a very long time. The last time I was there was before the remodel and when the laser shows were around. I would really like someone to bring back the laser shows!

I thought my 6-year-old daughter MIGHT have some interest in watching a presentation on how to make a comet using household ingredients while exploring the nature of water as well as where we might find water or other life in our solar system. Here's a little science lesson that I took back from the presentation. We need Chnops! No, I'm not talking about the drink. Although some may need that too. In order for life to exist we need Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphate and Sulphate. The last 5 minutes of the presentation was spent on making a comet from water, sand, charcoal, Windex and dry ice. It was an interesting and fun presentation that my 6 year old actually enjoyed. My 3 year old on the other hand barely got through it as expected.

The girls also enjoyed looking through the telescopes, weighing themselves on each planet, determining who got the better constellation that appears on their birthday month, watching the different phases of the moon and learning about eclipses. The views are great! My oldest kept trying to spot our house which is nowhere to been seen; but she insisted she saw it! She also enjoyed getting a closer look at the Hollywood sign. She seems to have a fascination for Hollywood. I don't get it. Hollywood is overrated and it not pretty to look at IMO.

The observatory has free admission except for a few shows, and free parking. If you go on a weekend, be prepared to walk at least a mile to get up there. We sure got our exercise.

Snow in Santa Clarita!

2011-01-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we actually got snow in our own backyard! This was not man-made snow. This was the real stuff! It must have been about 20 years since it last snowed out here. It was neat to look out to white covered grass and see cars blanketed in snow who were parked on the street. The girls really enjoyed going outside and catching snowflakes, trying to make a snowman and having a snowball fight. The best part is that we didn't have to travel anywhere to play in it. It was dark and very cold; so we didn't stay out very long. It was long enough to have some fun, take pictures and video tape the rare occasion.

Noah's Ark at Skirball

2010-12-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get free Thursday tickets to Noah's Ark; but I could never get enough for all of us to go. I did get some coupons when we were at the Grove one day when they had brought over a sample of Noah's Ark. I saved a little bit of money but not much since I had to order tickets online and pay the processing fee due to them selling out quickly.

It was a rainy day and turned out to be a good indoor place to go. The girls had fun playing with plastic as well as stuffed animals on the ark, sending animals up into the ark, building the ark, and climbing around in the ark. The girls had fun for a little under 2 hours and actually wanted to go home. It was a fun one time experience; but don't think I would pay for it again. I'll try to wait until I can manage to get free tickets if we decide to go again.

Pretend City

2010-12-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

The girls were on Christmas vacation. We normally go on a mini vacation; but this year we decided to do a couple day trips instead. We actually splurged and spent some money to go to Pretend City in Irvine. I was a little skeptical about going from what the reviews had said. I'm so glad we went! The girls had so much fun here.

We got there when it opened at 10:00am and left at 4:30pm. Many reviewers said their kids only got about 2-3 hours tops here. We got 6 1/2 hours here! The girls played in the Curious George room and took a picture with him. Played in a miniature house complete with living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and bathroom. They went to the beach and played in the sand. That didn't last too long because there were not enough shovels to go around. The girls could pretend to be a chef or a waitress at the Mexican restaurant. They got to pick apples, oranges, strawberries and plant carrots and lettuce at the farm. They could play doctor in the Dr.'s office; but they were not too interested in that area. Another favorite was the water table. They have boats you can race with wind machines, go fishing, play with rubber ducks, shark and my youngest daughter's favorite- the lobster. They have a post office, a construction site and a road that goes around the whole place to drive cars.

They even let you bring your own food in and eat at their designated eating areas. Luckily, we had packed lunches to save some money and ate there. We had to end the day when our youngest crankiness caught up with her from her lack of a nap. 1 tired out girl made a quiet drive home :)

Winter Wonderland or Not

2010-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

We decided to check out a free event in Castaic which they titled winter wonderland which consisted of games, crafts, snow, food and Santa. When we got there, there was no snow, no games and no food; unless you count the boxes of chocolate bars that were just sitting on the floor assuming you could take some. They did have Santa, which the girls sat on his lap and took a picture. Craft materials were on the tables to make a paper plate wreath, popsicle stick picture frame, and pipe cleaner candy canes. They also had face painting which there was no line for since there was not a lot of people. The girls had a good time making their projects. It was a rainy day; so it was nice to get out of the house and do something indoors.

Snow Day

2010-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of purchasing snow clothes that the kids will grow out of in a year or driving over an hour to find snow, then hear the kids say it's too cold after 5 min. of snow play. My alternative was to go to the local mall and participate in their man-made snow day.

We only drove about 15 min. and the weather was the warmest day in December - about 80 degrees. The girls had fun sledding down a small snow slope and making snowballs to throw at daddy. There was a sign as well as employees telling everyone not to throw the snow. What's the point of the snow if you can't throw snowballs? The mall also provided free treats to the 1st 500 kids which consisted of cookies, cotton candy, pretzel, popcorn or a churro. We stood in line for cotton candy. There were about 5 people in front of us before the machine stopped working. There was a bit of sulking; but the girls quickly chose something else to indulge themselves. We didn't bother waiting in the long lines for face paint or balloon animals that was provided. We spent about 2 hours playing in the patch of snow and headed off for our quick 15 min. drive home.

Thanksgiving at the Japanese American Museum

2010-11-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Target hosts free family Saturdays at the Japansese American Museum. We have gone before to the Easter activities and wanted to check out the Thanksgiving activities. The girls had fun making turkeys out of a platic cup and using contruction paper and traced their hand to make feathers. They also weaved placemats and made centerpeices with a paper plate, pinecones, plastic corn and silk leaves. They had a weaving class for my oldest daughter to go and learn to weave and they also got to make cookies that looked like corn wrapped in a fruit rollup husk. It was very cute and delicious!

Placerita Canyon-Nature Walk

2010-11-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Placerita Canyon is a nature center that has free Saturday family nature walks and animal presentations and hiking trails. We had never been on the nature walk and decided to go. It lasted about an hour and a half and we got to learn about the owls, a hawk, the Indians who used to live there, learn about different trees and plants, see where gold was first discovered and saw a house where a Indian family used to live. It was a very educational experience for the girls.

Haunted Jailhouse and Festival

2010-10-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have heard about the Sheriff Station's Hunted Jailhouse; but never had gone; but decided to this year. They charged $1 admission and had various game booths, fire trucks, police cars, the maze, etc. We went to check out the maze; but when we got there they said they just closed for about an hour to let the volunteers have lunch. I didn't want to pay their prices for the games or bounce house. We decided to leave and go to a Halloween event at the Granada Hills Community Center. We went last year and the girls have fun.

The Community Center had a bounce house with free admission and low budget games that are very inexpensive to play. The kids get candy and win tickets to get cheap prizes. They also have face paint and a craft. After a couple hours, we headed back to Santa Clarita so we could go into the haunted jailhouse. We go there just in time because they had closed it off right after we got in line. The girls got a plastic ax to defeat a dragon and save the princess. It wasn't really worth going back to do that; but now we know for next year.

Later that night, the girls went trick or treating for a couple hours. My oldest wanted to re-used her Sleeping Beauty costume from the year before and my youngest re-used one of my other daughter's old Care Bear costume.

Halloween Event and Scaryface at IHOP

2010-10-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

I came across a local Halloween event at the community center and decided to check it out. We were greeted with a free pumpkins to decorate. Inside they had tables of scraps the kids could use to decorate their pumpkin and enter them in a contest. They provided free hotdogs, chips and drinks. They had a costume parade a magic show and a haunted maze. My oldest was getting bored from waiting for the magic show to start and apprently was not interested in watching it; and my youngest woke up cranky from a nap. We were going to check out the maze; but the line was about 45min. long and we were not going to stand in the cold for that; so we left.

I had read a promotion where IHOP was giving away Scaryface pancakes to kids; so we took them to IHOP for dinner to eat their Scaryface pancake. I thought they got the ingredients to decorate themselves; but it came already decorated. The girls didn't care. They were just happy to eat it!

Sky City Bounce

2010-10-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

My 1st grader had a day off from school today. We decided to take them to McDonalds for breakfast. They used some of their gift certificates that were given to them as gifts; so thier breakfast was free! After breakfast, we met up with a friend from school at the park where they played for a couple hours and then off to play at Sky City Bounce. I had promised I would take them there; so off we went. They had a special admission price of $5 on Fridays instead of the normal $10; so I took advantage. It kept them occupied for a couple hours on a cool day outside.

Fright Fest -Magic Mountain

2010-10-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

Magic Mountain gave free friend passes when you buy a season pass. I gave my friend pass to my husband so we could all go and check out Magic Mountain for halloween. We went with the girls during the late afternoon and just stayed in Bugs Bunny World where they had some halloween themed crafts to make such as masks, and jewerly. Then, at a certain time the kids can go trick or treating around the rides in that area. After about 5 min. the candy is gone and you can resume with your day.

Free Disneyland Tickets - or Not

2010-10-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

My husband and I participated in the Give a Day, Get a Day program to get free Disneyland tickets. I volunteered to make tie blankets and my husband volunteered to speak at a career day for a school. We decided to go for my youngest daughter's birthday. We bought one of my daughter's ticket on e-bay and my 2 year old (turns 3 tomorrow) gets in free. So, off we go to the happiest place on earth; until, guest services cannot locate my name or address that I participated in the Disneyland program. She gave a number to call to find out how to get my ticket. I call the number and they are closed on Sundays. I go back in line and they make me buy a ticket. I was soooo upset, it was hard to enjoy the first part of the day. When we were about to leave, I went to guest relations and stood in that line for 30 min. to see if I could get a refund; but no, they couldn't find me in the system either.

I called the number they gave to me on Monday and said they could give me a refund because they looked me up with a phone number and found me :) They said we just need your receipt and a copy of the ticket. Great! Later, that day I ask my husband for the items. He found the receipt but no ticket. We are looking everywhere for the ticket and cannot find it. Of course, I'm soooo upset again! The next day I look some more and finally found it buried in CD's in the car. I finally got my refund and am a happy camper!
Thank you Disneyland for the opportunity to get rewarded for helping others; but No thanks for the hassle of getting the ticket!

Kids Day Carnival

2010-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

We have been attending the kids day carnival for a few years. It's held at the Newhall Park and includes FREE bounce houses for the kids, local business booths where they have games and crafts at almost all the booths. We got coupons for free miniature golf, free family night ticket to Scooters Jungle, half off price for a gym class, and free bowling. The girls have a great time. They even have free hot dogs, drinks, cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones! It was a very hot day; so everyone was eating snow cones. Free raffle tickets are also given away so kids can have a chance to win great prizes. We had to stay until the event was almost over to see if we would win the Littlest Petshop prizes. We didn't win and back to the car we walked with 2 disappointed girls.

Arrr! A Pirate's Life for Me

2010-07-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Arrr! It was that time of year when the pirates come around to Ventura Harbor Village. Pirates walk around the village, perform magic shows, sing, and put on small shows. One pirate had a couple parrots that my youngest loved. She was more excited when he put one on her arm! She also enjoyed a pirate sing along where kids formed a circle to listen and dance to pirate songs. She loves to dance; so it was a perfect opportunity for her to ham it up.

The girls went on a scavenger hunt to look for treasure. Holding a map in one hand and a compass in another; they searched for clues around the village that lead to where X marks the spot. They found the treasure which included stickers, tattoos, gum coins and bracelets.

We brought a picnic lunch to eat at the village to save money and the kids shared and devoured a cotton candy ice cream cone as they watched a sword fight pirate show. After the show, they rode on a carousel, played a game and happily left for home sucking on a lollipop they won with their game tickets.

The event is free as well as the shows; but they get you with the opportunity to buy tickets for rides, games, bouncers, pony rides and scavenger hunts. We ended up spending $12 for the day on 2 scavenger hunts, 1 ice cream cone, 2 carousel rides and 2 games which equaled 2 happy girls.
Ventura's 80 degree weather was also a nice escape from the 105 degree valley weather. A fun and cool pirate day!

Up turned into The Thief of Baghdad

2010-07-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

We decided to go down to the outdoor venue in Pasadena again because they were showing UP. We thought the kids would enjoy watching a movie outside. We packed their fold up couch/bed, brought their blankets and packed the popcorn for a fun evening out. My husband took my daughter to the restroom and when he came out, the Thief of Baghdad was playing. I thought it was just going to be a short movie clip while they got ready to put UP on. But no, this was the movie that was going to be playing. We were really disappointed; but the girls didn't seem to care. They just like being outside watching anything on the screen and eating popcorn. We did leave after an hour. What was really disappointing is that they didn't even show a good substitute movie. If they couldn't show UP, then show another family movie. Anything would have been better than the Thief of Baghdad, even the Music Man was better and that's not saying much. This movie makes it to the top worst movies on my list. I think we are done with the free outdoor movies in Pasadena.

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today, we are celebrating the 4th at the Ronald Regan Library for their free family event. We went there last year and the kids had a great time. If you don't get there early, you will have to park way down at the bottom of the hill. Of course, we did not get there early and parked at the bottom. Fortunately, they have a shuttle to take you up to the top. We got very lucky, because we just got out of the car ran to the shuttle a few cars down and off we went.
We get to the top and the 1st thing the girls see is a bounce house obstacle course. My 2 year old was a little small; so daddy had to do the obstacle with her. She had fun; but daddy got very tired after a couple times.
The girls did a couple crafts like making a flag with tissue paper and a USA beaded necklace. Their favorite activities were the games and then getting a small prize after each play. By the time they were done, I had quite a collection of patriotic pencils. We played a water balloon toss and then the girls played another game where you can collect as much candy as they could. Just what they need - more candy!
They also had free all you can eat watermelon. My youngest ate about 4 slices. She loves that stuff. My picky 5 year old had issues with a seedless watermelon because of the little white seeds. She insisted on picking those out which just took forever for her to eat.
We saved money on lunch by bringing our own and sat at their tables. We enjoyed listening to the band playing music while we ate. My youngest like it so much she started dancing and put on a show for the person next to us. She just added more entertainment and was quite comical.
This event really wears the kids out and they knocked out in the car on the way home. I knocked out at home. An hour later we had to be up and ready for a BBQ at my parents house. We stayed there for a little while, came home, bathed the kids and rushed off to see fireworks at the local mall. We always go to McDonalds for the $1 sundae to eat while we wait/watch for the fireworks. The line was out the door this year; so we decided to go after. Luckily,I bought some pop snaps for the kids to throw to keep them occupied while we waited. I also got them glow in the dark necklaces at the dollar store. I mad a note to try to sell these next year. People were asking where we got them and someone was actually selling the bracelets. After the show we made it to McDonalds. They barely let us in because they said they closed at 9:30. What kind of McDonalds closes at 9:30!? I think they just wanted to go home early. We did get our sundae but they eventually kicked us out to close their doors. All in all it was a fun 4th!

Dead Fish and the Music Man

2010-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

We decided to check out a Japanese Festival because we didn't have much else planned and it was free to get it. I enjoy learning about a different culture and expose the kids as well.
They had a game where you can win a fish and the girls just had to play. My oldest has been wanting a fish; so here was her chance to win one. The game was really inexpensive; so they each won a goldfish for $3 worth of game play. Then, they played a couple other games, we looked at some bonsai trees, ate some homemade sugar donuts - I forgot what the Japanese call them; but they were good! We weren't there long enough to see any entertainment because my husband and I were on our way to see an outdoor movie of the Music Man at an outdoor venue in Pasadena.
Neither of us had seen it and it was free so we gave it a try. They showed the newer version and it was not very good. It probably doesn't make much of a difference if it was the old or new version because I didn't think it was a very good movie either way. We left after an hour to pick up the girls.
By this time, the goldfish were in jars and looked like they were hungry because they were blooping (when the fish open and close its mouth) according to my 5 year old. So, at 10:45pm we go to Vons to find fish food so the fish won't bloop anymore. It was the only thing we were buying and the cashier says "Oh, you're fish are hungry?" Because who goes out at almost 11:00pm to try to feed their goldfish.
We fed the fish, and about 3:00 in the morning I got up to tend to my youngest who needed a drink and found the fish floating. I hoped he might be sleeping and I was too tired to really check. I knew he wasn't sleeping when my oldest was crying about the dead fish in the morning. The 2nd fish died a day later. Winning a fish seems great at the time for the kids; but then you got to find somewhere to put it, get fish food, and take care of it, all so it can die in a day and leave your kids upset and crying.

Library Events

2010-06-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Our local libraries have a number of family events for free which we love attending.

March
Animal Scales and Musical Tales
Celebrate Read Across America with us as Ken Frawley presents a song and story-filled program for all ages.

Tue, March 1, 2011
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Valencia Library
23743 W. Valencia Blvd.
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Phone: (661) 259-8942
(661) 259-8942

Volcanoes in Stories and Science
Richard Wade shows how volcanoes erupt and grow, tells myths and legends about them, and demonstrates the secret of eruptions! For children in Grades K-8.

Tue, March 22, 2011
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Valencia Library
23743 W. Valencia Blvd.
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Phone: (661) 259-8942
(661) 259-8942

FebruaryCurrent Events at Newhall Library
The Magic of Tony DanielsCapers, conjuring & comedy: Tony Daniels is coming back to Newhall! For kids of all ages.
Tue, February 22, 2011
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Current Events at Valencia Library
Fire and Ice with Mad ScienceJoin Mad Science as they present a fun show for all ages! See fascinating science demonstrations with air pressure, fire, bubbling potions, and more.

Wed, February 23, 2011
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

They have a summer reading program where if you or your child reads books, they can earn small prizes. It's a great way to encourage reading over the summer.

The last event we saw there was a bubble show. My 5 year old had a bubble show birthday party and she enjoyed this show all over again. My 2 year old had fun watching it for the most part; but she did get upset when the bubbles didn't get close enough for her to pop.

We also go to the story times. They read stories, do sing alongs and make a craft. My 5 year old loves it; but my 2 year old can only sit through a couple stories and likes craft time.

The next events we are hoping to catch is a balloon show and a couple magic shows.

Stranded, Sun Burnt and Starving in Lake Arrowhead

2010-06-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my birthday, we went to Lake Arrowhead. My parents have a place up there, so we saved some money by not having to pay to stay somewhere else. We also tried to save some money by packing our own lunch for a picnic at Lake Gregory. All I wanted was some chicken salad to make a chicken salad sandwich. They usually have it at the store I go to; but of course, not today. I ended up going to 3 different stores before I finally got it. We got to the lake and ate our lunch.

Then, we rented a peddle boat for an hour. Half of our time had past and decided to head back. The wind had picked up and the their were some white caps on the water. We were peddling and peddling but we were not moving anywhere. This went on for about 30 min. The kids were getting antsy and wanted to get off. We were just stuck in the lake until who knows how long. Finally, a rescue boat came and asked if we needed help. We gladly took it and they towed us to the calmer parts of the water. I was so tired, I barely made it back the little way to the dock.

Afterwards we went to the house in Arrowhead and took a nap. I discovered I was quite sun burnt and it hurt to move my legs. I had picked a place to eat dinner; but forgot it closed at 7:00pm. We had left at 6:30 hoping to make it within 5 min. But no, our GPS sent us to some house and we never did find the place. So, we decided to see what there is to eat in the village. Everything was closed by 5:30. The only option we had for my birthday dinner was McDonalds or a Mexican restaurant. We chose the restaurant. The food was not the greatest but at least we found food! The day was an adventure as usual; but I had a fun time.

Brentwood Summer Festival

2010-06-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

I had noticed that Brentwood was doing a FREE family summer festival; so we decided to check it out. Shops had tables displayed with merchandise, vendor booths were scattered around; but the best part was the free food!
There was an Indian restaraunt (sorry didn't get the name) giving out free food to try. What could be better than a free lunch? Well, let me tell you... there was free cotton candy, which my girls loved! My youngest didn't get the concept of how to eat it though. She treated it like an icecream and licked it to death. After a while of licking, the wet cotton candy looked like it was ready to be tossed. After the cotton candy, my oldest wanted more delicious food. We stumbled onto a popcorn cart which was giving out free bags of popcorn. That kettle corn was the best! It tasted salty, sweet, sugary and buttery as my daughter described it.
They had a petting zoo where my youngest really enjoyed feeding the animals hay. My oldest was way too concerned about getting dirty and worried the animals would poop on her. We walked by to see a magic show, watch a dog on wheels (something was wrong with his back legs, and listen to a band play. They even had free pony rides! My oldest rode on one; but the youngest was too scared to get on. It was a fun day for all. Thanks Brentwood!

Regal Family Film Festival

2010-06-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am planning to take the kids or atleast the older one to Regal Cinemas for their Free Film Festival. They show a choice of 2 movies every Tues. and Wed. starting June 15th. They show older movies; but it's great to sit in a cool theatre when the sun is blazing outside. They often get crowded, so get there a little early to get a seat. It's something to do in the summer for free with your kids, so why not take advantage.

Free Birthday Meals

2010-04-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want FREE meals on their birthday! Here's some links to help get breakfast, lunch and dinner for FREE on your special day. Some items are FREE for just signing up!

El Torito - http://news.eltorito.com/clients/eltorito/survey.htm receive coupon for Free guacamole and Free entree on your birthday.

Acapulco - http://news.acapulcorestaurants.com/clients/acapulco/survey.htm -receive coupon for Free guacamole and Free entree on your birthday.

Black Angus - http://www.blackangus.com/PrimeClub.htm - Free dessert and steak dinner

Coldstone Creamery - http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/birthday/birthday_club.aspx - Free Creation

Del Taco - http://www.deltaco.com/page8.html - 2 Free tacos and premium milkshake

Hometown Buffet - http://www.umi-inc.com/buffetsinc/index.html - Free Meal

Krsipy Kreme - http://krispykremenewsletters.interx2.net/FriendsOfKrispyKreme.aspx - Free half dozen glazed donuts and coffee mug filled with coffee or soda.

Marie Calendars - http://echo4.bluehornet.com/clients/marie_callenders/survey.htm - Free offers on birthday and anniversary

Red Robin - http://www.redrobin.com/eclub/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 -Free burger

Round Table Pizza - http://www.roundtablepizza.com/RTP/Coupon/finder.asp - Free personal pizza

Ruby Tuesday - http://pages.rubytuesdayrestaurants.com/page.aspx?QS=773ed3059447707deabda7bb9014e2bc76683fcf2ec10edcbf62b7dc638cf860 - Free Burger

TGI Fridays - http://www.fridays.com/home/welcome.aspx - Free appetizer and dessert

Screamin Daily Deals

2010-04-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

If you want to save some money and get some Screamin deals from local businesses in your area, check out Screamin Coupons at http://www.screamincoupons.com/r/TZAFRZ2NWG

Most deals give at least 50% or more off their regular price! They will even give a percentage of the sale proceeds to a school of your choice. Sign up is free and there are no fees for anything. Just pay for the things you want to buy.

During Spring break, we checked out a local restaurant, La Salsa, while the kids got a lunch treat at McDonalds. My husband and I paid only $4 for each meal using our Screamin Coupons. The chicken taquitos are delish!
After lunch, we used another Screamin Coupon for Fins Glow, a glow in the dark miniature golf place. Their deal was half off unlimited golf. So, for just $5 ( my 2 year old was free), my 2 girls played 5 rounds of golf which lasted 2 hours. That's a Screamin Coupon deal!

Kidspace - FREE Family Night

2010-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter is a few days into Spring Break and finding frugal things to do can be a challenge. Kidspace had saved the day with their FREE family night which is on the 1st Tues. of every month from 4-8.
The girls have so much fun there. My youngest daughter was very fascinated with the butterfly exhibit, painting the leaf and getting wet with their water fountains. They had a performance of Alice in Wonderland which the girls also enjoyed. The trick is to get there at 4:00 and leave before dinner time to avoid paying their high prices for food. Or bring snacks to hold the kids over a little longer before going home for a quick fix dinner.

April Fools!

2010-04-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not that great at coming up with good April fool's day jokes; especially for 2 young girls. I did come up with something the whole family would enjoy - Breakfast for Dinner.

My girls LOVE pancakes and eggs; so I knew they would be excited to eat their surprise April Fools dinner. I made a egg and bacon pie/quiche for my husband and I to give breakfast a change from the ordinary. I called everyone for DESSERT. They were confused as to why dessert was being served. Where's dinner? 1 chocolate chip cookie sat on a plate at everyone's place setting. This was a bit odd for everyone; but nobody complained about having a dessert to start. After everyone was finished eating their cookie; I served them their dinner breakfast. The girls were so excited to see pancakes and eggs for dinner! My 5 year old, can't wait to have another April Fool's dinner again!

Breakfast items such as eggs and pancake mix are very low cost and can make for a great change of pace for dinner!

Easter Fun

2010-03-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Easter is almost here and many places offer Free or inexpensive family activities.

We decided check out the Granada Hills Rec. Center for their Easter activities. They had an Easter egg hunt, Bounce house, Face Paint and Pictures with the Easter bunny as well as a magic show. The kids were not too interested in the magic show; so we went to see the Easter Bunny. My oldest had no problems going up to sit on the bunny's lap; but the youngest didn't want to get near him. She had no problem saying by to him though. Normally, I try to get a picture even if they are crying; ( yes, I'm one of THOSE moms) but I just didn't want to deal with that. So, off we went with a picture of just 1 child and the bunny.

Next, was the Easter egg hunt. After ready, set, go, ran a hundred or so kids with their parents in the small roped off area. Plastic eggs just disappeared in about 2 minutes. My oldest was able to get a few eggs. My 2 year old still stood at the starting point. I think she was scared of the mob of people flying past her. The oldest was nice enough to let her have a couple of her eggs. After the 2 min. chaos; they traded their eggs for candy.

We then moved on to the Bounce house. The kids got about 5 min for $1 to bounce. Most of my 5 min. watching the girls was spent listening to a 6 year old chat my ear off. By the end, she knew my name, I knew her mom's name, the dance classes she took and a detailed version of the cake she was going to eat at home. I'm sure she mentioned more; but tuned her out after a couple minutes.

We had 1 ticket left to do face paint. The line was really long; so we didn't do it. I asked the girls if they wanted to go in the bouncer again; but they said they would rather play on the playground instead. Go figure. Overall, It was a fun 2 hour outing for only $5

Travel Town

2010-03-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

It was finally a nice day out, so we decided to go to Travel Town. The kids had not been there in probably a year. The $3 donation is well worth all the time the kids can spend there.

They had so much fun climbing up trains, pretending to be a conductor and playing in Holden's Corner. Holden's Corner is a small play area for kids. They have activities like coloring and stories for younger kids on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month from 12-4. Our girls can't get enough play time at the train table. They only have a few toy train cars to play with; so if your kid gets one, they better hang on to it or it will get snatched once you let go. Some kids, including ours have learned that lesson the hard way.

They have a running train there; but we opted not spend the $10-$12 on that. Instead we got the girls an ice cream treat. They were equally happy with that and I think it lasted longer.

Then, they wanted to go in the gift shop. Oh no, not the gift shop! We hesitantly gave in. Then it started. Mommy, I want this and that and that. Finally, they saw another train table to keep them occupied for another 30 min. before it was time to go. Then, on the way out it was the familiar sounds of mommy, I want this and that and that. We did not give in and left the town being out of pocket $7 from our donation and ice cream treats.

Homemade Diaper Wipes

2010-03-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have been making diaper wipes for 5 1/2 years since my oldest was a baby. Making wipes for 2 kids has saved quite a bit of money. I started making wipes when I heard that the alcohol in most diaper wipes was not good for newborn baby's skin. I used non alcoholic wipes before I came across how to make my own wipes. The recipe was so easy and inexpensive that I have never bought any wipes. So here's the recipe.

I roll of Bounty (this brand is the best)

Cut the roll in half. (An electric knife works great)

Take the cardboard out of rolls

Put rolls side by side in container. ( I use a salad spinner)

In a bowl, mix 2 1/4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo, 1 tablespoon baby oil

Pour mixture over paper towel rolls so they are moist.

Rip apart each paper towel square and fold in half.

You can store make wipes in previously used diaper wipe containers.

The cost to make is about $1 for about 120 wipes.

Chinese Lantern Festival & McDonalds

2010-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today was another gloomy, rainy day. The girls had a surprise visit from their uncle who brought a McDonalds breakfast for them. They were very excited and almost getting spoiled since this was their 2nd McDonalds breakfast ever within 2 weeks.

After their smorgasbord, we were debating on wheather to leave the house due to the rain. I did not want to be stuck inside the house all day. The weather in L.A. seemed to have better weather; so we ventured out to the Chinese Lantern Festival. We have been there a couple times during nice weather and it is pretty fun. When we got the general area, we made our usual rounds to find the cheapest parking price. After about 10 min. we settled on a $5 parking area. We walked a couple blocks to the event. The kids 1st discovery were bounce houses. I was not going to pay a ridiculous amount for them to jump and quickly lured them to the FREE crafts and entertainment the festival offered. My oldest was not very happy that she could not bounce; but after about 15 min of sulking she gave in to making a craft. The youngest was very excited to make a tiger puppet because it required using a glue stick. She also helped make a lantern by scribbling on the paper and me doing the rest of it. My oldest made a couple crafts and got her face painted. There was entertainment outside; but it was too cold to stay.

Was this event worth the drive, looking for cheap parking, walking in the cold, listening to my daughter sulk to make a couple crafts worth it? Probably not; but I got out of the house! As well as trying to do some frugal family fun.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss and Shoplifting

2010-02-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

It always seems to be raining this month on my days off. On this rainy day, we went to Lakeshore Learning for a Dr. Seuss birthday celebration. Luckily, this event was inside and we were able to stay out of the rain. The best part, it was FREE! Lakeshore also has craft time every Saturday.

My oldest daughter, 5, was more excited to play with the toys on display than to participate in the crafts and story time. If that was what was going to make her happy, then so be it. She did make an aquarium craft (based on the story of one fish, 2 fish, red fish, blue fish) got her face painted with cat whiskers and ate cake. Besides being turned down from everything she wanted to buy, she had fun.

I didn't think my youngest daughter ,2, would participate in anything; but I was wrong. She was the one who wanted to make all the crafts. She really enjoyed using dot paint to make a hat and decorating her aquarium with fish stickers, shells, and sequins. She loves to put gobs of glue on the paper and just leave it. Thankfully, the glue bottle was almost empty so it was a little harder to use so much glue. She even got her 1st face paint with the cat whiskers! I didn't think she would even sit and let them do it. While I shopped, she got to play with toys and eat her share of cake.

On the way home, I noticed a tag on the recyclable Lakeshore bag we had. My husband was carrying it in the store to hold all the crafts; so I assumed it was a give away. In the car, I asked if it was a give away and he said "No, I thought you bought it". Yes, I accidentally shoplifted for the 1st time. And yes, while shoplifting is a way of being frugal; those are not the rules for this frugal fun challenge! Sorry, Lakeshore. Next time I'm in the area, I will return the bag to you or pay the $1.50.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Celebrating Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

I had to work on Valentine's Day; so we celebrated on Saturday instead. I told the girls they could go to McDonalds as a special treat for lunch or dinner. My oldest said, How about breakfast? I agreed to breakfast. Both girls were so excited. It was like Christmas morning to them. I don't even remember the last time I went inside a McDonalds for breakfast. They received McDonalds gift cards; so their breakfast was free! The girls loved their pancakes and egg breakfast but were anxious to go to the play area.

For the frugal fun challenge outing, I chose to take them to the Japanese American Museum. They had a Valentine's event where kids got to decorate a cookie, make a tissue paper flower, create Valentine's Day cards, learn to make an oragami heart, listen to a Valentines' Day story and eat a delicious cupcake. Everything was free and the kids had a fun afternoon outing.

Homemade Peanut Butter

2010-02-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

More time than normal was spent at home on Saturday due to the rain; so I decided to make some homemade peanut butter. I happened to have all the ingredients to make it; which was all of 3 ingredients - peanuts, vegetable oil and honey. I dug out the food processor, dumped in the ingredients and in less than 10 min. I got peanut butter! I didn't think it was that easy to make and wasn't sure how good it was going to taste. I asked my husband to try it and he was a little hesitant; but said "Hey, this tastes like Peanut Butter"!

The girls and I eat PB&J all the time; so this recipe will hopefully be used a lot. I have not tried it in the girls sandwiches; so I hope they like it.

The Comparison
I love this recipe for the fact that it only requires 2 or 3 ingredients, it does NOT contain any large amounts of sugar and it's healthier than most store bought PB.

Now comparing cost, I normally get Skippy on sale for $1.50. I used about a half jar of Planters Peanuts at $2.00. The recipe made about a half jar normal size Skippy at a guess. For $2, I could make the same amount as a Skippy jar.

The Verdict
The homemade PB cost .50 more than the processed, sugar filled store bought jar. If I bought a healthier brand of PB such as Laura Scutters ($2.85), I could save about 85 cents by making the homemade PB. In the end; I'm not sure if I will continue making homemade PB.

Peanut Butter
2 1/2 cups peanuts
4 tablespoons oil ( Vegetable, Canola - NOT Olive)
2 tablespoons honey (For me this is optional)

Put peanuts in processor until they are well grounded.
Slowly add oil and mix well.
Add honey and mix again. The honey thickens it.
Pour into a container and refrigerate. If it becomes too thick, add more oil.

Home Depot

2010-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

It was a rainy Saturday, so the challenge of finding indoor family entertainment was even more difficult. It happened to be the 1st Saturday of the month. On every 1st Saturday of the month Home Depot offers a FREE kids workshop. From 9-12pm your child can build something from one of their pre-fab kits.

We normally make it a family outing; but because of the rain I stayed home with the 2 year old while the oldest daughter and daddy had fun building a toy car display together. Toy cars are almost non existent with 2 girls; so she decided to make it more useful in her playmobil sets.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Kids_Workshops&catalogId=10053&storeId=10051&langId=-1

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2010-02-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

One of my first products I made was homemade laundry detergent. I started making it because my daughter was constantly itchy in some areas and nothing I changed to seemed to help. I changed her bathing soap, stopped using bubble bath, lotions and nothing worked. I then thought that maybe the store bought detergent may be the cause. I found this laundry soap recipe and her itching had completely stopped. This not only helped my daughter; but it cleans our clothes, does not use harsh chemicals and it saves me a lot of money.

Heavy soiled clothes will need extra attention. Use the Fels Naptha bar and scrub clothing using water to make a lather, then wash. The process may need to be repeated if needed. Fels Naptha works great for removing stains. No need to buy stain removing agents which can save even more money.

This recipe is very easy and it only costs about $.05 per load compared to $.15-.30 a load using store bought detergent.

Powdered Laundry Soap

1/2 bar Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Washing Soda (Not Baking Soda)
1 cup Borax

Directions
Grate 1/2 bar (I use the small holes in my cheese grater)
Mix all ingredients
Use 1-2 tablespoons per load

Please note: You will not see any suds in your machine, so don't think you need to add more.
Makes about 40 loads

The Challenge

2010-02-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

The frugality mostly started because I just wanted to save some extra pennies, cut down on the grocery bill while being a bit health conscious and go on inexpensive family outings.

I have always been a person who enjoys creating things; so I started discovering how I could make my own products. These products have helped save money and are healthier than store bought products. I am always looking to challenge myself to not buy 'that item' at the grocery store; but make it myself.

I am a mom of 2 young girls and entertaining them can be expensive. Staying at home all day on the weekends is not the norm at our house. I try to find at least one place to go to get out of the house. Finding FREE family outings have become my weekly challenge.

These challenges have changed how I live for the better. No matter what our income, I will hope to continue to be just as frugal as today.