This is my preschoolers favorite way to paint!  Basically, it is what it sounds like; shaving cream mixed with paint.  We usually mix the shaving cream with tempera paint as it has the smoothest consistency and is the cheapest!  We have three tubs of primary colored paint: red, blue and yellow that we mix to get a whole host of colors.  When mixed with the cream, the colors look more neon and bright.

Are you feeling the post-holiday belt crunch?  I know our budget is a bit tighter each winter.  One of my favorite ways to save is through hounding our local discount grocery store (aka Bent and Dents).  Most of the food is at or near its expiration date, and many of the cans or boxes are beat up, but often I can find food for half the price it would be at the regular grocery store.  Be sure to check the food before you eat it to make sure that it …

Every New Year I take a look at this list I created years ago… 50 Ways to save money.   Including general tips, ways to save money in your household, with your kids, and when feeding your family.  So many of them I slip away from as the year goes on!  Want to join me in pinching some pennies?  Do you have a frugal tip?  I’d love to hear about it!
…
General:

Make a goal chart and as you save the amount of money or pay off debts, …

Want to make a homemade, personalized gift for Christmas?  Something from this list should inspire or help you!  Have any ideas that were not listed?  Lets see if we can come up with more!  Have a blog with instructions on how to make one of the gifts mentioned below?  I’d love to hear from you and feature you!  Have a similar list of gift suggestions?  Join our Linky at the end!
…

Jars of Fudge and Icecream fixings
Cake-in-a-Jar
Coffee Mixes with chocolate spoons
Hot Coco Mix with Chocolate dipped pretzels
Box of assorted cookies (Biscotti …

I was thrilled, a friend showed me several ways to make my own cleaners.  Thanks Melitsa!  These cleaners are biodegradable, made with less harsh chemicals (most you can eat!), and is a ton cheaper!  I will definitely be making my own batches in the next week or two!
…
…
What you will need:

Hot Water
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Clear Dish Soap
Fels Naptha Bar
Washing Soda
Borax
And containers (spray bottles, old laundry detergent tubs, etc.)
Essential oils; like lavender, vanilla or cinnamon.  They are optional, to give cleaners a fresh scent.

With them you can make the following cleaners:

Basic Cleaning Spray
Disinfectant …

We are a family that needs eyesight correction, and lots of it!  Buying glasses at full price can really break the budget.  I was beyond thrilled to have discovered Zenni Optical.  You don’t even need a current prescription (although that is always advised).  We have bought over 12 pairs of glasses from them in the past two years and have yet to be disappointed.  Where else can I buy 4 pairs of glasses with AR coated lenses for roughly $50?  I love finding deals!
Here is a site that explains how …

I love this casserole.  It is so versatile.  You can make it with almost anything.  This is a great way to use your leftovers.  This is taken from the CDKitchen.
Ingredients:
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Choose a Sauce:
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup, condensed — undiluted
10 3/4 ounces cream of celery soup, condensed — undiluted
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup, condensed — undiluted
10 3/4 ounces cheddar cheese soup — undiluted
29 ounces diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano — undrained

Choose a vegetable:
14 1/2 …

Sports drinks can get pretty expensive, especially if your family drinks it as fast as mine does. This recipe was shared with me last summer and my family has been loving it ever since! It’s extremely inexpensive and easy to make and it tastes exactly like Gatorade and contains the same hydrating properties!
…..
Homemade Gatorade:
1 envelope of unsweetened kool-aid
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 quarts of cold water
Add all to a 2 quart pitcher, mix, chill and enjoy! It’s that simple and you can experiment with all the different …

This past Mother’s Day, as I was opening the cute handmade gifts that my kids had made me in school, my husband got a wistful look on his face.  With a somewhat sad face, he alerted me to the fact that he never gets handmade gifts for Father’s Day.  And I realized it was true, since Father’s Day falls in the summer, long after the school bell has stopped ringing the kids don’t always get crafty for Father’s Day.  So this Father’s Day, I decided to have the kids make …

I dread going on long trips with kids in tow.  We have driven across the country at least once a year for some time now and while we never look forward to our treks, here are some tips that we have learned to make our road trips easier, to keep a bit of my sanity.  Do you have any ideas to add?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
…..
Activities to entertain your kids in the car:

Get a bunch of cheap toys (stickers, figurines/dolls, trinkets, magnifying glass, noise makers, …