Life's a beach... or a pier... whatever you prefer

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For a long time I was afraid to take the baby anywhere. I had all these really dumb ideas of all these things that were going to go wrong.

What if he gets hungry? Feed him.

What if he gets a dirty diaper? Change it.

What if he has a melt down? Ignore the glares of the ignorant and go home.

So slowly we have been venturing out of our home. Very slowly. My son is 7.5 months old. I know shame.

Friday we slathered him in sunscreen and took him to a local pier. And he loved it and it was free! He loved looking at the people, the flowers, the boats, the water, the birds and of course his Daddy.

On what adventures have you taken your children?

Celebrate Dad by Saving Money

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What better way to celebrate dad then by showing him his lessons in frugality paid off big?

In our ongoing series on frugality- why not come up with some ideas on ways to save for Daddy?

  • Breakfast Papa style. Forget the toast and jam and fruit salad in bed. Daddy needs a man's breakfast. Hang up a banner the kids made and try some sausage and egg biscuits, egg in the basket or pancakes. All of these will cost you around $2 for the whole family. 
  • What we love about dad box. There is no better way to celebrate Dad than to just tell him how much you love him. Have the babies write down everything they love or like about their dad on strips of paper. Then fold them and put them in a pretty jar, or a shoe box the kids decorated for him. He'll like this way better than a tie.
  • Hobby Day! My husband loves to fish. So a great Father's Day gift would be if everyone in our house would slather on the sun screen, grabbed a fishing pole and went down to the local free pier. (If your state requires a fishing license for those 18 in older then everyone will need one, but they are usually around $20 and can be used over and over.)
  • A move for the man. If you have a digital camera, and I am guessing that you do. Have the kids, or yourself, record some of their favorite "dadisms." Then set them to music. You could also put together a slide show of your favorite family portraits.

What are some ideas you have for celebrating dad?

What $20 will get you at the Dollar Tree

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I love dollar stores. Yes, I am cheap. Cheap. Cheap. Cheap. Today the boy and I went to the Dollar Tree with a list. I was pleasantly surprised by what I was able to get for $1! 

Did you know they have bread and eggs at Dollar Tree??? This is news to me. That means you could make an Egg in the Basket for $.13. That's cheap!

Okay, I have met my exclamation point quota. Let's move on. 

During our trip I was able to procure:

4 board books

4 bags of chocolate chips

1 bag sweatened coconut

1 large container garlic salt

1 box equaling 16 plastic storage bags

2 bottle baby wash

1 BPA free teething toys

1 can Cooking Spray

2 bags tortillas

All in all it was a pretty good day. 

There are a lot of basics you can get there like apple juice, frozen vegetables, shampoo, baby wipes. The list goes on and on. 

No, you're not going to get organic, free range eggs or anything sexy like that. But if you're on a tight, tight budget consider doing some of your shopping there.