Quick post: Have you read this?....

If you have kids, daughters or sons, I highly recommend reading the two posts below from Chatting at the Sky.

I gulped when I read what not to say to my child. I say this to him all the time. I am so grateful for these eye openers.

Maybe your eyes will be opened too.

One thing your daughter doesn't need you to say

 

12 Things your daughter needs you to say

 

 

#8 on the list of what to say was my favorite. A fresh way for me to view my kids. Again...grateful. 

Our Free Summer DIY List

This week I've been talking about the idea of a free summer. As much as I like to play games with the kids I also enjoy improving the home. And since money is uber tight I'm having to think free in this arena as well.

I've been working on my own free summer DIY list for the home. To be perfectly honest it consists mostly of finishing projects I've already started or already bought the supplies for and have yet to begin.

Sounds like this free summer challenge is just what my booty needs to get some things done around here!

I'm throwing it out here...here's what I want to accomplish this summer...or at least what I CAN accomplish without spending any more money.

My free summer DIY list:
Paint Ada’s room - paint is already bought and waiting in her room
Hang Adas curtains
DIY art in bathroom
DIY roman shade in bathroom
Hang curtains in master bedroom
Hang art above bed in master bedroom
Paint master bathroom - think I have enough leftover bedroom paint
Organize and label kitchen cabinets
Finish gallery wall in basement stairway - yea, that's not done yet!
DIY art on upper stairway - already have something in mind
Chalkboard on upper stairway
DIY curtains in Alex’s room? - no idea on this one
Sew pillows - pillow forms abound in my house, why have I not tackled them yet?
Paint boys bathroom - use leftover living room paint
Paint laundry room - use leftover something paint?
Sort through storage room -sell or Goodwill items
Refinish lamps and lights - might not have what I need for this one...we'll see.
Pin board in kitchen
DIY roman shade in kitchen
DIY art in basement - endless possibilities

There you have my list of all the things I'm perfectly capable of accomplishing with out spending another dime. I'll be checking off the list here as we go. And of course I'll be sharing along the way!

Do you make summer home goals? Any home improvements you try to tackle when the kids are home from school?

Our 2013 Summer Fun Calendar

As much as I like to be foot loose and fancy free...I also enjoy order. So to ensure we're getting the most out of our free summer I drew up a little calendar. Having the mindset that we will be spending little to no money, I wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything our town had to offer.

I tried to include the free activities around town...the library, Cultural Center, church, park etc...we would be interested in. Two of the kids will be participating in Rec Dept camps (far from free), those were also included on the calendar.

And to make sure we don't get bored on all those blank days, the kids and I came up with our Fun List. Last year we had a bucket list...this year I'm putting way less pressure on ourselves to accomplish specific activities.

I included the list on the calendar for easy reference if we need something to do that day.

Our Free Summer Activities List includes (the same as most summer lists...)

swimming
ice cream party (a friend usually hosts)
chalk
indoor fort
sleepover
hike
Athens Zoo (it's free!)
water gun fight
backyard camping
ride bike
make cookies from scratch
lemonade stand
sprinklers
scavenger hunt
picnic
make ice cream (in machine)
museum (still looking for a free one not too far)
bubbles
library
slip 'n slide
make Popsicles
charades
water balloon fight
fishing
car wash
outdoor tea party
finish kits (science kits and such that need to be finished)
cookout with friends
kids plan dinner
make pizza
see a parade
fireworks
concert at park
baseball game
roast hot dogs
paint
decorate bikes
flashlight hide & seek
VBS
campfire
watermelon eating contest
magic tricks
laser show (pay for parking, not for viewing ;)
puzzle
s'mores
RASK (I'll explain later)
volunteer
ice cream in a bag
Pinterest project (I'm pretty sure I can find something I already have the supplies for)
try new paracord techniques
visit each park in the county at least once

My guidelines for free do not include gas, because I wouldn't be staying home all day no matter what season it is....or food, after all, we'd be eating anyway.


What's on your summer list? Did I miss anything? Any other tips on how to save money during summertime with three kids?

Related post:

Free

Free

Last year, amongst the craziness of moving and being "homeless" for a few weeks, the kids and I focused on one idea, or one word if you will...fun!

I tried really hard to get the most out of that crazy summer. This summer, however, our family circumstances have changed drastically. We've been placed in a position we have never faced as a family before. Yet summer is coming anyway...

So to make sure we still get the most out of our summer days I've come up with a new word for Summer 2013....

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Free as in free spirit. Free as in unrestrained...available...not tied down....unburdened.

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 Free as in we can fly anywhere our journey takes us.

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And free as in cost nothing. Money will be tight this summer. We are being challenged to do what we can with what we already have. And not one to miss a chance to be creative...I'm up for the challenge.

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I've already started a list of free summer activities for us. We tend to be low budget anyway so going the extra step is not a stretch. And having our main goal of "free" allows us to better say no to events which arise that cost money. There's freedom in being able to say no.

 

Can we make it a whole summer without spending money on activities? Probably not. Can we give it our best shot? Absolutely.

I'll be sharing more about our summer plans soon...

Related posts:

Week in Review

A Tisket, a Tasket....

Hope everyone had a happy Mother's Day!

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Can you guess what I got for Mother's Day? My Loves graciously gifted me a basket for my cruiser bike. (I've been wanting one for years.) Yesterday afternoon I was able to test drive it as we enjoyed a peaceful ride trough town.

 

AdaLove has just learned to ride her bike without training wheels so I know we will be pedaling our way through summertime.

 

Hope your Sunday was lovely.