My girls love the snow—they love to see it, and they love to play in it. They even love to shovel it. Which is lucky for our family, because I? Am not a fan of the outdoors. Especially when it’s cold and wet.

Every year, I swear it will be different. This winter, I’ll help them build a real snowman. I’m so determined to get out of my comfort zone, and out in the snow, that I actually put it on my 40×40 list. Yet, each time they play in the snow, I wait inside with the hot cocoa or hide behind my camera, snapping pictures of their adorably pitiful attempts at Frosty.

Yesterday, my girls were thrilled to wake up to a snow day. Yet, I once again avoided the cold & wet. We spent the afternoon at the Eiteljorg—taking advantage of 12 Free Days of Indy Christmas to see the Jingle Rails exhibit I’ve heard so much about. The trains & landmark replicas are amazing, but I’m left feeling a little guilty about skipping the snowman.

So, we’ll build snowmen later this week—and I’ll still never have to leave the warm house. We build snowmen out of styrofoam balls. We decorate marshmallow snowmen. I’ve even made a snowmen cheese ball. Our favorites are the edible ones, of course—I think we’ll try Renae’s snow globe treats next.

All of these snowmen are a lot of fun to create, and instead of waiting for your hard work to melt in the sun, you get to eat yummy treats!

1. 12 Days Until Christmas: Holiday Movie Marathon
2. 21 Days Until Christmas: How to Host a Cookie Swap
3. 24 Days Until Christmas: Counting Down to Christmas

Movie marathons are not strictly a holiday event around here. It’s a great treat for the girls to hear we’re having a family movie night. They like to guess what we’re watching and love knowing the popcorn is coming out. We even have several popcorn tubs, from the Target dollar section.

Our holiday movie marathon is planned for a weekday this year, which means we’ll start the day with cartoons & their favorites. We love to share my childhood favorites with the girls, so those will come out when the hubby gets home. If I have my way, the marathon will continue straight through their bedtime, when we can watch movies that might not be child appropriate.

Scrooged tops that list—what are your holiday favorites?

1. {The New Home Ec} 6 Ways to Make Movie Night More Exciting
2. 24 Days Until Christmas: Counting Down to Christmas
3. 9 Days Until Christmas: The Gift of Memories

Originally posted on November Sunflower.

It’s that time of year again, everyone! The 17th Annual Parade of Boats on Patchogue River. On Sunday, November 21st you can head to Sandspit Park at the Davis Park Ferry Terminal on Brightwood Street. The park opens at 4pm and the parade begins at 6pm (ish). Totally free for the whole family. The theme for this year is “A Christmas Past” and Santa will be arriving on the last boat in the parade.

For more information click here –> Patchogue Boat Parade

1. Free Dickens Festival Three Day Event
2. Free Event: Stony Brook Village Halloween Festival
3. Free Event: Winter by the Bay

It can be very difficult to entertain five rambunctious kids on a limited budget, especially if you don’t want to keep them plugged in all day with a DVD or a video game. Keeping them busy without electricity isn’t too difficult with a little planning and creativity. Here is our Top 10 List of Unplugged Ways to Entertain the Kids:

10) Nature Walks

When the weather permits we love to take all of the kids for a walk after supper. We live in the woods so we look for different animal tracks, bugs and flowers for the kids to identify on our walks, but city dwellers could look for other things like birds or signs, or even play games while you walk like those you would play on a car trip (think “punch bug”).

9) Library & Book Stores

Every Wednesday morning is story time at our local library and the kids really enjoy hearing the story and then creating a themed craft afterward. You can also find children’s book readings at local bookstores likes Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

8 ) Kids Events at Retail Stores

Local retail stores such as Home Depot will often hold free workshops for children that teach them how to use tools and build things while their parents shop. Check out more than just the national chains though, there are a couple of local art studios here that hold similar workshops for kids and the only fee is for the materials used to create their artwork or pottery.

7) Free Movies

Although this one doesn’t necessarily qualify as unplugged, it does count as frugal and makes for a nice change of pace for the kids. There are a few of different local movie theater chains that run free children’s movies a couple days each week during the summer and school holidays. Search online for the name of your local theater and ‘free movie schedule’.

6) Mini Road Trips

We have a family tradition where we load everybody up in the car (at least a couple of times) and drive around for an hour or so after dark looking at Christmas lights and decorations. We play holiday music and listen to the kids argue about whose side of the street has prettier lights.

5) Museums

Many people don’t realize that there may be quite a few smaller museums that house collections of local or regional importance. Our kids love going to the National Aviation Museum (pictured above) because there is so much to see and do, but they also enjoy going to a number of other much smaller facilities like the Foley Train Museum that is located in the old train depot and the T.T. Wentworth Museum, which has a children’s floor and is located in a 100+ year old building in Historic Pensacola Village. Check your phonebook and do a search online to find museums close to you.

4) Barter or Volunteer

My kids absolutely adore going to the local bouncy house but admission for all five is too expensive to do often. Instead, my aunt has spent the past year or so volunteering as additional help for Saturday birthday parties in exchange for membership and birthday parties for the kids. The business got reliable, flexible assistance without having to do any official paperwork, and our kids got free admission a couple days each week in return. Think about the things your kids like to do and brainstorm ways to make it happen cheaper. For example, you could volunteer to clean the skating rink once a month in return for weekly admission for your children.

3) Local Hot Spots

Every city or county has areas of local interest that you can explore with the children. We’re lucky in our area to be near the beach, but the kids also enjoy local bird watching trails, parks and nature areas. We try to find different ones and rotate them so the kids don’t lose interest and they’re always excited to go.

2) Arts & Crafts Festivals

There are numerous arts and crafts festivals in our area each year and no matter the theme, they all make sure to have entertainment for the children so we like to take advantage of those free events. Don’t get me wrong, we almost always end up spending some money, but its usually for games or rides for the kids or for a themed snack like a sausage sandwich at the Beulah Sausage Festival or strawberry shortcake at the Loxley Strawberry Festival. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce for help finding festivals near you.

1) Indoor Activity Box

For those rainy days or times that we just don’t feel like going anywhere, we keep an indoor activity box. We accumulate all sorts of things like stickers and labels that come in the mail, scissors and glue, clearance and dollar store activity items, water paints, empty toilet paper rolls, colored pencils, beads and scraps of lace and fabric then we pull out the box and let the kids rummage through it to pick their own activity.

What kind of unplugged activities do you enjoy with your kids?

1. FREE Admission to Austin Museums
2. Family Fun Memberships that Save
3. 30 Ways to an Inexpensive But Romantic Date

Here are 10 awesome Austin attractions that are on our to-do lits for under $10 per person!

1. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum – Learn “The Story of Texas” with three themed exhibits: Land, Identity, and Opportunity. The Texas Spirit Theater takes audiences on an epic journey through the history of Texas while the IMAX shows educational films and the latest releases. Museum admission ranges from $4 to $7. Texas Spirit admission ranges from $4 to $5. IMAX admission ranges from $5 to $7.
   

   Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

2. Barton Springs Pool – At 68 degrees year-round, this natural spring covers three acres and is over 18 feet deep at it’s deepest. It’s known for drawing locals, visitors, and quite a few characters on hot Austin afternoons. This is one of our favorite places to float, relax, and people watch. Admission ranges from $1 to $3. Parking is $3 on weekends.
   
   

   Barton Springs Pool

3. Congress Avenue Bat Bridge – Over 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge in the heart of downtown Austin. Locals and tourists gather at dusk to watch the bats make their grand exit in search of food. Peak bat season is mid-August and you can call the Bat Hotline at 512-416-5700 x 3636 for estimated flight times. Since the weather has been so warm, there’s plenty of bat-watching left to do this summer and admission is FREE!
   

   Congress Avenue Bat Bridge

4. The Blanton Museum of Art – With the largest collection of art in Central Texas, The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas features over 17,000 works of art in it’s permanent collection. The new complex opened in October of 2003 and houses gallery space, a cafe, museum shop, classrooms, and an auditorium. Admission ranges from $5 to $9.
   

   The Blanton Museum of Art

5. Texas State Capital – Widely acknowledged as one of the most distinguished state capitals, The Texas Capital is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Austin. It is the largest, state capital building at 667,000 square feet and is situated on 22 acres with numerous monuments to explore. Self guided tours are permitted during business hours and guided tours are available throughout the week. Admission is FREE!
   

   Texas State Capital

6. The Zilker Zephyr – Zilker Metropolitan Park is considered the prize jewel of Austin parks and is home to the beloved Zilker Zephyr. This miniature train takes passengers on a leisurely 25-minute ride through the park and past Barton Creek and Town Lake, and Rides are $2.75 for adults and $1.75 for kids. Parking is $3 on weekends.
   
   

   The Zilker Zephyr

7. The Umlauf Sculpture Garden – Located near Zilker Park, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden features over 130 sculptures by 20th century American sculpture, Charles Umlauf. Umlauf and his wife spent much of their life in Austin where he taught at the University of Texas at Austin. His work is displayed in museums across the country, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC and the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. Admission ranges from $1 to $3.50.
   

   Mother and Child by Charles Umlauf

8. Zilker Botanical Gardens – Over 300,000 people a year visit the Zilker Botanical Gardens to enjoy and appreciate the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Mabel Davis Rose Garden, Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail, and many other beautiful examples of horticultural beauty. Keep an eye out for weekend plant sales where you can purchase some amazing items for your own garden. Admission is FREE! Parking is $3 on weekends.
   

   Spring Flowers at Zilker Botanical Gardens

9. LBJ Library & Museum – Dedicated to Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1971, the LBJ Library is one of only thirteen presidential libraries, housing 45 million pages of historical documents, including those from LBJ’s entire public career. The library hosts a slue of prominent speakers throughout the year while the museum features permanent White House and First Lady exhibit as well as hosting temporary, traveling exhibits. Admission is FREE!
   

   LBJ Library & Museum

10. University of Texas at Austin – Who doesn’t love to relive their college days and spend an afternoon on campus? With the University Coop, an impressive selection of restaurants, and the UT Tower, there is lots to see and do. Tower Admission is $6.

Have you visited Austin? Do you live in Austin? What are some other must-see Austin attractions?

1. First Saturdays at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
2. FREE Admission to Austin Museums
3. Keep Austin Dancing – FREE Day of Dance

One of our favorite things to do in the winter is visit the children’s museum. It isn’t free (although they do have a free day once per month) but investing in a family membership sure makes it feel that way when I’m looking for something to break cabin fever. You can purchase a membership to museums, zoos, theme parks and just about anything else that requires tickets.

For our children’s museum, it costs $15.50 for an adult and $10.50 for a child. Our family of 5 would pay $62.50 to visit the museum just once. If we go just twice all year, we have paid for our $125 membership. Just one more trip means we save a good chunk of money. We actually tend to go about once each month so it’s a great deal for our family!

Having a membership means we get the chance to enjoy the museum at times when we wouldn’t otherwise have spent the money. I can meet a friend in the preschool zone to chat for an hour while our little play, take the girls one afternoon just to check out the new exhibit and even enjoy a kid-free afternoon exploring with my husband. Most memberships come with additional benefits too—free extras, gift shop discounts or special events. We get free carousel rides at every visit!

Where can you become members in your area?

1. Fit & Frugal: Discount Gym Memberships
2. My Expensive Lesson: Research Prices First
3. Savvy Source Savings & Scholarships: Deep Discounts Across the Country

• Library: I could write sonnets about my library. Oh, how we love it! More than the books, there is story hour, special events, free activities and even classes on everything from knitting to pottery to computers! Check out the offerings at your public library and take advantage of this fantastic free resource.
• Indoor Playgrounds: While many of these aren’t completely free, you can enjoy an inexpensive soda at Chick-Fil-A and take advantage of their free wi-fi while the little ones have a blast in the play area. Many malls also have a stretch-n-play area for younger children. If you can resist the shopping, it can be a great place to take a break while the children play.
• The Airport: I would never have thought of this one, but my friend Jen mentioned it in her guest post on Bargain Briana. My girls love to watch the airplanes taking off when we drive by the airport. I can only imagine kids’ excitement at having a front row seat.

If you live in an area being pummeled by snow right now (as in the entire Eastern half of the United States—it’s snowing in Georgia. What is up with that?), an outing probably isn’t your first choice. It takes more time to bundle up the kids, fit seatbelts over puffy winter gear and slowly make your way down the unplowed roads than you would spend at your destination. With that in mind, I’ve also tracked down some fun, at-home activities.

• Pajama Day: If I didn’t have to bundle up to drive the kids to and from school everyday, I’d be in pajamas all the time. Okay, let’s be honest, sometimes I drive them to school in my PJs. How do you homeschooling mamas ever motivate yourself to get dressed? When we are stuck at home, my kids are super excited when I declare PJ day. We wear our jammies all day long, watch movies, read books and most importantly—never step foot outside in the cold!
• Build a Fort: Oh, the forts my siblings and I would make with the couch cushions, blankets and pillows. I even remember grand forts in my grandparents basement with all the cousins participating in the construction. Kids still love nothing more than creating their own hideaway. Plus, getting to move the couch cushions is a forbidden treat.
• Board Games: Joanna shared how she uses board games as a frugal date night, but they can also be fun for the whole family. One of our favorite games is Cranium Hullabaloo. I love that this one gets them moving a bit (in a controlled environment) while they have fun with the silly instructions & game play. We especially love doing the Victory Dance.

When I ran out of my own ideas, I turned to Twitter (naturally). They really came through for me. In spades! Here are several more great ideas from frugal friends around the web:

• 5 Fun, Free Activities
• Money Wise Mom had a couple great ideas for me: free workshops at home improvement stores and great tips for indoor frugal fun.
• She also tweeted this gem from Frugal Upstate: 40 Things to do on a School Snow Day
• 7 Free Places to Distract Your Family From the Winter Blues
• Household 6 Diva shared a few of her indoor favorites: Washable markers in the bathtub (brilliant!) and a Pirate Treasure Hunt (I do love pirates!)

1. Money Saving Monday: Surviving Winter
2. Ten Unplugged Ways to Entertain the Kids
3. Cold & Flu Preparedness Kit