Outdoor Fun on a Dollar Store Budget

As the weather warms up (though apparently not this week... brrr!), we love finding simple and cheap-o ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Here are a few ideas from our stash that we keep organized on two shelves... one in the garage and one on the back patio. That way we have quick inspiration and easy access.

1. Bubbles... we've been collecting different size blow sticks for a while. Some of our favorites are the big wand sized blowers from the Dollar Store (grab a plastic tub while you're there too for easy dunking), but you can find a whole collection even in your grocery store for about three bucks or less. Once you run out of that commercial liquid, whip up a concoction of mostly Joy and water. For really fun bubbles, add a few drops of food coloring!

2. Sidewalk chalk... you can find this stuff everywhere now for a couple bucks or less. In fact, you can get a whole container at the Dollar Store. If you want to splurge a few more bucks, grab some containers of sidewalk paint too or take tempera paint and water it down for driveway painting.

3. Sand pails... For a $1.50 or less, these little containers can bring hours of fun. From sandboxes to creek hopping, from treasure collecting to rock dumping!

4. Blankets... Whether you're headed out for a picnic, ice-cream, or an afternoon of reading favorites you're ready to go!

5. Squirt bottles... Picked up again from the Dollar Store, these are fun for cooling off on a hot day as the kiddos squirt one another. You can also tape up paper on garage doors or the driveway and fill them up with watered down tempera or driveway paint and let the kids go wild. A little hose action takes care of any clean up.

6. Other favorites... play-doh (go Dollar Store generic or use a coupon to get them cheap from Target, etc.) , big coloring sheets (recently found on major clearance from Kroger), empty notebooks to make into nature journals (more on that one later), watering cans and all manner of cups for transferring water or sand (ranging from a buck at Big Lots to FREE), sprinklers (five bucks or so from Wal-Mart), plastic pools (a big one picked up for 99 cents at the end of last season), and the list could go on!

Any spring and summer favorites that make your stash?
~Katrina

Eastery Goodness

Poor laptop of mine has a mild case of springtime allergies, or so I hope. Until I can get her fixed, things will sadly be without many pictures. A terrible tragedy considering the cutie, patootie shots of Spring and Easter that could accompany this post!

Nonetheless, here is some Eastery goodness before Sunday gets here...

**A neighbor first introduced us to Empty Tomb Cookies. Much like the Resurrection Eggs in the post below, this is a beautifully visible and tangible way to share the arisen message. I can only hope your kiddos have as much fun pounding the nuts and enjoying the fruits of their labor the next day!

**Some of my favorite Easter books for the younger children include:

I do the devotion just before the cousins' big egg hunt. This year my husband and I decided to give each family a copy of an all time favorite children's Bible.

The writing style, the connections, the way it speaks to us all... young or old. I just love it, and I know your family will too!

**And, of course, there is the joy of those wicker pink baskets. We couldn't get away without doing an Easter bunny inside if we tried, thanks to a book my oldest read at the library (I had to break the news, though, that unlike the book hers would likely NOT be life-sized- ha!) As for their plastic eggs, however, I'm filling those babies with "candy" my girls love... raisins, cranberries, granola, and fruit chews. Don't worry, I'm all about holiday treats, but my extended family loves to spoil with our sadly seldom visits... Easter night tummy aches don't really add to the fun! :)

I also love to add little odds and ends like books, bunny t-shirts, stickers, spring colored markers, Jesus puzzles, sidewalk chalk in bunny and egg shapes, etc... all of these items picked up on last year's clearance or on sale this year. A few dollars and bit of hunting can go a long way and still leave room for the rich foods seven great-aunts and a slew of second cousins will prepare.

Oh and as for the grass... grab some favorite scrapbook paper that fits your basket and run it through a paper shredder. Free and so sweet to nestle those goodies down inside.

I better get to packing. If you have any Easter traditions, tips, or a fabulous post you've written or run across... please share!

Hope your weekend is blessed!
Katrina

Egg-Citing

I shopped for their Easter dresses on clearance last year, and I've been collecting little sweet odds and ends for those Sunday morning baskets. But, most of all, I want our girls to understand why we celebrate Easter... one of my very favorite holidays!

New life at sunrise... ahh, I know I said it before, but spring just couldn't be a more perfect backdrop could it?

A new tradition for us to begin this year will hopefully make things egg-citing. If you're looking for a visual, easy way to share the Resurrection story with your kiddos I suggest ordering these eggs. Unfortunately the $7.99 ones are no longer available, but you could likely find something similar at your local Christian bookstore.

Another alternative is to make your own... most of the items could totally be collected from around your home. Love that!

:)
~Katrina

Easter Tide

More Easter to come. Until then, isn't Spring the perfect backdrop for this holiday? :)

Wishing you sunshine,
Katrina