Out and About

I don't have any idea of how summer has simply passed us by so quickly! I had intended to do a crafty project/post at least once a week and get this house into shape! :) Well, I regret to say that my house has been cleaner and we have only completed a couple of craft projects (one being shakers for a program at the library and another was adding food color to vanilla pudding to let the kids, including Ian, paint with it-both of which were enjoyed by all).

We have had many adventures and I will soon post pictures to go with our adventures. McKenna, Asher and Ian all dressed as cows for Cow Appreciation at Chick Fil A. This was a fun day where we enjoyed eating and seeing everyone else in their cow costumes! We have attended VBS in the local park, eaten lots of ice cream, gone berry picking, gone to the county fair, gone to kids' summer movies at the theater and library programs.

There are still adventures to be had but this week, we had an especially fun time at Ride the Ducks (Newport, KY). If you haven't done this before, I highly recommend it! It could be a bit pricey (as seen on the website). However, we got a great deal for a tour at 10am for $10! It was well worth it and many children and families from our church went along as well. I think it's safe to say that everyone had a blast!

Another deal I wanted to make sure I pass along is one that we found at Blockbuster today. McKenna and Asher both signed up for Camp Wannawatchamovie. For $5, kids can sign up and rent (one movie at a time) as many movies as they like for a month. You can exchange your movies (from the kid/family section) even in the same day if you wish. Kids got a cinch sack backpack with a camp card and coloring sheets when they signed up. My big kids are pretty excited and when they finish swim lessons tomorrow we are headed to exchange movies!

Deals, Deals, Deals...

So! I have so much to catch you up on! However, I will just begin with today's YARD SALE DEALS! It isn't often I get to go out to yard sales with the kiddos on Saturday but this morning we had a few in out neighborhood and I was able to get out and wander about! YIPPEE!

First stop was the house right across the street where I got the above Power Wheels with a charger and battery for $30! I bought an extra battery for $50 at Walmart (because I can't simply let the kids just have one running at a time) totaling my investment to $80. For TWO Power Wheels. Definitely my deal of the day. I also found some toys for Ian at another sale up the street in addition to some clothing items later this afternoon-all great deals in my opinion.

As we have all likely seen, it is back to school time. This is a bitter sweet time every year for me. I am so happy for my kids as one will be in 1st grade, one in Kindergarten and of course I always love going back to work and being with my students BUT we love summer at my house and I will have one baby at home as I head back to the classroom. Nathan is currently staying home with Ian and so this will make the transition a little easier for this Mommy. As school rapidly approaches, keep an eye out for those back to school ads and deals. Remember that Walmart price matches and to check out Staples as they always have some exciting deals!

I also understand that back to school shopping for clothing is also an adventure :) I will later make a separate post about upcoming consignment sales in the Georgetown/Lexington area. But, I did want to mention the Kidvantage Club at Sears. This club features a Wear Out Warranty on clothing as well as coupons for clothing. I have personally not participated in this program as I don't usually go to Sears, however, I think it is a great idea. It's also a great time to hit the clearance racks for some summer items (for Back To School and maybe even next year if you shop by season in advance).

If you are thinking of Christmas already, you may want to consider stores with layaway such as Kmart, Toys R Us, and Sears. Check these links to find the details of these stores layaway policies to make sure they are accurate and I'm sure you may find more available using your favorite search engine. The clearance rack/shelves are also good to look through right now for this purpose as well. I was recently searching through floaties, which are on sale, and McKenna and Asher found several toys in which they were interested on the clearance shelves nearby.

I hope this helps to spark a few ideas for your upcoming shopping trips

Happy Shopping!