Project: Valentine's Day Can 'O Dates

The blog Dating Diva's is fabulous if you need date night ideas. You can find them by clicking HERE!  I found them a few years ago and it is a blog that is a go to when I need some ideas on a creative date night!  I got the following idea at their blog for my man (I guess it is for me, too!).  My husband is so incredibly busy.  He is in school full time and working whenever possible.  We have cut back in a lot of areas while we are in this season.  We coupon, eat in, enjoy family nights at home, etc.  When it comes to gifts we also try to come up with something that is usable, made if possible, and fun!  

Here is the perfect thing for us this Valentine's Day!

The paint can can be bought at Home Depot for a few bucks.  

My hubby had one that he used for school last semester so I repurposed it for him!

 You can find this with free printables HERE!

How cute!  

Valentine Fun!

Big Sis has lots of prep to do for her Valentine party at school!  Her box is done while the cards and treats  have yet to be made!  With Momma to print cards, Daddy armed with a hot glue gun, Big Sis is ready to cut, write and assemble!

All Done!

Now we are ready for the party!

These turned out pretty cute,  huh! They were made for just pennies by printing them out on the computer, buying the candy on sale and using ribbon that was in my wrapping paper tote!
Click Here for some of these free Valentine printables!
You can also click HERE for the Smartie Valentine card!

Tips to Save Some Cents: At a Hotel

When traveling money can add up pretty quickly.  We have come up with a few ways to save a bit!

1. Pack food and snacks to eat in your hotel room. You can save $5.00 per kid on breakfast if you pack it!

This breakfast cost less that $0.75 per serving.  I even splurged on OJ in a box, premade muffins, and applesauce in individual servings.  I did get everything here on sale and used coupons so it came out pretty cheap. This saved us close to $5.00 a kid!

2. Do not pay $15.00 for an in room movie!  Bring or borrow a car TV or dvd player and a movie you already have.  Don't forget the cord to attach it to the TV! You can also pick up a movie from Redbox or Blockbuster Box for free.  There are usually rental boxes close to wherever yo Check out CouponDad by clicking  for Blockbuster HERE and Redbox HERE.  I never pay to rent because there are always movie codes.  Another tip:  If you want to rent 2 dvd's check them out in 2 different transactions with 2 different movie codes!

3. Pack toys and small games to play in the car and hotel room.  We like cards, wax bendy stix, a few babies/barbies, several books including a BIG collection that has lots of stories. Don't forget coloring books and crayons!

4. Go and explore the hotel.  Find the pools, is there an aquarium, courtyard, or a playground?  Does the hotel have a dining room that has complimentary coffee,tea, hot chocolate, and fruit 24 hours?

5. Pack snacks in the car to toss back to the kids.  We usually pack animal crackers, prewashed and cut fruits and veggies, pretzels, sippy cups, hulless popcorn, etc.  I have also tossed a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in as well. 

Leave a comment below.  What do you do to save on a trip?

Frugal Find - Healthy Microwave Popcorn in a Bag

Healthy way to make Microwave Popcorn!

After hearing that buying microwave popcorn for your family can potentially harm them because of the chemicals that it contains, we started to make popcorn in the big pot on the stove.  We love popcorn during our family nights (Lil Bro still eats hulless because of the choking hazard!) and sometimes stove top popcorn takes a bit too long when were playing games.  I came across a recipe on line and tried it out! It worked fabulous!

Here are a few reasons I backed away from using store bought microwave popcorn.

Popcorn bags are coated with a fluoride-containing polymer to reduce sticking; when this polymer starts to break down, it generates perfluorooctanoic acid, which has been associated with cancer, as noted in a 1993 article in the "Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine." However, the chemical hasn't been linked to lung cancer, only to prostate and liver cancer.

There is a lung disease risk associated with microwave popcorn. The flavoring in the popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl, which increases your risk of developing a lung condition called bronchiolitis obliterans, often colloquially called "popcorn lung."

Read more about it here 

Directions:

Pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into a lunch bag.

Fold the bag closed.

Put it in the microwave on the popcorn setting or microwave until you hear a few seconds in between pops.

When it is finished put popped popcorn into a bowl.  I had the following amount of kernels left so I put them back in the bag and re microwaved!  After the second popping there were only a few kernels left!

When Big Sis was little Aunt B hid M&M's in the bottom of the bowl and it was a HUGE surprise!  I now carry on the tradition and make popcorn a super fun!  By buying a big bottle of kernels you only pay a few cents for a night time treat + adding a sweet treat that is on sale plus a coupon you still have only paid a nickle or so!

Family night turned into GIRLS NIGHT!

The girls were loving the laid back movie night with a treat while

Landon slept through and Daddy was working on his homework!

Enjoy!