Music

Music is a beautiful thing God gave us. You can enjoy it by listening, playing, or even dancing to it. Lessons can be pricey. My dear sweet mother has offered to teach a few low income families kids that would not otherwise be able to ever get lessons, she also made dance costumes for years and years as a trade for my nieces. She teaches my kids for me, and I am very grateful for that. If you have a talent that you can trade for lessons, it would be a experience to remember.

Indoor Fun and Outdoor Fun

January can be hard on kids with no parks to go to. Kids need variety. A simple game is to let them color snow with a spray bottle and food coloring. The zoo animals are more alive in the winter. And instead of a big fort, make a small fort or wonderland for little figures (army guys) on a the picnic table that is covered in snow. Sometimes when the kids are really restless, I'll take them to McDonald's or somewhere with a playground, buy the ice cream and let the play for a hour. Well worth the money. It gets their energy out. The South Towne Mall has a free Dinosaur playground (by major store pad) for parents to rest, and let the kids unwind. The library is also great for story time, and you can pick up books.

Christmas Fun

Christmas time is a great time to do traditions, and lots of activities while school is out. A couple of years ago I made a cute advent calender with the help of my moms great artistic skills at computer art. Think of a cheap chocolate candy advent calender that you eat a chocolate a day. Well this is the same concept. Except you use the windows for activities of course. I always start day one with decorating my daughters grave. I want the children to know it's good to remember the deceased, and that family and friends are not ever forgotten. In no particular order I'm naming some I have in the window boxes: make snowflakes, bake cookies, drive around looking at lights in neighborhood, visit library, sing carols,  build a snowman, watch a movie, read a Christmas book, wrap gifts and play a family game. Most of the things I don't duplicate, but you can if you love doing it.

Christmas Presents

In my family we've started a tradition of present limits. The limit is 3. It makes it simple and less expensive. I don't go crazy, and the kids are still happy with it. I tell them Jesus got three presents, so do you. The gifts in stockings don't count. I like to get the kids gifts, just within reason, and not so much I go crazy. Last year we did bundle the Paper Jamz things into one present for a child. I highly suggest this, it makes present buying less stressful.

Team Sports / Lessons

Team sports and lessons can be pricey, and especially if you have a lot of kids. I'll be listing some ideas so it isn't so much. My mother and father paid for my nieces dance lessons. I think for 10 years at least. She made a arrangement for a trade. The trade was to make a certain amount of costumes in exchange for the lessons. If you have a skill you can use for trades, this will make it less, or free. Also a relative that has a great love or interest in a sport and your child is growing a interest is a good way for lessons and mentoring. My favorite way is gifts. For a Birthday or Christmas, you can mention a Zoo pass for a year, or some sort of sport or even musical lesson. This to me is great. Kids don't play with toys that much. It's the lessons that they enjoy and learn from.

Free Admission

The Tracy Aviary is doing a Free Admission every Wednesday November-February. Take advantage of this if you can.

School Shopping

School shopping can be expensive. Have a goals in mind when doing this. Budget in other words. First clean kids clothes and sort. Hand me downs are good if in good condition. Some kids like clothes that their sibling never wore. After words find out what clothes the child needs. Take notes, this helps for those of us who forget. Then look at sales, give kids a budget if their teenagers. And if you have wonderful parents like mine, they take your kids shopping for you. Thank you Dad (Von) and Mom (Carolyn).