Frugal Ideas For Halloween Costumes

I come from a long line of cheep frugal men and women. My mother has been known to tear apart a maternity shirt and make the cutest Easter outfit for my boys. Halloween was always filled with hours and nights at the sewing machine making us into whatever cartoon character we were into that year. She remade a Cinderella costume one year into a caroler for the school Christmas musical to a generic princess years later for my sister. Needless to say she taught me that an outfit should never be used for one event.

I may have been blessed with the gift of getting the most bang for my buck, I was not blessed with the ability to wheeled a needle and thread. With three young children and a love for Halloween, I found other ways to make costumes that could be used at other times of the year. Here are some costumes I have done in the past to get your wheels turning.

The Athlete. Does your child play football, soccer, cheerleader, baseball, any other sport I may have missed? They can wear their uniform and you can head out the door for trick or treating with $0 extra dollars spent. A few years ago I wore a few items I had from different races I did during that year and went as a 5k athlete. As a kid, I wore my little league outfit and went as a baseball player. We added some lines on my cheeks for effect and I carried my candy bag on the end of a baseball bat for added realism.




The Cardboard Box: Excuse me, have you heard of Minecraft? Between my husband and my 6 year old I think I have become a Minecraft expert. With some creativity and markers (and time) you can create some pretty cool Endermen, Creepers, Steve, etc. Another mom mentioned her children will be going as Box Trolls. What an awesome idea! She said you can find some information online for these types of outfits. 



The Pj's. I have found some very cute pajama sets at Target over the years. Since my boys go to a school where they don't celebrate holidays, we have been very creative on how we celebrate at school. Typically the day of or around  Halloween is pajama day at school (the teachers were thinking of a way around the rule too!) so we wear our superhero jammies that day. No face paint or extras but hey it is something.



The Hoodie: This year we will be wearing special hoodies and regular pants for costumes. I found these at Target and Meijer and they come in a variety of characters for around $15 to $20. We have a minion who will be wearing jeans with his yellow hoodie and 2 different Ninja Turtles who will wear green sweatpants to complete the look. The hood has a special mask that  comes down to create a character face and it does not impede the child's vision. Added bonus: a sweatshirt for the rest of the year.


The Hat: This usually works best for the little ones because they have the cutest hats at most major retailers. My little guy wore a penguin hat and a black sweatsuit and we were done. He hated to wear the hand-me-down chicken costume but this worked for him. If you want to add a bit of flare to the outfit and can wield a hot glue gun better than Martha, you can add some felt pieces to the sweatsuit to add a little to the outfit. I have seen monster hats that would look cute with some purple "warts" felt circles glued on a green sweatshirt. The penguin could have had a white oval shape added and maybe a bow tie. It is up to you how much effort you want to put forth. The bonus here is you are all set with an extra winter hat (trust me you should always have more than one, they tend to lose hats, mittens, scarfs, etc).

A few other things when talking about  Halloween costumes.

 

The Clearance Rack: If you remember about a week after Halloween you can find some great costumes for a huge discount. I buy them for our dress up box to play with through out the year. You can use them for the next holiday and save as much as 90%. Of course you have to hope they will still care about that princess or super hero next year and have the storage space. We have
found some outfits for 50 cents to $3 that we play with years later.




The Costume Lunch: We all know about tea parties but have you ever had a costume lunch? A few times through out the year we dress up and sit down to lunch. How much fun is it to eat while wearing a chicken costume with a batman mask? Let me tell you, it is very entertaining to see them run to the dress up box and see their creations.




Enjoy your little ghost, goblin, hero, or princess and have a safe and fun Halloween!

21 days, 1500 miles, 3 boys, 1 insane Momma

Over the past 19 days I have been on the road with my three little boys traveling the Midwest. We have been to 5 different states and had many days of adventure. Some of our adventure was where we stayed the night or a few days. We have stayed at campgrounds in tents, RV's, and cabins. We stayed with friends and family, hotels, and a large house rented with 30 of our extended family members.  With all those places I have found some universal truths about traveling with small children and I hope some of my experiences can help you on your next overnight outing with your family.

First off the bat would be packing. I had a very large plan about how we would pack and were things would go. Sadly I am a large procrastinator so an hour before we were to be on the road for three weeks, I was throwing things in bags and onto our front lawn for my husband to put in the van. He was not coming with us so he tried his best bit things were all over the place in the van. My suggestion for pack would be to try and keep like things together but keep it to the bare minimum.We packed about two bags of things we never used and they took up valuable space.

Next you need to know your child or children's limits for how much time they can spend in the car. My boys can last an hour and a half at most in the car. About when the 2 hour mark hits they start getting mean or whinny with one another so it is very important to get them out of the car and do something. We had stops along the way to accommodate this type of behavior, but at some points we just had to stop at a playground or a store to walk around before getting back in the car.

When thinking about what to eat on a camping vacation or long road trip, now is not the time to be a foodie. In my opinion you can survive on simple things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cereal, hot dogs, foil packets, etc. I know it is temping to have a huge plan of Pintrest worthy meals but YOU want to be on vacation too. It can be a bit stressful to try and figure out new meals so don't feel bad if they had sandwiches for the 3rd day in a row (my boys didn't care at all).

When we arrived at our location I felt it was important to have my boys help. My purpose was two fold. I needed a way to keep them safe and entertained, but I also wanted them to be part of the whole experience. When we arrived at a campsite each boy had a job to do to help set up the tent. My 3 year old was in charge of staking the tent down, my 4 year old worked on putting the poles together, and my 6 year old help put the rain fly on the tent. When arriving at the hotels they helped take the comforter off  (they just gross me out) and we checked the corners of the beds for indications of bugs (too many news reports watched by this momma). When we stayed with friends and family we worked on helping with whatever we could.

Lastly, we chose to keep our days to one or two activities only. I had a few days where we tried to do more and those were the days where the boys let me know, through behavior, that it was too much. Let your vacation be a time to reconnect with your family. Every night I asked my boys what their favorite parts of the day was and each night at least one of them would say the time they spent with me.

I have almost survived a three week trip where I am the only adult with three small, energetic, silly boys. It has been an experience where I have learned as much as they have. I would not change it for the world but I will be so happy when I am back in Midland. I hope something of my adventure has given you an idea for the next time you travel with your family. YOU need to enjoy the trip just as much as the kids and recharge. Happy travels!

Losing Weight......again

I miss that girl in the picture. She had so much energy and was full of life.

Weight loss has been an up and down battle since I graduated from high school. I thought in 2012 it would be my last year of dealing with that issue. I made myself a priority that year. Weight Watchers meetings were attended regularly. I made the time to get a 3 mile walk in daily, even when I had to get up at 5 am to make sure it would be done. Races became a family activity on many weekends and I had more energy then I knew what to do with.

Sadly, I started to let things slip over the course of 2013. It started very innocent at first. My water intake started to not be a priority to me. I would slack on attending meetings until I stopped all together. A few months went by and I was heading into the holidays. I started saying "I will start again on....." and that was the end of it. I spent the last year eating back up to 249 lbs.

YES! I just told you my weight. Why? Well I want to take the time to share some of this progress with you. I want others to see where I am going and how I am getting there. My other goal is that maybe, just maybe someone will decide that THEY need to be a priority in their life. You don't have to make huge changes. A small change is better than no change at all.

I will admit that those changes can be difficult to navigate. We live in a world of eat this and not that, avoid carbs, avoid sugars, eat only organic, blah blah blah, it can be discouraging to those of us who are trying to do the right thing. I am here to tell you that the only "right way" to lose weight is the way that works for you. That is why I am starting back with Weight Watchers. This may not work for everyone, but for me I enjoy the freedom of eating pizza and not feeling guilty. I just have to record the food, try to keep the points in line for the day, and move on. I know many free programs are offered out there that have similar features, but I also need the human interaction the meetings offer in order to stay on track. I like the psychology of "free" fruits and vegetables as well. An apple still has calories but on the WW plan they have 0 points. This pushes you to make better choices because we all love free. Again, choose something that can be done for the rest of your life is going to be the key to weight loss and maintenance.

In a few months I will share where I am in terms of real numbers and what has been working and not working.  If I have encountered slip-ups, I plan on sharing those as well. I hope you will join me because "I will start again on....." can be now.

Big Spoon!

Through out the years I have been to wedding showers, graduation parties and baby showers. During

these events one thing remains the same, giving sage advise to the person entering a new stage of life. I always offer the same story that has helped keep my marriage strong and adds a bit of humor to our life. Let me share with you the Big Spoon Issue story that inspired a whole new way I communicate with my husband.

When my husband and I were first living together things were all smiles and sweet talk. You know, the newlywed stage, where everything is cute and nothing could ever be wrong. This faded and the little things that I couldn't see before started to bug me. One day I was loading the dishwasher and found a large serving style spoon in the sink. I was very annoyed by this and even more annoyed that it bothered me. I fully understood that it was not a big deal and I should move on, but I just couldn't. I decided that I needed to express this annoyance. I took a deep breath and asked to share something with my husband.

I made sure to choose my words carefully because this little nothing could become a big something if the wording was not correct. Explaining that I fully understood that this was not something I should be upset about but I was still upset helped my husband understand I was not attacking him for his actions. I went on to explain that using the big spoon bugged me because it was a serving spoon for when we have company. As the words left my mouth I heard how crazy I sounded. I acknowledged that a spoon is to be used and the reasoning does not matter .

When I was done expressing my issue I was surprised that I felt better about the use of the spoon. It was no longer a huge issue for me and I felt a little silly for it bothering me in the first place. It also felt good that someone else understood my annoyance to the item, even if he didn't understand the why.

I share this story because so often we fight with those close to us because these little annoyances are not acknowledged. They are left to fester and build until we become a pressure cooker of little issues. We blow up at the person and let all the things that have been building up hit the person with one large blow. The chance to sit back and think about what is bothering us has left and we are in a state of now, no longer able to have perspective.

The Big Spoon has now become code words in our home. It is a way for us to express that we are annoyed with something. Whatever it is that we are annoyed with is acknowledged to be a non-issue item but an annoyance that we would like changed if possible. Letting the other person know you are bothered but fully understand that it is not a life or death situation has allowed us to laugh at items that may have never been discussed.

Frogs!

If you are looking for something fun to do from now until May 11th, 2014, I would highly recommend visiting The Midland Center For The Arts. Our family was counting down the days until Saturday January 18th, when the exhibit opened, and were not disappointed. My husband is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to frogs and toads, and he may have been more excited than our three boys. From seeing the creatures jumping around in their portable habitats to the sculptures and paintings of our little friends all four of my men couldn't have been happier. We spent some time making origami jumping frogs and reading in a reading area with a few froggy plush friends before we headed down to the newly renovated Hall of Ideas.




The Hall Of Ideas

Included in your admission to the Frogs exhibit you can take some time to play in The Hall of Ideas. We spent some time playing with interactive art displays, electronic science experiments and a lot of time with the musical instruments. Who knew my little men were so musical?
We tried out a small movie theater and found that they could sit still for a small amount of time. We may head out to see a Disney film at NCG this year.  The video that was played was very interesting about the history of film, showing many things I remember from my childhood.
The large building block area and farm equipment was a hit. Thankfully benches were near by because we were not going to be going anywhere for quite a long time.





If you would like to go and visit The Midland Center For The Arts, you can find them on the web at www.mcfta.org.

Hours :
Monday : Closed
Tuesday : Closed
Wednesday: 10am - 4pm
Thursday: 10am - 8 pm
Friday: 10am - 4pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Sunday: 1pm - 5pm

Admission is $9 for adults, 4 to 14 is $6  and 3 and under is free.

A great way to spend a morning or afternoon. You may find out something new about your children and their interests.

Christmas Survival Box

Every year we travel to about 5 different homes during the holiday season for family Christmas'. Each home we travel to means the boys will be getting gifts to celebrate the season and with most children's gifts we encounter the Fort Knox of zip ties, wire twist ties and other impenetrable plastic pieces. Usually we can distract the kids with some other toy that isn't so difficult to get into but then that toy needs batteries and if someone thought of the batteries, we will be at a location that does not have a screw driver. I can go on, but if you have children you know the hoops you have to go through to get the gifts open. This year I decided that we will be prepared and come with a collection of things to keep our sanity.

You can pack yourself one now and have it ready to toss in the car or in the kitchen for Christmas morning. I was able to collect everything from what I already had in the house and I am sure you have many of the items yourself (if not a trip to the local dollar store will get you most of your supplies for a low cost).

Christmas Survival Box Contents:

• Notebook and Pen   For recording who gave what, makes Thank you's so much easier!
• Batteries of all sizes
• A standard and Phillips head screw driver I have a pretty small one because I have found the screws to be usually small on the kids toys
• Plastic snack size baggies For those really small parts, especially if there are babies at the gathering, those can be played with at home.
• Garbage Bag
• Masking Tape If more than one child is there, it helps to label toys so when it is time to leave you know you have your child's new gifts
• Wire Cutters, Scissors and a Scotch Brand wrapping cutter The tools of the trade for those wire ties and plastic clam shells
• Baby Wipes  I honestly never go anywhere without these so I packed them in here too
• Last buy not least - Advil!! The toys, the in-laws, the sugared up preschoolers - take your pick, you will be glad you packed it. 

This is my survival box, what would you include in yours? Did I leave anything out that would be helpful? Please feel free to comment and let us know. Maybe your idea will help others have a Merry Christmas without the stress.

Tourist In Your Own Town - Midland

Are we theeeeerrrre yet? How much longer?
Four potty-stops later, three sibling tantrums — the reality of road-trips is often two weary parents and frazzled kids before the “fun” can even begin. There’s no need to hassle! Quality family-time is easy to achieve right in our Great Lakes Bay Region! Take a second look at your surroundings…BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN!

Explore the outdoors in Midland!


Midland always has something going on downtown and parking is usually easy down by the Tridge. Saturday mornings can be a bit tricky but if you are going to the farmers market, heading up to main street for shopping or just enjoying a walk on the rail trail, parking is available behind the courthouse (the large lot to the right of the hotel) if the main lot is full. Thursdays you can enjoy Tunes By The Tridge in the evening and as mentioned before Saturday morning is a great time to start your adventure at the Farmers Market. Many weekends the downtown area is host to an event from a chili cookoff to a classic car show. For more information please visit the event page for a specific weekend.

http://www.downtownmidland.com/events/

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One block up from main street and you will find Ray's Bike Shop. Ray's offers an unique option for touring the rail trail and around town, the surrey. They offer rentals from their fleet of comfort bikes, surreys, and pedi cabs along with a knowledgeable staff to help you find just what you need for your own bicycle travels. Outside Ray's you will find a large troll standing guard. He means you no harm and is a sculpture from a few years ago.

Downtown Midland Facebook Page

To see this years Larger than Life sculptures just head up to the main street and begin exploring.The art exhibit will be on display from June 5th to September 19th. Walking (or peddling) up and down the few downtown blocks you will smell the sweet aroma of Heather and Holly with their tasty sweet treats. Chocolate covered potato chips or perhaps some caramel corn anyone? If your feeling hungry Pizza Sams has a wonderful menu that includes salads, pizza and ice cream. The kids can even watch their pizza being made by standing on some stairs that are prime viewing seats for your little chef. Down the hall way is The Coyer Candle Co Shop  so mom can have a nice treat too.

Once you have enjoyed downtown head back to the Tridge area for the Rail Trail. The Midland section of the Rail Trail begins at the base of one side of the Tridge. You will note a MID 0 marker, indicating the start. At the start of the trail you can stop at a splash pad to cool off. Continue down the trail and view the river, beautiful landscaping of the homes, and just enjoy the outdoors. About one mile down the trail is Emerson Park. A great place for a break with the fish slide, picnic tables, and porta potty restrooms. Across the street from the trail you can see Daliha Hill, full bloom in August. Further down, about 2 miles from the Tridge, is The Midland County Historical Society Museum. The trail does continue 30 miles, all the way to Claire, so you have plenty of walking space to tire your little ones out.






Chippewa Nature Center and Homestead Farm is our go to place on Sundays. While you can go any day during the week and enjoy the trails and animals of the homestead farm, Sunday is the day the buildings are open and staff is on hand to help with questions about the buildings from 1;30 to 5pm.. The farm has cows, pigs, sheep and chickens as well as a vegetable garden. A school house, house and sugar house are located on the property. The trails go through the woods and offer a great way to explore nature with your budding scientists and historians. Pack a lunch and walk the grounds for an all day adventure in the great outdoors.

Dow Gardens

Dow Gardens offers a great day trip adventure for a very reasonable cost. For $5 per adult you can enjoy the beautiful flowers, ponds, bridges and childrens garden. If you think you will be back more than once (and I think if you live in the area you will) the $10 yearly pass is sure worth the price. Walk the trails, take wonderful pictures, play in the water at the fountain in the Children's Garden, you will be sure to spend a few hours here so pack a lunch.

Whiting Forest

After lunch you can walk over to the Midland Center For The Arts. A new exhibit is offered through out the year along with the Hall Of Ideas. After spending some time here drive down the road to Whiting Forest. Your Dow Gardens ticket/card will allow you access to the 2 miles of hiking trails and forts! That is right, through out the grounds is quite a few forts built by local businesses to climb on  and explore. With houses, castle and one that you can build yourself you can see your child's imagination come to life.


Be a tourist in your own town. Midland is full of fun and active things to do outdoors with your family.