Summer is nearly here. The countdown calendar is slowly ticking down to 0. Cue panicked and frantic last minute plans as parents everywhere realize they have to figure out what to do with their kids all summer long. Some kids are great about hanging out and going with the flow, but my kids aren’t. I can’t blame them, it comes from my gene pool. So instead of chilling at home and the pool all summer long, we’ll be busy. It’s the only way we’ll all stay relatively sane. Enter this year’s summer list full of free or cheap (just like last year’s list) to help you have a blast without destroying your bank account. 
Get Outside When the weather is nice it’s great to get outside and soak up some rays. 1. Go sliding. My kids love to use our Slip n’ Slide. It may not be as fancy as a pool, but it’s way more fun. You can even buy a Slip N’ Slide Triple! 2. Visit local parks. Whether it’s playgrounds, gardens, or trails there’s a lot to see. You can uncover hidden gems you haven’t visited before. You can even create a rating system for the kids so you can find the park everyone loves best. 3. Make a scavenger hunt and go for a nature walk to find the items on your list. For kids who aren’t reading make pictures. 4. Go on a photo walk. Give everyone a camera (old cell phones and old digital cameras are great for his). It’s fascinating to see the world through your child’s eyes. 5. Visit a National Park for free! Learn more on National Park Service‘s website. 6. Use Trail Link to find local trails to go hiking, biking, etc. 7. Try Geocaching. Per Geocaching.com, geocaching is a “real-world treasure hunting outdoor game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS enabled devices” such as your smart phone “and then share their experiences online.” 8. Go fishing. Many states and counties offer free fishing days. For instance July 6th is free fishing in California while Minnesota offers free fishing from June 7-9th. Read All About It Encouraging kids to read is a great way to keep them learning all summer long. 9. Book Club, StoryTime and more at Pottery Barn Kids stores 10. Sign up for your local library book club. 11. Earn a free book from Barnes and Noble. 12. Free Story On-Line Story Time at Barnes and Noble Go Bowling What’s better than soaking up a little AC while wearing someone else’s shoes? 13. Kids Bowl Free.com – If you sign up for this service, every week this site sends you free bowling passes for your kids to enjoy. 14. Free Bowling from AMF-no coupons or vouchers needed. Go to Camp or Class Free camps and classes available nationwide. 15. Apple Retail Store – Camp (sign up for notification now) 16. Free Lowe’s Build & Grow Kids Clinics 17. Home Depot’s Free Kids Workshops 18. Microsoft YouthSpark Summer Camps 19. Free Summer Camp: Free summer camps are available in metropolitan areas, particularly for at-risk youth. Here’s an example in NYC. 20. Low Cost Camps: Look at your local town, township, county, or region to find low-cost camps. These camps are sometimes subsidized by local government to help families keep kids active and busy during the summer. Go To The Movies Some days it’s way too hot to go outside, but you need to get out of the house. The movies are perfect for an afternoon of AC. 21. Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse: Purchase tickets for all 10 films for $5, or $1 at the box office. Movies and days vary by location. 22. Regal Summer Movie Express offers $1 films on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I recommend you arrive early as seats are limited. 23. Classic Cinemas - $1 Wednesdays showing PG or G rated films in June through August. 24. Dickenson Theaters Summer Vacation Movie Series – 8 shows for $13 or $2.50 each in June through the beginning of August. Each location has a different schedule. 25. Harkins Summer Movie Fun – At less than $1 per ticket Harkins is offering a great deal for young movie goers this summer. 26. Malco Kid’s Summer Film Fest - $2 tickets June through August 27. Marquee Cinemas 28. Muvico: Free Summer Film Fest Art & Culture Great ways to soak in art, culture, and history. 29. Free Museum Entry from Bank of America Credit or Debit Card 30. Free or Reduced Entry Fee to the Arts from Target 31. Free Walking Tours–This site is a goldmine with tours in a variety of locations including Philadelphia and NYC. Take a tour on foot, by bike, or even a food tour. All tours are pay as you go. According to the site, “Our guides work exclusively for your appreciation.” Reservations are required, and you can find information on low fee or paid group tours. 32. Walk in the footsteps of history: Free history tours in Philadelphia are available, and you can tour many national parks, like Valley Forge National Park, with self-guided tours or ranger-led tours. 33. Check local museums for free hours or days. Many offer free admission on Sundays, and evening hours that are free or discounted. Some examples: 34. Find museums with free admission–a list of NYC museums with no or suggested admission fee. 35. Look for free outdoor concerts in your area. Foodie Fun Sample new foods. 36. Seek out local farmer’s markets to get samples of food, and buy from local farmers. You can find everything from produce and meats to ice cream and pickles. 37. Look at your local grocery store to find food tasting events. Wegmans offers a variety of tasting events, events at their pubs, and more. 38. Trader Joe’s offers store tours for gluten-free customers, and often has samples. 39. Look for local food trucks to sample unique cuisine on a budget. There are a variety of apps and sites available, Eat St., Roaming Hunger, and ChowSpotter are a few. Family Fun A few fun ways to have fun with the family on the cheap. 40. Visit a bounce house/jump zone to burn off some energy. Look for coupons or discounts online. 41. Try out a rock climbing gym during an open house. 42. Look for fairs in your area. Here’s a listing of fairs in the state of Pennsylvania. Many include samples. 43. Look for an introduction workshop at your local circus school, or other performing arts schools in your area. Scour Deal Sites Look for deals on all kinds of activities on daily deal sites. Keep an eye on locations you will be visiting and nationwide deals as well. 44. Groupon offers excursions, activities, and memberships that are great for kids. 45. Concerts, zoos, and fairs were all available on Living Social in our area. Spend More, Get More In some cases it makes sense to spend a little more so you get more. These ideas are great for staycations in your local city or vacations in other areas. 46: Visiting a metropolitan area this summer? Check out CityPass for a great deal on multiple attractions. 47: Buy a membership to a local museum or attraction. Many museums, gardens, and attractions often offer reciprocal membership (an example from ASTC) that allows you free access to other museums in your local area or nationwide. See Where it’s Made 48. Visit a local factory that makes your favorite snacks. Herr’s potato chips offers a free factory tour an hour south of Philadelphia. The best part? It ends with fresh and free chips! 49. If you have a sweet tooth consider a tour of your favorite sweets. You can find chocolate tours and ice cream, but Jelly Belly offers a free tour outside of San Francisco. Free Admission for Active Military 50. The recently launched Blue Star Museum Program offers free admission to active duty military members from Memorial Day to Labor Day. What suggestions do you have for summer fun? Need More to Do? Looking for even more ideas? We’ve got ‘em! Kelly © 2013, Whalen Media LLC. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Kelly.
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When it comes to fashion we often forget about the essentials. It’s not just about which accessories fit work. One of the most important things to consider when you’re talking fashion is your undergarments. (ahem, my male readers may want to skip this post) After all underwear and bras can make or break an outfit. Skip the pantylines, the bra straps hanging out, and the ‘squish’ you get from the wrong size or fit bra. As a Barely There ambassador I receive an awesome review package each month, and I love to test out the products since I’ve come to appreciate their comfortable and the fun designs. Comfort and cute can really go hand in hand. 
While I have been wearing their products for months, I really got to put everything to the test on our recent trip to Florida. Since our trip was part conference and part fun I needed to make sure everything I brought could work for both. I received a package including a Modern PushUp bra in black, an Unlined Underwire bra in nude, an awesome smoother, and a variety of underwear including some I picked out myself at my local Kohl’s. 
The first bra (pictured above) is great for wearing everyday and especially when I want to ‘dress up’. It provides a little more oomph without feeling heavy. The pushup in the bra is just right-not too much and not too little. It also offers a smooth finish so you don’t see straps peeking out or awkward lines. This was great for the conference days, and when I didn’t have time to change between park time and events it held up all day long, and was still comfortable after 12 hours of wear. 
The unlined bra (pictured above) is great for the hot Florida weather–super comfortable and lightweight. I personally preferred to wear this as an X back, and many of the Barely There bras have a feature that allows you to change the location of the strap. QuickChange™ straps allow you to change the strap location (both above bras have this feature). This can help with whatever neckline you have, so no need to buy more bras for certain tops and fits. As far as panties go, I personally prefer the boyshorts for comfort and coverage in most cases, though I also wear bikinis too on occasion. I like that the boyshorts are low and they provide fuller coverage without feeling like ‘granny panties.’ That they come in fun colors and patterns is only a bonus. Stay Connected: Follow BarelyThere on twitter and Facebook, and check out their website for more info and where to buy.
Kelly Disclosure: As a Barely There Ambassador I received product samples and a gift card to purchase product. © 2013, Whalen Media LLC. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Kelly.
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One of the reasons I fell in love in our house was the yard. Our neighborhood is a suburban neighborhood that was built and planned 40 years ago. So while many of the houses started off the same, over the years additions and changes have made each house a little different. One of the main benefits of living in an older development is that we have sidewalks, mature trees, and larger lots of land. While our house is adequately sized (only about 1800 square feet), the yard is enormous. We have about 3/4 of an acre and the house is situated on a corner lot with a bit more space than our neighbors. This is both wonderful and terrible. We love having a yard the kids can play in. I love to garden in the yard (when I can find time). It’s also kind of awesome to be in the middle of everything but feel like we’re a bit secluded. However, the previous homeowners were an elderly couple. The husband passed away, and the wife moved into a home. The house sat untouched (and not maintained) for a long time. While they loved to garden, and especially had passion for trees, the landscape was pretty overgrown when we moved in. We had trees that butted up against both rear corners of the house, as well as a line of arborvitae (more pine trees) that cut the yard in half. The previous owners were obviously going for privacy, and planted trees, shrubs, and plants along the three borders of our backyard along with those trees that were close to the house. The trees closest to the house were removed right after we moved in for safety reasons. It was helpful that we had received the funds to do so from the seller. We also removed the trees that cut the yard in half. Again they were too close to the house, and a danger to our home so they had to go. Over the last 5 years though we’ve done some work to improve things it was a huge challenge. Many of the pants were gorgeous specimens, but placed too close together (especially the trees) so that they weren’t healthy. As much as I tried to right things after living with it for so long we knew it was time to make a change, so we decided to drastically ‘reset’ our backyard with some professional help. I contacted a local tree company, (Harlan Tree Service) and they offered me a great day rate for tree work and clearing the many shrubs at the back of our lot. When we arrived home from our vacation they had worked on one side of the yard already, so we were stunned to come home to many of our giant trees being gone. Over the next few days the crew came back to remove the rest of the plant ‘clutter’ from our yard including tons of trees, bushes, and more. I’ve been digging around for some before shots, but the best I could find are these snow pictures below. That tells you how much I loathed it! I never took pictures of the landscape there. Upon moving in we removed an above ground pool in the circular area in the middle of the backyard and eventually loaded that area with dirt and grass. Additionally we added a bridge for the kids to get up and down from the hill to the flat area below as well as using some old tree stumps as ‘stepping stumps’ for a fun natural play area. In this photo you can see a large tree on the left as well as several pine trees, and a variety of shrubs. To the right the property is lined with more pines, a crabapple tree that’s way too crowded, and so much more. 
This photo is a bit farther to the left and you can see an additional tall tree, pines, and more peeking out of the corner. Not pictured are the far right and left where there were even more pine trees! 
Here’s how the yard looked after the trees were gone. Keep in mind the trees that were removed were either diseased, reaching the end of their lifespan, and/or were too close to the other trees. 
In addition to the tree removal we got rid of a few of other things including: - the painted wood ‘bridge’ we made from an old deck for the pool that used to be in the yard
- the tree ‘stepping stumps’ that were beat up from 5 years of use
- the carpeted patio (more on that below)
- a small deck from our dining room that went nowhere (we called it the “Juliette” deck)
Removing these things was a process that happend over several days-the main part being the patio. Here is a shot of the right side of the yard with the trees still in and the horrible patio that’s carpeted. (who does that???) 
The ‘patio’ area was carpeted over (outdoor carpet, but STILL) but covered in dirt and moss and coming up in spots. The carpet covered a inch thick layer of concrete (that crunched when you walked on it) over rectangular brick pavers. I’m not exactly sure why you’d add concrete to brick pavers or carpet over it, but I image it went through several incarnations before becoming the mess it was when we moved in. While the carpet looked fine for the first two years it became obvious over time that it needed to go. I spent several days this week yanking up the stinky carpet, digging up brick pavers, and collecting concrete pieces. It’s satisfying though to have that eyesore gone! Still on our backyard reset to do list: - Find a home for the brick pavers.
- Clean up shrubs and ground cover, and rake areas to remove debris.
- Use a tiller to make way for more grass areas. We figure that adding grass will be the easiest option while we assess what we want to do with the yard in the long-term.
- Remove the ‘sun porch’ from the back of the house. The roof slant isn’t safe, and it is falling apart slowly.
We hope to have grass take over those areas by the Fall, and have a more detailed landscape plan, as well as having all the debris and extra junk gone from the yard.. Additionally we’re considering deck and patio options as well as plants, fences, and more. Most of that will happend later (in phases) but we’re considering a ‘starter deck’ or steps to use to exit the dining room to our backyard. I absolutely love demolotion phase of remodeling, so I’m a happy camper right now. What projects are you working on right now? Kelly © 2013, Whalen Media LLC. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Kelly.
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My heart aches for the people of Oklahoma this morning. I’m sending prayers and love to Oklahoma, and will be making a donation to the Red Cross. There are other organizations that are on the ground helping as well, and you can find more information at the links below. How can you help tornado victims?
Type-A Parent has a list of ways you can help tornado victims. NBCNews offers more ways you can help. Oklahomans need monetary donations to disaster relief organizations that are on the ground. Collections of old clothing and other items are not recommended at this time. If you have other ideas about ways to help, or organizations that are on the ground, please share in the comments. My heart is with the people of Oklahoma. Kelly © 2013, Whalen Media LLC. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Kelly.
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Well, hello! It’s been two weeks off of meal planning for our vacation, and it’s been fun to take a break from planning and cooking all our meals. Disney fed us well, and by far my favorite meals were spent eating and drinking my way around Epcot. As part of the Flower & Garden Festival there were stands set up with a variety of food and drinks at affordable prices. (Many under $5) Sadly this week is back to the real world and meal planning. Though realistically my waistline couldn’t handle much more vacation food! This weekend is a holiday weekend as well, so we’ll be enjoying some of our summer favorites, and I plan to keep it simple since we’re working on a big project in the backyard (more details soon!). 
Learn to meal plan and save thousands of dollars each year with my repeating meal plan which includes free printables like a year-long menu plan, grocery list and more on the Centsible Printables page. Monday: Perfect chicken,, kale chips (these are totally addictive!), and fruit salad. 
Recipes: Perfect Chicken Breasts. Tuesday: Taco night! Recipes: Taco beef recipe, Easy Guacamole Recipe. 
Wednesday: Pancakes and bacon with a side of fruit salad. Recipes: Organic pancake recipe. Thursday: Homemade pizzas and spinach salad. Recipes: Homemade pizza dough, gluten-free pizza. Friday: Appetizer night. A fun way to end our week. Saturday: Clean out the fridge night. Sunday: Hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, fresh corn on the cob, and a big green salad with strawberries.
What’s on your menu this week? Kelly © 2013, Whalen Media LLC. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Kelly.
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