Kiwis and Kids and Krafts

This is such a fantastic idea, that I wish I had come up with it! For busy moms, no need to stress about whether you are being creative enough, or doing enough arts and crafts with your kids, the wonderful people at KiwiCrate.com do it for you.

Each month you receive a box with all the supplies, materials and instructions for easy, exciting and enriching activities. Aimed at ages 3-7 yrs, many can be done alone, but they are so fun you will probably beg to participate. You can sign up for monthly deliveries ($19.95), or buy a gift for someone for just 1,3, or 6 months. And to add siblings it's just $7.99. Each project is designed with children's healthy development and learning in minds, and list the areas of growth such as: Creating, discovering, gross motor, fine motor, communicating and caring.This is the perfect gift for the child who has it all!

Sample Box 

Dig Into Dinosaurs

Project One

Fossil Fun

Create your own fossils using special clay, sticks and dinosaurs.

Project Two

Stompy Dinosaur Feet

Design and make your own special dinosaur feet. Perfect for stomping.

Project Three

Dinosaur Tail

Decorate and wear a dinosaur tail, a perfect complement to your dino feet.

Plus 

 

Kaylee can't wait for her box this month. It is a Wild Safari theme. We will post pics of the journey :)

Order through here for $10 off 

 Love and exploration,
Kerry the Momster

A Monkey's Party

My little girl, who is actually not quite so little anymore, will be five this week. Yesterday we had her birthday party. Seeing as I am just about to pop with another baby, I didn't want to do a big party where I had to make and prepare an assemblage of snacks, treats and decorations. So when my daughter begged me for a party at Monkey Joe's I gladly agreed (Really, she said " I beg you, Mommy"). Until, that is, I saw their insanely off the wall prices. $300 seemed reasonable for a party of 8-16 guests, but when you look closer you see that this does not include food,cake, treat bags or drinks (except one drink for each child), you start seeing dollar bills flying out the window. Technically, the $300 only covers playtime and a visit from Monkey Joe.

The pizza, which is added on, start at $15 a pie, and one would need approximately 8-10 for a party that size. Then there's the cake:another $30-50 and goody bags:about $30, bringing the grand total for a party of 8 children to about $550!!  I would rather take a family vacation for that price.

So with suggestions from my good friend, Heather, I planned a "moving" birthday party. Right near Monkey Joe's there is a little Italian restaurant, which has "real" pizza for $12 a pie. This would go over much better for my husband's Italian family, than the cheap, tasteless cardboard they serve at the playplace. I organized with the restaurant for a party, and set up the menu ahead of time. I also brought in all our own plates and decorative things (about $30 on Littlest Pet Shop party supplies, and $30 on goody bag items at Party City). Once food and cake was eaten we moved along to Monkey Joes, where I paid admission for 8 kiddies ($10 each- and was even able to get a 2-4-1 deal thanks to an online coupon).

The children ran around, wearing off the cake and pizza until their parents had enough and decided to take them home. The only hard part was having my daughter agree to not getting to sit on the blow up monkey throne in the party room, but when I explained it was because I wanted to be able to buy he a special gift she was cooperative.

The end party total was $330, saving more than $200 and having the same activities, with better quality food! Sigh, I love bargains. So just know that you just need to look around for alternatives to save a little green.

Love and savings,
Kerry, the Momster

Discounted Diapers

How do you get 252 diapers for $20?Come frugal faeries, let me tell you my tricks.

Parenting magazine and Parents magazine often has 20% off coupons inside them for buying diapers on Amazon.com. These mags can be found free at public libraries, so you don't need to subscribe to find these coupons.

Then on Amazon.com, order your diapers and click "Subscribe", this is where you get to order a regular delivery of everything from diapers to rice. For your first subscription they give you 30% off of your order. Type in the 20% code too and Voila, 50% off a box of diapers of your choice. Remember to choose the largest box for the biggest discount!

Once your diapers are delivered, unsubscribe, and the next time you order do it all over again!
Also look in parenting magazines for coupons for diapers.com, where they give you a free box of diapers with your first order.

So the next time you are cleaning unmentionables out of the cutest little bottom, smile to yourself knowing how clever you were, and how much you saved on that diaper covering it!

Love and frugalness,
Kerry, the Momster

PS. I did it again!! Using a coupon for 20% off from parents mag and then resigning up for the subscribe and save. 50% off total!!