Get Outside! And Get Wet!

This may be obvious to some, or even to most, but get outside this summer! It's easy and cheap and fun!

We do not have a big yard, or fancy toys, but we get outside and we have fun.

Of course, there are lots of things to do, from walking/running to playing in the playground, from a sandbox to a swimming pool. It's been hot around here lately and water just sounds good. Of course, this could be difficult if you are in a drought or you live in a townhouse/apartment, but otherwise, get out and get wet.

There is always a simple hose. This is a favorite around our house. For watering the lawn, washing cars, filling buckets, and chasing after mommy!

Or you can upgrade to a sprinkler! Easy fun without having to carry around the hose.

If you're lucky (or if your kids are lucky) you might get a baby pool with a hose!

And if you're really lucky, you might belong to a local pool (or better yet, have your own) and just go swimming everyday.

But for now, and for us playing in the water is fun and cheap, and it is pretty limitless if you let little imaginations run wild!

Here's to a great summer! This is what works for us.

Simple Salad

I LOVE salad. I love that it is healthy. And versatile. And tasty. And can be frugal.

We've gotten some great lettuce out of our garden this year and it's made for some great meals. We easily make an entire meal out of salad, and we did that tonight. Cut the lettuce this morning, cleaned it, added some strawberries (that are still for a great price around here), found some mandarin oranges in the cupboard, had some already-cooked chicken in the refrigerator, then added some cashews and dried cranberries for toppings. And then topped it with some dressing I had made last week. A Poppy seed dressing. What a great combo!

We normally make the salad right in the bowl we are going to eat it out of, so an even amount of lettuce and toppings in each of two bowls (we like a good amount of toppings, but measure to your preference):

Salad:
Fresh lettuce
Strawberries
Mandarin oranges
Sliced chicken (cooked of course)
Dried cranberries
Cashews
Poppy Seed dressing

Dressing (adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up and Annie's Eats):
1/2 C Apple cider vinegar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C splenda
1 Tbs Dried minced onion
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp Salt
1/2 C Light mayonaise
1/3 C apple juice
6 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp Poppy seeds
Combine all ingredients through juice in a food processor and blend well. With feed tube open, gradually add oil while blending, continuing until fully blended in. Add poppy seeds and pulse until just blended. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator until ready to top your salad.
Enjoy!

Things to do this summer!

Summer is fast-approaching. And with this comes a lot more free time for kids at home. They are so excited to finish the school year, but are often bored after the second week.
I highly recommend helping kids to learn to be self-entertainers. I mean this in a way that they aren't constantly bothering you, the parent, to help them figure out something to do. Not only will this help their creativity and imagination to continue to develop, it will also allow you the freedom to still get things done.
I also highly recommend kids staying active during the summer. It can be so easy for kids today to become inactive, lazy and overweight in today's culture. Help fight childhood obesity and keep your kids active!
Lastly, here is a link to some free and cheap opportunities for you and your family this summer, thanks to The Simple Dollar.