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About reached your stress threshold with kiddos out of school? Here is a cheap albeit free science activity to do with your kid! Everything listed here is a staple on our house so for me there is not added cost but total cost is under $3 if you don't use eggs or white vinegar on the regular. (Extras are great scrambled or paired with baking soda to clean!)

Take a jar of some sort (we used a glass Mason jar) and pour in vinegar about 3/4 of the way up. (You'll want it to cover the egg)

Gently place in a raw egg and leave for 24hrs. We did this first step shortly before bed since kids love to poke and touch stuff long before its ready.

After the wait take the egg out. The shell will react with the vinegar and disappear. Some areas on the ends may need a gentle rubbing to clear shell.

Questions to ask your kid:

How is the raw egg different?

What happens to the vinegar?

What colors are inside?

Can you differentiate the yolk and white?

Your kid will be amazed, have a little fun and learn something new. If you want to take it a step further have your older kids research why the shell and vinegar react the way they do. (and report back with the why because I'm curious too)

What other fun cheap ideas do you find around the house during school breaks?

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Stocking Savers

When did the stocking over flow and the Santa started bringing things like a Switch!? I sometimes wonder what it might have been like when our grandparents were growing up. To this day we get clementines and walnuts in our stockings at the family gathering, reminiscent of their Christmases past. I admit we are guilty too. This year a family gift is a new tablet we got on Black Friday deals.... another overly commercialized outlet in this country but I digress. This year we haven’t started the tradition that what comes from Santa fits his stocking (sort of) and what is under the tree is from us. This helps to set an expectation that explains why these gifts are so varied not only from his friends but also from year to year. Further his stocking is filled mostly with dollar store finds.In fact there are several great options for this. I thought I would point out some of my favorites.I would also remind savvy savers though that the best way to save is to not buy into commercialism,the stocking doesn’t need to be overstuffed or full of items they have no interest in/ don’t need.

Stockings: Lets start with the needed item itself! be sure to compare these and decide what you really want. The character ones are cute but they often don’t last more than a year or 2. If you want to be changing it up anyways then it’s a great option. Otherwise the simper the better as it tends to last longer. I have one that is still going strong that I picked up 7 years ago!

Growing Towels/ Toys:  These serve a double purpose for us. Often in a favorite character these grow in the bath or a jar and are reusable. The Towels making cleaning a preschool boy a tad easier as he fights the batch. The array of animals offer a few moments of peace and seem to be a timeless classic. They also dry out, shrink, and are reusable.

Books: Not just coloring books! The closeouts are amazing. This year we have a few Daniel tiger books from this as well as a memoir for my FIL. I love half price as much as the next bookworm but if you are open to finding something new this is a great place to look! I also like that they are all new so no creases or library stickers that come on the stock at half price or a library sale (though I adore those too!

Snack Containers and Kitchenware: The Placemats are awesome for creating an easy to clean surface for the kiddos both for food and crafts! The snack containers and water bottles in their favorite characters are also awesome for several reasons. They outgrow them long before they crumble and they prevent additional toy clutter. These are great for kids on the go too. It makes packing his morning snack for preschool just a tad easier.

Hair and Nail Accessories : When shopping for your young girl these are great. Pay attention to the lines though and the ingredients. There are several to choose from and ingredients will matter. That said the hair ties and accessories as well as the manicure kits are great for teens! I hereby admit that my favorite hairbrush came from the dollar store.

Crafts: The holiday kits to paint your own ornament? Great 10 minutes of peace. There are several options for the aspiring artist in your life that won’t break the bank.

Kids Puzzles: Realistically the kids are going to lose a piece or 2. It happens. I love picking up a Ravensburger or other quality one for myself at a thrift or BST but the reality is that we go through them so fast that quality won’t matter with the younger generation. With the wide selection of scenes and characters if your kiddo is doing less than a 100 pieces these are a real wallet saver. As far as how they lay (flat) the boxed versions tend to be better than the bags.

Socks: Target Dollar Spot such an awesome spot for these for both seasonal and character options. 

Candy: while these are often $1 at the store as well it can save a seperate trip. I wouldn’t go to the dollar store just for these but it is a great way to limit quantity and save on their favorites.

Batteries: I know what the commercials say. The propaganda can really make you buy into the bunny but I can tell you that in most things like kids toys the batteries at the dollar store are just as equal.

So what are your stocking stuffer favorites? What have you found in dollar sections/ stores this year?

*I am not affiliated with or paid by any of the brands mentioned in this post*

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I can see you!

Or at least I want to! The little deal of the day (or past few days) has been the new neighbors app for the Ring doorbell. Use my link to get $10 credit towards Ring products! I love the idea of being able to see BST pickups and neighborhood activity when I'm away from home. The ring doorbell is our answer. The only issue is that they run about $100 and well, that's not wallet friendly to our thrifty budget tight minds. This app however is a way to bring cost down. Not only do you get $10 but I do too! And that adds up!

Somethings to note to get us both the credit.

Download app, create an account, verify the account. Now you can see what's going on in the neighborhood from other Ring users posts! You can also report anything even if you don't have a Ring product.

Here is that much needed link!

https://download.ring.com/grK5Q3eXIS

Note I'm not affiliated with Ring. I do get credit for those using this link for this deal. This isnt a paid advertisement or endorsement of Ring.

[dommomdeals-blog]

Christmás

Each year we spend more and more during the holidays. The month of December hits our wallets hard not only in the heating bills but also through parties, events, and of course the gifts. It seems the perfect time to start a 2019 resolution just a little early. A new blog on the art of thriftiness. Soon Christmás becomes Christmas again and our wallets fatten up instead of our waistlines. (results not guaranteed- those cookies will get ya Santa.)

This year we bought for 20 people. This includes all the trimmings for our preschooler who wholeheartedly believes in the magic of Santa. The total cost was just under $250. Here are are a few of my tips*

Combine Vacation Souvenirs and Gifting: Each year we go to a few new spots. This year was Florida and with a child this is almost a given that we spent a day at Disney. Every year part of our tradition is to get ornaments for each other and for our son. These often come from gift shops on our travels and this year is no different. the roughly $10 an ornament we spend allows us to have a memory to share and keep the house uncluttered. Plus it’s fantastic reminiscing while putting up the tree. If you have kids small memorable toys or clothing from your trips is another way to maximize. This year he is getting a monorail toy from Disney that plays to his love of trains and a memory of his mindblowing trip. I always enjoy the travel souvineer myself and have received ornaments and things from my family’s travels over the years. Thus if you see a scarf or a token that is perfect for so and so on your list you can pick it up and save it for this end of year madness. Which brings me to my next tip.

Buy Year Round: We buy on our trips but also through clearance sales and buy sell trade boards.(see below) By spending a little year round we end up getting the most bang for our buck. I keep a dresser in the basement to store the items I find. I will note though that I sometimes find I overbuy because of this so I end up selling a handfull of items at most at the end of the year at the same cost to me. This year’s examples include a Thomas Karaoke machine and a box of playdoh.

Shop clearance: This year we hit it big since Toys R US pranked us all with going out of business sales (They are bringing Geoffrey back if you haven’t heard) We looked for deals on the things you can’t often find 2nd hand or on sale. I.e. Lego, Thomas the train wooden trains, Coloring sheets, playdoh, and more. We spent about $30 here and I admit I over bought a bit, but because of the great deals I got I was able to resell the items on local BSTs for what I spent or more.Which would be the next tip.

Buy 2nd hand when you can: BSTs, Craigslist, Ebay etc. can allow you to get a wanted item for a fraction of the cost. This is something I do year round not only for Christmas and Birthday gifts but also for clothing and other needs (especially for the kids!) An example of such a find might be the Thomas puzzle from Ebay or the Paw Patrol toys in his stocking this year. I personally use the BSTs so much that I now admin a few. There are free groups as well which is where I sourced the items I filled both hubby and my stockings with. (Got to keep the magic alive folks) Then of course there are thrift stores which are fantastic for kids items or the random houseware item your MIL wants. Many items are donated still in original packaging unused! I can also promise you that kids care about the item not the package it comes in so it’s a great spot to update their wardrobe or find a gently used toy. My wonderful wool winter coat cost me $2 this year at the thrift! I personally like the local thrifts or Volunteers of America here. While you may not have a VOA there are often city/ state local stores like it. We personally find that some larger branded thrifts no longer compete in the pricing to the others nor do we feel the money is doing the most good in comparison. That’s a story for another day though. At the end of the day I always remind people to donate to charity where they wish and regard thrifts like you do any other business rather than a charity. The savvy shopper cares more about the benefit to them in this regard. Where are the best prices and selection?   

Bargain Stores: Outside the thrift store, (which is honestly where I shop most) the Dollar Tree, Five Below and I are the 3 shopeteers. These are the best spots for stocking stuffers. With young kids it’s even possible to get them items for under the tree. This year a few PJ Masks puzzles made their way under the tree as Five Below gets closeout deals on things. The Dollar store is great for things like close out books, washcloths that grow in water, treats, and more. They have character lines of most major kids shows that make it easy to fill a stocking and match your child’s interests. While on this topic this is also the best spot to get your gift wrapping. This year he has PJ Masks paper which is easily $3 to $6 in other stores. Reusing bags and tissues is always the way to go but also having a cheap source is handy. They will discount their paper the day after Christmas if you are like me and want a bigger discount. While I don’t shop them often myself I think it’s worth mentioning stores like TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, and Ollies. I suspect as he gets older I may end up at these spots more for their close out deals. Ollies had the remaining Toys R Us stock this year at steep discounts!

Black Friday: Lets get a few things out of the way. The only reason you should go out on Thanksgiving is because you haven’t had any other human interaction. I am 100% for companies moving back to 4,5,6 am Black Friday start times instead of starting some crazy hour on Thanksgiving. Now obviously I am talking shopping here in the States but for others I believe this is the equivalent of Boxing Day (Though I am all for some after Christmas shopping too.) A few tips to maximizing your deal. Shop Online- Most stores offer free shipping or they offer free in store pick up. It is also easier to Google the item and see who has the best deal. This is how I buy for most of the extended family. The best deals this year were a cardigan for my MIL and a set of monogrammed hand towels for my mother at Kohl's. Total cost for both was about $7 (originally $50.) I waited in no lines and was able to quickly pick up the items I ordered when the stores didn’t offer free shipping.

Get Crafting: What is your talent? I am definitely creative so there is always some sort of craft to be done. One that we do annually with our son is an ornament. We make one for each family so about 12 total. This year it was glitter glue (dollar tree) and Pine-cones to make Christmas trees. Age appropriate and cheap! I also bake lots of goodies so that there is enough to take a tin to each preschool teacher and some to fill whatever I find for the mailman (typically a thermal mug of some sort etc) using your creativity goes a long way in the savings game.

HAND ME DOWNS: My favorite. While we don’t really use this method yet ourselves (our son is the youngest of the cousins) we do benefit from it. Great example: Thomas Wooden railway (now known as Wood) is a timeless classic that many boys enjoy and that my son is obsessed with. Last year he received several special pieces of track and a few trains that were hand me downs. HE WAS THRILLED. The year before he received a hand me down Trackmaster set. I don’t think I can say it enough. KIDS DON’T NEED A PACKAGE!!!! This is a win win win because it costs you nothing, purges outgrown things out of the house, and the recipient gets a great gift! Which brings us to the next tip.

Santa Swap: I love this for so many reasons. 1- It costs me nothing. 2- It purges things before more stuff comes into the house. Here is how it works (there are several versions online) At the beginning of December I get a trash bag out. My son and I work together to fill a sack for Santa. We put these unwanted, outgrown but usable toys and clothing under the tree for his elf to pick up (no we aren’t a Elf on the Shelf family but there is a version of this if you are) I then host a meetup with other moms who bring their sacks and we swap stuff. Leftovers are donated to local charities who use the items for the less fortunate. This year Santa will be bringing him a Green Toys Fire truck which I got free from this type of swap. I also got the gifts for the cousins we don’t see often nor have a list for through this. I purged about 3 boxes this way and only brought in a handful of items. That is a mom win folks.

White Elephant: Have you thought about how hard it is to buy for Uncle so and so or even how hard it is to come up with a list for yourself? My husband’s family found the perfect solution years ago. Find like new items you aren’t using around the house and the adults can enjoy a fun game of White Elephant after the kids have opened their gifts. The game is a blast and we save on buying for about 5 people. This means that I can re-gift or purge and it costs me nothing! This is also great for work where I often re-gift something for our holiday exchange. There are many ways to play, a quick google search will give you tons of options. Another idea related to this is a Secret Santa. Everyone draws a name and you buy for that 1 person. A Secret Santa is a great way to cover lots of kids too by each child pulling a name. A friend does this so they buy 4 gifts and each of her 4 kids receive 1.

SELL: BSTs aren’t just for buying, it’s also a great way to purge and make a little cash for your holiday shopping! This year I brought in just under $100 from old housewares, clothing, and TOYS that we had outgrown or no longer used. That’s almost half of what we spent!!! I do sell year round as I purge and while I don’t keep track it brings in $15 to $100 a month for stuff I no longer need. It’s easier than a garage sale! Ebay, Poshmark, and other sites are also great for this.

So that’s our holiday saving habits. What things do you do to save?

*I do not own nor am I affiliated with any of the characters or companies mentioned in this post. None of these companies have sponsored or paid for this post. This is a personal post referencing companies I have personally used. This is not an advertisement or endorsement of any brand or company.