Could your kids spend hours burning off that summer energy? Looking for a unique location for a play date? Maybe a place where the entire family can spend a full afternoon? Check out Palava Family Entertainment Center & Party Center in Spring!Could your kids spend hours burning off that summer energy? Looking for a unique location for a play date? Maybe a place where the entire family can spend a full afternoon? Check out Palava Family Entertainment Center & Party Center in Spring!Do you find yourself spending way more money than you want to spend on Christmas gifts for the “larger” families in your life? I always overspend my budget when shopping for my sisters and their families, because they all have multiple kiddos, plus I like to get presents for the grown-ups too. This year, I’m going with (1) family “have fun” baskets, (2) family memberships, and (3) restaurant gift cards, gifts that everyone will dig. I look forward to saving money on individual gifts.
Selling your stuff online is a great way to declutter your home and make a bit of cash at the same time. If you rummage through your closets, you can probably find several items that you haven’t used in years. If they’re in good condition, chances are someone else would be happy to take them off your hands. Curious about what kind of treasures you could list online right now? Here are 10 of the most common options that’ll put some extra cash in your pocket.
Vintage items
It looks like old junk to you, but a collector might see it as “vintage’ or “retro.” Relics from decades past (think the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s) are often more valuable than you’d think. Check your storage areas (or your grandparents’ house) for things like obsolete electronics, vinyl records and old toys. You could get $20 for a 1961 “Christmas with the Chipmunks” LP, $60 for a 1970s RCA combination TV clock radio, or $125 for a 1980s Apple II+ computer. Toys in their original packaging are especially popular with buyers. A boxed GI Joe Jeep from 1964 could fetch upwards of $200.
This summer, with my husband being out of a job, God has gifted our family with the magic of a dwindling bank account. And what a gift it is.
"How are you keeping your kids busy this summer?" my friends want to know.
Well, truthfully, I'm not. These days, we aren't keeping "busy" much at all.
And I've never been more convinced that by not having a summer of frills and thrills planned for the girls, they're developing in incredible ways. They're sewing pillows, entertaining us with math riddles and brainteasers, building forts, having tea parties with their stuffed animals, writing short stories (more than 20 combined since the beginning of June), experimenting in the kitchen, and more.
What you'll need:
1/2 cup water + 1/4 cup for later
1/2 teaspoon Borax
Food coloring (optional)
Baggies
- Pour the glue into a bowl with 1/2 cup of water. Mix well.
- Add the food coloring if you'd like a fun color (if want to get really fancy, add some glitter too!).
- In a new bowl, mix 1/2 tspn of Borax with 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir until the Borax is dissolved.
- Pour the Borax water into the glue mixture.
- Now stir, stir, stir! The more you stir, the firmer it will get!
This is a messy project, so be sure to prepare your work space! There's lots of chemistry behind this activity, so this is also a good learning experience for the kids. Have them research why the gak is firmer the more you play with it and thinner when you let it sit.
The gak will last quite a while stored in a ziploc bag, just make sure it's closed tight when you put it away for the night!
The Montgomery County Library is hosting Student Art Exhibits showcasing the works of Conroe ISD students in grades K-12. The South Library (Lake Robbins Dr) is a participant, and I was pleasantly surprised when I dropped by the facility on Monday evening and was able to view about 50 awesome art pieces created by local students. These student artists are Talented (with a capital "T")! Here's how I plan to turn this into a field trip for my little ones: