Party Like It's 1999!!! Cheap Party Ideas!!

Over the years, we have thrown many a shindig! Parties are just plain fun, but if you aren't careful, they can get super expensive! We are in the middle of party season here at The Howard House! With one spring birthday, three the middle week of June, and another one in July, our party season is fast and fabulous!

All those cute little plates, party favors, invitations, and decorations can make a party look fabulous, but they can also drain your wallet quickly as even small items add up!! And don't even get me started on the cost of gifts!!! So in an effort to keep party cost down, our family tries to follow some helpful guidelines. 

1. Set a yearly party budget

This budget should include everything you will need for a birthday party for each person in your family. Our family only throws party for the kiddos, so that helps free up more money for the little one! With five kid's birthdays a year to plan, things can get expensive super quick! Setting a budget is important, but remember, sticking to it is what counts!

Our family's budget is around $250/year, giving us about $50/child including the cost of their presents! This may seem low but most kids have no idea what you are really spending and their expectations really play off  what we as parents feel is a must!

2. Make as many things as possible

Now not all of us are super gifted when it comes to crafts but even the most "creatively challenged" person can find some simple and easy ideas online to help stretch that budget as far as it will go. Many a low budget party has been made possible with the help of the internet, my printer, card stock, and some creative planning!

The cheapest party I've ever thrown turned out to be one of my son's favorites! 

He didn't know that the cupcake toppers cost me only the price of ink, the cupcakes were from a box, or the cupcake tower wasn't a store bought Bubble Guppy product!

3. Re-use what you already have

Of course buying new things is more fun, but many party supplies can be reused, recycled, or re-purposed in a way that no one will ever even know! If you haven't noticed, most party decorations (especially for boys) have primary colors as their main hues, making them easy to mix and match from party to party. We have a small birthday tub that keeps our leftover supplies organized, I always "shop" there first.

I have a fun primary colored table cloth that has been used over 7 times now between my three boys birthday parties! I also have lots of primary colored napkins, plates, cups, and plastic ware that easily mix and match for a fun looking table. My cupcake tower has been used at a Cars party, a circus party, a Bubble Guppy party and more, just by changing the scrapbook paper on the edges!!

4. Host parties at free or almost free locations

Just because your kid is begging you to have their party at Chuck E. Cheese doesn't mean you have to pay $25 for their cake that's the size of a cupcake or dip into your college fund to provide pizza for all your guests. There are many fun and super cheap places to hold your party. While many years we have held parties in our home, now that the kiddos are getting bigger, it's great fun to head out to a fun location. Splash pads, playgrounds, mall play places, McDonalds, and parks are some of our favorite FREE locations to hold a get-together! Even Chuck E. Cheese can be a super cheap option if you plan ahead and think outside the box!

We just held a super cheap party at Chuck E. Cheese. By holding the party around 2 you didn't have to feed our guests a meal. They allow you to bring in your own cake, ice cream, decorations, and tableware, and by going to their website you can print off different certificates to reward your child with free tokens! 

5. Rethink gifts 

As a mom who hates clutter, stuffed animals, and too many toys in the house, birthday season is a frightening time!! ;) My family is really good about asking what the kids want or need and sticking with the list, so most of the time I know what will be coming home to The Howard House! However, the cost of gifts seems to continually be on the rise, so parents have to get more creative about planning what to get their child. I always try to remember that other people will be buying gifts as well, so most of the time we try to stick with 1 nice gift and another small item. 

The last celebration we had followed this guideline to a "T". We got our son a Bible and cover for his nice gift and then I sewed him a super hero/knight cape and mask and picked up a knight shield and breastplate at Dollar Tree for $2. The material was scraps I had in my sewing basket so that didn't cost me a penny!

Birthdays are a true reason to celebrate! Rejoicing in the lives of our children and celebrating the person God made them is a wonderful way to show our kids we love them but doesn't have to break the bank. By planning ahead, sticking to a budget, reusing items, choosing smart options, and realizing that our kids expectation aren't always as high as we think, parties can be a fun and enjoyable time for both the kids and the parents!

Tasty Tuesdays: Baked Potato Chowder

Last Tuesday, I shared how potatoes can really help to stretch your budget and make a simple and easy meal.

Another delicious meal idea is to make soup. I love to make this soup at the end of the month when I start cleaning out the refrigerator. It is super easy to make and in no time you've used up leftovers that were going to go to waste and you have a filling dinner.

I like to make a large batch because this freezes so well. And even though this is the basic recipe I start with, I add anything that sounds good and it has always turned out great!

Combine listed ingredients in a large stock pot and cook until hot and thick! (About 45 mins on medium heat)

• 8-10 potatoes -peel and microwave in a covered dish until soft and then rough mash
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or your favorite cheese(it's even great with Velveeta style cheese)
• 1-2 cups cubed chicken
• Any leftover vegetables (think corn, carrots, onions, etc)
• 1/4 cooked bacon or turkey
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: 1 tbsp garlic powder 
•                  2 tbsp of ranch seasoning powder

To thicken it up into a chowder, I make a roux with flour and butter in a skillet then add milk whisking quickly until I have a rather thick pasty mixture. Slowly pour this into your stock pot while stirring.

Let me know what you think, it's a favorite at our house alone or with a grilled cheese or panini!!!

Thrifty & Nifty Thursdays: Tools of the Trade

If your broom is on it's last leg like mine, this is a great week to grab a new broom for next to nothing! I've trimmed my broom until it's pretty stubby and a deal like this is too great to pass up!

This week at Reasor's, if you take in your old broom you can get a $5 credit towards grabbing a new O'Cedar broom! They are on sale this week from $6.39 up to $7.99 so for around $2-3 you can get a brand new broom!!

Now that's Thrity and Nifty!!

Thrifty Thursdays: Cleaning out the Pantry

Oh the love/hate relationship with pantry clean-out eating......

At the end of every month, we are usually running pretty low on supplies to make full meals. My husband starts growling in jest when 4 different types of vegetables, a bean burrito, and some leftover spaghetti graces his plate, but in reality it makes for fun meals and it helps us stick to our monthly budget.

Clean-out eating is a great way to help you save a lot of money on your grocery budget, see what meals your family really like, and reduce waste!

But this past month I was concerned we weren't going to have enough to make it to the end of the month and I was gong to have to dip into next month's budget envelope. God always provides for us and this time was no different. This month our food just seemed to procreate in the cabinets and frige!

So here we are 6 days into March and I still have enough to plan meals until Saturday the 10th!

 It's refreshing to use what we have, not let things go to waste, and to be able to see almost every inch of the frige and pantry.

 I love to take this opportunity to tidy up around the kitchen as well. There's nothing like an unhindered chance to clean, purge, and take inventory.

10 Things to do at Clean-out Time!

1. Take EVERYTHING out of the cabinets and refrigerator
   It's so much easier to to see what you really have, get everything spotless, and get rid of what has been lurking about! 
2. Wash out canisters, tubs, and bins
   Spilled ingredients and spices make for a messy working area and sticky items just aren't fun to work with.
3. Wash down refrigerator and freezer
   Take shelves out and soak if possible, get in those nooks and crannies, and chip off that frozen chunk of ice. Don't forget to change our your baking soda box.
4. Wash out cabinets Now is a great time to wipe out crumbs, polish up your wood, and put down plastic shelf liners.
5. Inventory food items
   Make a detailed list of what you have left and how much. This will help later when it's time to make out our shopping list and menu plan.
6. Throw away outdated items Obviously there is no sense keeping old food in your cabinets. No science experiments allowed!
7. Record items that need to be eliminated from menu
   As you are going through items you may to start getting a feel for items that aren't being used often. Maybe you have numerous bottles of the same thing or maybe you remember the grumbling at the table each time you make a certain meal....write it down, you don't want to waste money.
8.  Organize items
   Make sure to group like items. I find it helpful to have shelves that are dedicated to certain item. Juice together, dry staples together, spices together....there's no sense in hunting down items.  
9. Label Items
   How much easier is it to look into a pantry and see exactly what you have? But when things are in canisters and baskets, you can waste precious time searching for something you need to complete a meal, or worse buy a duplicate item and waste money in your tight budget.
10. Put things back, Correctly When moving into a house, many times things just get shoved into cabinets and there was no real thought put behind where things were placed. Now is a great time to really think about how you use your kitchen and where certain things can be placed to really help you be more efficient....time is money!

Even if you only do this every other month or even twice a year, it's a great time to reevaluate your purchasing decisions, deep clean your kitchen, and get organized. All of these benefits will help lower you budget, help in your menu planning, and reduce the waste in your home. And you may just discover that green bean pizza is your new favorite meal!

Crafty Creations: Wipe Case

We headed to Baby Fest a while back, nabbed some fun free stuff, got a free 3-D ultrasound and got to see our sweet baby platypus, entered some drawings for neat prizes, and had a fun time all for Free!

I received a free wipe case in some of the samples from St. Francis, which was such a blessing since I had wanted to make a pretty wipe case with some of my leftover scraps! Here it is, so simple yet so beautiful and practical! I love things like this, it truly is the simple blessings that make life so sweet!

Crafty Creations: Nursing Cover

I got a burst of energy last Wednesday during nap time and decided to complete this nursing cover before the boys woke up!

I used my blue one I made for Woogie alot so I knew this was a great use of my fabric.

I've seen these online starting around $10 all the way up to $40 or more. The total price including boning and the D rings was under $7 and it matches all my other accessories!! Can't beat the price!!

This time, I even sewed this pocket in the bottom corner for breast pads. I never know where to stick them when I'm nursing so hopefully this will be a great place to stash them!!

Crafty Creations: Little Bench

Last fall the boys and I were on a morning walk when I saw these cute, but dirty and rusted bench pieces leaning up against a trashcan down the road from our house. I love little projects but was reluctant to take them.

I circled the block but decided to go back and shove the into them stroller. The worse thing that could happen is that I ended up throwing them away later!

Tom thought they were cute, so into the shed they went.....just waiting for spring to call their number!! With a $2.50 can of spray paint and $6.00 in wood we transformed these little dumpster finds into a sweet bench!!

I chose to make it a small bench that the boys could sit on together or that one person could fit on with plenty of room.

I'm still trying to decide on the perfect location but we are very happy with our Thrifty and Nifty Crafty Creation!!

Crafty Creations: Sleeping Bag and Matching Jammy Pants

On our little night out (when the boys stayed at Nana's house for a sleepover) we checked out the new Joann's down by 169 and found this cute and fun fabric. They had some great sales going on and were giving out good coupons!!

Before:

We have sewed so man things for Paige that I just HAD to make something for my sweet boys!!
So at 8:30 last night we decided to take the plunge and complete Grant's little sleeping bag as a last minute present! I hope to start/finish Woogy's sometime before the night of his party!!

And here is how it turned out!!! It's super adorable!! The blanket is folded in half in this picture so he has plenty of covers to wrap up in!!

After:

I can't wait to make two more!!

With the leftover scraps I was trying to figure out what to make, so I found a super easy tutorial online for making jammy pants and now Grant has a pair that matches his sleeping bag!! These only took 10 minutes from start to finish, including cutting and pinning!!

Staycation

February was an amazing month for our family! So much family and bonding time, it was truly a blessing from the Lord. If we had known what this month would have been like, we would have tried to move it to June when our new baby was due!

Feeding the turtles at the aquarium is something Grant had always wanted to do, so we splurged! I'm thinking we should have packed our own carrot strips!

Woogy loved the turtles too!!

Grant had to have a picture with the sharks and this is the one he wanted me to post, "Shiny" he said!!

Playdough is always fun, but with Dad making wonderful "abstract" creations, the boys thought it was fabulous!

We made cupcakes and ate all but 2 that same day!! Those last two were eaten by little Monsters for breakfast the next morning.....thanks for letting me sleep in honey! :)'

Sewing with Daddy!!

We also made a trip to the zoo on a beautiful day, visited Chuck E. Cheese, played at the mall, had picnics, went to the park, library, and had tons of fun while still staying under our normal family fun budget of $60!!! A staycation can be a super way to do some wonderfully fun things as a family but not spend a lot of money.

February's Fabulous Fabric Festivities

Well the festivities have drawn to a close and I just realized I had forgotten to post our last creation! I think it is officially my favorite! Between the fabric and the shape, its a true beauty!

I love this wrap style because I can size it on her and then place the snaps accordingly and then as she grows, I can move the snaps and add some sweet leggings and it will last for a while!!

I love to sew and I was so blessed to have February with my Bunny home during the day! I got tons of things finished and really got a chance to rest as well. We made 6 dresses, two pairs of shoes, many little flowers for hair, hats, bags, and dresses, a diaper bag, changing pad, 5 burp cloths, 2 bibs, an ironing board cover, recovered our headboard, and some other odds and ends.

I do hope to finish a blanket, lovey, sew some tops and a couple other dresses, and make some additional pillows with the left overs from the headboard. Now I just have to find some time!!

Crafty Creations: Purple Snap-Collar Dress

I love this little dress, well I've loved all of them, so no big surprise. The beautiful pleats in the front and the sweet collar are just to die for.

Again the beauty of this dress is that it can go with capris, or shorts as she gets taller. This was a pattern on line for a little summer top but easily made a dress just by extending the hem.

Cutie-patootie Sundress

Here is another of this weeks projects! It took about an hour and a half to make and was super simple. What took me the longest was drawing out the pattern and working on the sizing!

The thing I love about this dress the most is that as she gets bigger I can put it with bloomers, carpi pants, or little pants as a top.

That was the main reason when we found this tutorial online, we just had to make it.

The other great thing about this dress is that the simplicity made it super cheap to make as well. Bias tape was $1.89

Fabric $2.19

(which I still have enough to make a bow or flower and some other accessories)

Thread $0.25

Grand Total: $4.33

I've just started a new dress that I totally designed the pattern for and can't wait to see if it turns out. I will keep you update!!

The Long Awaited Diaper Bag!

My camera totally washed out the beautiful pink color of this bag, but I can't believe how it turned out! I am super thrilled and can't wait to carry it starting in June!

Here is another one of the flowers that I made for my bag. I made it bigger than the ones I made for the baby's hair and used a button I found in my sewing box! I love it!

There is a magnetic snap under the flower to close the bag with the flap that snaps to the front of the bag.

Crafty Creations: Headboard

Before:

After:

I have been wanting to recover our head board for sometime but with most interior fabrics costing around $25/yard or more, it was just too expensive! I had gotten this leather-like fabric about 5 years ago on clearance and man was it looking worn. Thanks to a tip from fabulous Desiree, I headed to the 71st Joann's that is closing it's doors to try to scope out some bargains!! I was so excited to find this beautiful silky fabric for 75% off!

Grand Total $11.97

Thrifty and Nifty Thursday: Sweet Deals!

A couple of weeks ago, the Children's Place had some awesome sales going on and for one day they had a code for free shipping and you could also stack a 15% off code with it, making the deals even sweeter!!

I was so excited to get some things for the boys and baby for really cheap (ie. $2.99 for tops and bottoms) and I was super excited to pick up this beautiful coat for the new baby. It was originally $29.50 but I got it for $7.75!! It has soft fir on the collar, bottom, and cuffs....I had to grab it up, since it was such a great deal!

I usually buy clothes from Wal-Mart mostly but when I plan ahead, I can get special things from places we couldn't normally afford!!

I think that's Thrifty and Nifty!

Crafty Creations: Ironing Board Cover

Before:

After:

Before:

After:


My old cover was getting so dingy, burnt, and just gross looking. Have I been cooking grilled cheese sandwiches on that thing?? I had looked at the store for a cover that was cute, but they looked so doubty and frumpy, and I wanted something pretty and fun!!

So I headed to Joann's and picked out this fun cotton floral. It's heavy duty interior decorator fabric, but was on sale and with the fabric and the cord, it was still cheaper than buying one from Wal-mart!! I'm lovin' it!

I think this would make a great gift or home warming present and you could coordinate it with any decor'!

Organizing on a Budget

In my Fresh Start post, I talked about how I really wanted to get on top of the house and get things on a schedule and organized. Well, getting organized sometimes means buying things to stash your stuff in and that can get really expensive. I love bins, baskets, and tubs but our budget just doesn't allow for my house to look like an ad out of Pottery Barn, so I decided to use what I already had on hand.

I have a cabinet in my kitchen where I stash leftover food containers - everything from french fried onion cans, Nesquik tubs, and bulk Pop-tart boxes. I don't keep a ton, just a few in all different sizes and shapes. As I buy something from the store that needs a new home I pull out a container and go to work!

This canister used to have chocolate milk powder in it. I simply washed it out and dried it and now it's ready to become a home to things like gummy snacks, goldfish crackers, or bottles of food coloring. I also used them for little toys, blocks, and hair supplies....the possibilities are endless!

My supplies are things you probably already have on hand scrapbook paper or construction paper, double sided tape, tape, and scissors. If you don't have double sided tape just use the regular tape and it will work beautifully! After holding the paper to the can to measure it I just simply cut it out and start putting double sided tape in vertical lines randomly around the can.

Then just simply wrap the paper tightly around the can and tape the seam with regular tape for extra strength. If your paper isn't long enough to go all the way around, I just simply cut an extra strip of paper and place it on the can first then tape my two sides of my wrapping paper to it.


Voila!! Finished can! It takes under five minutes from start to finish and probably cost me around $0.25 for the paper and tape, not to mention it's also re-purposing something that would go into a landfill!


Here are some of my completed canisters in my cabinets. I just decided to do fun random patterns, but you could easily coordinate your cupboards, play closet, or bath cabinet.

I also have some cute square boxes that I have covered with cheap wrapping paper. They were bulk Pop-Tart boxes and I used them to store things like Easy Mac packages, lots of Pop-tarts, and other sleeves of crackers and snacks. They fit great in my cupboards, I'm able to minimize packaging on my shelves giving me more room, and I can easily pull down the bin to get what I need to.

Here is my cute model, displaying my newest canister!! The boys love to get these down and eat Goldfish crackers out of them and I don't have to worry about the cheap paper bag getting torn or the crackers getting smashed and broken.