Fun and Free Ideas for the Summer

Last Friday I wrote a post and linked up to the Creative Mama's site for Get Your Creative On. I am participating in this because I am praying it brings my creative self back to life! I used to be pretty creative, honestly I don't know where it went!! I love how Angie says it doesn't have to be crafts...it can even be something creative you did to tell your husband you love him!! I never thought of creative like that. The Creative Mama actually featured me for this weeks GYCO! Go figure! Just when I thought I wasn't creative enough! :) Well, I really don't have anything this week. I'll tell you why. I was not thinking about anything but this horrible blogspot! As my readers know, I have been struggling with doing things I want to on blogspot. I am contemplating moving to another one like Wordpress or even a web host. So stay tuned! Anyhow, that got in the way of me doing anything really productive this week. I pray God can help me get out of this rut! (I know He will!)

I have decided today I will tell more about my idea that was featured at the Creative Mama. I have had people ask me what kind of things I came up with. So here it is!

If you remember, I did two envelopes. One for family time together. One for the kids (and me) during the week while the hubby is working. All of these things are free!

Family Time envelope has these cards:

• Fort Fisher (which is a National Historical site and is free!)
• Brunswick Town/ Fort Anderson
• Moore's Creek Battlefield
• Game time
• Park
• Nature Walk
• Movie time
• Beach
• Pool (we have family with pools)
• Sunset Picnic on the beach
• Sunrise Breakfast on the beach
• Concert (our towns along the coast have free concerts every weekend through the summer, some on the beach and some in parks)
• Water Gun fight
• Indigo Farms (a local farm)

For the kids (and me) during the week:

• Blow Bubbles
• Playdoh
• Game pick (all 4 kids so 4 cards for the envelope)
• Movie day (all 4 kids plus me, this is when I can pick my fav's like the Sound of Music:)
• Beach
• Pool
• Bird Island (an undeveloped part of the beach that is only open to the public for a nature walk once during the week)
• NC Maritime Museum (yes it's free admission!)
• Bake something together
• Sunrise Breakfast
• Treasure Hunt
• Music and Dance time (this is my favorite one!)
• Sprinkler fun
• Wash the Car (sounds like a chore but all 4 of my kids love to do it!)
• Build a fort in the house and camp out
• Pajama day (where your pajamas all day and just chill!)
• Water Gun fight
• Make a card for someone

As you see some things are used on both lists. We can keep those cards in the pile to do again because it's free!!

I do actually have a list of some plantations and museums we would like to go to with the price (total for all 6 of us) written beside it. It will make it easier if we decide to do something else.

All of these are things I've heard over time or have come up with on my own. It was fun doing this too! It amazed me the things we could do for free. For example, Fort Fisher. You can take a ferry for $5 per person or you can drive the long way around, I chose the long way around! You can picnic, walk around the fort and walk on the beach all in the same trip. We just would not be attending the museum there because that is pretty pricey!

Anyway, google it and find those places that you can do for little or no money!! You will be amazed at what you find!! You can also see more of this idea here.


Please come join us Monday for our first Feeding Time-Weekly Bible Study!

Many Blessings and a Joyful weekend!
Chele

Weekend at the Lake House (With Photos!)

As some of you know, we ventured to a family friends lake house this past weekend. We had a wonderful time. It rained most of the time we were there but it was so relaxing. My brother in-law and his wife were there. Also, my husbands aunt and cousin. My mother in-law and father in-law did not make it due to car trouble. We missed them but hopefully we can do it again soon and they will be there.

We left Friday afternoon and drove 4 hours to get there. Dalton (3 years old) and Kaleigh (6 years old) were so well behaved there and back! Actually the whole weekend they were great! What a blessing! I was so concerned that they would be miserable due to not being home with their own things. God proved me wrong once again!! We had to leave Tyler (11 years old) and Austen (13 years old) home. They stayed with friends from church. They both were kept busy all weekend as well with going to local baseball games, a Christian concert and Youth Sunday. I did really feel bad that they couldn't be there but they understood they needed to be at church on Sunday. Friday night we ate, played outside with the little ones until dark and went to bed. Not much of anything that night.

Saturday morning we woke up to a threat of rain. We made our way down to the dock to fish. My daughter got a fishing pole for Christmas and has been waiting patiently to go fishing for the first time! So we made it before the rain came down. Kaleigh caught 4 fish (I think) and the first to catch anything on this trip! This is the video of it that my sister in-law took. Too cute! As you see Dalton was getting a kick out of it too! It is too funny when my sister in-law says Kaleigh hold the fish! LOL.




While it was raining the kids stayed with the ladies inside and the men got stuck down at the dock while it was pouring! My sister in-law taught Kaleigh how to play UNO. She loved it and actually was pretty good at it too!



I got a chance to fish too with my husband. I haven't done that since I was a kid. I never realized how relaxing it is! I'll be doing that again!!! We also got to spend some nice time together!



When the men made it back to the house, they were all playing inside with the kids. Dalton loved this huge ottoman!



I guess they tuckered him out! Here he is asleep sitting beside Uncle Scott!



That evening we did some smores! (Oh I love smores!!) So do my kids. You can even make these at home in the microwave for a quick fun thing to do with the kids!



My brother in-law, Scott caught a catfish that evening about midnight (which was also the start of his birthday!)



The next morning we went to fish one more time. No catches this time. Then had to clean up so we could head home to my 2 kids I missed this weekend! We plan on going back again over the summer for a longer stay. I want my 2 oldest to enjoy it too. This is something that we can do pretty cheap and everyone had something they could do there. FYI, this place was free for the weekend due to we are family friends. Not everyone has that but can at least go fishing with their kids! Dig up earth worms with them, buy one fishing pole at Walmart and take them fishing!

It was a wonderful, cheap, relaxing weekend! I can't wait to go again and spend this kind of time with my family! My husband and I do like to go on long weekends a few times a year just for ourselves. Usually to our favorite places like Charleston, SC or Gettysburg, PA. It is much needed to keep the marriage sane and healthy! Although, this was also a great time that I want to do more often!





What do you like to do with your kids for fun family time? I'm thinking cheap here! This was such a cheap way to do something different than the normal movie at home or trip to the park. Do you spend more time away from home on vacation with your husband or with the whole family? What do you like to do to get away?