Archives for May 2014

Fun & Frugal Ways to Keep Your Kids Cool This Summer

05/28/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Welcome to summertime in the A-T-L, known specifically for its stifling hot, humid temps – and we’re already getting a good dose of this just within the past few days, with highs in the mid-to-upper 90s. Sheesh. For me, that means, I’ve got to get a bit creative in how I not only keep my 5- and 2-year-old entertained this summer, but also keep my fair-skinned gingers cool and protected from the sun.

Here’s a handful of fun and frugal ways to keep YOUR kids cool this summer – all kid-tested, and mother (mostly) approved. Just don’t be afraid to get a little messy in the process. 😉 [Read more…]

Keep on saving! :o)
--Barbara
**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Filed Under: Frugal Parenting, parenting

Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat Around Atlanta – Part 2

05/16/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

They don’t call it “Hotlanta” for nothing, that’s for sure. Although Summer 2013 was drenched considerably with rain for the Atlanta area, who knows what’s in store for this summer!? Hot, humid seemingly-never-ending heat seems par for the course in the southeast, come June, July, and August.

But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer! Atlanta is home to quite a few fun, free, and frugal ways to stay cool during the dog days of summer. Be prepared with this extensive list of free and frugal ways to beat the heat around Atlanta this summer!

I’ve broken the guide in to three parts: splash parks/pads, water parks and attractions, and indoor places.
Check out these aquatic centers and attractions. While some are not necessarily “frugal”, it may be worth a shot to mix it up during the summer heat, offering a special treat for the family:

Cumming Aquatic Center offers classes, lessons and more – there’s something for everyone here. Features include several different levels of diving boards, indoor and outdoor pools, and opportunities for intense swimming and diving lessons. The outdoor facilities are open during the summer, from May through September, and features a slide, a lazy river, and a play structure for children. The outdoor area also features four cabanas for birthday parties and three giant umbrellas for shade {FREE for kids 2 and under; up to $5 admission; or passes for longterm use}
Gwinnett Aquatic Centers, including the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center,offer walk-in pools, sprayers, slides, floating rivers, and more! With locations throughout the county, there’s bound to be a center near you. Please note: all pools are closed for maintenance 5-17-13 through 5-24-13. {Residents: $3.25 – $5.50; non-residents: $6.25 – $10.50}
Cherokee County Aquatic Center offers indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a super-cool water playground, two water slides, beach entry, pavilions, concessions, and more! There is also a special splash park at Cline Park as well. {FREE for kids 2 and under; up to $6 admission for adults and kids over age 2}
photo courtesy of Cherokee County Aquatics
Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park or “Lanier World” will keep you occupied and entertained for at least an entire day! The Raging River sends older kids down rapid, complete with splashy turns. Wild Waves is the states largest wave pool (And it’s got a kid-size version, Wiggle Wave.) There’s also their splash park, Kiddie Lagoon; as well as a swim area and beach area. Then there’s the ultimate “floating playground” – Aquatic Adventures, along with several thrilling water slides for kids over 42″ tall. {FREE for kids 2 and under; children and adults range from $12 to $35}

Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park – photo courtesy of http://www.lakelanierislands.com

In addition to diving boards, shaded kiddie pool, and concession stand at Wills Park Pool, they also host “Dive-In Movie” nights during the summer! Located in Alpharetta. {$3/person/day}
Six Flags Over Georgia – Ok, yeah, not necessarily a water park, but they DO have a handful of good water rides. They, um, always leave me with wet britches, at least. And now, two words: Hurricane Harbor! Discount tickets frequently available via local establishments, like McDonalds (online promo code: MCDatl to save up to $20) and from a good ol’ Coke can.
South Cobb Aquatic Center, located in Austell, is one of six aquatic centers in the county; it includes slides, diving boards, and a lazy river. {$2.12 – $4.50 daily admission}
Stone Mountain’s Geyser Towers is a great option for anyone over 32″ tall. With an intricate web of nets and tunnels, kids enjoy occasional splashes. {Individual Attraction Tickets: Adults: $14.00; Children (age 3-11): $14.00; OR Included in Adventure Pass & Mountain Membership}
photo courtesy of Stone Mountain’s Geyser Towers
And then there’s always White Water: with over 50 water different attractions, there’s something for everyone, including the 90 foot Free Fall for the adventurous types, and the wave pool and hooch river for everyone, and Captain Kids Cover for wee ones. {Buy tickets for just under $30, or group tickets for under $25}

Filed Under: around town, places to go

Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat in Atlanta – Inside

05/16/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I’ve broken the guide in to three parts: splash parks/pads, water parks and attractions, and indoor places.

Don’t feel like being outdoors, even with the relief of water? Check out these great indoor places (think AC!).

Movie theaters around the Atlanta area frequently have summer specials. Check with your local theater for details.
Legoland offers discount tickets through August. Your kids will enjoy themselves, and you can cool off, and mmmmaybe do a little shopping all at once.
cruise around the mall. You’ll get a little exercise, and beat the heat all at once! (And run in to your favorite stores, and grab some extra Shopkick points, too!) The Mall of Georgia’s Village Pavillion Fountain is in front of the mall, near the food court and front entrance — so your kids can splash and play while you shop! My kids and I enjoyed quite a few “story time” sessions at the Disney Store at Perimeter Mall — and they even had a “rewards” card for repeat participants!
The Childrens Museum of Atlanta is FREE every second Tuesday on of the month, through the end of 2014. But if you don’t want to wait, it’s $12.75 for any one over the age of 1. (Call ahead for group discounts.)
Or visit your favorite indoor playgrounds, like KangaZoom, Catch Air, Hippo Hop, Jump Jump, or Monkey Joes — each frequently offer discounts through daily deal sites, like Groupon! Admission prices varies by location, but is typically under $10 per child, adults and children under one (non-walkers) are free.
The Cooler – go ice skating or roller skating in Alpharetta! They have “Learn to Ice Skate” camps this summer, as well as public skate times. Call or hop online to check. 10800 Davis Drive, Alpharetta 30090 678-897-4250
Let your kids romp around either of the two Atlanta locations of Superior Play Systems. On Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am to 1 pm, kids can play at the big playset store to their hearts content. It is literally a playset, trampoline store, and other sports equipment store – and your kids can burn off some serious energy for three full hours twice a week – absolutely free. (Except during school holidays, during which time admission is $6 per child. Still a great deal!) Two locations: 1355 Stonefield Ct, Alpharetta GA 678-710-9237 OR 5463-A Goshen Springs Rd, Norcross GA 678-710-9238

Did I forget something? Do you have another favorite free or frugal way to beat the heat in Atlanta? Do share! 🙂

Filed Under: around town

Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat Around Atlanta

05/15/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I’ve broken the guide in to three parts: splash parks/pads, water parks and attractions, and indoor places.

Slather on the sunscreen, and bring your bathing suit to these awesome parks, all FREE, except where noted:

Centennial Olympic Park boasts a large “Fountain of Rings” for kids of all ages
Roswell’s Spraygrounds Parks (2 locations: Riverside Park and East Roswell Park, off Fouts Rd.) offer a cool relief from May (opens Memorail Day weekend) through September {$1/person/day – infants under 1 year, as well as adults NOT entering the water with paid children are FREE}
The Atlanta Beltline offers three distinct parks: Perkerson Park, D. H. Stanton Park, and Historic Fourth Ward. Each are open daily May 1st through October 1st, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s a splash pad, as well as a disc golf course, playground, and several different sports fields, among other amenities — so there’ something for everyone!
Suwanee’s Town Center Park offers visitors a the largest interactive fountain in Gwinnett County. They’v recently added sun shades to the fountain area, which should make for an even more pleasant stay.
Suwanee’s Town Center Park

Also in Gwinnett is the Town Green Fountain on Duluth’s Main street. It’s also shaded, but perhaps better-suited for older kids because the interactive fountain tends to be high and powerful.
And don’t forget Piedmont Park’s Legacy Fountain. Although currently under renovation, Legacy Fountain offers splash pad fun for kids. {FREE} And the Aquatics Center has a zero-entry pool area. {$1-4 admission}

Piedmont Park
Photo courtesy of Un-Coordinated Mommy

Check out ways to beat the heat with water parks and attractions, and indoor places. Also, if you have further suggestions, bring ’em on, I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

Create a Flower Garden for Under $30

05/09/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

How to create a Flower Garden for Under $30: No Gardening Skills required

Do you ever wish you could have a beautiful flower garden in your own backyard but feel like you have absolutely no gardening skills? Maybe you feel like you don’t have one ounce of green thumb talent? Turning an empty space in the backyard into a beautiful flower garden can be done without spending a ton of money. Here are 3 tips that will help you create a flower garden for under $30: no gardening skills required.

Use what you have.

Some people think that flower gardening has to cost a fortune. But there are definite ways to keep the cost down. Sure, it would be nice to buy all the pretty potting soil, mulch, fancy edging and garden accents, but these things are not essentials. Look around your backyard and home. You probably already have the things you need to get started.

Decide where you want to put your flower garden and start digging up the dirt. You want to get the dirt as soft as possible. If your friend has a tiller, then ask them to come turn the ground for you. If not, just use your shovel and a hoe to get rid of the grass and turn the area into fine brown dirt. Don’t worry about whether it is rich enough. You can always add new potting soil and improve the dirt next year.

Most people like to have a pretty edge around the garden. You can purchase various styles of edging stones at most home improvement stores for about $1-$2 each or you can use rocks from a local creek or seashells from a recent vacation. Be creative and don’t stress over the right edging.

Add Flowers

The cheapest way to get color in your garden is to plant seeds. But that’s not the fastest way. You can buy small flats of annuals like marigolds, impatiens or petunias for a couple dollars. These little flowers are super hardy and give you instant color.

If you have a friend or family member with an established garden, ask them for small starts of perennials that will come back every year. Every gardener needs to thin out their iris and lily bed periodically so their flowers will continue producing.

Be ready to Grow.

Most gardeners who are successful started out as completely brown thumb amateurs. You learn by doing. Plant a few seeds or starts this weekend and then watch to see what happens. Stop by local yard sales and find some pretty garden accent pieces. If you don’t like it, then keep adding something or change it up.

Gardening for less than $30

There are many supplies that you can spend money on when you start gardening but here are the basics most people typically purchase. If you really want to save money, then skip the potting soil and edgers. Borrow a shovel from a friend and go cheap on the garden gloves.

Potting Soil = $2.00 a bag typically
Shovel = $10-$20
Gardening Gloves = $3.00-$5.00
Seeds = less than a dollar a pack
Flower starts (annuals) = 6 pack typically cost around $3.00
Garden edging stones = $2.00 each
Gardening Hand tools = $5-$10

What are you waiting for? Let’s go start a beautiful garden in our backyard. I can’t wait to see what you create! And if you’re feeling really confident, or if you’ve got a gardener in your life check out the great Mother’s Day gift guide for the gardener in your life.

Filed Under: frugal living

Mother’s Day Gifts for the Gardening Mom

05/09/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Mother’s Day Gifts for the Gardening Mom

I think I’ve made it clear that I didn’t inherit my wonderful grandmother’s green thumbs. However, I know plenty of moms who are quite adept at all things gardening. For them, I offer this gift guide.

Also check out my Mothers Day gift ideas for under $50, as well as Mothers Day deals and freebies around town this weekend.

Trowel and Error: Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener $10.71

The Gourmet Gardener Gift Basket of Useful Garden Tools and Treats $102.98

Seed Keeper: Organize, Record, and Store Journal $15.27

Picnic Time Gardener Folding Chair with Tools $51.99

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy Lotion $15.00

12 Heirloom Varieties of Vegetable Seeds $15.95

Ergonomic 3-piece Garden Tool Set $27.99

CobraCo Two Tiered Garden Cart $25.84

Celestial Glow in The Dark Step Stone $10.90

Slumbering Gnome Garden Statue $18.81

If you’re feeling up to it, find out how you can create a flower garden for under $30, no gardening skills required!

Filed Under: holidays, Mother's Day

Mother’s Day Gifts for Under $50

05/09/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Mother’s Day Gifts Under $50

Mother’s Day is but a few days away, and I know there’s still plenty of y’all out there scrambling to find the perfect gift, right? Here’s a list of Mother’s Day gifts that certainly won’t break the bank, aren’t a vacuum, and will show your mom (or wife/mother-of-your-children!) how much you love her. And if you’ve got a mom with a green thumb in your life, check out this Mother’s Day gift guide for the Gardening Mom.

Also, make sure you check out all the great Mother’s Day deals and freebies happening this weekend.

Good Day – Bad Day – Don’t Even Ask Wine Glass $13.95 – I”m not a wine drinker, personally, but I know quite a few of y’all are, and could likely get plenty of use out of this one, right?

2-pack Chevron Infinity Scarves $7.99 – How. Cute. Are. These?! And did’ja check out the price?!? Seriously, you can’t lose with these scarves!

Anne Klein Perfect Medium Tote $47.19 – Again super-cute. Do I need to say much more about this?!?

Sterling Silver Diamond Heart Pendant Necklace $49.00 – A beautiful keepsake pendant is a fantastic way to show a mother how much you love her, especially if part two of her mother’s day gift is a nice dining experience!

ViewSonic 8-Inch Digital Photo Frame $42.00 – If you’re like me, you absolutely STINK at printing pictures these days. Seriously, I think I have about a dozen printed pictures of my two year old son, in spite of snapping probably a hundred a week. That’s why a digital picture frame is a perfect gift: it lessens the guilt of not printing, while still allowing you to display your beautiful babes.

Coffee Lovers Care Package Snacks and Treats Gift Box Set with Mug $45.25 – What mother couldn’t use coffee and treats?!?

Estee Lauder 7 Pieces Gift Set + Cosmetic Bag $35.55 – This. Deal. Rocks. I can only speak for myself, but I’m wretchedly awful about using make-up, let alone purchasing it. It’s definitely one of those things I’ll use if it’s given as a gift, but I won’t likely buy for myself. (Did I mention I still have blush from college?! Probably need to toss it, huh?)

Travelrest Travel Blanket $29.95 – For the mom on the go (or at home!), how comfy does this look?! If you’ve ever tried to get comfortable on a long flight with those skimpy airline blankets, then you’ll truly appreciate this.

Sterling Silver Turquoise Multi-Stone Ring $40 – Stunning. Just stunning.

Craft Mates Lockables Ultrasuede Organizer Case $27.71 – For the OCD mom, who likes compartments and organization (ME!), this organizer case has it all!

Filed Under: holidays, Mother's Day, parenting

LASIK Update: Almost One Year Later

05/09/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

It’s been almost one year since I ditched the lenses and took the LASIK plunge – a decision I have never ever regretted! While there are still brief moments when I groggily try to reach for my glasses upon half-waking up, it takes less than a split second to realize I can, indeed, see perfectly fine, unassisted.

The freedom I’ve experienced in the last year has been amazing, and I couldn’t be happier. Truthfully, I lied to y’all in my first sentence. I do have one regret about LASIK: that I didn’t do it sooner. For years, I lived with the hassle of glasses and contacts, with dry lenses during allergy season (which is a substantial amount of time for me!), praying my goggles would hold while swimming – or brave swimming sans contacts, and the sheer amount of planning involved in bringing your glasses and/or contacts with you.

The only side effect I’ve had in almost a year is my night vision seems more sensitive to light, which I notice particularly when I drive. Granted, I don’t drive too much at night, but when I do, lights tend to be a titch more blurry/haloed than before. It’s a minor effect, and really just something I notice, rather than something truly bothersome. To me, it’s worth it in the long run, considering the payoff.

How great would it be to enjoy summer activities without the hassles of eyeglasses or contact lenses? Experience the freedom of LASIK! Our highly experienced LASIK team is offering $1,000 off LASIK through May 31, 2014. Click here to take your LASIK self-evaluation test or call 855.ATL.LASIK to schedule a FREE consultation. Also, make sure you “Like” Thomas Eye Group on Facebook, so you can stay abreast of their latest deals, for when you are ready to take the plunge.

If you’re not quite ready to experience LASIK, or if you don’t qualify, check out this great deal from Coastal Contacts. Get your first pair of glasses FREE from Coastal Contacts (shipping averages about $13.00). Use code: FIRSTPAIRFREE (includes standard lenses) to get the deal. Try them on at home and if it the frames don’t fit, return shipping is free! This is available for first time glasses customers only. Shipping charges up to $20 apply. Lenses upgrades and coatings are available at additional cost.