10 Week Challenge--Weekend 6

I've passed the half-way point in my 10 week journey to save money.  I will admit this past week was a bit rough on the finances.  With the President's Day sales and kids needing spring/summer shoes and clothes, I didn't do quite as well as in previous weeks.  That being said, I'm still just barely within my budget, so all is not lost.

This weekend's free activities were mostly home-based.  My oldest went to his grandmother's house for the weekend, but before he left, we journeyed into the realm of table top gaming to play The Oregon Trail, which is a card-based game based on the computer game from the late 1980s/early 1990s.  It's a bit confusing at first, but by the end, we were having a blast trying to avoid dysentery.  It reminded me so much of the original computer game that now all I want to do is track the old game down and play it.

We also enjoyed some time in the backyard since temperatures warmed up a bit from our cold week.  We started raking up the piles of leaves that have been falling all winter.  The kids had a great time playing in the leaves and swinging on the swing set while my husband worked hard on the cleaning (I'll admit, I was a bit lazy.  The dry weather has been murder on my sinuses and I wasn't feeling great). 

In the rest of my free time with kids busily playing or away, I worked a bit on my novel.  Yes, I've been writing a novel.  And no, I do not plan on ever publishing it because I am a crap writer, but it's a fun way to spend some time.  I also took a drive along the PCH this morning.  It was a gorgeous day to be out!  I wish I had gotten some pictures for all of you because the sun reflecting off of the water driving south toward Malibu was just perfection.  But, I was driving and didn't think to pull over for a shot, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

10 Week Challenge--Weekend 5

On this long President's Day weekend, we stayed home to try to save money.  On Saturday, I cleaned out some of our old clothes.  There's a website called ThredUP that is essentially a consignment store.  I ordered a bag a few weeks ago and it recently arrived for me to fill.  I will mail it back to the company filled with like-new and gently used clothes, shoes, and purses.  The company then resells what they can and responsibly disposes of things they can't.  If any of my stuff gets sold, I will get a small amount of the money either as store credit or a giftcard.  If you shop second hand or just want to be a responsible consumer, this is a great way to start.

I also made a large batch of beef stew this weekend.  I haven't made stew in what feels like forever, but it's supposed to be exceptionally chilly this week and stew is a great meal when the weather calls for it.  I can't wait to enjoy it all week!

We finished off the weekend by playing board games.  My oldest son is enjoying learning chess along with his 4-year-old sister.  My 4-year-old boy is more excited for games like Chutes and Ladders.  Overall, it was great fun for all.

10 Week Challenge--Weekend 4

Okay, I know it's only Saturday and I usually update on Sunday night, but tomorrow we're literally just staying home all day grooming the dog ourselves, doing laundry, and cleaning house.  So, today I wanted to share our fun, free weekend activity. 

After being sick last weekend, I really wanted to get out and get some fresh air.  The weather was perfect.  It's been in the 80s all week, but it was only 65 degrees outside at noon today.  So, we decided it would definitely be a great day to visit the Conejo Botanical Gardens in Thousand Oaks, California.  Admission is free and there are a few hiking paths, a connected park for the kids to play at, and plenty of beautiful views.  Parking is also free.  There is a lot which had space for about 30 cars.  I suppose you could also park on the side of the road and walk in, but it's a bit of a walk from the roadside to where the parking and park gates are located.

This is one of those places I have seen the sign for on the side of the road for years, but I've never bothered to stop.  It's in a residential community and seems deceptively small from the outside.  Without this challenge to find free weekend activities, I may never have gone.  But, it's beautiful and there's plenty to look at.  Honestly, my children were more interested in the rocks (they found some very interesting igneous and sedimentary rocks on our walk), but the plants were pretty, too. 

One fair warning to families of young children or anyone with orthopedic or health issues.  The gardens are built on a rather large hill.  Almost everything is an uphill walk and the main nature hike, which we didn't get a chance to do as we still lack the stamina after recovering from being ill last week, is considered a moderate hike.  Also, there are rattlesnakes.  We did not see any, but there were signs of snake holes in various areas.

Here are some pictures from the 2 hours we spent there this afternoon:

10 Week Challenge--Weekend 3

Well, this weekend it was easy to only do free activities.  Everyone came down with the flu except my oldest, so we all have been in bed or on the couch for the past week.  It's miserable.  Normally, with the flu shot, none of us have gotten it.  It's been about 10 years since my last bout of the flu.  But, some years, the vaccine just isn't as effective.  So, here we are. 

The nice thing about being sick is that it was a great excuse to watch a lot of movies and tv shows.  We are spending Sunday binge watching the Super Mario Bros. Super Show on Netflix.  The kids have been watching a lot of shows from the 80s and 90s.  When I was in bed away from them, I found Beverley Hills 90210 on Hulu.  I also saw a great movie called What If on Amazon Prime Video.  It stars Daniel Radcliffe and Adam Driver.  It's not kid friendly, but it is a cute love story.  The best part of all these services is that they are, combined, cheaper than regular cable is.  So, one way to save money?  Get yourself streaming services and cut the cord on cable and satellite.

My oldest did build a birdhouse this weekend.  He got the kit for Christmas from one of his many relatives.  It was a bit of work, but it was a great way for him to spend his weekend while the rest of us were sick.

Next weekend, I'm hoping to have more exciting free activities to share.  The plan is to check out a local botanical garden.  Here's hoping we're all healthy.