10 Week Challenge--Weekend 10

We have made it to the end of my 10 weeks of free activity weekends.  In reflection, the challenge wasn't too hard.  I wish I had been able to find more free activities in the area to highlight, but my kids keep getting sick.  If I do the challenge again, I will do it in the summer when they are less likely to get sick. 

Saturday was a Girls' Day for my daughter and me.  My husband took the boys to a taekwondo event, but my daughter didn't want to go, so we had a special day, just the two of us.  We first went to the mall to explore Toys R Us since it's closing soon.  It was fun just walking around the store and looking at toys.  As a child of the "Toys R Us Kid" generation, it's a little hard to know they'll be gone soon.  Then, we went home.  My daughter wanted her nails painted, so we had some fun with home pedicures.  We also made a delicious "baked penne" (think baked ziti but with penne pasta) for dinner from scratch.  It was a good end to our 2 months of money saving. 

As for how I did on the money front, I am finally caught up on my credit card payments.  I will be able to pay off my card the day before we leave for our trip.  And since I've already paid for most of the attractions we'll be exploring through my union discounts, the trip is looking very manageable.  I highly recommend this type of challenge to anyone.  It's reduced my weekend spending and been wonderful.

 

Today, I'm packing as much as I can for our trip.  Since I won't have much time during the week with work and my kids' activities, I have finally figured out that packing a week early is the best way to go.  There will be odds and ends that have to wait until last minute, but getting the bulk of it done makes traveling with a large family so much easier.

So here is the latest list for packing.  We're going to a beach area in central California.  Temperatures range from highs between 65 and 75 this time of year to lows between 45 and 55.  My kids, at this point, are 7 (almost 8) and 4 (x2).

We also make a car sick emergency kit.  It has paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, plastic bags, extra clothes, an old plastic ice cream tub, and dramamine.  One of our three kids gets car sick every time we go on road trips, so this is essential. 

Can't wait for our trip!  I'll have plenty to share when I return.