Free and Frugal Friday: Santa Greetings

The look of joy on a child's face when they get a chance to talk to Santa or get a letter from Santa is priceless. Luckily, there are many free options to make this happen for your kids.
I printed free personalized Santa letters for both kids and our Elf on the Shelf "hand-delivered" them.
www.lettersfromsantaclaus.com

Each year I also schedule Santa phone calls. It's fun to see the kids' expressions over the years as their perceptions of Santa change. The phone calls are sponsored by Cincinnati Bell so there is a limited range of area that they will cover.
www.cincinnatibell.com

Free Santa videos can also be uploaded in relatively little time. I liked the ease of using Portable North Pole- it only took me 5 minutes to put together a personalized video and the kids loved it!
www.portablenorthpole.tv


Another fun site for kids with free Christmas games and activities is
www.northpole.com

Traveling Thursday: Christmas Lights

Christmas light displays can be so much fun for the whole family to enjoy. There are several around the southwestern Ohio area that are great for adults and kids alike.

I really enjoy Woodland Lights. The lighted path, rides, reindeer,carriage rides and visits with Santa add to the Christmas spirit, plus it is reasonably priced.
www.woodlandlights.org

Clifton Mills is another beautiful light display and while a little more expensive, it truly is unique with a dancing light show synchronized to music. They also have a miniature village and Santa museum.
http://www.cliftonmill.com/

Whispering Christmas in Eaton, Ohio is yet another option for Christmas lights and the good news is that it is free. Go to the link below and it should be mentioned at the top of the page.
www.eatonoh.org

Of course, there is always the Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights. It is a very beautiful display; however, it can also be very crowded, particularly on the weekends. If you can arrive earlier in the afternoon and enjoy the animals while already being in the zoo before it gets dark, your chances of encountering less crowd and stress will be greatly reduced!
www.cincinnatizoo.org

If you have any other outdoor light displays to add to this post, please comment below and share with everyone.

Wonderful Wednesday: 50 Ways to Spend Christmas with the Kids

December is usually a hectic month for most of us, but I found a fun blog post about 50 ways to spend the Christmas season with your kids. Some of the things we probably already do, however, there were quite a few unique ideas. I will definitely try some new things on the list. Just click on the link and look for the 50 Things To Do With Kids in December heading.

www.domesticsimplicity.com

Teaching Tuesday: DSO Kids

DSO Kids is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's website for kids. There are interactive games, listening functions by instrument and composer, and activities to do at home. It really provides a fun introduction to the world of classical music for elementary aged kids and higher.

http://www.dsokids.com/default

Yummy Monday: Orange Creamsicle Fudge

This is a favorite treat for fall and holiday parties. People always think it is a big hunk of cheese and then are pleasantly surprised to find a piece of candy that tastes just like an orange creamsicle. I believe I found this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine.

Makes 2 1/2 pounds

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsps. plus 3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), divided
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 pkg. (10-12 ozs.) vanilla or white chips
1 jar (7 ozs.) marshmallow creme
3 tsps. orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring

Directions:
1. Grease 13X9X2 inch pan with 1 1/2 tsps. butter
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and remaining butter.
3. Cook and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat; stir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.
6. Remove 1 cup and set aside; add orange extract and food colorings to remaining mixture, stir until blended.
7. Pour into prepared pan.
8. Drop the reserved marshmallow mixture by tblsp. over top; cut through mixture with a knife to swirl.
9. Cover and refrigerate until set; cut into squares.

Frugal and Free Friday

Start Sampling is a website where you can go and request free samples of products to be sent to your home. I also use the forums where people will post other free sample opportunities. It is a great way to get free travel-size products and try some new things out.
http://startsampling.com/

Traveling Thursday: Indoor Waterparks

One of my favorite things to do is travel. I love it and think traveling and experiencing places firsthand is one of the best ways for kids to learn. It doesn't have to be an exotic port of call or expensive two weeks at Disney for the whole family to have a memorable time. A day at a new park or weekend getaway can be just as fun. I wanted to include some of the places that I've found and enjoy visiting with my kids.

Today's post includes some options for indoor water parks in the Ohio area. Now that the weather is turning cold, why not spend a night or two and enjoy some summertime temps.

My favorite indoor waterpark is actually Great Wolf Lodge. I like the multitude of things for the kids to do and it has always been very clean. Of course, it is going to be more crowded and expensive during the school breaks and weekends, but if you can swing going during an off-week or on a weekday night, it becomes much more affordable. We always try to do a Sunday night-Monday day combination right after the spring break rush and it is fairly deserted. The kids ask to go there all the time and there really is something for all ages. If you sign up for their mailing list you will get savings offers in the regular mail or thru email.
http://www.greatwolf.com/

Another popular destination in our neck of the woods is CoCoKey Resort. While smaller than Great Wolf, it is not quite as expensive and day passes are also offered. The only caveat to the day pass being that it could also be more crowded since people would not have to stay overnight at the hotel. They have plenty to do for younger kids and older kids so it is perfect if you have a large age-range in your family.
www.cocokeycincinnati.com

Of course, the granddaddy of all indoor waterparks in Ohio would be Kalahari in Sandusky. I know it used to be and might still be the largest indoor waterpark in the country. Beautiful place to stay and lots to keep the kids busy, perhaps even a little more for the more adventurous kids.
http://www.kalahariresorts.com/oh/

I know there are others in the area, so feel free to post under comments, but keep it limited to indoor waterparks only.