Some of the things that I'm thankful for today

Blessings that I can count before 7 am:

Waking up

Knowing that today is full of new mercies from God

Being able to turn off my alarm on my phone quickly before it woke up anyone else

Messages that were held for me until 5:00 instead of waking me in the middle of the night

Seeing my husband and 3 youngest all sleeping, snugly tucked in

Being able to turn on lights, heat, running water, and my coffee maker

Time to spend with God's word and the ability to have multiple copies that I can read for myself

A dishwasher to load

Evidence of snacks and dinner --God gives us enough to feed our family with abundance and choices

Greek yogurt with honey & French roast (on clearance at Target)

Clean laundry that is fresh from the clothes line (I love that smell)

Privacy to have a bath

Coworkers to text before 6 am when I have a question

Having what I need to get ready (I can remember having to stretch my shampoo, body wash, moisturizer in lean days but I realize that even having them to stretch was a luxury)

Clothes that fit and feel good for my whole family

Seeing my family (except for my oldest in a different time zone) before we all go to work and school

A kiss from my husband

"I love you" and " I hope that you have a good day" with my kids

Walking out the door

Sunshine when I went out

A warm coat against the cold

Seeing my car just where we parked it

Enough gas to take me through my day

A safe ride to work

My ID card that unlocks the door

Quiet to organize what I need to work on today

Displaced a yinzer cries haiku - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Displaced a yinzer cries haiku - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Giant Eagle to offer 10 antibiotics at no cost - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Giant Eagle to offer 10 antibiotics at no cost - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Dinners for low-income families to be served at 10 more sites in Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Dinners for low-income families to be served at 10 more sites in Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Kids Bowl for Free ( and grown-ups hardly have to pay anything!)

Our wonderful speech therapist sent me an email about this a while back but I paid no attention. However, our fourth grader is having a field trip to a local bowling alley and after working out all of the necessary accommodations/modifications, I had bowling on the brain. (When it seemed that we couldn't work things out for him to be able to participate because the 2nd floor alley didn't have ball ramps, we did a hard sell on why he should really choose something else. As soon as we had him convinced, everything came together so that he could participate with his class.)

Luckily, I'd saved the email (because I never think to throw anything out until there is just no other option) and found it quite easily. The alley closest to our home, which I know is accessible and has a ball ramp, was participating. I could sign up all of our kids (age limit 15 years) for two free games a day. I was thinking of rainy days in summer or days when I just need to take them somewhere with air conditioning. After I registered, an offer appeared for a $23.95 bowling pass for up to 4 adults (family members, babysitters, etc) for the whole summer. Since I didn't want to just sit and watch the kids bowl, I decided that it was worth it. Even if we just go a few times (or twice as a whole family) it'll work out.

The website shows locations across the country. You might want to check it out.

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

More money saving ideas are on Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom:
http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/05/frugal-friday-buy-spices-in-bulk.html

Safety Fair

We just came back from the local safety fair in our neighborhood. I was looking at programs offered by our local Children's Hospital and found that they were doing bike helmet fittings (and giving free bike helmets) throughout the city. I put it on our calendar and asked my husband to take the twins because I hadn't gotten them helmets since they were in preschool. Then when I saw the neighbor down the street teaching her kids to ride big bikes I printed out another notice and ran it out to her. Nerdy, I know, but I would have appreciated it if someone did so for me.

On my way back from an appointment I stopped in and hung out with them for a while. It was really nice. The police brought motorcycles and their bomb squad truck and local service organizations and agencies had tables inside. We checked out the Cub Scout table and the kids were given hot dogs, popcorn, and lemonade from the Kiwanis. We were even able to get i.d. kits with instructions on how to save a dna sample (which I pray that we'll never need!)

This is an annual event, but we've never made it up there before. We got to see families that the kids used to go to preschool with and the boys really enjoyed themselves. Now they're checking the yard for rocks & sticks before Daddy cuts the grass for the first time this season.

What free camps are in your area?

Search Google & local newspapers for free camps for your kids this summer. Our three youngest really enjoyed a three week day camp at our Children's Institute and it was specially designed to accomodate a variety of needs. In our area, the water treatment plant offers a camp that teaches kids the science behind purification of water in an environmentally friendly way. There is also a free camp for kids called "A Starfish can grow an arm, why can't I?" We are looking into a video game design camp for our oldest -- it's sponsored by local technology councils and is free of charge.As you go to the outskirts of our community, there are even more choices available.

For more Frugal Friday tips, go to Life as Mom: http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/04/frugal-friday-reusable-baking-mats.html