Search Results for: blog how to have a campfire in the backyard

Great American Backyard Campout

Get out your tents and marshmallows; it’s time to go camping. Only you won’t have to travel far to tell ghost stories and roast hot dogs if you are participating in the National Wildlife Federation’s 2009 Great American Backyard Campout. The event takes place tomorrow and is designed to encourage families to tap into the myriad of resources available that promote communing with nature just steps from your own home. If you hate bugs, pit toilets and being without running water, then your backyard is the ideal place to pitch a tent and give your kids a night to remember. … Continue reading →

How to Have a Campfire in the Backyard

Having a cozy campfire in the backyard is a great way to have a low-cost and fun activity that can be adapted for kids or adults. Have a campfire as a family activity, or invite the neighbors and friends for a nice social gathering. The first thing you need to do when planning to have a campfire in the backyard is to know what the rules are for open burning and campfires in your town. Some areas allow free open burning of organic material (including wood), while others limit the time of year, time of day, the size of the … Continue reading →

Build Your Own Fire Pit

When our store-bought fire pit became a victim of one nasty storm (a tree limb fell on it and crushed a big dent into it), we started to look around for a new one. The problem was that it was out of season, so such things weren’t easy to come by, unless we wanted to special order one in the hundreds of dollars. The one we had was a clearance item at our local grocery store and cost us less than $60. It was functional and decorative and served us well. We looked around a bit and couldn’t find anything … Continue reading →

Fall Fire Danger

Fall is officially here, and with the debut of sweaters, colorful leaves and chilly temperatures comes an increase in fires–campfires. The season’s cooler weather sparks many families to light-up and gather around open flames. Whether you are hosting a marshmallow roast in your backyard fire pit or attending a fall fling at a beach bonfire, there are certain precautions you should take, especially if young children are part of the festivities. For starters, be aware that kids are attracted to flames. The bright dancing lights are hard to resist, especially for youngsters who don’t comprehend the injuries they can sustain … Continue reading →

Frugal Home Decor

As the weather gets warmer and you start planning for guests and parties, you may be wondering if your home needs a quick update. Without spending much money (or even any in some cases), you can update your home and give it a new look. Here is how. Raid the whole house Shop in your own home first. You might find some things that would go better in a different room, or create an impact if they were arranged near each other. This is the first step that many decorators do. The look around for what the client may already … Continue reading →

Get Your Body and Your Finances in Shape

With the warm weather coming, you might be more conscious of getting your body in shape for a summer full of swimming and lighter clothing. joining a gym can be a great way to do this, but let’s face it, a gym won’t do anything for your finances. Here is how to get in shape or stay in shape while actually benefiting your bottom line. Substitute your feet Make it a challenge to substitute your feet for your car as often as possible. Take a walk or a bike ride to the store if that is feasible. Is the store … Continue reading →

My Frugal Weekend Report: September 29-30, 2007

How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Was it very frugal? Thanks for coming along with me for my journey into trying to save more and spend less, especially on the weekends, when there is a lot of temptation for us to spend money in our family. So how did we do this past weekend? See for yourself. We spent the week really buckling down. In anticipation of having to make a long drive in and out of New York City on Saturday, we saved our gas by not doing any errands or trips during the week, with … Continue reading →

Five Summer Activities To Do With Your Kids

Do you only have days left in your summer?  Squeeze these fun activities into your last days of summer: Five frugal ideas for summer fun (even if they are #lastdaysofsummer squeezed into a weekend!) (1) Here’s one I would try if I could swim, a canoe trip. Sounds like fun! You don’t have to buy your own canoe, many state parks rent canoes by the hour or day. (2) When I was a kid, we would have baseball games (and sometimes stickball-that’s baseball played with a stick instead of a baseball bat) in our backyard with some of the neighborhood … Continue reading →

How NOT To Heat Your Home

Our local Dairy Queen was closed today. Not because it ran out of soft-serve. Rather, the electronic sign outside the establishment scrolled: “CLOSED due to EXTREME COLD!” Not something you see everyday. Then again, our below zero temperatures (way below—windchills here have been around 45 below zero) are not something you experience every day either. Less than two weeks ago my daughter and I were in Hawaii baking in 84 degree tropical weather. This morning we woke up in Wisconsin where the temperature was –10. (A difference of nearly 95 degrees… but who’s counting). The Dairy Queen, the YWCA, the … Continue reading →