#MySundayPhoto - Trip to the cinema

We decided this week to take the kids to the family films at the cinema. We love the weekend showings. At £2.50 per person (including adults) we can afford to take the kids to see a film. Its not the latest ones and they only have a small selection but it at least means the kids get the experience of going to the pictures. 

Here is the kids waiting to go in to see this weeks films :)

#MySundayPhoto - Just a stroll in the woods

We have had some lovely weather this week. Summer has officially hit us! We have been in the new house nearly a year and despite having a gorgeous woods behind our house, we have never been down there for a walk! This week we decided that we would grab some drinks and some munchies and do some exploring. 

The dog was well in his element and the kids had lots of fun. We found a few walking trails which we may explore at a later date. The kids were complaining about being tired so we left half way through :)

#MySundayPhoto : Beauty and the beast at the panto

One thing i enjoyed as a kid was going to the panto. We would go every year with the school and is one thing me and most of my friends looked forward to the most. 

At £50 for a family ticket, the panto is a little out of our reach, especially after adding on bus fare and treats. We was lucky enough to be chosen for a family ticket from our local bus company and went along to the Easter productions. I know it defeats the object on this weeks photo but I have misplaced my phone and this one was handy.  

We got to see a few familiar faces - Keith Chegwin and ITV's Anne Hegerty from The Chase. My childhood favorite Basil Brush was there as well to boom boom through the panto. 

We loved it so much that when the Christmas shows come to Nottingham, we will be saving up to take the kids for a Christmas treat.

#SMPBehindTheBlog- Get to know the mummy behind Saving Mummy's Pennies

I have a confession, my guilty little secret. Have you seen those little notes that go around facebook, the A -Z of questions, what is your favourite etc? I like to do them and like to read other peoples responses. I was recently tagged in a 20 questions post which i found quite interesting. 

I thought it would be fun to share the responses.  

#MySundayPhoto : Just a random day out at the the carvery!

One thing we do not do often enough is go out as a family. Since taking a wee blogger break we have taken the time to do more things together. The kids are not getting any younger and ill be honest.. i'm missing out on too much. 

Our local carvery had a fundraiser going on this week which we had a fantastic time at. There was little stalls and the carvery was down to £1.50 a person. The kids got their face painted and we go to play some games in the garden. 

It was a great day out, the smile on the girls faces confirm that :)

 

We Eat Wednesday: Milk and cookie ice cubes

*This has been shared on several sites so I am not aware of the original owner. I found this on Pinterest*

If you are looking for a fun or different flavour for your drinks, this is a great idea. Being kid friendly it's a great thing for kids to make too. 

#MySundayPhoto : Indoor picnic

We have had a bug sweep through the Saving Mummy's Pennies household this week. We had planned a picnic with it being half term but the kids were too ill to go out. Not wanting to see them disappointed, we raided our cupboards and made a little picnic indoors. 

I think the cheese on little K's face says it all :D 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 50: You've been elfed! Free printable

This looks like a little bit of fun for the Christmas period.

Simply download and print off your elf template from Elf Magic and have a fun crafty hour with the kids.. or big kids. Printed on a smaller scale they would make nice personalized tags or on a bigger scale i could see a garland of Bennett elfs on the wall, for a more quirky decoration. 

Click here to print your own elf template. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 20 - Fun ways to count down Christmas

One of the most brought items during Christmas are advent calender's. I try to make one each year and put small toys or items in them instead of chocolate.

While browsing i come across several fun ways to build up the Christmas excitement which do not involve chocolate.

Here are some of my favourites.

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 19 - Christmas Traditions printable

We all have a tradition at Christmas. I have lots of them, many passed down from traditions our parents and grandparents. When my kids were 4 i started one in my house, allowing them to open one present on Christmas eve night. Each year i buy Christmas pyjamas, a dressing gown and a pair of slippers. We would all get changed into our new nightwear and watch a Christmas film, while snuggled under a blanket, drinking a hot chocolate. Many families do this as well, but it is a tradition that was new for us and one i am happy to continue. I love to build up the excitement of Christmas, i am a firm believer that Christmas should be special. Its the once time of the year where we are guaranteed to be together for the whole day so we cherish every second of it and fill the day with as many fun, family things we can think of. 

While browsing for deals, i come across this printable over at Create Craft Love which i just love! There is some great ideas on here and a sure way to get the kids involved in the festive period. 

Click here to see the printable on Create Craft Love

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 14 - Ideas for crafty Christmas tags

  

This Christmas, i have been exploring options regarding wrapping my Christmas gifts. I have already decided to use brown paper which i am currently collecting from parcels that arrive and cheap rolls in poundshop. I wanted something different to the usual Christmas tags and am toying with the idea of making my own.

I have a budget for wrapping paper, ribbon and tags anyways so ill be using this to buy the items needed to make mine.

Here is 10 of my favourite looking tags.

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 9 - Salt dough recipe

In order to keep costs down at Christmas, we make our own decorations, We always buy at least one new one a year for the tree but the majority of them will be handmade and upcycled items. 

Salt dough is by far the cheapest thing to make decorations with. It is easy to make and to work with, cheap to make and fun for the kids. 

Here is an easy recipe

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 6: Decorate a mug for cheap gifts.

As a TA one of the best things i received was colourful mug, with a options sachet, a candy cane and a small bag of marshmallows in it. The parent knew me so well and to me it was the most thoughtful present anyone could get me. What made it even more lovely was that the child i had grown very find of, had decorated it herself. 

They are really simple to make, with the only upfront cost being the sharpies and the mugs. I made several for teachers and family last year for Christmas and plan on doing the same again this year. 

I heart arts n crafts has a fab tutorial on how to do it and how to set the artwork so that it does not smudge. Even though its a fathers day mug in this tutorial, i really like it and think the girls would love to make one for their dad for Christmas. 

Click here to go to the tutorial 

#MakeItMonday: Turn those used tea bags into art!

I do like my tea. Maybe more than i should but how many times does tea bags and art appear in the same sentence? Rarely, very rarely. I found this over at Teaching 2 and 3 year olds. Its an idea i have neither heard of nor tried but one to keep the little uns busy for an hour over half term. 

Say Yes To Odd Socks!

You may have a routine when it comes too washing socks, i pair them together loosely or if there is enough, i wash them all inside an empty pillow case. When i empty the washing machine though.... 

Frugal Friday: Leave the elves a doughnut this christmas

With 3 weeks until Christmas, all parents are on the hunt for things to make the day extra special. I saw this on facebook and thought it was so cute and so cheap i had to share it! I must add this is not my creation. I have linked the site at the end of the post. 

A - Z of summer: Day 9 - I

Day 9 is the letter I - Imaginative play.

A- Z of summer: Day 8 - H

Day 8 is the letter H. The topic is Hunting treasure.

I have not actually done this yet as it has been raining but it is on my list of things to do. We have been before and had lots of fun. I just don't have any pictures of the day.

Geocaching

A- Z of summer: Day 7 - G

The letter for day 7 is G. Today we played Golf

I am a big fan of supporting local businesses. I spent many days trawling the net to find family friendly days out which are good value for money and was shocked by the many things that Nottingham has to offer.

Coming from London i am used to the obvious siteseeing, the museums and the play days or fairs, but this summer i wanted to branch out and find things my kids have never experienced.

I contacted The Lost City in Nottingham and very kindly offered a pass so we could experience their venue. I know there are some readers who are local and will already be aware of this attraction but for those who are further afield, i think you will find this post interesting when it comes to planning your next trip to the city.

A-Z of summer: Day 6 - F

Today is letter F. Our topic for today is Festivals.

At various times each year Nottingham hold a series of festivals. These are free to the public and always lots of fun. We have been here 2 years now and after hearing how amazing this was, i had to take the kids.

The Riverside Festival 

Each year Nottingham hold a festival at Victoria Embankment along the side of the River Trent. Its a gorgeous site with plenty of boats and open space.

Events this year included a dragon boat race, the Nottingham duck race, a small fairground, and a kids zone. There was also a display of steam engines and various stalls.

I fully expected the usual business stalls to be there, promoting their shops etc but there was so many things to do that it made the day so much fun.

Here is some highlights of our day.