Santa Clarita Aquatic Center

Today, Jen and I brought all of the kids to the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center.
Neither of us had ever been there. We didn't even know that we practically passed right by it on our trips to Wal-Mart Supercenter.
We had a blast. It cost $9 for entry for me and my 3 kids ($2 per kid, $3 for me). Well worth the price.
My littlest (3) was asking to go back "real soon" tonight at dinner. We arrived at 12:30 and stayed until 3:30. A bonus, my skin isn't all itchy and my eyes are not bloodshot like they usually are after I visit a public pool. The water must be chemically well maintained .
My oldest (8) was able to pass the swim test and jump off of the high dive in the adjacent pool. made. her. day.
There is a 160 foot water slide (kids need to be 48 inches tall) that is "awesome" according to the kids. A giant wading pool is filled with water activities and a smaller slide that my 3 yr-old must have gone down fifty times.
I know that this will be a frequent destination this summer. It was a last minute trip today so next time we will be able to plan a little better:

• Outside food is not allowed, we will pack a lunch and eat it prior to entering the facility
• There are limited shady areas so maybe we will arrive an hour or so before opening to try to snag a spot at the front of the line (good time to eat lunch)
  
• It's right around the corner from WalMart Supercenter, so we will do our WalMart shopping after swimming next time to save on gas

Sue

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers - WFMW

I've been reading the different Works for Me Wednesday posts for a while now, but this is the first time that I have my own WFMW. Yea!
The special theme this week is "Summer Recipe Edition"
Truth be told, I use this recipe any month of the year because it's SoCal. When is it not time to fire up the grill?
This is a favorite of mine as an appetizer while I'm waiting for everything else to be finished cooking... or just as a snack (frozen margarita optional).


OK, 3 ingredients, easy peasy;

1. fresh jalapeno peppers (however many you want)
2. cream cheese, flavored(such as chive), or add your own seasoning, or just plain-it's up to you
3. bacon
   

Since this is a blog about frugality, here is my cost breakdown for these 25 (more or less) jalapeno poppers;
peppers, 65 cents
2 packages of cream cheese, $3.98
1 package bacon $3.99
Cheaper than the store-bought version of poppers, and much tastier.


Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator to soften.

Clean the jalapenos by slicing off the top of the pepper and then removing all of the seeds and as much of the ribs as you can without destroying the pepper. The seeds and ribs contain the pain heat, so leave a little in if you like things really spicy.
and please, do as I say, not as I do, and wear gloves when cleaning the peppers. If you itch your eye, any time in the next 12 hours after cleaning the peppers you will be sorry. I was.



Once the cream cheese is softened, put it into a sturdy zipper bag, snip off one corner and pipe the cream cheese into each pepper.


Now it's time to wrap the bacon around the pepper to seal the cheese in the pepper. I find it easiest to lay the bacon across the open portion of the pepper, covering the cheese with at least an inch overhang or "tail" of bacon on the end. Then, begin wrapping the bacon around the pepper, covering up the tail end of the bacon and encircling the pepper in bacon.

Is your grill preheated? If not, do so, or the bacon will stick and you will just have a mess on your hands.
Place the bacon-wrapped peppers on the grill. it helps to have the loose end of the bacon on the bottom so as it begins cooking it cooks together instead of unraveling. Don't fool around with these too much or they can unravel. Don't be tempted to roll them around constantly. Move them only 2-3 times to get all the sides of bacon nice and crisp. Using tongs, remove them when the bacon is cooked to your liking. Let them sit for a few minutes to cool. Eat. enjoy.

You may notice that I don't have any photos of these cooking, or completed. I can explain.
I usually whip up a small batch of these, say 5-10. This time I made over double that because I was having a lot of guests over for my son's birthday party. (The poppers were for the parents, not the 3 year olds)
I learned a few things:

1. Use my regular, center-cut bacon that is less fatty. If the store is out of it, try turkey bacon or something.
2. Don't grill more than 5 at a time.
3. Bacon contains a LOT of grease
4. Grease can produce flames that are over a foot high
5. The firefighter at your party may laugh at you
   
6. Always keep water nearby when grilling.
7. My BIL's will eat anything (they're bachelors and like home-cooking even if it is flame-grilled)
   

For more WFMW- Summer Recipe Edition ideas, check HERE

Sue

Shoes

My kids needed shoes, bad... all three of them.
That could mean that I could spend several hundred dollars, easily.
A friend of mine has mentioned the Skechers outlet to me in the past, but I had never been there, until today. Since my kids (and I) usually choose Skechers even when there is a huge selection of brands, I figured that the Skechers Outlet would be perfect for us. It was.
TONS of Skechers shoes, all sizes and colors. All on sale... for real sale, not the phony mark up 30% so they can take off 30% later.
I purchased eight pairs of shoes for around $140 including tax. That includes a pair of "school shoes" for each of the girls. Their school has a strict dress code that requires white shoes. Girls sporty shoes that have only white (not pink, not green, not other neon color trim) can be difficult to find. Last year, I paid over $120 for two pair of almost the exact same shoe that the girls chose today.
We went to Skechers USA Warehouse Outlet 27 in Van Nuys, but there are others around Los Angeles.

To make room for the new shoes, I instructed each child to go to their room and return with 4 pairs of shoes that no longer fit, or that they do not wear. We are donating the nearly new and gently worn shoes to Soles4Souls. I see that there is a drop-off nearby. I'm sure there is one near you as well.

Sue

Lazy Days of Summer !?!

I find the pressure to have my children involved in after-school activities to be overwhelming. I watch other families and I am just amazed at how over-scheduled their children are. Club soccer, tournament baseball, dance, after-school enrichment classes, piano, guitar, etc. The list can go on and on. It is not that their children do one or two things at a time, sometimes it is all of the above. Their weekends are filled with their children activities.

The summer is worse. I understand working parents need summer camps and other activities to occupy thier children while they are at work but whatever happened to the lazy days of summer. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home and be with my children but there is still that pressure to have my children in these camps. I allowed each of them to pick two camps each. For the rest of the summer, we chose to create our own "camp."

Monday- Library and Park Day (We researched parks we haven't been to and wrote them on sheets of paper and added a few that we really love. Each child got to pick one out of the hat until the Mondays of summer were filled.)

Tuesday-Beach Day

Wednesday-Chore Day/Water Play (We agreed on a few things that we need to get done around the house. i.e clean out their drawers.)

Thursday-Field Trip (We wrote down local places we would like to visit)

Friday- FREE DAY

The best thing is that if there is a day we wake up and we feel like doing nothing-we don't have to! Before I know it, my children (9, 8,6) will not want to spend the summer with me anymore. This time we have with them goes by so fast and I do not want to miss a single moment.

Frugal Activity Tip: The AMC Movie Theatres are offering $1 movies throughout the summer on Wednesday at 10am. Go to their website to find a theatre near you.
http://amcentertainment.com

Jen

Free Parenting Programs

I was standing in line at the market, my 6-month-old first-born child in the Bjorn on my chest, and a nice lady in line mentioned Glendale College’s Parent Ed program to me. I had never heard of it. She said how she had participated in the program with all of her now grown children.
I looked into it. By now, I have taken many of the classes, from infant to 3-4 year old, and they are great. Not to mention, that they are free. Yes, FREE.
The classes usually begin with playtime for the children, then story time or music time, arts and crafts, class snack and parent discussion. Parent discussion can be anything from potty training to choosing a preschool. Classes are usually 2-3 hours long and meet once a week.
I am most familiar with the classes at Glendale College, but I know moms that have attended a similar program at Pasadena City College. Check your local college to see if one is available in your area. Ask is they have a parent education program.
Many of the classes fill quickly. I was on the waiting list for a while when I first inquired, but I did eventually find a spot.
If you are new to the area, it is a great way to meet other parents and playmates. I have met great friends that would have never met without attending GCC.

Sue

Post One

This blog is a work in progress.
We will add the following information soon;

• Cheap or free things to keep your kids busy and have fun in the summer in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale, San Fernando valley, etc.,

• How to keep your food budget under control without sacrificing taste

• Where to shop in Los Angeles for food, children's clothing, etc.,

• Links to sites that will help you in your frugal journey.

Stay Tuned!!

Jen and Sue