As someone who enjoys staying home, having a regular routine, sticking to a schedule, and living a relatively frugal lifestyle, it is not likely that I will do anything overly extravagant on a daily basis — for myself, for my home, for my family, or for my friends.
- I won’t wake up and suddenly decide to take all the kids to a local waterpark for the day.
- We’re not going to meet friends at a restaurant for lunch at the spur of the moment.
- We almost never go on any family vacations right now.
- We don’t spontaneously go out with friends on a regular basis, and even any changes to our home are very thought-out and planned ahead of time.
Dave and I both thrive on routine and structure — and for the most part, our children do too.
However, there’s just something about a special surprise or a fun change in plans that can instantly cheer up even the gloomiest, saddest, kids-not-listening, nothing-is-going-right kind of day.
These special surprises and change in plans are usually very simple, very easy to pull off on my own, and they are almost always free (or extremely frugal).
I call it “Upgrading the Everyday”… and I try to do it at least once every day.
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I have a whole stash of “upgrades” I can pull out at any given moment — when the day is feeling long, when the kids are getting crabby, when we’ve run out of things to do, when the weather isn’t cooperating, when our current plans change for whatever reason, and sometimes just because I feel like doing something different.
Here are some of my kids’ favorites:
Special Snacks:
String cheese, Gogurts, squeezable fruit/veggie pouches, and fruit snacks are all snack items they don’t get regularly… but I always keep them in the house for special snacks throughout the week.
I’ll take a special snack along if we’re going somewhere I know they aren’t excited about (like the doctor’s office), if we’ll be at the park, or if we have a longer car drive somewhere mid-week.
I’m not sure how long I can keep using these simple snacks as awesome surprises for my kids… but so far, a special snack is one of the simplest and easiest ways to upgrade our everyday!
Special Desserts:
I’ll talk more about this in a future post… but our family has stopped eating dessert after every single meal (gasp… can you believe it!)
It was rough for the kids at first, but they don’t even ask for dessert anymore… which means I can use an OCCASIONAL dessert as a very special way to “upgrade the everyday”.
Sometimes we’ll make homemade ice cream and I’ll let them use whatever topping they want. Other times, we’ll enjoy seasonal goodies like fruit pies, truffles, or fudge purchased from a local bakery. Whatever the case, it’s a special treat for the kids when we get dessert!
Themed Meals:
I think I’ve shared this before, but at least once a week we’ll have some sort of a themed meal when we eat all foods of one color, all foods that start with a certain letter, a rainbow color meal, or just something a little extra special (using M&M’s to make faces on their pancakes or using a cookie cutter to cut a fun shape into their sandwich bread).
So simple… but so fun for them (especially when I throw a few surprises in their school lunches!)
Thrift Store Finds:
We have several amazing thrift stores near our house, and we usually go 2-3 times a month. The kids know that we don’t always buy something… but there are so many times when we find something fun for the kids.
Last week, we found a large jar of beads for Nora ($1.00), a race car Simon wanted ($0.50), a tiny action figure for James ($0.25), and little doll for Clara (from the free bin).
You would have thought it was Christmas around our house with how excited they all were — definitely a great use of $1.75, in my opinion!
Resurrecting Old Toys:
Up until about 3 years ago, I never felt the need to rotate toys because we had plenty of storage space, and we honestly didn’t have all that many toys, books, games, etc.
However, as we add more children to the mix and as our children get older, it has become very helpful for me to keep one large tote of toys, books, and games in the basement… ready for the next rainy day (or snow day)!
I continually keep an eye out for toys the kids aren’t using all that often, and any time we resurrect an old toy from the box, I stash a few more un-used toys in the box for later.
It’s not a perfect system, but it seems to be working well.
Of course, we still purge and trash and donate TONS of our stuff, but keeping one bin in the basement has been very helpful in my attempts to “upgrade the everyday”!
Fun Projects:
Our kids LOVE any type of craft or project — and although I don’t always get as excited about them doing various crafts, projects, or experiments in the house, I try to make time and space for them each week.
We’ve gotten some craft kits for birthdays and Christmas gifts, and those are always a bit hit.
And I always keep a healthy supply of Elmer’s Glue in the house for an impromptu Gak-making party (here’s the simple recipe for our gak)! NOTE: Elmer’s really does make better gak!
Special Outings:
Although I don’t usually go many places with all the kids, we do try to get out of the house at least once every single day. We ride bikes to the library and get new books, walk to the hardware store and look at the flowers and water fountains, walk to the dollar store (and let the kids pick one thing to buy), ride bikes to the park, head to a neighbor’s house for an hour in the morning, go to local freebie play groups for kids, etc. etc.
With a very minimal amount of effort, I have been able to find SO many free and frugal activities for kids during the day (most of which are walking distance from our house).
There’s something we can do almost every day — often times I try to work these outings around more specific errands I need to run that day anyway, so I feel good about the fact that I’m accomplishing something while the kids are having fun.
Special Visitors:
We regularly invite people over to our home for meals, pool parties, play dates, etc. — and although it does take extra effort on my part, these special visitors are a great way to break up our days and have something to look forward to.
A few more ideas for younger children:
- eat a picnic lunch (even just in your own yard) instead of eating at the table
- open a new pack of crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, etc.
- bake cookies and eat them when they are still gooey
- take a walk to a local venue (park, library, splash pad, etc.)
- set up an obstacle course in your house or yard and let the kids burn off energy
- set up a kiddie pool or sprinkler (or let them play in the bath tub for a bit)
- have friends over
- let your kids wear an outfit they don’t usually wear (my kids especially love wearing pajamas out in public every once in a while!)
- wear clothes backwards for a day or wear mismatched clothing
- do their hair in a weird way
- eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner
- do something or go somewhere you haven’t been/gone before.
I realize that with young children, I can get away with much smaller “upgrades” (I’m not sure a 16 year old would be so thrilled with string cheese) but I do think the concept can apply to EVERYONE — no matter their age — even adults!
Dave and I “upgrade the everyday” on a very regular basis, and it always amazes me how much I appreciate a small upgrade.
Adult “Upgrades”
I’ll buy or make something extra special (like salmon or a really good steak) and we’ll have a nicer dinner after the kids are in bed. We can eat hot food at our own pace, we don’t need to clean up a huge mess after the meal, and we can actually hear each other talk.
I usually keep a stash of brownies or blondies in the freezer, and sometimes we’ll each have a warm hot-fudge brownie sundae as a special treat while watching a Netflix show.
I’ll rearrange the furniture or swap some decorative items for a new look (I do this with the kids’ bedrooms all the time too!)
I’ll bring fresh flowers in from the yard and put them in a few vases around the house — I don’t know why, but I feel like the whole house seems cleaner and fresher with the flowers inside.
I think I could probably list 50 more ideas to upgrade the everyday — for kids, teens, and adults — but I hope you get the idea!
If you’re looking for a little something extra to liven up your days or as a special treat for your spouse, children, friends, coworkers, etc. consider a few of these free (and frugal) ideas to upgrade your everyday.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be amazed how much faster the day goes and how much more fun the day is!
What are your favorite ways to upgrade the everyday?
Bridget says
Love that you cut back on desserts.
We have done the same and only have dessert after lunch on the weekends now. There are of course those special occasions and times for an “upgrade” like this week with Vacation Bible School.
Gramma CC says
Hey girl! Waiting to see a pic of the tablecloth! Lol!
Cathleen Marie says
So fun! Teens still like the surprises, they are just more careful about hiding their joy about it LOL.
Andrea says
haha — yes, “more careful about hiding their joy”! That’s a great way to put it!
Marva says
Wow! I can’t wait to read your future post about cutting out daily dessert! Such a big change for your family!
As I was looking at your photos, I wondered if your kids just automatically line up by age for photos!
Andrea says
I know — who would have ever thought we’d give up desserts after our meals! Not me, that’s for sure!
Also, I don’t think the kids really even think about age-order. I have tons of pictures where they are not in age order – I guess it just depends on what they are doing and where they are when I ask to take their picture 🙂
Ashley says
One of my favorite little upgrades is fresh flowers too! I don’t have any growing in my yard yet, but I can frequently find clearance bouquets at the grocery store for less than $5, and they still last 2 weeks! I appreciate the inspiration to do little things for my kids, especially when we’re having a tough day.
Andrea says
yup, I LOVE fresh flowers but will rarely spend any money on them. So this time of year, I’m constantly cutting flowers and bringing them in!
Deborah says
I love the title of this post and all your fun ideas.
I like to do fun snacks, write little notes and hide…when my kiddos were little we enjoyed going to the park and library, meeting friends for a walk and going to the kiddie pool in the summer. For older kids, I’ve written out clues for a treasure hunt to find a birthday gift and my son loved it.
I totally relate about bringing in fresh flowers. It makes everything brighter and cheerier!
That’s something that is so fun about children too… they’re so delighted about little things. I like their enthusiasm and zest for life.
Andrea says
yes — the kids get so excited about something so small. I guess that’s often why people go overboard buying gifts for little kids at holidays and on their birthdays!
Deana says
We learned a long time ago that it’s the little things in life that mean the most. We have coffee after lunch on Saturday and Sunday and the kids aren’t allowed to interrupt us. As a family, we LOVE packing a lunch and going for a long bike ride followed by a picnic. Kids want your time, not fancy stuff.
Andrea says
wow — sounds great. Someday Dave and I will be able to say “don’t interrupt us for 30 minutes after dinner” and then we will eat our dessert in peace and quiet!
Debbie says
I laughed when you said that a 16 year old would probably not be so excited about a string cheese snack change. As a couple with no kids the one I liked most in your list is the late night brownies with ice cream while watching Netflix. I hope I get the motivation to do this soon now that the weather is starting to get cooler. I would enjoy something like this on a Friday evening.
Andrea says
we love brownie sundaes!!! In fact, I just made brownies today so we’ll probably have sundaes tonight 🙂
Lydia Senn says
I love this! We don’t have to make everyday magical for our kids, but we can make some moments magical.
Chris says
I do the meal idea too (my son is grown so I don’t do the kid things). I like to buy something a little special, such as crab ravioli at Sam’s Club. I’m a pretty frugal grocery shopper but for Valentine’s Day or something, it’s a nice a treat and it’s still about half price of going out to eat at an Italian restaurant.
Andrea says
It’s so crazy to me how fun and exciting it feels just to have a special meal (even if it is at home). And yes, it’s SO much less expensive than going to a restaurant (and you can wear your pj’s!)
Michelle says
This post came at a good time for me while I feel like others are on extravagant vacations or remodeling their houses, etc. it reminded me that while I’m not doing those things I am still able to make the everyday special and fun! Thanks!
Andrea says
Yes! And personally, I’d rather have small special things on a regular basis versus one big vacation that I look forward to all year long and then feel bummed when it’s over.
Rachael says
Love this idea! We always get out at least once a day and it is a sanity saver! Question: What pool/slide combo is that in your picture? It looks like the slide fits into the pool? Looking for something similar!
Andrea says
Thanks Rachael — and the pool is amazing! It’s the “Step 2 Splash Center” and it’s been discontinued for years. You’ll need to find one used… and they are often fairly expensive because people know they are in demand.
We have been looking for one for 3 summers now and finally found it this past August!!
Rachael says
Thanks! Do you know how much they originally retailed for? Wondering what kind of price to expect.
Andrea says
I’m not sure — I think a normal “used’ price is around $100 but I’ve seen them used for as much as $250. They are in demand 🙂
Amy says
I love this! I am totally on the same page as you with trying to make everyday have something exciting about it. We do not book extravagant far off family vacations either. The best “vacation” is when my parents come to visit from up North and we visit, play games and go shopping. Just yesterday, I brought my 13 year old daughter home the blueberry muffins she wanted from the grocery store bakery and you would have thought I gave her some exquisite gift! We also like to go to thrift stores. We just got a new one near us that we have not gotten to yet, so that’s in the plans! The most recent super fun thing we did was go to the grand opening of a local grocery store……it was soooooo fun! There was a huge crowd, free samples and community! We stayed for 2 hours! It really is the little things that make the days special.
Andrea says
Good to know that special food treats still work when the kids get a little older!
beth says
we made blue mashed potatoes with green gravy–the kids thought that was the bomb!!
Andrea says
haha — that does sound fun! I’ve thought about making green eggs and ham for breakfast, but I’m fairly confident my kids wouldn’t eat the eggs even if I assured them they would taste like “normal eggs”. Maybe if I prepped them the night before 🙂
Karen says
They absolutely do. Mine are in their 20’s and the “honey tea” or block cheese sticks wrapped in deli ham with grapes and crackers, still get smiles.
And the honey dissolved in hot water with a bit of lemon juice is really nice for a scratchy sore throat and stuffy nose. Not for under two’s, though, and only hot enough a child has to sip, not burn themselves.
Andrea says
haha — thanks for the honey tea tip! Simon and Nora have been begging to “drink tea” lately (which is so weird because Dave and I never drink tea). This might be a fun idea for them since they both like honey!
susie says
Yep- older kids like food treats too. We eat a lot of basic meals, my 11 year old was so excited for cinnamon toast crunch cereal and the 15 will do anything if I buy shrimp. Although maybe it’s because we have a lot of kids and they are treats to have. My older ones like things that we do often, we have a membership at a nice rec center by our house that they always enjoy going too, if we buy a year at a time it only comes to $55 a month for the family. I thought it was too expensive till I realized what the monthly fee was and how much we use it.
Andrea says
hey, I’d be excited for cinnamon toast crunch too! 🙂