Outrageous(ly Frugal) Kid Parties

So, I've been talking some about this new TLC show, "Outrageous Kid Parties".  There's a picture of one on the left.  That little girl is 6, and she's sitting on a throne while she opens presents.  She also got mad that her $2,100 cake had a purple bird on it instead of a blue one.  The whole party ran her parents about $32K.

But, hey, what's the cost of a college tuition in exchange for being the most popular kid in 1st grade?

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Shameless Plug!: Crayola Washable Finger Paint turns your child into a mini-van Gogh (but without ear amputation)!

I am a firm believer in the value of arts for my child, if only because it gives my talentless-self an excuse to play with fun arts and crafts. Some of the most fun I've had with my son and husband was this summer when we decided to do a family finger painting.

I got some of these awesome Crayola finger paints, and a big piece of posterboard. We all put on our rattiest clothes (in my son's case, some things he would soon outgrow, in my husband's case, what he wears everyday), and we took our art supplies out to the front yard.

It was so much fun. My son was only 15 months at the time, so he didn't just finger paint, no no. He got on his hands in knees and crawled all over the canvas. He got up on his feet and danced on it. In fact, after drying, amidst all the colorful smears remains one very defined rainbow baby footprint.

When we were done, it was early afternoon and plenty hot, so we all washed off with the hose. With just water the fingerpaint washed off us with no problem.

I still have our little family mural, and I've been looking for a frame the right size so I can hang it in my office. I can't wait for my co-workers to see my gorgeous piece of abstract art and ask about the footprint in the lower left corner.