family – Page 10 – Luv Saving Money

Free Subscription to LEGO Life Magazine

Are you a LEGO fan? Do you know someone who is? LEGO life magazine is the subscription to have for the LEGO fanatic. It’s even better when it’s free!

This free subscription is for children ages 5 – 9 yrs of age. LEGO Life Magazine is delivered 4X per year and shipping is free too.

Get your FREE subscription to LEGO Life magazine here

If you kids love to create their own LEGO masterpieces they can even be featured in the magazine (with parent consent). There are LEGO activity pages, posters, comics, and more in the magazine to keep the kids entertained and away from electronics.

This post does contain an affiliate link. I will earn a few cents when you check out LEGO Magazines page through my link.

Spare Parts To Keep On Your Boat

Going out on your boat, whether fishing with friends or cruising with your family, is a great feeling. Nothing compares to the freedom that fresh air and open space provides. There is also nothing more stressful than having engine troubles when you are miles from shore. Boats are a lot of work and can be finicky, which is why regular maintenance is so important. But sometimes, despite all preparations, accidents happen. That is why every boater should keep these spare boat parts handy.

Hoses and Clamps

Keep varied sizes of hoses and hose clamps on your boat. Rubber hoses are the most versatile. They can be used for fuel lines, hydraulic repairs, and even as a tie-down if you are in a pinch. Clamps are also useful to have when making creative repairs. They can be helpful when dealing with leaks by holding hoses in a particular position or really holding anything in place.

Fuel Filters

It is helpful to have extra fuel filters and fuel water separators on your boat. Fuel filters can give you problems for a variety of reasons. If water or debris gets into your tank, or if you got some bad gas, a new fuel filter is a quick easy fix that will protect your motor.

Batteries

Most boaters have experienced a dead battery on the water. It’s too easy to forget all the draws on your battery when you are out having a good time. That is why it’s a good idea to have a spare. Also, check the charge on your spare periodically. Solar chargers may be a good investment to keep batteries charged for longer trips.

Impellers

Impellers tend to break easily, so have at least one spare impeller for each water pump. If your engine overheats, the impeller will go fast. They are cheaper than a trip to a mechanic and fairly easy to replace, depending on the type of motor.

Oil

Always have spare oil on your boat, even if you just filled it up. This way if you spring a leak that can not be contained, you can keep enough oil in the engine to get back to the dock and save your engine. Other fluids, such as transmission fluid and hydraulic fluid, should be kept on your boat.

These items are not expensive and can save you money if something unexpected happens. Keep them stocked and keep them fresh so you can enjoy a day out on the water with some peace of mind. You may even come to another boater’s rescue.

Hulu Black Friday Deal Only $1.99/mo For 12 Months!!!

Wow, this deal is awesome. Hulu Black Friday deal, get Hulu for $1.99/month for 12 months! You guys that’s $24 a year for Hulu!

With the uncertainty of the pandemic it’s nice to have something at home to keep us entertained. I’ve been thinking about trying Hulu anyway so this deal is sweet enough for me to give it a try! What are you Hulu show recommendations?

This offer is valid for new and eligible returning Hulu subscribers (those who have not been a subscriber for the last 3 months).

My oldest son was just telling me that he got a 1 free month trial of Hulu and he actually liked it better than some of the other streaming services. Yep, definitely gonna give this deal a try.

The Hulu Black Friday deal is only valid 11/26/20 until 11/30/20. After that this deal is gone so don’t sleep on it. I have friends that have cut the cord on cable and only have one or two streaming services. Great way to save money.

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission for sign ups through my links.

Spin Master Game Night: Headbanz, Upwords, and Grouch Couch

We had the chance to have a Spin Master Game Night through Tryazon. We received 3 different games: Headbanz, Grouch Couch, and Upwords. The are all family oriented board games but as you read my reviews you’ll see which ones might be better suited for your family

We are a family of 6. My kids are 7 yrs, 11 yrs, 16 yrs, and 18 years. So sometimes we have trouble finding family games that everyone truly enjoys.

Headbanz

Headbanz was probably our favorite game out of the 3. This one was so much fun. It’s easy to play right out of the box. The rules are simple. Everyone gets to participate. The kids loved picking out which headband they were going to wear too.

It comes with 6 headbanz making it perfect for our family. The headbanz aren’t made cheap either. They’re flexible, durable, and adjustable with cute designs like a unicorn, pirate bandana, crown, and more.

Pick a card, put it in your head band, then ask questions to see if you can figure out what’s on your headbanz. Oh and it’s times which gives that extra element of urgency. Everyone from my 7 yr old to my husband loved playing this game. We highly recommend Headbanz game. It’s a fun family board game for the whole family.

Upwords

Upwords is recommended for ages 8+. Though I think teens, husband, and I had more fun with this one. My 7 yr old wanted to play but we would have had to help her a lot. My 11 year old could play but would get frustrated at times. So I think this would be a great board game for teens as it’s challenging enough well letting them still have fun. It’s also a fun board game for adults.

I love word games. Upwords game adds another dimension (literally) by being able to stack letter to make new words. There is a play sheet with instructions and letter value. My only complaint is that the letter values aren’t marked on the tiles so I’m hoping we never lose the instruction sheet.

Grouch Couch

My littlest ones loved this game we played it several times since we got it. I think it’s ok. It’s a quick play game. Something you could play in 15 minutes if you’re short on time.

Grouch Couch is recommended for ages 5+. I can see why with the tiny pieces with bright colors that look like candy. The pieces though just add more dynamics and action to the game but aren’t actually a vital piece of play if that makes sense. There’s little coin shaped discs that shoot out every so often which is how you actually win the game. You have to end with the most of those coins.

The kids thought the couch animation was funny. I did find it entertaining. My only complaint with this game is that when the discs shoot out, it’s kinda forceful. Not like, inflict pain forceful but like flying off the table forceful. We were chasing them around the kitchen until we finally wised up and started blocking it with our hands.

All together I think this is a board game for families with young kids. While everyone can play, I think it’s more appealing to youngers children.

Family Fun

All three games were entertaining. I feel like Headbanz is truly fun for the whole family. Grouch Couch can be fun for the whole family but my teens weren’t that into it. Upwords is fun for adults and teens but not meant for younger children or kids that are easily frustrated.

All 3 of these games are under $20 making them a budget friendly game.

I received these games from Tryazon and Spin Master Games at no cost. Any opinions expressed are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links.

Closet Organizing Tips From a Mom of 4

Growing up I was the oldest of 4. We lived in a small house. My sister and I shared a room. My brothers shared a room. Our rooms were far from spacious but it was enough. My mom seemed to be always cleaning, decluttering, sorting. I didn’t understand it at the time. Now that I’m a mom of 4 myself, I get it.

I could talk about organizing for a while. I feel like there’s still a lot of tips out there that I just haven’t learned yet. That’s why I’m sharing mine with you. If I can help one mom keep their sanity then I feel like I did something. While there’s lots of areas of the house to organize, I’m going to stick to closet organization for this post.

When we bought out current house we went from having hardly any closets to having tons of storage space. I thought, “Oh we have tons of storage space. I’m gonna be so organized” Now I wonder how we ever did it with the limited space we had before.

Just yesterday, I cleaned out and reorganized the master bedroom closet. It was a daunting task but I really felt like I did something when I was finished. So here are my favorite closet organizing tips

My Favorite Closet Organizing Tips

I go through mine and the kids clothes twice a year. Usually in the spring and again in the fall. We donate clothes that don’t fit and no one else in the family can use. This also gives me a good idea of what the kids might need coming up for the next season. Clothes that are stain, torn, etc are either repurposed as cleaning cloths or are thrown out.
Clear shoe boxes. This is my favorite. I get muti-packs when I find them at TJ Maxx or Ross Dress for Less. I can get a 10 pack for 12 dollars sometimes and it’s easy on the wallet. I store my shoes in those. It’s more uniform and visually appealing. I can see into the boxes to see what shoes are in there without having to open the boxes, and it keeps the dust off the shoes I don’t wear as often. They’re not just for shoes though. They’re great for organizing small toys, crayons, hair clips, whatever you can think of really.

If it’s not been worn in 2 years, get rid of it. I give myself 2 years. Sometimes there’s just a one size difference. Sometimes I think I’d wear the shirt or skirt in certain circumstances. But, after two years, if I haven’t worn it, it needs to go.
Belt/accessory/handbag organizing racks. There are so many depending on space. You can get some that hang on the wall, there’s organizers that hook over the door, there are even some that can simply hang on a clothes rack, like this purse organizer. I just ordered this accordian wall rack for my purses and scarves.

When going through your closet have 2 garbage bags with you. One for garbage and one for donations. I fille up a big garbage bag with things like really old pants that the elastic had dry rotted, broken hangers, packaging, expired products, shoes that have seen their better days, etc.
If you have a small closet or no closet at all, one thing my mother did was to pack up the clothes at the end of the season, put them in a garbage bag or tote marked with the gender and size and put the in the attic so they could be passed down to my sister, a cousin, or donated to someone in need. This cuts down on the amount of clothes you need to find a space for in the closet or bedroom and it’s not so overwhelming to look at.
As I said, in our old house we hardly had any closets or storage space. We ended up finding creative solutions that fit our budget. You can get tons of ideas from browsing storage and organization categories at your favorite stores. From moveable racks, to temporary and shelving solutions that can be cut to fit to fancy closet systems.

Everyone helps with their own closet/dresser. This allows your child to have a say. They may want to get rid of something you didn’t think they would. They might have sentimental value in a specific shirt or hoodie. Their room is their space. They should have say in how things are organized, what is donated, etc. After kids learn how and what to do they have sense of pride in taking care of their space which carries on later in life. Plus, things get done faster when the workload is split.
Organize like things together. Long sleeve shirts in one space, pants in another space, t-shirts in a different space. Even if it’s just making sections in a drawer.

If you’d like to see more posts like this, let me know in the comments section. Please consider sharing my blog posts with the social share icons at the top or left side of the post.

This post does contain some affiliate links. I will earn a small commission when purchases are made through my links.