Hot Springs on $20 a day (per person)

Even as a young child I knew Hot Springs was special. As I roamed freely through downtown and in my neighborhood of rolling hills and magical streams, I sensed the difference. Possibly the yearly trips to hot and humid Houston made me appreciate home.
Last week in a discussion the question "What resources in your community do you cherish?" First thing that came to mind "Water!" We have the best drinking water in the world and plenty of beautiful water to look at and enjoy. Driving downtown on Reserve and Spring seeing the steam rise out of the mountain, or sitting on an island at Lake Ouachita, looking out over the sun set of Lake Hamilton as you cross the three bridges....seriously beautiful, all of it.

As for visitors I often think of them as I drive past the expensive attractions downtown and realize these are not the places I take my own guest. So here it is folks. Hot Springs on $20 bucks a day (per person).

Start your day off by choosing to eat only one meal out. Pack a small cooler with one on the go meal, and eat one meal at your hotel or home.

Things to do for free:
1. Hike one of the beautiful trails. (Go to the Hot Springs Visitors Center)There are trails for the easily tired and for the athletic.
2. Walk the Promenade and go down the steps to Arlington Park, preferably at Sunset. Dip your hands in the Hot Water. Let kids climb the tress and big rock.
3. Walk downtown, along bath house row. Visit the Fordyce and take the guided tour if this is your first time...It's FREE! If it's raining you can do this:)
4. Walk into the Convention Center and admire the beautiful Art Work. There is usually a showing on the upper level walls.
5. Take a walk or bike ride on the Green Way and take the kids to Hollywood Park.
(there are multiple parks, find one that fits your desires at the Visitors Center).
6. Visit Lake Catherine State Park, Lake Ouachita, or Lake Degray State Park. Take a picnic lunch.
7. The Library is awesome. Take your kids in for a potty break, pic up a magazine, take the kids to the kids area to play and look at books or play a game on the computer while you read a magazine.
8. Drive atop Hot Springs and West Mountain, stop at the different lookouts. I don't really recommend using the lookout tower. It's okay but the gift shop will suck you in.
9. There are many galleries open on the first Fridays of the month. No need to buy, but it is a good place to take home a souvenir of real value. Try Star Gallery or The Art Church for local artist at a reasonable price.
11. Visit these thrift stores: The Goodwill and The Potter's Clay.
12. Visit the mall, lobby, and pool deck of the Arlington Hotel.

Things to do for cheap.
1. Mid America Science Museum/ Cost $7 kids, Adults $8 and the simulator will add $3 per person. Still if you haven't spent much money this is a deal. You still have $9 to $10 left per person.
2. I would recommend staying at a hotel or condo where the kids can swim and breakfast is included, and ideally a beverage bar is always open. Spend your days visiting the local beauty and history and your nights swimming or sitting in the hot tub.
3. Forget Magic Springs on a budget...it's just not happening and will break you.
4. YMCA: Full disclosure, I work here. If you have a membership in another town you can come on your membership, if you come with a member it's free the first time, or if you are visiting only you pay $10 per adult,$5 for children. There is an indoor pool, many yoga classes, basketball, weights, a track, and a WiFi area to sit and hang out in.
5. Visit Lark Martin, a great little store carrying handmade and local crafts, buy locally made soap or candles for $5.
6. On Saturdays visit the Farmers market for local foods,music,crafts and food tastings.
7. If you are a member of another Garden you may be able to use your membership at Garvan Gardens, otherwise it's about $7 a person & worth it on a beautiful day, there is a wonderful children's garden.

In the evening around sunset you need to do a few things. Drive over the three bridges heading north. Also you will want to then go to the Promenade and walk from the Rehab area North towards the Arlington and explore Arlington Park and walk back down bathhouse row to your car.
Bring your water bottles, ideally glass (The water is HOT!) however you can get cold water at the base of Hot Springs Mt. or on Whittington to fill your water bottles.

Meals: all meals under $10 per person with tip. Mostly local eateries.
Breakfast:
The Pancake Shop: Share a Ham and Cheese Omelet or an order or Pancakes. Plan to spend about $10 bucks per person for a full meal with drink and tip.$$
Gilligans: A beautiful view.
The English Muffin: Also a beautiful view.
Shady Corner Cafe: Great breakfast
Subway: Only chain, super cheap breakfast and good coffee.

Lunch:
During the week you can eat cheaply off the lunch menu at many restaurants. My favorites
1.La Hacienda
2. Rolando's (order appetizers and sit outside if it's nice) drink water.
3. Colorado Grill (Soup)
4. Don Jauns: Cheap lunch, share the Guacamole Mexicanos and the Chicken soup, Cheap Margarita's at Happy Hour.
5.Hunan's: Super reasonable lunch: Drink water
6. Kid friendly: Only time you'll see me post a chain- Chick Fil A and Subway.
7. King Kone Drive in. Veggie burgers :)
8. Rods pizza buffet.
9. I don't go here often but my kids like Bubbalu's downtown. Hot Dog and Burger joint.

Dinner: It's a little harder here.
1. Rolanodo's : Share a meal, they are huge!
2. LaHacienda: Order the Nacho's and share them.
3. Hunan's (Share)
4. Smokin in Style (try the sandwiches or the potato: You can share the potato)

Snacks:
LOVE Nom Nom's: Ice cream and fruit bars are only $1.50!!!
King Kone (next to Library) Small to Med cone under $1.50.

There are many other places I am sure I have forgotten but you can enjoy a nice family weekend in Hot Springs for very little if you plan right and avoid the tourist trappings.

Spring Fever

We had no intent on taking a vacation this year, but alas spring fever has its' grip on me. So we are taking an instate vacation. Our oldest son will be a junior next year so we have decided to take vacations around visiting colleges, hoping to give him and our other children motivation to aspire to higher ed.. This year my goal was to take a frugal vacation and make it a challenge. I love a challenge....imagine teenagers rolling their eyes here and husband ignoring me.
The vacation last four days and three nights. We are traveling four to five hours away to a beautiful part of our state.
Here are some of my self imposed challenges.
1. I found a hotel a little off the beaten path that has suites, so we will have two beds, sofa, and a roll away. We'll have a fridge, microwave and sink. All six of us will be in one suite.
2. We will utilize the pool and free breakfast.
3. The hotel being off the beaten path is a very nice Hampton Suites, clean, comfy, good beds, yet the rates were quite a bit less, the total for three days was a little over $300. Compared to a guest house of fancier hotel right in town for nearly double.
4. We will eat breakfast in the hotel, eat one picnic lunch each day, and eat out once a day at someplace kid friendly and cheap. Blake and I will have one dinner out on our own, while our oldest babysits and the kids eat pizza in the hotel. My favorite health food store in Fayettville has a great lunch/dinner counter that is really reasonable. At least two meals will be eaten here, it has great stuff to look at and great people watching.
5. Our visit to the U of A cost nothing.
6. We are visiting local parks and I have found some historic driving tours. Such as the Faye Jones architectural tour.
7. The Fayettville Farmer's Market is awesome and free, they often have entertainment for free also.
8. We will drive to Eureka Springs where we were married to show the kids where Dad and I got hitched.
9. There are plenty of great walking tours in Eureka, trails, and a great old Catholic Church that is really cool.
10. Here's a bit of our itinerary for Sunday and Monday. Everything is free except for the meals.

1. Tour of the Haunted Crescent Hotel and other haunted Eureka Sights
2. Museum featuring Eureka Springs' Past
3. Pivot Rock Trail Eurkea Springs
4. In Ripley's "Believe it or Not". Only church entered through bell tower.
5. Thorn Crown Chapel
6. Dinner at a Park Packed
7. Drive Back to Hotel 6:30
8. Swim, Snack bed
9. Monday:Breakfast
10. Faye Jones Driving Tour
11. Lunch at the Co-Op

11. Our budget: $1100.00
House sitter and Dog Care $200
Gas, Three tanks $135
Groceries $100
Meals out $200
Hotel $340
Miscellaneous $125.00

Hopefully I'll post back that I saved even more! Summer vacation I'm ready!

Frugality- Health: Dogs and Cats

It's been a while since I have posted due to the opening of my new business. Blessedly my business was successful and I am coming to a point of completion of a large project. Many ideas and thoughts have been running through my head that I want to share, and I feel the need to purge them. Here are some current thoughts on "Frugality, Consumerism, and the Environment."

1. Dog Food - Cat Food: It occurred to me as I was dealing with some health issues with my dogs that "Store bought Dog Food" is a man-made invention, and dogs weren't born to eat dog food! So though we do buy organic, no by product-dog/cat food we use very little, because we supplement with real food. Dogs and cats can safely eat rice,meat,veggies, and some fruits (no raisins, grapes, or chocolate please). We eat a diet based primarily of these foods. So anytime I make veggies,meat, or rice I cook up the scraps or leftovers for the animals. We have experienced no digestive problems. The vet recommends chicken and rice for tummy aches.

Here are a few examples:

Chicken and brown rice
Apples and a little peanut butter
Natural unflavored Yogurt
Corn,peas,carrots, veggie stock
Meat Scraps from my Dad's Christmas Steaks (I do not give my dogs the bones, as my dogs are small, and I lost a dog to chocking on pork chop bones when I was a child).

What don't we give our animals:
Processed food, dairy (except a little cheese and a little unflavored yogurt), eggs, caffeine (though Hershel loves to steal coffee), candy, onions(cause anemia in dogs),grapes, raisins,or citrus. High fat processed meats like Hot Dogs,no processed grains such as bread, pastries,etc.

Save a lot of money and don't throw those good scraps out.

Namaste,
Courtney

Cook For Good Project, 2nd post.

Today is the fifth day we have been following the "Cook for Good" plan on frugal, socially conscious eating. We were already on a similar plan but this one is quite a bit more intense.http://cookforgood.com/

Day one: Went grocery shopping at Kroger, purchased everything on the grocery list, and took a trip to the health food store for Tahini and Local Honey.

Day two: prepared bread and pizza dough, yogurt, and hummus from scratch. See below post for menu's for Sat. menu. Made high protein pasta with a homemade tomato veggie sauce with a bit of Parmesan.

Day three: See previous post, ate mostly leftovers from the day before and fixed a large pot of beans. This was a pretty lazy day, everyone was expected to eat leftovers, fruit and yogurt or peanut butter, homemade bread and cheese.

Day four: Monday: I had to get to work early and had a full day so I could not cook.
Breakfast: Yogurt and Fruit with Pecans and honey, coffee.
Lunch: for me leftover pasta with veggie sauce and cheese, water
Kids and Blake: Pork Tenderloin my Dad made and gave us, high protein pasta with cheese, and homemade bread (I told him to give them apples but he chose bread. Oh well Daddy was in charge what can I say, the man thinks mac and cheese counts as a vegetable. I have to be happy they ate and he cleaned the kitchen!)

Dinner: Kids ate at church for VBS, Blake and I went to a Chinese Restaurant and split a meal for cost $15.00
Evening snack: Homemade bread with butter and honey and grapefruit. My teenage son had two bean burritos with cheese (yes he eats six meals a day!)

Last night I whipped up a batch of bread. Today I will make: 2 loaves of bread, two cheese and veggies pizza, homemade yogurt, large batch of Cuban Black Beans to share with friends.

Currently I can't say we have saved any money but by day five we are usually nearly out of groceries and our fridge is still full, as well as the pantry. This is a sign to me that we are saving money. It will take a month to see if we can keep our cost down overall. It seems pretty positive to me and I get a rush knowing I am actively saving money and the planet!! Off to put on my cape, I mean my apron:).

Courtney

Thinking of Having a Stress Free Christmas, Read How Here!!!!

I have always had a disdain for shopping. Actually I like to give gifts, especially when they are meaningful. What I don't like is shopping for shopping sake only. YUCK, who needs more cheap stuff from China? This year our budget is only 40% of last years due to many factors, and I am going to have to get creative. This actually appeals to me having less choices makes this somewhat easier. I have ask my extended family what they would like from Amazon.com or a gift certificate to a restaurant, or local store? That's it. I told them my budget is $500 for the whole season. Last year it was more than double. We have four kids so we would usually spend at least that on them. Not this year. We plan on using our Garvan Gardens passes and going to see Christmas lights for free several times, driving around looking at lights (cost of gas), listening to Christmas music and decorating with stuff we already have and taking walks. I will probably pull out seasonal movies and pop popcorn, and we'll probably hit the library a few times. If you haven't' seen Elf the movie I highly recommend it... When Will Ferrell hugs the raccoon: Priceless Belly Laugh!!!
The other thing we will do is give gifts that give more... I am part of a group of three women who serve on an Alternative Giving committee. We put together charities that are local to global and sell gifts of fair trade coffee and food baskets from Rice Depot. This year as last I will purchase share's to send to Jackson House or Samaritan House and give a card to all four of my kids teachers saying in lue of a cheap gift we gave the money to help feed the poor. The reception every year from the teacher is "Thank you, I absolutely love this and I told the whole class about it."They think its the bee's knees. I hope you will join me in supporting Alternative Giving for the Holidays. Come by the church or go to the catalog and participate. Please click on the Westminster Homepage to the left and go to Alternative Giving to view the catalog.

All my love and joy to each of you for a reflective and meaningful Christmas that shines the light of God on each and every gift you give, showing the love of Christ in your heart.

Blessings,
Courtney

so much in my head

I literally have a headache there is so much in my head about enviromental issues, frugality, and raising a big family. I constantly feel frustrated living in a small southern community where I am often looked at with raised eyebrows when I bring my own groceries bags.
This year I will dedicate writing down every week day the ideas and tips i want to share with others.

1. Plant some chocolate mint near a downspout or outside water spout and it will grow like crazy.
I use this in tea but I found it great to deter black ants. I just put a stem in my cabinet and no more ants.

2. Cottonelle, Viva, Charmin, Kleenex, Puffs, and Bounty are all made with paper from 100 to 150 year old trees in Virgin Forest in Northern Canada: Buy post consumer recycled paper products whenever you can.

3. A good rule of thumb: One light (compact florescent of course) per person in the house. It is better to turn the light off when you leave the room for more than 10 minutes.

Namaste"
Courtney