$mart Suzy: Last call for Hatfield-McCoy book, free stuff, ABC’s of family fun, coupons

Wednesday already – grocery shopping day for you, perhaps? Plan those meals first, then find the coupons you need. Then, take a look at the ABC’s of fun for some quality family time – for no or very little expense. Enjoy!

Last call for sign-ups

“The Hatfields and The McCoys” by Otis K. Rice and published by Suzy’s favorite book-people, the University Press of Kentucky, will be given away at 8 a.m. tomorrow. So that means you have to email suzy@kyforward.com very soon if you want to be a winner. What is Suzy saying? ALL her readers are winners. One will just be more lucky than all the rest – at 8 a.m. tomorrow (:

Legends tonight

Legends and Power finish their 3-game series at 7:05 tonight – Don’t forget to pick up your FREE hot dog voucher at any area Meijers.

Free programs and lunch too

This summer the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center will have its first ever summer programming schedule of classes FREE to all attendees. Lunches will be provided to all youth (18 and under) who participate. All programs will take place on Saturdays throughout the summer beginning June 16th at 10am – 2pm. Sign-in starts at 9:30 am.

To enroll, please contact Denise Gray at 859-280-2201 or send email toexassist@lexingtonlyric.com

All programs will run on each Saturday through August 25, though there are no classes on July 7 0r August 4.

You must register today for the “Lyric’s Little Dresses for Lexington” program – young girls learn to sew pillowcase dresses for Haitian and African young girls in need and make a commitment to attend all summer. Open to girls 10-16.

Also register today for the Acting Out class for preteens and teens, learning to express themselves through acting, spoken word and self-expression.

The African Drumming class introduces the rhythm, sound and beat of Africa, for persons of all ages.

Frugal summer fun

Sarah, TheCharacterMom.com, shares these A-B-D ideas to try with your family this summer. Add to the list and share with us – Doing things as a family requires more imagination than money, Suzy says. What your kids want is your involvement and attention. And lots of conversation.

Here’s a primer:

Art – From shaving cream and chalk drawings to real paintings for grandma’s art collection, the possibilities are endless!

Balloons, Bubbles, and a Big Box – Need I say more about simple pleasures?

Cookouts – Nothing brings people together better than a campfire or food cooked on a grill.

Drama – Put on family plays, puppet shows (make your own with old socks, plastic spoons, or toilet paper rolls with photos glued on for faces), have a talent show, make up your own music videos or commercials. Make sure to get crazy costumes as well!

Eat Treats – Cooking together and eating together bring you closer together. A couple of my favorite kid-friendly recipes: Juicesicle – freeze juice in plastic ice cube trays with toothpicks stuck in them or Dixie cups with a popsicle stick stuck in them. Simple homemade ice cream – 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 2 cup cream or half & half, 1 cup milk, and 3/4 cup sugar. Mix together and freeze.

Field Trips – Designate one day a week to go somewhere interesting and fun. Visit a library, fire or police station, check out a local museum, or tour a bakery or factory in your area.

Games – Pull out the board games or make up some fun games of your own for a memorable family game night.

Homemade crafts – Teach your child how to make a craft. Or learn a new skill like woodworking or sewing together. Take them to a craft store and let them pick out a kit.

Insects – Go on a nature hike and hunt for bugs and identify and learn about them.

Joking around – Be silly together: wrestle, tickle, or have a pillow fight.

Kite – Make a kite or buy one at the dollar store and take it to a park to fly.

Lake – Play on the beach, swim, or fish.

Movie Night – Rent a movie, go to a cheap movie theater or drive-in, or host your own backyard movie night.

Nature/Neighborhood – Explore the area around your home whether that is nature or a neighborhood park.

Outside fun – Teach your children some of the fun games you used to play as a child such as: capture the flag, freeze tag, or hide and seek.

Photos – Take family pictures. Take goofy pictures. Go for a walk down memory lane by looking at old photo albums or make a new album or a collage.

Quality Time – Go on an outing with just one of your kids at a time so you can spend one-on-one quality time together.

Relatives – Visit your relative and extended family together.

Service Projects – Contact your local church or non-profit and see how you can serve as a family.

Tent – Go camping in your backyard or make a tent fort in your living room.

Undercover Secret Spy Missions – Anonymously do random acts of kindness. For a fun twist: try writing a secret note in white crayon on white paper. Then, attach watercolors and instructions to paint over the paper to reveal a secret message.

Vocal Talents – Recite a verse, perform a musical, or have a karaoke night. Make sure to get it on tape!

Water is Wonderful – Your kids can play for hours with just a kiddie pool of water. A few creative ideas to change things up: Have a water fight with balloons, water guns; Sponge fun: Give everyone a bunch of cheap yet absorbent sponges and a bucket of water to play with. (Get the car cleaned while they are at it.); Make your own sprinkler.;Give you preschooler a bucket of water, a durable paintbrush, and a shady spot on the cement and let her paint pictures with water.

“X”-treme Sports – Try something a little more adventuresome like mountain climbing, rock climbing, or rappelling.

Yard Sales – Go to yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment sales. You can find great and entertaining items for the price of pocket change. Or, have your own yard sale. This is a great way to clean out and simplify and, if your kids get to keep the money they make, the will have more incentive to de-clutter!

Zoo – Visit the zoo or a nearby farm.

Try these ABC’s of fun with your family!

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