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Joy's Fun Stuff

Food

How to Decorate an Awesome Party on the Cheap: DIY Ideas, Tips, and Examples

What are some ideas for decorating on a budget that don't take a miter saw or a zillion hours to pull off? I'm so glad you asked!

Top 5 Things to NOT Buy Your Grandkids (and 4 to consider instead): A Grandparent's Gift Guide

There are so many great gifts out there and kids are all so very different. This guide to buying a present for your grandkids will help you

What's a Cricut, What Can You Make, and How Did I Ever Live Without One?

If you enjoy crafting AT ALL a Cricut will make all of your wildest dreams come true. If you have a parent/adult child/spouse/whoever that l

Decorate a Killer Harry Potter Party on a Tiny Budget

Decorating for a party doesn't have to be expensive. It does take some planning ahead and a little elbow grease, but this Harry Potter party for my 3rd kiddo turned out pretty fun and hardly cost a thing. I know it might seem like I'm a bit obsessed with the Dollar Tree (see here, here, here, and here) and that they must sponsor my life (I wish), but it's just that they have so many great things for so dang cheap. And for the record I actually purchased some of this party stu

Birthday for Husband: Ways to NOT Mess It Up

Kid's birthdays are easy, but I have struggled with the old birthday for my husband, poor guy. It's silly because he's an amazing man who loves me and our kids. But I have struggled. While marriages are complicated and all different, these are some truths I've (slowly) discovered through the years for me with my husband, mostly through trial and error. The emphasis here is on the error. *Disclaimers: 1. Not everyone fits into these generalities but maybe this will give you so

Perfect Gift Quest: Kid-Authored Book

I just found out that one of my sisters does not play Monopoly at Safeway and I wonder if I ever knew her at all. I mean, sure I've never won a big prize or anything, but I COULD. Last year I won a $5 for groceries coupon. Five dollars! That was a sweet little perk. Granted if you put the time I spent trying to put the dang pieces in the right spot into an hourly rate, it would be like 7 cents an hour or something. And the fact that I never did go to customer service to cash

Quest for the Perfect Gift: Family Values Book

I'm pretty sure my siblings inwardly groan when they see my number calling them. I have a tendency to come up with these great ideas and then invite/force them all to participate. A few years back I came up with this winner: A Family Values Book. A what? It's a book where members of your family help reinforce to your children the values you think are important by writing of a time when they learned a lesson as a child. My siblings loved me for this one. So I'm not going to li

Flashlight Tag: The Game of Champions

Have you played Flashlight Tag? It's not complicated and it's a hit with just about any group of people you get together: family night, date night, crazy teenagers, family reunion. I first played this game as a teenager on a double date with a married couple and their son, a potentially awkward situation turned completely awesome with this free game. Since Flashlight Tag is mostly in the dark, it brings out the wild side of people so be prepared. Grandma might throw an elbow

Party Cheap with the Dollar Tree

I used to live right by the nicest Dollar Tree. It was so clean and organized and since Target was far away, it became my hangout. They have some great stuff there. They also have a bunch of junk, but we don't buy that. Mostly. And FYI: I'm not embarrassed to say that I am posting my love of the Dollar Tree solely based on my love of the Dollar Tree. They are not sponsoring this post. They do not know I exist. My favorite stuff to get at the Dollar Tree is party supplies and

Birthday Cake Fail

My little now-3 year old requested a pink cake for her birthday. No sweat. I can do that. Sunday night I went to pump it out, as I wanted to get ‘er done quickly while the kids were in bed. Cake mix: check. Powdered sugar for frosting: nope. Since I wanted it done then, while the cake baked I pulled out the blender and powdered my sugar. (cue "Little House on the Prairie" music) Clock ticking After whipping the butter I added the sugar and... watched as my butter totally melt