Helpful Hints: Always Think Thrift

If there is one thing I have learned as a mom, it's that shopping for kids can be expensive. But, it doesn't always have to be!

One of the best ways to save money is to ALWAYS think thrift first. First of all, you save money. Second, you save perfectly good things from going into a landfill. and Third, your child is happy without breaking the bank.

Some of the best ways to search for items are
-your local thrift stores, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army.
-garage sales. (you can even look for listings in the local paper that specifically say childrens items).
-flea markets.
-find or host a swap. (a group of parents get together and bring all the things they dont want or need anymore.  everyone takes turns picking things that they want, and whatever is left unwanted at the end can be taken to Goodwill or Salvation Army in hopes that someone else might find use of them).
-craigs list. (great for finding items cheap or even sometimes FREE and close to home).
-ebay. (great place to bid on things that people are looking to get rid of).

Last week, I went with a friend to Goodwill, and i came home with two amazing finds, without even going there with the intention of finding anything!

The first item was an amazing Lite Brite, working lightbulb, and tons of pegs with it. in stores, this Lite Brite is about $18. I got it for $2.25

He LOVES the Lite Brite! it didn't come with paper, but we just used regular black construction paper for it.

The Second thing I found was a Step 2 Easel. This easel is great because it opens from the side instead of the top, and has a little tabletop that folds down while its open. When I bought it, it needed some fixing up, but after a few scrubs, it looked brand new! In stores, this easel is about $70, but I paid $4.99 for it!

This is a view of the tabletop. When I bought it, it was covered in crayon and marker markings, but they scrubbed off completely.

So, because I checked our local thrift store, I spent only $7 on two items that would have cost me around $100 after tax if I had purchased them from a retail store.

I'd say that's definitely worth a trip, even if you don't know what you're looking for!

Do you thrift shop? If so, where are your favorite places? What are some of your favorite finds?

Thanks for reading!

Product Review: Leapster Explorer/ Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg

So I figured for my first review I would talk about the Leapster Explorer, and in particular, a game called Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg.

In case you aren't familiar, the Leapster Explorer is a handheld video game with interchangeable game cartridges, a touch screen and very importantly, a long battery lifetime!

The games range from age 4 to 8, but Julian has been playing his since he was 2. (never underestimate what your child can do, you'd be surprised!)

Every game we have for it is fun yet educational, with well known characters like Spongebob, Wolverine, Dora, and more.

But one game in particular that I want to talk about is a game called Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg.

This game is absolutely amazing on so many levels, and i recommend it to EVERY parent with a child ages 2-4. 

In this game, your child learns how to trace letters and numbers, as well as shapes, but in a very fun and interactive way. For instance, your child will see a scene like a park, with a bunch of unfinished things, like lines missing or parts not colored, or letters missing.

Here is a picture of the park screen before anything is done:

Your child is taken step by step through all the missing pieces,

coloring the slide,

tracing letters to spell park,

as well as other shapes and lines.

In the end, your child is shown the main screen again with everything completed, after they help to make the picture!

This is just ONE part of the game out of many different things you can do (not to mention you can even get a game expansion for Mr Pencil too, which adds even more fun things to it!)

There is even a page that is just a paint program, with colors, stamps backgrounds, and all kinds of other creative things that he can use to create a masterpiece.

at age 3, Julian can tell me all about the color wheel, horizon lines and vertical lines, and he can tell me which colors are warm colors and which colors are cool colors, all of which he learned from Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg.

There are so many amazing parts to this game that I cant even begin to list them all, but I can tell you you should get it and explore with your child on your own, because Julian has learned  A LOT from it.

Who ever said video games are bad for kids obviously has never seen this before!

leapster explorer is about $70.

games are about $15 each.

and honestly, if they JUST had ONE game, being Mr. Pencil, it would be enough.

So under $100, and fun that will last at least 3 years on one game, with the option to buy new games appropriate for the age group as your child grows.

VERY well worth it!

And in perspective, just think, it equals about the same as a nice dinner and a movie, or the same as a regular video game.

Thanks for reading our first review!

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hello!
Welcome to Julian's Playhouse, a place where you and your family can visit to find awesome reviews on things that WE as a family love! My name is Erin, and my son's name is Julian!

Julian is 3 years old, and full of fun! Josh is my husband and Julian's awesome dad! 

You will hear all about us as time goes on.

We hope to provide you with lots of helpful reviews on store-bought products, as well as hand-made finds and even some tips on how to find stuff you need in new and interesting ways! Also, I will touch upon foods too, with some fun recipes that are yummy and healthy for the family! We grow a huge garden here in Ohio throughout the summer, so you will hear all about that too!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and hopefully you will enjoy this blog and share with your friends!

-Erin, Julian, and Josh