$1.85 Goes A-LOOOOONG Way!

Who'da thought a $1.85 would entertain a set of 2 1/2 year olds for almost an hour. That happened to me on Friday. After a LOOOONG hour spent at toyota, with both kiddies, to get my car fixed (a light came on), I decided to run to A.C. Moore to return something. Jax and Lilah spotted the Mall's entrance and wanted to "Go dat way mommy!" I knew exactly WHY they wanted to "go dat way". They've been that way before and I took them on a ride.

I had $1.85 in my pocket and it took me over 1 hour to spend it.

HOW?

We walked from A.C. Moore to Belk where they rode the merry-go-round = $1.00. After the ride, I got them .50 cents worth of M&Ms (their new favorite candy). I divided the 24 pieces into (2) "snack" bags (I just happened to have with me). That lasted 15 minutes. Wish it took me that long to eat 12 M&Ms. Then we walked to the fountain where they were able to throw in 5 pennies each (super exciting to them) = .10 cents. Then we walked to the end of the mall to look at a dinosaur exhibit. FREE. Then I let them ride the escalator UP, BY THEMSELVES (nerve wracking as ever) FREE - BUT THE ABSOLUTE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR LIVES! And ride the glass elevator DOWN - also FREE. Then we headed to the gumball machine where they split a piece of bubble gum - .25 cents. On our way back to A.C. Moore, where we parked, they strolled the mall and rode pretended to ride the other rides for FREE.

On the way home, they said, "No home mommy, no home!" Their new favorite line.

$1.85 goes a long way.

Just some ideas if you are aching to get of the house this winter. Get a roll of pennies (.50 cents) and let your child spend 20 minutes throwing the pennies in the mall's fountain. Ride the escalator several times and the elevator several times. :)