Mummys need something to do too!

No $$$? No Worries!

Ive been wanting to write a post like this for a while now. Some of you may (or may not) know that I have a beautiful 8 month old daughter. I'm a stay at home mum with no intention of going back to full-time work in the near future. Hubby studies full time and works part-time and in the mean time we have bunked down at my parents house. Phew. 

Now that I got that out of the way, let me explain something. I get bored. I have no shame in saying it. It gets very boring staying at home with bub with no money in your pocket to go out and spend on luxuries.
I know there are some wonderful things out there to do with bub such as swimming lessons, gymbaroo, music lessons even mummy and baby yoga. How fantastic do they sound? One catch, they all cost money. Money which I'm sure a lot of single income families simply cant afford. Last year I was still getting the balance of having a baby and even though I am  learning everyday I feel as though we have a good routine and bub is old enough to appreciate some of the places I can take her now. So, this year I have made my mind up to get out the house and after a pile of research I have found some really wonderful and cheap places and activities you and your baby can enjoy for little to Zero (that's right, zero)  dollars. Yay!

Mum and bub

Mothers Group: Mothers group is a pretty obvious one but there you have it. It's pretty much a cackle of ladies with their babies who get together and talk about...stuff. Usually baby stuff. But its lovely to see other mothers, express your worries and concerns over babies, share what you have done and learnt over the week and eat great cake! Mothers group is initially held at the child health nurse facility in your local town and then after a few weekly sessions its up to the group if they would like to catch up. To save money why not alternate whose house you catch up at?

Story time at your local library: Ah yes, story time. A lovely children's librarian will sit on a chair with a circle of mums with bubs on their laps and read a nice book. It's actually a lot more exciting than that. Depending on your local library there will be singing and dancing, nursery rhymes, hand puppets and the odd shaker. There's kids dancing and swaying to Row, Row,Row Your Boat and doing the animations to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. My daughter seems to just sit there and stare at the Librarian with wide open eyes and mouth. Hey, each kid is different. And its free of charge!

Toddler Jam at your local church: I am so excited to be taking my daughter to toddler jam this year. Each program is carefully thought out to have a fun environment and keep your kids interest. Usually lasting for an hour and then morning or afternoon tea can be served for you well deserving mums (or dads). These activities are mostly free but sometimes you may need to bring $2 or be on a roster to bake a cake for morning tea, but that's nothing for the sight of seeing your child squeal with delight as they run under the parachute or clap their hands along to their favourite song.

Craft days at your local church: I didn't even know about this one until I started to enquire about toddler Jam for my daughter. Daytime craft is very popular amongst mums because it means they can do something for themselves and usually there are a couple of nice volunteers that will run a crèche for your bub. There are heaps of crafts to choose from such as painting, scrap-booking, quilting and sewing. I am in desperate need to learn how to sew, maybe I'll show you what I have made in the next few weeks?

Check out your Shire website: There are two great things about looking in the Shire website. 1) it's local and 2) there is so much information. I looked up the Shire of Mundaring website and there are lists and lists of things like local playgrounds, volunteer work and crafty things to do. I'm sure you will find some wonderful things to do in your local town via your Shire website.

Here's a silly little list what mums can do while bub is napping:

• Sleep (duh)
• Bake something yummy. I bake almost everyday, so our freezer is pretty packed full of muffins at the moment. I think some people in the house are having a hard time keeping up with the all.
• Blog Bloggidy
• I DON'T LIKE HOUSEWORK, so why not read a nice book instead?
• Start a DVD series.
• Maybe do housework, maybe.
• Probably should do some housework

I hope you liked my suggestions. Let me know if you can think of any other money saving activities to do with bub outside the house.

Have fun

Renee x