Passing The hours

SunnyGirl

I'd second the rent a dvd from the library & pop popcorn night too we do it fairly often as a family & my elder two kids, 16 & 14, have their friends over monthly and I do the same for them. Reading is another good one albiet solitary, although lots of Mum's of my aquaintence including me, would love to have an evening reading uninterrupted Card games - Rummy, Snap, Cheat, Uno are all good. The library (again!) should have some books on card games to refresh your memory or learn new ones.

It sounds so old fashioned but I love listening to the radio whilst knitting or doing my cross stitch - I've taken to Radio 4 recently much to my children's amusement - and my dh will often listen with me whilst reading the paper or reading. We're 42 and 48 respectively btw :rotfl: It's finally happened we've turned into my parents!! Talking of which, during the 70's when I was growing up we used to have a 'Pop and Toffee' night once a month. We'd get a bottle of something fizzy between us and a 1/4 of sweets each and play board games together. I have such fond memories of it. We chatted whilst we were doing it about all sorts of things that maybe wouldn't have got brought up otherwise.

pigpen

We take our own sweets to the cinema.. buy them elsewhere and save a fortune.

Orange Wednesday is a good idea too.

The library here does cheap films usually on a weekend though.

Read to one another.. you read your favourite book to him and vice versa.

We sometimes just to go bed really early.. and talk...

QueenBeruthiel

Blockbuster will take Nectar points (500 I think) to "pay" for a rental.

Rentals from libraries are even cheaper, but they don't have the most up to date DVDs.

deborah64

A early night , sorry everyone else pinched all my ideas lol

steerpike

We love settling down to relax in front of the fire with a supply of nibbles and drink and a half decent film.
We are very sad as we enjoy having a night in....preparing, siphoning, bottling and sampling our home made wine together.
For days out with the children - picnic-ing in the local woods, tadpoling in spring, pinecone gathering in autumn and beach combing down the local beach all year round..especially after a good storm as all sorts of amazing bits of flotsam get washed up.

If you like horses, contact your local pony club and volunteer as a jump judge for their cross country events, usually held in either spring or autumn. Basically you sit at the side of a jump and check each horse jumps clear or not... its not strenuous, no riding skills required and the rules are simple,you can do a morning, afternoon or all day shift- if you do a full day they usually provide you with a mega packed luch and a good suply of drinks throughout the day and we get a box of chocs as a thank you at the end of the day. Its very socialable as lots of people walk round the course and like nothing better than an opportunity to chat to like minded people.... if you like horses, its entertaining, you'll be in good company and its FREE

FrenchMaid_2

We have a toddler so nights out are a rare treat... we use Tesco vouchers for meals out, usually Cafe Rouge but it's with a voucher good value for money.

Our treats are very often child related and we go out a lot we have EH and NT memberships (quidco currently has a deal on for NT memberships btw) and go out most weekends, we go obv. lots to the same places but we love it. We pack a picnic and a flask of tea and even in this weather there is always a nice sheltered spot where you can have a picnic.

Museums in Birmingham are mainly free and dd loves going to the museum, Sandwell council operates two farms that you can visit one is free the other one charges about £1 per person.

Countryside walks a firm favourite here. We pick up leaves and stuff to use in crafty project with dd...

A friend of mine asked, whether we wanted to go to Butlins with them... and to be honest that would be my worst nightmare...

Butterfly_Brain

We are all selective about what we watch on TV it is pretty dire at times too many reallity shows especially on a Saturday night. We have a good selection of films on Video and DVD so if we want to watch a film we do or we are lucky enough to live close to some beautiful countryside so we go for walks a lot ( I can't walk very far cos I have bad knees , so I use my little scooter) It doesn't spoil our days out.
We are all very arty crafty so a favourite is to have a day where we all make something. Board Games come out on Nights when we can't go out and we munch on HM goodies and we laugh a lot as a Family - Perfick!

Patchwork_Quilt

Do a babysit swap with a family you know. Friends of ours used to pay each other £5 and the same £5 note must have got swapped twenty times.

Have friends round for coffee and desserts. Saves cooking.

lindseykim13

If you want to take the tot out too vue cinemas do special sat/sun viewings for kids 1.70 each for kids and adults go free, HTH http://www.myvue.com/kidsam/

studentgirl_2

When our kids were small we never had a sitter ( all of my friends had kids a lot latter than us )

We did things in our garden. It all sounds very silly now but it was great fun. on warmer nights we would camp out in the tent and have a fire/bbq play cards by tourch light, they loved it.

Some nights me and hubby would put our coats on and lights the chimina (sp) in the garden with a nice bottle. it would be wonderfull to spent time outside and away from the tv, the kids were asleep and only in the house nice.

We would go and watch the local basket ball team family ticket £15 but took all our drinks ect.

Also amatour theater about £5 each to get in but it would feel like a really posh night out.