Though advertisements and the telly would have you believe otherwise, there are many ways to spend fun afternoons with your children without spending a pound. Especially when the financial climate has families struggling to make ends meet, parents should consider gifting their children experiences that will make lasting memories instead of costly gifts or expensive nights out.

Outdoor activities

On a nice day, try spending the afternoon at a park, which will give your children the chance to socialise with other kids and the chance to get a healthy dose of exercise. You can arrange to meet family friends or their school mates, or just spend a quick half hour before the sun goes down.

Country walks or hiking trails are also a good way to spend quality time while giving the whole family a workout. Pack food and some games to occupy your time during a much-needed rest, and then get back to exploring! You can take a book on the local birds, trees, or insects, or take pictures with your phone to look up when you get home. The most important thing to remember is to keep them interested and excited about your afternoon as outdoor adventurers.

If the season is right, take a basket or plastic bag for each child and take them for a berry picking mission! The fruits of your labor mean you can make pies or preserves that the whole family will love and know that they contributed to.

Flying a kite is another excellent way to get children out of the house without much cost, and they will remember the excitement flying their first kite for years to come. Pick a windy day and bring a stopwatch to celebrate how long your kids could keep the kite in the air. Don’t forget a warm treat like tea or hot chocolate as a treat after a windy workout!

Winter activities

The cold months surrounding the holidays may find you hard-pressed to take your children out on a budget, but there are still many things to do while the weather is not so nice.

A rainy or snowy day is the perfect opportunity to comb your local library for literary treasures. You can let your child pick out a book to read, and perhaps find one of your favourite childhood books to share with them.

Galleries and museums often have free days or let children under a certain age enter free. You can take this chance to expose them to art, history, and culture and cultivate their creative side.

About the Author

Andrea Vane from www.comparejuniorisa.com writes mainly about the Junior ISA

Gothic Rock clothing has it’s roots in the Victorian cult of mourning, with black being the ‘colour’ of choice, but modern ‘Goth’ clothing blends a host of styles and images to create a wonderously diverse look which both stuns and provokes a reaction.

The History of Gothic Clothing

Gothic clothing originally emerged in the early 1980′s as a consequence of the Gothic rock music scene. The look was easily identified by the use of religious or macarbre imagery, leather, fishnet stockings and thigh boots as well as black eye make-up on both Men and Women. This look has morphed over the years to include styles and clothing from the Punk movement, BDSM and ‘Lolita’ sexual imagery plus Elisabethan ruffled shirts.

For women, the use of lots of black velvet and velvet with very tightly laced corsets is the classic ‘Goth’ look, but with the inclusion of styles from other eras we now see brightly coloured dresses, leggings and shoes being brought into the mix, with flouorescent colours and 50′s ‘Marilyn Monro’ type dresses also being worn by lady Goths.

Goth Clothing – An Enticing Enigma

The Goth clothing movement was originally a complete revolt against the bright and brash clothing and lifestyle of the 1970′s and 1980′s, with their use of mixed clashing colours and way-out styling. In some ways, Gothic clothing mirrors both 70′s and 80′s fashion as the whole ethos of the Goth look is deliberate overstatement, even more so with modern Goth clothing as the once shunned bright colours have now been welcomed back into the fold, with designers like Hell Bunny and Poizen Industries offering a mix of flat black and dayglo colours, with the use of bright tartans and overbanding mixing with traditional Gothic styles.

For women, the Hell Bunny clothing rangs gives a real mix of styling, with everything from baby pink 50′s dresses to PVC corsets and an abundance of black lace and the shortest of mini skirts. These clothes, mixed with a choice of massively high heeled ankle boots or the traditional Doc Martens boots give a shocking look which epitomises the modern Goth uniform, and although not as shocking as the old ‘everything black’ look still turns heads.

Down to the Core – Gothic Underwear

Women’s Goth clothing doesn’t finish at the top layers – let’s face it, the look would break down pretty quickly if underwear turned out to be cotton panties and a bra from M&S! Gothic women’s underwear harks back to the Golden age of corsets, stockings and suspender belts, with a mix of materials being used – everything from PVC and leather to black lace. Corsetry is very much the name of the game, with overbust and underbust styles being worn either over clothing or under to give shape and definition of waist and bust. Stockings tend to be lace, fishnet or designed with predominantly black being used although there are now is a movement towards bright colours.

It’s clear that the Goth clothing movement isn’t dead, but has morphed continually over the years – every season gives new style influences and this is in some way influenced by Goth rock bands, for instance the ‘Steampunk’ influences which have been brought in over the past few years.

Rocky Horrors is a well known and very well established alternative clothing store with a huge fanbase from all over the planet.  Celebrity customers include Alice Cooper and many other Goth, Punk and Rock band members

A little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down, according to Mary Poppins.  The same holds true with vegetables as well as medicine.  No, of course we are not advocating putting the sugar bowl next to your child’s plate, but the same concept can work with all sorts of other ingredients. Here are some great vegetable recipes that will have your children asking for seconds.

Creamed Spinach

No one but Popeye likes spinach in its pure, unadulterated form.  But bathe it in a creamy sauce, and you can just see the muscles pop!

In a small saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter or margarine.  Gradually sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour.  Stir quickly and vigorously until well blended into a paste.  Gradually add a cup of milk, or if you are not concerned about calories, cream.  Keep whisking until smooth and thick. Mix well with cooked fresh or frozen chopped spinach.

Candied Carrots

Looks like we lied about the sugar bowl on the dinner table.  This is a quick and delicious way to get everyone, not just children to love their carrots.

In a small saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter or margarine. Add a tablespoon of granulated brown sugar.  Stir until the sugar is melted into the butter.  Pour over well drained cooked carrots, frozen or fresh, and then toss to blend flavors.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Every child of my acquaintance loves cheese, so why don’t we just wrap it around everything they don’t like to eat?  Full of vitamins and calcium, they will be getting a double whammy of good for them vegetables and cheese.

In a microwaveable cup or bowl, put about a cup of grated American cheese.  Microwave on medium for about a minute.  Stir and microwave for another minute until completely melted.  Pour over steamed broccoli heads in a baking dish and blend gently, so as not to break up the heads.   Sprinkle bread crumbs over and dot with butter. Bake for 5 minutes to melt the butter and crisp the bread crumbs.

Vegetables with Dip

If you have really fussy kids, or in a pinch, one sure way of getting the good vitamins from vegetables into your kids’ bellies is to just serve raw vegetables that they like. Carrot sticks, pepper strips, celery and cucumbers sections make a delicious and colorful platter of great food that they can dip into the sauce of your choice.

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