The Broke Mommy's St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is one of those "minor" holidays that can be easily overlooked. If you're a broke mommy, however, taking advantage of the minor holidays and making them special for your kids can make all the difference in the world. Your kids don't have to feel the burden of a tight budget quite as much if they feel like their life is full of celebration. Here are a few ways that you can make St. Patrick's Day fun for your family without breaking the bank:

1. It Is Easy Going Green!

There are lots of ways to "go green" with kids for St. Patrick's Day, and one of the simplest is with food coloring! Go check that cupboard full of baking stuff that you rarely ever use, and see if you already have this one hand. If you don't, this is a cheap thing you can pick up, and it lasts nearly forever! You can add a little green fun to scrambled eggs, milk, even a water bottle for more health-conscious families. If you are feeling more ambitious, you can start the morning with green pancakes, too. For dinner, you can serve some already-green veggies with green mashed potatoes. You might even get your kiddos to try a new veggie in the spirit of the holiday. (Brussels sprouts, maybe?)

2. Recycled Crafts

Some of us moms are more crafty than others, but there are some great websites that give ideas for simple crafts for kids that are cheap to make. I save all my toilet paper rolls and use them to make wreaths, "candles," and place cards for various holidays with my preschooler. Sometimes even my middle school daughter will want to join in the fun. Take a look around your house, and think about what you can put in the craft bin instead of the garbage or the recycle bin. As your kids can probably tell you, reuse beats recycle! When I was a little one, I used a cleaned out can, covered it with popsicle sticks, and painted it for mother's day. Two decades later, it is still sitting on my mom's desk serving a useful purpose. Green paint, construction paper, markers, or whatever you can find can be gathered together to make a fun family time.

3. Cheap Chic Décor

If you decided to have some fun with recycled crafts, you may have ended up with some fun decorations already. My kids love plastering the house with their own creations. Sometimes, though, you still want to add a little something extra to make the house feel more festive. When the time comes to find some super-cheap decorations, do not rule out your closest dollar store. My Dollar Tree had a small but cute collection for St. Patrick's Day. I took my preschooler and gave him a five dollar budget, which meant he got to pick out five different things to add a "touch o' green" to different rooms of the house. He found a table topper for the breakfast nook, some window clings for the Florida room door, a garland to put up around the bathroom mirror, and more. He was really happy to see how happy and surprised his dad and older sister were when they came home to a tricked-out house that was all ready for St. Patrick's Day.

These are just a few tips that any Broke Mommy can use to have some fun with the kids on St. Patrick's Day. Don't let a tight budget stop you from celebrating with your family every chance you get!