While growing up, kids typically become fearful of various things, especially the "monsters" that live in their closets. In 2001, Pixar, the computer animation arm of the Walt Disney Studios, revealed the truth behind that fear in Monsters, Inc., a family-family animated adventure.

John Goodman lends his voice to James P. "Sulley" Sullivan, a monster who lives on the other side of the closet door. With his best friend and roommate Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), Sulley works for Monsters, Inc., a company that converts children's screams into energy for the city of Monstropolis.

Sulley is a "scarer," one of the monsters that go through the closet door and cause kids to scream. Mike collects the energy generated by the screams in large storage tanks. Sulley has to be careful, though, not to bring anything back from the human world because children are toxic to monsters. Unfortunately, a sweet little girl named Boo follows Sulley through the closet one night, thinking he's a big furry kitty.

Fearing that they will be arrested or worse, Mike and Sully hide Boo in their apartment until they can figure out how to get her back home. A jealous chameleon named Randall (Steve Buscemi) finds out what they are up to, though, and tries to steal Boo away from them.

Funny and extremely clever, Monsters, Inc. contains eye-popping computer animation and an even better story. John Goodman and Billy Crystal are a great team as the voices of sarcastic Mike Wazowski and kindly Sulley. Playing a one-eyed monster, Crystal has some truly funny moments, especially when he has to insert a giant contact lens into his huge eye.

Monsters, Inc. also contains some great running gags, especially the constant warnings about children being toxic. When one furry monster comes back through a closet with a child's sock on his back, the hazardous materials team storms in, shaves him from head to toe and then blows up the sock.

Monsters, Inc., which is rated G, is a perfect blend of sly comedy for the adults and lots of action for the kids. The only scary thing about this movie would be never seeing it with the kids.

Halloween is right around the corner and soon, you'll need a way to keep the kids entertained. While the little ones are content trick-or-treating, and you may feel safe allowing older teens to attend Halloween parties, what about preteens? Is there a way for families with preteens to enjoy Halloween at home? Sure there is! In fact, Halloween is a wonderful evening for a family night.

First of all, Halloween at home is the perfect time to introduce your children to some of the scary movies you loved as a kid. Of course, you'll want to keep the rating appropriate for their age. You could show them such classics as Hocus Pocus or go even more classic with movies such as The Wolf Man or Frankenstein. Regardless of what you show, a movie marathon is a great option for Halloween night.

Another great way to spend the evening is making classic Halloween treats. Some great ideas include caramel apples, cut-out sugar cookies, festive cupcakes, or even a snack mix. There are a number of great places to get Halloween recipes. Of course, if you want free recipes, the internet is a perfect place to start.

Last, but not least, get your children involved in a good cause. There are a number of different ways to help charities on Halloween. A fun idea for the whole family though is to setup a haunted house and charge admission. The money raised with the haunted house can then be donated to your favorite charity. It could be a local pet shelter, food drive, or any other charity your family believes in. This is also an activity that could take up several family nights. The earlier in October you open your haunted house, the more money you'll earn for your charity.

Halloween doesn't have to be boring for preteens. The days of a big candy loot may be over, and they may still be too young to hit teen Halloween parties, but there are a number of fun ways to enjoy the holiday at home.

Halloween is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about costumes. Let's face it. Halloween costumes aren't the best investment when funds are low. After all, most costumes only get worn once and then stay in the closet for a few years before being donated. Don't get me wrong, donations are always a wonderful thing. But, the focus of this week's blog is to discuss ways for you and your family to save money on Halloween costumes while also spending time together.

Homemade costumes are a wonderful way to save money and spend time together. Not only can you come up with amazing costume ideas, but you can also think of ways to reuse old costumes. First, sit down with your family and ask each person what they want to be for Halloween. Once everyone has an idea of what they want to be, you can start gathering supplies to make the costumes together.

Many Halloween costumes and accessories can be reused to make new costumes. For example, capes from vampire costumes can be used for superhero, witch, or even medieval costumes. You can also take just about any costume and add a bit of fake blood and makeup to create a new character, such as a dead cheerleader. Also don't forget all the items laying around your house that can be used in Halloween costumes. Sheets always work well for ghost and toga costumes, but they can also be wrapped to create part of a belly dancing costume. You can also spray paint silk roses for the perfect accessory to a dead bride costume. All it takes is a bit of creativity.

One last tip is to remember that Halloween makeup can be made from common household ingredients. For example, fake blood can be made using corn syrup and food coloring. Not only is homemade Halloween makeup less expensive, but you also don't have to worry about the makeup being harmful if accidentally swallowed by little ones.

Fall has finally arrived along with all the wonderful things that go with the season. It's the perfect time to spend time with your family baking pies, sitting around the bonfire, watching football, or even going apple picking. Not only is apple picking a great way to save money and get exercise, it's also a wonderful way to spend the evening with your family.

There are literally thousands of apple orchards located across the United States. Not only are apple orchards simply gorgeous, but you can save money by picking the apples yourself. Best of all, orchards also have fruit stands where you can try new varieties of apples before you go apple picking. They also have cakes, pies, turnovers, and other delicious treats made from the apples picked fresh from the orchard.

Let's not forget all the exercise your family will get as they make their way through the orchard. Orchards usually span many acres, especially if the orchard has several varieties of apples to choose from. Not to mention that carrying your apple loot back to the car can also burn quite a few calories.

What do you do with all those great apples after you get them home? While you could just eat them, why not continue your family night by making some delicious treats with the apples? You could bake pies, make apple bread, dip the apples in caramel, etc. There are thousands of delicious apple recipes available online. You could even make pie filling and can it for later use. The sky's the limit when it comes to freshly picked apples.

Family night doesn't have to cost a fortune. Sometimes all it takes is taking a tradition from long ago and introducing it to your children. Chances are you probably already buy apples for your children so why not take them to the orchard to pick their own? Not only will you save money, but you're helping the environment by purchasing local produce rather than fruit that was shipped from across the country.

Every day, more and more families lose part of their household income. This means that some of the things families have taken for granted over the years are suddenly out of the question. Take football tickets for instance. When a household income is suddenly cut, it can be impossible for a family to afford season tickets. Thankfully, there are many inexpensive ways for your family to enjoy football night without spending a fortune.

First of all, if your family simply enjoys football, why not go watch local high school football games? Not only are these games more affordable, but it's fun to support a local team. Plus, many high schools charge less than $10 per ticket. High school students can even get in at a discounted price. Not to mention that the snacks are more affordable.

When times are tough, don't forget that some of the best games can be watched through satellite and are included in the price you're already paying. For special games, you may have to pay to see them on pay-per-view, but if the game is really important, everyone can pool their money together to pay for it.

If times are really tough, you can also listen to games on the radio or sometimes watch them online. If you're looking for a game that isn't local, satellite radio is a good option. You can even find online radio broadcasts by visiting the team's website.

As you can see, there are a number of different ways for your family to enjoy their favorite football games for less money. Best of all, you can prepare snacks at home for a fraction of the cost that the stadiums charge. Let's take a look at what I mean.

Stadium Snacks for a Family of Four"
Hot Dogs $24
Drinks $12
Popcorn $10
Total: $46

Snacks at Home"
Hot Dogs $10
Drinks $2
Popcorn $4
Total: $16

That's a huge savings. Not to mention, that you'll never miss a play heading to the snack bar.

Football season has finally arrived and what football fan doesn't love to tailgate? Unfortunately, going to the big game may not be affordable in today's economy. That doesn't mean you and your family have to give up tailgating. In fact, you can actually tailgate from the comfort of your own backyard. Not only is the parking great, but you'll have the best seats in the house when the big game starts.

First things first: setup your backyard up to reflect the love of your favorite team. Decorate the deck with the team's colors, have a radio set up to play the team's song until the game starts, and just make it look like you're actually at a tailgate party. You could even bring your truck around to the backyard for the drinks and appetizers.

The next thing is to get creative with the food. There are a number of different ways to celebrate the love of your favorite team in the food you prepare. For example, if you love the Tennessee Vols, prepare a dish that Tennessee is known for. Another tip is to create drinks that feature the team's colors. For example, you could blend orange sherbet and milk to create the first layer of a Tennessee Vols milkshake and then create the other layer by blending vanilla ice cream and milk.

Last, but not least, enjoy the game in the backyard. Either listen to the game on a radio or purchase a portable TV to watch the game. Of course, if it gets a bit nippy outside, you can always enjoy the game inside as well. That's one of the biggest advantages to tailgating at home.

This year, instead of paying a fortune for seats that aren't so great, gather your family around to watch the big game at home. Not only is this a more affordable option, but you'll never miss a great play thanks to the power of replay.

Who doesn't love fresh baked goods in the fall? Plus, many people have fond memories of baking cookies with their parents when they were growing up. Wouldn't you like to create those memories with your kids? Then why not spend a family night baking some of your family's favorite goodies? This week, let's look at a few tips for baking with the family.

Keep it simple. This should be a fun family night activity. For that reason, it's best to stick with simple recipes. That way, you have a better chance of the recipe turning out right and everyone feeling successful. If you choose to have a baking night every week, you could gradually add harder recipes as the family feels more and more comfortable with basic baking techniques.

Give everyone a job. Instead of one person doing all the work, split up the jobs and let everyone help out. One person could measure the ingredients. Another person could stir the ingredients together. Someone could roll out cookie dough and someone could get the baking sheets ready. If you're working with small children, just make sure that adults are in charge of any dangerous steps, such as working with the oven.

Choose a theme. If you have several kids each one could pick a recipe that revolves around a certain theme. For example, all the recipes could be apple recipes. Another way to implement themes for smaller families is to create cookies that are all decorated with a certain theme. The theme could be a certain football team, holiday, or even fall in general.

Share the wealth. After all the baked goods are finished, why not go around the neighborhood and share? You could also give some of the baked goods to friends and family. This way, your family gets to enjoy baking without overindulging in sweets.

Family night doesn't have to be the same thing every night. As you can see, there are so many different ways to enjoy a night at home without spending a fortune. Best of all, nights like these give you something to work on and later enjoy.

There comes a time when all kids want a redo in their rooms. As many shows have proven, this can be done for free or at least on a small budget. Best of all, a small room can usually be redone in one night. If you have more than one child, the family can band together for the entire weekend to redo everyone's room. Even the master bedroom could get a makeover.

Sometimes all a room needs is a new layout. In these cases, you don't have to spend a dime. All you need to do is sit down, draw out the room, and try different configurations. Taking time to plan the room before you start moving furniture will ensure you don't have to move the furniture numerous times.

If the room needs more than just rearranging, the first step is to decide how big your budget is and what needs to be done. With a budget in mind, you can better determine how much money can be spent on each item. For example, you may want to spend $100 on the room. This means that you could put aside $25 for paint, $30 for a new comforter set, etc.

Before you go shopping though, take time to measure the room for new pieces and to determine how much paint you need. For example, let's say a child has reached the point where they need a desk. Instead of rushing out and buying a desk, decide where you want to place the desk and then measure the area. This ensures that the furniture actually works in the space.

Last, but not least, don't forget how much money you can save by reworking items. For example, dressers can be painted to match a new color scheme. Drawer pulls can also be changed to fit a new style. Believe it or not, little tips like this will save a lot of money.

Don't put off those much needed room remodels. With just a little bit of money, or no money at all, children's rooms can be made new again. Best of all, this makes a great gift for birthdays and holidays.

When you're on a budget, a birthday party can seem extremely expensive. This is especially true if the birthday party is hosted outside the home. Everything from a cake to the meal can cost a fortune when celebrating at a local restaurant. Instead of spending a fortune on birthday parties, why not save some money in the kitchen and make your own birthday cake and party foods?

A restaurant meal is a special way to celebrate a birthday. But, making someone their favorite meal from scratch means so much more. That's especially true if it's a meal you don't make very often because it's expensive or time consuming. This is the perfect way to celebrate when only a few people will be coming over.

If a lot of people will be attending the party, food plattersare a wonderful idea. As always, you will definitely save money by putting platters together yourself. You will also save more money the more you have to do. For example, instead of buying cheese cubes, buy large blocks of cheese and cut them yourself.

The most important part of any birthday party is of course the cake. Just because you'll be making the cake at home doesn't mean you have to go with a mix. In fact, making a cake from scratch is much more affordable. Not to mention that they taste a lot better. There are literally hundreds of recipes online.

Speaking of recipes, the following recipe is great for entertaining.

Buffalo Chicken and Onion Rollups
Serves 20

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken, cooked and shredded
10 burrito sized tortillas
8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
½ package of ranch dressing mix
Buffalo wing sauce
1 cup of chopped green onions

1. Toss the shredded chicken with enough buffalo wing sauce to make it moist.
2. Mix the softened cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix and spread onto the tortillas.
3. Top with green onions and roll.
4. Cut each roll into five pieces and serve on a large platter.

Summer is winding down quicker than you may realize. Many children have already gone back to school and soon the dog days of summer will be coming to an end. Why not take advantage of these last few warm weekends? This weekend, get the family together and create a campground in the backyard.

Obviously, this family night activity requires a bit of planning. You'll need to grab some camping foods, such as hot dogs and marshmallows for roasting. You'll also need a tent and sleeping bags. If you don't have any, chances are your friends have some you can borrow for the weekend. Last, but not least, you'll need a bundle of wood to create a roaring fire and don't forget a cooler for the drinks and food.

Next, you'll need to think of some activities. Scary stories around the campfire are always a fun idea. Each person can make up their own story and tell their story before bedtime. Another activity that is fun for little kids is to take a hike around the backyard. Take time to look at things like you've never looked at them before. For example, look at the different plants and wildlife. You could even take pictures. A fun idea for older kids is to create a bit of competition through sports or even a campfire cook-off.

There are several advantages to camping out in your own backyard. First of all, there's easy access to clean bathrooms, which is always a plus. Second, you don't have to spend a dime on gas to get to your destination. Last, but not least, if your city doesn't allow fires in the city limits, you can cook everything on a grill. This truly is a family night activity that brings the family together, but doesn't require a lot of money. It's a great way to say goodbye to summer. Don't worry though because there will of course be many more family night activities for the cool months of fall.

Discovering a family's history should be an important part of everyone's lives. Not only does it enlighten you on what your family has been through, but it can be fun to learn about your ancestors as well. Believe it or not, this can be turned into a family activity. Whether you have young children in the house or even older children, this can be a fun experience. This week, let's bring the family closer by learning more about the family's history.

Obviously this activity will be different based on the age of your children. If you have young children, this can be a simple project that helps little ones get to know their family a little better. This is a great activity because it helps children learn about their relatives. This not only keeps them safe, but it can be fun for kids to learn little things about their relatives. You can simply use a large piece of poster board and photos of the immediate family to create a simple family tree. Under the photos, you can put the name and birth date of the relative along with something fun about them. For example, Grandma Sophia may love to bake cookies. This helps children remember their relatives. Once the family tree is complete, it can be hung in the child's room so that they can study their family tree and get to know their family even more.

Older kids will love learning more interesting facts about the family. This will take some time spent researching the internet. There are websites that can help you, but beware that many of these sites do charge a fee. The good thing is that these sites can give you a chance to connect with distant relatives who may have more information. While just learning about the family can be a fun family night activity, you can also create a more sophisticated family tree using one of the many software titles available.

Young or old, this is a great family night activity for your children. It can also be fun for parents as well. After all, who wouldn't want to learn more about their family history?

Who doesn't love barbecue? There's just something wonderful about the smoky flavor of baby back ribs straight from the smoker. It's enough to get families running to their local pig stands for a delicious plate of barbecue. Unfortunately, barbecue restaurants can be quite expensive, especially for families. This week, let's look at how your family can enjoy a delicious plate of barbecue and all the fixings without spending a fortune.

A family of four might spend the following on a night out at a local barbecue joint:

Appetizers $10
Drinks $8
4 plates of baby back ribs and sides $60
Desserts $12
Total: $90

That's quite an expense, especially when times are tough. It doesn't have to be this way though. A family of four can enjoy a huge barbecue feast for almost a third of what a night out would cost.

4 slabs of baby back ribs $20
Deli potato salad $5
Canned baked beans $2
Rolls $3
Bakery dessert $6
Total $36

The truth is you could save even more money. The key is to watch the sales papers. Many grocery stores often have baby back ribs on sale for $2.98 a pound, especially around the summer holidays. If you want to save even more money, you can always make your own side dishes.

Of course, when I want good barbecue, I slow cook a Boston butt. Boston butts are often on sale for $0.98 a pound. I place the roast in the slow cooker and cook for 10 to 12 hours on low. Once the meat is fall apart tender, I pull the meat apart, remove any fat, and toss the meat with my favorite barbecue sauce. It's a dish that everyone seems to love.

Stop spending a fortune on barbecue! Not only can you save money at home, but you'll have leftovers for the next day. And, if you simply love a certain restaurant's barbecue sauce, chances are they'll sell you a jar so you can enjoy the same flavor at home.

Do you have little kids in the house? Little ones are always amazed by plants and how they grow. Why not take advantage of this and save some money in the process? Over the course of a few weeks, start a family garden club. Not only will this give you and your family time to bond, but it can also provide food and beautiful landscaping for your household. This week, gather your family around and get dirty with a garden club.

This activity will actually take more than one week. In fact, it's an ongoing project your family can share together. During the first couple weeks, discuss what types of plants you would like to have. Have everyone in the family write down at least 2 types of produce and two types of landscaping plants.

The next week, sit down and draw the area outside your home and make close ups of certain areas. For example, draw an overhead of your property and then draw a close up of the flower beds in front of your home. This helps the family determine how much space is available and what space could be used for different types of plants. Remember to take into account what type of light each area gets.

On the third week, you can start deciding which plants would look best and what types of produce will grow best in your area. To help make your landscaping decisions easier, print out pictures of the plants you want to use in each area.

It's finally time to start buying the plants and start gardening. Most families will have to work on their property in sections. Not only is it expensive to landscape your entire yard at once, but plants need to be planted soon after they are purchased. Don't take on more than you can handle each week.

This is a great way to spend time together and teach your young children at the same time. Not to mention your family can benefit from the beauty of the plants and the nutrition of the produce. Even if you don't have a large space, your family can still work with indoor plants and a window garden.

Isn't it nice to share things with your family? It's a way to learn about each other. And, what better way to learn about each other than sharing hobbies? This is a time to truly learn about each other while learning something new in the process. This week, let's talk about sharing hobbies on family night.

Each week, one family member could share one of their favorite hobbies. This is a wonderful way to keep kids busy during summer vacation. They can spend time making handouts for other family members and creating presentations. They can present their hobby in any way that they choose. They may choose to show other family members step by step or rent DVDs and borrow books from the library to help explain their hobby.

One important rule to remember is that there must be enough supplies so that everyone can learn the hobby together. For example, if one child is showing how to do beadwork, they would need to have enough beads, needles, and string for everyone to make their own project. Another rule is that all family members must participate, even if it seems a little silly for them to do so. This means that dad must make girly crafts and mom must learn a new sport, if that's what a family member is teaching that week.

What type of hobbies can you show? There are a number of different hobbies families can teach each other.

Sports such as golf, martial arts, etc.
Crafts such as beading, quilting, crocheting, etc.
Cooking Methods such as grilling, bread making, candy making, baking, etc.
Arts such as painting, pottery, etc.
Collecting coins, stamps, etc.

Another fun thing to do while sharing hobbies is to plan a menu around that week's hobby, even if it's not a cooking method. For example, if someone is teaching painting, why not serve Italian food, since some of the greatest artists were Italian? This family night activity really is fun and it's a great way to show kids that you really do care about their interests. Everyone will enjoy sharing what they love with those that they love.

In this day and time, most children have a summer reading list. For many children, this isn't exactly how they wanted to spend their summer vacation. Instead of letting your children turn this into a negative experience, why not make it fun? In fact, why not get the whole family involved? This week, let's discuss having book club meetings on family night.

First of all, you'll need enough copies of the books for the entire family to read. If you purchased all these books at a bookstore, the prices would really add up. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to save money on books. Obviously, the first place to start is your local library. Each week, you could pick up enough copies for your family to read that week's assigned book. If your library doesn't have enough copies, don't worry, there are other ways to save money. Used books stores offer great deals and some even let you trade in old books towards the cost of your purchase. Another great way to save money is through book trading sites like Paperback Swap. Through these sites, you're able to post books you no longer want and get credit for other books.

The next step is to make it fun. There are a number of different ways to do this. You can serve fun snacks, such as cookies, or foods that revolve around the book you're reading that week. Another fun thing to do is watch the movie version after the book has been read and discussed. This provides extra incentive to get your children to read the book.

Last, but not least, make sure to have a thorough discussion of the book. Have your children take notes so that they don't forget what they've learned. By getting involved in your child's education, you not only ensure they get the work done, but you make it more enjoyable for them as well. Best of all, this can even be done while on vacation. Just get an audio book and listen to it during the drive to your destination.