Ages: This party is ideal for girls ages 8-11

Invitiation: Roll up a colorful piece of paper that’s printed with the party details and tie with colorful curling ribbons.

Decorations: Think colorful and think about using items you have around the house. Do you have any Mexican decorations tucked away in a cabinet or a bright Mexican blanket that could be used as a tablecloth? How about twinkling Christmas lights hanging in the party room? Could you pick up a couple rolls of crepe paper (about $1 each), and hang crepe paper streamers like a curtain in a doorway? Why don’t you use a piñata for both an activity and decoration; likewise for tissue paper flowers that I’ll teach you to make below!

Activities:

• Make Tissue Paper Flowers
• Precut 4″ squares of tissue paper in a variety of colors.
• Let each child choose 6 squares in a variety of colors.
• Stack the squares on top of each other
• Fold the tissue paper like a fan into 1″ folds.
• Twist a pipe cleaner around the middle of the “fan” and continue twisting the pipe cleaner together to make a stem.
• Gently separate the pieces of tissue paper to make a flower.
• Tissue paper flowers are cute in their hair, in a vase, etc.
• You can always make these flowers bigger or smaller by starting with different sized squares of tissue paper.

• Make Bracelets using Colorful Beads


 

• Piñata – A Fiesta wouldn’t be complete without a Piñata filled with candy! Make it extra special by adding Pesos (or pennies) that the girls will use for the final activity…a Mexican Market. Pick up some colorful gift bags from the Dollar Store for the girls to collect their candy and pesos in.

 

• Mexican Market – a fun way to do party favors! – Let the girls shop for their party favors with the pesos from the Piñata. My daughter was 9 when we did this party, and she loved picking out all the goodies for the market…of course, I gave her a budget!

 
Food – Make Your Own Nacho Bar – a “make your own” is a great way to please everyone!

• Tortilla Chips
• Taco Meat Recipe – 1 lb. ground beef, 1 cup picante sauce, 1 can chili beans (do not drain)…brown beef, add picante sauce & beans. Simmer 10 minutes.
• Grated Mexi-Cheese
• Shredded Lettuce
• Chopped Tomato or Pico de Gallo
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Jalapenos
• Black Olives

 
Birthday Cake – I don’t have a special Mexican birthday cake, but The Budget Diet girl’s motto is: Bake It, Don’t Buy It. You can bake a cake for a fraction of the cost, and it will taste so much better than a bakery cake. Try my frugalicious and fast recipes for Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake and Pretty Pink Cake…they’re always a hit!

My new favorite? A vase made with pencils! Try colored pencils or even crayons for a fun twist!

 
 
 
If you need more Cheap & Cheerful Gift Ideas, check out my 20 Great Ways of Saying Thank You!

They always seem to be either:

Non-existent (we can’t find a suitable code for the product(s) we’re after.

Out of date (yes I’m talking to you, coupon sites, these do expire!)

Incorrect (again, thanks to dodgy coupon/promo code sites).

These problems exist primarily because a lot of coupon/promo code sites simply fail to do sufficient “housekeeping”, and with the hundreds (if not thousands) of promo codes released every day, I don’t blame them!

The Good News
The good news is that there is another (lesser known) way of finding the latest Amazon promotional codes. It’s really quite simple thanks to the behemoth that we know as Google.

Here’s how:
Click this link – http://bit.ly/IPPzmW
This will now show you all Amazon.com pages that include promotional codes. The next step is to refine this list to a recent period. To do this, click the “More Search Tools” link on the left hand side of the page, then select either “Past 24 Hours”, “Past Week” or “Past Month”.
Eureka! I Have Found It!

What you now have are the very latest promo codes available on Amazon, verified by Amazon themselves! Anything within a week (sometimes even a month) is almost certainly active and available.

But That’s Not All…
You can also use this search string to find specific types of products by simply appending some more details – for example you can easily add “shoes” or “laptops” to the end of the query to refine the process.

And There You Have It…
No more outdated promo codes and no more frustration. This little “shopping hack” is just one of the many gifts great Google has blessed us with. Enjoy!

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About The Author
Nancy Philips is the chief promo code hunter at APCodes, a site dedicated to researching and publishing the very latest Amazon promo codes as they are released. Visit APCodes at www.APCodes.com to start saving today!

$99 for a Vintage-Inspired Side Table in Antique Blue, Green or Cream. ($154 value), shipping included

$259 for a Hand Painted Console Table ($399 value), shipping included

$129 for Shabby Chic Scandinavia Side Chair ($189 value), shipping included

$239 for a Vintage-Inspired Wood Desk ($319 value), shipping included

$249 for a White and Blue Striped Cabinet ($449 value), shipping included

$199 for a Wood Storage Bench ($311 value), shipping included

$129 for a Modern Hourglass Accent Table ($194 value), shipping included

$179 for Leather Armchair with Nailhead Trim ($234 value), shipping included

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spray Paint Old Cans to Organize a Desk

 
 
Toilet Paper Rolls – Another Great Idea for School Supplies

 
 
Dollar Store Soap Boxes for Card Games

 
 
Free Up Drawer Space with Plastic Magazine Bins

 
 
 
Please leave a comment to share your cute, clever & cheap organizing ideas!

Remember The Budget Diet’s motto when it comes to saving money on travel – Deal First, Destination Second! If you get your heart set on a destination, and then start searching for deals, you might not find them. Be open-minded, and you’ll find the best travel deals! Stop dreaming and start traveling!

Groupon Getaways are GREAT!
New discounted travel deals launch each week on Groupon Getaways, and deals will be live for seven days. You can always find these amazing travel deals on the right side of this page. Check often, the best ones sell out quickly!

Last Minute Cruises From $199!
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3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket for only $199!
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Save 50% on the hotel Deal of the Day!
Save 50% on the hotel Deal of the Day!

Save up to 45% on resort stays in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta!
Save up to 45% on resort stays in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta! – Expires 10/31/12

Save up to 40% in Vegas right now on Expedia!
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It’s Alaska Cruise Season! Book now from $399
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Book your All-Inclusive vacation from $92 per night, plus up to $200 in resort credits!
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5. Use all your credits – or lose them
Once you check in to your resort and are issued your room keys, you can begin using your dining credits. You don’t have to use them in any set order, and you can check your balance at any time. Simply making a purchase will list your remaining credits on your receipt so you can keep track of them. Use all of your credits before you go home—even if you end up buying snacks for the return trip or as souvenirs. If you find you have too many snack credits left, see what you can purchase in the candy shops and gift shops—you can often find items that double as small souvenirs and will fit easily into your luggage.

4. Get food to go
If you are on a plan that entitles you to a dessert or beverage but don’t want these items right away, you may be able to get something to go. Consider picking up an extra bottle of water or getting your dessert to go—and enjoy it later in the day or back in your room.

3. Make reservations
Some plans come with one table service credit per person per day—but you won’t be able to use these unless you make reservations in advance. Choose the restaurant you want to visit and make the reservation well in advance; most allow you to book your table up to six months early. This is particularly important if you want to try a popular restaurant like Le Cellier or Cinderella’s Royal Table, or if you are visiting in a busy time like Spring Break or the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

2. Try something new
One of the nicest things about the Disney Dining Plan is that it allows you to try many different things without worrying about cost. Since your meal is pre-paid, you can pick from anything on the menu. Always wanted to try duck or bison, or tempted by that $42 a plate steak? On the dining plan, you can order what you want without fretting over cost. This feature also comes in handy for kids’ meals—kids’ entrees are expensive, and the dining plan is almost always less expensive than paying as you go if you have kids. You’ll feel much better about ordering the $9.95 kids meal at Teppan Edo if you don’t have to pay out of pocket for it –particularly if your little one takes one bite and then rejects it.

1. Spot the Signature Dining Locations
Some restaurants have been designated Signature Dining locations—the list used to include only Cinderella’s Royal Table and Artist Point, but some other locations have been added as well. Signature locations will eat up two of your credits per person—so it may be better to skip them or pay out of pocket for that particular meal. The list changes each year, but as of press time, dinners at Le Cellier and some other select locations have been added to the Signature Dining list. You don’t need to avoid these (they are some of Disney’s best dining locations) but you should be aware of the impact on your dining credits.

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written by: Samantha McNesby

Samantha McNesby is an Orlando resident and expert on the area’s theme parks. She can currently be found writing for Theme Park Tourist, where you can find all the latest Disneyland Paris deals.

Photo credits
All images: Walt Disney World media site