We "kidnapped" our kids on Friday and took them to Appleton for a little weekend away. It was so much fun - they had NO clue!
Our first stop was
Funset Boulevard. It has a huge indoor playground, bumper cars, carousel, laser tag, arcade games, etc.
I was able to find a coupon online here for the Unlimited Wristband (Unlimited laser tag, bumper cars, carousel, train ride and giant kids' playcenter) for $8.95. I didn't realize how good of a deal that was until we got there and saw that the normal price for this is $12.95!!
Then, I got to eat one of my favorite foods - SUSHI - at Fuji Sushi (an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in Appleton). The best part was that two of our kids ate for FREE and two were only $3.50! And in case you are wondering, they had other "Chinese buffet" items besides sushi - so our kids were happy!
On our way back to our hotel, I happened to see a sign on a ShopKo Express store next to the hotel that said "Double Coupon Days." Wahoo! I ran over there one night (after dropping my family off at the hotel) and got some pretty good deals. Their prices were high, but I was still able to find some good deals. I got all of the above for right under $10.00! Not bad!
The next morning we went to IHOP. I was able to print coupons for the
Appleton IHOP here for
20% off our entire purchase and a FREE entree with purchase.
We took the kids to
The Building for Kids (the Appleton Children's Museum) after IHOP. Even though the price is a little high, our kids can stay for hours there. They have all kinds of fun science shows, and the "art room" alone could keep the kids busy for hours!
And of course, a trip to Appleton wouldn't be complete without a little shopping. I really didn't have anything that I was looking for/needed, but I had fun finding some great cheap-o deals!
At Target, I found tons of Neutrogena lipsticks on sale for $2.14. With some $3.00 off coupons that I had, I got those for FREE - plus the overage paid for the Animal Crackers that were a total "impulse buy" on the dollar aisle!:)
I found a super nice pair of khaki pants for my oldest daughter at Gap Kids for just $3.99! They will be perfect for her for school next year!
Then at Old Navy, I found two shirts for my girls. One was only $1.49 and the other one was $ .49!
As you know, one of our family's favorite places to shop is resale shops. We hit Savers and Goodwill, and were able to find some awesome deals. Since my kids didn't have any major needs right now, I decided to only buy something if it had the 50% off color tag on it. Have you ever done this? It is super fun!
I got a bunch of great shoes for my kiddos for $1.00 to $1.50 each after the 1/2 off! I also found Ralph Lauren and Chaps stuff for my boy, and some really nice Limited Too and Gap clothes for my girls. I LOVE thrift stores! My rule of thumb is to only buy the brands at Goodwill that I can resell at
Once Upon a Child. I also always head to the shoes first! I can not stand having to pay full price for shoes for my kids - and most of the time I don't have to by getting them at thrift stores. Plus, our Goodwill stores often have brand new Target stuff...I found some super cute Target shoes for me for just $2.99!
So, that is our weekend. We had tons of fun. Two of our kids are finally at ages that they can swim in the hotel pool without us being right there next to them. I am seeing a day in a few years where I can sit in the hot tub while they all splash around...ahhhh! Some day...:)
Hope you all found some great bargains this weekend!
