I LOVE LISTS.

I love to make lists and crossings things off.  Sometimes when I have a lot to do, I will make a list.  Normal, yes.  And then sometimes I add things to the list I have already done that day and then cross them off.  That way I feel like I have accomplished at least part of my list!  Sometimes a long list can be daunting.  But once I start CROSSING things off I FEEL AWESOME.  But sometimes lists are so fun that we cannot WAIT to start crossing the things off!

So this weekend we started crossing things off of our Summer Fun list.  What did we do?  We found FREE local things to do.

We tagged along with Dad on his business trip.  It was a 2 hour drive and we got to stay in a hotel.  FOR FREE. Yea! Gas? PAID for.  Thank goodness.  Food?  We made that travel stipend ST-R-E-TCH! We did what every other crazy frugal mama out there does--we ate before we left, we packed snacks and stayed at a hotel with continental breakfast.  I love continental breakfasts. My kids can choose whatever they want.  And I really don't care what they eat.  How often do they get to choose from 10 different breakfast options? Some went straight for the sugar cereal (I think one of our hotel trips in the past introduced them to Fruit Loops) others went for the muffins.  One chose yogurt.  One chose eggs and sausage.  And everyone was on their best hotel breakfast behavior.  Fabulous.

We did go out to eat Friday night and that was fun for the kids.  The next day we swam at the hotel pool and then we tried to find a cheap movie theater.  NO SUCH LUCK.  So then I used my best friend (Google) to find us FREE THINGS TO DO IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.  And what should I find?  But a fantastic FREE museum of natural history of Florida.  This was such a fun trip!  My girls LOVED the museum. 

In the Discovery Room at the Museum of Natural History, University of Florida

My lil poser

 Inside the museum is an a.maz.ing Butterfly Exhibit. I didn't know these 2 were connected.  I have always wanted to take my girls there. We used to live closer to Gainesville but I had heard that the exhibit was super expensive. I would not have even thought to look up the prices online because I had heard it was like $20 per person. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.  My 2 year old was free so for all of us it was only $27! Cheaper than a matinee movie and WAY more AMAZING.

 There were 1000s of butterflies and moths of different species flying all around this gorgeous terrarium filled with exotic lush tropical plants and flowers. The butterflies would land on you and let you get really close and personal.

Apparently this butterfly likes the Florida Gators as much as Mr. H

 Now if only my camera battery had not died I would have had more pictures. We watched a butterfly release of all of the butterflies and moths that had hatched the night before. They keep all of the chrysalises in a lab room that you can look into and watch them hatch! It is awesome!

Butterfly Kisses

 This exhibit is part of the Unversity of Florida.  Check out your local community college or university.  You just may find something AMAZING like we did!