Tuesday Travels: Vacation the Cape on a Budget

As you may know, my husband and I have taken on an enormously expensive home renovation over the last few months. One stipulation of buying our home nearly six years ago was that we'd someday build a garage. The detached garage we had originally planned has blossomed into an attached garage with a great deal of living space above. Along with these lovely blossoming changes comes a whole pile of bigger bills. Which means we had to scale down our typical vacation plans this year.

One of our favorite vacations each year is a trip to Cape Cod, just a scenic hour and half drive away. Cape Cod is typically a fairly expensive tourist trap if you're not careful. But my husband and I have been inexpensively vacationing there every year since we started dating.

We spent a gorgeous, but hot and humid week camping at Nickerson State Park, which is located on 1900 acres in Brewster, the center of the Cape. Over 400 camp sites are available to reserve - tent and RV/camper sites are available in addition to yurts - cabin-like buildings if you're not into sleeping on the ground and you don't own a camper. Reservation fees for MA residents are less expensive than non-MA residents and vary based on the type of site you're reserving ($22/night for tent/camper site versus $55/night for large yurt site).

The camp sites at Nickerson do not have running water or electricity, but fear not! There are bathrooms available throughout the camp that have cold running water, running lights and even an outlet or two if you'd like to charge your phone while you pee. Bathrooms are cleaned once a day by park staff, although I assure you that you'll still find an abundance of bugs.

In addition to water access in the bathrooms, there are water spigots located every 4-5 camp sites, which are available for you to fill up on cooking and cleaning water. You could probably drink this water too, but my husband and I usually bring our own bottled water. The campground is also equipped with several shower houses if you'd like to wash off all the dirt and grime. These are offered free of charge, unlike some private campgrounds which charge to use the showers. The showers are also cleaned once a day so try to avoid attempting to shower during the cleaning schedule or you may have a very long wait. While the showers do offer hot water, there isn't always hot water available if many people have been showering when you arrive.

Flax Pond

Nickerson State Park features several large freshwater ponds available for swimming and boating. None of the water areas are life guarded, so you swim at your own risk. There's also a huge stretch of beautiful paved bike trails throughout the campground that lead to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a bike path that runs throughout the Cape. The bike trails inside the campground are tough, with steep slopes and sharp drops, but once on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the path is fairly flat with only minor thigh-burning gradual hills.

If you forgot to pack your sunscreen or goggles or nearly anything else, there's a Camp Store within the park open each day from 8 - 8. Prices are steep but it's convenient. Maybe you ran out of marshmallows or you're craving an ice cream bar - you can get both at the Camp Store. Most importantly, the Camp Store sells firewood at $5.50 a bundle. It is prohibited to bring in outside firewood into any MA State Park because of past issues with invasive bugs destroying forest populations. Trying to sneak in your own firewood can cause you to get kicked out of the campground.

If you're not willing to fork over the high prices for items at the Camp Store or they don't have what you need, there are a million shops and box stores within a few miles of the campground. We often make runs to Shaws to pick up stuff we didn't have room to pack like cases of water.

Perhaps camp stove cooking is not your thing or you'd rather pluck your own eyelashes out than lose them attempting to light your own camping grill. There are so many delicious local restaurants that serve a variety of foods within just a 5-10 minute drive. Obviously being on the Cape, lobster shacks and other seafood restaurants are most popular, however, you can find yourself an equally great pub or family-style restaurant too.

On the advice of Jon's Uncle Matt, he and I stopped in A Hole in One in Orleans for a sit-down breakfast one morning and grabbed some donuts to go on our last morning of the trip. Warning: If you're looking for a quick bite to eat, don't go here! I promise you there will be a wait. There will be a wait whether you're a party of 1, of 2 or of 10. There will be a wait whether you want to sit down and eat or grab it to go. The food is so amazing, there are always lines in the morning. You MUST try the donuts - they are worth every calorie, especially the honey dipped!

We also make it a point to complete a multi-mile bicycle ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail so that we can later treat ourselves to delicious burritos at Guapo's Tortilla Shack in Brewster. If you don't mind walking, this gem is located about 2 miles outside of the campground entrance and right on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Jon and I usually get the Chicken Fajita Burro and wash it down with a delicious cerveza. Beer and margaritas must be purchased at the outdoor bar window, while food can be purchased inside. There are a few indoor seats, but be prepared to sit outside at the picnic tables under the cabanas. If you're not into straight-up Tex-Mex food, Guapo's also offers regular ol' burgers and fish 'n chips. They do offer a gluten free menu as well, however, there are only a handful of options on it.

Some other notably delicious restaurants include Orleans's Jailhouse Tavern, which we did not visit this year, but have visited several times in the past. It's actually in an old jailhouse. The building inside is sooo cool! And they have the absolute best French dip sandwiches I've ever had in my life. Ever. I hope it's still on the menu. If it's not, there will be a one-woman riot next year when I stop in. Land Ho!, also in Orleans, features some great pub-style food. Ever heard of a Cape Cod Reuben? Fried cod, coleslaw and thousand island dressing = a tiny slice of Heaven on a plate. If you're looking for a dog-friendly spot, like us, check out Cobie's. Found right off the bike trail, Cobie's in Brewster offers a wide selection of clam-shack type food as well as a gazillion different types of ice cream. I wanted ice cream for dinner, but my husband made me adult that day, so I had to wait for ice cream until after dinner.

As I said, my husband made me adult and wait for ice cream until after dinner. Our pup, Riley, was getting antsy so we headed out for a quick drive and ended up at Emack & Bolio's in Orleans for our dessert. This is another place that you will never get in and out of very quickly. There is always a line. But that's because it's amazing. So amazing, we splurged and let Bubby have his first people-food experience in the form of vanilla ice cream.

If you think you'd get bored relaxing at your camp site, taking serene nature walks through the wooded forests or lazily floating across a freshwater lake, there are plenty of fun things to do outside of the campground. Our favorite is the Wellfleet Drive-In which has double-features every night. There is also a Wellfleet Cinema on the same grounds if you'd rather not get eaten alive by buggies. Last year we caught Despicable Me 2 and RIP Department - both excellent movies. This year, we ended up watching two fairly childish movies - Minions, which was really funny, and Inside Out which my husband dubbed "cheesy." If you're a preteen girl, this is a great movie for you... for all others, proceed with caution!

My husband drives a Tacoma so we bring our camping chairs and park our butts in the bed of his truck. While the Drive-In does have some still-working vintage speakers, it's important you bring a working radio or have your car battery fully charged. They do not guarantee that the speaker you park near will work and you cannot have your vehicle running during the shows. The Drive-In charges per person rather than per carload and is totally pet-friendly. There's a playground in the center with swings for the kids before the show and in between the double features. Snacks and drinks can be purchased at the concession stand but they are pricey. You can bring in outside food and drinks, but no alcoholic beverages!

On Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday on the same grounds as the Drive-In is a flea market. Open from 8-3 weather permitting, the flea market features vintage vendors as well as artists' and craftsmen's wares. Admission is $1 per carload and you can purchase food and drinks from the Snack Stand. If you're looking for libations, there is also a Beer Garden where my husband always drags me. It's no fun thrifting without drinking, right?

We love finding balance between relaxing and finding our zen in the forest and sight seeing and hanging out in the chaos of Cape Cod's tourism. We're always sad to go home. This year was our first trip with a pet and even Riley was sad to go  home.

Why we love Nickerson State Park:
-an inexpensive way to experience the Cape (you can't beat $22/night)
-pet-friendly
-near many restaurants, shops and attractions
-requires a paid parking pass for day-visitors, which prevents overcrowding
-electricity in bathrooms
-hot water in shower houses!

Annoying things about Nickerson State Park
-books up quickly... if you want a site during the summer, you must book 6 months out
-some sites aren't so private (near bathrooms, really close together, etc.)
-TRAFFIC! trying to enter or leave, there's always endless traffic
-you are limited to a max. of 14 consecutive camping days so you can't spend the entire summer there

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Tuesday Travels: Brimfield Antique Show #TeamSnuggle

If you're a long-time reader, then you know I absolutely love thrifting and antiquing, especially for my beloved Pyrex. I'm a huge fan of thrift stores like Savers and Salvation Army, but I also find some really great deals at antique markets too.

Three times a year the town of Brimfield, MA holds an enormous antique show that has an endless supply of antiques and vintage goodies. The show started in the 1950s, according to its website, and hosts thousands of dealers over a half-mile stretch of land. You can find reproduction primitives, expensive antiques and really kitschy stuff at every turn and bend. If you're looking for it, someone at Brimfield probably has it.

The show runs three times every year: one week each (Tuesday through Sunday) in May, July and September. I've visited both in May and July and on both a weekday and a weekend. If you're able, the facilities are less crowded during the week, and believe it or not, during July. However, keep in mind the July heat can be a scorcher and nearly everything is outdoors so there is little escape from the heat.

Regardless of when you go, you will most likely need to pay to park. Parking fees range from $5 to about $10, depending on how close to things you want to park. Bear in mind, however, that the further into the thick of things you park, the longer it may take you to leave when you're tired and want to go home.

The show is divided into fields. Most of the fields feature free admission, however, a few do charge a per person fee. In addition, some fields are only open certain days of the week or at certain times. In theory, the show is open from sun-up to sundown, but not all of the vendors are always open and available.

There are plenty of Port-O-John facilities, but there isn't always toilet paper and/or sanitizer/soap and water. I always bring napkins/tissues in my backpack as well as a small bottle of sanitizer. I especially like the option of my own sanitizer when it comes time to eat. There are many food vendors at the Brimfield Antique Show that serve a wide array tasty goodies including saugies, kielbasa, barbeque, ice cream, popcorn, smoothies, dough boys and more.

I highly recommend you bring your own sunscreen and use it frequently, although I did find a few Port-O-John stations that offered sunscreen for its customers, free of charge (tips could be left). And I also encourage you to bring snacks (protein-carb mix leaves you fuller longer!) and water in a backpack. It can start to add up if you have to keep buying bottled water from vendors or the food carts. (And who the heck wants to wait 10 minutes in line for water when you could be perusing vintage goodies!)

Although I don't recommend it, some people do choose to bring their dogs. I think it's a bad idea because it gets way too hot for their little tootsies. But also, some of the fields prohibit pets and it would limit what areas of the Show you could visit. It's really better to just leave Fido at home!

Now, if you're looking for yard-sale prices, you're not going to find them here. You also won't typically find yard-sale quality stuff either. Many of these dealers are long-time dealers and know what they have. They do, however, often accept offers, even low-ball ones, and are usually willing to haggle within reason. The closer to Sunday you visit, the more they are willing to haggle because they don't want to pack up their stuff to haul it back home again.

Didn't make it to the Show this month? Brimfield Antique Show will once again be back in September (9/8-13).

Or if you'd like to think ahead and make plans for next year, here are the 2016 dates:
May 10-15
July 12-17
September 6-11

I brought my @Snuggle_Bear with me as part of our #TeamSnuggle mission and we made a few really fantastic Pyrex and Fire King purchases. I'm so excited to add these guys to my growing vintage milk glass collection.

Disclaimer: I did receive this cute little Snuggle bear for free from Snuggle as part of the #SnuggleSummer mission with #TeamSnuggle #Spon However, I truly did attend Brimfield, paid my parking fee, food costs and the price of my vintage goodies out of my own pocket simply because I love thrifting!


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Saturday Successes: It's a Girl!

It's a girl!

No, I'm not pregnant. Nor was I ever pregnant. My husband and I are (human) childless by choice. Today's Saturday Success is about my family welcoming a different kind of child - our newest daughter, Charlotte Rue.

As a volunteer at the Seekonk Animal Shelter, one possible duty is fostering animals that don't thrive in the shelter's environment. Three weeks ago, the ACO, Sharon, asked that I bring home a tiny little grey kitten who wouldn't eat much in her cage at the shelter. She was unnamed, super teeny and extremely timid and skittish.

Let me tell you, my husband's rage when I walked through the door with a cat carrier in hand was unparalleled. But it didn't take long before Charlotte melted his angry heart.

It took a week of hand feeding her before she finally ate by herself. It also took a week before she'd come out from her towel-fort without me dragging her out.

But now she's a purring monster revving up the second I walk into the room.

We're so glad to be able to call her ours!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Fixing a Shark Steam Mop

Years ago, I got in on a Groupon deal for a Shark steam mop. My husband didn't feel like our Swiffer mop was disinfecting to his standards, so we made the $30 investment. And it was a good investment as it's lasted for over 4 years, but lately its steaming power was waning until it finally stopped squirting steam through the bottom altogether.

I was ready to toss it in the garbage when I had the idea to Google search the problem. What the heck did I ever do without Google?! 

I found many people had a similar issue, apparently a result of calcifying water, so I researched possible methods to rectify the problem.

In the end, I decided to run by Home Depot and pick up some CLR. A few hours later, lo and behold, our Shark steam mop works like a charm!

Here's what I did:

1. Unplugged and in the bathtub or outside, pour a 1:1 ratio of water to CLR into the mop. Shake it around and let sit for several hours.

2. Plug in the mop. Once heated, shake around again and try "using" it (in the bath tub or outside). I do not recommend trying to do this on your actual floor. I had a bunch of small, solid, black looking grit that poured out of my mop.

3. So long as you're getting steam out of the mop, continue to "steam" until all of the CLR/water mixer is gone. 

4. Fill the mop with water (or vinegar) and steam again until it is empty. Your mop should be as good as new!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Tuesday Travels: Making Memories at Chuck E. Cheese

My niece, Elin, and my nephew, Lucas, are 6 and 4 respectively, and boy are they spoiled! They are fortunate enough to have two sets of grandparents and several sets of aunts and uncles who have bought stock in Hasbro and Mattel since their births, which is why Auntie Cynthia and Uncle Jon have simply stopped buying physical gifts for their birthdays and Christmas. Instead, we prefer to make memories with them by taking them to do things that they don't typically get to do.

For Christmas last year, we promised to take them both to Chuck E. Cheese - a place they had been begging to go to for months.

My husband and I chose a Monday late afternoon, loaded the kiddos in his Tacoma and headed off to the North Dartmouth, MA location on State Road.

Located in a random strip-mall parking lot, the location is easy to miss. Upon entering, you are greeted by a Chuck E. Cheese attendant who stamps your entire party's hands with secretive, invisible ink. I later learned that this is a child-abduction prevention strategy- how cool! Children can only leave with an adult who has a matching hand stamp. The stamped image can only be viewed with a black light machine guarded by the door attendant. Families that enter together must leave together! This stripped me of my worries of losing sight of the kiddos while in the facility. Points for Chuck E. Cheese!

Once safely inside, we headed to the coin machine. There are always plenty of coupons available to discount your trip. I frequently see hard-copy coupons in the weekly inserts, but if you don't get the newspaper, you can also check their website to see if coupons are available for your local Chuck E. Cheese. If you have enough forethought, you could also sign up for the Chuck E. Club to get additional members-only discounts and deals.

We did not have any coupons with us (oh, the horror!) so we dropped $20 into the coin machine and needed two cups (provided for you) just to hold all the game tokens that spilled out. I'm not exactly sure how many tokens came out -- but there were A LOT.  I didn't think our money would get us very far, but twenty dollars lasted two adults, a 6-year old and a 4-year old over an hour and a half.

I'm used to the outrageous prices of the annual carnivals that come around our neighborhood each July - tickets are inexpensive but then each ride or game costs multiple tickets. Not at Chuck E. Cheese. Every game and ride is only 1 ticket. Yes, you read that correctly - 1 ticket.

The facility is conveniently divided into four areas: the dining area where there are a bunch of tables and benches with a great view of the Chuck E. Cheese animated band, a Toddler Zone for the wee ones, a Kiddie Area for our kiddos and a Skill Games and Arcade area for the adults big kids.

Games ranged from old school Whack a Mole to touch-screen based Fruit Ninja. It was an amazing mix of old and new that kept Elin and Lucas wide-eyed and entertained. Most of the games earned you tickets and both kids were eager to add to their growing pile that they could later cash in for prizes.

There were also a handful of photo booths that printed out a variety of photo souvenirs to help you remember your visit. And yes, each of these only cost 1 ticket too! Lucas was obsessed with one photo booth machine that created identification cards on a cartoon background. He insisted on making one for mom, one for dad and one for himself to keep on his dresser. I've never used a photo booth anywhere before, so of course Auntie Cynthia and Uncle Jon had to get in on the action.

And if you are worried about all the sniveling, snotty noses and dirty hands touching every surface in that building, Chuck E. Cheese provides Purell sanitizer at almost every corner. This is especially important if you plan on eating after playing!

Because the kiddos are really picky eaters, we didn't bother trying to eat at Chuck E. Cheese, although I did notice they had a huge selection of kid and adult friendly foods. The pizzas actually looked and smelled really great and they had salad. Yes, salad! I never find food that my nutritionist would approve of at places like this! I was pleasantly surprised at the wide selection of food available and before visiting, I even read that they also have some gluten-free options as well.

Before leaving, we had to feed all of our tickets into a "Ticket Monster," which then gave us a receipt with the tickets counted. This made it so much easier than counting ourselves. The prizes available were like any other game room - cheaply made and probably wouldn't last the car ride home. But the prizes made the kids happy and were a source of a math lesson. Elin knew how many tickets she had, could see what each prize was worth, and figured out herself which ones she could get without "going over."

At the end of the evening, all four of us were tired but happy. And we can't wait to go again!

Lucas's Dad is a police officer so he was psyched to be able to "drive" one like Daddy

Want to visit a Chuck E. Cheese too? Check to find one in your area! But don't be like us, make sure to bring your coupons!



Disclaimer: Chuck E. Cheese did not request that I write this review. We paid for this visit to Chuck E. Cheese entirely on our own. All opinions expressed herein are mine. 

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Hurry! $10 Off Omron Activity Tracker

Are you looking to get fit? Think tracking your activity might help? Get $10 off the purchase of the Omron activity tracker sold via Amazon with the coupon code HOUSEPARTY

As of this posting, the Omron activity tracker is $31.81 through Amazon with free prime shipping or with a $35+ order. The $10 discount will bring it to $21.81. Please note that prices are subject to change without any notice.

Disclaimer: This posting contains affiliate links.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

DIY Friday - My Father's Day (or Dad's Birthday) Project

I know Father's Day has already passed, but I wanted to show you how easy (and inexpensive) it can be to come up with a cute Father's Day gift. We call my husband "Daddy" at home. Now neither of us have human children, but we do have three furry babies and a late furry baby that we consider our pride and joy.

So every Father's Day, the kids get their Daddy something, but this year we wanted to be a bit crafty and take on a photo project.

Here's our project's inspiration from Brassy Apple

So I ran out to Michael's and bought 3 wooden distressed-style letters spelling out DAD. They were $1.50 each and I had a coupon for 30% off my entire order so I paid a tad bit over $3 for the three letters. We actually used them as decorations for my own father's birthday party later!

I then set out to take my kids' glamour shots. Believe it or not, Riley, our pup, was the easiest to photograph so long as I could keep the wooden block out of his pup mouth!

Our indoor kitty, Zoe, was upset that I disrupted her nap to take her photo.

And our indoor/outdoor adventurer, Selina Kyle, just wanted me to pet her and drool on me. She was the toughest to photograph.

So after a bit of time photographing and laughing my butt off at some of the ridiculous pictures I captured, I finally got some pictures decent enough to turn into a Father's Day gift for their Daddy. I had a coupon for $20 off any $20+ purchase at Shutterfly, so I turned their photos into a card and a really cute mug. *Always check out the Special Offers page at Shutterfly to see what deals they've got going on!

Total cost:
$3.XX for wooden blocks (which I plan to reuse as decorations every Father's Day)
$9.XX for shipping for the mug and card since my coupon didn't include shipping fee)


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Adopt, Don't Shop! Caturday Special: Bumper & Low-Cost Rabies Clinics in MA

I started volunteering at the Seekonk Animal Shelter back in December. I've always wanted to save the kitties - one kitty at a time. But since my husband put the kay-bash on my kitty-saving efforts after two kitties, I must devise a different plan for saving them!

This is a new series I plan on continuing as long as there are cats available for adoption at the Seekonk Shelter. Although called Caturday, it will also include dogs available for adoption too.


Owning a pet is an expensive endeavor. They're like children - you need to feed them, toilet them, take them to the doctor's, buy them toys.... it all adds up. So why on earth would someone want to dole out more money by buying a pet when you can get great pets through adoption!?

It is a Massachusetts state law that all dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies. This vaccine can be extremely costly if you get it from your vet. There are a series of low-cost rabies clinics that happen all over Massachusetts. Check out the list here to find one near you!

Update! As of 3/27, Bumper has been adopted!

And this week's Caturday is dedicated to Bumper.

Bumper is a young domestic short haired sweetie. He is approximately between 1 and 2 years old. He got his name Bumper because he asks to be pet by bumping your hand with his head. He absolutely loves to be pet! He can be a bit shy and may take a few minutes to warm up to a new face.

Bumper is up to date on his vaccines, is neutered and has been microchipped. This sweetie does have a grade 2 heart murmur, however, it does not require medication at this time.

If you're interested in adopting Bumper, or any other animal from the Seekonk Animal Shelter, here is the application for adoption.

Don't shop, Adopt!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts