You can throw a great birthday party on a budget

Deborah Morris - Contributing columnist

On MTV, there is a show called My Super Sweet Sixteen. It is about people going over the top to celebrate their children's 16th birthdays.

I was thinking how crazy it is to spend so much money on a party. Last year after Halloween, I bought lots of pirate costumes, fake gold treasures, fake parrots and fake swords for my nephew's birthday party in February. My brother-in-law made treasure maps, and the kids hunted for buried treasure. They had a blast. I got the costumes and treasures for 90 percent off at Kmart. After-holiday sales, and a little imagination, can make for a great party.

Other ways to save

■ Host a house party and you'll receive free items, sneak previews of TV shows and other offers. Many varieties of parties exist.

■ Classic children's books like The Cat in the Hat come to life. Kids can log on for free, play games and engage in challenging activities.

■ Calculate the savings if you and your child stopped buying lunch out every day and brown-bagged it.

■ Traveling this Thanksgiving? Keep the kids entertained in the backseat by downloading children's books.

■ Artist Marilyn Scott Water has free patterns for toys that just need to be folded.

■ A national sports program called Kids Enjoy Exercise Now offers free one-on-one activities and non- competitive sports for kids 5 and older with disabilities.

■ Easter Seals has launched an online version of its popular disability-awareness curriculum, Friends Who Care.

■ Have full access to a custom photo lab where you can create photo calendars, jigsaw puzzles, mosaics, trading cards and more from your digital photos.

■ Have your child become a Planet Protector. The kit includes official membership certificate, Planet Protectors Club badge and activity booklets for grades K-3 and 4-5.

■ November is Diabetes Awareness Month. If your child has been diagnosed with the disease, you'll want a free Everyday Wisdom kit from the American Diabetes Association.

■ Get free Cancer Project's recipe bookmarks.

■ Starfall is a free public service to motivate children to read with phonics.

■ On Nov. 22, Parents and American Baby will be giving out sample gift bags at 60 stores. The list of stores is available online.

■ Join the Parents Community to match you with groups that have similar interests.

■ Disney is releasing Up on DVD on Tuesday. Get a 3-D balloon-propelled house plus many other Up themed templates.

■ Join Oprah and Say You're One of Them author Uwem Akpan for a discussion simulcast live at 9 p.m. Monday. RSVP now.

■ Make a free scrapbook album project to help tell your holiday stories past and present. The online class is Nov. 16 to 23.

In Lexington

■ Make handmade cards for the holidays, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lexington Public Library, Eagle Creek Branch, 101 North Eagle Creek Drive. Materials provided. Call (859) 231-5560 for reservations.

■ From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, attend Discovery Night at the Living Arts and Science Center, 362 North Martin Luther King Boulevard. Duk Lee, professor at Asbury College, will teach origami as an art form. Call (859) 252-5222 to register.

■ The Fayette County Cooperative Extension Service will present a Holidays in the Bluegrass workshop on Nov. 20. Here's the schedule: 9 a.m., breakfast; 9:30 a.m., "Holiday Hospitality" led by Rita Smart owner of the Bennett House; 10:45 a.m., "Bringing the Outside In" by Jamie Dockery, horticulture agent; noon, lunch and fashion show; and 1 p.m., "Secrets From the Tavern" with Boone Tavern chef Jeffrey Newman. The cost is $15. Call for registration: (859) 257-5582

Military connections

■ Salute a soldier this Veterans Day by sending holiday cards and messages to service members through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. The third annual drive kicks off Nov. 11 and runs through Dec. 7.

■ Applebee's would like to say thank you to all veterans and active-duty military on Nov. 11. Show proof of military service and eat free.

■ From 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16, Golden Corral has a free meal for anyone who has served in the military. The Lexington restaurant is at 185 New Circle Road. There also are restaurants in Nicholasville, Georgetown, Winchester, Ashland, London and Somerset.