Ah, summer.  The season for enjoying nature, barbequing, spending time with family and friends, and hearing the dreaded three words… “Mom I’m bored.”  It seems like mere seconds after my children take that final bus ride home that they’re looking for something to do and looking at me to suggest it.  My usual ideas like clean your room, unload the dishwasher, and vacuum the living room only generate exaggerated eye-rolling, or blank stares followed by, “I’m hungry–what do we have to eat?”  Luckily, there are lots of fun things to do with your kids in Cecil County this summer, most of which are free or very cheap.  Here’s my top ten list:

1.  Dream Big at the Cecil County Public Library and sign up for summer reading.  Kids, teens and adults can win awesome prizes and the library has a variety of entertaining (and free!) summer events for all ages. Click here to search the library’s calendar.

2.  Take a hike on the Blue Trail to Turkey Point Lighthouse at Elk Neck State Park.

3.  Travel back in time with a visit to historic Mount Harmon Plantation.

4.  View the largest gathering of 1964-1972 Chevelles and El Caminos on the east coast at the North East Community Park on June 23.

5.  Make waves at the Canal Fest in Historic South Chesapeake City on June 30.

6.  Enjoy free music on Main Street (corner of North and Main) in Elkton every Thursday evening from 5:30-7:30 pm.

7.  Learn about life during the war of 1812 at Elkton United Methodist Church where living history actors will speak in character as Francis Scott Key, Rosalie Stier Calvert, and Mary Pickersgill.  Audiences will have the opportunity to interact with the characters in a question and answer session following the performances. July 6-8, from 4-6 pm.

8.  Attend the 59th Annual Cecil County Fair July 20-28 and make sure to stop by the Cecil County Public Library’s booth!

9.  Drop by Hart’s Peach Festival for music, puppets, and peach goodies at Hart’s Amphitheater in North East. August 11 from noon-4 pm.

10.  Cruise to the Cecil County Dragway.

What are your best ideas for summer fun in Cecil County?

One of my absolute least favorite things to do is comparison shop – just the thought gives me a headache.  I’d much rather grab the goods that attract me.  If they’re packaged prettily or placed at eye level, I’ll probably choose them.  Although it saves me time in the grocery store aisles, the grab-and-go method of shopping doesn’t always agree with my budget as a recent grocery bill forced me to realize.  In need of ideas for stretching my food dollars, I turned to the library’s collection where I found a wealth of information on shopping smart.  See below for a list of some of the budget-friendly books in CCPL’s collection.

What are your best tips for saving at the grocery store?

Looking to save money on food costs?  Check out the following resources:

- Budget Dinners! 100 Recipes your Family Will Love
- The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half by Stephanie Nelson
- Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America’s Cheapest Family by Steve Economides
- Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn
- Living Rich for Less by Ellie Kay
- Savvy Shopper’s Cookbook:  Hundreds of Simple Strategies for Smart Spending and Inspiring Mealtime Ideas
- Shop Smart, Save More: Learn the Grocery Store Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month by Teri Gault