For as long as we can remember, poker has been considered a guys night in. A party with pizza, beer and a kitchen full of cigar smoke. However, this game is gaining a wider audience. So why not bring together all your best girlfriends and host a great party for a ladies’ poker night. Consider these entertainment ideas:

• Deal with It–Rather than a night on the town this weekend, invite your friends over for a friendly game of poker.
• Cut ’Em In–Send your pals notice that they should get their game faces on with this poker-themed electronic invite.
• Know When to Hold ’Em–First thing’s first—learn how to make bets, bluff, check, call, raise and fold. But don’t keep the knowledge to yourself; leave the book out for your guests so they can brush up before the game. Texas Hold’em for Dummies, $16.99; Borders.com
• Pucker-Up Martinis–Instead of poker faces, create pucker faces with these lemon-infused cocktails. Get the Recipe.

Don’t worry if you’ve never hosted a party before. We put together all the hosting and entertaining ideas you’ll need.

Entertaining Ideas

The main goal of a family fun night is to have a good time. Ignite your competitive side with an entertaining alternative to going out—board game night.  Make sure that the board game you choose won’t be too challenging for your kids. Because of this, choosing the right board game can become a problem. The best way to approach this dilemma would be to select a board game that your youngest child won’t have a problem with.

• Cranium — A perfect game for a variety of ages, interests and skill levels, Cranium is probably the furthest from a passive board game you can get.$17.78;  Amazon.com
• Balderdash — Good at bluffing? Turn that talent into points when you make up phony answers to real but unbelievable facts in categories such as People, Words, Initials, Movies and Laughable Laws. $22.40; Amazon.com
• Taboo — Trying to get your team to guess the phrases on these cards will prove more fun than you expect, especially when the tension builds as you try not to utter any of the forbidden clues. $23.22; Amazon.com
• Clue: Secrets and Spies — Go undercover and use quick thinking, a spy light and even your cell phone to become the top agent. $19.97; Amazon.com

Family Game Night is a ton of fun. You’ll find ideas for board games for all ages and interests in these top picks.

Board Games

Here’s the deal. We only have $20 to spend on recreation activities and 23 fun ways to do it. For starters check out our creative ways to spend

$5 or less:

Bring the outdoors in. Treat yourself to a bunch of flowers or “buy potted herbs for your kitchen, like basil, chives or parsley,” says Susan Troche of Marlton, New Jersey.

Give your hair a little luxury. Summer’s heat and humidity can leave hair frazzled and you looking, well…less than glamorous. Our beauty editor, Melissa Matthews, tames her curls with hydrating TRESemmé Smooth No Frizz Shine Spray ($4.99; CVS.com).

Go back to school. Want to learn architectural design, computer science or Spanish? Massachusetts Institute of Technology OpenCourseWare offers free lecture notes, exams and videos for 1,900 courses in undergraduate and graduate subjects. Go to ocw.mit.edu for more information.

$10 or Less

Host pizza night. Try making your own pizza by making your own dough from scratch, buy marinara sauce and a bag of shredded cheese and throw on any leftover veggies or meat you have in the fridge

Get your house cleaned. Tired of doing all the work yourself? Do what our Tip Talk columnist, Arianne Cohen, does: Put the money toward a professional cleaner. She squirrels away $7 every week, and in two months (for around $56, less in some places) she can hire a pro to scrub her house from top to bottom.

$20 or Less

7. Take in a game. Nothing says summer like baseball! For an all- American date night, grab your husband, pack some sandwiches and go see a minor league game. To find a team near you, visit MinorLeagueBaseball.com

18. Buy a gift card. Shopping just got a little cheaper now that there’s PlasticJungle.com. They’ve got discounted gift cards to your favorite retailers for up to 40% off. There are no shipping or commission fees, and you can even bargain with sellers to pay a lesser amount. At press time, we found a $10 Gap gift card for $9 and a $20 Borders gift card for $17.75.

Fun Ways to Spend $20

For more on ways to spend Under $20, come visit us at Woman’s Day.

Inexpensive and Free-of-Charge ideas for spending quality time with the family.

Frugal doesn’t have to mean a drag! Come see our frugal family tips on getting the most for your dollars on recreation and outings for your family. If we were to believe the commercials on TV, we would believe that kids can’t be satisfied unless they have the latest gadget in technology. The truth is that kids love spending time with you and having your undivided attention. Guess what? This is free! Time spent as a family can be a treat for all involved and it doesn’t have to put a dent in your wallet. It may however involve some imagination.

• Search Online for Deals–From mommy blogs to local tourism offices, listings of great values—including free activities—are out there for you to discover.

• Eat for Less–You don’t have to avoid restaurants to save money—just know when and where to go.

• Go Early–Another way to hit up a trendy restaurant is to make it a daytime affair. If you’re hankering to try a new hot spot but hesitant to drop a lot of cash, trade in a Saturday night for a Sunday afternoon and enjoy a brunch instead.

• Save on Cinema–Costco offers members Super Saver movie tickets for theater chains such as AMC, Cinemark and Regal Entertainment.

Come join us for more ideas on frugal family fun.

Frugal Family Tips

Check out our great Valentine’s Day gifts under $20. Make this Valentine’s Day one to remember with the help of our creative ideas. Express love and appreciation this Valentine’s Day with the help of our creative ideas. The most important feature of Valentine’s Day is not price but thoughtfulness and creativity. Be sure to check out our compiled list of great Valentine’s Day gift ideas and romantic inspiration to ensure a fun and fabulous Valentine’s Day for you and your sweetheart.

For Her:

• Valentine’s Day Cookie Set
• Put Another Log on the Fire
• Women’s Printed Poplin Lounge Shorts
• Printed Yoga Mats

For Him:

• The Lover’s Book of Questions
• Massage Candle
• Men’s Patterned Ties
• Sweetheart Boxers

For Kids:

• Valentine’s Day Bath Towel
• Chocolate Dinosaur Egg
• Sweet Affections Personalized Candy Heart Puzzle
• Vintage Valentines

For Chocolate Lovers:

• Chocolate-Covered Oreos with Pink Blossom Design
• Hershey’s Personalized Milk Chocolate Cupid Card
• Max Brenner’s Chocolate Fondue Tower for Two

Come see more on great gift giving ideas under $20 to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Consider making this Valentine’s Day one to remember with these great gift ideas under $20. Always stuck on Valentine’s Day gift ideas? We make things easy by creating this list of great Valentine’s Day gifts for all your loved ones in your life. Ranging from romantic ideas for couples to game and puzzle ideas for kids, these gift ideas will show how your big your heart is!

For Her:

• For your domestic sweetheart, this all-in-one Valentine’s Day cookie-making set makes a great gift. Found at target.com for $19.99
• If she’s always complaining about the gym mats being full of germs, then gift her with this cute printed mat in pink, blue or green. Found at oldnavy.com for $14.50

For more Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas, visit us at Woman’s Day.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Children will jump at any opportunity they have to help out in the kitchen. Measuring this, pouring that, mixing this, spilling that…They love to crack eggs and cut vegetables. Being included in the cooking makes kids feel responsible and it is a really great way of putting the fundamentals of math into practical use.

One of the biggest advantages to cooking a meal with your kids is that it’s cheap, which is especially important in this recession economy, and, you already have the equipment to do it. So, if you find yourself looking for  fun family activies-bake some cupcakes with your children. It’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

Find more fun family activities on WomansDay.com.

You can stay cozy and warm this winter season by making one of our beautiful homemade throw, quilt or spread blanket crafts. Wrap yourself or your loved one in this hand-crafted fleece when the weather turns crisp. There’s nothing better than curling up in a favorite armchair bundled in a warm, cozy handmade blanket. Homemade gift ideas for anyone in the family can be made with these easy how-to instructions. It’s a practical and sweet gift idea you can make for your loved ones. We’re sharing our ideas on how to make your own this season:

• Recycle five or six of your old sweaters that you no longer can fit into and design into a fashionable patchwork you’ll enjoy for years to come.

• Keep your little one warm with this crocheted blanket.

Cozy Blanket Craft

Pick from one of our seven cozy crafts that you can either give as a gift or use a decorative piece in you home.

When tracing your family tree start with asking family members if there is a genealogy book or some other type of record already existing within the family that would be a great start. Make sure to keep copies of any paperwork you come across. Although you may not need it now, you may need it in the future. Keep in mind different spelling of surnames during your search.

Family Tree

• Begin your adventure by gathering papers, photos, documents and family heirlooms.

• After collecting whatever records you already have, set some time aside to interview your family members personally. Pay attention to stories not only dates and names.

• Write down everything as you’re interviewing and start a journal

• Visit a local library or family history center where you can access the world’s largest collection of genealogical information.

• Visit cemeteries, courthouses and churches for information.

• Make sure to always keep a journal and document everything even if you think it’s not pertinent information.

• Most importantly make sure to have fun!

For more tips on How to Trace Your Family Tree, click here.

Learning how to give back to your community can be very rewarding. Think about these scenarios:

• A 16-year-old who is about to drop out of school,
• A young mother overwhelmed by bills,
• A puppy in need of training.

Volunteer Ideas

Every community has its set of obstacles. Fortunately, there’s probably an organization you can help in their mission to help the good of society. Lately more and more people are volunteering their time towards a purposeful cause in their community. Here are just a few suggestions for volunteering your time:

Get Out and About with a Puppy The New England–based Guiding Eyes for the Blind places an eight-week-old puppy, usually a Labrador or German shepherd, in a volunteer’s home for over a year, after which the canine formally trains to be a guide dog for a blind person.

Cook Up a Storm “We use culinary skills to do good,” says Culinary Corps founder Christine Carroll. For a recent project, 12 cooks flew to New Orleans for a week to whip up meals for Habitat for Humanity crews, among other undertakings.

Take more of our ideas for helping others with your time, and energy: