It's Christmas again & before you know it the New Year will be here & December will seem like a dream. As you get older time does seem to speed up & it certainly seems as though Christmas comes around more quickly each year. You're just getting rid of the Christmas card credit card debts from last holidays & it's looming up again.
2010 has been hard financially for many people & there are a lot of families who won't have much to celebrate this year. It's always a good idea to be mindful of those less fortunate than ourselves & particularly at traditionally happy, family oriented times such as Christmas. No matter how tough things have been for our family this year we still donate what we can to a local charity which provides anonymous toys & gifts to poor families in our area. If you can't donate gifts or a little money then perhaps you can spare some time to assist with their work this year.
Along with many others we've had to be a lot more careful with money this year & so my Christmas challenge was to get through Christmas as pleasantly & economically as possible. It turned out not to be as difficult as it sounded.
I did some of my Christmas shopping online last year for the first time & it saved me a lot of time & effort. It also saved me money, although at the time that wasn't my biggest motivating factor for shopping online. It was more of an experiment as I wasn't too sure about purchasing on the internet & was still a little nervous about the whole idea.
I was converted the minute the gifts I had purchased arrived on my doorstep only days after ordering them. It was cold & the mall was a total nightmare with frenzied shoppers & I was thrilled to realise how easy it had been to get what I wanted without any of the usual stress of dealing with the Christmas shopping crowds.
This year with my budget firmly beside me I began looking for gifts & price comparison shopping online in mid November. Not only did I find a huge amount to choose from, which is more than I can say for walking around the shops each year trying to find Christmas gift inspiration, but I found some great prices as well.
The thing I realised this year is that there is a massive amount of retailers competing for your online business. Competition equals competitive pricing, so shopping online gives you a lot of benefits aside from the obvious ones when you're trying to avoid the crowded shops. Comparing prices is no effort at all & you know immediately if the item is in stock, which in the past I've found to be a major problem when shopping for toys at Christmas as they are often sold out when you arrive at the store. Then it's back to square one.
So this year 2010, my Christmas shopping efforts have been a big success. I've stayed within my budget, made no impulse purchases (that's also another good thing about online shopping) & will have everything delivered to my door well in time for Christmas day. I also purchased wrapping paper & gift cards at the same time!
If you haven't tried looking around online for the gifts you want or for some ideas for Christmas gifts then I suggest you give it a whirl. For early birds like me you can do your shopping at 6am while the rest of the family is asleep or late at night if you can't sleep.
Christmas gift shopping has never been so easy & stress free.
Gift Ideas For Baby's First Christmas
Its baby's first Christmas! How exciting! It's a perfect time to start a tradition, like buying the little bundle of joy a special ornament for this holiday and every holiday to come, or you can just plain spoil them with lots of toys and fun-filled activities. Here are a handful of suggestions that will have them cooing with glee:
Piggy Bank: A piggy bank is a collectible gift that will be treasured for a lifetime. It's also a great way to start teaching a young child the fundamentals of money management. What better way to get good habits started early? Personalize it with the baby's name for an extra special touch.
Classic Baby Toys: Encourage imagination and learning with a time-honored and tested baby toy. Some of the better choices include a Fisher Price Animal Sounds Farm, wooden ABC blocks, jack-in-the-box, shape sorter or an activity gym. Go to a toy store to find the largest assortment of classic baby toys.
Collectible Teddy Bear: Here's another option for launching a family tradition. Every year, buy the baby a collectible bear from a specialty teddy bear store. These are high quality crafted items that will be cherished for generations. They can also be found at your nearest gift store, or your favorite online shopping spot.
Baby Einstein Gifts: The entire Baby Einstein collection is loved by parents and babies, too. The theory behind Baby Einstein is to teach a baby basic ideas and concepts. Select from their award-winning videos, DVDs, books and music. Baby Einstein products can be ordered online or picked up at your favorite toy or department store.
Music Cube: It's been proven that music stimulates the brain and encourages early learning skills. With the push of a button, a baby can compose and arrange musical scores and develop their creative mind. Your local toy store should carry several different types of music cubes, and of course many options can be found online as well.
LeapFrog LeapStart Learning Table: This award-winning educational toy will introduce a child to letters, numbers, shapes and colors through a fully interactive musical experience. It's a learning adventure that is sure to delight any baby! They're available at toy stores and mass-merchandisers nationwide.
There isn't a magical tool for finding the perfect gift for a child. But if it is a gift from the heart it will surely bring magic.
Piggy Bank: A piggy bank is a collectible gift that will be treasured for a lifetime. It's also a great way to start teaching a young child the fundamentals of money management. What better way to get good habits started early? Personalize it with the baby's name for an extra special touch.
Classic Baby Toys: Encourage imagination and learning with a time-honored and tested baby toy. Some of the better choices include a Fisher Price Animal Sounds Farm, wooden ABC blocks, jack-in-the-box, shape sorter or an activity gym. Go to a toy store to find the largest assortment of classic baby toys.
Collectible Teddy Bear: Here's another option for launching a family tradition. Every year, buy the baby a collectible bear from a specialty teddy bear store. These are high quality crafted items that will be cherished for generations. They can also be found at your nearest gift store, or your favorite online shopping spot.
Baby Einstein Gifts: The entire Baby Einstein collection is loved by parents and babies, too. The theory behind Baby Einstein is to teach a baby basic ideas and concepts. Select from their award-winning videos, DVDs, books and music. Baby Einstein products can be ordered online or picked up at your favorite toy or department store.
Music Cube: It's been proven that music stimulates the brain and encourages early learning skills. With the push of a button, a baby can compose and arrange musical scores and develop their creative mind. Your local toy store should carry several different types of music cubes, and of course many options can be found online as well.
LeapFrog LeapStart Learning Table: This award-winning educational toy will introduce a child to letters, numbers, shapes and colors through a fully interactive musical experience. It's a learning adventure that is sure to delight any baby! They're available at toy stores and mass-merchandisers nationwide.
There isn't a magical tool for finding the perfect gift for a child. But if it is a gift from the heart it will surely bring magic.
How to Avoid Holiday Stress and Have a Happy & Relaxing Day this Year!
The only way to have a nice & relaxing Christmas this year (short of hiring a maid), is to prepare well ahead of time.
Use this helpful list, to ensure you have a merry & jolly holiday (this list will also work for other holidays - New Years, Thanks Giving, Easter etc...).
1) Finish gift purchases 3 weeks prior to the holiday (that way you don't need to be running around, & can avoid the holiday rush - those that weren't prepared). If you haven't already shopped, you should do the remainder of your shopping online - the shops are already crowded!
2) Get all of your frozen foods 3 weeks prior to the holidays.
Get all of your fresh foods 2 days (some fruit (such as strawberries that don't keep) are only able to be purchased 1 day before) prior to the holiday.
If you do need to buy produce, or meat the day before - know what you need to buy, get up early, and go as soon as the shop opens. Go to a food place, that is not in a group of shops, but is by itself - people will be out shopping for clothes, & gifts - you don't want to be caught up in this.
3) Get the tree up & decorated 3 weeks prior to the Christmas holiday (if it's a fake one - and for relaxation purposes - get a fake one). If you have kids, get them to help you & make it a "family" occasion. Choose a date - e.g. 3rd December - and put the tree up on this date every year - that way, you create a new "special day", and you don't stress about it. If it is a real tree, you won't be able to get this until the week before Christmas (at the earliest) - you should get this as close as possible to Xmas - otherwise you will end up with very dry & flammable timber (which is not good as it is a fire hazard).
4) Wrap the gifts 2 weeks prior to the holiday. Make sure you place them well under the tree, and tell the little ones they are "off bounds". If the little ones are too tempted, place them in a cupboard (wrapped), and then place them under the tree when the children have gone to bed on Christmas Eve.
5) Allocate a "party room", and get it ready the day before the holiday. Hang balloons & streamers up, get placemats on the table, lay the cutlery out etc. Short of placing the food on the table, get as much ready the day before. If possible, close the room off & make it "out of bounds" once ready.
6) Prepare all of the food you can the day before - put the drinks in the fridge, make trifle & put it back in the fridge, put the cranberry jelly in a bowl (and... back in the fridge).
Even food that needs cooking can be prepared - for example - get the right number of potatoes out, & wash them (so all you need to do is cook them).
Look at the food you have bought, think "what can I do today, that I don't have to do tomorrow"?
If you are having a cold ham - slice it the day before, and place it back in the fridge.
A good idea for this day, is to hire a fridge - (this should be done 3 weeks in advance) - that way you can ensure you have plenty of room.
7) Wake up early on the day of the holiday - before the children (if possible). Place the meat in the oven to start cooking (this is only true if it is a big bird - such as a turkey). Look at the instructions for all of your food (before the day of the holiday), and know how long they are going to take to cook - don't forget to allow for preparation.
So if you are going to eat at midday, and your chicken takes two hours - give 1/2 hour for preparation, and start getting the bird ready at 9:30 - if you have lots of meat - write a list, so you know what you need to be doing and when (once again - write the list at least the day before, if not 2 days before the holiday).
8) Wake the kids up, & enjoy your holiday.
Sure... it's a lot of hard work, preparing for the Christmas holiday (and indeed any), but if you do just that - PREPARE, you will find that you have a hard, but relaxing holiday - which you, and your kids will appreciate.
Merry Xmas,
Use this helpful list, to ensure you have a merry & jolly holiday (this list will also work for other holidays - New Years, Thanks Giving, Easter etc...).
1) Finish gift purchases 3 weeks prior to the holiday (that way you don't need to be running around, & can avoid the holiday rush - those that weren't prepared). If you haven't already shopped, you should do the remainder of your shopping online - the shops are already crowded!
2) Get all of your frozen foods 3 weeks prior to the holidays.
Get all of your fresh foods 2 days (some fruit (such as strawberries that don't keep) are only able to be purchased 1 day before) prior to the holiday.
If you do need to buy produce, or meat the day before - know what you need to buy, get up early, and go as soon as the shop opens. Go to a food place, that is not in a group of shops, but is by itself - people will be out shopping for clothes, & gifts - you don't want to be caught up in this.
3) Get the tree up & decorated 3 weeks prior to the Christmas holiday (if it's a fake one - and for relaxation purposes - get a fake one). If you have kids, get them to help you & make it a "family" occasion. Choose a date - e.g. 3rd December - and put the tree up on this date every year - that way, you create a new "special day", and you don't stress about it. If it is a real tree, you won't be able to get this until the week before Christmas (at the earliest) - you should get this as close as possible to Xmas - otherwise you will end up with very dry & flammable timber (which is not good as it is a fire hazard).
4) Wrap the gifts 2 weeks prior to the holiday. Make sure you place them well under the tree, and tell the little ones they are "off bounds". If the little ones are too tempted, place them in a cupboard (wrapped), and then place them under the tree when the children have gone to bed on Christmas Eve.
5) Allocate a "party room", and get it ready the day before the holiday. Hang balloons & streamers up, get placemats on the table, lay the cutlery out etc. Short of placing the food on the table, get as much ready the day before. If possible, close the room off & make it "out of bounds" once ready.
6) Prepare all of the food you can the day before - put the drinks in the fridge, make trifle & put it back in the fridge, put the cranberry jelly in a bowl (and... back in the fridge).
Even food that needs cooking can be prepared - for example - get the right number of potatoes out, & wash them (so all you need to do is cook them).
Look at the food you have bought, think "what can I do today, that I don't have to do tomorrow"?
If you are having a cold ham - slice it the day before, and place it back in the fridge.
A good idea for this day, is to hire a fridge - (this should be done 3 weeks in advance) - that way you can ensure you have plenty of room.
7) Wake up early on the day of the holiday - before the children (if possible). Place the meat in the oven to start cooking (this is only true if it is a big bird - such as a turkey). Look at the instructions for all of your food (before the day of the holiday), and know how long they are going to take to cook - don't forget to allow for preparation.
So if you are going to eat at midday, and your chicken takes two hours - give 1/2 hour for preparation, and start getting the bird ready at 9:30 - if you have lots of meat - write a list, so you know what you need to be doing and when (once again - write the list at least the day before, if not 2 days before the holiday).
8) Wake the kids up, & enjoy your holiday.
Sure... it's a lot of hard work, preparing for the Christmas holiday (and indeed any), but if you do just that - PREPARE, you will find that you have a hard, but relaxing holiday - which you, and your kids will appreciate.
Merry Xmas,
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