Enjoying Christmas With Toddlers
The holiday season can be stressful if we try to do too much, but throw in a couple of toddlers and things can become very overwhelming quickly, not to mention stressful for your kids!
Here are some toddler tips to help make your holiday season more enjoyable for the entire family:
Try as much as possible to include your toddlers in holiday activities. At this age they like to “help”, and if you include them in what you are doing it often reduces the possibility of
temper tantrums.
My boys enjoyed helping me decorate our Christmas tree. We debated whether or not to let them touch the tree, but we found that they really just wanted to play with the ornaments. We put all breakable ornaments up out of their reach and hung non-breakable ornaments where they could touch them and play with them. Every morning they pull the bottom ornaments off the tree and throw them on the floor. For the most part they leave the tree alone the rest of the day. At night I hang the ornaments back up, and the next morning we start over again. The boys think this is really fun.
I turn our outside Christmas lights off and on at the same times every day. The boys look forward to when I turn all the lights on and remind me if I forget. They love looking at our lighted “reindeer” out the front window. You could also take the family on a drive around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights.
When you’re visiting friends and family during the holidays, try to minimize any disruption to your toddler’s schedule as much as possible. If your toddler continues to eat and sleep at the same times as normal, he or she will be much better able to cope with
holiday festivities.
Try to resist the urge to give your toddler too many holiday sweets. At Thanksgiving, I made the mistake of giving our boys a tiny taste of homemade fudge, and then they wouldn’t leave me alone. It’s amazing how boys who can’t remember not to bite
each other can remember where mom hid the candy.
The holidays are a great time to introduce new DVD’s and CD’s to your toddlers. Yes, Elmo has a decent Christmas DVD. It’s a nice change to the other two Elmo movies we watch every day.
I did a lot of my Christmas shopping online this year to avoid dragging the boys to the mall. I’m too tired to go out after they go to bed at night. It’s nice having things delivered to
your front door! Many web sites offer free shipping this time of year.
Don’t feel like you have to buy your toddlers tons of presents for Christmas. At this age they’re more interested in how much they like a toy, not how many they have. Now if I can just convince the rest of our family of that. If your toddler receives too many presents for Christmas, put some away for a rainy day or for when the toys he or she is playing with lose their appeal.
Toddlers love books. Don’t forget the “reason for the season”. Read the nativity story to your toddlers and introduce them to the baby Jesus.
That’s about it! I love this time of year and these simple tips have made our family’s holiday season fun and nearly stress free!
Article by:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
How to Have a Merry Christmas on a Budget
With many Americans now facing greater financial challenges than they were a year ago, the upcoming holiday season may leave us with more feelings of dread than excitement. After all, the holidays are an expensive time of year. There are gifts to purchase, meals to prepare, and family members to host and entertain. In spite of all this, it is still possible to have a wonderful holiday season while sticking to a budget. We’ll explain how by breaking things down into the five main areas where our holiday dollars are spent.
Gifts:
Christmas gift shopping often takes up the largest part of a family’s holiday budget. If you want to save money on gifts, planning is key. First, create a budget, outlining how much you have to spend and what you want to buy for each person. Next, watch the sale ads in your local newspaper and check prices online. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for discount coupons or rebate offers that can also add up to additional savings. Buying online is also a good way to save gas money and valuable time, and it can cut down on impulse purchases, too, since you won’t be at a mall, tempted by lots of other things you don’t need. Another great money-saving idea is to make homemade gifts for everyone. If you aren’t very crafty, remember that your time is also a very valuable gift. Coupon books for services like babysitting, handyman repairs, or yard work are also well received and appreciated.
Food:
There are many ways you can save money on food at the holidays. If you are hosting a large dinner, consider making it a potluck where each person contributes a dish to the meal. This allows everyone to share in the cost and also creates a varied meal where many families’ specialties can be sampled. Another way you can save money on large family meals is by breaking tradition. Perhaps everyone would enjoy chicken or pasta on Christmas Eve rather than ham or beef tenderloin. Another alternative to an expensive dinner is to do a low-key brunch on Christmas morning after opening gifts. This can be a refreshing change for family members who are traveling and need to get on the road early. If traveling is in your plans, be sure to pack some healthy snacks and drinks for the car. This will cut down on the expense of fast food at gas stations and restaurants.
Entertainment:
It’s usually easy to cut back on spending for entertainment, if you simply take advantage of free family activities. For example, take your children to see Santa Claus at the mall, or if you don’t have kids, go watch other children tell Santa what they want for Christmas. If you live in a cold weather climate, participate in outdoor activities like sledding at the park, ice skating on a frozen pond, or building a snowman in the backyard. Instead of going to the movies, just watch some holiday programs that are broadcast on television during the month of December, or better yet, attend a free holiday play or concert at your local church, community center, or school.
Decorations:
The best way to save money on holiday decorations is by making do with what you already have. If you simply must buy some different items, consider buying used decorations from garage sales, auctions, or online sites like Craigslist. If you can make yourself wait until after Christmas, stock up for the following year by taking advantage of post-Christmas sales. On December 26 and after, most holiday items can be bought for half or a quarter of the original price.
Contributions:
Even on the sparsest budget, it is still possible to give back to the community at the holidays. Many charities and organizations value your time even more than a monetary contribution. Consider donating some gently used clothing or other items to a homeless shelter, or volunteering your time to serve dinner at a soup kitchen. Other optiaons might include answering phones at a call center or ringing a bell to solicit donations at a local grocery store or mall. These are all great ways to give back without dipping into your bank account.
With all of these suggestions, we hope you’ll realize that it’s not impossible to stick to a budget at the holidays. With a little careful planning and a few minor changes in your activities, you will hopefully find yourself at the end of the season with plenty of good memories, a warm feeling in your heart, and some money left in your pocket.
For more information about how to organize your holidays and spend less money this Christmas, visit the Christmas Tree Storage Shop at http://www.christmastreestoragebag.net/Artificial_Christmas_Tree_Storage_s/35.htm
Article Source: How to Have a Merry Christmas on a Budget by Ellen Bell
How to Select the Best Christmas Tree
There is no such thing as the ‘best’ Christmas tree. Each family expects different things from their Christmas tree, and so what is ‘best’ to one may not necessarily be so to another.
Buying a Christmas tree is based on so many factors – finances, décor, room size, space – that it is a hugely personal choice. The wide range of trees and decorations obtainable on the market makes the choosing and decorating of your Christmas tree even more unique with its special features. Here are a few tips to ensure that you get the best available Christmas tree for you:
Choose your tree carefully considering the following questions: Do you want real or artificial? Tall or small? Free-standing or table-top? Pre-lit? with or without decorations? Once you have addressed all this, choosing your Christmas tree becomes easier.
If you choose a real tree, make sure that it is as fresh as possible. Buy early to avoid disappointment, and from a trustworthy retailer. Look for rich green trees with either no or few brown needles, and a strong scent is a good sign of freshness. Gently shaking a tree is also a good way to test whether it is fresh – few needles should fall off, if any at all. Remember, some types of fir, such as the Nordman fir, retain their needles longer than others. Avoid wilting trees or stiff and brittle branches – these are all indicators of an old tree.
Your tree needs to be looked after well at home if it is to thrive (in the case of a fresh tree). Keep well-watered and away from direct heat such as fireplaces and radiators, as excessive warmth dries out a tree and it will not last over the festive period. Trees will need at least half a litre of water a day if allowed.
If you buy an artificial tree
By thinking over all the above, you will have the best Christmas tree you could possibly have. By the time you have added those carefully-chosen decorations and lights, you will be in no doubt that you really do have the best Christmas tree in the neighborhood!
Emma Townsend is the writer of FreshChristmasTrees.co.uk, who specialises in fresh Christmas trees. You will be spoilt by choice whether you look for real or artificial Christmas tree, such as the very popular white Christmas tree.
Article Source: How to Select the Best Xmas Tree by Emma Townsend
