Christmas with Kids

It’s Thanksgiving week and for many of us that also means it’s the week to do a little outdoor decorating. We also put our tree up during the Thanksgiving week, typically the Saturday after Turkey Day.
Today, the kids and I got out the reindeer that go in the yard and put them together. We still [...]

Any kind of holiday or occasion involving food is a high alert time for food allergies. Near and dear to my heart is the issue of food allergies. Our daughter and my brother have life-threatening food allergies that require planning, research, and prevention. The key to success in not having an emergency room visit, or [...]

If you are able to take a day off to shop, do it! Before your big shopping day, make your list and check it twice. A comprehensive list with the sizes you needs, people you need to shop for, stocking stuffers, entertaining housewares, and sale flyers will help you organize your day. Plan a time-saving [...]

Handmade wish lists have a certain charm and appeal that you won’t see anywhere else, so hang on to these! Make copies before you mail them to Santa!
Great advances have been made in online wish lists. There is something for everyone!
The Amazon Wish List is our top pick. Our favorite feature is that you can’t [...]

We’ve started a Mommy-Daughter date night in our family once a week after choir rehearsal. I pickup my daughter from choir and we have dinner together with lots of talking, then we go to a bookstore, then home. This has been a really wonderful thing for us as she gets older (9) and needs to [...]

I asked my sister about her favorite Christmas tradition and she replied very quickly:
“My favorite tradition is caroling (Are you surprised?). I have done it every year with the kids and other friends on the Sunday before Christmas. We take the guitar, jingle bells, any other instruments on hand, and friends who can harmonize – [...]

My friend Michelle sent me a note with her favorite Christmas memory filled with traditions:
“Absolutely, hands down….
Family dinner, followed by the opening of one gift, then Midnight service at church, ending with ‘Silent Night’ by candlelight and coming home and making ‘reindeer food’ with my nieces and nephews.  They’re grown now and we all are [...]

If you aren’t already reading books at bedtime, this is a great tradition to start. It’s great for your infants, toddlers, pre-readers, young readers, advanced readers, and tweens! Here are some great Christmas titles for the season:

The Night Before Christmas: The Heirloom Edition
Christmas in the Manger Board Book
The Polar Express
Gingerbread Friends
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Olivia [...]

If you are going to give gifts for grownups, give something consumable. Gifts to charities, gourmet foods, event tickets, are all great gifts for grownups.
As an extended family, we’ve decided to forego gifts for the grownups this year.

We have just about everything we want already, unless you count big ticket items.
We have a clutter problem.
Money [...]

If you haven’t already, now is a great time to book your travel. The airlines are cutting rates now instead of waiting for their traditional cuts later in November. Lifehacker is running a poll of the best airfare travel site and Kayak.com is the run-away winner so far.