Archive for November, 2009
How to Save Time and Money During the Holidays!
This is my favorite time of the year. I love the hustle and bustle. I love the decorations and lights. I love giving (and receiving) the presents and sweet treats! As I type by the light of our Christmas tree, I get a warm feeling dreaming about Christmas morning with my toddler.
While it is still November (at least for a few more hours), soon the days will seem to speed up and there won’t be enough time to fit in all of the shopping, the parties and the merriment! (Somehow we are already “booked” every Saturday and Sunday in December.)
So, how do I save time and money during the holiday season?
1) Make a spreadsheet. It is hard to remember from one year to the next what you purchased for each person and how much you spent. (Sometimes it is even hard to remember who you exchanged gifts with.) To combat my forgetfulness, I keep a spreadsheet every year with the name of each gift recipient, the gift we gave, how much I paid and the retail value of the gift. It may seem funny to document how much I paid and the value, but I usually have an amount I plan to spend for each person (say it is $20). If I am able to get a $20 item on sale, then I want to note that I saved money but also the value of the gift so I can match the value again the following year. I have been keeping spreadsheets for 5 years, and I can go back to see what I gave each person and who I have given gifts too. Makes my life so much easier!
2) Start Early & Stock Pile. Although this doens’t really help this year (sharing this tip on Nov 30), maybe it will help you plan for next year. I think about gifts for birthdays and holidays all year. This way when I see a great deal – like a $15 toy for $3 I can buy several and save them until the next birthday/holiday season. Having a gift spreadsheet helps here too because you can keep a list of what you have purchased so you don’t forget what is in your closet and overbuy!
3) Wrapping all of those gifts is a chore. To combat wrapping fatigue, I start early AND use (reusable) bags/boxes. Since I start shopping early, I wrap as I go – this way I am not up in the wee hours Christmas Eve. I also invested in a set of nesting holiday boxes for each member of the family. Instead of using (and wasting) lots of paper, I just toss each gift into one of the boxes for the corresponding person. I also bought giant Santa sacks for my daughter for her big toys. Not only do the decorative boxes make my life easier, they look pretty under the tree and help the environment!
Since I am always looking for ways to save time and money during the holidays, please feel free to share your best tips with me too!!!
This post was inspired by Twitter Moms and Staples - check out the other posts on these sites for more tips!
Deals for Busy Moms This Holiday SeasonCheck out This Week’s Deals!About this TwitterMoms Blogging Program
Little Music Lovers Review & Giveaway
Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk
She says I began to sing long before I could talk…
The lyrics from ABBA’s song Thank You for the Music have never been more true for a little girl than for my K. She has been soothed by soft, peaceful music and grooved to bouncy, joyful music since she was tiny. Was it an introduction to music from day one that established this connection or was it inherent? I will never know, but if it keeps up I will always be grateful.
When we first set up the nursery for my daughter, I included and old CD/Clock/Radio. We have spent many hours in her room rocking in her chair listening to “tunes.” Not long after my daughter started walking, one day I heard music coming from her room. At 15 months old, she learned to turn on her CD so she could dance in her room without any instruction.
When BeyondPR offered me the opportunity to review a new CD of classical music for babies, I jumped on the chance. To tell the truth, when the CD came it got put in a pile and forgotten about for a little while due to several round of colds in this house, so it was a nice little nugget of a surprised when I came across it cleaning.
After asking K if she wanted to listen to some tunes, we headed to her room to check out the CD. Without a doubt, we watch too much Little Einsteins because I recognized the first song from a recent episode! (Too bad I can’t remember the name of the song.)
Since K is now 20 months old, I wasn’t sure if classical music would hold her attention for dancing, but it wasn’t a problem. Even without a traditional children’s melody and lyrics, she got her jam on! On this first listen, we skipped through the songs a little bit to sample them all. I was surprised (and initially a little disappointed) when I realized there were only 8 songs on the CD – a sampler with 2 songs from each of the 4 CDs. I left the CD in the player and we went back to cleaning.
Later that day, K disappeared into her room and turned on her tunes. I listened from the family room for a while before I ventured into check on her. Happy as can be, she was dancing with her animals.
A few days later, we had one of “those” dinners. I don’t know what started the temper tantrum, but it was one of the worst we have seen. Finally at my wits-end, I took her into her room, turned on her music, held her tight and rocked her like I used to when she was a baby. I didn’t remember that her Little Music Lovers CD was in the player when I turned it on, but I was very happy to hear the melody start. We rocked, and rocked and rocked to the music and slowly she forgot why she was crying. It was then that I realized how long each of the 8 songs on the CD are.
While writing this post, I checked out the Little Music Lovers web site for the first time, and it is so cute! Complete with cartoon characters of the composers, they even have a coloring page you can download for each composer.
Little Music Lovers currently offers four CDs – Lullabies: Smart Music for Bed Time, Bach: Smart Music for Activity Time, Beethoven: Smart Music for Story Time and Mozart: Smart Music for Play Time. I only received the Mozart CD to review, but I am sure they are all wonderful. I recommend this series to any parent.
This would make a great gift for a new parent this holiday season. And since the CDs are available on iTunes and Amazon, you can preview the music before you buy. With a price tag of $6.98 on amazon for the CD or $5.99 for the MP3 download, this is an affordable gift or stocking stuffer for the Little Music Lover in your life.
WIN IT – I also have the wonderful privilege of offering you the chance to win a Little Music Lovers CD.
To Enter – Visit the Little Music Lovers site and tell me which CD you think your Little Music Lover would like best.
After completing your first entry, you can do any or all of the following additional entries. (Be sure to leave a new comment for each entry!)
- Follow me on Twitter & Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to leave a link to your Tweet. (Can be done daily for additional entries.)
- Leave a comment on any other post on this site.
- Buy any Little Music Lovers CD – 5 entries!
One lucky entry will be chosen by Random.org. The giveaway ends Sunday, December 13 at 11:59 pm. Sorry, US entries only.
I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period.
Real Simple Subscription for $5
One of my favorite magazines is Real Simple. It has all kinds of great articles, tips and practical things for every day life. I mean it, practical stuff for real people, that’s why I love it!
Right now – until December 1, you can get a 1-year subscription to Real Simple from Amazon for just $5! A great gift for yourself or to give to a friend for the holidays. (Click below for a direct link to the special price!)
PLAYGROUND Winter Issue
The PLAYGROUND Winter Issue is now available, and I want to share with you my first article in the magazine! My assignment was New Kids on the Block – I had to go check out 6 new places around town and write a short, snappy review. It was so much fun, I feel so in-the-know checking out all of the latest and greatest in CF!
I hope to write this column again, so keep me in mind if you see a new company around CF geared toward parents, families or kids!
Check out my article !
Also, check out the new design of the web site including a new blog! And, of course, the magazine online!
Black Friday
I have never done it. I have never shopped on Black Friday! As much as I LOVE a good deal, I’ve never braved the crowds, waited in line or shopped on the biggest shopping day of the year. Why? Because I am always enjoying family traditions at The Ranch.
But this is a new year, and I have a new plan! THE gift for my daughter this year will be $60 off on Black Friday – a deal that can’t be passed up. So, even though we have already purchased this rather LARGE gift, we will be returning it so my hubby can wait in line at midnight to re-buy it! Yes, I will be sending my husband (I think). I planned to go myself, but he thinks it is too big for me to manage! We will see.
Target has paired with Twitter Moms to bring another blogging contest for bloggers to answer the question “What is your Black Friday plan of attack this year?”
My plan of attack includes a trip to Toys R Us (for hubby) to return the playhouse that fills his large SUV. Then sending him to Toys R Us at midnight on Black Friday – after a full day at The Ranch, to once again purchase the playhouse.
Finally, I plan to head to Target Friday morning. I won’t be looking for anything specific, but I wanna see the madness. I have heard about it forever, so I better see some clear-cut madness!
