Holiday Shopping Guide: Make Impulse Buying Work for You

Holiday Shopping Guide: Making Impulse Buying Sales Work in the Shopper's Favor This Christmas finds me shopping far more frugally than ever before. I haven't finished my holiday shopping because I am trying something new this year. I am making impulse buying theory work in my favor, by practicing what I call 'mindful' shopping.
penny pincher holiday shopping guide

Free Printable Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Coloring Activities and Games

'You know Dasher and Dancer, But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.' How I loved those old cartoons from the 1960s. Here are free printable coloring pages from the Rankin-Bass Rudolph Christmas cartoon and Little Golden Books. read on

Christmas Shopping Tips: Make Impulse-Buying Theory work for You This Holiday Season

Holiday Shopping Guide: Making Impulse Buying Sales Work in the Shopper's Favor This Christmas finds me shopping far more frugally than ever before. I haven't finished my holiday shopping because I am trying something new this year. I am making impulse buying theory work in my favor, by practicing what I call 'mindful' shopping. read more

Cheap Stocking Stuffers for Tween and Teen Girls

Best Inexpensive Stocking Stuffers for Tween Girls I always chuckle when I read some advertisements for inexpensive stocking stuffers. I don't consider $10-$25 for one stocking stuffer 'inexpensive'. Here are useful, fun, creative girls' stocking stuffers regularly priced under $3 each. read more

Health Help for Holiday Blues

Emotional Coping Skills for Holiday Blues The holidays are a time of cheer and goodwill toward men. For some folks. For other people, the holiday season aggravates bouts of grief, loneliness and anxiety. Negative experiences and emotions can be more difficult at Christmas. read more

Holiday Shopping Guide to Save Big Money on Christmas Gifts

Holiday Shopping Guide: Money Saving Advice from a Recovering Shopaholic One of the biggest financial mistakes is to overspend during the holidays. We overspend for many reasons, but the result equals money trouble. I've always been a frugalista, but the holidays are my nemesis. Here are some tips to avoid overspending during the holidays, from a recovering shopaholic. read more

Free Printable Advent Games and Puzzles

Advent 2012 will begin Sunday, December 2. For the next four weeks, Catholics, Orthodox and some protestant Christmas observe this preparation season. We will prepare our hearts for the coming (Advent) of Jesus. Here are free printable Advent coloring, puzzles, crafts, calendars, wreaths and activities to celebrate the season. Read more

Free Printable St. Lucia Day Crafts and Party Activities

 Advent is the period of preparation for Christmas. Several special feast days fall during Advent: December 6- St. Nicholas, December 12-Our Lady of Guadalupe and December 13- St. Lucia. Here are free printable activities for St. Lucia Day. Celebrated primarly in Scandanavia, St. Lucia Day makes a good multicultural observance to add to Catholic curriculum. Read More Read more

Free Printables for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12 marks the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico and the Americas. Our Lady appeared to Bl Juan Diego in 1531. Here are free printable activities to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.read more

Free Printable Holiday, Winter, Christmas Holiday Stencils and Templates

Free Printable Christmas Holiday Stencils and Patterns 'Green' and 'inexpensive' are Christmas 2012 buzzwords. But guess what's even better that inexpensive? Free! Here are dozens of free printable Christmas holiday stencils and patterns to make greeting cards, wrapping paper and crafts. read more

Free Printable Gingerbread House Patterns and Templates

Making a holiday gingerbread house is one of our favorite family traditions. Not being the most artistic person, I cheat and get the gingerbread house kit. But I've found a better way: free printable gingerbread house patterns, recipes and templates.
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Tomie DePaola Christmas Activities

Christmas Children's Literature: Have a Tomie DePaola Holiday Tomie DePaola is a one of the world's best loved artists and children's authors. This blogger mom and her kids got to meet Tomie in 1996 in Muskegon, Mich. He showed the children how to draw one of his sheep and talked to them about pursuing dreams. It was one of my best holiday memories. Our kids have not forgotten. Even as a tiny girl, my oldest daughter could not hear "The Clown of God" without sobbing. Now living on her own, she is building a library, and Tomie DePaola tops her list (she's getting "The Clown of God" for Christmas, but shhh--don't tell!:) Tomie DePaola admits that he loves Christmas and it shows in the holiday magic he imbues in his stories and art. Here's Tomie DePaola's Christmas collection. Read More

Choosing a Christmas Tree: Spruce, Cedar, Pine, Hemlock, Fir

Choosing a Christmas Tree: Pine, Spruce, Fir, Hemlock or Cedar?
A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree, right? Wrong. There are several different varieties of evergreen grown for use as Christmas trees. Here is a guide to choosing a Christmas tree, based on style, allergic properties, ease of decoration and cost.
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Food Safety and Health Issues for Holiday Dining

Food Safety Tips for Staying Healthy During the Winter Holidays
The winter holidays and Christmas are a time for celebration and feasting. But several specialty foods and holiday treats pose a health, safety or allergy risk. Here are tips for avoiding possibly unsafe holiday foods. read more

St. Nicholas Day Party Planner- Dec.6

Christmas Holiday Party Planner: St. Nicholas Day Activities Christmas traditions around the world differ from country to country. Every country has special cultural recipes, activities and festivals. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6; here's a party activity guide for a St. Nicholas Day celebration. Read more

Cookie Recipes from Holland to Celebrate St. Nicholas Day

Christmas Holiday Recipe Guide: Dutch St. Nicholas Cookies St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6 in the Netherlands. With a plethora of Dutch ancestors, I've inherited many recipes. For Hollanders, Christmas means koekjes (cookies). Here are my favorite Dutch cookie recipes. read more

Best Christmas Gifts for Tween Girls

Best Moderately Priced Gifts for Tween Girls Ages 9-13 Tween girls: not teens and not little girls. How do you shop for girls in that age between childhood and adolescence? You don't want kid gifts for gifts that are too old. Here is a holiday shopping guide for preteen girls. Read more

Christmas Around the World: Holland and the Feast of St. Nicholas

Global Holiday Hop: Holland and the Feast of St. Nicholas Series of articles highlighting Christmas Traditions from Around the World. The Lesson planner features traditions, recipes, activities, games and more. These articles will provide a great social studies focus. Read More

Free Printable Holiday Crafts Website

Free Printable Activities Websites Are you a free printable activity lover like me? Here are several excellent internet websites with safe, easy, user-friendly free printable activities. Crafts,puzzles, games, lessons, party supplies, decor and more!
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Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags, Decorations

Free Printable Thanksgiving Decorations, Party Supplies Written for Thanksgiving Day this article gives links for Christmas free printables as well. I love the holidays, but I'm a penny pincher. I don't spend money on decorations and party supplies. Happily, I don't need to; with free printable Thanksgiving decorations, tableware and party supplies.
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Best Boy Books for Holiday Giving

Great Books for Middle-School Age Boys Some boys love to read; other boys put up a real stink about having to read. Want to entice a middle school boy to read? Use this list of top pick book picks for boys. Great books of adventure and coming of age. read more

Distinctive, Inexpensive Items to Add to a Holiday Gift Basket

Inexpensive, Distinctive Items to Include in a Holiday Gift Basket
Holiday gift baskets make an ideal present. Gift baskets can be personalized based on hobby or interest. Gift baskets can be made inexpensively. Here are ten items to include in a gift basket. read more

Reusable Ways to Wrap Christmas and Holiday Gifts

25 Green, Creative and Reusable Ways to Wrap Presents Christmas decorations and wrapping paper are an industry of their own. Shoppers spend millions each holiday season on wrapping paper and trim; all of which goes to landfills after Christmas. Green solutions are a must. read more

Cheap, Homemade Personalized Gift Baskets

Homemade Inexpensive, Personalized Gift Baskets Holiday gift baskets have been a popular gift item for some time now. Some of us have found ways to create personalized gift baskets based on interest. What is more challenging is to create inexpensive gift baskets. read more

Christmas Word Puzzles, Jigsaw Puzzles and Games

Free Printable Thanksgiving Party Puzzles and Word Games Written for Thanksgiving, you'll find links for Christmas activities and party games with free printable holiday games, word games, puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. Liven up classroom lessons with puzzles and games. Share with family and friends for holiday get-togethers. read more

Christmas Countdown Calendar Craft

Advent Math, Writing Project Craft Teach some math and social studies as well as giving with this advent craft. Perfect Christmas and Advent holiday countdown craft for children. read more

Free Printable Advent Jesse Tree Ornaments and Activities

Free Printable Jesse Tree Coloring, Ornaments and Activities root shall spring up from the stump of Jesse's lineage'. This Bible passage foretells the birth of the Messiah. During Advent, symbols are hung on the Jesse Tree to represent the story of Jesus. For free printable Jesse Tree... read more

Free Printable Christmas Nativity Bible Coloring Book

Free Printable Advent Christmas Countdown Coloring Book Advent is the Christian season of preparation before Christmas. Advent is the equivalent of Lent before Easter. Here is a free printable Advent countdown to Christmas book with coloring and Bible activities for each day. read more