Holiday Helpers

As the song goes, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!". And, for the most part, I agree. However, there are some days when (no matter how hard I try) the craziness of the season makes me, well, crazy.

If you read this blog regularly, you already know that I haven't yet stepped foot in a bricks-and-mortar store to do my Christmas shopping, so you're probably wondering, "what's she so stressed about?". I mean, really... no crowds and crying/whining kids to contend with; no racing around like a mad woman trying to track down that "must-have" gift of 2011... just web-surfing, mouse-clicking, credit-card-entering and voilá - you're done!

Well, it's not quite that simple. (But, you knew that! ;)

As parents, we know that instilling traditions in our kids and giving them the wonderful experiences we enjoyed as kids (or wish we did) is more important than any of the material things we could ever buy them. We bend over backwards, stay up late, do whatever we need to make the holidays special, because these are memories our children will have forever. We want to do activities with our kids, but sometimes need to get creative in order to get our tasks done but still have fun.

So, here are a few "holiday helpers" that just might take some of the insanity our of your schedule.

1. Baking with the kids 
Okay, when I saw this one, I laughed. You see, it's meant to be a joke, but I think it's a great idea. While I'm busy making cookies "with" my kids, they can be playing around with this and we're all happy! No little hands picking their noses then putting them in the cookie dough, yet they're having a blast "decorating" the cookies. (Yes, I know, it's a cupcake decorator, but they don't have to know that... cookies would work too, no?)

2. Crafts, crafts and MORE crafts!
My daughter can't get enough of crafts... and it couldn't make me happier. :) Visit your local dollar store and stock up on seasonal foam cut-outs, stick-on jewels, pom poms, stickers and whatever else your kid(s) will enjoy. Then, give 'em a glue stick, some washable markers and let them go nuts. Trust me, you will have a solid hour or more to yourself. If you haven't already tried this, DO IT! :)

3. Give them chores
This one sounds like it would go over like a lead balloon with the kids, but it's all in how you present it. First off, buy some of our Stick-eez™ clothing labels. Then on the next cold blustery day, make some hot chocolate, put on a holiday show (Frosty the Snowman, anyone?) and drop a huge pile of clothes and the pack of labels in front of the kids. Show them where you want the labels to go (on the clothing tags) and tell them you need stickers on all the clothes. Kids love stickers no matter what kind they are... they'll do it (and save you some time)!

4. Babysitter swap
Let's face it, babysitters are expensive. If you had to pay someone to watch your kids every time you wanted to step out to run errands or go grocery shopping sans kids, you'd be broke! Instead, get a group of neighbourhood moms together and work out a babysitting swap schedule. If there were five moms, each mom could take a day and, say, each afternoon a different mom could rotate watching the whole lot of kids after school. The kids will have a blast hanging out with their friends and, for only 2 hours of craziness, you'd get 8 hours of sanity in return!

5. Make meals in advance
At this time of year, I don't even think about making supper until 5:30 or 6:00... and by that time, I'm stuck! So, take one Saturday afternoon and make a few batches of the family's favourites - lasagna, meatballs, eggplant parmesan - and freeze them. It'll help you to enjoy mealtime with your kids and not get harried when life gets busy. (It comes in handy when unexpected guests pop by, too!)

Here's to a fun, memorable and, most of all, stress-free holiday!

The Countdown Begins...

So, you survived the candy-fest! Well, there’s no rest for the weary because now the holiday countdown is on!  :)

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Eid-al-Adha, it’s a busy time of year. From parties and winter outings to shopping and gift-wrapping, there’s never a dull moment!

And, while this time of year is a lot of fun – buying gifts, dining out, splurging on the kids - it’s so easy to get caught up in all the craziness. It used to be that I was consumed with making sure there was a ton of gifts piled high around the tree… I love to shop and what better time of year to shop than now? But as the years go by, I realize more that it’s not what’s under the tree that makes for a great holiday, but the memories I make with my family. And, I don’t know about you, but I could really use more lazy Sundays (if there really are such things!), and less stress-ridden trips to the mall.

That’s why my goal this holiday season is to reduce the activities that drain my bank account and instead try to focus on those that replenish my soul.  I’m committing to spending time with family & friends, not spending money; making Christmas gifts with the kids, not making myself crazy.

Over the next two months, I’ll be sharing holiday tips on our Facebook page, on Twitter, and here on our blog – easy gifts kids can make, home décor that won’t break the bank, and of course, amazing recipes that the whole family will enjoy. 

If you’ve got any ideas, please share them with us by commenting below, on Twitter or our Facebook page  – we love hearing from you!

Halloween Tips & Tricks

Halloween is still a month away and my 4-year-old is already asking to make decorations to scare the neighbours! ("But not really scary ghosties, mama... friendly-looking ones!") Other than Christmas, Halloween has got to be her favourite holiday. I mean, the opportunity for decorating is immense (she decorates everything), so this is just another chance to dive in and have fun!

To put it mildly, decorations and other Halloween-related items (costume, candy to hand out, giveaways for classmates at school, etc) can really add up. And, in this economic climate, who has money to burn? So, I thought I'd share with you some great tips (courtesy of our amazing Facebook and Twitter fans) for having a blow-out Halloween without blowing your budget.

• Do a costume exchange
• Get a costume that your child(ren) can spend the next year playing dress up in; the cost won't seem so bad then.
• Never buy a NEW costume; source them at thrift sales, consignment stores, etc.
• Find a theme the whole family can do! The kids love when you get dressed up with them!
• We always make a trip to the farm in late September for hay and corn stalks to decorate the front of our house. It gets the kids in the fall mood and they start looking forward to Halloween.
• For classmates, make gift bags without candy for once - foam stickers and craft halloween paper from the dollar store did the trick! Parents and kids alike loved the idea.
• With leftover pumpkins, my toddler loves hammering golf tees into them - a great way to practice his fine and gross motor skills.
• Buy your costume at Old Navy the day before Halloween - all costumes are $2!

And, on that note... happy money-saving to you all! :)