Search Results for: blog the after christmas list

Christmas Morning Part I

After all our frugal preparations for Christmas, I was particularly excited for Christmas morning this year.  Our son was really excited about Santa Claus bring presents to put under the tree.  Our daughter, who had just turned one, was far more interested in opening presents and listening to Christmas music this year than last year.  We were excited and interested to see how she would react to the lit tree with presents beneath. I went to bed on Christmas Eve excited for the morning.  Little did I know that it would come sooner than I expected. At four thirty on … Continue reading →

Christmas Unplugged

Forget about dreaming of a white Christmas this year, most parents I know are hoping for an unplugged version of the holiday; a Christmas void of blaring televisions, raucous radios and vociferous video games. How likely are you to enjoy a genuine silent night this Christmas? If you want to know how to make your dream a reality, take some advice from the Bear family. In The Berenstain Bears’ Old-Fashioned Christmas, Brother, Sister and Baby Honey Bear get a taste of what the holiday was like pre-TV, when they travel to Grizzly Gramps and Gran’s house. After rolling up in … Continue reading →

Fun Christmas Competitions Among Friends

What’s a little competition amongst friends? If you can maintain some perspective, a little friendly rivalry during the holiday season can be fun. This is especially true if you are hosting a Christmas party.  Playing games and setting up a few holiday-themed contests allow you to keep spirits high.  Your guests will surely leave your home smiling after participating in the following festive activities: Scavenger Hunt:  Use a bunch of holiday items, such as tree ornaments, stuffed snowmen, and jarred holiday spices as the objects your guests have to hunt for in and around your home. Santa Scamper:  Players race … Continue reading →

Free Christmas Apps for Android

An easy way to get into the holiday spirit is by playing around with a Christmas themed app. Every year, there are some interesting, and free, Christmas apps for Android. They are great for keeping small children happily occupied while you are waiting in line by the registers. Christmas Games is a free app for Android. It has five Christmas themed games for children (and adults) to play. There is a jigsaw puzzle and a shape puzzle. It has connect the dot, a memory game, and a scratch game. The connect the dot game fills in a detailed cartoon image … Continue reading →

The “After Christmas” Sales have Started!

It’s not even Christmas yet, but stores are already putting their holiday items on sale. Last year, the “After Christmas” sales started about a week before Christmas. This year, you can take advantage of those sales right now. Target has a small batch of coupons that will help you save on some of the holiday items that you can find at Target. The coupons are: Get $1.00 off when you spend $7.00 or more on Holiday boxed card sets. Get $1.00 off when you purchase three greeting cards. Get $0.50 off when you buy 1 Holiday card set. Get $1.00 … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Control Impulse Buying at Christmas

The shiny decorations, the pretty lights, the wonderful smells, the bustle of shoppers, the increase in commercials, and the demanding kids all combine at Christmas to raise the risk of impulse buying. Many debt services report that the number of phone calls they get for help really drops off in December, as people put aside the idea of debt and just go ahead and spend. Of course, the calls in January are another story. These agencies often see their highest traffic then, as people find themselves in debt crisis. Don’t let this happen to you. Control your impulse buying at … Continue reading →

Disney Christmas Day Parade Filming Dates

Big news first: I know the filming dates for the 2012 Disney-ABC Christmas Day Parade. This is an elusive event where the tickets go on sale and sell out almost immediately. This year I have an inside line on the taping; the daughter of a friend of mine is going to dance in the parade. They’re taping the last week of November/the first weekend in December. The big day should be Saturday, December 1. I couldn’t verify this information online, because Disney hasn’t posted anything official about it yet. They probably won’t until November. But I can guarantee that the … Continue reading →

Even More After Christmas Sales – 2011

The after Christmas sales are still going on! This is the best time to pick up some deeply discounted Christmas decorations, or to purchase some of the things you wanted for Christmas, (but didn’t get). If you have already shopped your way through the list of sales from yesterday and the list from the day before then it is time to check out today’s list of after Christmas sales. Hot Topic is having a “Hot Mess Clearance Event”. You can save up to 75% off the original price of all items included in this sale. Apparel is going for either … Continue reading →

More After Christmas Sales – 2011

Ready for some more shopping? It seems like nearly every store has put together their own, unique, version of an after Christmas sale. If you have already shopped your way through the list of sales from yesterday, then it is time for you to check out today’s list of after Christmas sales. Target is having an “After Christmas Clearance” sale. You can save up to 65% if you shop from their website. They also have “1,000’s of last-chance deals in stores”. If you are interested in picking up some of their leftover Christmas decorations you need to act fast. Some … Continue reading →

After Christmas Sales – 2011

As soon as Christmas is over, the after Christmas sales begin. Usually, this is when stores put a lot of things on clearance, and put deep discounts on other items. Here is a quick list of some of the after Christmas sales that are going on right now. Sears is having an “After Christmas Appliance Event”. You can save up to 25% off all Kenmore Appliances, and up to 15% off all Whirlpool and KitchenAid appliances. If you have the Sears card, and the appliance you purchase is $499.00 or more, then you can save an additional 15%. Payless is … Continue reading →