Search Results for: parenting holidays 4 christmas

4 Reasons to Helicopter Parent Your Pet

It has been said that helicopter parenting might not be the most ideal parenting style. Kids need some room to make mistakes and learn from them. That being said, there are a lot of great reasons why you should helicopter parent your pet. Reasons Why You Should Helicopter Parent Your Pets Pets Don’t “Grow Out of It” Babies and toddlers go through a stage where they put everything they can grab into their mouths. They will grow out of this stage eventually. Pets, however, will always have a tendency to try and eat things that may or may not be … Continue reading →

Bring Justin Bieber Home for Christmas

Unless you are willing to face kidnapping charges, the likelihood of having Justin Bieber serenade your tween in her bedroom on Christmas is slim to none. Fortunately, there is a way you can get the 16-year-old singing sensation to make an appearance under your Christmas tree this holiday season—-kind of. Thanks to HarperCollins, your Bieber Fever fanatic can wrap her arms around the pop star’s first book, Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. The 240-page hardcover masterpiece is filled with intimate details about Bieber’s life as a tween idol. In addition to getting the lowdown on wonder boy’s … Continue reading →

Christmas Shopping for Your Child’s Teacher

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the countdown to Christmas is on, and that means parents are under even more pressure to cram as much as humanly possible into a 24-hour period. For many moms and dads that means more Bah! Humbug! than fa-la-la-la-la, but such is the society-driven hoopla surrounding the birth of Christ. In addition to cooking, cleaning and coordinating school holiday concert schedules, parents must rack their brains to come up with meaningful gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, pizza delivery men and other major influences in their child’s life. What’s more, most of us also feel obligated to … Continue reading →

All I Want for Christmas is a Toy That Burps

My anti-girly girl daughter doesn’t take after her mother when it comes to Christmas wishes. Whereas I begged Santa for a baby doll that I could swaddle, cuddle and dress in lacy ensembles when I was a little girl, my tomboy has her sights set firmly on a battery-powered behemoth with movable brows, hairy feet and a panache for burping. Apparently, Big Foot has made a break from the woods of the Pacific Northwest because he’s sitting in toy stores from coast-to-coast. Fisher-Price’s Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster may be on my daughter’s big Christmas present wish list, only like Kota … Continue reading →

There’s Nothing Frugal About Traveling For Christmas

Travel in general is not frugal, but you’ve got to live from time to time. Still we manage to find ways to cut the costs. Read: A Few Tightwad Tips for Road Trips Money Saving Travel Tips for Cash Strapped Flyers Saving Money on Your Next Vacation—Book Early Regardless of how you plan and save over the winter holidays however, it is difficult to control your wallet. One of the biggest reasons that winter travel is so expensive is unpredictability. For example, right now, four days before Christmas, there is a major snowstorm across the country. People are stranded in … Continue reading →

Grandparents Not Giving As Much This Christmas

Grandparent Grinches? Not in my family. A new survey says, due to the current state of the economy, grandparents won’t be buying as many gifts for their grandkids this year. This is heartbreaking news for families the world over who rely on grandparents to play Santa. Last year I asked: Who needs Santa when you’ve got generous grandparents? I wasn’t kidding. My daughter and my nephew are blessed beyond words that my parents spoil them rotten. I can’t speak for my brother’s family, but I know for a fact that my daughter’s Christmas would not be nearly as merry and … Continue reading →

It’s almost Christmas, are you checking your mailbox?

I get a lot of junkmail in my mailbox, especially around the holidays. Within that junk mail are store coupons and gift cards that are worth a good amount of money. Many of us see them as temptations to spend more than we have, or wonder if there is a catch. If you read the gift cards carefully, you will be able to tell which gift cards are worth using, and which ones to toss. Last week I received a gift card from Kohls. It was for $15.00 off everything. Knowing that my mother in law shops at Kohls, I … Continue reading →

A Christmas Movie To Share with Your Loved One

‘Every Christmas should contain at least one soppy Christmas movie,’ my husband said as we perused the shelves of the video shop. We opted for ‘The Christmas Cottage.’ The alternative title is ‘Home for Christmas.’ When you’re not feeling well as Mick hasn’t been, the last thing you need is something heavy. Sometimes a piece of light entertainment is exactly what’s called for. Mick isn’t a fan of stories based on true life events but for some reason the blurb about this one appealed to both of us. It is about the artist Thomas Kincade The only actors we knew … Continue reading →

Making Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations

This cute paper snowman project is an ideal gift to give to a “green” friend. The foundation of the snowman features recycled envelopes while his appendages are made from all-natural products you can find in your own backyard. In addition to being environmentally friendly, he’s kid friendly as well. Take a look: RECYCLED SNOWMAN Materials: Used, white envelopes (large or small) Scrap construction paper Recycled cotton balls from medicine bottles Small twigs Pencil Compass Scissors Ruler Markers White glue Masking tape Directions: To make the head, cut a rectangle about 1-inch by 4-inch from the white envelope. Cut two more … Continue reading →

Holidays and Family Dysfunction

Twas the dinner of Christmas and all through the house everyone was stirring… while visions of food fights danced in their heads. If that pretty much sums up your family gatherings during the holiday season, then you might want to take a cue from Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. That’s right; the famously divorced Hollywood couple is now giving tips on how to avoid conflict during holiday get-togethers involving extended family. According to the actors, there is a way to co-exist with your dysfunctional family members minus the drama and fights. After all, they say, they do it on a … Continue reading →