holidays Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Best London Christmas Lights to See Now (Have a Drive Through, Socially Distant New Year!)

Paula — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:59:29 +0000

So where are the best London Christmas lights that are safe to see from the car? Are they still open? Can you make that part of your New Year’s Eve tonight? Read the information below to find out. Obviously parades and the holiday season went virtual this year around Ontario and in many places throughout Canada. But, what about New Year’s Eve? And what about social distancing? Good news. There are still a few London Christmas lights and homes to drive by and enjoy. Check out some of the Best Drive Through London Christmas lights and holiday light displays before they end! Drive Through London Christmas Lights (And Surrounding Area) While we still can’t do much in person, we can get out for walks and the occasional drive. There are a couple of local areas where you can visit Christmas lights and enjoy them safely with your family from the car. Drive by, or drive through lighting displays, help cheer everyone up. Making Spirits Bright When social distancing and lockdown is the name of the game, you can actually still safely do a few things to keep spirits bright. Believe me, that’s what we have been working on, because this round of lockdown is pretty crappy, especially since we have been following the rules and being extremely cautious in my home since March. (Even though many others have not extended the same courtesy and exercised responsibility.) Lockdown 2.0 in Ontario It has been extremely hard to watch as others don’t provide the community with the same consideration as anti-maskers decide their freedom is somehow negatively impacted by wearing a small piece of cloth that protects people from germs. Our Routine During the first round of lockdown, some days my greatest goal was actually just making sure my teenagers got out of bed and moved. In my house, we manage mental health with medicine (and doctors), plus a routine of water, diet, sleep and exercise. These are the things that I tell my kids are not negotiable. I am a broken record that way. Most days, I was reasonably sure at least 2-3 of us in this house were actually dressed. Other days, I said the heck with it and told my teens throw on a jacket and walk in your pyjamas with me. Nobody else will know or care. Winter Lockdown Over the last year, I have rallied the troops and plugged in all the virtual support possible. Yet, here we are again, in the middle of winter, with ski season postponed indefinitely. Don’t even get me started on that. Ski hills have been working for months on how to social distance and be safe and still offer people the chance to stay fit mentally and physically on ski hills. And no other province in Canada has blocked ski hills from opening because they have all implemented strict ski with your family and leave protocols. So, with little to do but sit tight again and get mad occasionally because others aren’t following rules and politicians are also not following their own rules, we have found the occasional local drive through London Christmas lights (and surrounding area) a small respite from the repetition. Lighting of the Lights Everyone in London knows that there’s typically a unique tree lighting ceremony in Victoria Park called Lighting of the Lights. This year, that display on Clarence Street in downtown London is up and ready to view from your car or from a social distance with masks on only. Typically in years gone by we have also gathered to skate and watch the fireworks at 9 pm, a kid’s display that we loved when the kids were younger. Maybe another year that will happen again. I always loved skating in Victoria Park. Downtown London Although the official ceremony of Lighting of the Lights will not be held this year, crews are still working to install over 75,000 lights in the park. Residents can still visit on their own time and enjoy the beauty of nature and the lights! Lights on Stratford A stunning display throughout Stratford. The City of Stratford has released new details on the upcoming Lights On Stratford festival, which will run from Nov. 19 to Feb. 14, 2021, in several locations throughout the city. That makes this a MUST DO open through part of February! From north London this is a quick 45 minute drive. We are planning to see it this week. Every single report that I have seen from friends indicates this is stunning and super spread out throughout Stratford. So, hurray and that makes it even more socially distant!! Ilderton Listen, there’s a home there in Ilderton that goes nuts on Songbird Lane. Wear your mask and get out for a quick photo if it is safe. This is a pandemic. Please be safe. We took photos in Ilderton on Christmas Eve after we did Zoom calls and FaceTime calls here with all of our relatives. We didn’t SEE anyone in person all Christmas and I am desperately trying to keep teens with mental illness alive in my home during a pandemic. So, I need all of the small boosts possible, whether that is a drive by light display or making hot chocolate bombs or doing a silly TikTok. I am attempting to boost the mental health of people here in my home, so we drove by the display and we paused to take photos with our masks on and we loved it. While this is outside London, it qualifies for me as one of the best local London light displays. St. Marys Winter Lights-St. Marys.. on until January 3, 2021 – enjoy their lights throughout the holiday season! Take a short drive to St Marys to see their winter light show from your vehicle. City of Woodstock Virtual Tour of Lights. While this is a bit further away than the rest of these London Christmas lights, it is also available virtually. Check it out here – > City of Woodstock Virtual Tour of Lights. I love that this one is available on Youtube. So check it out from home, no matter where you are! Happy New Year and Happy 2021! Wishing you a brilliant new year ahead!

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Cute Christmas Snowmen Colouring Page for Kids

Paula — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 23:43:46 +0000

This Christmas snowmen colouring page for kids is adorable and just cheery enough to make everyone stop and enjoy colouring for a few moments. Keeping Spirits Bright I am all in this Christmas when it comes to decorating and trying to keep spirits bright. So, I am sharing some easy Christmas resources here for you as well to help you stay positive and on top of saving money while also creating activities for your kids that helps them to stay healthy and engaged. Cute Christmas Snowmen This Snowmen Couple, or should that be snow person/ snow people Colouring Page for Kids is the latest in the colouring pages being shared here. I hope that you enjoy all of these activities and I also hope that you take time to relax and colour together this holiday. My True Confessions There’s a huge part of me that just wants to hibernate and wake up when this is over. But I am working hard daily to just keep going. With that in mind, although it is not at all related to colouring pages, here you go….Mental Health Resources to Use Now. Winter is Normally my Favourite Anyways, I love winter and I will do my best to embrace it even in this terribly hard season. The 2020 season was brutal. I have spent much energy watching all of the Hallmark movies and loving them and I have done everything possible to create a festive home because it is good for our mental health. So, I will keep on chugging along. And I will also build in more walks again and some hikes (I hope there are some spaces that are not closed to that option.) Print This Christmas snowmen colouring page for kids via the link below. If You Need Something New When the kids were small, especially when we had gaps in time between present opening and dinner and relatives visiting, I always planned to have numerous activities lined up to keep them busy. This year, we have no relatives coming to visit, due to the pandemic. We will FaceTime and Zoom and all of that to stay in touch and share some of the experience. Printing off colouring sheets and worksheets and activities like Christmas charades to do indoors is one way to keep them occupied, now more than ever actually. I typically plan some outings like skating and skiing and sometimes winter tubing too. This year we will be abiding by all of the health unit regulations, so who knows if we can even skate or visit the local ski hill. At the very least this year, I am hoping there is snow. Then we can all go out to our yards and play a bit…Oh, and of course, go make a snowman, a snow woman and maybe even an entire family! Bundle up and get outside or move safely!

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What’s On Your Christmas Bucket List + Printable

Paula — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:13:00 +0000

What’s on Your Christmas Bucket List this year? Oh, believe me I know the holidays will be very different this season. The pandemic numbers are currently worrisome but the holidays are still right around the corner, not much more than a month away now. Hard to believe it has been 9-10 months of this lockdown, social distancing and quarantine kind of life. I completely understand it as it was necessary but at the same time I am crazy tired of it and worried about Christmas. But, even so, I am still determined to put a positive spin on it. So, I am working on my very own Christmas bucket list right now and hoping that some of you take heart and either borrow mine or make your own variation. Quick and Fun Christmas Bucket List Don’t mock me but I am all in on Hallmark Christmas movies right now. They bring me joy. This weekend we were watching Hallmark’s Christmas specials and there was an adorable new one there called the Christmas Bucket List, I think. Anyways, that reminded me that I should share something cute here for you all to do also. A Christmas Bucket List doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be something everyone can do together with social distancing in mind as this is likely to persist throughout the holidays. Modify A Couple of Ideas… Here’s to finding a bit of Christmas spirit, for your family and even for you. Consider it self care. Modify a few of these to be virtual. For instance, ugly sweater party can be your virtual support group night or your friends gathering one night this year. Add a little fun to your routine Zoom and make it an Ugly Sweater Zoom night. I am hoping to do a sleigh ride but I will be looking to see when and where and how those are being offered this year. Obviously, we will be close to home and this feels possible even in town as long as people pick times and register and wear masks. Right? How to Download Merry Christmas to You! Don’t Miss all of my amazing Christmas recipes and printables over on My Merry Christmas Pinterest Board. There are some genuinely great recipes and of course you can always find my Free Printables board there any time of the year.

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Festive Christmas Charades Game to Play Now

Paula — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:52:00 +0000

Looking for fun festive socially or physically distant ways to make the most of the holidays this year? Christmas charades is one way to get together with family even if you are apart. I mean this can easily be done on Zoom or Skype or whatever form of video calling you do. Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. I receive a small commission via qualifying purchases. This Christmas could be unique. I’ll be honest I am not sure I am ready for that. I need to be able to see family, but the pandemic numbers are not good right now. So, we’ll all be looking for ideas of ways to make things fun and light and enjoyable. Christmas Charades Anyways, at this stage my Christmas anxiety is pretty high. I am more than aware that this year’s seasonal festivities could be compromised, or perhaps they’ll just look a little bit different. So here’s what I am doing right now to manage some of that. I’m shopping ahead of time, in increments. First off, I like saving money and second of all it helps me to manage our collective anxiety. So, I am hunting for holiday deals now and I have been for months. I am also doing a few things to manage my self care right now so the anxiety doesn’t get out of hand. For months, I did all of the virtual workouts in my basement. In early October I finally returned to the YMCA. If I need to return to working out virtually that’s okay too. Fun Christmas Activities I love easy fun festive printables this time of the year. When your kids are young setting up for Christmas is a little bit like a magic show. You need some children’s holiday gifts that they will adore, and ones that will last while engaging their minds. You need a lot of calming tools at your disposal to keep them busy, even as they get swept away by the spirit of the season, so that you can get magic done behind the scenes. So, here are a few of the cutest ones I could gather. This Christmas charades game is 6 pages of fun ideas for pretending together even if you need to do that virtually. So, here’s hoping we are together again soon, but even if we are not, then there are some fun activities we can do virtually together too. Don’t Miss My 5 Fun Christmas Printables: Free Printable Santa Wishlist – Thrifty Momma’s TipsDIY Dry Erase Christmas Countdown Printable – A Cultivated NestPrintable Christmas Word Search – Happiness is Homemade3D Christmas Printable Characters – A Mummy TooPrintable Christmas Countdown Chain – Our Thrifty Ideas To Download Click the link below and it takes you to the printable version of this great little game. Happy Holidays!

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Adorable Burrito Surprise Toys for Children

Paula — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:31:13 +0000

I received product for consideration in the gift guide this year. Post may contain affiliate links. Have you heard of CuteTitos? Or Babitos yet? You will. These CuteTitos and Babitos are currently wrapped and under my tree for my niece. She’s too little to read this content, so there’s no chance that she will find out. Anyways, CuteTitos are sweet little stuffed animals and unique creatures that come with their own small blanket burrito. Unroll Something Special So adorable! These are surprise toys because you don’t know what you get until you unroll the burrito pet inside. Unroll to reveal a new soft pet with its own burrito. Each pet has its own personality and level of spiciness. Their personality marking is right on their hip. Each mystery animal is mild, medium, hot or a super spicy chili pepper. They each come with a little blurb about their personality and which one they are in the series of pets. It also tells you their birthday and gender. We received a tiny Babitos giraffe named Giraffito and also Hefftito, the elephant. So cute! Love the baby giraffe. The elephant is just a really sweet gift for any child who loves creative play and collecting toys. Collect Them All There are 12 possible collectible styles. Animals range from moneys, to narwhals and elephants. The surprise is inside the burrito. Babitos are similar versions of the CuteTitos but smaller and their burrito blanket is less soft than CuteTitos. If your kiddo loves mystery stuffed animals and surprise reveals then these surprise toys are going to be a huge hit. Collect each one of the mystery stuffed animals from the three current series. Then don’t forget to start collecting the Babitos as well. Babitos are colourful stuffed animals wrapped in a burrito blanket and stuffed inside a taco shell. Soft Sweet Surprise Toys I spied these at a toy show early this season and fell for them. They have all the elements for a great gift for a child who loves stuffed animals. Soft and sweet and really cute toys that any child would love to collect. Kids who enjoy creative play will also love these for the holidays or for birthdays. Who is This Gift for? These CuteTitos and Babitos are meant for ages 4-5 and up to 12. If your son or daughter enjoys collecting series of toys then these are perfect. If they adore cute cuddly things they will love these CuteTitos surprise toys. I am giving several of these to my niece who is seven. She is away this week but when she returns I will have armloads of Christmas presents for her to unwrap. Fully anticipating that she will adore these! Do not miss these other toys and recommendations this season. I love these Tech Gifts for Teens and Older. If you like these then I highly recommend these WOWEE Fortune Cookie blind bracelet toys too. Also, a similar mystery toy concept. I gave one to my oldest daughter actually, so she could demonstrate it for me and she loved how cute it is.

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My Christmas Wish List Activity for Kids

Paula — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 16:46:58 +0000

My Christmas Wish List. If there was a single phrase that could evoke childhood and the spirit of Christmas long ago for me, then I think it would be My Christmas Wish List. Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. I receive a small commission via qualifying links. Do you remember being small, poring over catalogues or flyers that arrived in the mail, circling items you dreamed of owning? For me, as a child, it was always dolls and Barbies. Meanwhile my brother lived for the latest race cars and trucks and puzzles. I have a daughter like that who asks for a puzzle every single year actually. Don’t Miss my Must Have Toys for the Season Post. The ZAX foam ax throwing toy is my favourite thing. But as I got a bit older, then it was creative craft kits like How to Knit or How to Sew, or even one year Fashion Plates. OH MY GOSH, do you remember that? It was a wonderfully creative craft that helped you imagine being a fashion designer and it was geared to tween girls. LOVED it. FYI, if you like unicorn crafts, this one caught my eye this year. When I was a tween and a young teen, my entire Christmas With List was comprised of new clothing and cameras. I always wanted a new outfit. In fact, I can easily recall a few years when I received a gorgeous velvet or velour sweater, or the latest pair of jeans. There was a time of course when satin and sateen were all the rage and naturally those clothing items made my Christmas wish list too. PIN THIS Wish List FOR LATER! Funny how tastes may change over the years! But what does not change is the spirit of Christmas and the holiday season. It’s fun to sit with your little ones and draft their wish lists for the holidays. Just watch as their eyes light up. I still enjoy browsing through all the catalogues when they arrive here, even just by myself sometimes. The Indigo catalogue is actually one of my favourites. There are so many educational toys, popular books and gifts for your home too. That Indigo catalogue and the Mastermind toys catalogue both lend themselves to careful consideration. Grab a pen and get circling things together. This serves two purposes: you enjoy time together while also getting the scoop on what your child really wants. There’s less room for disappointment and error that way. My Dream Wish List These days, I dream of taking a family trip or a family cruise. But, that’s not something that Santa can bring me. At this stage of the game most of my dreams revolve around travel. Anyways, if you want to use this with your child here’s how. Right click on the image above and print it out on your computer. OR, click on the download now button below and a clean PDF will pop up. You can print from there too. More Printable Activities for You While you are at it, you can find so many more word games, word searches, crosswords and crafty ideas here on my Free Printables board. Happy Holidays! What’s on your wish list this year?

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The Flight Before Christmas – Everything You Need To Know Now

Paula — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:06:04 +0000

Need to travel over the holidays? Need the flight before Christmas? Oh sure we all want to travel during the holiday season and go somewhere warm, or even some place familiar filled with family and friends. But do you need to travel during the holidays? If so, then you need some ground rules and also some guidelines and tips on how to go and when to book the flight before Christmas. There are lots of benefits to holiday air travel and a few big drawbacks too. But, if you want to know the ins and outs and the ways to save your sanity while traveling during this busy time of year then you have come to the right place. Best and Worst Times to Go Black Friday is to retail shopping what Thanksgiving Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving Day) is to air travel. It’s literally the busiest travel day of the year for the airline industry. An easy method for making things less stressful is to simply not fly on this day. Unlike the super busy Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the taxing travel times for Christmas are spread out over several days. Lucky for you there are a few tips that can make a Christmas journey by air less nerve-racking. Direct Verses Non Stop Flights Confusion and misunderstanding sometimes arises with the two terms: direct versus non stop flights. Direct, in airline terminology, simply means the passenger does not have to change aircraft on their trip. According to ICAO the flight may actually include up to 3 stops along the way and be considered direct. Not my definition of direct at all but when booking be sure you know the industry standard definitions. Non Stop Non stop is just that. The flight takes off and lands at the destination without a scheduled stop in between. Nonstop flights incur fewer troubles due to their nature, but the passenger usually pays a premium in the ticket price. These flights are like unicorns. If you see one for a great price snag it fast. Airline Hubs To be avoided at all cost if possible; however southern hubs tend to be better than northern ones this time of the year. It is important to understand that even if one hub has fine weather and the departure and destination airports are great, the aircraft may be coming from a hub or airport that is a mess. Checked Or Carry-on Luggage The easiest way to lighten the burden of traveling is to go light. Try not to check luggage but understand that carry-on luggage is restricted. Not only is there much more luggage on flights this time of the year but the increased volume makes lost luggage more likely. Companies exist to help send packages, presents and suitcases. Overnight companies like Federal Express and UPS will deliver luggage quickly. Furthermore, independent forwarders like the Luggage Club, Independent Travelers, Go Nomad and Luggage Free specialize in this service. Luggage Free states on their website that they are a specialty service offering the ability to ship luggage ahead to any destination worldwide. This could be worth it potentially. Give it some thought. It might beat the inconvenience of carrying, checking and claiming bags as well as going through customs. Days of the Week The days of the week do matter when taking a trip. The list below identifies the best travel days during the Xmas holiday with a Thanksgiving caveat of course. What if The Flight Before Christmas is on Christmas Day? * Christmas Day can actually be an excellent day to travel. In fact, it can be the absolute best day! While families are gathered under the tree opening presents, singing carols in church, preparing Christmas dinner, chatting with family and enjoying the spirit of the season, few people are sitting in airplanes, because they mostly have no interest in doing that. But in fact you can get some good deals to travel on Christmas Day. So don’t out rule this day for airline travel. Days of the Week * Tuesday is the second leading day (4th best during Thanksgiving.) It is early in the work-week and few people have time to travel. So consider Tuesday next time you need to fly, especially if it involves holiday flights. * Wednesday, unless Christmas Day falls on a Thursday, is the third best travel day of the week for the same reasons as above. * Saturday comes in fourth. * Monday is a solid fifth. Workers with extended vacation are now beginning to fly. Also those bumped passengers from their Sunday flight are rebooked today. * Thursday travelers taking long weekends fly today; however, the problem is intensified because business travelers start ending their business trips as well. The combination of business and holiday travelers begin to fill up airports and airplanes making Thursday 6th on the list (6th on Thanksgiving Day too.) So Thursdays can be very busy travel days in airports. * Friday, for the same reasons as Thursday, makes this day number 7. Business people traveling home, students finishing classes and workers beginning their vacation all clamour for flights on this day. * Sunday is a HOT mess not only after the holiday but before as well. Similar to Friday it too includes returning travelers – the absolute worst travel day. So don’t travel on a Sunday, when possible. Hours of the Days Convenient travel depends on the hour of the day. External factors can become compounded throughout the day, so often it makes more sense to leave early in the morning when possible. Weather worsens, delays grow longer and cancellations increase as the hours tick by in a business day. Plan for early departure and avoid potential headaches. Up and At Em! * Mornings are best on very bad travel days. Missed and overbooked flights have a ripple effect on passengers as the day progresses. Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings are much better travel times than Thursday, Friday and Sunday evening. * Afternoon – Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are the best times. After the morning and before the evening business rush hours, the midday flights are easier to grab. Along with Saturday and Christmas Day the airport traffic is lighter, security areas less dense and even restaurants less crowded; making the whole experience brighter. * Evening – The only time traveling at night is a good deal is on Monday, but in most cases a red-eye is better than day flights. Some international flights only go later at night so you may not have a choice. To Recap Then… Basically you need to think strategically when you are opting for holiday airline travel. Book flights that are early in the day and early in the week. Consider booking holiday flights or even family cruises for that matter on December 25th. If your gift is a family trip and your kids are babies, or teens, then why not save money and depart on Christmas Day? So How Will You Book That Trip in the Future? There are always a lot of steps to undertake before you embark on a trip. But, you can save some of the headaches of delays and high charges, maybe even avoid lost luggage if you pay close attention to the timing of your flights and the booking process. Oh, I know there’s not much that’s exciting or say about the booking part. However, for me that investment in planning properly can pay off with a smooth flight or a big cost savings. And that is always appealing.

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The Best Time to Book Flights for Christmas Travel

Paula — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 10:12:32 +0000

Christmas travel sounds like the plot of a slapstick comedy movie, right? Picture Kevin McAllister waking too late and missing the shuttle to the airport, or his Mom realizing he’s not on the plane. Chaos and crowds and family and all the expectations!! Well, holiday travel need not be a complete disaster, and frankly it should never cost you a year of mortgage payments just to take a bit of R and R. Plan ahead, sit back, relax and enjoy. Here’s why Christmas travel need not be the punchline to a joke. Instead make it the start of a wonderful new adventure or tradition. Chaos and Overspending or Smooth Sailing all the Way? Every year, millions of people worldwide book travel over Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. Holiday travel is a gigantic moneymaker for airlines and hotels. It’s easy to see why. People want to be home for the holidays. They want to see friends and loved ones. If Christmas travel, or holiday travel is in your future, then you need to read this post. The Most Expensive Time of the Year Christmas and New Year’s are some of my favourite times to book a getaway, but the holidays can also be the most expensive time to go away. I often opt for a slight variation on dates so that we save money. Christmas travel can be extremely expensive so knowing your best time to book flights is important. Here’s a bit of information on how to save on holiday travel. Sometimes You Really Have No Other Options Now listen, I totally get that some people are limited and cannot travel any other time. Teachers and others who work in schools don’t get to pick and choose their travel times necessarily. But, if you can pick your times then search out the early January or early December times to travel. You still get all the enjoyment of Christmas travel without the giant cost involved. When is the best time to book flights for Christmas travel? Know before you go. Number one priority. Be sure you are going to follow through and that the dates are solid. Changing your mind can cost you money later. Don’t book a flight unless you are almost one hundred percent sure you are going. People get themselves in trouble when they book a flight and then find out later that they either need to change the date, or they find that they need to cancel the flight. When is the Sweet Spot for Holiday Travel Bookings? Most advocate booking 4-8 weeks in advance of a trip. On Cyber Monday there are lots of deals available for hotels and flights too. If you are booking into the new year right now you might find a great deal. I have seen a few excellent January deals. There’s even some great in Canada domestic flight deals (rare indeed!) If you try to book too early to save money, you might find that your times were not great and your situation has changed so that you have to cancel. Not ideal. If you book too late, you will get hit with extra costs. NO question. In years gone by you could occasionally save booking flights last minute, but those days are long gone. Credit or No? No question that the best way is to always pay cash. Booking a Christmas flight through a credit card will cause interest to be accrued and will cost you more over time. Interest is a huge financial barrier that can be hard to pay off. Paying flights off immediately is ideal. KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS and Limits Too Unless… There are occasional times when a credit card purchase makes sense. Booking a flight for Christmas travel can seem like a great idea and you reach for that credit card and book. But if you don’t have the money to pay it off quickly then you are causing a world of headaches. However, the exception to this rule is when you have an amazing rewards card or Air Miles and you know you are the kind that can pay by credit, gather the points and pay the debt off immediately. We’ve collected a lot of points that way in the last decade. But prior to that, in my 20s for instance I was not even close to disciplined enough to pay for travel this way. I am pretty good at this. But this season we know we don’t have as much disposable income as was the case in other years so I am not likely to book as it will sit on the credit card. Sad, but true. Nobody can afford to pay double the cost for an impulse trip. Christmas Travel Can Be Fun Many online travel websites offer flights ten months before the flight will actually happen. This would be good to do, providing the price is right and they are not trying to bait the first customer with a high price. Christmas is a great time of the year to travel and see loved ones. However, it is even greater if people find a good price and don’t get into a financial jam that they cannot get out of. Plan ahead and make Christmas travel work for you.

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Thrifty Mommas Tips 2018 Gift Guide – Favourite Holiday Toys

Paula — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:12:55 +0000

Holiday toys are just fun for everyone. There’s nothing like unwrapping a toy Christmas Morning and playing all day. Remember that magical feeling from WAY back when. I sure do. It’s the never ending quest to capture a little of that feeling and pass it on that keeps me motivated this time of year. With Christmas right around the corner, you’re probably either fully into Christmas shopping or, if you’re like me, well maybe you have a bit more to do. In either case, you probably are still hunting down ideas. That’s why I’ve put together my annual GIFT GUIDE for some toys that will help you round out your shopping list. They all make great gifts and they’re perfect for both boys and girls. In fact many here are gifts to your entire family. Holiday Toys for All The thing I love about all of these toys is that they get back to good old-fashioned fun. Even the newer toys on this list still adhere to the old-school concept of play using toys as a conduit for the imagination, and creativity. I think we need more of that in the world. So let’s get to it. Games are one of the best ways to build skills for life with kids and frankly a good board game or family game is fun for all. So here are a few games I am giving this season. Mattel Games We all know Mattel. From board games to action figures, they’ve been bringing us great kids’ items for as long as I can remember. There’s no exception here with these gifts. UNO Why I Like It.. This classic card game of matching colors and numbers never gets old. This is one of my daughter’s favourites actually. She has multiple variations of UNO and SKIPBO and she has played them hundreds of times. For a very long time, when my youngest daughter was small she needed a lot of help transitioning into the school day and week. So, her support teacher would often ease her into the day with a game of SKIPBO or UNO. BRILLIANT. Plus to this day she LOVES these games. To me these games are gold. Kerplunk Why I Like it Gather the entire family together for a marble-filled strategy game. Pull sticks out of the tube, but don’t let the marbles fall! SHHHH. I am giving this one to my youngest because I know she will LOVE IT! Hoping she doesn’t sneak a peak at this post. This game is entertaining and suspenseful too..not unlike Jenga which we also love. Gas Out What on Earth? Kids and 10 to 12-year-olds at heart will love this game. Draw a card and press Guster the Gas Cloud that many times. Be the last player to keep Guster from farting during your turn to win. This game would be perfect for my two nephews. One is ten and the other is five and their FART joke game is strong. It’s obvious why I like Gas Out. These silly flatulence games are on trend this season. Squawk Chicken Game Poke the chicken until she lays an egg. Funny little game that is a little bit noisy but a whole lot of fun. Why Do I Like it? This chicken game is unlike any of the other games we have here so that makes it a keeper. MGA Entertainment MGA Entertainment brings us fun family games with a different twist. From Gross monsters like Crate Creatures to Social Star, a social media board game, MGA Entertainment brings family fun into the modern era. Crate Creatures Free the Crate Creatures from their box and make a new, gross best friend. Kids can pull their tongues for fun monster sounds and gross noises. They can ever record and yak back phrases. Super cute idea. I think my niece will love this. She is 7. Why do I like this one? Crate Creatures are quirky, and unique so if you are giving them to a child this year you can be pretty sure that nobody else has already thought of it. No double gifting or returns here. Air Chargers A new twist on the old stunt track, Air Chargers takes track racing to a new level. Sporty cars and a variety of track sets can be combined to create courses as simple or as complex as a child’s imagination. WHAT THE WHAT? Of course everyone’s nephew should get this. It’s a no brainer. Every young boy I know would be all over this. Also frankly I get to play with this when I visit my nephews so HURRAY! YES please. Again why do I like it? Just because honestly it’s great value and sheer fun for any child who LOVES cars or trucks. No batteries required. Need I say more. Get Air Chargers now and it will still arrive in time for Christmas. Ready 2 Robot Build, swap and battle. There are thousands of ways to combine these robots and play. Why do I like Ready 2 Robot? I know my nephew will love these. They are collectible plus there’s a slime element that makes them the right amount of cool and gross combined. Order this Ready 2 Robot Ultimate Set with slime squad. DONE. Perfect gift under $100. Again no batteries so it’s a winner! Social Star Make social media fun with Social Star. In this game, players must get “likes” in order to gain fame. Who will become the ultimate social star? Great gift for a tween. HEXBUG If you’re a returning reader, it should be no surprise that HEXBUG makes my list of holiday toys. I’m a big fan of these because they promote learning in a fun exciting way. HEXBUG offers a variety of toys from Robotic Soccer to Battling Boxing Robots, Ring Racer, and more. All of these promote STEM with a play style that requires thought and STEM strategies yet still remain tons of fun. This year HEXBUG Battle Bots Arena Pro is my pick for the best new Hexbug toy to give. Why? HEXBUG makes top notch fun toys that entertain for hours on end. Every single year for the last 7 or 8 years I have gifted HEXBUG toys to someone on my list. Some years Santa delivered Hexbug toys and other years I bought them for Christmas and birthdays. These are crazy good quality and fun, plus they rely on robotics and science and learning. This year as always the kids chose names from the Angel Tree and used their money to buy gifts for someone in need. They chose some classic Fisher Price baby toys because they wanted to give to babies. My husband and I both chose tween boy names from the tree and we gave HEXBUG toys. Kid’s Activity and Trivia Books My teens will be getting fiction books under the tree and perhaps some DK Canada books as well. But the National Geographic Kids Weird But True lineup is made for my one nephew. He is ten and obsessed with trivia. True story. I visited last month and he told me all sorts of trivia (especially if it was gross trivia) We all learn something new when I give these books. And Lonely Planet has a lineup of brilliant activity books for travel and for road trips. So obviously these go with me on our trips still and some go straight to my brother’s children. They love these gifts and often travel too. Holiday Toys to Excite Any Child These holiday toys are all wonderful picks for girls or boys. From HEXBUG toys that promote STEM to classics like UNO, you’ll find something for every child on your holiday list here. Some of these make a great gift for the tree and some, like UNO would be perfect for a stocking. So if you’re still doing your Christmas shopping (and most of us probably are) make sure to add some of these to your list. This year I have all your friends and family covered too. Because Christmas is more than toys. The 2018 Guide Also Includes Coffee Lovers, BBQ Gifts, Tweens and Teens. So Get Shopping! Don’t miss The Coffee Lover’s Ultimate Gift Guide this year too. This 103 BEST BBQ GIFTS for Grill Masters guide has everything you could possibly need or want for Dad, or Mom or anyone who LOVES to Barbecue. Ugly Christmas Sweater Guide is just fun. GIFTS FOR TWEENS are super hot this year. People seem to be enjoying this post and pinning it a lot this week. and of course Unicorn Gifts for all ages. My gift guide is sponsored and I received product in exchange for consideration here. My opinion is all my own. Post may also contain affiliate links as a service to readers. I receive a small commission from qualifying purchases made.

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20 + Great Gifts for Women

Paula — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 11:58:22 +0000

Stuck on what to get your wife, girlfriend or best friend? Sometimes it’s hard to know what exactly fits the bill so to speak. So I thought I’d break it down for you here according to price limit with a few ideas of unique gifts that make sense for a wide range of budgets. Gifts for Women can be tricky, but if you pay attention they will often provide you with clues leading up to the holidays or special occasions. Once I actually left a list of suggestions. I got tired of waiting for my husband to read my mind, so a subtle list was stuck to the fridge or left on a counter. Whatever works, right? If she left you a list, trust me you better get on it. But if she’s a little more subtle than I was that year then here’s your list. From me to you. Pick something here and you will be golden. For a friend or caregiver, or Secret Santa gift when someone is on a budget this first batch of ideas is perfect. As a rule of thumb it might be wise to double check allergies and things like that though. If you don’t know whether scent is an issue find out. Some people genuinely have health issues that make scented products a problematic gift. Under $15 Burt’s Bees Tips and Toes Set Merlot Soap Jewelry That Inspires Her Rose Gold Charging Stand DKNY Stories Parfum Travel Size Spa Lovers and Green Thumbs Unite! Green thumb? Spa gifts? I’d happily take any of these items. Under $25 Paperwhite Winter Bulb Kit Archway Style Glass Terrarium Pedicure Foot Spa with Heat Basil Mason Jar Growing Kit Becoming by Michelle Obama – Book. Have a bit more to spend on someone special? These Gifts Under $50 for the women in your life are FAB. Kate Spade anything is pretty much a brilliant option when it comes to gifts for women. Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager Bamboo Bathtub Caddy and Tray Smart Water Bottle Kate Spade Garden Drive Jewelry Box Homesick Candles in Road Trip Scent Wine Saving Carafe For The Splurge! Gifts for Women Under $100 Gold Flatware Set – for six Gorgeous 4 piece – Prettiest coasters you’ve ever seen and definitely a conversation piece. Agate Coaster Set Bamboo Cheese Board with Cutlery Lower priced Bamboo Cheese Board with cutlery Coach Havana Sunglasses Espresso and Cappuccino Machine Over $200 But Well Worth It Amazon Kindle E-Reader Give Her Something Special That She Wants The most important thing is always the thought given to a gift. So, if you know she loves books then this e-Reader might be the gift that knocks her socks off. Frankly, there’s not much that I use more than my Kindle and Kobo e-readers. I am a huge fan. This post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. I receive a small commission via qualifying links.

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