As part of the Dora Christmas Carol contest on Twittermoms, I am posting 5 FREE holiday activities you can do with your kids! So pull up a chair, grab some hot chocolate, and get into the holiday spirit!
Bake Cookies. Who doesn’t love holiday cookies? And what kid doesn’t love to help make them? This is one of my kids’ favorite activities during the holidays. They get to sit on the counter, stir the dough, and plop them onto the baking sheet. We listen to holiday music while we do it and then we get to eat some!
Decorate the House. We traditionally do this on Black Friday instead of taking on the crowds of shopping. We do the outside, then move to the inside. We get everything done that day while taking pictures and acting silly. Of course, what holiday tradition would be complete without the holiday music in the background?
Neighborhood Light Tour. We love to drive around the neighborhood and look at all of the different decorations. We even drive to other neighborhoods if we have time. And, what else? That’s right…holiday music playing in the car!
Singing Holiday Music. You might have guessed that we are a family that really enjoys music. We love to sing along to the holiday music station or even by ourselves. This really gets us into the holiday spirit and we even get a little silly!
Watching Holiday Movies. This tradition was brought into the family by my husband, who grew up with this. I never did this, but enjoy it more each year. There are a few we watch every year, such as Home Alone, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We pop a bowl of popcorn, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy a free evening of holiday bliss!
With this in mind, I have compiled a list of ways to save time and money during this holiday season:
Create A Realistic Budget and Stick To It. This is a must! Determine how much you can afford for each person and stick to that amount. Doing this before shopping will make you think twice about impulsive gifts and goodies.
Make A List. Make a list of what you plan to purchase. Putting it in writing really puts it into perspective. Make sure the most important items are at the top of the list. This way it’s easy to discard items if you are in danger of going over your budget.
Comparison Shop Online. Save time and gas money by doing a little comparison shopping online. A lot of retailers offer similar pricing in-store and online. This way, you save yourself the hassle of driving from store to store to get the best prices.
Make A Plan. After you figure out the prices of what you want to purchase, plan out the what, when, and where. Do you have to drop any items from the list? Which stores/online retailers are offering the best prices on the “keeper” list? Will there be a better discount or coupon available on another day/week? This will not only save you time and money, but will also save your sanity!
Do Your Shopping Online. Save even more time and money by shopping online. There are tons of ways to save extra money by shopping online versus brick and mortar stores. For example, online coupon codes and free shipping offers are everywhere during the holidays. Most of the time, there are more coupons and discounts available online than in-store.
Office Depot is also participating in Cyber Monday deals! Shop now to get laptops from $299.99, digital picture frames from $29.99, and all-in-one printers from $49.99! In addition, get FREE shipping on all orders TODAY ONLY! And if you spend $100, you can use code 14469893 to get $20 off your order! This coupon can also be printed here.
And don’t forget to shop through Ebates to get an additional 2% cash back! If you’re a new Ebates shopper, you will get another $5 back!
Twittermoms 
