Dec
29
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
The Christmas madness is over and my husband and I could not be happier. The kids got a lot of what they wanted and we managed to visit the whole family.
Every year we insist “next year we are not going to travel this much” and then, of course, we do just as much traveling as the year before.
We had hoped that moving to Cleveland would eliminate a large part of the traveling because my whole family is here. My husband’s family is in Pittsburgh, but they... Read more
Dec
23
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
Merry Christmas everyone! For once, I’m finished with Christmas preparations a little early this year. The decision to cut costs included not mailing Christmas cards which shortened my to-do list as well so maybe that’s why.
I can’t help but be a little introspective this year when so much is uncertain economically. I found myself looking back to last year’s Christmas season and it helped to reaffirm an important lesson I’m trying to teach my kids. The focus of Christmas for kids should not be the presents. That’s an incredibly hard thing to... Read more
Dec
18
Posted by
besttech
Tis the season to be jolly? I think not. If you’re a parent, you probably agree.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the holidays and I love the joy that they bring to those around me. But the sacrifices made and the amount of work needed to be put in to bring about that joy can sometimes leave me feeling like the grinchiest of Scrooges.
First, there’s the planning, running all over town, putting in layaways and bank account-draining days of shopping that have to be put in from the day after Thanksgiving until … who am I kidding, the shopping for Christmas items is a year-long adventure in the Bennett household.
Next, is the wrapping of the gifts. This year my wife...
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Dec
10
Posted by
besttech
By MEGAN K. SCOTT Associated Press Writer
Children may wake up to fewer presents under the tree this year. And some of their much coveted items may be missing.
Here’s how to prepare them for a more economical Christmas:
BE HONEST
Have an age-appropriate conversation with your children about your financial situation, says Bonnie Harris, author of “Confident Parents, Remarkable Kids: 8 Principles for Raising Kids You’ll Love to Live With.”
Teens can certainly understand financial difficulties and learn a valuable lesson, she says. Explain that until finances are more stable, spending on items that aren’t...
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Dec
09
Posted by
besttech
By Kimberly DC METRO MOMS BLOG
Dear Family & Friends,
I am writing to you today because I’d like to cancel Christmas this year. The economy is in the toilet and none of us has any money to spare. The thought of exchanging gifts is giving me heartburn and insomnia.
The Christmas spirit, the one we knew as kids, is long gone. It’s been exploited and pimped since mid-October each year so it’s no wonder that the magic is lost. I feel the worst for our children; they’ve been robbed.
Somehow our economy has gotten wrapped up so tight in the success of monetizing holidays that everything from Easter to...
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Dec
08
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
December is a busy month at our house.
In addition to the usual Christmas frenzy, our oldest child, Ryan, has a birthday at the beginning of the month. There are seven family birthdays between Thanksgiving and early January, and one wedding anniversary.
Add in friends’ birthdays and various parties and that’s a lot of shopping and a lot of money going out the door.
Budgeting helps, but we all know that as soon as we get any kind of savings built up something will come along to devour it, be it the dishwasher breaking, car trouble or unexpected medical bills.
Still, it’s hard not to get caught up in the commercialism of it all.
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Nov
13
Posted by
Julie Wallace
So we’re heading into the Christmas season, and for the first time in awhile, I don’t have a clue as to what to buy my 5-year-old daughter.
That’s she’s overindulged is an understatement. She’s the only grandchild on one side, the only niece to my brother and our only child. Put all those together, and guess what? She doesn’t lack for much.
And while she’s rapidly growing out of all of her clothes — after we replaced darn near everything to start school after a ridiculously fast growth spurt — buying her all clothing probably won’t make for a happy holiday.
This is, after all, the girl who told Santa last year: “I’d like diamond earrings.” For real.
I turned away because I started...
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Oct
02
Posted by
besttech
By Aisha Sultan St. Louis Post-Dispatch
My daughter and I will make our theatrical debut at her school this month. We will be performing “Hania’s first day of Ramadan,” a story about a young girl’s first attempt to fast during the holiest month of the year for Muslims.
I’m writing the script, cobbling together makeshift scenes and a few simple costumes. And while it won’t come close to comparing with our school’s Christmas extravaganza (my daughter was an adorable reindeer last year), it’s a chance for my kids to share their religious celebration with their classmates.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to compete with Santa.
But the...
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