A monthly online magazine chock-full of insightful articles for busy mothers.

by Laura Cecil

Do something a bit different this year on one of your Christmas shopping trips. Take your children with you. I know it sounds crazy, with all of the things you have to think about when Christmas shopping, but think of the fun that the children will have. I’m not suggesting that you take them out when you are buying toys for them, but surely they can accompany you while you’re buying presents for Aunt Martha or your friends at the office.

Just to be Well Prepared

The secret to an enjoyable Christmas shopping trip with the kids is preparation. Make sure that they are comfortably dressed and properly rested before you begin. You needn’t make too many specific plans for keeping them busy, because the merchants will have taken good care of providing interesting exhibits to get you and the children into their stores. And then, of course, there is the ever present Santa Claus.

Take Advantage of Children’s Interest

In my experience, the children are visually and emotionally overwhelmed by the Christmas decorations and the music when you first enter the mall or the various department stores. I’d suggest that you take advantage of this initial interest to entertain them while you make your purchases for Aunt Martha and your other friends. The children’s interest will be short lived, so finish the bulk of your shopping early in the trip and reserved the remaining time for entertaining them.

Take Them Through the Toy Department

I’ve had great success by taking the children through the toy department. This probably sounds like setting the fox loose in the chicken coop, but it certainly does capture the children’s attention, and it gives you a better idea of the type of gifts that they really would like to have. When children make up their Christmas lists to send to Santa, they usually are so excited by the process that they ask for almost anything that comes into their minds. While you’re visiting the toy department, however, they are reacting to what they see. It’s easy for a watchful parent to determine what toys interest them the most. This can be very helpful to Santa when making the final selection on a subsequent shopping trip.

Make Your Visit Exciting

Don’t try to take in the entire toy department in one visit. Break up the day. Visit the toy department for an hour or so, and find Santa’s village. All the children will want to see Santa, even those that are too young and afraid to sit with him. Don’t, by the way, force any child to sit with Santa. The child will do it on a Christmas when he’s ready. Until then, he’ll enjoy the experience of simply visiting the simulated village.

A Good Meal after Shopping is Best!

After visiting Santa, a quick meal would be a good idea. Both you and the children can eat, relax, and recharge your batteries. Get some protein into them, a treat for dessert, and a goodly supply of liquids. During lunch you can explain to the children that this would be a good time to get a gift for Daddy, or for Grandma and Grandpa. Let them know that it is important that they help to select the gifts. This will make the older children feel important and help them to learn how pleasant the experience of shopping for others can be, especially at Christmas. When you’ve finished shopping for Dad and the grandparents, you can make a final pass through the toy department before heading home.

Always Take Children into Consideration!

When you plan for this Christmas shopping experience, remember how quickly children will tire, depending upon their ages. If you have an infant, naturally you’ll be bringing a stroller. If you have a young toddler as well, you may want to consider using a double stroller, even if you must rent or borrow one. Unlike adults, who sense when they are becoming tired and can return home to rest, children will go until they drop. With a chicco double jogging stroller, you can transport the exhausted toddler without balancing him on you hip. If you plan right, and take your time, I believe that you’ll find that the Christmas shopping trip with the children will be a lasting pleasant memory of your parenting experience.

Laura Cecil, a single mother of three kids and the editor of www.Livesnet.com, a site that reviews the hot baby products and gives parents parenting tips. And her single parenting life has been totally changed since she had built this site with her friends several months ago. She really likes sharing her reviews and her parenting tips with all parents. If you want to know more about chicco double jogging stroller, just visit her site and you will get a lot of information.

by Jennifer Shea – ACME registered dietitian

· There are no “good” or “bad” foods – but finding “better-for-you” options often can be difficult in a sea of choices. Look for products that have low levels of saturated fat, sodium and sugar. You can’t go wrong choosing skim or low fat milk instead of whole milk products. In the baking supply aisle, look for whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour to make bread pudding. Simple choices like this can help you eat healthy during this festive season.

· Did you know the average holiday dinner is more than 2,000 calories? Just because the turkey gets stuffed doesn’t mean you have to! The simplest way to enjoy your feast, without going overboard on calories, is to monitor portion sizes.

Follow these tips for managing your holiday helpings:

Skip the appetizers: Focus on the company and save your appetite for the main course.
Limit alcohol: The more we drink, the more we eat. Alternate between low-calorie beverages and light beer or wine.
Fill HALF your plate with sauce-free, steamed, roasted or baked veggies instead of starchy ones such as potatoes, turnips, corn or peas – enjoy those in smaller amounts.

Fill ¼ with starches: Preferably whole grains. Select a total of 1 cup of cooked starches – rice, pasta, noodles, breads, stuffing and starchy veggies. One cup is approximately the size of a tennis ball.

Fill ¼ with lean protein: Approximately 3 – 6 ounces. A three ounce portion is about the size of a deck of cards. Remove the skin from your serving of turkey and choose ham or other meat with little visible fat.

Put the gravy on the side: Use your fork to dip before each bite of stuffing or turkey instead of pouring the gravy on top.
Eat SLOWLY and SAVOR each bite; You are less likely to overeat if you take your time. It takes at least 10-15 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that you’re full.

Wait a few minutes before going back for seconds: You may find you don’t really want the extra helping. Focus on the company and great conversation, not the food.

· Remember, holidays are a time for fun, family, and friends. Occasional splurges are a part of life, so choose your favorites and enjoy. Just balance your treats with healthy activity and minimize calories where you can. You’ll have a wonderful holiday — and you’ll feel great the next day.

Beat the Budget Blues

· Wondering if you can do it on a budget? Yes! You CAN get your holiday list for less and still put the traditional foods family and friends love on the table. Think of checking off some gifts in the same place – not only will you find unique options at great prices, but you will save gas, time and stress of finding just the right thing. Here are some fun holiday gift basket ideas you can fill right from our aisles:

o Italian Goodies: Line a stainless steel colander with a red checkered napkin. Inside, place a bottle of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, a bottle of Chianti, whole wheat pasta, marinara sauce, a chunk of parmesan, canned olives, canned tuna and garlic.

o Healthy Holiday Salad: Fill a salad bowl with low-fat dressings and flavored vinegars. Add pre-packaged dried cranberries and candied walnuts. Include your favorite salad recipes.

o Fiesta: Line a basket with a festive holiday napkin. Place three or four different salsa jars (use different colored salsas) and include pita or baked chips or a recipe for baked chips.

o Antioxidant Lover: Place a red napkin inside a basket. Fill the basket with a bar of dark chocolate, a bottle of red wine, gourmet dark roast coffee, green tea and dried cranberries.

o Fruit Lovers: Line a basket with a colorful kitchen towel. Arrange oranges, apples, kiwi, grapes, pineapple, pears or dried fruit. Then add a mini loaf of homemade nut bread or muffins and a container of low-fat cream cheese.

o Relaxation: Select a variety of antioxidant-rich teas and wrap in a box or basket with colorful tea cups or mugs and a jar of honey.

· With the holiday budget tight this year, why not use fruits and vegetables to inspire your inner holiday fashionista? We love fruits and vegetables for their myriad health benefits, nutrient density, taste… but they also offer beauty and style. The colors and shapes of cranberries, pumpkins, squash, apples and pears are perfect to decorate our fireplace mantles, dining room tables and doors.

o Delight your family and holiday guests with:

· CRANBERRY CENTERPIECE: Place three 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries in a large shallow clear glass bowl with enough water to fill 3?4 of the bowl. Add four floating candles. Use as a centerpiece on the coffee or dining room table.

· CRANBERRY COCKTAIL: To add a festive touch to your holiday champagne, add a splash of cranberry juice and a few cranberries to each flute.

· APPLE ARRANGEMENT: Gather brilliantly colored fall foliage. Pile different varieties of apples into a clear glass bowl and arrange fall leaves around the apples. Add cinnamon sticks for a wonderful fall aroma.

· CIRCLET CENTERPIECE: Place a small wreath atop a clear glass plate. Place two or three white pillar candles of differing sizes in the center of the wreath. Scatter pinecones and cranberries in the center of and outside the wreath.

· HOLIDAY PINECONES: Lightly spray-paint six pine cones in cheery cranberry and 6 in shimmery silver. Display in a clear glass bowl.

http://allrecipes.albertsons.com/?brandID=acme

by Sarah Gadey

Articles Source: How To Save Money This Christmas

If you are wondering what to get your son or grandson this Christmas, take some advice from the Toy Retailers Association. They should know a good toy when they see one and so here is a bit more information about three of their top choices.

Paper Jamz Guitars

A guitar made of paper. A guitar with no strings. This all sounds very odd but in fact Paper Jamz guitars are innovative, fun and easy to play but above all, affordable costing around $25. If your child wants to try out the whole rock star get up, these guitars are going to be ideal. You just strum your fingers across the images of strings on the face of the guitar to play. There are various modes built into this toy meaning that really young children can join in by using Perfect Play mode which effectively just plays one of three included tracks for them. Slightly older children can take a bit more control with Rhythm Play and then for any budding musicians, Freestyle Play allows them to play Paper Jamz like a real guitar. There are six designs of guitar to choose from and to make a complete band, the Paper Jamz range also includes drums and amps.

Ben 10 Ultimatrix

Ben 10 toys seem to crop into these top Christmas toys lists year after year. The brand is huge and does not seem to be fading in popularity at all. Indeed with the recent release of Ben 10 Ultimate Alien toys to accompany the third cartoon series, the brand is hotter than ever. One of the key toys in the Ben 10 range is the Omnitrix watch which allows Ben to turn into his alien alter egos. The Ultimatrix is the newest version but watch out because there are two different models. The one recommended here is the Disc Alien Ultimatrix, rather than the Vuescope. Using small see through discs that pop up from the watch face to replicate the holographic image that Ben sees on the cartoon, children can have hours of fun acting out their alien hero fantasies.

Lego Hero Factory

No Christmas would be complete without at least one Legos toy. As parents you know you are getting a good quality product for your kids to have hours of fun with. Lego Hero Factory is a recent invention from the company and is taking over where Bionicles left off. This series of buildable action heroes, villains and vehicles is sure to inspire any kids imagination. With 15 kits to choose from ranging in size from 17 piece sets to 390 piece sets, there is sure to be something suitable for your child. The heroes all come with weapons to use to defeat the baddies who are larger and come with interesting features such as a helicopter jet pack.

It is always hard knowing what to get your child, while wanting to buy quality toys that they will enjoy for longer than Christmas day. Stick to one of these recommendations and you won’t go far wrong.

About The Author
This article was written exclusively for A Moms Love by Chloe Wilson whose boys toys website offers a more in depth Paper Jamz review as well as full details on all of the boys top toys for Christmas 2010.