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Minimize wait times
To minimize wait time during birthdays and Christmas, we open the toys before and remove all the twist ties and fasteners. When the girls open the presents, they’re ready to be played with ““ no waiting!
- Karen L.

Send holiday greetings
One of the best tips for staying in the holiday spirit is to send Christmas cards…the real ones, with stamps, family letters and kids pictures. If you don’t send them, you won’t get them! Going to the mailbox with the kids gives us a little Christmas spirit each day. It reminds us that the season is not about materialism, but about connecting with friends and family. Participating (and usually organizing) the Christmas Pageant at our church, performance early December, also reminds us the true meaning of Christmas. It also helps us to connect with the friends and family that we frequently see and do not send Christmas cards too!
-Liz Moruzi

Make-ahead brunch
In my family we open our gifts on Christmas morning and this can take a while leaving us all starving by the time we are done. A few years ago I found a solution to this problem. It was a recipe for a breakfast casserole. I can make it the night before, I put it in the oven when everyone wakes up and it’s ready to eat by the time the last present is opened. A bonus, there’s little clean up to follow!
-Donna Hatten

A mall alternative
Instead of fighting the crowds at the mall and waiting in lines for hours I now do most of my holiday shopping online. It does require a bit of advanced planning in order to make sure everything arrives on time for the holidays, but once you get your shopping done early then you can just relax and enjoy the holidays. Ahhh.
-Anonymous

Charitable giving
Stumped for a gift idea? I love to give gifts from the World Vision catalogue for Christmas. You can do your shopping online, there are gifts for all price points and you know that you are really giving a gift twice. Last year I donated chickens to a village in Africa on behalf of my two of my best friends. They loved the idea and now they shop from the World Vision catalogue.
-Sarah Rogers, CF online editor