Search Results for: blog why black friday shopping and kids dont mix

Go Green to Avoid Seeing Red

Are you seeing red after calculating the amount of money you’ve shelled out this holiday season? Christmas is still a week away and some parents are already dealing with a mountain of debt accrued since Black Friday. As devoted moms and dads we feel obligated to make all of our children’s holiday wishes come true:  Big tree featuring gorgeous ornaments, life-sized animated decorations, elaborately wrapped gifts and miles of twinkling lights that would blind a buzzard. Unfortunately, all that holiday bling can put a real dent in your household budget.  One way to reduce the sting of big bills racked … Continue reading →

Finding the True Meaning of Christmas

My 8-year-old has a severe case of the Christmas gimmies.  Unfortunately, I have myself to blame for her very unmerry malady. Whereas I am by no means showering the kid with pre-holiday presents, I haven’t been doing a very good job focusing on the “reason for the season” either. I’ve been swept into the chaotic tsunami that is the month of December.  Gifts to buy, wrap and mail; cookies to bake, decorate and distribute; cards to take photos for, write and stamp; and the list goes on and on. As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the … Continue reading →

Turn Tree Trimming Into a Learning Experience

Do you have your Christmas tree up? I know there are many people who set-up their trees on Black Friday, but I just can’t motivate myself to decorate a tree when I am still stuffing myself with Thanksgiving leftovers. A string of Christmas lights in one hand, a fork filled with pumpkin pie in the other.  I stink at being ambidextrous. That and I don’t think I would be able to keep a tree alive until Christmas if I were to put it up on November 23rd. Still, tree trimming is an exciting undertaking in our family.  My 8-year-old delights … Continue reading →

High-Tech Holidays

Christmas has come early for tech-savvy parents the world over: Pinterest has invented secret boards where you can feature all the goodies you want Santa to place big red bows on and stick under the tree this holiday season. Technically, the site limits you to three boards worth of gift ideas, but that’s plenty of room to showcase your must-have holiday wishes. If Santa is part sugar daddy, then Springpad may be better suited for your ever-growing gift list. The high-tech digital assistant allows you to organize your list, in addition to those created by your kids, parents, siblings, colleagues … Continue reading →

Black Friday Moves to Labor Day

And next year it’s moving to April Fools’ Day. No joke. Well, maybe. But, very few parents are laughing. News that several major retailers are planning to move the start of the Christmas shopping season to Thanksgiving evening rather than wait until Friday morning is no laughing matter for millions of parents who are employed by the likes of Sears, Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart. Those working moms and dads were the same ones who initiated a public outcry last year when their employers opened at midnight on Thanksgiving. You know, the holiday that is traditionally set aside for families to … Continue reading →

Holiday Shopping: Is Layaway Right for Parents?

Parents comprise the bulk of holiday shoppers. No surprise there. I don’t know many moms or dads who look forward to disappointing their flesh and blood on Christmas morning. On the contrary, the majority of parents–regardless of their socioeconomic status–are willing to do just about anything to ensure their children enjoy a very merry holiday. Despite the fact that millions of Americans are out of work and the economy is still in the dumpster, retailers are still pushing their wares–mostly to pint-sized customers. So what’s a cash-strapped parent to do when her kid’s wish list is taller than the actual … Continue reading →

Are You Ready for the Holiday Hysteria?

“Turducken,” “Festivus,” and now, “OctoNovemCember”. Let the holiday cra-zy begin. Oh, wait, it already has. In fact, seeing Target’s new Christmas commercial last night is nothing compared to seeing Santa stockings hanging next to Halloween candy in Wal-Mart on the day after the 4th of July. Okay, maybe it was July 9th. Regardless, mega-popular couponing website, RetailMeNot.com has come up with a new term for the holiday-inspired retail frenzy which seems to start earlier and earlier each year. The new trademarked catchphrase: “OctoNovemCember.” Get it? To help those who aren’t quite there yet, the company has created a matching mascot … Continue reading →

The Dreaded Super Market Run

Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. That’s how you survive grocery shopping with five kids under the age of seven. Trust me; I am living proof that chocolate and a very short list will keep you from filling out paperwork for the local loony bin. As if wrangling a cart full of kids is not bad enough when you are trying to gather ingredients for dinner, add in long lines, rude store employees and high food prices, and you have the recipe for disaster. Or at least a solid promise that you will never again attempt to grocery shop with your offspring. … Continue reading →

Stress-Free Black Friday with the Kids

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again… and again: I don’t know what kind of parent takes young children shopping in the wee hours of Black Friday. Clearly, we can deduce that the parent is frugal, as he or she is willing to do whatever it takes to score a sizeable discount on Black Friday merchandise. In addition, it is probably safe to say that said parent is a law-abiding citizen, especially if the only other option she has is to leave her baby home alone or locked in an unattended car. Both could lead to an … Continue reading →

Moms and Black Friday Madness

A mom in Wisconsin showed her dark side on Black Friday Eve and got arrested for it. The incident took place not far from where I live and just goes to prove that insanity festers when you combine cold temperatures, red-hot Black Friday deals and warm-blooded parents, who want to make their kid’s Christmas, extra special. According to reports, 21-year-old mom Lanessa Lattimore, really, really, really wanted to surprise her toddler daughter with the toy she’s been begging for, so she headed to a Toys R Us store in Madison on Thursday night. The store opened at 10 p.m. Thursday … Continue reading →