•  Holiday Family Fun with a Frugal Flair-  The holidays are a special time of year.  Yet it is easy to lose the true meaning of Christmas in the hussle bussle of decorating, baking, wrapping gifts, attending programs and parties.  We have gathered our favorite family fun activities, frugal living tips, decorating and craft ideas to help you make special family memories this holiday season. 

• Start a tradition of giving each child a new Christmas tree ornament every year.  Purchase a keepsake box to store each child's ornaments individually.  Plan to give the child their ornament box the first Christmas after getting married or when they move into their first home.

• Try regifting!  This is a great way of keeping your Christmas budget in check and simplifying your life by giving away something that you do not use but may be a treasure to someone else.  If you exchange gifts with a group of friends or have a women's Christmas party at church try making it a white elephant gift exchange.  No new store bought items allowed!  Elaine St. James has a section on giving away things you do not want or need in her book SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE: 100 WAYS TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER.

• Download this FREE Christmas Gift List template in adobe format.

• Gather the family together on Christmas Eve and read the Christmas story from the Bible.  This sets the mood for the evening.  Everyone will slow down and appreciate the gifts given and received when the focus is on each other.

• Let your children participate.  Some of the ways that kids can help are with gift making or purchasing, making and wrapping gifts, and signing holiday cards. 

•  Wrap gifts in fabric.  This is a way to use up those leftover pieces of fabric.  If it is a larger gift the fabric can later be used to make napkins or to use as quilting pieces.

•  Purchase Christmas cards and support a charity at the same time.

• Plan a night to have dinner by Christmas tree light.  Make it a formal setting.  Use your Christmas dishes or best china and add a few candles to set the mood.  Use cloth napkins.  Have Christmas music playing in the background.  This is the perfect time to work on manners with your children.   

• Create gift baskets and jar mixes such as hot chocolate or cookie dough.  Get the kids involved.  They will love pouring the mixes into the jars, adding ribbon, and helping design homemade gift tags.  See Essential Family Living Favorite Jar Mixes.

• Take a family picture with a digital camera.  Photos are an important way to preserve your family history in print; however, professional pictures can put a dent in Christmas budget.  Friends and family enjoy receiving a Christmas card with an updated picture of the kids.  There are photo websites such as Colorful Images, Exposures, Kodak Gallery and Shutterfly that allow you to upload digital photos and choose holiday cards.  These sites are inexpensive and easy to use.  Be aware that you will need to plan ahead as it may take a week or two to receive the cards in the mail if not using an express delivery service.

1. Create a budget and stick to it.  Don't forget to include budgeting expenditures for holiday cards, stamps, decorations, gift wrap, holiday meals, and travel expenses.
2. Have a plan for who, what, and where you will be making your holiday purchases. 
3. Be creative with homemade gifts, charitable giving, and other items such as using free e-cards for sending holiday greetings.
4. Start a Christmas savings account now for next year's holiday budget needs.  Add to it each month and draw a little interest on the savings.
5. Start shopping online now.  Free shipping is often available in October and early November.  If you wait until close to the holidays you will pay a premium for shipping.
6. Shop the sales the week after Christmas.  You may find some great deals on gifts for next year or upcoming birthdays.

Safety Tips for Holiday Decorating

1. Use lights and other electrical decorations certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another recognized testing agency.

2. Avoid old light sets that lack fuses.
3. Check lights for socket damage, frayed or scorched wires, loose connections or damaged plugs.
4. On a fresh-cut Christmas tree, the cut can seal over in 15 minutes.  Just before setting up the tree, make a new cut about an inch from the bottom.
5. Keep Christmas trees and other decorations away from candles, fireplaces, heat vents, and direct sunlight.  Water frequently and use non-flammable decorations.
6. Unplug cords when you string lights and don't overload electrical outlets.  Too many plugs in one outlet may start a fire.
7. If other lights in the house dim when the tree is lighted, disconnect other items on the same circuit while the tree lights are on.  If a fuse blows, it may mean the circuit is overloaded.
8. Avoid using extension cords, but if you must, use the shortest cord possible that is labeled for heavy-duty use.
9. Do not string extension cords together and use no more than three light sets per cord.
10. Do not place cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.
11. When decorating outdoors, use only cords labeled for outdoor use and keep ladders away from overhead power lines.
12. Use insulated staples to hold wires in place.  To secure lights around the eaves, use drive rings, available at hardware stores.
13. Turn off lights and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.  Lights could short-circuit and cause a fire.  Automatic timers are available for indoor and outdoor use.