holidays Archives - 3 Kids and Us

Christmas on a Budget – Here’s What You Can Do to Save Money

July 6, 2018 by admin

Christmas is the most expensive time of year. The average family spends around $950 on Christmas, which is a significant chunk of money if you don’t have a lot of spare cash. The good news is that you can do Christmas on a budget. Here’s how!

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Start Saving Early

Start saving as early as possible. If you can afford to, put a little bit of money aside each month to pay for any big-ticket Christmas purchases. Kids these days are usually desperate for expensive electronic gadgets at Christmas, which can be a huge drain on a family budget. You could buy these items on a credit card, but that will cost you more in interest and going into the New Year with a debt burden is not advisable.

Some stores do savings schemes for their customers. You can put aside a small amount each month and when Christmas arrives, you have your nest egg to spend. It is especially useful for grocery shopping, as buying extra food and alcohol at Christmas is expensive.

Save Money on Decorations

Christmas decorations need not cost the earth. While real Christmas trees are lovely and smell divine, they can be pricey, and you are then stuck with a dead or dying tree in January. One way to circumvent this issue is with an artificial tree. Artificial Christmas trees often look just as nice as a real tree, but their biggest advantage is that they can be reused year after year. So aside from your initial investment, it won’t cost you anything extra. Look for a tree that fits your budget. Balsam Hill Christmas trees are a popular brand that offers great value for money.

Don’t spend money you can’t afford on expensive baubles and garlands. Make your own! Kids love to be creative at Christmas. Let them play with paper and glitter. They will probably bring home some pretty decorations from school. Use this as a starting point and then look online for more ideas. It’s amazing what you can do when you have some paper, glitter, and imagination.

Create festive garlands using holly, ivy, and greenery from your garden. String evergreen garlands together using florist wire and hang them over your fireplace and above pictures. A little bit of greenery will transform your home into a festive grotto.

Start Buying Early

Don’t leave it until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping. Prices inevitably go up nearer the holidays, so you will end up paying more than you need to. Have a list and keep an eye out for bargains in the months prior to Christmas. If you have young children, pick up small toys in the sales and watch out for second-hand jigsaws and books in thrift stores.

Do the same with your grocery shopping. Many food items can be frozen in advance, so if you see a great BOGOF deal, freeze the extra so you can use it over the holidays.

Don’t panic about Christmas. Have a budget and stick to it. That way, you won’t be caught out.

Spending Christmas in Exeter

December 29, 2017 by admin

Christmas is right around the corner, and this year it might be time to visit a criminally underrated and under-visited place in the UK. Full of charm and personality, Exeter is primarily known as a cathedral city in the south west, but it’s also so much more.

Exeter has many attractions, and because of the city’s modest size, they’re all in a moderate walk distance away. Make sure to check out the best Christmas party venues Exeter has to offer, because you’re guaranteed to have a splendid time.

The Exeter Cathedral

Known as one of the oldest and exquisite cathedrals in all of England, it’s located in the centre of the city, and it’s stood there for almost one thousand years. The original Norman Cathedral was replaced in the 13^th and 14^th century, but the looming towers still remain from the original structure, while the rest of the gothic cathedral has remained mostly unchanged.

The Cathedral is the crown jewel of Devon County, and it’s the seat of the Bishop and the Mother Church of Diocese. It’s a remarkable feat of engineering, design, and craftsmanship, and is a history lesson all on its own. It’s served as a pilgrimage spot for centuries, and remains one of the most visited places in the West Country.

Do some Christmas shopping

As it is always the case with Christmas, you might want to do some shopping that goes along with the season. Well, if that’s the case, then Exeter has you covered. There are plenty of shopping venues to choose from, and they often organise dedicated Christmas shopping weekend, and sometimes even full weeks depending on the year. Places like the Fayre and the Christmas Markets offer some fantastic Christmas shopping that can rarely be matched anywhere else.

Visit a Christmas Event

Every year there are several Christmas events to choose from, and almost all the time they also act as charity fundraisers for various charities and causes. You can attend the many parties that are being thrown all across the city, or if you’re a fan of wrestling, then you see the Christmas wrestling show, or even visit one of the many lively rave parties that regularly happen on and around Christmas. Whatever you choose, you’re bound to have tonnes of fun.

But that’s not all about Exeter, in fact, the city offers plenty of other low-key activities due to its ripe culture and history. It has an amazing library for those that prefer something more academic in nature, but also unique and interesting museums like the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. If you’re a family with kids, then you might want to check out the Crealy Great Adventure Park and its rides – it’s fun for all groups and ages.

But best of all, spending Christmas in Exeter is almost always a trip that’s definitely never going to be forgotten. It’s a place filled with love and warmth that you’ll want to visit over and over again.

Seven Things to Consider Before Sending Your Christmas Cards

December 29, 2017 by admin

One of the things so many love about the Christmas season is sending and receiving cards. Yes, it is quite easy to text a message, or to e-mail a warm greeting. However, to take that extra effort to put a pretty card into the post is a way to show you care about the people in your life.

Beautiful Christmas cards make people smile with joy when they open them. Here are seven tips on how to make this year’s Christmas cards fun and festive:

Make a list of the people you want to send cards to

This is the first thing you should do. Before you order your cards, count how many people you want to send them to. Be generous with yourself and always add an additional 5 to 10% to that number. During the holidays, you may reconnect with old friends, former co-workers, and people you know. Also, you may want to send them a warm Christmas greeting. By having a few extra cards, it becomes easy for you to accommodate additional people.

Double check mailing addresses

Don’t neglect to take out time to do this. Sometimes, people move, or postal codes get changed. Perhaps you have a friend who has changed jobs frequently and has lived in several different cities or countries with each job. You may want to call them to double check their address before putting the card in the mail. There is nothing more disappointing than receiving a Christmas card, which you mailed, returned to you because it could not reach the recipient.

Get extra postage in advance

Getting extra postage in advance, especially when you are sending out a large mailing such as your Christmas cards, is simply the smart thing to do. Having extra postage on hand will let you breathe a sigh of relief. You won’t have to wait forever at the post office to pick up more stamps. Also, you will not run out of stamps for a few extra cards you might want to send.

Take steps to make your envelopes festive for the season

Now, this is something that baffles many people. They think that they need to be super crafty or creative. What you really need to be is – organised! Start by looking at the colour scheme of your envelopes and the cards. Let’s say, the envelopes are green, and the cards inside have green, red, and silver in them. Then, all the three colours will look perfect to decorate your envelopes. If you have pretty penmanship, consider getting a fancy silver marker to address all of the envelopes with a metallic touch. Or look for stickers that match your Christmas cards, such as snowflake stickers for cards that feature a snowy scene.

Don’t get stressed if you have a big Christmas card list

When you have 50 or more cards to send out, sometimes this seems a bit overwhelming. Because most of us have family obligations, work, and other things to take care of, we recommend that you set the goal of working on your holiday cards for 1 hour each night for several nights. With 50 cards, you will probably complete the list in about 3 days if you are well organised.

Practice the short greeting you’ll write inside your cards

This is a true time saver! Sit down with a notebook and think of a simple, short friendly greeting you can write to friends. Another one would be to write to people with whom you have worked with. You may need another greeting if you are giving Christmas cards to people who have provided services for you such as a doorman, hair stylist, or a dog walker. Creating these greetings and then writing them out means you are not creating individual greetings off the top of your head for everyone.

Always remember that writing holiday cards is a treat to be enjoyed. Put on some of your favourite Christmas music, pour a glass of wine, or have a mug of cocoa, and watch a Christmas movie while you write out your cards. The rest of the year, we write other things to put in the mail. So, this is the special time of year when we send Christmas cards; don’t miss a moment of it.

New Ideas For The Coming Christmas Gift Exchanging

November 19, 2016 by admin

Exchanging presents at Christmas is one of the most exciting parts of the entire holiday. Choosing the right gift will allow friends and relatives to know how special they really are. Instead of choosing the same type of gifts year after year, why not think outside the box? There are dozens of exciting present ideas which will make next Christmas the most memorable one yet.

Read this helpful guide in order to learn more.

Buy A Christmas Hamper

A Christmas hamper is a very dynamic gift because there will be something for the whole family to enjoy. Choose a company which offers a wide range of different treats to include in the hampers for Christmas. Select some delicious food such as pies, chutneys and dried fruits that everyone will be able to eat. Include some tasty sweets and chocolate for the children to enjoy as a treat after their main meal of turkey or goose.

In addition, stock the Christmas hamper with some delicious “grown up” drinks for Mum and Dad to enjoy when they have a quiet moment together.

A hamper will let relatives enjoy delicious food and drink for weeks to come. The hamper basket can then be put to other uses when all the food and drink has been finished. Choose Christmas gift baskets provided by The Basket People.

Buy Male Grooming Kits

In the 21^st century, it is becoming more and more popular for men to take care of their appearance. In order to help the men in the family look as good as possible, why not buy several grooming kits? These kits can be customised in order to suit the tastes of different people. Include hair gel, deodorant, beard trimmers and clippers so that people will be able to look completely fresh at all times.

Create Customised Picture Frames

Pictures capture special moments throughout everyone’s lives. That is why it will make someone’s Christmas if they receive customised picture frames which capture a montage of memorable moments. Have a message written on the picture frame, or on the back.

Buy Different Perfumes And Aftershave

Everyone wants to smell good, and what better way to do this than to wear some luxury perfume or aftershave? People who are buying should compare several different fragrances before making a final decision on what to buy.

Buy Playsets For Young Children

Children love to play with electronic gadgets, but this can cause them to strain their eyesight and become listless. Instead of buying electronic equipment, why not buy some exciting playsets instead? This could be anything from a play cooker to a doctors-and-nurses set. Children will be able to have some active fun whilst learning at the same time.

Buy Cruise Tickets For Elderly Relatives

A relaxing cruise in the Caribbean will be the perfect present for elderly relatives. This trip will allow them to unwind completely whilst checking in at exciting port cities along the way.

Use this guide to buying exciting presents for Christmas that the whole family will treasure.