This season brings with it many wonderful sights, sounds, and smells as we prepare for and enjoy holidays with our friends and loved ones. Today I’m going to share with you just a few things that may enhance and brighten your days. So grab a mug of some warm spiced cider and join me as I tell you more.
Memory Making, Crafting, Decorating and More
Want to make a Thankful Tree? Preparing to “deck the halls” but ready for a new look or inspiration? Getting ready to make a few do-it-yourself gifts for your special friends or family? Pinterest is a great resource! Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can collect or “pin” pictures-links to favorite web sites, blog posts, etc. With their nifty search feature, you can find specific ideas that may fit your interests. After you sign up for Pinterest, you’ll have thousands of memory-making, crafty, decorating, you-name-it holiday ideas at your disposal. Download the Pinterest app to your smartphone for easy access to your pins.
Recipes
Ready to try out a few new Christmas cookie recipes? Finding good recipes doesn’t require much more than being able to do a Google search. I look for recipes that have been rated by users to be 4 out of 5 stars or more. My favorites include Allrecipes and The Pioneer Woman, but there are many good ones out there. There are some recipe apps you can download to your other devices as well, including an Allrecipes app. Pinterest is also a great resource for recipes.
Music
Want to listen to old Christmas classics like Bing Crosby or perhaps a newer favorite such as Michael Bublé? Head on over to Pandora where you can create your own radio station to suit your holiday preferences. If you want free listening, it comes with a few ads. They offer a ad-free version for a price. Download the Pandora app to your smartphone if that’s your sort of thing too.
Shopping
Perhaps you’re like me and you don’t necessarily appreciate the big trip to lots of stores, the hours of shopping, the waiting in line, and the cold. I’ve discovered something in the last two years that I have loved: online shopping. True, it’s not really that new, but I’ve only recently transitioned to doing more of my Christmas shopping that way. I love that my “big city mall-type” shopping is minimal these days.
Amazon
My favorite way to shop online is through Amazon. Amazon has so many options - toys, household items, books, movies--almost anything you could buy at a store you can find on Amazon. Some of our extended family uses the “Wish List” feature, which really simplifies things at times. There is also an Amazon extension that lets you add items from other websites to your Amazon Wish List. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can “invite” family to join in the Prime program and they can get the same free, 2-day shipping option. Additionally, Prime members have access to some free videos and TV shows--so you might even be able to watch your favorite holiday classic as you wrap the gifts you have ordered. Speaking of wrapping, you can have Amazon wrap your gifts for you, kind of handy if want a gift delivered to someone far away. And of course, they have an app for your use as well.
Apps
If you do head to the stores for your shopping, you may want to see if your favorite stores have an app that you can download to your smartphone, they may offer coupons through their apps.
If Black Friday shopping is your thing, you may enjoy the following apps:
And as much as I want to present you with technology-related options, this is also a great time to visit your local businesses. They have a lot to offer and you may be pleasantly surprised with your finds. Economy-wise, it’s always a great choice to shop local.
Joe and I hope that regardless of how you spend your holidays, they can be a special time for you and your family as you focus on The One who came to bring “peace on earth, good will toward men.”
--Tiffany
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Do you have a question or topic you’d like us to address? Email and let us know!
Memory Making, Crafting, Decorating and More
Want to make a Thankful Tree? Preparing to “deck the halls” but ready for a new look or inspiration? Getting ready to make a few do-it-yourself gifts for your special friends or family? Pinterest is a great resource! Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can collect or “pin” pictures-links to favorite web sites, blog posts, etc. With their nifty search feature, you can find specific ideas that may fit your interests. After you sign up for Pinterest, you’ll have thousands of memory-making, crafty, decorating, you-name-it holiday ideas at your disposal. Download the Pinterest app to your smartphone for easy access to your pins.
Recipes
Ready to try out a few new Christmas cookie recipes? Finding good recipes doesn’t require much more than being able to do a Google search. I look for recipes that have been rated by users to be 4 out of 5 stars or more. My favorites include Allrecipes and The Pioneer Woman, but there are many good ones out there. There are some recipe apps you can download to your other devices as well, including an Allrecipes app. Pinterest is also a great resource for recipes.
Music
Want to listen to old Christmas classics like Bing Crosby or perhaps a newer favorite such as Michael Bublé? Head on over to Pandora where you can create your own radio station to suit your holiday preferences. If you want free listening, it comes with a few ads. They offer a ad-free version for a price. Download the Pandora app to your smartphone if that’s your sort of thing too.
Shopping
Perhaps you’re like me and you don’t necessarily appreciate the big trip to lots of stores, the hours of shopping, the waiting in line, and the cold. I’ve discovered something in the last two years that I have loved: online shopping. True, it’s not really that new, but I’ve only recently transitioned to doing more of my Christmas shopping that way. I love that my “big city mall-type” shopping is minimal these days.
Amazon
My favorite way to shop online is through Amazon. Amazon has so many options - toys, household items, books, movies--almost anything you could buy at a store you can find on Amazon. Some of our extended family uses the “Wish List” feature, which really simplifies things at times. There is also an Amazon extension that lets you add items from other websites to your Amazon Wish List. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can “invite” family to join in the Prime program and they can get the same free, 2-day shipping option. Additionally, Prime members have access to some free videos and TV shows--so you might even be able to watch your favorite holiday classic as you wrap the gifts you have ordered. Speaking of wrapping, you can have Amazon wrap your gifts for you, kind of handy if want a gift delivered to someone far away. And of course, they have an app for your use as well.
Apps
If you do head to the stores for your shopping, you may want to see if your favorite stores have an app that you can download to your smartphone, they may offer coupons through their apps.
If Black Friday shopping is your thing, you may enjoy the following apps:
And as much as I want to present you with technology-related options, this is also a great time to visit your local businesses. They have a lot to offer and you may be pleasantly surprised with your finds. Economy-wise, it’s always a great choice to shop local.
Joe and I hope that regardless of how you spend your holidays, they can be a special time for you and your family as you focus on The One who came to bring “peace on earth, good will toward men.”
--Tiffany
-------------
Do you have a question or topic you’d like us to address? Email and let us know!
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