Home for the Holidays

If you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to work this week, or just home with whole family, the Christmas break could turn out to be a long one. Especially without some well-planned activities. Here's some tips to keep you busy and sane, as well as some great websites with great boredom busters.

1. Out with the old, in with the new
Clear out some space for those new sweaters and toys. Go through closets and drawers, and make donate and sell piles. I pull all out-of-season clothing and put away until next season, and
use the beginning of a season as time to decide what is old, and outgrown. Bag or box up anything to use for a spring garage sale and mark it clearly! American Disabled Veterans provide curbside pickup (check your local agencies and charities for their policies).

2. Get it done
Time flies when you're having fun, so make the most of your week by tackling those lagging to-do lists. Running time consuming errands without taking time off work looks good to your boss, and now is a good time to get those out of the way. Home improvement/repair projects will also add to the value of your home. Getting a head start on the new year is always a plus!

3. Be prepared
Heading out to the mall or store for some returns? Make sure you clearly understand the store's return policy, and try to provide a receipt when possible. Toys 'r Us and Target have strict receipt policies for both returns and exchanges. Make sure to tote along some small time killing activities for little ones in case the wait is lengthy. See a list of the best and worst return policies at walletpop.com

4. Balance is everything
Yeah those new Wii games rock, but balance it out with some good old fashioned family time. If the weather's nice, take a short family walk. If not, some fun indoor kid activities to keep everyone occupied can be found on some of my favorite web sites. Disney's familyfun.com has some boredom busting crafts. Parents magazine, Kaboose, and Craftbits all have cool, fairly simple activities for all ages of kids. If anything, printing off some coloring sheets, can provide enough distraction to get in a little time for yourself this holiday!

Remember, most bad behavior can be remedied with at least 15 minutes of one on one time with your child. Play at their level with something of their choosing. It just might make the rest of your day go much smoother.
Enjoy!!

image via: www.nngha.com