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Black Friday Ruined by Retailers

November 22, 2011 By 3 Comments

For many Black Friday is a kick off to the holiday season.  This year retailers have chosen to change the game a bit.  Many retailers will be opening on Thanksgiving Evening. Santa where are you?  We need your help so that Christmas does not ruin Thanksgiving and Black Friday traditions. While I completely understand corporate America’s desire to rake in the Christmas cash I think that we all have to re-evaluate a few things.

A Turkey.

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  • Thanksgiving is a NATIONAL holiday.  This is the only nation holiday that almost everyone has the opportunity to be with their family and friends.  It is wrong to get rid of this holiday for monetary reasons.  Christmas on the other hand is a religious holiday and no retailer would dare to be open on Christmas day.
  • Many people shop on Black Friday. How much more money can they rake in by opening 4 hours earlier?  Is it worth the impact that will be felt to open that 4 hours early?  Will they lose out on sales because they have made many shoppers annoyed?  I know many people who will not be shopping on Black Friday this year.
  • Why are we so driven by retail?  Because of the retailers big push this year, I am completely stressed and it is not even the Christmas season yet.  By the time Christmas gets here I think we will all be quite tired of it.  The neighbors are already decorating.  any people have their trees out and the Salvation Army Bell Ringer is already out.
  • Will Christmas overtake Thanksgiving all together?  This holiday that has been in existence for so long seems to be losing the Christmas battle.  So will we all soon throw it away all together to make more room for Christmas?  Also what will happen to black Friday is we continue to move the shopping earlier and earlier?  Retailers will not have the ability to have one big make it or break it day!

I know that many of you think that I am nuts.  For goodness sakes I have a holiday countdown every year so how hypocritical can I be.  The truth is that I believe that preparing for the season in advance is important.  I think that in budgeting and planning we find some peace and certainly less stress.  I would never, ever start decorating my house before Thanksgiving.  While Christmas is a very special time in my heart, so too is Thanksgiving.  Having worked in retail for years I really believe that it is time to reexamine what is important.  I know that it is economically tough times but is it worth sacrificing people’s ability to spend Thanksgiving enjoying family?

On the other hand what is wrong with all of us.  I know that many of you reading this will be out there Thanksgiving night to get a hot deal.  While I can respect your desire to save money and get the items you want I am asking you to stay home.  Hold your babies a little longer, enjoy the pumpkin pie, talk to family members you may not have the chance to see through out the year.  Let Thanksgiving be Thanksgiving and start Christmas in the morning.

The truth is that the hot item you leave your family to go out and get will be gone before you get there anyway.  They only buy 10 of those hot items and the employees buy it up and hide them before the doors open.  Show corporate America that they do not have the power to ruin another holiday.  Let Christmas and all of its glory start Friday.  What is the next holiday to be sucked up and ruined by Christmas??  Perhaps Halloween will be the new Thanksgiving.

Becca

 

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Target Great Holiday Toy Sale

November 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Illinois Target Store
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54 Days to Christmas!

Today is the big day.  With 54 days to go until Christmas Target is starting their sale prices early.  Starting today, Target stores will be offering great deals on toys.  Beginning November 2, 2010, which is today, you can examine all of the great deals in their Target Toy Book.  It is a clear sign that black Friday is just around the corner!

In looking at the Target Toy Book I am deciding that Christmas is closer than I think.  There are some great toys in the Target Toy Book, I just want to shop around some and make sure that they are good deals.  I am pretty sure that I am not alone in thinking about my budget this year!  I did notice that there are a lot of coupons.  I guess this is so that they can put the item in the Target toy book and not give everyone the discount.

I am not even sure what the kids want this year.  They are not excited about  any toys!  What toys do your children want this year?  What items do you all see as being hot sellers?  I would love some ideas!

Check out Black Friday Ads.  Shop till you drop on black Friday and Get ready for 50 days of Christmas beginning this weekend on November 6, 2010!  My 50 Days of Christmas Countdown is sure to help make your holiday special yet again this year!

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Mix Pups Are Here!

September 15, 2010 By 4 Comments

Today my box of Mix Pups arrived from MomSelect and Jazewares!  The girls love them so much and they are so excited for us to host out mix pup party!  Our mix pups are so super cute and the great part is that each pup comes with a ton of accessories.  I asked the girls to tell me what they think about the mix pups in one word and here is what they have to say!  We also checked out the Mix Pups website which has a coloring pages, wall paper and a remix game coming soon.  I am sure that Mix Pups will be a must have for girls in your house this holiday season.  I know that all three of my girls already are begging for more and we haven’t even opened them yet!

Emma age 6:  “They are cute and I love that we can switch their hair.  So much cooler than littlest pet shops because they move and stuff!  I have a lot to say about these… they come with accessories.”

Analiese age 3:  “They are like Little Pet Shops”

Abby age 9:  “They are awesome!  They move and everything!”

We are planning on having our mix pup party as a birthday party.  I think that i t will be a blast.  There are some great craft ideas and games that the girls think will be fun to play.  I think we will have hot dogs and I would love any cake ideas you all may have!  I think that this party is going to be a blast.

Becca

Check out my other cool reviews:

Barbie A Fashion Fairytale

Sketchers Shape Ups

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Christmas Countdown: 75 Days of Christmas

September 10, 2010 By 2 Comments
WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 03: A Christmas wreath ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I am already thinking about Christmas.  For those of you who know me… you know that this is what I do.  Once there is a slight chill in the air I feel that it is my job to remind you all that Christmas is coming!  I have decided this year not to stress you all out too early.  I will be changing my 75 days of Christmas countdown to 50 days of Christmas Countdown.  There are a lot of things that I want to cover this year so I hope that beginning November 6th you will join me on a holiday excursion.   Some of the things that I am hoping to cover this year are:

  • Hot Toys This Christmas:  Find out early what will be hot this holiday and what will not!
  • Cookies:  I am planning on baking my way through my 101 cookie recipe book.  This was semi inspired by Julie and Julia.  I will be adding a rate that cookie button which will allow you to tell me what you think once you have baked a certain cookie!
  • How to have a homemade Christmas:  This year our family has all decided we will have a homemade holiday.  Take a look at what I have been crafting, baking and share some of your own ideas.
  • Daily Featured Videos from Youtube.com
  • Holiday Traditions Now and Then
  • How to Pick the Perfect Live Christmas Tree
  • Holiday Christmas Cards
  • Christmas Organizational Tips

There are many more Christmas adventures I hope to share with all of you.  So be sure to mark your calenders for November 6th when Ask Becca launches 50 days of Christmas: A Christmas Countdown!

Becca

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42 Days Until Christmas

November 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment
After the party.

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Have a Christmas Party

This past week I did something great.  I had a PartyLite party.  It was nice for many many reasons.  I want to start by saying I do not sell PartyLite so I do not care if we talk about an At Home America Party, A Tupperware party or a PartyLite Party.  The point is that I had a party.  Why was it so great?

  1. It was fun.  The ladies and I had an evening to relax and unwind.  There was no pressure to buy.  I told everyone I do not care either way.  All I wanted was a night full of friends, laughter and fun.
  2. I Christmas Shopped.  You know what the best part of this for me was?  I did it for free!
  3. There are good deals.  This is the time of year that these companies are trying to make their extra money.  The are all offering deals.  My guests had two pages of half prices items to choose from.  They also could pick out any half priced item they wanted with the purchase of just one regular priced item.  Even if the regular priced item was $1.  They could also choose from a few other offers.  This made Christmas shopping for them discounted!
  4. I gathered some orders from outside the people who came.  This is a great way to boost what you will get for free.
  5. It was nice to entertain.  I never get a chance to have people over.  I am usually too busy.  I was able to have a nice time and enjoy.  We had some great snacks and cakes and laughed.  We all needed it.
  1. Other then the baby throwing up in the middle of it the party was a great success.  I was able to cross three people off of my list without spending anything and the whole time I was able to enjoy!  I would suggest you have a party this month and you will be able to Christmas shop for free too.
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44 Days Until Christmas

November 14, 2008 By 1 Comment
Collage of various Christmas images, made from...

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Holiday Survey

Today I would love to do a few quick surveys:

  1. What is your favorite Holiday Movie? Mine is Miracle on 34th Street. I just love how it makes me feel by the end. There are some others that come in a close second but that is the winner.
  2. What is your best holiday memory? Mine is the first Christmas I was married. We were married on week before Christmas. We lived with my Mother-in-Law. Both she and Rob were sick. I had hurt my wrist and was in a sling. By 9 at night we had not opened presents. I was in bed crying when my mother-in-law opened the door and said are we going to do this. She then dumped bags of unwrapped gifts in the center of the room and we looked through them. This Christmas was not a good Christmas but it was my favorite. It made me realize for the first time in my life that it would all be alright if Christmas was not perfect. It certainly had not been that year and by the end of the night it was alright again. I was happy at the end of the night and that was what was important.
  3. What is your most loved holiday song? I love “Baby it’s Cold Outside” It is not about Christmas but is so nice and makes me want to belt it out. There are many many others because music is so vital to a holiday season.
  4. What Tradition does your family have that is closest to your heart? I think that the best tradition to me is Elmer the Elf. As I discussed a week or so ago he is special because not only is he magical but he also is an heirloom which has been passed from generation to generation.
  5. How do you stay sane during the holidays? I cannot answer this one because I so do not stay sane. I am a nut time and time again. But it is all a great time in the end which is all that matters.

I would love to hear where everyone stands with each of these. I find it fun to share where I have been and how I have been impacted and why things are so special. I hope you will take a moment to do the same.

Becca

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47 Days Until Christmas

November 13, 2008 By 1 Comment

Christmas Tree

What would Christmas be without a Christmas Tree? This is a question that some people do not even understand. Of course you have a Christmas Tree. It is what symbolizes Christmas in our homes, our malls, Rockafeller Center and even the White House. There is even a whole Christmas Carol dedicated to it. “Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree”. We all sing its praise year after year. It is what you first learn to color and decorate as a child and what you dream that there will be presents under. So where did this Christmas tree come from is an important question to be answered.

  • The Christmas tree has been said to have first brought about in Germany. A monk had traveled to Germany to teach the people there the word of the lord. This monk used a fir tree, a triangular shape, as an example of the holy trinity. This the became a German tradition at Christmas time. People would even hang their trees upside down. As trade evolved so did the Christmas tree. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who was German, are said to have made the Christmas tree what it is today. Queen Victoria was well liked and people did whatever she did in order to keep up with the times. When people had seen that she had decorated her tree people followed. Ornaments at the time were all home made. From there the Christmas tree has evolved into what we know it as today. Thank goodness we do not put candles on our trees. I would be far to nervous!
  • Real Or Fake? This has been a debate that I have struggled with for years. Do I want a real tree or a fake one? Each year we go for the real one. There is nothing like smelling a fresh cut Christmas tree when you walk into your house. It is magical. For those who are happy getting that scent from a candle they may be just as happy with a fake tree. I will say this for a real tree, it is magical. Look at your child’s face when they come on a Christmas tree hunt with you. The joy hand magic they have at that moment becomes contagous. It is not lugging a big box out of the basement and assembling a tree. It is real. Part of what God gave us on this earth. It is magical.
  • Going Green: I know that many people out there are into a going green kick. It is the new cool thing to do. I know that cutting down trees is not good for the o-zone and who knows what else. There is something to consider though. These trees would not have been here if it were not for Christmas. They are all so perfect now because they come off of tree farms. So please put the green aside and just decide to recycle or reuse your tree when you are done. It will still be used as wood chips, fire wood to cut down on heat or to carve something special out of.

Becca

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48 Days Until Christmas

November 7, 2008 By 2 Comments
HOLLYWOOD - NOVEMBER 03: Actor John Michael H...

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Christmas Caroling

Long gone are the days of people going door to door singing happy joyful Christmas music.  You see all of the Norman Rockwell pictures of old time people singing in the center of town.  It all looks so great.  I remember as a child we used to go to Christmas Caroling with church.  It was so nice.  We would bundle up and hit a whole neighborhood with our joyous song.  People would invite us in for a quick cup of cocoa and we would move on to the next house to spread some joy.  So where have all of the carolers gone?

Now the Girl Scouts go to the local senior center for caroling.  No more are they outside singing and having fun.  They are herded into the senior center and put on more of a concert the “caroling”.  I think that it really is quite sad that we have lost the desire to go out caroling.  It is something I remember and cherish from being young.  It makes me think about what is happening to this country.  Why do we not want to share joy with each other?  Is it the we do not wish to offend people who are not Christian or is it that we just can not get away from our too busy lives?  I think that either excuse is just that, an excuse.  If you do anything this year please go out and do some Christmas Caroling.  Let’s put Christmas Caroling back on the map!

Becca

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49 Days Until Christmas

November 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Christmas Elves 2006 - 020F

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The Christmas elf

Does your family have an elf?

Elmer the Elf has been around for quite some time. I know that he was there for my grandfather, he was there for my father, he was there for me and now he is there for my children. I can only begin to imagine how old he must be. I am not sure if it goes back to my great grandfather or even further. What I know is that Elmer has been the family elf for at least four generations now. It is such a magical addition to the holidays and a great incentive for all to be good. So what does an elf do for you? I know that this is a question that many have asked me over the years. So here is the secret of Elmer for you. It is not something to take lightly. Disrespecting Elmer is an automatic naughty list violation. Keep this information safe and secure and have fun with it.

  1. Elmer is an Elf who watches over you from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Now my sister-in-law says he is already watching. This is unfounded information. He ONLY watches from Thanksgiving until Christmas. He spends the rest of his time busy making toys.
  2. Elmer is there to make sure that children are behaving all season long.
  3. If you are caught by Elmer being good he will leave a little something in your room for you. These are not big toys. I have heard rumors of Elmer buying Movies and other such things. This is very atypical elmer behavior. He usually buys neat toys such as a Chinese yo-yo or a holiday bubble necklace that can be warn all season long. It is just a little something to let you know that you are still on Santa’s “nice” list.
  4. Elmer has been spotted. My older brother still to this day remembers seeing Elmer in his room sitting on his tuba while he was sleeping. You never know who will spot Elmer and it is always great to hear what he looks like.
  5. Elmer is a magic that can not be abused. The kids are so receptive to him and love that he comes around year after year.

As you can see this simple little elf really helps to add to the holiday spirit. Perhaps your family should write to Santa and get an elf. You will be glad you did. Just a side not… Elmer is taken!

Becca

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51 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By 3 Comments
Bah, Humbug!

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Holiday Cheer

I think that for many of us it is important to be cheery for the holidays. Last year I just could not do it. It was all I could do not to have a nervous breakdown. Everything was just far too stressful to be in anyway fun. I HATED it. I wanted to just run away and cancel Christmas and very much wanted to say Bah Humbug! I tried my hardest for the kids and although they remember some of the bad such as the tree falling and every memory I had on it breaking they also remember the fun things. The few giggles we shared, the crafts we made and the memories we created. As I said at the start of 75 days of Christmas I want this year to be different. I want this to be the year they remember only the good and not the bad. The year that dreams come true and we bond like never before. I know there go these high expectations again but we will see.

How can we assure that there will be some holiday cheer? Here are a few tips I am taking to heart:

  1. Make sure that we are all getting enough sleep. This will help to keep the crankies out!
  2. Keep in mind that nothing is going to be perfect. I have issues with this part but will be working with it time and time again.
  3. Do not take on too much. This is something that I think we all do this time of year. It is ok to cut back, skip a party or two or stay in a few nights and vedge out to a movie.
  4. Remember me time. I think that this is important to do everyday. I never do it but in theory it is true. Even if your me time is reading a story or listening to your favorite Christmas movie without kids nagging you. Just take out a few minutes out just for you.
  5. Spike the eggnog. While this is a joke, in some ways it is not. Remember to have FUN and LAUGH!!! This will make you more full of cheer then most other things.
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