101 Holiday Tips

For most people, the holidays are a joyful time to spend with family and enjoy a few days off work or school. Even so, the winter holiday season is also the most stressful time of year for everyone. As much as we love our families, they can be exhausting. Maybe you're shopping on a limited budget this year because of the weak economy. Whatever your holiday concerns, we've got ideas to help minimize stress and maximize enjoyment of the holiday season this year.


101 Holiday Tips

1. Do something active with your family on Thanksgiving morning before all the cooking and preparations begin, like a nice walk or hike -- it won't burn all those turkey calories, but it'll help you feel like less of a sloth, and it's a great way to spend time together.
Get a little more from your walk when you take some 5lb dumbells.

2. We know there's someone you dread having to see this holiday season. Check out Holidash's tips on dealing with annoying relatives of all kinds.

3. A cornucopia is the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece -- fill it with flowers or fruits.
Shop for a cornucopia here.

4. Did you know that you can get upside-down artificial Christmas trees? They allow more room for presents underneath and ornaments on the branches, and they're pretty funny, too. If you march to the beat of a different little drummer boy, then this tree is for you.

5. Find great recipes for traditional holiday dishes in cookbooks like the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook and the American Holiday Cookbook.

6. A hollowed out loaf of bread makes a great serving dish for cheeses and dips.
Find easy dip mixes here.

7. If you haven't already started your Christmas shopping, stop procrastinating. Keep stress to a minimum by spreading your shopping out over time and over more than one paycheck.
Avoid crowds and annoying salespeople when you shop online!

8. Use spreadsheets to keep your gift lists organized. It will also help you keep track of how much you're spending this holiday season.
MS Office has easy-to-use spreadsheets to keep you organized.

9. Some people think wishlists take the magic out of the holidays, but for others, wishlists save a lot of stress. If you want someone's wishlist, ask for it, and if someone asks you for one, throw them a bone and give them some ideas.
You can build an online wishlist here.

10. Want to keep your New Year's Resolutions this time? Give yourself some momentum by starting now.
Some new workout gear might motivate you to head to the gym before the New Year crowds take over.

11. Go caroling!
Find Christmas carol CDs and music books here.

12. You may never use snail mail anymore, but it's still a nice tradition to send and receive holiday greeting cards.

13. Snow toys make great gifts for kids.
Snow sleds are a must for snow days!

14. Snow globes are a great way to decorate your home and office for the holidays, and they make a great gift!

15. Brighten a stranger's holiday season by volunteering in places like soup kitchens, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Try taking a few books to read to seniors in nursing homes, or board games to play with kids stuck in hospitals.

16. LED lights use less energy than traditional Christmas lights.
We recommend NewRay Solar String Lights for your tree.

17. Driving around at night looking at all the decorated houses is a fun family activity close to Christmas.
Decorate your own home with colorful outdoor LED lights of all shapes and sizes.

18. Be safe when you hang lights from your roof. Use a sturdy ladder and have someone else with you to hold it steady.

19. The holidays are a great time to take new family photos.
Send your photos to loved ones in these photo greeting cards.

20. Special holiday church services and family gatherings call for darling holiday outfits for your little ones. Dress your babies up in new suits and dresses for these occasions.

21. Get your pets into the holiday spirit with doggie Christmas sweaters -- too cute!

22. Homemade gift idea: Put together a book of your favorite recipes to give to your friends.
All you will need to buy is a binder for the recipes.

23. A white elephant party is a fun holiday gathering. Everyone brings a gag gift and you play games to see who ends up with what.
Remember when Tickle Me Elmo was all the rage? Now you can be Elmo and do the tickling with Elmo Tickle Hands -- a delightfully ridiculous gag gift.

24. If you host a lot of holiday gatherings, you could use some holiday dishes.
We love these 12 Days of Christmas Dessert Plates.

25. Then again, if the thought of washing all those dishes after the big meal is too much, you can get holiday themed disposable dishes as well.
This Cornucopia set is perfect for Thanksgiving.

26. When your family is together and everyone's bellies are full, break out your favorite board games.
Balderdash is a huge hit in most families -- lots of fun for older kids and adults.

27. Snowflakes and snowmen are the perfect secular holiday decoration for your office, store, or classroom.

28. A holiday party is the perfect excuse to buy yourself a trendy new pair of shoes. Who says you can't treat yourself on Christmas?
These Plaid Harajuku Lovers Mary Janes are the perfect complement to your holiday outfits!

29. Stock up on wrapping paper for next year after the holidays, when it's all on sale.

30. Artificial Christmas trees are an easy alternative to the real thing. They won't shed needles all over your house and you can use the same tree year after year.

31. Lots of popular musicians release holiday albums with modern twists on old classic Christmas tunes. Shop for your favorites here.

32. Serve up holiday treats on a festive platter like this star-shaped Christmas serving dish.

33. For the perfect Christmas cookies to serve on your Christmas platters, pick up some Christmas cookie cutters.

34. What's a New Year's Eve party without a bottle of champagne?
Dom Perignon, anyone?

35. If you enjoy ballet, look for a production of The Nutcracker near you. It's a popular story this time of year, and enjoyable for all ages.
Nutcracker gifts are great for anyone who loves this Christmas story.

36. Parents don't usually appreciate toys for their kids that will make a big mess or make lots of noise.
Kids love Play Doh, because it seems messy, but it's easy to clean up. Everybody wins!

37. You can't go wrong with books for kids.
We recommend the Skippyjon Jones books by Judy Schachner for young children.

38. Expect huge crowds at the gym after New Year's Day. If it's not too cold, find outdoor exercises for the month of January. Those crowds will be gone by the end of the month.
Wear a track suit for outdoor activities to stay comfortable in the cold weather.

39. When the weather outside is frightful, gather your family on the couch and put on a holiday classic.
Get It's A Wonderful Life on DVD

40. Organize a good storage system for all of your holiday decorations so you can have them all handy for next year.
Find a good selection of bins in all sizes here.

41. Homemade gift idea: Knit or crochet winter hats, mittens, and scarves for your friends. It's a fun project for you and they'll appreciate your talents when the weather gets cold.
Shop for yarn now.

42. Are your friends crafty? Supplies are always a great gift -- you never know when they'll come back to you in the form of a finished project!
Browse craft supplies to find great gifts!

43. Decorate your dining room with a holiday tablecloth.

44. A wreath with candles is a lovely centerpiece for your table this Christmas.

45. Candles in the window are a very nice-looking holiday decoration.
We recommend these cordless light-sensitive window candles from L.L. Bean -- they turn on automatically when it gets dark, and you don't have to plug them in at every window!

46. Put your Christmas lights on a timer so that they turn on and off at a reasonable time to save energy.

47. Don't forget about the vegetarians at your holiday dinners! Make sure there are plenty of meatless side dishes when the main course is turkey or ham.
A good vegetarian cookbook will give you plenty of easy options.

48. Collectibles make great gifts, because you can give a new piece of the collection year after year.
Doesn't every mom have a Christmas village set up in her house for the holidays?

49. Holiday candles make nice decorations as well as gifts.

50. Office politics can get weird around the holidays -- it's awkward to buy gifts for some coworkers and not others, but too expensive to shop for everyone. Suggest a Secret Santa gift exchange to avoid this problem.
Funny page-a-day desk calendars are a good gift for coworkers.

51. A poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower.
Find poinsettias and poinsettia themed decorations and gifts here.

52. Making greeting cards is a great holiday craft project for your kids.
Start with construction paper, glitter, and glue!

53. Wrapping the tree in tinsel garland is a kid's favorite part of Christmas decorating!

54. Homemade gift idea: make mix CD's for your friends -- a meaningful gift that saves you money.
Just buy blank CDs.

55. If you want to be the neighbor with the most festive decorations, you'll definitely need some light-up reindeer for your yard.
These fiberoptic reindeer sparkle day and night.

56. You'll brighten everyone's day when you bring holiday candy to school or to the office to share!
You can't miss with candy canes or chocolates.

57. Surprise your kids and dress up as Santa Claus -- they'll love it!
Shop for Santa costumes.

58. Looking for a little holiday love? Hang mistletoe generously!

59. Sports memorabilia isn't just limited to team hats anymore. You can get your favorite sports logo on any gift you can imagine.
Show holiday and team spirit at the next game with these mistletoe hats printed with team logos.

60. Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate. It's been a long year.

61. Give holiday tips to service workers like your mailman, newspaper delivery person, garbage collectors, and so on. They work hard for you all year, and their holiday bonus comes from tips.
Tuck tips into a nice holiday greeting card -- if you don't know what holidays these people will be celebrating, stick to a non-specific card like this one.

62. Hanukkah menorahs run the gamut from traditional and ornate to contemporary styles and fun theme designs.
We like this cute railroad menorah for children.

63. Holiday themed hand towels are a sweet touch when you host guests this holiday season.

64. Everyone in the family needs a stocking over the fireplace.
We recommend these personalized stockings to keep Santa organized.

65. Worried about overindulging at holiday meals? Take smaller portions of the high fat stuff, and load up your plate with healthier sides. There will be leftovers; you don't have to eat everything all at once.
Get ideas for low calorie dishes in the Cooking Light Complete Cookbook.

66. Homemade gift idea: Baked treats for all your friends!
Check out these Christmas tree cake molds.

67. Even if you don't bake, holiday cakes, cookies, and candies are a great gift.
Shop holiday cookie gift baskets here.

68. For employees, clients, and other professional associates, a Wine Country Gift Basket is a nice gift for the holidays this year.

69. If you're attending a holiday party in someone's home, bring a gift for the host(s).
A nice bottle of wine is always appreciated at these gatherings.

70. If you want to get out of the house on Christmas, there are a few places that will be open (and all but deserted). Try movie theaters and Chinese restaurants.
If you want to shop when all the stores are closed, remember AOL Shopping is open around the clock, every day of the year!

71. Instead of complaining about cold winter weather, bask in it! Take your family ice skating or sledding in the snow.
Would your kids love a new pair of ice skates for Christmas?

72. 'Tis the season to party. You've been wanting a new cocktail dress, right? It's the perfect outfit for New Year's Eve.

73. A new HDTV is a great present that your whole family can enjoy -- and just in time for the Super Bowl!
This Hitachi 42" LCD TV is a top rated HDTV.

74. A great New Year's resolution is to take more pictures in 2010. With all the inexpensive, user-friendly digital cameras available, this resolution should be easy to keep.

75. If you're ready to pop the question, you could make this a Christmas to remember by proposing to your special someone over the holidays.
Have you picked out an engagement ring yet?

76. Fine jewelry is never a bad gift.
If you're not in the market for an engagement ring this year, how about some diamond earrings instead?

77. New Year's Eve is a perfect excuse to throw a crazy theme party.
You've been looking for an excuse to wear those wild false eyelashes, haven't you?

78. Spend some time during the holidays doing fun holiday crafts with your kids, like building gingerbread houses.
Find the perfect gingerbread house kit here.

79. Enjoy some old-fashioned fun in your down time. Large jigsaw puzzles are a great family activity.
This 1000pc Noah's Ark puzzle looks like a challenge!

80. Gen Yers love to reminisce about childhood TV shows, making DVD collections of 90's television shows a great gift for your not-quite-completely-adult friends and family.
Full House, anyone? And who didn't love The Adventures of Pete and Pete?

81. Grandparents usually have more than enough stuff, but they can never have too many pictures of their grandkids. Load up a digital photo frame with pictures of family for a gift your grandparents will cherish.

82. It can be expensive to travel around the holidays, but some airlines and hotels are offering discounted rates this season. Don't give up on last minute travel.
Find deal alerts on AOL Travel.

83. If you can't think of a good gift to send someone, you can always fall back on flowers or candy.

84. Plain wreaths will never go out of style, but you can get some pretty fancy ones, too.
We like this attractive Magnolia Pomegranate & Hyndrangea Wreath.

85. Dreaming of a white Christmas? Try decorating your tree this year with all white lights and ornaments.
Start with these beautiful 3D snowflake ornaments.

86. Lots of kids give gifts to their teachers on the last day of school before winter break.
Find a list of cute personalized teacher gifts available here.

87. Novelty soaps make a fun holiday gift or a holiday decoration for your own home.
Try these snowflake soaps -- very cute!

88. If you're hosting guests for the holidays, make up the guest bedroom with extra-soft, stylish, and festive snowflake sheets and pillowcases.

89. If you have a full house for the holidays, set up a game room for the kids to keep them entertained and out of your hair while you try to cook for 15 people.
Hook up a Nintendo Wii to the spare TV in an out of the way room, and the kids will be happy for hours.

90. Ski resorts are packed over the winter holidays, but you'll find great deals and lots of solitude at beaches in this off-peak season.
Kids might be disappointed if they don't get to swim in the ocean, so try to find a place with an indoor pool, and pack bathing suits for everyone.

91. The holidays just wouldn't be the same without football.
Get a ball and have a family game in the back yard!

92. If you play an instrument, make your own holiday music this year.
Find a selection of holiday sheet music here -- great for accompanying carolers.

93. Put aluminum foil under your menorah so the candle wax doesn't ruin your table.

94. Some people enjoy collecting different nativity scenes. Find a great selection here.

95. It would be illogical to try to set up a full-sized Christmas tree in your dorm room, but a small tabletop tree can get your room in the right spirit.
These shiny white tabletop trees are pretty.

96. A personalized Christmas tree ornament is a nice gift for newlyweds celebrating their first married Christmas, or baby's first Christmas. The ornament will be a happy reminder year after year of those early memories together.

97. If you're baking your gifts this year, you'll need cookie tins to present them.
Try these adorable personalized cookie tins for your baked gifts this year.

98. Don't drink too much at your office party -- let someone else be the one to do a striptease on the boss' desk this year.
You'll want your camera handy for that.

99. Set a goal to take down all your holiday decorations before you go back to work after the New Year. If you don't do it while you're on break, when will you find the time?
Organize your decorations with storage bins so they're easy to set up again next year.

100. It wouldn't be the holidays without a Charlie Brown special.
Find your favorites on DVD

101. Don't forget the star for the top of your tree!