You are viewing the Holidays tag
Cheap Christmas Toys 2009 Shopping Deals and Tips
With Thanksgiving falling on pretty much the last possible day in November, Christmas has come hurtling toward Moms and Dads like a runaway freight train with a turbo-booster. That means time is tight for shopping for Christmas presents for children, toddlers, and babies. Now, anyone with good parenting skills wants to provide a Merry Christmas (or other happy holiday) for their kids with plenty of presents without breaking the bank or raiding the college fund.
Additionally, no one wants to spoil their kids either. Add to that the fact that a lot of children already have more toys than they can play with, and you have parents torn between buying lots of toys for Christmas to fill up that space under the Christmas tree, and Daddies and Mommies wondering if they shouldn’t buy any new toys at all this holiday season.
Fortunately, it is possible to have it all when it comes to Christmas. The plan is simple. Get great deals on as many toys and presents as fit into your budget, thus satisfying both the no-overspending need AND the have tons of fun Christmas toys to play with on Christmas morning. What about the over-filled toy boxes and closets and shelves?
Before Christmas have a frank, but not depressing, talk about how not everyone is as fortunate as them. Use this as a time to play up how lucky your family is, and how great it is to be part of such a loving household, instead of dwelling on how sad it must be to be in the reverse situation. At the end of the conversation ask them to go through their toys with you and decide which ones should be donated to other kids who might have more fun playing with them. If you have a particularly green child, play up the recycling angle. If you have a got to have it all kiddo, play up the need for plenty of space to put those new Christmas presents.
Make the donation before Christmas to open up some room. As an added bonus, make sure to keep the receipt. Donations to charity are tax deductible, and nothing helps cushion the expense of the holiday season like parents saving money on taxes.
Find Great Deals Online for Christmas Toys and Presents
When it comes to finding the best deals online, there are too many Johnny-come-latelys, deceptive websites, advertising filled webpages, and sites pretending to list only great holiday savings deals links, when they are in fact, listing whatever links offer up the highest commissions to webmasters who send paying customers their way. Get suckered into using one of these bait-and-switch online "deals" scams and you could actually end up paying more than you would have by walking into your local store and grabbing the hottest toys right off the shelf.
To avoid these issues, use online deals websites that are community based. That is, online deal lists that are submitted by, ranked by, and commented on by an active deal community.
One of the best online deals websites is SlickDeals.net (notice the net, not com)
[That is not a paid link or an affiliate link or anything. Hover your mouse over the link and you'll see it goes straight to www.slickdeals.net, or if it makes you feel better, just type it directly into your browser. – The only ads I get any money from on this website are those Amazon ads and the Google Ads]
Slickdeals has a Frontpage that lists what the moderators have chosen as the absolute hottest deals as submitted by their readers. These deals are displayed as a simple list of links. Click on the ones you are interested in, skip right by the ones you are not. If there is a free shipping code or a 20% coupon code, you can be it will be listed there alongside the deal. No need to go find a great price and then hunt all over the Internet to find a free-shipping code or watch your entire savings go up in smoke to shipping and handling costs.
The best part about Slickdeals and their online bargain listing is that every listed deal has a link that says "Discuss". Click that link and you will find a huge user base going back and forth over whether or not any particular deal is a hot deal or not. Even better, you will also find people going back and forth of the quality, specifications, features, and brands of every television, video game, watch, jacket, dress, and toy listed. This is incredibly helpful if you are buying gifts that for that special someone that you aren’t very familiar with.
You will get a much more realistic impression of what makes the best cordless phone, or the top LCD television set by reading the ongoing discussions in the slick deals forum than you will by trying in vain to sort through which reviews are real, which reviews are fake, which comments were left by employees, or which commenters were paid to rate the product high.
Don’t even bother searching for something like best computer monitor. You’ll be on a shifty website before you can say widescreen. Instead, head over to slickdeals and read a few of the discussions about some of the computer monitors on there. By the time you are done, you’ll know what some of those numbers mean, and more importantly, why it matters whether or not it has HDMI inputs or built-in speakers. (Yes, if they are big on photos and videos. And then, no, if they have other computer speakers that they will probably be using anyway.)
Here is another money saving tip. Torn between whether or not to get the extended warranty? Don’t buy it from the store or website! Instead, check out the extended warranties from a company called SquareTrade. Good luck and Merry Christmas!
By the way, a couple of other deal sites that I have had good experiences with are GottaDeal.com (which also has a coupon code section) and DealNews.com.
Best Denver Fireworks Shows For Kids
Independence Day, July 4th, or the 4th of July, no matter what you call it, it all ends with a bang.
When it comes to young children, toddlers, babies, and other kids, what makes the best fireworks show isn’t necessarily the same as what makes the best fireworks show for adults. Fortunately, there are plenty of Denver Fireworks displays to chose from. There are numerous fireworks displays on July 3rd this year as well as July 4th. Consider using one of the Denver area fireworks shows on the 3rd of July to get an idea of how well things might go on the 4th of July.
- Coors Field – Colorado Rockies Fireworks Display – July 3rd and July 4th
- Denver Country Club Fireworks Show– July 4th – Watch from the Bed, Bath & Beyond Parking lot, or enter on University Avenue to sit on the fairways.
- Red Rocks Fireworks and Concert – July 4th – With Concert by Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- Englewood – Cornerstone Park – July 4th – Easier parking than the downtown events and less traffic too.
- Arvada – Fireworks at Lutz/Stenger Sports Complex – Synchronized with a broadcast on KOOL 105 which might make staying in your car more enjoyable.
- Boulder Fireworks at Folsom Field – July 4th – Watch fireworks inside the stadium from the stadium bleachers. Good for kids who get bored waiting, because of entertainment provided in the time leading up to the show. However, you are going to have to walk because you aren’t going to find parking in close.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Colorado Rapids Fireworks Display – The Rapids don’t play at Invesco Field anymore, their game and fireworks show will be at their home in Commerce City.
- Invesco Field – Colorado Outlaws Lacrosse Team Fireworks Show – The Colorado Rapids soccer team doesn’t play at Mile High anymore, but the Outlaws do, and they are continuing the fireworks tradition.
Fireworks and Small Children
Thinking of taking your toddler or baby to see fireworks on the 4th of July?
Don’t let preconceived notions stand in your way of fun. Yes, some kids are scared by fireworks, but not all of them. In fact, some younger children might actually do better with the loud noises and bright flashes in the sky because they don’t have the experience yet to know that such things could mean trouble for them. On the other hand, some toddlers scream and cry with the first firework shot in the air.
There is no faster way to a bummer of a night for July 4th than having spent and hour finding a good spot and waiting for the fireworks begin only to have to run to the car after two-seconds.
Here are some tips for enjoying The 4th of July Fireworks with babies, toddlers, and small kids.
Tips for fun 4th July Fireworks:
- Do a test run. If you can find a fireworks display that happens before July 4th, usually for some kind of local event, take your youngster to seem them. Such fireworks shows are usually much less crowded and you’ll feel less need to get a great spot to see them since it is just a test. Stay near your car so you can leave quickly if necessary. If Junior likes the fireworks, or at least isn’t scared, and if baby sleeps straight through even the loudest booms, then proceed to the full 4th of July fireworks shows. Otherwise, plan for alternate events for your child.
- Stay Back – Fireworks are quieter and less scary when they are farther away. See if you can view a show from a few miles, or even several miles away. Hilltops are a good option, but what is more important is a clear view of the sky. Find an empty field or park without tall trees between you and the fireworks. Not only will your toddler be more likely to enjoy fireworks from far away, traffic will be lighter and the crowds will be smaller.
- Take an Extra Nap – Most fireworks shows don’t start until after it gets dark. That can mean 9:30 pm, or even 10:30 PM, depending on where you live and when the sun goes down. If your baby’s bedtime is normally 8:00 PM don’t expect a trouble-free evening if they stay up straight through to 11:00 PM. Instead, throw in an extra nap during the day. Don’t try and do a nap at bedtime. Toddlers drop into deep sleep quickly and won’t like being woken up. Instead, do a late nap that is still clearly a nap. A 6:00 PM or even 7:00 PM nap (for later bedtimes) would be a good choice.
- Scout out Fireworks Displays – Know where you are going, where you will park, and where you want to sit BEFORE July 4th. Nothing makes a small kid crankier than driving around in a car while Dad tries to find the fireworks, and then a parking space, and then a spot for sitting, and so on.
- Bring Snacks, Drinks, and Diapers – Just because your body knows that you don’t have to eat late at night, doesn’t mean your child’s body knows it. Your toddler, baby, or small child all regulate their eating based on number of hours since their last meal unless they are asleep. Since they’ll be awake, chances are they’ll be hungry right before the show starts. Come prepared with healthy, filling snacks, and some drinks. Make sure to have more than one sippy-cup. Chances are, they’ll need a refill.
Coming tomorrow, Undefeated Daddy’s Best Denver Fireworks Shows for Kids and Toddlers
Best Easter Egg Hunts in Your Area
Here is my list of Easter Egg Hunts in Denver.
If you are looking for a good big Easter Egg Hunt to take your children to but seem to be coming up empty, rest assured that most communities have several solid options for Easter Egg Hunts or Easter Egg Scrambles.
Searching Google sounds like a good plan but it can be frustrating because Easter is a transient event and Google’s ranking system rewards sites for longevity and the number of sites that link to them. Plenty of people link to their church’s website, but not so many people link to the event page for the local parks or recreation center, so the good Easter Egg Hunts might be pretty far down on the list.
To make a good Google search for Easter Egg Hunts or Easter Egg Scrambles requires using a couple of the fancier “advanced” Google tricks. Don’t worry, the aren’t really advanced, that is just what Google calls everything that isn’t just typing words in the standard rectangle box and pressing the search button.
Search Google For Easter Egg Hunts and Get Good Results
Here is a step by step guide to finding good Easter Egg Hunts in your area.
- Click Advanced Search and scroll down until you see where you can limit your search results by date. Select within the last month. This will keep you from getting “troll results” published by some lame websites a few months in advance in order to build up “link power” and get ranked high in Google. Anyone who is really just trying to help you would with good Easter information didn’t post anything until March. — Trust me. Choose “Last Month” – This will also keep you from getting last year’s information! If it’s 2009 and you see an April 7-ish date, you are looking at last year’s information. This year’s Easter Egg Hunts will be the 10th, 11th, or 12th for the most part.
- Use Quotes – putting words in quotes tells Google to only return results with those exact words in that exact order. Searching for Easter Egg Hunt without quotes technically matches sites that say, “Easter means wonder pastel colors and the start of duck hunt season. But don’t combine the two or you’ll have egg on your face.” – Um, yeah, whatever. — “Easter Egg Hunt” would eliminate that kind of thing and only give you answers with those three words in order.
- Remember Scramble – Technically, a hunt is where you hunt for, or try to find eggs that have been hidden. Many areas do an Easter Egg Scramble which is where you put a bunch of eggs out in plain site on a field or grassy area and just let the kids run around picking them up. These are way better for younger kids and definitely the way to go for toddlers. So, search for “Easter Egg Scramble” (remember the quotes) too.
- Use the minus sign “-“ AKA the exclude operator to eliminate unrelated results. Hey, I love church services as much as the next guy, but if I want to take my kids to see a guy in a bunny suit and watch them run around finding eggs, churches aren’t actually the best places for that. Any word you put in the Google search box with a minus sign in front of it (no space) means don’t give me search results that have this word in them. If you are getting too many results for Easter Sunrise Service Followed by… Just put –sunrise or –service or whatever keeps popping up. You can put as many minus sign words as you want, so just keep adding them until your results are clear enough to go through.
- Use the site operator – If you know what website will give you good results if you can just find them, use the site operator. By typing site:undefeateddaddy.com, for example, Google will only give you results from this website. Try it. This should be the only result for the search “Easter Egg Scramble” site:undefeateddaddy.com – Good target sites include local newspapers and local news channels, as well as community sites.
What Kind of Easter Egg Hunt Is Best For Toddlers
Toddlers don’t like to be trampled under the feet of bigger kids and shouting at other parent’s is a sure fire way to have a junky egg hunt. So, look for egg hunting events where there are times broken out by age group. Ideally, you want an event with narrow age groups. A two year old is very different than a three year old when it comes to running around with a basket trying to pick up as many eggs as possible.
On that note, stick with the scramble-type Easter Egg hunts. With this type, the eggs are out in the open and the kids just run around picking them up. Assuming that there are enough eggs out there, your child will get a handful of eggs, have fund, be happy, and be done, before it drags on long enough to stop being fun.
Also, make more of it. Grab breakfast or donuts or sandwiches and have them before and after the hunt. Then head to a toy store and buy the little guy a bunny or something. Then, play with them all day. If Easter is sacred to you, there are plenty of events held on the Saturday before.
If all else fails, go to the zoo. Usually they give colored eggs to some of the animals for fun!
***
*
***
Search
Other
Link It, Fav It, Share It
