Money Saving Mom®

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 10

by Crystal on December 11, 2013

It’s Day 10 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge!

I love the Christmas season. I love the sights, smells, tastes, sounds… all of it. But you know what I don’t love? That so many people feel rushed, hurried, and frazzled during Christmas.

The heart of Christmas is not about impressing people or running around at a crazy, frantic speed. And making either of those things your focus is certainly not going to help you celebrate and savor the season!

Creating a Christmas Bucket List

One thing that has helped us to slow down and just enjoy December is to create a Christmas Bucket List. We all sit down as a family and choose a few things that each of us really wants to do for Christmas.

Things we’ve put on our Christmas Bucket List in the past:

Building a snowman
Playing in the snow as a family
Decorating Christmas cookies
Going ice-skating
Doing an Advent project
Going to the Nutcracker Ballet
Driving around and looking at Christmas lights as a family
Watching a Christmas movie together

By the time we’re done discussing our Bucket List, we’ve come up with a great list of memorable activities to do together and since everyone gave their input, there’s something (or more than one thing) on the list that each person will really enjoy.

We spread these activities out during the whole month of December, doing a few items each week. Because our list is not long and overwhelming and because we have four weeks to do it, we’re able to really take time to enjoy each thing and create beautiful memories.

This tradition has been one of the best things we’ve ever implemented to help us stay focused, calm, and intentional during the Christmas season. And it also helps us to say “no” to most of the other ideas and opportunities that come up that aren’t already on our list.

Day 10 Project

1. Read chapter 6 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas if you didn’t get a chance to read it yet. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Sit down as a family and create a simple Christmas Bucket List.

3. Look at your calendar and decide when you’re going to do each of these things. If there isn’t time or space, cull a few things off the list.

4. Come back around 8 p.m. tonight where I’ll share our family’s Christmas Bucket List this year and encourage you to do the same.

Looking for more? Click here to read other posts about 21 Days to a Simple Christmas

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Enter to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card from Blogelina!

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by Crystal on December 11, 2013

Who wants to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card?

It’s easy to enter! Just head on over to Blogelina and login with your email or Facebook account to enter to win. One winner will be chosen on December 19, 2013.

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A Beginner’s CVS Shopping Trip

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by Crystal on December 11, 2013

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Shopping Trip Submitted by Jennifer

I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now and I really appreciate how much I’ve learned about how to save money! My husband and I are currently on a journey to pay off our credit card debt, and I’ve been inspired by your creative ways to live below our means.

Before reading your blog I had never heard of the “drugstore game” and just assumed things would always be cheaper at my grocery store. But I decided to give some of the deals you post about a try… and this week I had great success at CVS!

I got $77.76 worth of products for $23.77. I thought some of your other readers might be inspired that even a “beginner” can score some great deals!

Here were my two transactions:

Transaction #1:

Right Guard body soap and deodorant – $3 each (buy 2, get $2.00 ECB)
- used $2/2 coupon

1 Colgate Total Optic White mouthwash 1 liter – $5.99 ($3.00 ECB)

1 Colgate 360 toothbrush – $2.99 ($2.00 ECB)
- used $0.50/1 coupon

Total before sales, ECBs, and coupons = $23.76

Total after sales and coupons = $13.53 (including $1.05 tax)

PLUS, I received $7 in ECBs to use on my next order.

Transaction #2:

1 Garnier Fructis shampoo – $2.99
- used $1/1 coupon

1 Garnier Fructis conditioner – $2.99
- used $1/1 coupon

1 Dean skim milk – $2.99 (received $1.00 ECB)

1 Softsoap handsoap – $1.88
- used $1/1 CVS coupon

Purex laundry soap – $12.00 (Buy 1 get 2 free – I did this deal twice so I got 6 bottles of soap)
- used 2 $1.50/2 and 2 $0.50/1 coupons

Total before sales, ECBs, and coupons: $54.00

Total after sales, coupons and $7 ECB from transaction #1: $10.24 (including $1.39 tax)

I still have a $1 ECB from the milk purchase for my next trip. All in all, I saved about $54 and spent less than $24!

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Make 2014 Your Best Year Ever — free video series from Michael Hyatt

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by Crystal on December 11, 2013

Do you want to make 2014 your best year ever? One where you’re focused, motivated, and actually follow through with your goals?

If so, you’ll want to check out Michael Hyatt’s new video series called 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever. Michael Hyatt is a leadership expert and New York Times best-selling author. His new video series will give you the tools and inspiration to make 2014 an amazing year.

If you’ve struggled with making and reaching your goals in the past, sign up for this free video series. You’ll gain powerful insights into Michael’s unique goal-setting process. And, you’ll discover how you can use this method to design your best year ever.

In the first video, Michael shares:

How the success of his New York Times bestselling book, Platform, started out as a simple, written goal
The little known secret to creating a life of happiness and how you can tap into it by setting meaningful goals
How to harness the emotional power of goals to cultivate confidence and a sense of accomplishment and connectedness
Why you can’t afford to live without clearly defined goals and the hidden cost of acting without direction, including discontent, frustration, and other negative emotions
The importance of getting outside of your comfort zone and why this is your year to do it
What going public with a big goal personally meant to him

Click the video image below and start your journey to make 2014 your Best Year Ever.

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Cardstore.com: 70% off, plus Free Shipping on $30 or more

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by MSM Team on December 11, 2013

Cardstore.com is offering 70% off Holiday Cards and Invitations right now when you use the coupon code CAP3913 at checkout. You can create custom cards starting as low as $1.29, and choose to either have the cards shipped to yourself or to your recipient.

Don’t forget, use the coupon code CAP3913 to take 70% off your order of Holiday Cards and Invitations. You’ll also get free shipping on your order of $30 or more.

Thanks, For the Mommas!

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Free Baby Safety Latches sample kit

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by MSM Team on December 11, 2013

Thanks, The Savvy Bump!

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Amazon.com: The best online household & grocery deals for this week

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by MSM Team on December 11, 2013

Here are some of this week’s best grocery & household deals from Amazon.com, courtesy of Terry and Mandi from Jungle Deals & Steals. Many of these prices are higher than what you’d pay by combining coupons with sales, but they may be good deals for you if you live where there aren’t many stores or deals are scarce:

Lysol: You can pick up Lysol Lemon and Lime Blossom Disinfecting Wipes for as low as $2.55/80-wipe container ($7.64 for the 3-count).

Bob’s Red Mill: Bob’s Red Mill Natural Raw Sunflower Seeds (20-ounce packages) are available for as low as $2.69 each ($10.71 for the pack of 4).

Seventh Generation: Get Seventh Generation Auto Dish Pacs for as low as $0.17 each ($3.44 for the 20-count).

Earth’s Best Organic: Stock up on Earth’s Best Organic 1st Squash. The 2.5-ounce jars are available for as low as $0.57 each ($6.85 for the pack of 12).

Pampers: Get Pampers Natural Clean Wipes for as low as $0.02 each ($15.99 for the $8.64-count).

Bausch & Lomb: Here’s a great deal on Bausch & Lomb ReNu Multi-Purpose Solution. Get the 12-ounce bottles for as low as $4.2t each ($8.49 for the 2-count).

Curel: Pick up a 6-ounce tube of Curel Daily Moisture Original Lotion for as low as $2.13 each.

Bounce: Bounce Dryer Sheets (160-count) are on sale for as low as $5.31.

Jif: You can get Jif Creamy Peanut Butter for just $5.50/48-ounce jar ($10.99 for the 2-count).

Terry & Mandi are a busy mother-daughter team that look for ways to save money without sacrificing a lot of time, and they share their love for all things Amazon.com at Jungle Deals & Steals.

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Free Bag of Hill’s Ideal Balance Dog Treats (first 35,000)

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by MSM Team on December 11, 2013

Hurry over to Facebook and request your free bag of Hill’s Ideal Balance Dog Treat.

This offer is available to the first 35,000, so don’t delay!

Thanks, Coupon Pro!

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Cor do Mel: Jeweled Crystal Bracelet for only $10 shipped

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by MSM Team on December 11, 2013

Cor do Mel’s exclusive 7 Days of Gifting sale for my readers continues today. Get this beautiful Jeweled Crystal Bracelet today for only $10 shipped!

Use the coupon code GIFTS at checkout to make your final price only $10! Plus, shipping is FREE!

These Jeweled Crystal Bracelets would make a great stocking stuffer, and come in a variety of colors including beige, black, pink, turquoise, and white. All bracelets come with a red velvet jewelry bag.

Don’t forget to use the coupon code GIFTS at checkout to get 50% off the sale price. All orders ship the next business day via USPS first class mail.

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)