Thanksgiving has come and gone and many families are gearing up for the Christmas Holidays. In order to enjoy this hectic time of year, try these holiday tips:
Buy Safe Toys
If you plan to buy toys for the kids in your life, choose age-appropriate toys and look for labels with safety advice. For young children, avoid toys with small parts, sharp edges, and electric toys that can heat up. Always purchase safety gear in addition to sports-related gifts or ride-on toys, such as bicycles or skateboards. Get additional toy safety tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
Celebrate on a Budget
The holidays can be expensive, but you don’t have to break the bank to celebrate. Take a few minutes to decide how much you can afford to spend on gifts, travel, parties, decorations, and other holiday expenses. Once you’ve created a spending plan, keep track of your purchases. Shopping online can help your stick to a budget as you’ll avoid the temptation of store displays and may be able to use coupons and promotion codes.Give the Gift of Service
Sometimes the greatest gift you can give to others is service. Studies show that reading to a child just three hours a week significantly improves his or her reading skills. If you help out at a local soup kitchen or food bank, you are directly providing meals to hungry individuals. Visit Serve.gov to find volunteer opportunities in your area or create your own and recruit others.
Find Seasonal Employment
Even in tough economy, businesses need extra help around the holidays. Seasonal employment can help supplement your income and potentially lead to a permanent position.
Be safe and Save Money with LED Lights
Electricity bills can grow during the holidays if you decorate with strings of lights. Consider switching to LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights to save energy and money. In addition to the cost savings, LED lights are much cooler than incandescent bulbs, reducing the risk of fires.
Pay Attention to Food Portions and Physical Activity
The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends, but celebrations sometimes involve over-indulging in sweet treats and heavy foods. Even if you only gain one or two pounds during the holidays, these gains can add up over the years. The holidays are probably not the ideal time to try to lose weight. But you can take steps to maintain your weight. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov for tips on how to enjoy your food but eat less of it, and how to make physical activity a regular part of your day.
Keep Food Safe
Holiday buffets are convenient ways to entertain a crowd, but leaving food out for long periods of time can invite bacteria that cause food borne illness. To keep your holiday foods safe, cook them thoroughly, use shallow containers, never leave them sitting out for more than two hours, and keep them at the appropriate temperature. Get more food safety tips from the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Source: usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Happy-Holidays.shtml
For more information, please contact Kim Miles, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.
