Holiday Shopping Tips

The two goals for Christmas shopping: 1. get all the items on your list and 2. save money. Sometimes it may feel like you cannot get the items on your family's wish lists without spending more than you can afford. But it is definitely possible to get the items you want without breaking the bank. Here are some great holiday shopping tips.

Amazon Lightning Deals

Amazon offers new deals on a variety of items every day. The trick to getting the best value is to check it often and be aware of the items you need and when the deal begins. Once the deal begins the item could sell out at any time. You definitely don't want to wait to add the item to your cart and purchase it.

If you miss the deal on the item you want, you may still have a chance to get the item at the Lightning Deal price if you get on the waitlist. It is possible that someone has added the item to their cart and then ends up not purchasing it. If you are next on the waitlist you may be the one who snags that item! Amazon.com

Amazon

Besides the Lightning Deals, Amazon is just a great way to purchase the items on your shopping list anyway. Amazon sellers change the prices of their items often, usually to match the prices offered by other retailers. But make sure you work quickly. You never know if the item will sell out, or how long the low price will last. If you see an amazing price on something on your list, don't wait, buy it! Amazon.com

Groupon

Groupon is a fantastic way to save on those gifts that you can't necessarily purchase at a store.  Groupon offers deals on events and activities, deals for kids, deals on travel, automotive deals, etc. All you need to do is set up an account, look for the deals available on their site, and start saving money! They also even have a page devoted to coupons you can use to shop online that can also help you save money when you are buying your Christmas gifts. Go to Groupon.com.

Price Match at Walmart

Sometimes the prices at the store just cannot be beat, even by online sellers. When this is the case it is of course better to get it at the store. If the item you are looking for is sold out at the original store where it is sold, you can take the ad to a Walmart and if they carry the item in their store, they will match the sale price of the item! For a complete understanding of their price match policy you can visit http://corporate.walmart.com/ad-match-guarantee.

A few other tips:

It is a good idea to add the regular price of the items you want to purchase to your shopping list. That way when you see a sale price you will know just how good that sale price is. Many times ads can make you think that you are getting a good price when really you may only be saving a dollar or two from the original price of an item.

Make your shopping list as soon as you can. The sooner you have the list the sooner you can be watching for good deals. Then you can get the best prices as they become available and you are not stuck shopping on Christmas Eve or missing shipping deadlines when shopping online.

It can take a little bit of extra time to ensure you get good deals and save money when buying the items on your Christmas list, but with that little bit of extra effort, you can help make the holidays a happy time for you both you and your family.

Fun Holiday Family Activities in Ogden

There are a lot of fun family activities coming up in the Ogden area for the holidays. It is shaping up to be quite the holiday season here! We hope you have time to check out some of these activities and enjoy time with your loved ones.

On Saturday, November 23rd, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden, there will be a performance of "Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical" Direct from Broadway Film starring David Hasselhoff. The cost for general admission is  $12 for adults, $9 for student/teacher/senior/military, and $7 for children under 12. Go here for more information.

Beginning on Wednesday, November 27th, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm is the Christmas Tree Jubilee in Ogden. This is a free event for everyone! There will be Christmas Trees to purchase and free live entertainment. Go here for more information.
Also at the Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden, on Friday, November 29th, there will be a Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand Christmas Concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost for reserved seating in advance is: $18 for adults and $15 for students/senior/military/teacher/child (w/ID). The cost day-of will be $23 for adults and $20 for students/senior/teacher/child. More information can be found here.

photo from ogdencity.com

The Holiday Electric Parade in Ogden begins at 5:30 pm of November 30th. The parade will go south on Washington Boulevard starting from 22nd Street to 28th Street. And at the end of the parade (about 6:30 pm), Santa will turn on the lights of the Christmas Village at the Municipal Gardens! Go here for more information.

And on November 30, at 7:30 pm there will be a screening of the 1947 classic, Miracle on 34th Street at the Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden. Cost is $6 for general admission, or $5 with a food donation. More information can be found here.

Also on November 30, the Ziegfeld Theatre on Washington Boulevard will be presenting "Twas The Night Before Christmas." 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Prices are $15 for adult, and $12 for children/students. more information can be found here.

Fun Fall Activity Ideas for the whole family

Go on a Hike

Going on a hike in the fall is a great way to enjoy the cooler autumn weather and see the changing leaves up close.  There are many different trails in Ogden and even a family with little children can enjoy a short hike to see the red, orange, and yellow leaves and enjoy a view of the Ogden valley. On the hike, younger kids might enjoy collecting the colorful leaves. Here is a great link for more information on Ogden hiking trails http://www.utah.com/ogden/hiking_trails.htm.

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Visiting a pumpkin patch can be such a fun tradition for the whole family to do each autumn. No matter what age your children (or grandchildren) are, there will be something for them to enjoy at a pumpkin patch. You will usually find at least one corn maze, a hay ride to pick your own pumpkin, a courtyard with activities such as pig races, slides, and a bonfire, and even a haunted house.

Rake Leaves

The best way to make work not seem like work is to turn it into a fun activity. And while raking leaves can be time consuming and labor intensive, having the kids help you can turn it into a fun fall family activity! Many young kids love to help out with yard work when they have their own tools.  You can purchase small plastic rakes at Wal-Mart or Target and the kids can help to make a leaf pile perfect for jumping in.

Make Caramel Apples

Yum! Caramel apples are delicious and very simple to make. There are many caramel apple recipes available online. Many of these recipes require only apples, sticks, caramel candies, and milk.  And there are many options to add to a regular caramel apple such as melted white or milk chocolate, crushed cookies, or even sprinkles.

Carve Pumpkins

Carving pumpkins is a lot of fun. There are many different designs to choose from. You can choose  to carve a simple smile faced pumpkin free hand or get really elaborate and print off a pumpkin carving template that you find online to carve a very intricate design. Of course this activity is safest for older children and adults. But the little ones can help scoop out the inside of the pumpkin and enjoy the finish product.

Throw a Halloween Party

If you are really ambitious, throwing a Halloween party can be a lot of fun. The party can be geared toward children, families, or you could throw one for adults only. There are so many fun Halloween activities for parties such as bobbing for apples, donuts on a string, pin the face on the pumpkin, and a Halloween themed piñata.  There are also a lot of creative ideas for Halloween party food available online (think green, orange, and red food!) to help make the party extra special.