We skipped the malls and "decked the halls" this Black Friday by scoping out Christmas Town in Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  I still feel like I am floating from the magical experience.  The decorations at night are breathtaking, and you can't help but smile as you roam through the festive theme park.

Let’s face it, as we get older many of us take a more critical look in the mirror. Age and motherhood can certainly take its toll. A lack of sleep coupled with the endless needs of children can result in a sorely neglected beauty and health regimen. For me, it also didn’t help that I pursued sun worshiping as a career path in my youth. So, after my 40th birthday I began researching an “all of the above” strategy on fighting the aging process.

Would a simple cream do the trick? What does Botox really do and what are the drawbacks? In addition to the usual wrinkles, I also had some sunspots that I was anxious to get rid of. My journey started with a routine trip to my dermatologist to have a small mole checked. (I’m convinced that with my beautiful children and happy life…surely a shoe is ready to drop in the form of some malignancy. But my paranoia about moles is another story.) After going through our normal check up, I asked about the age spots on my face. She wrote a prescription for a brown spot lightening cream. Well…it takes 8 weeks, morning and night application, etc. Frankly, I am just not that disciplined. When I asked about other options, she had none. The quest for knowledge continued.

I was honored to be contacted by local author and fitness expert, Laura De Simone about her newest book,  Serve it Up, the first ever book that offers meal plans and ideas for serving kid-friendly foods in a portion-controlled manner. This book is designed to help adults feed their children popular kid foods by pairing foods in an appropriate and beneficial way. The ground-breaking idea is that children will be able to eat the foods they already eat, but do so by placing certain foods together so they are satisfying the USDA guidelines and recommendations for daily calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates.

I had the pleasure of reviewing her book and found the charts and serving sizes easy to use, and the meal ideas simple and family-friendly. Read the interview with the lady behind the book, Serve it Up, and check out the book (in ebook and paperback version) now available on Amazon here.

1. Browse. This is the fun part. Start browsing catalogs, websites, and stores now for what’s new this season.  And don’t forget about places off the beaten path: there are many museums, shops, theaters, and enriching classes in the area that offer unique gift and gift card possibilities.  

2. Research. Research specialty items like electronics before purchasing. Amazon’s online reviews and Consumer Reports are great resources for evaluating the pros and cons of all kinds of products from cameras to exercise equipment.

3. Clip Coupons and Use Your Smart Phone. In addition to finding printable coupons online, the local paper (especially the Thanksgiving Day issue) will be full of ads and coupons for holiday deals. Once you’ve gone to the trouble to clip the coupons, keep an envelope in your purse to stash them. Nothing bugs me more than finding a great deal, reaching for my wallet, and realizing I’ve left my coupons at home.   If you have a Smart Phone, be sure to store coupon tags and have them handy when you shop.  Also, look for a new iPhone app from Fatwallet.com, an online Black Friday Deal Finder that will allow you to review and sort ads by deal category or store.