The holiday season is a time for family and fun, but getting ready for the festivities also requires some energy and effort. Whether you're hunting for the perfect gift, decking the halls or planning a meal, the holiday season seems to arrive faster than a flying sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer.
To help people simplify their preparations and avoid common seasonal pitfalls, CBC.ca has compiled this handy holiday guide. Click on the images for links to features covering seasonal shopping, travel, decorating, food and health, and gift ideas.
Best wishes for the season from CBC.ca.
Shopping
(AP Photo)
Key holiday shipping dates: Tips on domestic and international shipping deadlines for the holidays, proper packing materials and techniques for safe shipping, and customs requirements and restrictions for various countries. Includes an interactive guide to shipping rates set by a variety of couriers for cities across Canada and around the world.
Gift cards: Find out the difference between gift cards and gift certificates, and what the benefits and drawbacks of these cards are for the consumer.
Trip to see the man in red: 10 things to keep in mind when getting kids ready for the trip to see Santa.
Staying within your toy budget: Advice on managing kids' expectations when it comes to gifts.
Compulsive shopping: Help for those dealing with an overpowering urge to shop.
Safe online shopping: Tips for protecting your personal information when shopping at e-commerce websites.
Kids toys: How to be a savvy shopper when on the hunt for the hottest toys this season.
Travel:
(AP Photo)
Bored with the beach? If a vacation in the sun over the holiday break doesn't grab you, but you don't want to hang around home, travel writer Wallace Immen has some out-of-the-ordinary getaway suggestions.
Airport security: 10 things that can help streamline the airport experience for holiday globetrotters.
Trip to see the man in red: 10 things to keep in mind when getting kids ready for the trip to see Santa.
Airport security: Tips for travellers
Decorating:
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Finding the perfect tree: What's the best tree to take home this holiday season? A narrated slideshow of expert tree-hunting tips.
Christmas tree safety: Whether it's real or fake, there are safety precautions that need to be taken when setting up, decorating and maintaining a Christmas tree.
Green packaging: If you want to lessen the environmental impact of your holiday festivities, there are new options for disposable dinnerware.
Christmas crackers: If you're planning to add some pop to your table decorations, find out what's inside some popular brands and what you'll get for your money.
Christmas lights and sound Video Feature - Rob Blanchard takes Christmas lights to a whole new level, sychronizing to music at his home in Charlottetown. (runs 2:06)
Short of time?: Video Feature: Outsourcing of home Christmas preparation gains ground. (runs 1:39)
That's a wrap!: Alternative presentation ideas for holiday gifts.
Food and health:
(Getty Images)
Seasonal goodies: Healthy eating tips for the holidays.
Trans fat: A guide to trans fat: why it's harmful, and how to avoid it this season.
The shoestring gift guide: Holiday preparations on a tight budget.
Holiday calories: You might be surprised how many calories are hidden in the big holiday feast.
Holiday feasts, sourced locally: Local foods, when used to create the holiday meal, can boost a family's sense of community.
Holiday stress: The holiday preparations and social pressures can sometimes seem overwhelming. Experts suggest some coping tips.
Gift ideas:
(AP Photo)
Guys and dolls: The rest of the world may be changing when it comes to gender stereotypes, but in Toyland things move as slowly as a crawling baby doll with weak batteries.
The shoestring gift guide: Holiday preparations on a tight budget.
Noisy toys: Video feature on toys that create noise levels high enough to damage hearing (Runs 1:59).
Plasma and LCD TVs: Tips for those evaluating a flat-screen, high-definition television.
Small media players with big storage: A roundup of some of the latest high-capacity portable audio-video players, and what to look for before buying one of these big-ticket items.
Music to go:: A roundup of some of the latest portable music players, and what features to expect in various price ranges.
12 Days of Christmas: How much it will cost you to buy all the items from the famous yuletide song.
Map quest: Four new atlases paint a strange, often hilarious portrait of Canada.
Video game consoles: New hardware heats up the battle between makers of video game consoles — a look at what to expect from the latest systems.
Brokerage fees: Video Feature - The hidden costs of shipping gifts across the border.
To regift or not to regift : Podcast - CBC Saskatchewan reporter Jennifer Quesnel investigates this seasonal quandry. (Runs 9:07 in RealPlayer)
Alternative gifts: Holiday cheer doesn't have to come from a store.
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