Val Makes Cents

I can’t believe it is time to write about New Year’s Eve festivities. It seems this year has gone by so quickly. When it comes to New Year’s Eve activities, there is a lot to do. Often, we go to the Schuster Center’s performance that evening and leave the little one at home with the sitter, but there are plenty of activities that the whole family can participate in. ...read more

Christmas light displays are my favorite part of Christmas. When I was a kid, my parents used to drive my brother and I around the local neighborhoods to see all the light displays. Now I get to do the same thing with my little one, and she loves it! We usually visit three or four different places each year. If you want to spend an evening seeing the light sights, check out some of the following displays in the Dayton area. ...read more

Sometimes I think shopping for gifts is the most stressful part of the holidays. Fighting the crowds, worrying about prices, trying to determine the perfect gift for someone—it can all be overwhelming. Granted, online shopping has helped with the crowds, but if you really want to avoid some of the usual pain points of holiday shopping, why not make someone a gift instead of just clicking “buy now”? I love handmade gifts. Not only can you can save some money by making gifts, you can tailor the gifts I have in mind to individual preferences. ...read more

Christmas is already the most wonderful time of the year, and having a little one around to share it with makes the holiday season even better. I get to see everything through her eyes. She sees all the decorations and gets so excited for the upcoming festivities. Each night when we get home, she gets to turn on her tree and exclaims, “Mommy! My Christmas!” ...read more