When you’re planning your Christmas holiday, don’t forget to do a little planning for Christmas morning.  Of course dinners and presents are at the forefront of your mind during these hectic times, but you want to make Christmas morning special for you and your kids.

In our house, Christmas morning is magical.  We play it up big on Christmas Eve, so by the next morning, my kids’ excitement level is bubbling over.  You need to make sure you’re up early and have the cameras and camcorders all in place.

My husband and I neatly place the Santa toys and stocking right in front of the Christmas tree. It’s wonderful seeing my kids walk down the hall and watch their eyes widen when they see their gifts. I don’t mind the wrapping paper flying in all directions or the chaotic noise of toys everywhere. I just love that there’s a celebration and everyone’s enjoying themselves.

Want to learn some specific tips about making Christmas morning special? From the perfect Christmas morning cup of coffee to the best way to bag up all of the mess that’s made, the Christmas Morning lens on Squidoo will help you plan the perfect day!

Sometimes in all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we get wrapped up in gift giving and forget the roots of why we have this celebration in the first place.

Many kids today grow up in an “I want, I want, Gimme, Gimme” atmosphere. As a parent, you’re your child’s best educator and mentor.

It’s important that at this time of sharing and giving, we remember that it’s actually a birthday celebration.

On that day, December 25th, God was blessed with a son of His own, Jesus Christ. And I found a great gift that’s perfect for ages toddler through teens – an Animated Children’s Bible that shows the story of Genesis with lovable characters.

These DVDs will make an excellent stocking stuffer for the family and they can be passed down for future generations.

(By the way, this isn’t a link where I make a single penny from the sale – I’m simply telling you about a great find I personally cherish for my own children). Click the banner below:

I have a 3-year old daughter named Scarlett. She has two older brothers, so I can never count on just finding “girlie” toddler toys for her – I have to make sure I shop for toddler toys based on fun and educational or creative appeal.

This year, it’s Elmo, LeapFrog, and a whole host of other toddler toys that are big.  Every year I abhor having to go shopping in stores and trying to find the hottest toy of the season, becauss it’s never there!  A great tip is to shop online and shop early, because if you wait too long, you’ll wind up going to eBay and paying an arm and a leg for the toy your child wants.

The favorite toys my daughter plays with are her dollhouse (see below) and her Mermaid

Here are the Top Toddler Toys for 2009:

…And let’s not forget about the roof! Christmas light displays are what make you smile.  There are all kinds of Christmas lights and yes, my family puts them all to good use.

We have a mix of Christmas light displays that are fun in nature, like the inflatable Santa with an inner light to the Reindeer and Snowman whose light-filled hineys move to the sound of music.  We also have a Santa popping up out of our roof whose fake chimney is lit up so you can see Old Saint Nick.

The Christmas light choices my husband’s made for the edge of our roof might be questioned by some. We like those large old-fashioned Christmas bulbs in multi-colors, so those line our home and garage.  But we also liked the trend of icicle lights and of course, being the Griswold’s that we are, we went with multi-colored ones.

We have Christmas light displays in the windows that reflect the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus, and Christmas lights abound in the form of candles, strands, and more. The main problem we encounter each year is running out of extension cords.

One thing we love is the clicker we own to turn the outdoor Christmas light displays off from the inside of the house. That’s invaluable to me when I’m already in my cozy slippers and pajamas and can’t fathom having to walk outside in the freezing cold to unplug them!  You can also get timers to help you turn your Christmas lights on and off automatically so that you don’t forget. Here are some Christmas Light Recommendations from Tiffany:

I’ll confess – my mom thinks my family lacks a certain elegance when it comes to Christmas decoration in the home and yard. That’s okay – she loves me anyway. And I love visiting her home where the trimmings are awe-inspiring and could rival Martha Stewart any day, but for us – the gawdier the better!

My Christmas decoration plans begin from the inside-out. We start by getting out all of the staples we use each year, like wall hangings, door covers, stockings, and more. My husband goes around and puts multi-colored lights up on the ceiling all around the rooms, so we look like the inside of a local Tex-Mex restaurant. But I love the colorful glow.

The very second we feel we wouldn’t be ashamed to put outdoor Christmas decorations up, they’re up. Like right after Thanksgiving dinner, so be exact. We spare no time in filling our home (and our hearts) with Christmas spirit! I created a great Squidoo lens about Christmas decoration ideas, so I hope you’ll visit it and share your ideas, too! Here are some outdoor inflatable Christmas decorations that I love: