Make The Holidays Pleasant, Even With Fewer Presents

Most of us will be tightening the belt a bit this year, and buying fewer and less extravagant gifts for our loved ones. How do you keep the jolly in the holiday with less material cheer under the tree? What do we do when our few offerings are unwrapped, and we still have most of the day stretching ahead of us?

Dig out those old-fashioned Christmas movies like "Miracle on 34th Street", "White Christmas" or "It's a Wonderful Life." You could also watch one of those animated children's holiday specials that all of the networks run this time of year.

Ransack your closets for costumes, and have the kids put on a Christmas-themed play or talent show.

Get out the cookie cutters, and make some Christmas cookies. Have the kids help you decorate them. Alternatively, you could assemble a gingerbread house. Why not share with your neighbors?

If you live in a snowy climate, get outdoors and build a snowman, make snow angels, go sledding, or have a snowball fight.

Make a Christmas craft together. Projects can be found in abundance on the Internet for both kids and adults. As an added bonus, you'll have an extra decoration or gift for someone for next year!

Pull a holiday classic like "A Christmas Carol" from the bookshelf and read aloud to your family.

Work on a puzzle with a holiday motif, or play a game of Scrabble with the rule that all words must have a yuletide theme.

Make mugs of cocoa and walk around your neighborhood looking at all of your neighbors' decorations.

Get out the karaoke machine if you have one, and sing some Christmas carols. If you don't have a karaoke machine, a willing piano accompanist helps, but a cappella renditions from memory work too. Bonus points if you walk around the neighborhood caroling to your neighbors!

I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas afternoon pursuits. Hopefully I've given you a few new ideas as well!