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31 Bus trip: Spending time with family is big around this time of the year. So, take them on a bus trip ... city bus, that is. Hop on Charlotte Area Transit and ride though the various neighborhoods to look at all the twinkling holiday lights.
32 Goodies from the office: Your office has a treasure trove of gifts. You just have to be careful when you're sneaking out pencils, pads and paper clips; the last thing you need is to get fired because you want to give your sister-in-law a pen with your company's logo on it.
33 Frozen treats: Inside your freezer, you've got chicken and other iced-over food that's been sitting there since July. You really need to get rid of that stuff. So, here's what you need to do: Take the food out of the freezer and make a family meal of it. Sure, someone may get sick or blow up your bathroom, but at least your freezer is cleaned out.
34 Game night: If you really want to make sure your family will have a good time this holiday season and get at least one good gift, why not organize a family game night? Pick a game like poker, or Monopoly (since it's more family friendly), and have your kinfolk bring over a gift. The winners of the different rounds get to choose a present. And everyone will leave with something -- you will just be stuck cleaning up the wrapping paper.
35 Write a letter to a deployed soldier: Imagine being a soldier, deployed overseas in a war-torn country, going to sleep Christmas Eve unsure if you'll live to see another day. You miss your family, your friends and the girl or boy back home who's waiting for you to come back. You didn't ask to be sent away. You didn't ask to miss out on the eggnog or the presents. You sure as hell didn't ask to replace that feeling of calmness and peace that wraps most people Christmas morning with fear and apprehension. Visit AnySoldier.com or SoldiersAngels.org to find out more information on how to send an encouraging letter or care package to someone serving our country during deployment. Wouldn't you want someone to write you?
36 Holiday cookies for the pets: During tough economic times, we tend to slack on the extras to save a little change. And when times are really hard, Fido tends to lose out on his goodies. Be honest: When you're surveying what's in the grocery cart and what's in your wallet, aren't the dog treats the first thing to be put back on the shelf? Be practical in your holiday shopping this year, and buy your pet-loving friends treats for their animals. PetSmart has candy-cane shaped rawhide for $8.99.
37 Amazon gift card: It's a scary time to be buying gift cards -- who knows how long the store will stay in business? Try a gift card from Amazon. Because, unlike Circuit City, you know Amazon won't go out of business anytime soon. Gift cards come in any amount from $5 to $5,000, they're redeemable for millions of items, they never expire and they ship for free.
38 Scrimping on holiday decorations: Don't let the high prices of holiday decorations deter you from doing up your own home; just be creative about it. Our suggestion is to take that digital camera of yours and take shots of Christmas trees around town, upload the photos to your computer and make a screensaver out of it. That way, you can experience the twinkling lights of the season without having to shell out the cash for it. Some good trees to photograph include the ones at the Epicentre, in Founders Hall, in Symphony Park at SouthPark and pretty much any mall in town.
39 Go ice skating: Try outdoor ice skating at WBT's Holiday on Ice on the Green in Uptown (425 S. Tryon St.). Sure, those kids zipping by can be intimidating, but for $10 ($7 admission, $3 skate rental) it's a cheap date. Besides, it's a Charlotte tradition. www.wbtholidayonice.com.
40 Enter a sexy Santa contest: You'd never use the word "sexy" to describe the jolly fat man in the red and white suit, but perhaps you could if you put that suit on a woman -- and took away some material. Less is more, people. BAR Charlotte is hosting its Naughty or Nice Xmas Party on Dec. 19, where they'll be giving away a cash prize of $500 to the sexiest Santa costume. Piece of advice: Avoid the long white beard. 300 N. College St. 704-342-2557.
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