Make the Spirit Last

13. Create a holiday scrapbook Collect that very special card from your child's great-grandmother, his first letter to Santa, and his cool drawing of the North Pole, and put them in a book devoted exclusively to the holidays to take out and add to every year. You might also write down his first words on Christmas morning, his favorite holiday songs and movies, or his best present ever from Santa. Let him draw a picture of (or help you write about) some of his favorite Christmas memories, too.

14. Light up your child's favorite space Drape a strand of tree lights in her room, fort, or playroom as a very cool decoration.

15. Call it a cat's Christmas The leftover wrapping from the holidays makes fantastic cat toys. Show your child how to string jingle bells on a piece of ribbon, and then dangle them around for your kitty to chase and bat. (Just be careful she doesn't ingest any part of it!) Bows, tied together into balls, also make the perfect cat toy. And watching her jump and pounce is laugh-out-loud entertainment for you and your kids.

16. Kick off a countdown to summer Declare to your kids that it isn't the end of Christmas, it's actually just 178 short days until they will be able to wear their bathing suits and stay up late into the evening catching lightning bugs in the backyard. Celebrate with an ice cream cone in classic holiday colors: Care for a scoop of pistachio or strawberry, anyone?

17. Start a new tradition Designate the 26th as the day your family always goes ice-skating or sits around the fire singing carols, or takes a drive through your neighborhood to ooh and aah at all the beautiful lights and decorations. The truth is, with the pressure of holiday preparations behind you, you might enjoy it a lot more than if you did it before Christmas.

18. Record milestones Year's end is a nice time to write down facts about your child's development. Fill in her baby book with info about her height and weight and quirks. Jot down little milestones, too, like when she first threw a ball or said a certain adorable phrase.

It's also a great time to reflect on what the year has meant to you and your family, since chances are you haven't been able to keep up that wonderful daily mother's journal that you'd planned!

19. Light up a room Have a candlelit dinner -- or a candlelit snack -- with your kids. A simple votive or two makes even leftovers more festive.

20. Take inventory Look over the presents you and your family received and get each item ready to use right away. Put batteries in toys and appliances. Take action figures and Barbie dolls out of difficult-to-open packaging. Find storage for multipiece toys (such as block sets, trains, and dolls) so that parts won't get lost.

21. Donate duplicates Can't handle the hassle of returning or exchanging duplicate gifts? Instead of rushing from store to store on this busy day, take your children to the nearest collection box for a local charity and leave the presents there. Explain to your kids that your special delivery will go to needy people who will be grateful for your regifting.

22. Play, play, play Sometimes children don't know what to do with the new toys they've received, and they need some coaching or help with the directions. Construct connecting buildings with the blocks that your child may have gotten. Play Sorry! with him if he got the board game, explaining the rules. Read the first chapter of a new book to him to get him started on it.

23. Call your mom Thank her for everything she did for you during the holidays when you were a child. Why? Because now you actually understand exactly what you're thanking her for.

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