By Sheryl Smolkin

Continuing with a Christmas theme this week, we bring you blogs with ideas about how to decorate, eat and shop frugally during the run up to the big day.

On Free Home Decorating Ideas, check out Cheap Christmas Decorations including paper cut-outs of snowflakes that create a visually striking Christmas curtain, novel inexpensive ways to wrap your gifts and a budget centrepiece.

WooHome.com features Top 46 Outdoor Christmas Lighting Ideas to Illuminate the Holiday Spirit. Some of these are pretty elaborate and could run up major hydro bills, but it’s fun to look at the pictures.

In a guest post on DaveRamsey.com, Jenny Martin explains how you can plan a frugal Christmas dinner. Last year her family managed to feed 10 people Christmas dinner for only $20! That included a turkey and everything else, down to the paper plates and plastic cups. She says it all starts with a plan.

Well-know chef Jamie Oliver’s blog has a whole bunch of great holiday recipes that could easily become part of your family’s Christmas tradition . A yummy vegan mushroom, chestnut & cranberry tart looks a bit complicated but it might be just what you are looking for if your daughter informs you at the last minute that her vegan friend is joining you for the holidays.

And when it comes to those last minute Christmas gift, you may get some ideas from Christmas gifts: 288 brilliant Christmas gift ideas from Stuff. Twelve Christmas gift ideas for animal lovers includes a self-flushing, self-cleaning litter ‘toilet’ that comes with everything needed to keep it running for nine months. At $299 it may be hard to justify the expense, but think of all the money you will save on kitty litter with the self-cleaning granules!

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information with us on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.