Red Wings Tickets are available for discount prices through select local Oakland County Parks and Recreation departments. The discounts are available for for both general seating and premium seating for select Red Wings games in the 2011-2012 season. I'm told the discount Red Wings tickets go fast and most of the discount offers sell out quickly.

Oakland County Parks and Rec departments selling discount Red Wings Tickets include:

The Oakland County Moms annual guide to holiday toy shopping is back (better late than never). OCM has reviewed hundreds of toys and games since its inception and this year's guide is an attempt to find some creative solutions to holiday toy shopping dilemmas for different ages and price ranges.

Stores That Offer Free Shipping for Black Friday Deals

I do a majority of my Black Friday shopping online. The only problem is buying a "big ticket" deal on a large item and then having to pay a lot of money to have it shipped. If you'd rather avoid Black Friday and Thanksgiving crowds at malls and local retailers - there are some retailers that offer free shipping for Black Friday sales online.

Retailers that offer free online shipping for Black Friday purchases:

Blake's Cider Mill  in Armada offers a cut-your-own Christmas trees. Not only can you cut your own tree, Blake's provides all the tools and many perks for the experience.

Cut your own Christmas Tree at Blake's offers:

The holiday season is upon us and so is the calorie counting season. There are healthier alternatives out there to many high calorie/high fat holiday treats. Rachel Berman, RD, CSR, CD/N, the Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com has sent us some examples of which foods we should ditch and offers some healthier, yummy solutuions.

Ditch and Dish: Holiday Meals

Raising a child is an expensive adventure. According to BabyCenter.com, the average cost of raising a child is $250,000. Knowing where and when it's safe to cut corners can help with your bottom line.

I interviewed Sandra Gordon, author of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, for tips on where to skimp and and when to splurge when buying for your baby.

Oakland County Moms: If parents wanted to save money, what are some of the most common items you see parents spending unnecessarily on?

Verizon Wireless sent me some info on some phone apps to help shoppers on Black Friday. These Black Friday phone apps can definitely make navigating Black Friday shopping easier!

The following Black Friday phone apps are available for both iPhone and Android devices:

Submit Christmas lights photos for Bronner's Chrismtas Wonderland. What a cool idea! Bronner's Christmas Wonderland put up this website where people can display outdoor photos of their Christmas decorations. It starts with a map of the US and indicators of where photos are from. You can click on an indicator and see a picture of the house. And, you can submit photos of your own!

Halloween season provides an opportunity for kids to participate in imaginative role-playing as they trick or treat. Melissa Bernstein of Melissa and Doug Toys fame gives out tips for expanding on the Halloween dress-up opportunities and expanding them for year-round imaginative play for kids.

Here are Melissa Bernstein's tips on the importance of role play and why parents should encourage their children to be creative with their costumes after the Halloween season: