Hello all, and welcome to my advice column! This time of the year is busy for all, as almost everybody is getting ready for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. Here are some suggestions from your favorite gal around here to get the best out of both holidays.

Before Thanksgiving, you want to finish shopping as early as you can since everything good will be sold out sooner than you think, especially the turkeys since everyone wants to buy one of those. Oh, but a fair warning for you as well: you don't want to go shopping too early, either. Nobody wants to eat sour food, darlings.

Now, to go all out, make your Thanksgiving dinner special by adding candy to the kids' food and maybe even the adults'. You know, the candy from Halloween last month? If you have any leftovers, put them in your desserts. This will make your dinner more fun and unique because the food typically served on Thanksgiving is not sweet.

The last tip I have for Thanksgiving is to be thankful. Write cards to the Ministry of Magic to tell them how much you appreciate them. I know this is a no-brainer, but when I was young, I used to take my magic, my family, and everything for granted. So please show your gratitude, and be glad that you are a part of this wonderful magical community.

Now that I have covered everything serious, let's move on to happier subjects. Presents! Everybody loves to receive them, but not everyone likes to give. To get cheap but thoughtful gifts, just follow these simple instructions:
1. You must head to the shops right now! This is important because all the good items will be sold out by the time Christmas rolls around, and the price of items will just get higher and higher the closer you get to Christmas.
2. If you won't go to the shops this instant, don't wait until the last minute, either. Again the price thing, but also, waiting until the very last minute is going to get you nothing but gift cards. They are the most predictable and least thoughtful gifts in the universe. Don't get people gift cards for Christmas! Birthdays? Gift cards are fine. Christmas? Nooo (I'm shaking my head at you if you buy your family and friends gift cards).
3. Look everywhere for coupons. Don't cheat and conjure yourself some. Scout around for them; I promise it will be fun.
4. You can totally make your own presents. Buy something that you can personalize from Crafty Witches, and you'll be good to go. These are the most thoughtful gifts because you have put time and effort into them. Make sure it's something useful, though!
I must end here, for it's not quite Christmas yet, and more good tips will be revealed in due time. Have a great Thanksgiving, host dinners, and last of all, be safe!