Penny pinching without being Scrooge

Good Morning world. Never thought researching an article could be so much fun but Holidays Without Going Broke is turning out to be a joy. Researching all the events in the Tucson area that are both kid and grown-up friendly ways to get into the holiday mood without getting out the credit card. There's Luminaria Night at the zoo, Luminaria walk in Tubac, and Luminaria at the Botanical gardens....we're big on luminaria in these parts! It's so beautiful on a crisp desert evening to walk around some of these beautiful places lit with the traditional soft candle light of luminaria...smell the roasting chilis and cinammon scented Mexican hot chocolate. It will all be in the Tucson pages for December. We're hoping that readers around the world will share with us favorite local sights, scents and sounds of the holidays. Go to connectonsforwomen.com and click on Your Voice.
Check out our favorite blog at http://web.me.com/ilkawallace . Our logo designer, Benjamin Ilka, his wife Annie Wallace and 13 month old Maxine, have just moved to Ethiopia and are deep into culture shock and adventure. Annie is going to start a column for us on advice for moving to a Third World Country. Tip # 1...don't go to Ethiopia without a Visa card...Mastercard is rarely accepted there.