As a mom of 3 + a niece and nephew, the economic conditions posed a real challenge for me in regards to filling some of those "wishes", but what I expected to be stressful turned out to be one of my very best experiences ever!

Not only did my husband and I fulfill most of their wishes, we did so without spending a fortune. As weird as it sounds, I preferred this "budget friendly" experience more than any other year!

Some of those killer deals were:...