It's easy to lose control of your holiday spending, especially when you're not organized and don't keep track of spending, and the added-on expenses of holiday activities.

That's why it's always a good idea to organize and track spending through gift lists, and keep track of all the activities your family wants to enjoy this year. The benefits of staying organized are two-fold: you can keep a handle on your spending, and you prevent yourself from stressing out, running from one event to another without ever coming up for air.

More Thrifty Thursday Ideas from the Parenting Channel

Now that the holiday season is officially underway, it might be a good time to review some basic lessons in manners and etiquette with your tween.

There's really no reason why your child can't take the time to show others appreciation and gratitude, and a well-written thank you note, or a thoughtful gesture are easy ways to do that. Make it fun, so that your tween doesn't feel like he's getting yet another lecture about keeping his feet off the dinner table. Humor, light hearted remarks, or upbeat suggestions might be all it takes to encourage a little thoughtfulness, every now and then.

Black Friday is a mere four days away. If you plan to do any shopping on Friday, either in the stores or online, you'll need a handy list of gift ideas for everybody on your holiday list.

As you can imagine, electronic gifts are pretty popular with tweens, and some of them are reasonably priced. Just be sure you can return any items without hassle -- no matter who you're buying for.

This weekend has been anticipated by Twilight fans for months. New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight series opens in movie theatres today. While tweens, teens and fans of all ages will wait in line for tickets this weekend, conversations are bound to continue about whether or not the movie (and the books) are appropriate for the tween crowd.

Having seen the movie at a press premiere earlier this week, I can say that one thing's for sure: parents will feel pretty strongly one way or another. How do you feel about allowing tweens watch New Moon? Do you think it's a great story, and one that tweens can learn from with adult supervision? Or, do you think the content is too mature for those under 13?