What’s in your oven? There is nothing like a batch of homemade cookies baking in the oven to invoke the holiday spirit. Spend some time in the kitchen this week and create special memories for your children and share the bounty to fill the tummies and warm the hearts of those around you….
Week #3: WHAT’S IN YOUR OVEN?There is nothing like a batch of homemade cookies baking in the oven to invoke the holiday spirit! If you are involved in a cookie exchange you have a whole lot of one type of cookie to make. Resist the temptation to not want help during the baking and decorating process. I know it would be a lot easier to bake without little hands getting in the way, but these memories will last a lifetime to the little ones in your life! Make sure you snap a few pictures, as these photos will be greatly treasured in years to come. Read the rest »
Right around Thanksgiving, while I was five states away from home, I learned a valuable lesson. I think it occurred somewhere in between the argument with my mom, the disbelief at seeing my 94-year-old grandmother with her new “Alzheimer’s” personality, and the fact that, though I was having a good time in general, underneath I was still kind of pissed that I had to spend Thanksgiving (again) without a husband because he’d recently left me. And who is now “dating,” I might add. Anyway, the point is, I was feeling sorry for myself and did not feel like there was much at all to be thankful about. Au contraire.
So…I’m standing in line at a bustling Panera Bread in New Jersey with my mom, my three children, and my 23-year-old sister. My sister is young, attractive and full of life, has just begun a promising career as a nurse at a busy northeastern hospital, and everything I wish I could be again. As we’re waiting our turn to order lunch, I realize the guy ahead of us, who is about my sister’s age, has no right leg from the knee down. What’s left of it is wrapped in bright white gauze. I don’t know that he’s military, but it’s my best guess. And though this is extremely upsetting and sad to me, because I live in North Carolina and see military personnel somewhat regularly, it’s not the shock it might be to someone else. Read the rest »
Before the packages are opened and your home is overwhelmed with new things, take this challenge to clear out the clutter now. A super simple system to let go and purge. Also, the three most important reasons to do this now…
Week #2: PRE-CHRISTMAS PURGE
We are on our Holiday home stretch. This week continue to work on your Christmas list, get your house decorated and mail out your holiday cards. Your list hopefully is dwindling, but if it is not- stop the madness if you are holding onto grand plans of finishing projects that will really stress you out in the weeks to come. It is so not worth it! Stop trying to impress others at Christmas! Give from your heart and give what you can really afford…not what you want others to THINK you can afford. If you are finished with your list, beware of the ever-present temptation to buy more. Read the rest »
Santa must have an unlimited supply of money. How else would he be able to afford gifts for all the children of the world when we struggle to purchase gifts for the dozen or so people on our list? At a time of the year when goodwill should be abounding, our debts are the only thing mounting. Below are some suggestions for how you can reduce the cost of buying Christmas years this year.
Step 1: Start shopping early in the year. Make your Christmas list during the summer and decide on your budget at that time. There may be some additional people to add as you get closer to the holidays, but chances are you already know who needs to be on your list. Now that you’ve created your list early, begin making gift purchases at least 6 months before the holiday season. If you commit yourself to purchasing at least 2 gifts a month until Christmas you won’t feel the money crunch that other shoppers feel come December. Read the rest »
It’s amazing how many people we give gifts to during the holidays. If only we had unlimited funds and we could give generously to everyone on our list.
But, unfortunately, that is not the case for most of us. In these harsh financial times, I know very few people who can comfortably give as much as they would like this year.
The fabulous news is that you can still give meaningful and appreciated gifts to all the people on your list and do it on a reasonable budget. Frugal giving is the way to go this year and so is staying out of debt. Read the rest »
Is it your turn to host the holiday dinner this year? Lucky You! The holiday season can be stressful enough without the extra added pressure of making one of the “big” holiday meals for 15 of your closest relatives or friends. We wish we could give you an “Easy” button for your holiday meals, but the best we can do is offer you a few terrific tips that will help you get through it smoothly!
Write down the menu: The best way to get started with the task of planning a big meal is to develop the menu. This can be lots of fun. Start this task with the guest head count divided into adults and kids and before setting the dinner menu, check with your guests about any food allergies. Buy a few magazines or look through cookbooks for ideas. Unless you have a lot of cooking experience, we don’t recommend picking all new dishes. It’s best to pick a few new items and few stand-bys that you know how to make. Read the rest »
It’s amazing how many people we give gifts to during the holidays. If only we had unlimited funds and we could give generously to everyone on our list. 
