3 Steps to Get Ready for Your Best Christmas

 

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also be overwhelming and stressful if you wait until the last minute to get ready. That’s why I’ve always advised friends and colleagues to get an early start! By getting a head start, you can enjoy a more relaxed and enjoyable holiday season. Here are three practical things you can do early to ensure that you enjoy your best Christmas!

1. Plan Your Holiday Budget

You can reduce holiday stress by planning your budget in advance. Start by listing all potential expenses, including gifts, decorations, holiday meals, and travel. This will help you set a realistic budget and avoid overspending.

• Create a Gift List: Write down everyone you plan to give gifts to and set a spending limit for each person. This will help you keep track of your expenses and avoid last-minute splurges.
• Track Your Spending: Use budgeting apps or a simple spreadsheet to monitor your expenses as you go. This can help you stay within your budget and make adjustments as needed. I have a free Holiday Spending Worksheet to share if you leave your request in the comments!

2. Start Gift Shopping Now

Gift shopping can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of Christmas preparation, so getting an early start can make a huge difference. As an added bonus, you’ll escape the crowds shopping in December. If you shop online, shopping early ensures gifts arriving in plenty of time. No more IOU’s for Christmas!

• Make a List: Outline what you plan to buy for each person. Consider their interests and hobbies to find thoughtful gifts.
• Shop Sales and Discounts: Take advantage of early holiday sales and special promotions to find great deals. Many retailers offer discounts well before the holiday season, so keep watch for them!

Starting your gift shopping early not only helps you avoid the last-minute rush but also allows you to find more meaningful and budget-friendly presents.

3. Prepare Your Home for the Festivities

Getting your home ready for Christmas early can make the season more enjoyable and less stressful. This includes decorating, organizing, and planning your holiday gatherings.

• Decorate Early: Put up your Christmas decorations in early December (or the day after Thanksgiving) to fully enjoy them throughout the season. I had a friend who had multiple trees for her house; she started decorating the beginning of November to avoid decorating burnout in December!
• Organize Holiday Supplies: Gather and check your holiday supplies, such as wrapping paper, ribbons, and greeting cards. This will prevent last-minute trips to the store and ensure you're fully prepared. In the coming year, consider shopping clearance sales after the holidays to stock up on your supplies!
• Plan Your Menu: If you're hosting holiday meals or taking dishes to other events, start planning your menu and creating a shopping list. This gives you ample time to try new recipes or adjust your plans based on dietary needs.

Starting your Christmas preparations early can transform the holiday season from a stressful time into a joyful one. By planning your budget, shopping for gifts, and getting your home ready, you’ll set the stage for a relaxing and festive Christmas. So, take a deep breath, get organized, and enjoy your best Christmas!

It's a Little Late to Be "Early"

My Christmas newsletter template blog post is getting lots of hits, and yes, now is the right time to put the finishing touches on your newsletter so that you can start sending them with your Christmas cards early in December (thus giving the recipient time to put a card in the mail for you)!

Otherwise, this week of Thanksgiving is not the ideal time to prepare “in advance” for Christmas because you are probably preparing for guests for a Thanksgiving feast or for travel to a feast. Or you may be planning your Black Friday shopping strategies!

I have no new tips for preparing early for Christmas. I hope you’re ready to enjoy all the festivities in the coming month! Whether you have already begun to decorate or you are saving the work till December (or till after Thanksgiving dinner), you might want to check out this past post on creating a Christmas Memory Tree. A video is included!

Happy holidays! (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve and Day)

To-Do List for July

q Shop the Independence Day clearance sales for items suitable for Christmas use: red plates (paper or plastic), napkins, tablecloths, star-shaped ornaments, star garland, candles, patriotic items that can decorate a Christmas tree, and stocking stuffers such as flag or star pencils, etc.

q Experiment with a new recipe that you may want to serve during the holiday season or to give as a gift. I found a recipe for microwaveable divinity candy a few years ago. I plan to test it to see if it is as good as my mother used to make.

q Plan your Christmas newsletter. We’ve passed the halfway mark of the year. Make note of memorable happenings so that you’re ready when it’s time to type up your newsletter to add to Christmas cards.

q Plan your Christmas photo, if you plan to include a family photo in your Christmas cards or as a gift for family members—or even as part of a calendar.

Photo Gift Tip: My daughter makes personalized calendars for her grandma, father, and me each year. She carries her camera in her purse and snaps pictures throughout the year so that she has some good shots to represent each month on the calendar; most are family shots, but some are nature scenes with quotes or verses added. The calendars become keepsake items. Plus, you can add birthdays to help scatterbrained people remember them! You can use computer software to design a calendar, but you can also upload photos to a site that has calendar templates to help you create a calendar. Any store that prints photos probably offers templates online. We’ve used Walgreens and Walmart, as well as a local printer.

This list offers you one activity per week, if you intend to do all four. All are doable, as none require a lot of time. If you choose to do less, that’s fine too. Just do something! Don’t let our favorite holiday catch you unprepared!

5 Steps to Declutter Christmas!

5 Steps to Declutter Christmas! is an excellent blog post from Action Plan Ministries and authors of the book Declutter Now! You know I’m all about advance planning, and these good folks have the right idea. Click the bold red link and get some great tips.

Don’t Procrastinate! Here’s Why...

Where was I in July? Why wasn’t I here, reminding you to shop the After-Independence-Day sales for bargains on star decorations and napkins and things that could be used for Christmas decorations? What happened to my Celebrate Christmas in July cheers, encouraging you to plan your holiday gifts, menus, and parties in advance?

My nails were painted
for a party, not a stay at
Club Hospital

I was in the hospital, escaping death. That was my surgeon’s take on it, anyway. If my daughter had not rushed me there in the “dead of night” (pun intended), I might have died. I thought I had a nasty intestinal virus, but the surgeon believes I had a hole in my colon. Fun stuff. Writhing in pain and unable to take it any more, I arrived at the ER hoping for a shot or something on the cheap and quick side, but they knocked me out and sliced me open to see what was what. Nine days later, I was released to come home and shuffle from the guest room (closest to the bathroom) to the living room and back. I truly wondered if I would ever feel normal again. I still wonder as I feel a twinge now and then and imagine the cause. For someone who has never experienced surgery or a hospital stay before, this is all new and frightening. Being told it could be 3-6 months before I’m back to normal—and a year for my insides to be completely healed—is not very comforting. Why is my body procrastinating??? Heal already!!!

I didn’t know that July 2013 would not be mine to enjoy. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. So, if you wait until after Thanksgiving to prepare for Christmas and you get hit with the unexpected, what will happen to your favorite holiday? Will you miss out on some yearly fun? Stress yourself out by trying to do too much with too little time? Face disappointed children and beat yourself up mentally?

I lost July, but that’s okay. I already have some gifts stashed away, and the one I intended to purchase in July can be bought in August (it’s just $5 — shhhh). I have new-to-us decorations stored in my holiday closet. I have my Christmas cards that will be ready to mail at the beginning of December. And of course, my good friend Beth and I already spent several months testing new appetizers to serve at our 2nd annual Christmas mystery party, so skipping appetizers in July doesn’t affect our plans.

Because I’ve made Christmas all year long a way of life, losing an Entire Month hasn’t ruined my plans. Even if, heaven forbid, I spent December in the hospital, all would not be lost. My family would still have gifts. I might have to ask a close friend to go to my house and wrap the gifts in my gift cabinet for me, but due to my advance gift purchases, I wouldn’t miss out on the joy of giving. I could direct my daughter to our craft closet, where the cards are stashed, and have her put the labels on them and mail them for me.

Please don’t leave things till the last minute. Don’t procrastinate. Before you know it, November will be here, and time will seem to speed up. If you do what you can now, at a more leisurely pace, you won’t find yourself anxious and stressed later. You will have saved yourself some time that you can spend enjoying your family and friends and the traditions of the holidays. Isn’t that the goal? To create beautiful memories that we can enjoy with our loved ones? Make sure you have the time. If you haven’t started yet, now is the time to make plans, set goals, and look forward to a warm and wonderful holiday season.

5 Steps to Declutter Christmas! | Action Plan Minstries

Yours Truly as a Fairy Godmother
(many years ago)

5 Steps to Declutter Christmas! | Action Plan Minstries

I want to share the above blog with you (click on the green title); it offers  excellent advice to help you get ready for the fast-approaching holidays! (Especially if you don’t have a fairy godmother or your own magic wand ...)

The Christmas Pinterest Challenge Results ... with Photos

Success! 

The second recipe I chose for my challenge, Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes, has to be the best thing I ever baked! And I will most definitely be baking and freezing more, which I will thaw, finish, and serve during the Christmas holidays.

Having favored quick mixes over scratch baking for years, I had forgotten how scrumptious cakes made from scratch can be. These chocolate with cola cupcakes came out of the oven with rounded tops that stayed rounded. I ate one plain and was delighted with the texture and flavor.

A day or so later, I removed the centers and added cherry pie filling, followed by a powdered sugar-and-cola glaze. Then, of course, I ate one. Wow, so very good!

The next day, I beat heavy cream and powdered sugar together and then piped it onto the cupcakes. I have never in my life made frosting like that, and I was a little bit scared that it would be a flop. I usually just get my frosting in a can. Oh my, it was so good! I added a maraschino cherry on top of two cupcakes. My daughter and I each ate a cupcake and were very excited. Then I put the rest of the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator to see how long the frosting would stay good.

I thought perhaps the frosting would “melt” down the sides after sitting for a while, but five days later, when we polished off the last of the cupcakes, it still looked and tasted fresh! So now I know that I can prepared these cupcakes in advance of a party and not worry about something going wrong. And that’s the purpose of experimenting year round—or at least a couple of months early.

The most time-consuming part of this dessert is mixing and baking it. So that is what I will do again soon and then freeze. Then, a few days before the party I’m planning, I will thaw them out, fill them with cherries, glaze, and frost them.

Now, as for the other part of the challenge. I didn’t quite make it. This time, my plan to do a craft with my daughter was run off course by a fender-bender that she had with my car. Instead of a fun evening, I had to calm her down, talk her through what she was supposed to do (which meant I had to look it up), call my insurance company, find a ride to the scene of the accident, and so forth. The process still isn’t over.

Life happens, every day. Plans get thwarted. That’s another reason for preparing early! Christmas is less than two months away. Even though I haven’t been able to make the decorations as planned, I still have time. I still have time to make and freeze cupcakes and cookies. I have time to experiment with a few more recipes. I am in the middle of planning a Christmas mystery party. I will be prepared for December before it arrives. And then, if an illness or accident or something else unforeseen happens, it won’t throw me into a tailspin. I will be ready, not rushed.  All because I planned ahead!

How are your plans coming?

Preparing for ... Preparing for Holiday Meals (yes, you read that right!)

My original recipe Dreamsicle Cake

My previous blog was about preparing in advance for your favorite holiday meals and homemade treats. I’ve already added something special to my freezer for a December dinner. But, while perusing the contents of my refrigerators (I have two), my freezers (a small deep freeze plus the two that are part of my fridges), and my pantry, I saw a problem.

Someone has stored old, freezer burnt, and expired stuff inside those spaces! Can you believe that? So now I’ll need to clean out all the junk to have room for my soon-to-be prepared-early holiday foods!

So, today’s blog is a challenge. If it’s been a while, clean the yuck out of your refrigerator, freezer, pantry, and cabinets. Toss all the old, bad, and questionable stuff. Organize what’s left and clear a space for what’s to come. You’ll feel good, and you’ll be ready to create some special foods to save for the coming holiday season!

Holiday Meals: Three Tips for Preparing in Advance for the Tastiest Christmas Season Ever!

Think it’s too early to start planning your holiday menus? Well, think again! If you’re anything like me, you daydream about creating special holiday dinners or parties, but you never seem to to pull it all together and make those daydreams a reality. Your time is limited, and you tend to rely on last-minute, store-bought goodies and fast food for much of the month!

One year, as a newlywed living far away from both sides of the family, I planned meals ahead and served "Christmas around the World" dinners for my husband and myself over the course of Christmas week. I was young, energetic, and full of ideas—I even learned how to make wiener schnitzel for our German meal! Other meals were based on Greek, Italian, and Mexican cooking. I had married a man who knew his way around a kitchen, and those special meals were joint efforts that made the holiday memorable for us.

Then came kids, obligations, and more responsibilities. Advance planning fell by the wayside. These years, I start the season with a list of family favorites that I intend to make, but many times when January arrives, I haven't made more than half of them. Sometimes by the time I want to make a special treat, the key ingredient has already been snatched from the store shelves! I'm flying through the season by the seat of my pants and letting myself down in the process.

It bothers me that I haven’t made Christmas cut-out cookies since my adult children were little. Thinking about that recently, I realized that I’ve been overlooking a simple solution! I do not have to rush through December, living on fast food, one batch of my homemade double decker fudge, and memories of yesteryear’s home-cooked meals.

There are three things I can do to ensure happy tummies and taste buds this year:

• Stock up on ingredients - I’m going to organize my recipes, make sure I have the staple items in my pantry, and create a list of the non-staple ingredients (such as cherry chips) and keep that list in my purse. As I come across those items, I’m going to buy them and stock the pantry so that when I’m ready to bake, I don't have to make a panicked rush to store after store to track down a hard-to-find item. Making those purchases now (or as soon as items become available) will give me peace of mind and will also free up my December budget.

• Buy and store frozen entrees, appetizers, and desserts - While I’m planning to serve up some good home-cooked holiday meals, let’s be realistic. It will be a busy month. I’m glad I can rely on some frozen faves from the store. Instead of spending the money later, when money is typically tighter and items become harder to find, I'm going to plan ahead and shop in advance. We love Nancy’s deli spirals and Lawler’s mini cheesecakes for parties, so I’ll get those. Our traditional Christmas breakfast is monkey bread, which Bridgford makes so I don’t have to, and theirs is ready in less than three minutes! Win! Then, I’ll contemplate sales on the rich variety of frozen casseroles and slow cooker meals and add a few of those to my deep freeze. Finally, I’ll watch the sales on meats and stock up on those that I’ll need for my favorite main dishes.

• Bake and freeze - Why didn’t I think of this sooner??? Those special dishes and desserts that I rarely find time to make in December? Many can be prepared in advance and frozen for later! Those Christmas cut-out cookies I mentioned can be baked and frozen without icing. I could make some today and thaw them out in December, whip up some icing and decorate them, and voila! Quick and easy and yet home-made! For a successful freeze, follow directions for wrapping and freezing cookies. Betty Crocker's website says baked cookies and cookie dough will keep for 2 months, but I’ve seen other sites say up to 6 months is good for pre-baked. Un-iced cakes will also freeze well. Get those holiday desserts made early, and don’t sweat the Christmas rush! 

I’ll be doing some other cooking/freezing as well. A favorite but time-consuming side dish is my sweet & sour green beans and carrots (with apples, onions, and bacon) made on the stove top. That will be going in the deep freeze too. The USDA offers a fact sheet here about frozen food safety. Not everything freezes well. I checked my old Once-a-Month Cooking book for advice, but you can review this list compiled by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. 

The chill of autumn is in the air. December will be here before we know it! What are you doing to get ready?

Take Advantage of Free Photo Editing Ops

Now is a good time to think about ways to use your photos for the coming Christmas season. Why? Because for the time being, PicMonkey.com allows you to use all their editing tools for free, no registration required!

[Update: It was bound to happen. Sometime before the Christmas season 2012, PicMonkey began charging a monthly fee to use some their "Royale" features. Non-royale features are still free, though.]

Possible uses for your photos include turning them into Christmas cards or postcards, including a print inside store-bought or handmade cards, inserting one or more into a computer-created Christmas newsletter, creating gifts tags, or even turning them into ornaments to hang from a tree or garland! 

Your photos don’t have to be perfect for these projects as long as they are in focus rather than blurry. Too dark or too light can be adjusted. Dull can be brightened. Red eyes can be corrected. Cropping can remove things that detract from the picture. There are many, many tools and effects to make an ordinary photo extraordinary!

If you want to add text to your photo, look for one that has a fairly solid dark or light space. Photos that demonstrate “the rule of thirds” are great for this. In the example, my daughter’s composition features me in the left third of the frame, leave two thirds for my message.



This next example features a Christmas scene without people, an option if you didn’t get any family photos that you feel like using, or you have a collection of Christmas items that you love and want to share with family and friends! As you can see, this one also featured a dark space that was perfect for text.


Don’t forget to add the photographer’s name and date in one of the lower corners of the photo!

This photo has no text but would make a pretty card. I had fun taking this indoor shot and playing with two special effects available: frosted edges and snow. This means you could take a family photo this summer and “winterize” it with frosted or snowflake edges and even a snowy overlay. 

While you’re at it, you might consider some photo gift ideas while this free photo editing is available. It’s not too early to start stocking your gift closet! Any photo center offers mugs, calendars, keychains, t-shirts, throws, and more, all personalized with your photos. Or, budget-minded folks may choose to enlarge and frame their special prints, like my daughter did when she made this one and added a Bible verse. It was a big hit!

There are so many fun and fancy options for making your photos pop! While they are free, check it out! And, if you know of other free photo editing sites online, please leave a comment and let us know. 

And Just Like That, 114 Days Have Passed...

Still Alive and Showing Off
My Birthday Hummingbird Ring!

And it's 252 days till Christmas! And where have I been? Well, not blogging about Christmas, obviously! Did you miss me? I may not have been blogging about Christmas, but I was still thinking about it. (How could I not? Every time I go in the basement, I see the few Christmas decorations that haven't been tucked back into the holiday closet yet...)


 Here in the northern hemisphere, spring has sprung—and pollen has exploded all over the place. You may be outdoors, frolicking through fields of dandelions and chickweed and wondering, as you realize your lawn is overdue for a good mowing, why you were so anxious for warm weather. 


If you are stuck inside, trying to avoid breaking out in a rash, hives, or puffy, red eyes, you might spare a few moments to think about our favorite holiday season. Easter has passed (and with it, the last Easter birthday I will have in my lifetime), and you could snag some clearance-priced Easter grass to use in place of tissue paper inside gift bags or boxes or to use in clear ornament crafting. Tissue paper gets crumpled and torn. Easter grass will last for years. Try it!


You might be able to buy out the remaining chocolate-covered peeps. If you do, save them (maybe even freeze them) to use for microwave s'mores! All they need is a graham cracker and 15 seconds (or less) in a microwave. It's an unexpected winter treat—although I wouldn't blame you if you gave in to temptation and ate them sooner. After all, Mother's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to enjoy time with your children or grandchildren than with an ooey-gooey, sticky treat? 


Remember that it's never too soon to start stocking your gift closet/cupboard/box with items you've made or bought. If you want to give homemade jar gifts or home-filled gift baskets, now is the time to start collecting jars and baskets. Check your craft stores for sales, but don't forget your local thrift stores as well. The last thing you want to do is arrive at the end of November and panic because you didn't prepare in advance and don't have time to find good deals on the items you need so that you can do Christmas the way you want!

Clearance Sales = Bargains Galore

Welcome to 2012! It's a bright New Year filled with promise and—so far—mild weather. Here in the sunny South, we've normally had a winter storm by now (freezing rain more often than snow, but snow fell THREE magical times last year), but other than a few days of low temps, this winter has felt more like early spring. But you didn't come for a weather report, did you! So let's talk about Christmas clearance sales.

I went out last week to take stock of the after-Christmas bargains and found that most items were being offered at half off the normal retail price. I prefer to get my Christmas clearance at 75% off unless I really love an item and fear that the store will sell out before they can reduce the price to more than half off. This is the week that I typically start checking for those 75% off sales. A few stores are anxious to get rid of their holiday items. (Walmart is clearing things out quickly at 75% off. Michaels Crafts has stuff for 70% off. Walgreens holiday candy is 75% off, but non-edible holiday items are still just half off. Big Lots and Dollar General are still at 50% off. I assume Target and Kmart have big clearance sales as well, but I haven't made my way there yet.)

NOTE ADDED 1/9/12: Hobby Lobby is also clearing their holiday items out for 90% off! Not a lot left, but I got a $50 tree skirt for $5!

At Walmart I picked up an iridescent bow tree topper and a couple of gift boxes for CDs, sure I'll continue my tradition of gifting music to my daughter. At Walgreens I got a few holiday candies for us to enjoy this month. (What I didn't think about at the time was that I could get a bag of red and green candies and separate the reds from the greens and be all set for Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day!)

Brenda's Picks for Best Buys:

Artificial Christmas Trees: I bought my last one at an after-Christmas sale, knowing that I needed to replace a battered old tree. You won't get the most popular model this way, but you'll still get a good tree at a decent price.

Christmas Cards: there is no reason to ever pay full price for cards. You can always find a good selection left after Christmas, and your chances of picking up several boxes at 75% off are excellent if you wait. This is how I am able to get embossed, foiled, glittered cards for dirt cheap!

Party supplies: disposable holiday plates and napkins don't take up much storage space and are a great deal at 75% off. Plus, this forces you to start planning to host a gathering in advance, making it more likely that you do it! ;-)

Gift Wrap, Bows, Ribbons, Gift Tags: if you come across a great sale, you can stock up. I haven't bought wrapping paper for at least three years, and I still have plenty. I re-use bows and have more than enough ribbon for future gifts and craft projects.

Nice to Haves:

Fancy tree skirts: honestly, I would never pay $20 for a skirt that goes under a tree and gets covered with gift boxes, but for $5, you bet I'll snatch one up and admire it under my tree! And, I've discovered that the $20 skirts are well-made and outlast the cheap ones, making them a really good value.

Fancy garland: I love to wrap my trees with expensive-looking, shiny, thick garland! And it holds up well over the years. I've also been known to drape it around doorways and mantlepieces. But I would never pay full price for it.

Good ornaments: for many years I shopped the clearance sales at Hallmark for special ornaments for myself and my children. We have the complete series of a number of ornaments, making them very special. Now I shop in discount stores for boxes of ornaments that coordinate with the special ornaments I already have.

Fancy stockings: Cheap Christmas stockings don't last long; they can lose their shape, get fuzzy and picked, and the loops can also tear. You are better off, if you choose to use stockings in your holiday traditions, to get the more expensive, sturdier kind on clearance. They are so pretty and will last year after year.

Santa hats: again, not a necessity, but fun to have for pictures, and the pricier ones stay nice longer than the cheap felt ones. Just think, a good $10 hat at 75% off is only $2.50, and many are less than that. Think about getting one for each member of your family and stage your holiday photo well before December wearing them-- you'll be able to include the photo in your Christmas cards!

Don't forget to shop your thrift stores. They are trying to get rid of Christmas items too! It's exciting to find what you want at a fraction of the cost. I found the items pictured below while browsing in my local thrift store. I have a special fondness for old-fashioned Christmas items. And the metal trays tickle my fancy in a way colorful plastic ones can't and will come in handy for that party I plan to throw next December. I got these for fifty cents each. Then I found two complete sets of greeting cards! I love winter cardinal scenes, and that card has some gold foil around the birdhouse entrance. I love Christmas trees too, and those cards are embossed and also feature gold foil and iridescent glitter! I paid a bit above 12% for the bird cards and 10% of the original cost for the tree cards. Both boxes smelled of moth balls, but after sitting out for a few days, the aroma has lightened up considerably. Actually, the aroma made them more appealing. Who had them? How many years were they stored away? Why weren't they used? The mystery is as enticing to me as the artwork!

Before I go, I just want to remind you that a bargain is not a bargain if you don't have the cash for it. Sometimes you just have to stay home and ignore the sales.

So, what's the best deal you've found in holiday clearance?

Ever Feel Like You Can't Win for Losing?

If you've been with me since the beginning, you know this blog is as much for myself as it is for you. I want to be better prepared for Christmas! I want to eke out as much warm holiday enjoyment as possible while shedding the unwanted stress that the hustle and bustle of the season can bring! I want to revel in the lights, music, sugary confections, sappy holiday movies, and warm family and friend gatherings that this season promises. I imagine also spending time gazing solemnly at the sky to reflect on the event that revealed God's love for us, the gift of a Savior. It's the stuff Christmas cards are made of!

Achieving that has been an uphill battle with elements beyond my control. Did I say I achieved it? No, I'm sorry to report I have not. I've been thwarted yet again from achieving my goal! Here's what happened this time:

1. Leaky roof - Rain poured in one day in early fall, staining my ceiling in two places. It took the roofers till a week before Christmas to come and replace part of my roof. The big black roof-trash bin sat in front of my house all weekend. I'm still waiting for the ceiling to be painted.

2. Broken kitchen pipe - an old pipe that ran between the kitchen floor and ceiling of the basement had to be replaced after it cracked and allow water from the kitchen sink to flow through a vent in the basement ceiling and onto the carpeted floor! The 6-ft-long hole in the ceiling is still there—near the fireplace where we always decorate and celebrate Christmas. I finally gave up on expecting the repairs to be done before Christmas. A friend helped me return my furniture to its original spot so that my daughter and I could set up our fireplace trees and hang our stockings, but at less than a week till Christmas, the trees remain bare as my attention is called elsewhere. Which leads me to #3...

3. Crazy work schedule - As a freelancer, I'm never sure what I'm going to be doing, but I count on flexibility.  I can work any time of day or night—weekends too, if necessary. My next writing assignment, while lengthy, isn't due until April, so it's not the problem. Deadlines for my editing projects are closer, but by themselves would not have hampered my holiday fun, either. My third flexible job is as a virtual assistant to a voice studio; I've been asked to handle more small projects this month than expected. That has thrown my plans off a little, but when you add in a fourth job, the flexibility vanishes! This fourth job is temporary, taken to help out an old friend as much as to help pay bills. I subbed as his office manager several times last summer and fall, and now I'm in the office again—the week before Christmas (!!!)—while the new hire is away for a Christmas break! This was not the way I planned to spend the week before Christmas, and it has put a major crunch on the time meant for completing other work projects as well as holiday baking and outings. I'm working days, nights, AND weekends!

4. Sick child - My incredibly healthy daughter got sick—and stayed sick! Nothing puts a crimp in your plans faster than a sick family member. She came down with the flu more than a week ago. It knocked her for a loop and made her miss a fun Christmas program. After several days of sleeping, she perked up well enough in the mornings but still wilted early in the day and put herself to bed while other families were still watching Christmas movies and eating popcorn. She has a lingering cough and ear trouble and when given the option of going to see Christmas light displays or staying home, has opted to stay home. I feel so sorry for her—and for me!

5. No big family gathering - I miss those, but I'm not from here and not likely to experience one in this state! My family is 500 miles away, and it's shrinking each year. With our current jobs and financial situation, my daughter and I can't afford to travel to see our remaining relatives, and  no one feels able to come see us. On top of that, my son, who has missed two of the last three Christmases with us, has decided to spend this Christmas with his friends—again. So with only my daughter and myself here, there will be no big feast that dreams are made of. It will be a quiet celebration made up of a favorite breakfast, opening of gifts, watching the Disney parade on TV, and perhaps playing some games or doing crafts while Christmas music plays in the background. To my further sorrow, my former husband has decided—for the first time since 1999—to have our daughter spend part of Christmas Day at his house. Not only will I not have that longed-for big family gathering, but I will be alone for part of the day. And car-less too, as he has requested that she drive herself (in my car) to his house 40 minutes away, so I can't even drive to a friend's house! Do you hear those sad violins playing in the background???

Where's that fun Christmas I worked towards all year? Christmas is just a few days away, and if I dwell on it too much, I get emotional. I had high hopes for entertaining friends and making it a Christmas to remember.

While I can't control outside events, I can control my attitude. But, sometimes I don't feel like it. Don't we all get that way? Like a child who has been denied a treat before dinner, I pout. I don't want to shrug, let go, and focus on something else. I want to worry over what I can't have! And what I can't have this year (again) is the fairytale, twinkling Christmas sung about in so many carols. Rather than mope and wish Christmas was over (my first inclination), I will work on adjusting my attitude. I can't change my circumstances, so I need to change my thought pattern. I choose to count my Christmas blessings:

1. Jesus loves me, even when I have a bad attitude.
2. Lovely weather allowed my daughter and me to enjoy "A Journey Through Bethlehem" this year.
3. We got to attend a local Christmas parade.
4. Four Christmas parties/events welcomed my presence this month! That may be a personal record! lol (This lifts my spirits. While I tend to be introverted, I do enjoy being included in such things.)
5. My newsletter and cards were finished and mailed on time.
6. Cards have been coming in the mail each day. 
7. My daughter got to sing at two events. When she doesn't have the flu, she's a wonderful spreader of glad tidings and Christmas cheer, and I enjoy watching her perform.
8. The living room trees were put up and decorated right after Thanksgiving, so I've had them to enjoy.
9. Since the delayed roof work prevented me from hanging outside lights, my electric bill won't be very high.
10. I mailed my gifts on time. I feel bad when they arrive late to their destination.
11. I got the stamps I wanted this year! (Usually by the time I visit the post office, they've run out.)
12. I got my shopping done early. (I am a year-round shopper, stashing fabulous finds in a "gift cabinet" until needed. I also earned gift cards through Swagbucks and used those to shop online.)
13. My name was pulled in a drawing for a book I wanted this month!
14. I developed a recipe for double decker cherry chocolate fudge this month! I plan to enter it in a contest—that's how happy I am with it.
15. I still have a house in which to celebrate Christmas, New Year's, and hopefully many more holidays.
16. My daughter, when she isn't sick, is generally happy to help me with housework. Of course, she has her moments, as we all do, but on the whole she is a sweet blessing. 
17. My best friend is a blessing too! She is like a sister to me. I never had a sister, but she's my sister from another mister!
18. The cash gifts I've received this month equal my mortgage payment! Now that is a God thing! The last unexpected check caused tears of joy to streak down my face as I realized how they all added up. God loves me and wants me to stop worrying about the future!
19. I have such a huge supply of Christmas wrap that I will probably never need to buy more. And gift bags are reusable. *smiles*
20. Mom sent me a Christmas stocking with surprises inside so that I don't have to fill my own stocking this year. (There may be nothing more sad than a single parent filling her own stocking on Christmas Eve.) Mom made me promise not to feel around in it! Teehee!

I could keep going, but my mood has lifted considerably, so that won't be necessary. Now it's your turn! If you're feeling blue, try listing your blessings and see what happens. Share some of your blessings in the comments below!

Christmas Memory Tree

As a special holiday treat, my daughter and I recorded ourselves decorating our memory tree and explaining the tree and the ornaments. This is something I started last year because I suddenly had an extra tree (small), and I just hate to throw anything away. I realized I could get more use out of it, damaged as it was. So going with the memory theme, I pulled together some of my handmade ornaments and photo ornaments so that we could hang our memories on this little white tree. Watch!

Here's a link, just in case ... Brenda's Christmas Memory Tree

By the way, it's less than three weeks till Christmas! Are you ready?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... in the stores and Up North!

Some of my Canadian friends are currently enjoying snow up to their tushies! Well, enjoying may be a bit too strong of a word choice ... and tushies is an exaggeration ... but you know what I mean. Winter wonderlands are magically appearing! Christmas must be just around the corner! It's definitely arrived (along with Santa) in the mall!

If you are going to send Christmas cards, NOW is the time to print out your labels, or hand-label your envelopes—if you are one of those personal-touch people. (I'm not. I'm a quick and easy and typed-is-easy-to-read kinda gal.) Finish (or start) your fun and informative, one-page Christmas newsletter. Get your cards ready to mail out on November 30! That's right, set that bar high and let everyone turn green with envy at how organized you are! Plus, if your cards are ready to go that early in the season, you are guaranteed to have your pick of the holiday stamps available at the post office!

NOW is also the time to start gathering the special ingredients for your holiday goodies. Look over your recipes (did you remember to choose a few new ones to try this year?) and make a list of what you'll need. Do you remember the sick feeling you got last year when you ran to the store a few days before Christmas for those peanut butter chips you needed for your famous double decker fudge, and you discovered that the entire inventory had been wiped out already? (Or was that just me?) Don't let that happen to you again. Or, if you are not at home in the kitchen, then now is still a good time to stock the freezer with store-bought holiday goodies. You want to get them while they are available—not stand in front of an empty store freezer with a tear in your despairing eye later in December!

Have you been stocking your Christmas closet/cabinet/hiding place with gifts throughout the year? Now is a good time to take stock of what you have and what you still want to make or buy for gifts. Now is also a good time to wrap the gifts you have. No more Christmas Eve all-nighters, wrestling with rolls of wrapping paper and Scotch tape till that inevitable moment when you lose it and begin carelessly cramming gifts into gift bags— whether they fit or not and even if you ran out of tissue paper to tuck in there! That activity does not a good Christmas Day, or Christmas photos, make!

Finally, consider the possibilities of charitable giving. Gift Tag Trees are going up throughout our communities. My church already put up the missionary Christmas tree. My daughter has already claimed an envelope from the tree and returned it! A local restaurant has a sign out letting us know the date for their annual toy drive. Other stores have Christmas trees featuring tags that list a child's age and the toys on that child's wish list. Many organizations collect donations for children, for the elderly, and for other needy people in general.

When money is tight, you can give of your time instead. Volunteers are needed to sort, package, and deliver Christmas collections. Go caroling in a nursing home. The Salvation Army needs bell ringers! Use your talents to bless others this holiday season. There are so many possibilities. Christmas is the season of giving.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you have finished, what you have left to do, or what you love most about Christmas! I would love to hear from you!

How Do You Take Advantage of the Back-to-School Month, Christmas-wise?

High school and college students return to school this month – or at least prepare to do so. Bargains are easy to find as stores create sales to lure shoppers inside. If you have a plan, you can shop without going overboard. You should have a list of people with whom you will exchange gifts as well as your ideas for what those gifts should be. This is one way to take advantage of back-to-school month. With all the penny specials at office supply stores, you can stock up on some interesting stocking stuffers - what kid doesn't love pencils, markers, or fun erasers? If there are any artists in your family, you can create the same kind of activity kit that my mom used to make for nieces and nephews. Items like crayons, colored pencils, markers, stencils, paper, scissors, glitter glue, and construction paper can make a young artist's eyes light up on Christmas morning. Much of it is on sale now!

So, shopping the sales is one way to take advantage of August in preparation for the winter holiday season. What is the other way? It's to take advantage of your newly-free time – if you have kids and are a SAHM or a parent with a part-time job. (This is possible only if your kids go off to school. Homeschooling families won't benefit from this idea, as it is rare to get a break from the kids.) Anyway, I know some moms who heaved a big sigh of relief as the kids left for school and then wondered what they would do with their free time – beyond the usual cooking, cleaning, and errand-running, of course. Before you fall into a routine, pull out your Christmas plans and get organized! Take stock of your gift closet/cabinet/hiding place. What do you have? What do you need?

Me and My Mom having
some Christmas Fun

Kids or not, use the remainder of the month to think through your holiday plans. Where are you going to spend Christmas? Will you host a party? Are you sending Christmas greetings? Are you making a newsletter?

Remember, your goal is to be "ready" for Christmas before December arrives. That way, you can spend the season doing what you love with the people you love instead of scurrying around in a panic trying to pull it all together only to collapse in a heap on the couch at the end of each day. No more New Year's Day regrets about what didn't get done. No more sighs of "oh well, maybe next year ..."  This is the year to be prepared!

August Means Back-to-School Bargains ... and Christmas shopping!

In my state, and maybe yours, it’s a tax-free weekend for school-related merchandise. You can find a list of items online that are included and excluded from this special money-saving holiday. Such items include your usual pencils, paper, crayons, and other educational materials and also things such as clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, school supplies, computers, printers, blankets, bedspreads and linens, bath cloths, bath towels, bath rugs and mats, shower curtains, pillows and pillow cases are included (for college-bound students). See any possible Christmas gifts in that list?

Exclusions include jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, wallets, watches, 
furniture, items for use in a business, and items placed on layaway, so 
you're out of luck if visions of these items danced tax-free in your head. However, sometimes stores vying for your dollars will offer similar discounts on non-education-related items in 
order to make sales, so you may be in luck after all!

Anyway, if you haven't already stocked your gift closet with items for December giving, you might consider shopping this weekend. Not only will you save sales tax (if you shop in a state 
that participates), but as the third largest shopping weekend of the year, you may discover 
stores competing for sales with some additional sales! (The other two big-deal shopping times are the weekend after Thanksgiving and the time before Christmas.)

Christmas (Newsletter) in July

Christmas in July? You bet!

Here in the Sunny South, I enjoyed a day in July (the15th, to be exact) when the temperature OUTSIDE never made it out of the 60s! What a delightfully chilly departure from those high 90s where just taking a breath was enough to make one break into a sweat! The next day started out chilly as well before the mercury inched its way up to 79. It was like a memory of early spring and an advance taste of late fall, all rolled into one day! As I shivered and slid into a jacket, I thought, “It’s a perfect Christmas in July day!”

Now we’re back to the normal sweltering days of summer, but at least we can escape indoors and set our minds on Christmas! Turn on the A/C, sip something cold and refreshing, and dig out a Christmas CD for the appropriate holiday mood. :) (Right now I’m listening to Santa Baby. It always makes me grin. Marilyn Monroe didn’t sing it, but it would have fit  her sultry style.)

A few weeks ago, a blog friend announced that she had begun working on her Christmas newsletter. Way to go, Linda! This is where I generally fall short. Like most who write them, I wait until the end of the year to put my newsletter together, and then I have trouble recalling the highlights of the year. Plus, I get busy and distracted, and before I know it, my cards are going out late because it took me a while to get my newsletter “wrapped up.”

Take a break from the heat and think about your own newsletter. What have been the highlights and low points of the first half of the year? Devote one to three sentences to each idea. If you are one of those who like themes, brainstorm for something fresh for this year. Store your notes for later. When you are ready to finish your letter and make copies, you'll be glad that you got half the job done early this time.

TIP #1: Restrain from typing joyously in all caps and using multiple exclamation points, especially when bragging about the talented so-and-so’s who are your children. A simple “So-and-so continues to earn high marks in school” gets the same message across as “WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR LITTLE ANGEL’S STRAIGHT A’s AND ALL THE TALENT THAT DRIPS FROM EACH FINGER AND TOE!!!! WE’RE SO VERY BLESSED!!!! GOD OBVIOUSLY LOVES US MORE THAN YOU AND YOUR LITTLE DISASTERS!!!!” without taking up as much space or being quite so obnoxious.

TIP #2: Don’t shy away from being real. We all have our struggles. Honesty goes a long way in strengthening bonds. Briefly share a disappointment, knowing that your recipients will likely be able to relate.

TIP #3: Include a few photos. Make sure that YOU are in at least one photo. You say you feel self-conscious about how you have aged? Well, make it a small picture! Anything is better than photos of just the kids or the pets. We can assume that the recipients of your newsletter are people who love you and see your inner beauty shining through. You may not see it, but we do. I promise!

ALTERNATIVE IDEA:  You say you aren’t a writer? Holiday newsletters make you shudder? Okay, fine. Don’t start a newsletter. But you aren’t off the hook this month. Instead, you can focus on a photo to include in your Christmas cards, or maybe a photo that you will use AS a Christmas card! Consider dressing up in Christmas hats or sweatshirts or just Christmas colors. Consider creating a backdrop by hanging a solid piece of fabric up or digging out the garland and quickly decorating something with it. If you have a Christmas tablecloth, it might make an interesting backdrop. It won’t take a lot of time to make the effort. Honest! Get a friend or a timer to snap a family shot for you so that you will be in the picture. Put on a Christmas CD. You'll be doing more than creating a holiday photo; you’ll be making a memory. :)

Summer Boredom a Problem?

Bored Kids with Nothing to Do

School has only been out a short time, but I know kids have already started complaining that they are bored – some were moaning on their first day at home! Because I’m connected to a number of teenagers (that I know in real life) on Facebook, I’ve seen their pitiful wails. “I’m BOREDDDDDD!!!!! Somebody text me!!!!!!!!”

This month’s tip involves giving Christmas projects to those poor kids who have nothing to do. (You say you have no kids at home? Is it too hot for you to enjoy the outdoors? Then these projects are for you!)

Summer is a great time to decorate your own Christmas wrapping paper with white butcher paper and paint. You can work with stencils or sponge shapes or even go freestyle. One year my kids took star-shaped sponges and dabbed red, green, and gold paint on sheets of white butcher paper. I used the paper to wrap gifts and finished the packages off with red and green bows. That was a festive and fun change from the normal store-bought wrap, and the kids enjoyed both the activity AND getting to brag about it at Christmastime!

Christmas Cards Made by Kids

Another summertime art project is to create original artwork on card stock. If you have a child who is a budding artist, whether it’s with paints, colored pencils, or ink, you might set him or her loose with an assignment for a certain number of holiday-appropriate cards. Of course, if you love crafting cards, you will love this project yourself!

Working with photos to create cards, gift tags, photo ornaments, or photo calendars for 2012 is another creative option for those hot days when the A/C inside beckons, if you didn’t tackle that a few months ago or if you have children who love working with digital photos on the computer.

Kids who enjoy crafts may enjoy making Christmas tree ornaments. By making them during the summer, you can plan for lots of them - enough to share with others early in December so that they can enjoy hand-crafted decorations too! In fact, you could take the time to think about having a theme tree this year! I have two trees that are a mishmash of ornaments collected over the years from vacations, school projects, received as gifts, and so forth. But I love the themed trees I see in Christmas festivals and in magazines. I now have a snowflake and snowman theme tree. Many of the snowmen on the tree were made from kits bought from the Oriental Trading Company. I love that place – their crafts are so affordable! Right now they have some cute Christmas ornament crafts selling at half price. You should check it out!

This is a great time to make progress toward your holiday goals. Chances are good that it’s hot and humid outside, so stay where you can enjoy some air-conditioning, choose a project, and get creative!

Tip for Gifts When Times Are Tight

I have a couple of friends who have raved about Swagbucks for months. They talked about trading swagbucks for Amazon.com giftcards and using their swagbucks to get birthday and Christmas gifts for their families. I didn't pay much attention.

Then times got tight for me. I gave in and joined a week ago. You might want to think about it too. It's primarily for people living in the USA, I think, but I understand that Canadians have swagbuck opportunities as well.

SwagBucks.com is a GPT (get-paid-to) site. By joining, you have the chance to earn rewards online. Many websites ask you to fill out surveys and sign-up for spam, and you can do that on SwagBucks too, but you can totally avoid that and still earn swagbucks! How, you ask? You can use the SwagBucks Search Engine as you normally would in Google or Yahoo. A popup announces a win. Winning from searching happens randomly. The trick is to search regularly every hour or so. You can win as much as 5 to 50 SBs (swagbucks) per random win! You can also earn swagbucks by answering a daily poll, watching commercial videos, and more. Then there are secret codes that are hidden now and then for you to find. When you join, the website keeps an ongoing tally of your bucks in the upper righthand corner. It's very nice to see that number go up. They have a blog and tip pages as well. Joining the SwagBucks page on Facebook can help you figure some of this stuff out. 

Each swagbuck is worth about 2 cents. In the span of a week, I've earned almost enough for a $5 Amazon e-giftcard. Some people are a lot more active on SwagBucks than I am. Still, every little bit helps in the current economy. Suppose I do the minimal amount each week. There are 52 weeks in a year. That means I could end up with an extra $260 to spend online each year, and if I really want to dive into Swagbucks, I can earn more! Watch out, though, as going after swagbucks can be addicting!

You can also earn swagbucks from referrals, so if you want to help me out as you check it out, 

my referral link is: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/RadiantSunset

Do you already Swag? Post and share your tips or your favorite gift!