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42 Days Until Christmas

November 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment
After the party.

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Have a Christmas Party

This past week I did something great.  I had a PartyLite party.  It was nice for many many reasons.  I want to start by saying I do not sell PartyLite so I do not care if we talk about an At Home America Party, A Tupperware party or a PartyLite Party.  The point is that I had a party.  Why was it so great?

  1. It was fun.  The ladies and I had an evening to relax and unwind.  There was no pressure to buy.  I told everyone I do not care either way.  All I wanted was a night full of friends, laughter and fun.
  2. I Christmas Shopped.  You know what the best part of this for me was?  I did it for free!
  3. There are good deals.  This is the time of year that these companies are trying to make their extra money.  The are all offering deals.  My guests had two pages of half prices items to choose from.  They also could pick out any half priced item they wanted with the purchase of just one regular priced item.  Even if the regular priced item was $1.  They could also choose from a few other offers.  This made Christmas shopping for them discounted!
  4. I gathered some orders from outside the people who came.  This is a great way to boost what you will get for free.
  5. It was nice to entertain.  I never get a chance to have people over.  I am usually too busy.  I was able to have a nice time and enjoy.  We had some great snacks and cakes and laughed.  We all needed it.
  1. Other then the baby throwing up in the middle of it the party was a great success.  I was able to cross three people off of my list without spending anything and the whole time I was able to enjoy!  I would suggest you have a party this month and you will be able to Christmas shop for free too.
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43 Days Until Christmas

November 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Little Drummer Boy, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Pa...

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just about two weeks away. It is a holiday that often gets overshadowed. I think that it is quite unfair but I also fall right into it. I do not rush though it and start my Christmas season early but I still look forward to all that it brings because it is Christmas.

What are the things I love about Thanksgiving?

  1. It is a sit back and enjoy kind of holiday. We usually eat somewhere else so I have virtually nothing to do other then assuring my kids are dressed an in the car after the parade. We sit and chat while the men watch Football and the kids play outside. It is a holiday where you do not have to buy anyone a present, you do not have to be dressed to the nines and you can relax. It is really a day OFF!
  2. We have a chance to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and see all of the floats and balloons. It is the most special part as far as I am concerned. It is a Thanksgiving tradition and one that I never want to end. I love it.
  3. Most stores are closed. Thanksgiving is a holiday for EVERYONE. It is not based on being from a certain racial or religious background it is all about being American. Some store have ruined this tradition and I want to say that I think that it is wrong. People in America should all have the ability to go home and enjoy this holiday with their families and any store that stays open, yes I mean you K-Mart, are un-American.
  4. It is a time for family with little stress. There is no hustle and bustle yet. You can take it all at your own pace. You can enjoy each other. Family is not always traditional. I have a few friends who are “family”. They know that they are always welcome for any holiday to be a part of our family! You can have discussions with people you only see a few times a year.
  5. It is a time for giving thanks. How may other holidays do we have where we sit all together and talk about what we are Thankful? I can not think of any!

All in all I would say that Thanksgiving is a special day that comes only once a year. Make sure that this year you sit back and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Becca

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45 Days Until Christmas

November 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Christmas Santa 2006 - 044F

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Santa Clause

We all know him and love him. Some of us know him as Saint Nick, some know him as Father Christmas and some know him as Santa Clause. The point is that we all know him. Young or old, Jewish or Christian we all know who he is and what he is about. He is about giving.

Santa was always a special part of Christmas for me. He is where all of the magic of Christmas starts. He is Christmas to so many kids. I know he is in our house. We make sure to give him his cookies and eggnog. We watch out our windows as we fall asleep. I know that I have seen Rudolph the red nosed reindeer out my window many times in the past. It was what always made fall asleep quicker because that meant that Santa was just a few houses away. I remember laying in bed feeling the magic as a child.

The truth of the matter is that I still lay in bed and feel the magic. As a child Santa came and visited me one year. I was quite sick with pneumonia and was feeling down. On Christmas Eve. Santa walked right into my house and told me to feel better and with a blink he was gone. I am not sure if it was really him or a helper but that night I was convinced that it was him. It was one of the times as a child I felt special and felt the magic that Christmas has to offer. Perhaps that is what I feel such a love for Santa.

Santa will be checking his list soon. I am trying to be extra good this year. You never know what Santa will place under the tree for you this year! Be sure that you make it onto the nice list this year!

Becca

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48 Days Until Christmas

November 7, 2008 By 2 Comments
HOLLYWOOD - NOVEMBER 03: Actor John Michael H...

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Christmas Caroling

Long gone are the days of people going door to door singing happy joyful Christmas music.  You see all of the Norman Rockwell pictures of old time people singing in the center of town.  It all looks so great.  I remember as a child we used to go to Christmas Caroling with church.  It was so nice.  We would bundle up and hit a whole neighborhood with our joyous song.  People would invite us in for a quick cup of cocoa and we would move on to the next house to spread some joy.  So where have all of the carolers gone?

Now the Girl Scouts go to the local senior center for caroling.  No more are they outside singing and having fun.  They are herded into the senior center and put on more of a concert the “caroling”.  I think that it really is quite sad that we have lost the desire to go out caroling.  It is something I remember and cherish from being young.  It makes me think about what is happening to this country.  Why do we not want to share joy with each other?  Is it the we do not wish to offend people who are not Christian or is it that we just can not get away from our too busy lives?  I think that either excuse is just that, an excuse.  If you do anything this year please go out and do some Christmas Caroling.  Let’s put Christmas Caroling back on the map!

Becca

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49 Days Until Christmas

November 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Christmas Elves 2006 - 020F

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The Christmas elf

Does your family have an elf?

Elmer the Elf has been around for quite some time. I know that he was there for my grandfather, he was there for my father, he was there for me and now he is there for my children. I can only begin to imagine how old he must be. I am not sure if it goes back to my great grandfather or even further. What I know is that Elmer has been the family elf for at least four generations now. It is such a magical addition to the holidays and a great incentive for all to be good. So what does an elf do for you? I know that this is a question that many have asked me over the years. So here is the secret of Elmer for you. It is not something to take lightly. Disrespecting Elmer is an automatic naughty list violation. Keep this information safe and secure and have fun with it.

  1. Elmer is an Elf who watches over you from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Now my sister-in-law says he is already watching. This is unfounded information. He ONLY watches from Thanksgiving until Christmas. He spends the rest of his time busy making toys.
  2. Elmer is there to make sure that children are behaving all season long.
  3. If you are caught by Elmer being good he will leave a little something in your room for you. These are not big toys. I have heard rumors of Elmer buying Movies and other such things. This is very atypical elmer behavior. He usually buys neat toys such as a Chinese yo-yo or a holiday bubble necklace that can be warn all season long. It is just a little something to let you know that you are still on Santa’s “nice” list.
  4. Elmer has been spotted. My older brother still to this day remembers seeing Elmer in his room sitting on his tuba while he was sleeping. You never know who will spot Elmer and it is always great to hear what he looks like.
  5. Elmer is a magic that can not be abused. The kids are so receptive to him and love that he comes around year after year.

As you can see this simple little elf really helps to add to the holiday spirit. Perhaps your family should write to Santa and get an elf. You will be glad you did. Just a side not… Elmer is taken!

Becca

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51 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By 3 Comments
Bah, Humbug!

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Holiday Cheer

I think that for many of us it is important to be cheery for the holidays. Last year I just could not do it. It was all I could do not to have a nervous breakdown. Everything was just far too stressful to be in anyway fun. I HATED it. I wanted to just run away and cancel Christmas and very much wanted to say Bah Humbug! I tried my hardest for the kids and although they remember some of the bad such as the tree falling and every memory I had on it breaking they also remember the fun things. The few giggles we shared, the crafts we made and the memories we created. As I said at the start of 75 days of Christmas I want this year to be different. I want this to be the year they remember only the good and not the bad. The year that dreams come true and we bond like never before. I know there go these high expectations again but we will see.

How can we assure that there will be some holiday cheer? Here are a few tips I am taking to heart:

  1. Make sure that we are all getting enough sleep. This will help to keep the crankies out!
  2. Keep in mind that nothing is going to be perfect. I have issues with this part but will be working with it time and time again.
  3. Do not take on too much. This is something that I think we all do this time of year. It is ok to cut back, skip a party or two or stay in a few nights and vedge out to a movie.
  4. Remember me time. I think that this is important to do everyday. I never do it but in theory it is true. Even if your me time is reading a story or listening to your favorite Christmas movie without kids nagging you. Just take out a few minutes out just for you.
  5. Spike the eggnog. While this is a joke, in some ways it is not. Remember to have FUN and LAUGH!!! This will make you more full of cheer then most other things.
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52 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Christmas lights

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When is the right time to decorate?

Year after year people start decorating earlier and earlier. It is something that continues to anoy me. I think that it actually annoys me more then the thought of retailer trying to cram Christmas down our throats. This is because it is the proof I need to see that it is working.

At what point in history was it acceptable to decorate the outside of your home for Christmas November 1st? Hey, I am an understanding person. I know that it is cold in another month. I know that perhaps hanging the lights now while it is still in the 50 degree mark is nice then waiting a month. This does not, I repeat NOT give you the right to light those lights. I know that this is a free country and we can do what we want but get real. By lighting the lights now you are takking away the holiday cheer the rest of us feel after Thanksgiving.

In my mind you decorate outside the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The are has a certain holiday chill to it. It is crisp and cold. While I know that no one likes to be cold, EVERYONE likes to come in to some hot cocoa and snuggle down to their first Christmas movie together.

So please, this season, just wait. It is three more weeks. That is it. Yes it may be a little colder but the memories that you are making for your kids is worth it all. Not to mention that, as I drive around, I do not want to see your lights! I will be checking!

Becca

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53 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By 7 Comments
Father Christmas // Santa Claus // Père Noël

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Holiday Commercials

Well here we are again. The day after Halloween and the Christmas Ads began. It really is amazing how this all works. What happened to Turkey Day? Where is Thanksgiving? If we left it all up to the retailers in the United States they would start advertising for Christmas in July. They create such a sense of urgency that I have to wonder who really falls for it.

Before Halloween had arrived Kmart had advertisments out to go do your holiday layaway. While I was thinking that this was a little early I could understand it. By laying away you pay a little as you go and you are assured the items that you picked. You can add to it at any time or take away from it. It is a great way to spend this year without using plastic. I know that Wal-Mart did away with their layaway a few years back so it is an advantage Kmart has this year. The question comes with the timing. Was it too early for people to start thinking about it or did they think that Kmart was right and they rushed out and shopped? I would love to know.

So, where the possibility of understanding was there for Kmart, I am hard pressed to know why there are now so many other commercials out there already for the holidays? Do the advertisers really think that people are that stupid? Do they really think that we are going to feel rushed into shopping for some reason? We have 53 days left until Christmas Day, so what is the rush?

I will tell you what I think that the rush is. People have not been spending. Third quarter profits were downs and all of these companies need to do something QUICK. Between the stock market, political uncertainty and a whole host of other social issues the holiday season may very well be the one thing that could save the commercialised way of life we all know and love.

So what is a person to do? I say go out and shop for what you need. Save the holiday shopping for a few weeks and do not feel pressured. Until Santa Clause comes rolling down the 34th Street, in his float, in the Macy’s Day Parade; it is not time to think about Christmas! I am not denying that it is coming at us quickly. I am simply saying do not forget to enjoy Fall, the harvest and all that Thanksgiving has to offer for you and your family!

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56 Days Until Christmas

November 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
The mess before

Image by Andrea_R via Flickr

The Holiday Cleaning List

The holidays bring a chance to clean and get reorganized. While this is my intention before I start to pull out all of my decorations I am going to yet again need a plan. After spending the entire summer in a cast I feel like my house is a gross mess. I am slightly overwhelmed by it but I am determined to make it sparkle with the lights this Christmas.

What I need is a week by week list of things to accomplish. At this point there are a little more then 7 weeks until Christmas So I have 7 weeks to make it happen. Here is the plan…

  1. WEEK 1: This week I would like to go though the girls toys, without them and make sure that I get rid of the ones that do not get played with, the ones that are broken, and the ones that I hate because they make far too much noise. This is a huge task and I hope that I can complete it in one week!
  2. WEEK 2: Eliminate the clutter. I have a problem with keeping everything and my husband never puts things back where they belong. This means that the house right now looks beyond cluttered. I would like to spend wee 2 getting rid of anything that does not have a home and put things that do have a home away.
  3. WEEK 3: This week I would like to finish switching out all of the summer and fall clothing for winter clothing. It is time and with 5 people to switch for it will certainly take a large hunk of time.
  4. WEEK 4: This week I would like to take out all of the china and crystal and wash it all. It will be nice for it to sparkle this holiday season. This will also make it so that I can just grab any pieces that I want to use when I want to use them.
  5. WEEK 5: It is wash the walls week. This week I would like to scrub the walls and wash anything that is on them. This will help brighten up the walls and elminate all of the dust in the air.
  6. WEEK 6: Wash all of the curtains is what is on the list for this week. I think that perhaps I will even make some holiday curtains for the kitchen this year so I can wash the everyday ones and replace them with a holiday treat!
  7. WEEK 7: This week we will just be streightning. I want everything to be nice for Santa

Although it does not sound like a lot to do it really will be time consuming. Just like everything else in this countdown it will be pread out enough so that we can still be enjoying Christmas and the entire holiday season!

Becca

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62 Days Until Christmas

October 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Christmas gifts.

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Saving money on gifts.

Every year we spend a lot of time and money on sibling presents for my in-laws. There are 6 of us total now and it ends up being at least $200 if not more. I had suggested that this year we do something a little different. All of us are strapped for cash this year. Adding $200 for adult presents just did not seem all that important to me. I would rather each of us focus on the kids and making this holiday season special.

So what is a family to do? This year the adult siblings are going to do fun gifts. We have a $5 limit I am looking forward to this as I love to fine gifts that do not cost a lot but are worth a lot or have value.The savings on the will help a lot and that makes me happy.The amount of stress this relives is awesome, as getting money for all these gifts when I am worrying about heating my home.

What can you do with 5 dollars well if you pool all the money togeather you have about 30 bucks.
So one idea i had was to to get some maison jars and layer in all the dry goods for cookies and attach the recipe.

Makes about 48

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 chocolate chunks

Mix the white ingredients, then put then in the bottom of the jar, than add the brown sugar and end with the chips. Decerate with some Calico place over lid with a rubber band add ribbon cover rubber band.

Don’t forget to attach card with the following instructions:

Cookies in a Jar

Store jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
contents of this jar

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Separate the chocolate chips from other ingredients use a colander. Beat butter until creamy. Add sifted ingredients into butter. In a small bowl, beat egg with vanilla. Add egg mixture into butter mixture until blended well. Stir in chocolate chunks. Use a teaspoonfuls of batter, spaced 2 inches apart , onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Than place on a cooling rack!!!!

More Gifts in a Jar:

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