With the start of November, I know it’s time for me to start planning for the holidays. As of today, we have just over a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving and just over seven weeks until Christmas. For many this is their favorite time of the year. But for others it is one of the most stressful. However, I believe that much of the stress could be relieved by preparing and planning ahead of time. Are you starting to think about the cookies to be baked…the meals to be planned…the house that needs cleaning? This can quickly become very overwhelming. … Continue reading →

With it already being November, you are probably starting to think about preparing your home for the upcoming holidays. My family gets a break from Thanksgiving, in that we always have it at a relative’s house. But we do host Christmas, so I am starting to think about those preparations in advance. Here is the thing about holidays and having friends and family over…we tend to get too wrapped up in the little stuff. How many people do you know (or perhaps you are one of them) that will spend hours and hours cleaning or scrubbing areas that your family … Continue reading →

Yesterday morning I had to clean out my refrigerator. I needed to make room not only for the turkey and other items I bought, but for the food that family will bring on Thanksgiving. I also went grocery shopping for all of the things that I need (at least I hope I remembered everything). But when I shopped, I also picked up some extra ingredients for the day after Thanksgiving. What to do with those turkey leftovers? Turkey sandwiches are always yummy. But I have a favorite recipe that is perfect for the colder weather. It is Turkey Rice Soup. … Continue reading →

We have reached the end of my blog series on creating a “Holiday Planner.” I really hope this has been helpful and that along the way, you have been able to find additional ways to add to your planner and make it something that works for you. I also hope this planner becomes something you turn to every year and one day pass down onto your children. Holidays are such a wonderful time of the year to capture sweet memories and your planner can help do this. So in this final blog we are going to talk about your holiday … Continue reading →

As I continue this blog series on creating a “Holiday Planner,” we are going to look at how planning your holiday decorating and baking is beneficial. Once again you are going to utilize your blank calendar, which should already have filled in the date you are going to decorate and bake. You might have penciled in the day after Thanksgiving to put up the tree and the following weekend to decorate the rest of the house. You might have the first weekend in November set aside to do outdoor decorations. Spreading it all out can relieve some of the stress … Continue reading →

We are continuing to look at how you can put together a “Holiday Planner,” which will help make planning and preparing for the holidays easier. In my last blog I talked about tackling the first thing on your list and used gift giving as an example. In this blog we are going to talk about your Christmas card list. Ever run into the problem, similar to gift giving, in trying to remember who you sent cards to the previous year? Put together a permanent list that you can refer back to in your planner You can create a table through … Continue reading →

In my last blog I talked about organizing and planning the holidays with your own “Holiday Planner,” created out of a 3-ring binder that you can either decorate or buy in a fun color or design. I also talked about writing a list of all the things you hope to accomplish for the holidays, then setting it aside and going back to cross off anything that isn’t doable or realistic. From there you write down a date next to each item you want to accomplish, which helps you put things in order of priority. I would recommend then printing off … Continue reading →

There are so many preparations that have to be made in the home with the upcoming holidays. There is baking to be done, rooms to decorate, parties and get-togethers to plan, presents to buy…all of it can quickly start to feel very overwhelming. Several years ago I designed a “Holiday Planner,” which was a great way to lay out everything that needed to be done. It helped me to prioritize, plan and prepare. It also enabled me to schedule when I would get it all done. Without a plan, you often find yourself trying to accomplish things last minute or … Continue reading →