Search Results for: blog baking day

Inexpensive Mother’s Day Fun

There’s no better way to show mom how much she is cherished than by giving her a break from the daily grind.  For many mothers, a day without having to make a single meal is heavenly… though potentially very expensive. Celebrating Mother’s Day at a restaurant is not cheap, especially if you are treating the entire family to a lavish buffet.  To save on a delicious dining experience while still showing mom that she is worth her weight in gold, consider starting the day with breakfast in bed. Gather the kids and have fun in the kitchen making mom these … Continue reading →

My Daughter’s Birthday Part I

Time goes by far too quickly, I know this to be so true.  The preparations for my daughter’s first birthday began a few days before her birthday as I tried to enjoy the last few days before she turned one and officially becoming a big girl! I was going to throw her a little party with her family, aunts, uncles, cousins (she only has three two of which are her age), and grandparents. I anticipated about fifteen to eighteen extended family members to come to my daughter’s birthday celebration. My daughter’s birthday is a mere nine days before Christmas, so … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Avoid Holiday Debt

It is easy to start racking up the debt during the holiday season. There are many demands on our money, such as holiday gifts, special events, travel costs, food, decorations, and other entertaining costs. We often get carried away when we spot the perfect gift or want to make it the best season ever. As you are planning, cooking and shopping, you might want to use the following strategies to avoid holiday debt. Start with a Holiday Budget In order to control holiday spending instead of letting holiday spending control you, you will need to set a budget. Start with … Continue reading →

Planning and Preparing for Holiday Baking

I have been spending the past few days planning my holiday baking.  Each trip I make to the store, I pick up some of the ingredients. Normally my baking takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas.  But since my military son won’t be home until a couple of days before, I am doing my baking the week he is home so that he can enjoy the yummy treats. The ingredients for baking can get expensive.  So if you plan early enough what you are going to make, you can create a master list.  Then instead of purchasing everything at … Continue reading →

Over 40 Holiday-Themed Scrapbook Title Ideas

  “Holiday Hoopla” is the title of a scrapbook layout I made last year.  It features photos of three generations of my family cooking together.  I was going to use “Organized Chaos,” but decided to go with the seasonal title instead. Coming up with page titles is a passion for some scrapbookers, while others see it as a pain.  I like to ponder page titles while I am figuring out the placement of my photos, memorabilia and embellishments.  Often, a title will pop into my head as I survey all of the materials I am featuring on the layout.  However, … Continue reading →

Balancing the Holidays: Simplify, Blend and Schedule

I don’t know about you, but December tends to be the busiest month of the year.  There is so much to do, so many preparations to make, gifts to buy and a house to clean. Yet this is also the time of year for being with family.  So how can you balance it all?  I think it comes down to three things:  simplifying, blending and scheduling. Let me explain.  First, simplify.  What are some things you can skip doing?  Are there areas of the home that really don’t need to be cleaned? Could you cut down on the amount of … Continue reading →

How to Start a Home Baking Business

The holidays are an ideal time to start a home baking business. The high demand for treats combined with the hectic chaos of the season means that many people will be looking for short cuts that save time, while still being able to serve and to enjoy high quality cookies, pies, cakes, candies and more. Do Some Research Talk to neighbors, family, friends and co-workers to find out exactly what type of baked goods they would be most likely to buy. This may give you a good idea of what you should offer and if you already have a likely … Continue reading →

Schedule Yourself A Happy Holiday Season

It is that time of year again, time for everyone who works at home to get out their calendars and make sure that they plan ahead for a successful holiday season. With all of the family gatherings and other fun things that you want to do within the next couple of months, it is easy to get distracted from your work. However, if deadlines get missed or work piles up into an overwhelmingly large work load, you might not be feeling so merry or bright. By planning ahead for work and play, you can set yourself up for a successful … Continue reading →

Holiday Preparations: Meals

Hopefully by now you have been making some real headway with your holiday organizer. Maybe you’ve come up with your own ideas on what to include inside. Today’s blog is going to look at preparations for the meals. We have just over a week until Thanksgiving and if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to start planning what you will cook. I like to carve out an hour or two, sit in a comfy chair with a hot glass of tea and look through all of my recipes and recipe books to come up with a meal plan. In … Continue reading →

Thirty Days of Thankfulness

I’m a day late with this one, but I hope you will forgive me anyway, especially since I think the topic is not only important, but participating is actually fun. Maybe you have even heard of it before and have been practicing it yourself. If you haven’t, give it a try. For the last couple of years, my friends and I have made November a month in which we really concentrate on all of the blessings in our lives. Using Facebook, and sometimes email, we post something new each day, something that we are truly grateful for in our lives. … Continue reading →