Search Results for: blog enlisting help for the holidays

De-Stress the Holidays

Unless you are one of those people that does things perfectly and effortlessly (which I’m certainly not), you may find yourself a little stressed during the holidays. There is a lot to do and we all want everything to be special and wonderful for our families. Well, that means taking care of ourselves while we take care of everything else. Take Care of You Thanksgiving is one week away, and I’m sure you have lots of stuff to do. However, today is “take care of you” day. Now, now, don’t shake your head and sigh. Keep reading… I know you … Continue reading →

Holidays: The Kids’ Table

When you were growing up, were there separate tables set aside for children and adults during the holidays? Did you sit at the kids’ table each year, eagerly anticipating when the time would come that you were big enough to join the grown up table? Hopefully, you have made it by now. I didn’t think I’d ever get there. It seemed that every year kids had to be older to join the land of adults. I could just imagine how much better it must be at the glorious grown up table. When I finally got there, it wasn’t such a … Continue reading →

Enlisting Help for the Holidays

Somehow, shopping, planning, cleaning, cooking, serving, and then cleaning some more all seem to become chores on Mom’s list of things to do for the holidays. While this may not be true in all homes, it is in many. If you are that mom, you don’t have to be, if you don’t want to be. There is nothing wrong with encouraging and even expecting help from your family members. Holidays are family events, so every member of the family can certainly add to the effort to ensure that everyone enjoys the meal, the festivities, and the overall occasion. It’s much … Continue reading →

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Seven Days and Counting

One week! Yes, that is all the time we have left until Thanksgiving Day. Are you ready? Breaking down your lists into tasks to tackle each day may make things go more smoothly. Having a plan helps, and even if you don’t get everything done on the designated days, you’ll still be steadily crossing items off your list. Let’s start the countdown with these suggestions (please check back daily): Exterior Decorate your front door with a charming wreath or find a terrific new mat to welcome guests (don’t forget a mat or rug inside as well, for wet shoes). Rake … Continue reading →

Do You have Issues with Holiday Greetings?

The War on Christmas is what many people have labeled the fairly recent phenomenon of actively attempting to strip Christ from Christmas. Over the past few years, there has been any obvious shift, yet many people claim that this is the stuff of paranoid Christian minds and that this “war” is non-existent. While you might not see it as a war, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion, no one can honestly say that things haven’t changed. Last year, some retailers even went so far as to forbid their employees from saying Merry Christmas. Their advertising schemes included the … Continue reading →

Christmas is How Many Days Away?

In case you haven’t checked the calendar lately, you now officially have twenty-five days left until Christmas. I know that you know it’s coming soon, but do you ever get so caught up in trying to get stuff done that the days just seem to slip by? I do. Then I find myself gasping, “Only twenty-five days left!” in shock that so many days have disappeared and I have so much left to do. This is for everybody that didn’t realize the countdown had started. I know there are some of you out there. I know some people that haven’t … Continue reading →

Start a Holiday Babysitting Co-op

You can’t exactly take the kids with you when you’re picking out their presents, but you may want to have the ability to shop with your spouse. Who’s going to watch the kids? Grandma might be out getting caught up on her shopping, and if you have to pay a babysitter, that’s less money to spend on gifts. Instead, get together with your friends who also have kids and work out a trade. Set up a little co-op deal and swap a certain number of hours of childcare. It’s best to plan in advance and give set dates and times … Continue reading →

Do Something Different this Thanksgiving

Maybe you are the type of person that prefers not to be bound by tradition. Maybe you like to keeps things fresh and different all year long, including during the holiday season. There is nothing wrong with that. While I do stick to some particular traditions because they are things that my family would miss if I didn’t, I still like to add a few new changes here and there. That may mean adding different foods to the menu or preparing certain items differently on occasion. It may also mean changing the time we generally eat dinner from later in … Continue reading →

Home: Review of Week Ending Nov. 4

I decided to change things around a little bit, so Week in Review articles will now cover all posts from Sunday through Saturday. Since Sunday was already covered last time, this particular review will begin with Monday’s entries, covering October 30 through November 4. This week Marjorie, Michele, and I, covered several issues regarding holidays, guests, home care, and more. Michele and I both wondered if it’s really necessary to kick off the Christmas season before or even just after Halloween, in “Is it Time for Christmas Decorations?” and “Poinsettias Already?” Marjorie offered tips like “Houseplants That You Positively Cannot … Continue reading →