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More Ways to Recycle for the Holidays

Sure, we all know about “re-gifting,” which may be the quintessential holiday recycling method (when used cautiously). However, there are some other methods that work very well, allowing us to save materials, and avoid not only waste but also avoid extra purchases. Gift Wrapping Materials Many people save and reuse wrapping paper and bows from previous years, and of course, those great gift bags (minus the tag). You can also use other wrapping paper from other holidays, by simply turning it inside out. Use it plain, for pretty white packages that can be decorated with ribbons and trinkets for a … Continue reading →

Don’t Eliminate the Entertainment Budget

Often, when times are economically tight, as they are now for most of us, the entertainment or fun budget is the first thing to go. Just because there is less money available, doesn’t mean that there has to be less fun. Do Put Something in the Budget for Entertainment Designate some amount for family fun, even if it is only limited to $20 a month or even less. Budgeting for entertainment sends the message that family fun is important, even when it isn’t expensive. If you create a zero-based family fun budget you may wind up indulging anyway, and blowing … Continue reading →

Preparing for the 4th

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Is your house ready for the 4th of July? Usually, I decorate for every holiday, lately, I’ve been letting those things slide. I think it’s time to at least get some flags out and show a little spirit. For most of the United States the 4th means bbq’s and family. I love summer holidays, any excuse to get together with my family and friends, I’ll take it. Holiday dinners in the winter are nice but there is something to be said about sitting outside, after the sun goes down on a warm summer evening and watching the kids run around … Continue reading →

Chip Off the Block

Whereas I am a huge advocate of repurposing leftover material to decorate my scrapbook layouts, I don’t go out of my way to embellish exclusively with environmentally-friendly products. To get me to “go green” my neighbor recently gifted me with a large stack of plain chipboard. The specialty scrapbook embellishment (very thick pressed cardboard paper) is made from recycled products. Chipboard is used to add color and dimension to layouts in a variety of ways, including letters for titles, photo corners, frames, decorative shapes, page borders and tags. Scrapbook supply shops sell a variety of chipboard accents. These vibrant embellishments … Continue reading →

Hosting Santa’s Workshop

Each year, it seems that we wind up spending too much money on the holidays. One of the ways to cut this expense down while reinforcing the validity of Christmas is to concentrate on gifts that come from the heart, gifts that are made by hand. But coming up with something that doesn’t look homemade can be a bit of a challenge. Why not get organized with a Santa’s workshop that will not only yield great gifts but also create a warm social engagement during the holidays. Setting up the workshop Making gifts is really fun when you do it … Continue reading →

Green for Halloween

Forget orange. It is time to get green when it comes to Halloween. Most often when holidays arrive, we give ourselves permission to throw away our normal good habits and indulge. That is why come Halloween time, I find myself buying bags of processed Halloween candy, and not all of it goes to the trick-or-treaters. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could use holidays, no matter what they are, as a motivation to find new ways to go green? Think about what an impact that would make: green teacher’s day, green fourth of July, green sweetest day, etc. Okay, … Continue reading →

What To Do with All Those Holiday Cards

Over in the PARENTS blog we’ve been having a lively discussion about the accumulation of holiday photo cards. If you are popular enough, then you likely struggle with how to display the mountains of greeting cards in an attractive manner. Some people choose to tape them to doorways, while others opt for traditional wire cardholders. However, if you have cards arriving by the truckload from friends, family and some from people you’ve never heard of before, then you’re probably dealing with space issues right about now. It’s not a bad dilemma to be faced with, yet the matter still needs … Continue reading →

Eleven Days ’til Christmas

With only eleven days left, it’s time to take stock, or should I say take inventory? Don’t forget about school… Have you picked up the snacks for the class party? The grab bag gift? Something for the teacher? Take stock of gifts you have purchased, and those you still need to get. Make sure you have plenty of supplies for wrapping or decorating packages. If you’re like me, you may be juggling ways to make each pile of presents look reasonably alike. We try to spend roughly the same amount on our kids and try to make sure each one … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: Nov. 26 – Dec. 2

Thanksgiving has come and gone and we have moved right into winter and Christmas. Here are this week’s articles at a glance: Remove Musty Smells Do you have some old furniture that has been stored too long in a basement or garage? It happens to the best of us… Household Germs: Try this Hand-washing Test Are you sure your hands are really clean? Dreaming of a Green Christmas? Some environmentally friendly ideas instead of wasted packing materials… More Ways to Recycle for the Holidays More ways to use stuff you already have around the house… Fighting Soap Scum Who doesn’t … Continue reading →

My Kindergarten – Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells has made quite a name for herself with children’s books that feature animals as the main characters. Perhaps you’d know her best from “Max and Ruby.” While this brother/sister combo are probably her most famous characters, she has created several, and “My Kindergarten” features many of them. Much thicker and more involved than her other books, Rosemary put together this book with a great deal of thought into the curriculum taught at kindergarten so she could complement that curriculum with the things she chose to include in the book. We begin in September with the first day of … Continue reading →