In This Issue
- Organize Your Christmas Shopping
- Tips for Starting Family Christmas Traditions without Breaking the Bank
- 81 Ideas to do With Your Family at Christmas
- Just for Fun
- Important
Info.
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
Walt Disney
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Tips
for Success
Pray without stopping! Pray about everything. Pray when you don't know what to do. Pray for your friends and your enemies. Pray all day long - every day not just on Sunday! More importantly - listen to what God tells you in response to your prayers!
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| Speak
Out! Do you give Christmas gifts to your garbage person, mail person and beautician if don't know them well?
Previous Survey Results
QUESTION: Do you host Thanksgiving dinner
in your home?
RESULTS:
68% Yes
32% No |
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Great Site
Thanksmuch.com/Christmas/index.html is a nice site. It lets people download music (fre*e of charge) Classics tunes like "I Want a Hippopotomus for Christmas" and "Silver and Gold" from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.Click Here |
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What's
Ahead
Next
newsletter will be
out January 4, 2007.
This month I will add
more printables and articles.
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Us Please feel
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contact us:
Kimberly Shavatt
HelpingMomsAtHome
HelpingMomsAtHome@hotmail.com
449 Maryland Avenue
Pasadena, MD 21122
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Online
It's December and we just received our first snowfall of the year :) My kids are playing outside making snowballs and snow angels hoping the snow won't melt too fast. It makes us start wishing for a white Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I've include some articles to help everyone enjoy themselves this holiday season. A little planning will go a long way in helping this sometimes crazy more relaxing and enjoyable.
The key is to have a game plan! Get your family together and decide what is most important. Then get a blank calendar and fill in the month. Fill in the dates of any Christmas parties and get togethers you plan to attend. Use a pencil to fill in the more flexible items such as shopping for presents, caroling, driving to look at lights, bake cookies and sending out Christmas cards. This way you will have time to do all the things most important to your family.
Be safe and have a Merry Christmas!
Kim
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Organize Your Christmas Shopping |
Grab a notebook. Grab a pen. It's time to get serious about your Christmas shopping by making your list (and checking it twice).
Make a list of the people you'll be buying for this year. Leave space between each person's name. Now go back through the list and write down gift ideas and a rough dollar amount you're willing to spend on each person.
Example:
1. Aunt Fran - Collects lighthouses, loves golf - $30.00
2. Beth - Candles, bath and body products - $20.00
3. Joe - Something for his new truck, loves fishing - $50.00
Bring your notebook shopping with you. It will help you to stay focused on who you need to shop for, a general idea of what you're looking for and your price range. Making a detailed list like this will prove invaluable in keeping you organized and on budget with your Christmas shopping. As you shop, cross off each person on your list. Be sure to keep an eye open for bargains and grab a few extra gifts - there's always that visitor that shows up that you didn't anticipate.
Set holiday shopping goals for yourself and jot them down in your notebook.
1. I will have all cards in the mail by December 10th.
2. All of my major shopping will be done by December 15th.
3. I will not go over budget!
Making lists and setting goals for yourself this holiday will save you time and stress and allow you to enjoy the season for what it really is. If you haven't started your shopping, start now. It's not too late to get on track. The first step is starting your notebook, making your list and getting a plan of action.
After the holidays, store your notebook away somewhere (perhaps with your decorations). It will serve as a great reference when you're ready to start your shopping next year.
Happy Holidays, Happy Shopping...and by keeping a Holiday Notebook - Happy You!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Dean is a mostly-sane mom and creator of http://www.ShowMomTheMoney.com -- a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more money-saving tricks at http://www.showmomthemoney.com/TimeSavers.asp.
Article Source: www.ladypens.com
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Tips for Starting Family Christmas Traditions without Breaking the Bank |
The Christmas holiday is fast approaching and along with it the overspending and over abundance of stuff, stuff and more stuff. What usually comes after the "stuff" has been devoured destroyed or stashed away? For most families it's the stress of how to pay the credit card bills. Here's an idea, keep the cards in your wallet this year and start new a new Christmas tradition with your family. If Christmas fun to you and your family means frequent trips to the mall, then you may find the following tips either ridiculous or refreshing. There are ways to bring back the real meaning of Christmas without spending a fortune.
* Do you hear what I hear? One of the best parts of the Christmas holiday is the abundance of special music and concert performances. Most churches put on free seasonal plays or Christmas musicals. Museums and dance companies often times offer free performances as well. Call your local chamber of commerce to see what is being offered in your town this Christmas.
* You light up my life; and my holiday season. People love decorating their homes with holiday light displays. Get your family together and take an invigorating walk around your community or neighborhood. Some cities and even small towns have community light displays in parks where families can pile in the car and drive through to see the lights.
* It really does feel better to give. Most communities have a "giving tree" where families can pick a child in need to buy a toy or gift for. There are shelters or church organizations that would truly appreciate any volunteer time you and your family may have to offer. Let your children pick some of their old toys that are still in good condition and wrap them to donate to a shelter. Look for opportunities to give to others this Christmas. Visit senior citizens in nursing homes and bring them homemade holiday cards. They love seeing young children and will feel joy at someone thinking of them.
* Start a new Family Christmas Tradition. Your kids are only small for a short time, and time does indeed go by fast, so don't miss another year without experiencing special times with your family. Involve your extended family as well. Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles love to see your kids at Christmas, so invite them to join in your new Christmas activities. Plan a family cookie baking day and let everyone help with the holiday baking. Make festive gingerbread houses. Build little bird feeders and hang them outside for the birds to enjoy. Visit the neighbors and bring them some of the cookies you made as a family. Whatever you select to do as a family, make it special and don't forget to take lots of pictures for scrap booking. This too is another activity that can bring the family together in a very memorable way.
Starting family Christmas traditions need not cost a fortune or even a cent. Bring your family back to the true meaning of the holiday and avoid causing future financial stress by planning meaningful holiday traditions this year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sherry Frewerd is an affiliate marketer who publishes websites and blogs on various topics. Visit her "Family Christmas Ideas" website http://familychristmasideas.homestead.com where you will find ideas for creating new Christmas Traditions for your family.
Article Source: www.ladypens.com
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81 Ideas to do With Your Family at Christmas |
Christmas is about so much more than presents and parties, and yet, each year, that is the focus that we as a society place on it. Christmas has become a stress for some, and financial hardship for others. Where there used to be a holiday, to celebrate Family, we have some how lost touch with our roots, and a meaningful soulful Christmas.
Following is a list of of Ideas that cost little or no money, that you can do with your family this Christmas. Set aside some time, and lets all get back to the basics of Christmas. Take this list, and let each family member choose one, and then set aside an evening, for each activity, you will be surprised and amazed how much this will change you and your families outlook on Christmas.
1) Make a popcorn Garland
2) Make garland with construction paper
3) Watch Christmas shows together with hot Chocolate and popcorn
4) Make Decorating the the tree a family event, serve hot chocolate and play Christmas music
5) Make your own Christmas cards to send to people
6) Go Christmas shopping at the the Dollar Store And Donate to a charity for Christmas Gifts
7) Donate Clothes or toys for needy children
8) Make a Snowman
9) Have a snowball fight
10) Make a ginger bread house out of graham crackers and what ever you have in the house.
11) Paint Christmassy pictures on the windows with washable paint
12) Make a game out of hunting around the house, for things to make christmas decorations out of.
13) Build a fire, and have a slumber party with your kids
14) Bake and decorate cookies
15) Have a wrapping party
16) Plan to share a plate of goodies with any elderly or young parents in the neighborhood
17) Go Caroling
18) Go for a drive and see who wins for the best lights in town.
Make an award for the winner and present it to them.
19) Attend a Live Nativity.
20) Take a Special drive at night to enjoy others Christmas lights!
21) Invite your children's friends over to make cards or gifts for their parents
22) Go collect pine cones and use them to make ornaments
23) Make bird treat with peanut butter and birdseed
24) Sing Christmas carols
25) Have the kids write and act out a Christmas play
26) Go to the library and borrow Christmas videos and books
27) Have a game night
28) Take a walk or drive around a neighborhood that has their houses all lit up and decorated
29) Shovel the snow for your elderly neighbors
30) Read one Christmas short story each night before bed
31) Write Christmas letter to all the relatives with the kids all telling what they have been up to in their own words
32) Go sledding (a personal favorite) and come back to the house for hot cider and hot chocolate (we do this and invite the kid's friends to join us)
33) Take a picture of the kids in front of the Christmas tree, and make it a yearly tradition.
34) Visit the local nursing home and present some of the residents with homemade Christmas cards.
35) Do a random act of kindness for a neighbor that you know is sick or feeling down, like take them a plate of cookies or some homemade ornaments.
36) Attend a Church service together
37) Invite an older person/couple for a holiday meal
38) Have a campout night, and sleep in sleeping bags under your lighted christmas tree or some christmas lights.
39) Make up a Christmas scavenger hunt.
40) Watch the all the videos or home movies of Christmas. Or, look at all the photos from Christmas.
41)Make some ornaments
42) Color some Christmas pages together
43) Share a favorite Christmas memory
44) Help your local church/library/community center organize a special holiday reading of twas the night before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, etc. Invite seniors/families. Maybe get a local store to donate some cookies or cocoa.
45) Have a birthday celebration, complete with cake, and birthday decorations.
46) We make a video of ourselves decorating the tree, making cookies, singing Christmas carols and telling the Christmas story. then we make copies of it for all the far off relatives (beats a humdrum letter).
47) Volunteer as a family for the local shelter or nursing home.
48) Have your dks make Christmas cards or snowflakes and take them to the local nursing home.
49) Organize your scout troop or Sunday school or homeschool group and go caroling at a nursing home.
50) Scout or youth group could also offer to paint the windows of local businesses for the holiday with washable paint.
60) Ask the local supermarket if your youth group or older kids can help carry groceries out for senior citizens. Those turkeys are heavy to pick up and put in the car!
61) Help sort food for a food pantry that does food baskets for the holiday.
62) Make paper snowflakes to decorate your windows
63) Organize or volunteer to work in a Christmas wrap booth that gives the proceeds to charity -
64) Volunteer as food servers at shelters that provide Christmas/Thanksgiving dinners
65) Light up your walkway/driveway with handmade luminaries
66) Collect pine boughs and pine cones and make wreaths - can be shared at nursing homes or with elderly ones nearby
67) We decorate our stocking each year. I buy the ones from the Dollar Store, andwhatever we wish to decorate with. Last year we used sticky faom shapes, this year we used glitter glue pens
68) Get out your old records - or borrow your parents- and listen to the Golden oldie Christmas songs from your youth, and share the memories of Christmas past with your children
69) Learn about different cultures celebrate Christmas.... and about what they did years ago.
70) Sing silly Christmas songs with your kiddos... (Grandma got ran over by a reindeer)
71) Find an angel tree and have your kids help pick out a toy for the needy childs name on the angel tree.
72) Make a manger scene out of playdough or clay or even construction paper. Whatever is handy.
73) Create a calendar that the kids can mark off the days til Christmas.
74) Have a Christmas Past, Present and Future evening/afternoon.
Get out your photo albums/scrapbooks and talk about Christmas Past, remembering those who are no longer here to share it with us; for Christmas Present, discuss what one thing makes Christmas special for each person; for Christmas Future, talk about your hopes and dreams for the coming years ahead.
74) Make Christmas gifts for your family's pet and other relative's pets.
75) Take a little Christmas tree and decorate it with your pet's toys and set it in the livingroom with your bigger tree - just for the pets! Wrap up some treats and place them under the pet's tree, too, like a small can of some fancy cat food or a package of doggie treats. (Hopefully the dog won't tear it apart to get at it until Christmas day.
76) Let the kids make their own stockings out of felt and stocking "packages" out of paper grocery sacks to put gifts for others in.
77) Gingerbread people made out of brown grocery sacks are very cute, too and inexpensive and make great tags on presents and ornaments for a tree or wreath. You could glue on google eyes and a small candy cane to the gingerbread people, too and make them even more dimensional and if using two sides, you can tape or glue them together and stuff them with cottonballs to fill them out if you want to make them puffy.
78) Let your child decorate their bedroom door for Christmas. A wreath with some small trinkets on it is charming on every door inside the house, too.
79) Make snowmen out of styrofoam ball ornaments or styro balls or old Christmas bulbs (the breakable kind) in 2 sizes (one larger and one smaller glued together), paint white or glue on cottonballs or fake snow and add glitter. Use google eyes or dots punched out of a paper punch for eyes, Orange pipe cleaner twisted to a carrot shape for the nose, little buttons or mini m & m's or small pom poms can be buttons or even the gold top of a paper fastener clip. Also can use yarn for eyes, smile, eyebrows or braid yarn for a scarf.. use your imagination and whatever you have around the house, toothpicks or tree branches for arms, etc. An old sweater and flannel shirt can provide scarves and hats, mittens for all the snowmen and snowwomen which can be grouped together under a tree branch from outside. Provide all the scrap materials you have and let the kids have a great time making them.
80) Make some snow globes with old jars.
81) Create a God Can for family members here is how
use a tall odd shaped can, the one I found was a solid gold color, was maybe 6 inches tall and semi squared with a rounded bubble shaped lid. (Found it at Dollar Tree last year)
This is what I attached.
God Can
When your worries get too heavy
Follow this little plan
Just write it on a little note
And drop it in this can
You know that any problem
That you place in Our Lord's hands
Will soon be taken care of
Because we can't but God Can!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Patty Getz is Is a Sahmom with a mission to educate families, on the alternatives, to high debt, fast food, and fast living. She is the Owner of www.TotallyFrugal.com and the author of several articles on Frugal living,cooking, and Simple Living.
Article Source: www.ladypens.com
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Just For Fun |
NorthPole.com - Really great site for the kids! They can email Santa a letter and receive one back. On Christmas Eve they can even track Santa and his reindeer via NORAD. They have coloring pages, story books that can be personalized and more.
Click Here.
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Important Information |
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