the blog

  True Confession: It’s Monday, October 29th and all I want to do is decorate for Christmas. Blame the new house screaming to be Christmas-ed up, or Christmas on the brain thanks to all the prep we’ve been doing,  or just the fact that I heart Christmas so much… whatever the cause, I have the fever and I have it bad. We still have pumpkins and I might put out our few halloween things for the day of but there is that awkward time between Halloween and Thanksgiving that fall decor is still acceptable but I’m also ready for the...

Good and bad, things rarely go as planned during the busy holiday season. Someone gets sick, an unexpected invitation, you find out there are 13 more people coming to an event than originally planned… you name it. Stuff happens and it happens big during such a busy season.  You cannot prepare for everything but you can take steps to make them not hurt as badly. Here are just a few thoughts…  Stay healthy: Take care of yourself and your people. Drink plenty of water, eat your veggies, get some sleep. Do all you can to prevent getting sick but be willing...

Now that we have our lists made and a good grasp on what we’re dealing with come Christmas,  today is the day to start putting things into action. These are simple steps you can just integrate into what you’re already doing now to save time later. Let’s get started!    Gifts: You have your list so when you see something that person might like, pick it up. I started this in the summer when I ran across some great sale items at Hobby Lobby and we have a box in extra closet for such things. Not only will you save money...

I find it impossible to get a good grasp on anything without some sort of a list. The holiday season is no exception and by starting these lists early, we lay the ground work for success down the road. Today’s only action is to sit down with a calendar and paper (and a strong cup of coffee) and start writing. Here’s what to focus on…    Calendar: We may not have invitations yet, but you know what gatherings are typical so grab a calendar and fill in the following:  Concrete Plans: Fill in the dates you know start with TODAY and...

You’re going to want to stop reading here but please don’t. I will say some things that will sound crazy but if you just trust me, you’ll thank me later. Christmas is 70 days away. Even if you are a passionate “I don’t want to see anything Chrisrmasy until after Thanksgiving,” person, you need to hear this. How often do things get so crazy from October to January that we don’t even enjoy it? I don’t think that’s just me, right? This is such a special time full of so much fun, but it can be overstimulating and exhausting and make...