For the remaining week (7 days!) I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas
tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur
of the moment gift.
Today's tip is to Relax! I understand there are 101 things still to do, here is the thing, we are going to sit back and forget about all the gifts or wrapping that is waiting to be done. Watch a Christmas movie with the kids, drive around to see the lights, take the kids to see Santa, what ever you have on you're want-to-do-list, today is the day we are going to work on one of those items. For us, it's building a gingerbread house. Either way, today is a day we will enjoy!
The Gift:
Photo Courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy
Today's gift is more of a gift to ourselves, something to add to our own Christmas Trees. Or you could make them as an added gift to the presents. Just add these ornaments to any gift with a ribbon. Directions are found here at Homemade Gifts Made Easy and a special thanks to Stephanie for allowing me to use photos from her site. It is much appreciated because this site is filled with great projects for both gifts and things to spoil ourselves with. If you haven't clicked on any links I've posted so far, I highly urge you to do so. There is literally something for everyone.
For the remaining 8 days I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas
tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur
of the moment gift.
The Carol:
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.
The Tip:
While out finishing up your shopping, grab a nutritious snack before going. Not only will it save you time and money not standing in a fast food line or wasting gas in a drive thru, but you'll fuel your body better with fruit and vegetables rather than a burger and fries. Also, as hard as it may be, pass on the sweets, they contribute to decreased energy, save them for Christmas day when you can relax in your new pajama set.
The Gift:
Photo Courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy
Have a baker or coffee drinker on your list? This is such an easy gift to add a little sparkle to sugar. Using a vanilla bean added to a plain jar of sugar will infuse a sweet taste to any recipe or cup of joe. Go to "Homemade Gifts Made Easy" to see the full instructions on this super easy gift.
For the next remaining 9 days I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas
tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur
of the moment gift.
The Carol:
Oddly enough, the Christmas classic "Let it snow!" was written in Hollywood California on one of the hottest days on record in July 1945 by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne. In 1959, Dean Martin recorded the song for his album A Winter Romance. He also recorded a different version in 1966 for The Dean Martin Christmas Album.
The Tip:
Shopping days are dwindling. To beat the Christmas Eve crowd, try shopping online, but hurry though as shipping days are also dwindling. Usually around the 15th is the last day to shop online to get the item by delivered by Standard Ground Fare (the cheap shipping). So if there is something on your list that is online order... do it NOW! Stop reading further, you can come back to this post later, get those orders in online! And don't forget to look for the little lock icon on the website to make sure your purchases are done on a secure site. The only thing worse than not getting your item shipped in time is to later find out someone has stolen your payment information and went on a shopping spree.
The Gift:
Photo courtesy of Homemade Gift Made Easy
While you are here at the computer, why not jump over to Homemade Gifts Made Easy and print off these wonderful gift coupons! There is an option to print off ones with ideas already filled in. Here are a few others.
1 Night Kid Free (let your nieces, nephews, grandkids spend the night so Mom & Dad can have a free night)
1 Free Spaghetti Meal (or any other meal. All mom's appreciate those no cook nights!)
Run your Errands (great for those with little ones and those who already spend 95% of their time running from doctor appointment to another doctor appointment)
Movie Night (let them borrow a movie from your collection and provide a bag of popcorn)
Party Prep/Clean Up (assist the parents of the Birthday child with additional help in setting up and cleaning up from the party)
And if you're giving this to kids, here are a few ideas as well.
1 Movie/Game Rental, Your Choice.
Good For a Big Bear Hug
Special Dinner out with Dad
Shopping Trip with Mom (1- $10 or Less Item)
1 Sleep-Over Party
See you tomorrow with another Carol, Tip, and Gift!
For the next remaining 10 days I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas
tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur
of the moment gift.
The Carol:
"Blue Christmas" is a Christmas
song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. Its tale of unrequited
love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music, especially in the country genre. Did you know that the version Elvis recorded is actually missing a verse? The song was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948, and was popularized the following year in three separate recordings: one by country artist Ernest Tubb, which is the version that Elvis then re-recorded.
The Tip:
If there is time, schedule a day or part of a day to do something un-materialistic. For instance, volunteering at a shelter or soup kitchen, or help your children go through their toy box to make room for gifts they will receive this year and then donate those old, unloved toys. Call your local fire department or police department who hand out stuffed animals to children they come in contact on their rescue calls, I'm sure they'd appreciate those 'friends' your child no longer plays with. Battered women's shelters would be another great place to call and see if they need a toy donation.
I understand this tip doesn't help on saving any time on your own schedule, and maybe it's not in the cards for you to do this year. But if you're starting to feel the holiday time blues, knowing that you helped someone out who is in a tougher spot than yourself can boost those feel good feelings. And who doesn't need a boost from time to time?
The Gift:
Photo courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy
What better way to boost your feel good feelings then by adding good scents around the house? And what better gift to give others than the same feel good booster? Again, I have a do it yourself gift courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy, I'm beginning to love this site and have a feeling that 99% of the gifts I give next year will be those you see posted here.
When I first saw this, I almost passed on it because I thought, oh this would be to difficult but the directions look to be the easiest one so far. You can find the directions 'here' and have a look around the site as well. I will say the remaining gifts I link in this series will come from this site, but I'll barely scratch the surface on all the ideas available.
For the next remaining 11 days I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas
tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur
of the moment gift.
The Carol:
According to the information provided by Wikipedia, "Winter Wonderland" has been recorded by over 150 different artists. It was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (music) and Richard B. Smith (lyrics).
The Tip:
PLAN: I know those who read some of my posts in Soaring Above It All are probably tired of hearing me express how much I love planning, or maybe I don't express it enough because I really LOVE planning! But the point is, this time last year I didn't plan a thing, nothing! A year later I'm planning what chore I do on what day, what I wear, what I make for supper, how I spend all of my time really.
So grab a sheet of paper or open up a text document on the computer (less likely to be lost in the shuffle of school papers and mail coming in daily). Make two columns; things you Want to do and things you Need to do. If singing carols as a family around the piano like a scene from a movie is on your want list, jot it down. If you have 3 more gifts you need to get, jot it down. With it being so close to Christmas, I suggest you refer to this list once in the morning and once at night to see what it is that you can do to scratch another item off the list. Happy list making!
*Lists do us no good if we don't make it a habit to refer to them on a regular basis. So don't make the list and then ignore it, it can't help you when this happens.
The Gift:
Photo courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy
Here is a quick gift to stitch together for that child on your list who is a connoisseur of arts, a magician of words, or even a preschool playmate who needs something to entertain them on long car trips, a personalized Journal Cover! You could even attach a ribbon for a book mark and a felt loop to hold a pen or pencil, even better yet a felt pocket on the back to hold a box of colored pencils or crayons! The ideas are endless.
Yet again, we come to the close of today's Christmas inspiration. I hope you have read something inspiring today and best of luck on your own count down to Christmas.
For the next 12 days I will be posting a Christmas carol, a Christmas tip to overcome stress of the next two weeks, and a cheap or free spur of the moment gift.
The Carol:
White Christmas was written by Irving Berlin and the first public performance of the song was by Bing Crosby, on his NBC radio show The Kraft Music Hall on Christmas Day, 1941. It is the only single with three separate runs at the top of the U.S. charts; 1942, 1945, and 1946. It is still a favorite Christmas song of many, over 70 years later.
The Tip:
Breathe! Of course we do this everyday without even thinking about it, but are you taking a moment and catching your breath throughout the day. We've moved into a time where we want/need everything NOW! Yet we are not built for on the go 24/7. We need a chance to fill up our energy, our mentality, and our spirit. So today and every day hereafter, I want you to sit for 5 minutes, close your eyes, and breathe! Listen to the sounds around you, smell the scent of Christmas.
The Gift:
If you have finished your shopping like I have, feel free to revisit these posts to get a jump start on gifts next year. If you still have someone to purchase or to make for, hope these items can spark some inspiration.
Photo courtesy of Home Gifts Made Easy
Today's gift is a set of refrigerator magnets made from scrap booking paper, glue, wooden clothes pins, and magnets. Some added ideas would be to include a laminated card with the word Dirty on one side and Clean on the other, so that it can be used on the dishwasher. Click for full length instructions.
Thank you for joining me today and I look forward to sharing more ideas tomorrow on "The 2nd Day of Christmas".
