FREE Greeting Cards
Over 1000 to Choose From!
{ 0 comments }
Click the eBook Cover to Order Work at Home Truths, by Tiffany Dow
Holidays
Get a Photo Mug for Just $1.99
This is a really cool and very inexpensive treat for yourself or someone you love. Great for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day too!
{ 0 comments }
Christmas is the time of traditions and crafts. From pipe cleaner candy canes to making and decorating gingerbread houses, there is no time like Christmas for crafting. Whether you have yearly holiday traditions already in place at your house or are looking for ways to start a new tradition, you’ve come to the right place.
One tradition that many households celebrate during the holidays is decorating the Christmas tree. Usually putting up decorations and adorning the tree with lights, garland and ornaments that hold special memories is an affair the entire family participates in. So, if you love to craft and your family is one that makes an entire day out of decking the halls, read on for a way to combine the two loves this year.
Crafting your Christmas tree can be done a few different ways.
1. Use crafts from years past
2. Make new crafts for the tree
3. Creating themes with crafts every year
Using Crafts from Years Gone By
One way you can craft your tree this year is to gather all the goodies your family has made in previous years. A few such times might include those made from by the kids when they were in elementary school, during rainy days that meant crafting the afternoon away or any other times when crafts were made within the family.
Make New Crafts Just for the Christmas Tree
If you don’t have crafts from year’s past, make some new ones. Take an afternoon and spend it making crafts especially for this year’s tree. You can find craft kits with Christmas themed items at your local craft or dollar store or you can make your own from every day items around the house. It doesn’t even have to be Christmas type crafts. Whatever your family wants to make, let them go for it, then decorate your tree with pride – even if it is with finger paints and paper airplanes. Let the kids choose crafts that show their interests. If your daughter likes Hannah Montana and your son likes aliens, it’s ok; this tree is all about combining the differences in family into one loving and unique tree.
Create a Yearly Theme for Your Christmas Craft Tree
Want to make crafting your tree an annual tradition that changes a bit every year so no one gets bored with the same decorations year after year? Pick a theme for your tree and make crafts that fit the theme. Here are a few examples of themes you could use:
Snowmen – Create snowmen from all kinds of things like foam, cotton balls, construction paper, etc. Make a big snowman dressed to the hilt with his broom and top hat to place on the top.
Tree of Garland – You can create garland out of almost anything. Popcorn, construction paper chains, beads, ribbons, string are all great ideas. You can even create a charm garland by taking a piece of string and attaching various crafts or trinkets from the year past.
Color Schemes – Pink & Purple, Red & Green, Blue & Silver, or Gold & Silver, whatever colors your heart desires. Choose two or three colors at most to keep from going over board. You can add bows, ribbons, or any other decoration you’d like as long as it keeps the color scheme.
Baby – Got a baby celebrating their first Christmas this year or expecting your first child? Decorate your tree with craft items that resemble baby bottles, teething rings, rattles, etc.
These are just a few of the many ways you can craft your Christmas tree this year. Get creative and think of some of your own too. Make a day out of decorating your tree this year and for years to come by making some cookies the day before and sipping on some hot chocolate throughout the day. Don’t forget the Christmas carols playing in the background. No holiday decorating is complete without your favorite songs to sing along with.
{ 0 comments }
The last thing any holiday cooks want to do is walk around the kitchen and find out that they are missing a vital item they need to finish a meal in fantastic fashion. Undoubtedly it has happened to you at least once. Be sure it doesn’t happen again with this pantry staple list for the holidays.
Each holiday, most of us prepare the same things. There are favorite family dishes that must be prepared or Aunt Minnie will have a fit. That goes for desserts as well. Since you know this in advance, let’s make sure that the kitchen cupboards are stocked with the items you use the most.
The pantry list includes items for the fridge, cupboard and the freezer. Let’s begin with the cupboard:
• Flour (all purpose, cake)
• Baking soda
• Dry yeast (for breads)
• Sugar (white, brown, confectioners’)
• Chocolate (bricks, squares, morsels, cocoa powder)
• Nuts (pecans, English walnuts, almonds)
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper)
• Baking powder
• Honey, oil, vinegar
• Broth
• Dried fruits
• Vegetables (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, garlic)
• Rice
• Dried pasta
This is just a short list. Depending on your tastes, you’ll add or detract from it depending on your tastes. Now we move on to the fridge. Some items just need to stay in there to stay fresh. To know your refrigerated pantry staples, think of things that you are always sending someone to the store for.
• Milk
• Butter (not margarine)
• Sour cream
• Eggs
• Lemon juice
• Half and half
This list is shorter because you use these items more when you cook and bake around the holidays than any other time. The broth from the other list will end up in the fridge after you open it.
Don’t forget the freezer. Most of the freezer staples come into play with baking but they can pertain to cooking the meal if you make fruit relishes, cranberry sauce from scratch and other condiment additions to your holiday table.
• Frozen fruit (berry mix, peaches)
• Frozen vegetables (to make up for any shortfall with fresh veggie side dishes)
• Fruit juices from concentrate
As you can see, there are a lot of staples that you’ll need when cooking and baking for the holidays. You don’t necessarily have to account for every family member who darkens your door. If your list includes at least these items you are well on your way to a well-stocked holiday pantry.
{ 0 comments }
A new year is certainly something to celebrate. Yet New Year’s Eve parties have become much more scarce than they once were. It’s a safe bet that one of the biggest reasons for this trend is our shrinking budgets.
What many people do not realize is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to ring in the New Year properly. As long as your friends and family are there, you can always have a good time even without going to a great deal of expense. Here’s how.
* Host the party at your house if possible. If you do not have enough space, ask a friend or family member if you could have the party at their house. Renting a space can be expensive, especially on an occasion like New Year’s Eve.
* Plan your party for late evening. Everyone will probably be staying past midnight anyway, so there’s no need to get started early. If you have the party late, it will give everyone the opportunity to eat dinner before they show up, so you won’t be expected to provide a full meal. Instead, you can just serve some tasty finger foods. But just to be sure everyone knows what to expect, indicate on the invitations that you will be serving refreshments only.
* If you really want to have a meal, make it a potluck. Have each guest bring a dish, and even a drink if you like. You can supply the paper plates, cups, flatware and napkins.
* Don’t feel obligated to have a full bar. You can have a fun party without stocking every type of liquor. You could serve champagne punch or beer as an alternative, or make it an alcohol-free party if you like.
* Keep the decorations simple and inexpensive. Strings of white Christmas lights make great decorations indoors or out. For a centerpiece, gather some branches and pine cones and arrange them in the center of the table. For added flair, spray paint them silver or gold.
* Skip hiring a band to play at your party and make a nice mix CD for the occasion. Or if you have friends that play, ask them to bring their instruments along and have an impromptu jam session.
* Go with cheap entertainment. Borrow movies from the library for a movie marathon, or have guests bring board games that everyone can play. Or break out the cards and chips and have a poker night.
Who said celebrating the New Year required an all-out extravaganza? The point of a New Year’s Eve party is to have fun with the people who mean the most to us. And you don’t have to break the bank to do that.
{ 0 comments }
Have you recently made the decision to host a Christmas party this year or even next? If so, it is likely that you have your party all planned out or, at least, you should be looking to develop a plan soon. Regardless of whether you have already started planning your Christmas party yet, have you thought about decorations? Christmas decorations are an important party of the holiday season, but they are an even bigger party of a Christmas party. That is one of the many reasons why you should want to decorate your home for Christmas.
As previously mentioned, Christmas decorations are an important part of Christmas, as well any type of party. There is just something about Christmas that makes everyone want to celebrate it, particularly with Christmas decorations. The same can be said for a party. Party decorations, even Christmas party decorations, makes a party, well, seem more like a party. Having Christmas decorations at your Christmas party will likely make your party more enjoyable. There is just something about Christmas decorations that brings out the Christmas spirit. Therefore, if you are looking to make your Christmas party a festive one, one that your guests will never want to forget, you are advised to decorate your home for your Christmas party.
While Christmas parties come in all different forms, popular Christmas party forms includes parties that are for children or parties that are for family. Regardless of whether or not you have adults and children present at your Christmas party or just children, one thing is for sure; children love the Christmas season. One of the reasons for that is because of the pretty decorations. If you are a parent, yourself, you likely already know first hand how much children enjoy looking at Christmas decorations. In fact, the decorations are sometimes the first thing that children notice. Therefore, if there will be children that will be attending your Christmas party, it may be a good idea to decorate your home for the event.
As previously mentioned, Christmas parities are often associated with friends and family. That is why there is a good chance that you or your guests would want to document the holidays. This documentation is often done with a video camera or a picture camera. Regardless of which is being used, you will find that Christmas decorations make the perfect backdrop for video footage or pictures. In fact, it may also be a good idea to decorate and designate an area of your home for pictures. This may not only put your decorations to good use, but it will also encourage your guests to document the holiday with pictures.
Another reason why you should decorate your home, for your Christmas party, is because, in most cases, you will find that your guests expect your home to be decorated. A Christmas party really isn’t a Christmas party without Christmas decorations. In fact, the decorations are often what sets a Christmas party apart from any other party. Since parties, especially Christmas parties, are often associated with decorations, you will find that your guests expect to see them. Perhaps, that is one of the most important reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party; you don’t want to let your guests down do you?
As you can easily see, there are a number of different reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party. If you are looking to find the largest selection of Christmas decorations or a particular type, you are advised to start your shopping early, preferably in late October or early December. As Christmas approaches, you will find that many retail stores sell out of their Christmas decorations and very few replenish their stock. Therefore, if you are planning on decorating your home for your Christmas party, you will want to get started soon. In fact, as soon as the Christmas decorations hit the store shelves, it may be a good idea to, at least, start purchasing your decorations.
{ 0 comments }
