by kathilipp | Dec 9, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Yesterday, we talked about getting all of your packages shipped out. If you are feeling behind, you may want to consider having everything shipped directly to your home or those out of town people that you need to get gifts to.
And here is where I want your participation. Tell me your favorite places to shop online (and why) or one of your favorite online shopping stratagies, and one of you will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. A winner will be drawn December 20th.
I want your best, tips, ideas, your favorite “fishing holes” (the places you would normally never share,) so we can all be faster, cheaper, better this year.
Here’s mine (and no, I don’t expect everyone to go along a spiritual line…) Last year my kids went in together and bought me a goat from World Vision last year. They bought the gift online, then to represent the goat under our Christmas tree, my clever girls, Amanda and Kimberly, folded a towel into a goat by getting the instructions online (in fact, here’s a video on how to fold towels into a goat… Who knew.) What a GREAT last minute gift – helping someone in a developing country by providing a goat.
I of course also love Amazon and how, in case you forgot to get your father-in-law a gift, (who me? Never…) you can pop on there and send him a gift card that will arrive in his inbox on Christmas morning (as if you’d planned it that way all along…)
OK – your turn.
by kathilipp | Dec 8, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
Sorry about yesterday’s post. All it said was – you get a catch up day – you’re welcome.
Shipping out boxes is a ton easier than it used to be if you do a couple of things:
- Learn how to ship using USPS.com (they have a whole shipping guide if you’ve never done it before
- Use Priority Mail boxes
Why do I love those Priority Mail boxes so?
- You can schedule Priority Mail to be picked up at your house for the next day
- Boxes with pre-printed, pre-paid labels from usps.com can just be dropped off at the Post Office – you don’t need to wait in line
I like using the Priority boxes that you don’t have to weigh – those Prepaid boxes you can just keep stuffing until you can’t close them – and the rate stays the same.
Get all of your packages shipped out, or, if you you are still needing to get a few gifts, why not buy them online and have them shipped directly, so you know that they’ll get there in time.
by kathilipp | Dec 7, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
This is a catch up day – you’re welcome…
by kathilipp | Dec 6, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
Stockings or no stockings? That’s the question.
People are deeply rooted in traditon – do they have stockings, what do you put in them, and when do you open them.
We usually have a few standard goodies in each stocking:
- Chocolate Gold Coins
- Gummy Bears
- Tooth Brushes
- Playing Cards
- Thank-you Notes
Yes. Thank you notes. These are suppose to inspire the kids to actually write the notes (it happens about 50% of the time…)
Here is how I get ready for the stockings:
I have a Ziploc bag with each person’s name on it. As I gather up little treats for them, I wrap them and keep them in their own Ziploc. When it comes time to fill the individual stockings, all I do is dump the content of each bag into the appropriate stocking.
You’re Own Stocking
After the first couple of years of marriage and Roger noticing that I didn’t have anything in my stocking (it really didn’t bother me, promise…) So our third Christmas he went to Bath and Body and loaded up (I got a dozen hand sanitizers. No, I wasn’t offended…) But I still buy myself a little treat to put in my own stocking. Nothing extravagant, but just a little something I wouldn’t normally buy for myself.
At the last event I spoke at, I had a rush of women come up to my booktable and get the My Husband is a Hottie Shirt. I normally sell quite a few of the shirts, but this was unusual…. I finally asked one of the ladies what was up a
nd she explained that her whole table decided to purchase the shirts to put in their own stockings – a gift for her, a gift for him. Genius.
If you tell me in the comments what the best part of the Christmas Project has been for you, I will put you in a drawing for your own T-shirt to stuff your stocking with.
The winner will be randomly cho
by kathilipp | Dec 5, 2011 | Christmas, Relationships |
For all you listeners of The Kim Pagano Show here is my mom’s Pizza Fondue reciepe – as promised!
This is something we make almost every year and every one of our kids loves it – how many meals can yu say that about?
Pizza Fondue
By Connie Richerson
Ingredients:
½ lb. ground beef
1 sm onion, chopped
2 (10.5 oz.) cans pizza sauce
1 T. cornstarch
1 ½ t. oregano
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
Brown the ground beef and onion; drain. Put meat, sauce, cornstarch, and spices in fondue pot.
When cooked and bubbly, add cheese.
Spear crusty French bread cubes then dip and swirl in fondue.
This is also delicious with bread sticks.
Serves 4-6
by kathilipp | Dec 4, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Time to get your kitchen in order for this special time of year…
- Get your meal plan for each of your celebrations (both at your home and at others homes)
- Are you going to be doing any special holiday baking? Are you giving any food gifts?
- Plan the rest of your meals for the month – a girl can’t live on gingerbread alone (but it’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it?) If you need a blank calendar to plan out the rest the less than holiday hoopla dinners you will need to consume? Head over to my FB Author Page to get a free download.
- Make sure you have the cookie sheets, baking dishes, etc you’ll need. If you don’t, borrow what you need from friends and relative who will be out of town anyway.
From there, create your shopping list for what you are going to need. If you stock up on your staples now, you will thank me when you don’t have to venture into the sore on December 23rd to try to find the last can of canned pumpkin.
And if you’re making any kind of brittle, send me a note and I’ll make sure that you have my mailing address correct.
by kathilipp | Dec 3, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Thanks for all your feedback about how the Project is going!
“Loving this challenge, it has made such a difference! I feel like things are under control and I am way ahead of the game this year. Thanks so much Kathi!” Kyla
I have to tell you that selfishly I have loved this entire project. I’m ahead of the game on shopping, I just got my Christmas cards in the mail, and I don’t feel nearly as scattered as I do when I don’t have a plan.
Today’s Project: Get some of your decorating done.
Here are some of the things you may want to consider working on:
Get and decorating your tree
Put away some of your everyday “stuff” so you’ll have room for your Christmas decor
Swap out your dishes for your Christmas dishes
Decorate outside
I have to admit that the majority of the decorating around our house is done by Roger (there is a reason that he is a lighting designer. He likes bright shiny things…)
But the hanging of the Christmas cards in up to me. So Every year I take a plain door in our house (this year it’s the plain looking door that houses our furnace,) and wrap it like a big presents. Like such:
One of
the other big helps for Christmas decor is to get rid of anything that you are no longer decorating with – those pink snowmen your bought during your Miami Vice Christmas phase, or that stack of Christmas cards from people you no longer talk with (and maybe, don’t really like). The less you have to sort through, the easier the decorating process will be.
Happy decorating friends!
by kathilipp | Dec 2, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
Today is the day to catch up! I know that I will be working hard on sending out Christmas cards. What will you be working on?
- Wrapping gifts
- Ordering gifts
- Pulling together your recipes
- Creating a shopping list
Let me know here on the blog or on my Facebook Author Page what you will be catching up on and I will enter you into the drawing to win THE “WHAT’S FOR DINNER?” SOLUTION for yourself or as a wrapped gift that I will send to someone on your list.
by kathilipp | Dec 1, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
You have a tab in your Holiday Binder for your family favorite recipes. Now is the time to fill up that tab with the traditional recipes your family love.
Each of our kids has a favorite food that they confirm in advance will be prepared by me or my hubby. Here is just a partial list of what is on the must list:
- cranberry no-bake cheesecake
- pumpkin no-bake cheesecake
- artichoke dip
- bruchetta
- broccoli casserole
- ratatouille
- drunken turkey (turkey brined in white wine and spices)
In year’s past I’ve spent a lot of time and energy going through various cookbooks, computer searches and junk drawer layers looking for all these recipes – but no more! This year they were all sitting in the Holiday binder just where they were supposed to be.
The other wonderful thing about having all your recipes together is that when your kids start to want to bring your family recipes to their future in-law’s homes, you can copy everything at once.
OK -now it’s your turn. Tell me what is the one recipe your family would boycott Christmas without. (I love to hear other people’s favorite foods, especially if they’re weird.)
by kathilipp | Nov 30, 2011 | Christmas, God |
My friend Robin sent this to me. She has seen this several times around the Internet , but it was a first for me – and I love it.
I will not apologize for trying to keep Christmas well-planned. But that ‘s because I want to do my part to experience the Peace that passes understanding. Prayer, peace, and a little planning.
I’ve printed it out and put it in my holiday binder.
Christmas- 1 Corinthians 13 Style
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals,
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures allthings. Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.
Author Unknown
