My Christmas Project #12 Catch Up on Your Project!

by kathilipp | Dec 2, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized | 9 comments

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.

My Christmas Project #11 Get Your Recipes Together

by kathilipp | Dec 1, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized | 4 comments

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.)

My Christmas Project #10 Gather Your Elf Supplies

by kathilipp | Nov 29, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized | 4 comments

Hey girls – can you believe that you are ten days in? If no one else is saying it, I’m really, really proud of you. I love that so many of you are posting the benefits that you are already enjoying:

• Feeling ahead for this year
• Feeling ahead for next year
• Knowing what you are going to get each person on your list
• A feeling of accomplishment

Here are just a few of the comments that I’m hearing:

“Thanks for helping me keep it simple, Kathi. Doing photo Christmas cards for the first time ever and they are done and ready to go. I am smiling and ready to start sending…:)” Catha

“It’s so fun to get out of bed this week and see what I get to do today to get ready for Christmas!” Renee

Y’all have made my season – I love that you are encouraging me, as I try to encourage you. I am way ahead this year and a LOT of it is due to you.

OK – enough of the love in. Time to get to today’s project. Simple: Gather your stuff.

Originally this project was going to be “Buy your stuff”, but I know that all of us probably have enough gift wrap, tags and ribbon to supply Santa’s workshop. Problem is, most of us find it December 26th.

So dig through your basement, garage, spare closet or under the bed and gather together:

• wrapping paper
• ribbon
• tissue paper
• tags, etc.
• Scotch tape
• scissors

Get all this stuff in one place so that when you have to go into elf mode you’re not running all over the house.

This would be the time to also purchase anything that you are short on (I end up buying tape every single year.)

I would love to see what you do to make your wrapping special or how you save money on wrapping for Christmas. Send me a picture of your how you make your packages special, and if I feature your pic on the blog, I will send you one of my books as a thank you! Send the pics to info@kathilipp.com

My Christmas Project #9 Gifts for Out-of-Town Friends and Family

by kathilipp | Nov 28, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized | 14 comments

My life was so simple. Then I married Roger.

You see, my whole family lives within  a two hour drive of my home. We get together for holidays and exchange gifts like the Norman Rockwell painting says we are supposed to do.

Then I had to marry a southern boy.

When Roger was looking for his first grown-up job, as a senior at Purdue University, he told God his requirements. “God, I will go anywhere except California.” Yeah. That’s a good idea. Tell God what you won’t do.

So twenty-five years ago Roger got a job in Cupertino with HP and he has been a California boy ever since.

The only problem is that he left a whole family who all live in Georgia, and who all celebrate Christmas.  And somehow, each year I forget that their gifts require an extra step or two.

So today, your project is to get your plan together for any out of town gifts. There are three approaches you can take:

1. Order all your gifts online and have them shipped from the company.
2. Buy gifts and ship them out from home.
3. Make sure you’ve married a local boy or stop talking to out of state relatives and friends.

Let me know what approach you subscribe to, as well as any tips you have for gift giving for out of towners. I would love some fresh thoughts about what to do for my mother-in-law.

Later in the projects, my daughter, Kimberly, will be sharing all of her mailing tips for getting those gifts to Grandmother’s house.

My Christmas Project #7 What’s Your Budget?

by kathilipp | Nov 26, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized | 24 comments

Yes- the reality of the holidays. It’s a big holiday and for most of us, a huge part of our fall budget. So I want you to spend a little time budgeting what you are going to spend. Here are some areas that you may want to consider:

• Food
• Gifts
• Donations
• Decorations
• Clothes
• Cards
• Shipping

So many ways for us to spend money. So here is what I want you to do: Help me write this post. Tell me one of your best tips on how you save money this season. One of you brilliant commenters will randomly win a $10 Amazon Gift Card to help with your Christmas shopping.

So tell me your secret strategies for stretching a dollar this season!