My Christmas Project #19 More Kitchen Time

My Christmas Project #19 More Kitchen Time

So sorry! I thought these posts were going out! I’ve been traveling and I thought that everything was running smoothly – but apparently not…. But I’ve had a couple of you say that you didn’t mind the extra time!

Today’s Project is to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Here are some things that you might want to get ahead on:

  • Creating your meal plan for the rest of the month
  • Planning out your Christmas Dinner and your shopping list
  • Shopping for your non-perishables
  • Making the list of what you need to buy at the last minute so it’s fresh
  • Pulling out your serving platters, roasting pans, cake stands, etc. or anything else that you need
  • Pulling together your baking list

Let me know in the comments what you are doing for this Project and I’ll be giving away another copy of THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION.. Tell me by Friday what you did to get ahead kitchen-wise, and you could be a winner!

My Christmas Project #17 Ship Out Your Boxes

My Christmas Project #17 Ship Out Your Boxes

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:

  1. Learn how to ship using USPS.com (they have a whole shipping guide if you’ve never done it before
  2. 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.

My Christmas Project #15 Get the Stockings Ready

My Christmas Project #15 Get the Stockings Ready

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

My Christmas Project #12 Catch Up on Your Project!

My Christmas Project #12 Catch Up on Your Project!

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

My Christmas Project #11 Get Your Recipes Together

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.)