Get Organized: Create A Christmas Planning Center

get ready for Christmas
   October 27, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

When planning for the holiday season, why try to wing it, on the fly?

Making lists on the go often finds them scattered in your wake, never to be found again.

To stay centered as you plan the holidays and get into the seasonal swing in comfort, find a place in your home to create an activity center devoted to Christmas planning.

A dedicated spot to make gift lists lists and track menus keeps holiday planning on track.    Read More >>

One Right Way to Celebrate Christmas? Wrong!

Organized Christmas
   October 25, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

We don't know where we get it, we don't know where it comes from, but lots of us will stumble over this holiday illusion: "There is one right way to celebrate the holiday season!"

This one's sneaky. It comes to us through images, songs and Christmas cards. It rears up between newly married couples, as they try to blend his way and her way and make their own way in the face of competing in-laws.

You'll see it working in tear-in-eye TV commercials: a happy multi-generational family (all in attractive, color-coordinated sweaters) gathers round a flickering fire.    Read More >>

S'Mores In A Jar: Easy Holiday Gift

Smores in a Jar
   October 23, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

S'Mores In A Jar! What could be better? Combining the flavors of the familiar campfire treat with the seasonal sweetness of Peeps ® brand marshmallow candies, this recipe creates easy holiday gifts in a jar for all occasions. Choose your Peeps to match the season!

This gifts in a jar recipe is easy enough for children to make. To create this Mason jar gift, you'll layer crushed graham crackers, Marshmallow Peeps, brown sugar and chocolate pieces in a clear glass canning jar.

Spiffed up with a fabric topper, pretty ribbon and free printable gift tags, S'Mores In A Jar make a happy holiday treat for holidays throughout the year.

Ready ... or Not? Welcome to the Christmas Countdown

   October 22, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

The 2019 Christmas Countdown kicks off on Sunday, October 27. Are we ready to get organized for Christmas?

For many of us, the coming of the holiday season brings a feeling of panic in its wake--and I am not one whit different. I've seen it happen year after year: we careen into the first day of the Countdown saying to ourselves, "It can't possibly be time to prepare for the holidays!"    Read More >>

Christmas Countdown Calendar and Checklists

Christmas Countdown 2019
Six Weeks to an Organized Christmas

Will you follow the Christmas Countdown this year? Beginning Sunday, October 27, we'll prepare for the holiday season with daily messages, weekly assignments, encouragement and fun. This six-week get-organized program will take you to the start of the holiday season, prepared and ready for Christmas.

Your road map begins with the Countdown calendar. Setting out each week's focus, it'll keep you motivated and on track to an organized Christmas as we work the Countdown together.    Read More >>

Make a Jiffy Pop® Popcorn Topper for Halloween

Halloween Jiffy Pop Popcorn Topper
   October 20, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

It's ghoulish-good fun: a printable Halloween topper for Jiffy Pop® popcorn!

Add our free printable template to a package of Jiffy Pop® brand pop-in-pan popcorn for an inexpensive "popcorn topper" craft gift just right for the spooks and goblins on your gift list.

Paired with Witches Brew Halloween mix, it's perfect for Halloween BOO-ing, co-workers or classmate gifts.    Read More >>

Three Tips for Smart Catalog / Internet Shopping

Tips for Online Shopping
   October 16, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

Planning for Christmas, catalog or online shopping has many advantages over the holiday mall scene.

No long lines. No sore feet. No staggering to the car, weighed down by parcels and shopping bags.

Shopping becomes a pleasure, conducted from a favorite chair. Phone in your selections (or place them from your computer), sit back, and wait for the UPS man. Ahhhhh!    Read More >>

Witches Brew: Spooky Halloween Drink Mix

Witches Brew in a Cauldron
   October 14, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

It's simple and sweet, a Halloween treat: Witches' Brew!

Combining apple cider drink mix, Halloween candy treats and a free printable gift tag, Witches Brew is easy to make and give.

Use small black salsa bowls from the Dollar Store to make Witches Brew in a Cauldron, or use creative packet-folding and a licorice rope "broomstick" to make broom-shaped Witches Brew packets.

Add free printable gift tags or bag toppers to make an easy Halloween craft.    Read More >>

Christmas Organizing Secret: Try A Tear File!

Tear Files for Christmas Organizing
   October 11, 2019 by Cynthia Ewer

Christmas magazines and catalogs are fabulous resources for seasonal decorating, gift ideas, and Christmas recipes—but en masse, they can become too much of a good thing.

When the piles avalanche from every side table, finding an article or a recipe that caught your eye a few weeks ago can be an impossible job.

How do you keep all that good information without being crushed by stacks or drowning in paper? Answer: a set of tear files.    Read More >>

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