Christmas Planning

I know some of my readers are reading the title of this post and thinking, "Christmas planning?! Didn't we just finish Christmas for this year?" Yes, most of my readers and I did just finish Christmas, but if you're like me than you realize the stress of planning Christmas. That stress of last minute gift planning, wrapping presents, and baking cookies is the stress I want to avoid and through planning can avoid. This year I decided to use a Christmas planner and even wrote posts about the different pages I was using, but honestly I didn't find myself wanting to use it faithfully and inevitably fell behind in planning Christmas. Between not liking the templates I used and life turning into a roller coaster for me I found it easier to fall into my old ways of planning for Christmas. However, my old ways of planning didn't keep me from experiencing massive amounts of holiday-related stress. 

This next year I am going to try to blend my old ways of planning with some of the template pages I actually enjoyed using to create a stress-free Christmas. At least that's the goal of planning ahead. My first tip, which I find is extremely helpful, is to plan a theme early. I realize that this may sound like a lot of extra work or even unnecessary to some, but picking a theme, even if it is just colors, allows you to focus your ideas in other areas. If your theme is How the Grinch Stole Christmas then you know you don't need to waste time making glittering reindeer. Thanks to Pinterest and Craftgawkers there are plenty of wonderful ideas available to look at and inspire you to try, but a theme early on keeps you from feeling overwhelmed. The theme can be as simple or as elaborate as you want or have time to do. This year my theme was How the Grinch Stole Christmas and it started out as an elaborate recreation of the scenes from the movie, but I didn't have the time so I ended up simplifying it. This is perfectly acceptable and sometimes necessary as your life changes throughout the year. There is no reason to feel bad about making changes to your theme. 

After I have a theme I like to start designing my Christmas cards. I typically use Shutterfly because I usually have a $20 off promo code or 10 free cards.

I find it helpful to have my holiday cards ordered early because it is one less thing I have to worry about throughout the year while Christmas planning. However, if you have a family with young children ordering Christmas cards early is not practical. While you wouldn't be able to order your Christmas cards in January you could still order cards before December to save yourself the headache of wondering if your Christmas cards are going to arrive in time. If you do have to wait until December, perhaps because you're expecting a change, Shutterfly gives you the option of having them addressed and sent out for you saving you time. This year I am expecting, or rather hoping for changes in my situation, but still plan on ordering my Christmas cards for next year this week because I have a $20 promo code that is expiring. Since I am anticipating changes this year I am working on a design that allows me to incorporate changes that might occur over the course of a year. I found a card template that fits my needs and allows me to leave the photo on the front of the card blank. I plan on choosing a photo that more accurately represents my life towards the end of the year and I will then use a scrapbooking technique to apply the picture to the cards I ordered. A generic greeting that leaves room for a personal update on my family allows me to create a card that can be adapted to my needs.

I also find it helpful to order labels that match my Christmas cards at this time. Again if you are anticipating changes, such as changes to your name or address, you should wait until those changes have happened before ordering labels you can't use. This last year I decided to just order labels that said to and from instead because I have a plethora of address labels. I try to order my Christmas cards and address labels together so that I can verify the sets match, although I have waited until I have received a promo code for free address labels. If you plan on waiting for a promo code or need to wait because you anticipate changes in name or address I suggest creating the labels on Shutterfly and adding the labels to your saved project list. This will make finding the address labels that match your Christmas cards a lot easier and a lot less stressful for you. Since I do have a tendency to order cards and labels in advance I find it helpful to store them in a photo box. The photo box then becomes my Christmas planning box and I know exactly where to look when I need to start writing my Christmas cards.

The odds and ends of Christmas planning have grown throughout the years and what once fit in a photo box now needs to be stored in larger bin. This tends to happen when you have a theme because not all of the pieces end up being used, however you may need them again so it is helpful to store them. For this reason I am trying to be more careful in my planning so that all of my supplies are used for the year. This is a little bit more complicated when you shop for most of your supplies in the after Christmas sale, which is honestly the best time to buy themed items for cheap. I find it helpful to take the number of boxes, gift wrap, or other supply used for the past Christmas and use that number to determine how much of an item I need. It isn't always possible to find the exact number of things you need in your theme after Christmas. If I can't find all of the things I need and something else can't substitute then I don't buy any of it because the chances are I won't be able to find more later. The after Christmas sale is the best time to buy Christmas lights, gift wrap, and cards. There is usually a good variety still and many of the items can be found at 70-80% off. This makes having a different Christmas theme each year affordable. Your gently used Christmas items can then be donated to a charity or to a family you know who could use those items.

Christmas shouldn't be stressful and planning ahead can make the season a more enjoyable time for you and your family. Plan ahead and spend the holiday sharing in the love of your family instead of stressing how you are going to get everything done. Leave a comment below telling me your biggest area of holiday stress or your own tips on beating the stress of Christmas.  

Hiatus

It has been some months now since I sat down to type a post even though I have finished projects and had my fair share of ideas. These last few months have been a roller coaster leaving me with little time to think let alone blog. I am still crafting and writing patterns while I've been gone. Hopefully in the next few months I will have a grasp on all the chaos and be able to catch up on my blog posts. 

Quick Gifts: Bath Salts

Mother's Day is around the corner and if you're like me then you want to give your mom something special on her special day. This month's quick gift is perfect for all of the women in your life, whether they are your mom, mother-in-law, or grandmother, and is easily personalized to their unique taste. 

The materials needed are Epsom bath salts, essential oil ( I used lavender), and a cute container. Spread aluminum foil or wax paper across a cutting board or cookie sheet. In a small bowl combine Epsom salt, the amount will depend on the size of your container, and essential oil. The amount of essential oil will depend on the amount of Epsom salt you used, but should be enough to spread throughout the bowl without drenching the salt. Stir the Epsom salt and essential oil mixture carefully. Then spread on the aluminum foil or wax paper and allow to dry. When the salt is dry, scoop the scented bath salts into your container. Add a label or bow and you are done.

Combine the bath salts with complimentary lotion, soft socks, and nail polish for a gift that says "you deserve pampering." For a more luxurious Mother's Day gift include a gift certificate for a massage or mani/pedi. For more beauty DIYs be sure to comment below. 

Christmas Preparation: Budget Planning

Maybe Christmas she thought doesn't have to make me poor...maybe this Christmas perhaps I should budget more. Dave Ramsey once said, "A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went." There is no denying Christmas is expensive, but it doesn't have to leave you poor this year. Creating a budget, along with saving throughout the year, is an effective way to have a wonderful Christmas without spending a fortune. Use the gift planning template, menu template, and decorations template in the Christmas Planner template posted in February. It is April so I don't blame you if you don't have a complete grasp on gifts, menu, or decorations needed for December, but take what you do know already and start filling out your templates. 

Last month I posted the two ideas I have for handmade gifts, but I don't really have specific ideas for everyone else on my list. Yes I know sizes, favorite colors, sports teams, scents, etc., but I have yet to see how it will all fit together. This indecision can lead to an abundance in gifts for one person and none for another, but I have two tips for combating the gift and spending overload. Tip #1: Set a number of gifts per person. A few years ago my church put forth a 3 gift rule. The 3 gifts are representative of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh given to Jesus as a baby. One gift was to be the gift the person really wanted, another gift was something that would benefit the person spiritually, and the last gift was something the person would wear. Obviously you could tweak this a bit to fit your needs better, but the idea is great for keeping track of gift giving. Tip #2: Set an overall budget for gift giving and then divide the total into smaller increments for individual gift budgets. If your total budget is $500 then allot $300 for immediate family, $90 for relatives, $90 for friends, and $20 for emergency gifts or work parties. Stick to the budget your set and keep your receipts to keep track of your total spending. 

Tip #2 should be implemented for menu and decoration planning too. These are more easily planned in advance and more easily budgeted for. Ingredients like canned food can be bought and stored in advance. Shop sales in advance. This also means knowing the best sale price for a product. Save money on decorations by recycling old Christmas decorations. If you want gold Christmas ball ornaments then take gold spray paint to last year's red ornaments. Consider making your own decorations from recycled materials you already have at home before rushing out to buy more.

52 Week Money Challenge

Even budgeting and recycling materials will leave you broke if you don't start saving now. You can set a certain amount of money aside each week or month for Christmas or a certain percentage of your paycheck. We are already 12 weeks into this year, but the 52 week money saving challenge is a great way to put away money throughout the year. If you would rather do a percentage of your check then I recommend saving 10% of your first week's check for gifts and next paycheck 5% for menu and 5% for decorations. Obviously, adjust the percentages as needed.

Have your own tips for saving money this Christmas? Be sure to leave your tips in the comments below and stay tuned for next month's Christmas preparation post. 

Home Organization and Design: Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is an essential to Spring, but one of those things that most people hate doing. Spring cleaning is by definition a chore, but it doesn't have to be a complete torture. This month start spring cleaning with making your own lavender linen spray and a massive closet clean out then spend the next 30 days doing the quick cleaning tips listed here. 30 days might sound like a long spring cleaning, but each tip is only 10-15 minutes and can easily be accommodated into your busy schedule.

Start spring cleaning off right with lavender linen spray. Linens will smell like spring and you will be motivated to clear out your winter clutter. To make your lavender linen spray you will need: 1)lavender essential oil, 2)water, and 3)a spray bottle. Fill your spray bottle with water and mix 2 teaspoons of the lavender essential oil with the water. Your lavender linen spray is now ready to use. Using a tiny amount of the essential oil gives you a fragrant smell without staining your lines. This linen spray also makes a great gift for housewarming parties. Lavender linen spray is a complimentary amenity in all the finest hotels so spray your linens and imagine you're about to set sail on a spring vacation. 

Finish your transition to spring by cleaning out your closet of all of your winter clothes. Start folding and storing away your sweaters and long sleeves. I recommend leaving out a few light jackets and/or cardigans for chilly spring mornings. Unpack and hang up the short sleeve tops and capris. For those readers who don't have enough clothes to store spring, winter, and summer clothes separately consider reorganizing your closet so your spring wardrobe is the most easily accessed. This simple task will save you lots of time each morning.

Spring cleaning doesn't have to be an awful experience. Do these simple tasks everyday and you will find yourself enjoying spring cleaning and the daily stress of life melting away. Spring cleaning DIYs you want to see? Comment below and I will feature your spring cleaning DIYs in future posts. 

Organizational Tips: Scrapbook Part 3

If you're like me then you have a lot of scrapbooking projects going on at the same time and these projects can begin to take up more than their fair share of space. Scrapbooking can quickly take over your work space between the papers, pictures, stickers, and embellishments for each project. Due to the delicate nature of scrapbook supplies I am overly zealous in organizing my current projects. I only have 2 tips for organizing current projects, but feel free to post your ideas in the comments below.

Tip #1: Invest in page protectors (the size that fits your scrapbook) or 12 x 12 Ziploc storage bags. I personally prefer the page protectors because the pages fit easily into your scrapbook and can be used when your page is finished, but the page protectors can become pricey. Put your scrapbook paper, pictures, stickers, etc. for each project into a page protector or storage bag. The protectors can be put back into your scrapbook while the storage bags can be stored in a 12 x 12 scrapbook box.

Tip #2: Label your projects for easy recognition. If you tend to accumulate a lot of pieces for each scrapbook project then I suggest labeling the bags and/or page protectors for each project for easy access. The label you use should probably be temporary if you are using page protectors.

Scrapbook project storage is fairly easy if you are willing to invest the time and money into the necessary materials. If you invest in the page protectors and/or storage bags ahead of time then you will save yourself chaos while scrapbooking and protect your supplies at the same time. 

Organizational Tips: Scrapbook Part 2

Week 2 of this month's organization tips is all about storing scrapbook paper, stickers, and embellishments. Like most of my craft supplies I tend to accumulate lots of papers and stickers along with various other "souvenirs" from trips. I don't tend to use embellishments, such as brads or flowers, but many people do and so I will include tips for storing embellishments. Before we begin organizing and storing your stickers, papers, and embellishments, gather all of the materials and begin sorting. 

Tip #1: Sort your papers, stickers, and embellishments by theme and/or color. Grouping your supplies by theme makes it easier to find when you want to scrapbook. Depending on how many types of paper you have you might have many piles right now. The paper, stickers, and embellishments you are going to use on projects soon should be pulled now. Like the pictures last week you can set these aside and next week's organization will address these items. 

Tip #2: Decide if you want to store your scrapbook papers and stickers together or separately. I like to store all of my scrapbook papers by theme in a spare scrapbook. Stickers that match the theme are then stored in pockets or page protectors in front of the themed paper. Paper is sorted by color and then theme. I have seen some people sort the paper alphabetically: blue, Christmas, Easter, green, etc. There are various ways to store scrapbook paper and stickers. Scrapbook paper can be stored in folders or in trays while stickers can be stored in a binder in page protectors. There are many DIYs for making your own scrapbook paper storage instead of buying the pre-made paper storage. 

Tip #3: Store embellishments, like you would store buttons or beads, in small clear containers. I love these storage bins, that are divided, from the Home Depot. I use these bins to store buttons, appliqué pieces, and embellishments for crochet/knit/sewing projects, but these bins would work great for scrapbook embellishments. Oriental Trading actually sales their embellishments packs in similar bins for storage. If you don't have many embellishments consider a smaller bin or if you have a lot of one embellishment consider larger clear jars.