Feeling Frazzled but Joyfilled

Tonight I am so frazzled. So many things going on in my heart and mind. I have several prayer concerns that are really weighing on my heart tonight. So many who are hurting from illness or life changes going on. I am trying not to let the stress overwhelm me.

I am also trying to finish some year end projects at work but all I have to do is think about the fact I will be off for two weeks beginning Friday at 5 p.m.!!! WOOO HOO!!! I am really looking forward to the time off! Hubby and me are getting our kids all geared up to purge and organize to get ready for a kickin' 2009!!!

I am currently finishing up a cute little project for my daugher's friends Christmas gifts...it needs to be done by Friday morning. I am finishing up a darling scrapbook for one of my son's special friends...it needs to be finished by Wednesday morning. I have been getting last minute items bought and in the midst of all of this I have made it to Walgreens and CVS plus we went to Aldi's last night!

I will write more about this later in the week but tonight I bought a sack full of things I needed for the projects I am working on plus some stocking stuffers and paid just .44 cents out of pocket at CVS! Yes siree I paid only FORTY FOUR CENTS for over 50.00 worth of things I needed!!!!! Thanks very much CVS!

I also have been loving the sales at Hobby Lobby lately. I don't see how they will have much of an after Christmas sale because the shelves are clearing out with all their 50% off sales on Christmas currently.

I will post pictures of the cute things I am doing but right now I am headed off to get some much needed time with my sweet teenagers before I head to bed.

Simplifying Gift Giving

Many years ago I read an interview with Kathy Lee Gifford in a women’s magazine where she spoke of giving their small children only three gifts at Christmas since that is all the Three Wise Men brought to Christ. It really resonated with me at the time. I was a newly single mom and money went from abundant to below poverty level after my husband walked out. So, when I read the interview with Kathy Lee it really touched my heart. This interview was at the height of her ‘celebrity’ so if this icon of the talk show realm simplified her Christmas then surely I could do the same.

This gave me such freedom! I can pinpoint when my bargain shopping came into being…out of necessity…those first years as a single mom. The Lord was giving me insight and preparing me for ten years in the future when I would meet my current husband who was raising three young ones alone.

This is what we do. We ask them to tell us something they need, something they want, and something fun. Out of the three presents we try to have one that is the ‘big’ present or the most desired. I pick up items throughout the year for their stockings. I really put a lot of neat things in their stockings and some are need items. I hit CVS when I can get razors, hair care products, and makeup for free. With three young men and a young lady in the house items like these are very welcome. I also pick up CDs when stores have them on sale. I have put in Sonic gift cards, Taco Bell gift cards, and movie theatre gift cards. I think this year gas cards would be welcome too since we will have three drivers in our home!

Gift giving for their high school friends is another area that takes time, effort, and a little bargain shopping to really score some awesome deals. Our daughter is really the only one that likes to give gifts to EVERYONE. We have given mini bottles of Bath and Body Works items in cute little toiletry bags, mani/pedi sets, mini photo/scrapbook albums, journals, and picture frames. We also have given her friends bags of Christmas candy all tied up with a cute bow and ornament. This year we are making the candy instead of buying it. At the end of the Christmas season we will stock up again on bags, bows, tags, and ribbon for next year. Also there will be lots of great gift sets and the like that one can purchase for pennies and will be great gifts for next year!

Probably one of the most appreciated presents I have given my nieces were their Journal Jars five years ago. I purchased a beautiful journal and pen for each of them and made a bookmark. I then bought clear plastic jars and decorated them with scrapbook paper and paint pens. I typed out journal prompts on my computer and ran them off on brightly colored paper. I cut them out and folded them in half then dropped then in the jar. Some strips had favorite Bible verses on them and with a prompt to tell what this verse means to you, or one prompt asked them to write down what they were most thankful for in their parents. All in all I had around 100 prompts for each girl.

This year we are focusing more on giving gifts of time and things homemade for our friends and family. Our teenagers will still get something that they really want and they will have a great Christmas but our prayer is that once the day is over they will not feel let down that they did not have a gazillion presents but that they are thankful for what they were given and the memories created. For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas head on over to Rocks in My Dyer.

Holiday Stress

Things have been very busy around here at Pursuing Simplicity. I took a little break from posting in order to take care of all the things going on. If I let them, these activities can add to my stress over the holidays. I am a typical "Type A" personality. I long to be a sweet, mild spirit and a "Type B" but that was not how I was created or wired. So below are a few things that keep me sane this time of year:

I stay out of the mall. Yes, you heard me correct. I stay out of the mall! The last two years I have done most of my shopping online! I know it sounds geeky or crazy but I have found all the same bargains that they are offering in the stores online. My son wants something this year that he said is in the mall....well I found it online and it was a better price than the one at the mall. I received it in TWO days and it is perfect! You can also stay out of the mall at the holidays by purchasing your items ahead of the game. This is only the second time that I have not had all my shopping done by August. That in and of itself makes me very stressed but I have to say that the past two years I have found bargains online that I would not have found in late July!

I jump on the treadmill more! I have been exercising two times a day. Now I am not some goddess when it comes to physical fitness that is for sure but I have found that being on the treadmill first thing in the morning and once I get home from work has really taken a load off my stress level plus increased my energy!

I make a list and check it more than twice! I start out by making a list of what my teenagers and young adult son want for Christmas. We ask them to give us a few things they need and a want or two. We budget just 125.00 for each child. Whaaaattt? Yes siree bob, we only budget 125.00 for each child. Now I am sure you are wondering how in the heck do we buy anything of value for a 20, 17, 15, and 14 year old for Christmas? YOU ARE CREATIVE AND THRIFTY!

Now I know my children do not read this blog but I am a little hesitant to lay it all out here for you to read what I purchased for them. So I will leave a little to your imagination. There is a very popular brand of jacket out there currently and they are VERY expensive at least for this thrifty and frugal mom. I found two of the boys theirs for under 35.00!!!! 100.00 pullover, all teens love this brand, cool colors, purchased online at an outlet store! I purchased our daughter's jacket online this year as well. They are going to be SO excited and I still have money left over in the budget to get more items on their list!

Look for coupon codes when you shop online. I love to go to Kyle's blog, Rather-be-shopping when I am looking for bargains online. Check him out!

We focus more on the meaning of Christ-mas than the gifts. Our children have always gotten three gifts and then small things for the stocking. Christ was brought three gifts so we think it is more than perfect for our own to have three gifts. It really focuses more on the reason for the season than a free for all in the gift department.

Keep an accurate calendar and be prepared to use that two letter word...NO...It is hard with so many parties, activities, programs, and fun this time of year. We never leave out the children's activities at school. We have basketball games to attend, a choral concert for our daughter, a Winter Ball the teenagers are attending this weekend to get ready for, and two office parties. There are several other things the week of Christmas but we will take them under advisement as the time draws near. The main thing is not to overfill your calendar with so many activities that the holidays become a burden. It is a time to be joyful not stressed!

Remember traditions and make new memories. Christmas is particularly difficult for my family. My husband and three younger children lost their wife and mom after the holidays nearly eleven years ago. We have tried to make new memories and traditions as a family and I have kept some of their former traditions as well. We love putting the tree up together the day after Thanksgiving. We listen to Christmas music, have hot chocolate, and decorate the tree. We love to cuddle up and watch old Christmas movies together too.

It takes only a little imagination to come up with a few things to do each year that children look forward to. For instance, I made Monkey Bread our first Christmas together as a family. It is very simple and not too spectacular. It made a huge impact on the little ones at the time. I now make it every Christmas morning. It has become a tradition in our home. I only make it Christmas morning so they really look forward to it each year.

These are just a few things that I do to eliminate the stress of the holidays. What do you do that helps with your level of stress this time of year?

Simplify Your Holidays Blog Tour

Simplify Your Holidays Blog Tour

By Marcia Ramsland, The Organizing Pro
National Speaker, Media Guest, and Author of Simplify Your Holidays,
A Classic Christmas Planner to Use Year after Year (Thomas Nelson 2008)

Are you looking for a way to simplify the most stressful time of the year? Feeling like it’s impossible to keep up with all the demands of the coming holiday season? Marcia Ramsland, The Organizing Pro and author of Simplify Your Holidays, has found a way to change seasonal stress into intentional success! She believes everyone can find that calm and peace they are looking for.

Every year the holidays come around and we face them with mixed emotions. You have a great book title of Simplify Your Holidays, but how do you simplify the holidays?

I love the dictionary definition of “simplify” – “To make something less complicated and therefore easier to do.” I can’t think of a more complicated time in the year than the holidays. Why? Because we are already busy 24/7 and then we add another layer of complexity to our lives – the holiday season.

In my view as a Professional Organizer, simplifying your holidays is all about having a meaningful Christmas without feeling overcommitted or under prepared. And my motto is: If you do anything more than once in life, organize it and simplify it. That’s especially true for the holidays that come year after year like clockwork.

I can’t think of a more complicated time or emotionally challenged season, but I also know you don’t have to stress to get through it.

Were you always ready and organized for the holidays?

No way! Before I became “The Organizing Pro” I struggled with holiday pressures big time. I was stuck in the mall shopping for gifts at the last minute, standing in the rain looking for a “real” Christmas tree late in December, and staying up Christmas Eve wrapping presents. That was a stressful life I decided to change, and did years ago.

One day I sat down at the kitchen table determined to get control of the season. Looking at my calendar, it suddenly dawned on me -- there was an easy way to manage it all! It all hinged on one date and no, it wasn’t Thanksgiving.

Many people, myself included, have used Thanksgiving to trigger serious action steps for Christmas. It just didn’t seem right to commercialize Christmas by purchasing gifts before Thanksgiving. But that’s the problem. Waiting until after Thanksgiving does commercialize the holidays and puts us smack dab in the middle of a mall with throngs of shoppers.

3. So how did you change from frazzled to peaceful… and you now have a beautiful new three ring notebook, Simplify Your Holidays? And Sam’s Club just bought 15,000 of them! Good for you.

My first personal turning point came when I discovered one particular holiday occurs exactly eight weeks before Christmas -- and it’s NOT Thanksgiving. It is Halloween. That event is important to note because the next day you can kick off your holiday plan on November 1 every year.

Noting that November 1 is your springboard to begin the holiday season means you have eight weeks until December 25. Now you have a structure to easily organize and prepare -- with a good plan. You’re back in control whatever day it is.

Once I figured that out, I found you can organize your holidays no matter how many weeks you have left before Christmas. In my book I have an 8-week, 4-week, 2-week calendar plans you can choose to guide you whatever day you start. The Plans are like a “holiday compass” that people use year after year to stay focused and take the stress out of the holidays.


4. What else can you tell us to ease the calendar stress for the holidays?

My second discovery came when I noticed that almost all holiday events landed the three weeks of December right before Christmas. Children’s school parties, the neighborhood cookie exchange, church events, civic symphony concerts, friends’ Open Houses, and an office potluck luncheon the last day before vacation. ALL fell into the last three weeks before Christmas.

No wonder we are stressed trying to buy gifts and partake in the busiest social season of the year. All these things are good, but it’s plain stressful to be listening to the Hallelujah chorus thinking about how many things you have to pick up on the way home and still get on-line to purchase gifts with “expedite shipping” costs involved.


5. Ok, but the thing I dread is going to the attic and basement dealing with all those holiday decorations that take up so much room. What can I do?

I agree. My third discovery came when I tried to simplify my holiday decorations after the holidays. It just seemed too much to put it all up so I thought I’d simplify it.

But alas, I found even charities would not accept holiday decorations after December 25. They had nowhere to store them until next year. That was the next discovery – if I store holiday decorations for 11 months of the year, then why do we hesitate about getting them up?

A recent poll showed most people take down their holiday decorations the weekend after New Year’s Day. If that’s the case, what date do we need to put them up to enjoy them for 4-6 weeks? Especially when they are taking up valuable space for 11 months of the year.

The answer? Pick a date (or weekend) to put up your decorations early every year so they can be enjoyed. Typically it’s either the first weekend in December, or even Thanksgiving weekend to be ready to turn the lights on December 1. I found I’m happier the sooner I start and get full enjoyment of them for the season… and give some away each year.


6. Before you give us “A Dozen Gift Theme Ideas,” tell us what’s in your notebook and why is it considered a classic Christmas planner to pull off your shelf and use year after year?

Once I got organized I thought of every woman struggling to pull together meaningful holidays in an already busy life. So I created a hand made notebook years ago which my publisher picked up and is available right now on my website or wherever books are sold. This is a holiday planner you can pull off your bookshelf any time day or night and start the season.

The six tabs inside the three-ring notebook include: The Plan, Gifts, Cards & Decorations, Events, December 1-25 Inspiration, and Recipes. There are almost 200 pages of charts, table talk topics for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, room for photos, and even journal pages of “The Best Things that Happened This Christmas.”

Within those six tabs I’ve sprinkled “10 Tips from 10 Experts” covering things like 10 Money Saving Tips for Holiday Gifts, 10 Super Simple Holiday Décor Tips, 10 Holiday Tips for the Working Woman, 10 Tips to Serve Fabulous Food and Impress Your Guests, 10 Tips for a Successful Event, and 10 Tips to Celebrate and Not Gain Weight!

7. Give us your plan to “Simplify with a Gift Theme” for this year, especially for the busy woman starting to think about the holidays.


Simplify with a Gift Theme
(Excerpt from Simplify Your Holidays, Marcia Ramsland (Thomas Nelson 2008)


Simplify shopping by visiting only certain types of stores for everyone on your list. Choose a giving “theme” for the year. Get a different gift in that theme for each person so it is personalized. For example, all the women get jewelry, spa baskets, certificates or robes. Men get sporting event tickets, restaurant certificates, or tools. Sweaters, CDs, DVDs or books all make a great theme for the year, too.


A Dozen Gift Theme Ideas

Sweaters for everyone
Favorite Restaurant or movie gift cards
Gloves and mittens
DVD's
CD's or books
Tickets to a play, musical, or retreat
Photo Book or digital camera
A trip or the latest technology
Favorite magazine plus a year’s subscription
Chocolate, nuts, or gourmet food basket
Spa, massage, or bath items
Jewelry, purse, or accessories

Keep track of where you get your gifts each year and head there first. They will have new merchandise that will probably work well for you again.

Remember a gift shows you had the person in your thoughts and a note on your card tells them why you thought they’d like it. Gift giving is a skill to learn. Keep working to hit the mark of delight and surprise with the receiver. With all your lists in one notebook, you’ll be able to do just that as you see what worked well before.


Question 8: Any last words of encouragement for the woman who wants to pull together a meaningful (and peaceful!) holiday season?

This is your year! The Simplify Your Holidays notebook will help you create that organized Thanksgiving and Christmas you’ve dreamed of with all your notes in one place! You’ll love its beautiful red cover, sturdy tabs, and attractive green charts.

To simplify your holidays, manage your time with our holiday plan and keep your notes all in this notebook. You will graduate from seasonal stress to intentional success!


Thanks for having me today. I truly believe you can simplify the coming holiday season and have a more meaningful season than ever!


Marcia Ramsland, The Organizing Pro

Speaker * Author * Media Guest Expert



P.S. Can you simplify your holidays this year? I truly believe so and am eager to know how you do it with my new book, Simplify Your Holidays. Start today by getting your notebook and downloading your FR*EE Master Gift List at http://www.organizingpro.com


WOW, thanks so much Marcia for your great ideas! I can't wait to get my own Simplify Your Holidays book!

WFMW 10-22-08

I have already begun the prep for holiday gift giving for my teenager daughter to give to her friends. Actually it started last year at the end of the Christmas season. When I saw cute frames, photo albums, jewelry, and the like I snatched them up and put them in my gift closet. Last year I snagged some great little mani/pedi kids from Bath and Bodyworks that will be given to some of my daughter's sweet friends. Our son's don't really give much to their friends..only their closest buds and then they want to give iTunes cards. I think it is really more of a girly thing to give gifts. My daughter gives to around 15 friends something for Christmas. So this year we have all the little items gathered for her friends who are all 14 nearly 15 years of age.

The other thing I do is when Hobby Lobby puts their Christmas wrapping/bags/tags on sale at the end of the season I am thinking about all the gifts I will be giving the next year. Last year I bought the CUTEST bags and ribbon to use for my daughter's gifts to friends. I always look for something unique and not holiday looking. Last year we used red paper and leopard print ribbon. This year we are going for the hot pink with zebra ribbon look. We also make the cards by hand that go with each gift with items I have purchased for pennies when they have been clearanced.

It does not take a lot of dough to come up with precious, thoughtful, and cute presents for teenage girls. As much as they will love what is on the inside they are also all about how it looks on the outside.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Homemade Bath Salts
Small scrapbooks and stickers
Photo albums
Photo Frames
Personalized Shadow Boxes
Candles
Miniature Bath and Bodyworks Products
Manicure/Pedicure kits
JEWELRY
Personalized Journals
Devotion Books and a Journal

These are just a few ideas. For more Works for Me Wednesday head on over to Shannon's Rocks In My Dryer.