Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 134

My Christmas Project #21 Putting a Bow on It

Today is the last day of the Projects. I'm so proud of all of you (especially those of you who have sent me Christmas cards signed – "I haven't sent Christmas cards in YEARS!!!"

Each of us has thing to do that aren't on the list. Traditions your family has, things that maybe you still need to do.

I know I do after traveling and having whooping cough this month – I still have a couple of check marks to earn.

BUT – I am way ahead of where I would have been without each of you and the Project. It's not about that smug sense of satisfaction you get by being ahead of the game – it's the feeling of peace you get when you know that you can  concentrate on the best part of the season: loving God. Loving others.

After Christmas, we will have a 5 Day Put Away Project to get your house back in order, and get ready to start the New Year.

Bless each and every one of you, for supporting each other and cheering me and your fellow elves, on!

Kathi

My Christmas Project #20 Tableclothes, Napkins and Foof, Oh My!

 

Do you do the mad scramble the day on December 25th to find all the napkins, rings table clothes and foof to make your dinner look beautiful?

This project doesn't need a ton of explanation. Go and find all that stuff NOW so you have one less thing to scramble with on Christmas day. Go and find:

Tablecloths
Napkins
Runners
Napkin Rings
Christmas Plates
Silverware

Oh, and if you are doing paper or plastic this year, make sure you purchase that way in advance so that you don't have to make a last minute trip. (Just be sure to recycle everything that you can in the gift wrap arena to lessen your paper impact on the planet.)

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 #18 Online Shopping

Yesterday, we talked about getting all of your packages shipped out. If you are feeling behind, you may want to consider having everything shipped directly to your home or those out of town people that you need to get gifts to.

And here is where I want your participation. Tell me your favorite places to shop online (and why) or one of your favorite online shopping stratagies, and one of you will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. A winner will be drawn December 20th.

I want your best, tips, ideas, your favorite "fishing holes" (the places you would normally never share,) so we can all be faster, cheaper, better this year.

Here's mine (and no, I don't expect everyone to go along a spiritual line…) Last year my kids went in together and bought me a goat from World Vision last year. They bought the gift online, then to represent the goat under our Christmas tree, my clever girls, Amanda and Kimberly, folded a towel into a goat by getting the instructions online (in fact, here's a video on how to fold towels into a goat… Who knew.) What a GREAT last minute gift – helping someone in a developing country by providing a goat.

I of course also love Amazon and how, in case you forgot to get your father-in-law a gift, (who me? Never…) you can pop on there and send him a gift card that will arrive in his inbox on Christmas morning (as if you'd planned it that way all along…)

OK – your turn.

 

 

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:

Learn how to ship using USPS.com (they have a whole shipping guide if you've never done it before
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 #16 Project Night

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

Holiday Traditions: Pizza Fondue Recipe

For all you listeners of The Kim Pagano Show here is my mom's Pizza Fondue reciepe – as promised!

This is something we make almost every year and every one of our kids loves it – how many meals can yu say that about?

Pizza Fondue

By Connie Richerson

Ingredients:

½  lb.  ground beef

1 sm  onion, chopped

2 (10.5 oz.) cans pizza sauce

1 T.  cornstarch

1 ½  t.  oregano

¼  tsp.  garlic powder

2 c.  cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c.  mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onion; drain. Put meat, sauce, cornstarch, and spices in fondue pot.

When cooked and bubbly, add cheese.

Spear crusty French bread cubes then dip and swirl in fondue.

This is also delicious with bread sticks.

Serves 4-6

My Christmas Project #14 Prep Your Kitchen

Time to get your kitchen in order for this special time of year…

Get your meal plan for each of your celebrations (both at your home and at others homes)
Are you going to be doing any special holiday baking? Are you giving any food gifts?
Plan the rest of your meals for the month – a girl can't live on gingerbread alone (but it's a beautiful thought, isn't it?) If you need a blank calendar to plan out the rest the less than holiday hoopla dinners you will need to consume? Head over to my FB Author Page to get a free download.
Make sure you have the cookie sheets, baking dishes, etc you'll need. If you don't, borrow what you need from friends and relative who will be out of town anyway.

From there, create your shopping list for what you are going to need. If you stock up on your staples now, you will thank me when you don't have to venture into the sore on December 23rd to try to find the last can of canned pumpkin.
And if you're making any kind of brittle, send me a note and I'll make sure that you have my mailing address correct.

My Christmas Project #13 It's Decor Day!

Thanks for all your feedback about how the Project is going!

"Loving this challenge, it has made such a difference! I feel like things are under control and I am way ahead of the game this year.  Thanks so much Kathi!"  Kyla

I have to tell you that selfishly I have loved this entire project. I'm ahead of the game on shopping, I just got my Christmas cards in the mail,  and I don't feel nearly as scattered as I do when I don't have a plan.

Today's Project: Get some of your decorating done.

Here are some of the things you may want to consider working on:

Get and decorating your tree

Put away some of your everyday "stuff" so you'll have room for your Christmas decor

Swap out your dishes for your Christmas dishes

Decorate outside

I have to admit that the majority of the decorating around our house is done by Roger (there is a reason that he is a lighting designer. He likes bright shiny things…)

But the hanging of the Christmas cards in up to me. So Every year I take a plain door in our house (this year it's the plain looking door that houses our furnace,) and wrap it like a big presents. Like such:

One of the other big helps for Christmas decor is to get rid of anything that you are no longer decorating with – those pink snowmen your bought during your Miami Vice Christmas phase, or that stack of Christmas cards from people you no longer talk with (and maybe, don't really like). The less you have to sort through, the easier the decorating process will be.

Happy decorating friends!