Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 135

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

You have a tab in your Holiday Binder for your family favorite recipes. Now is the time to fill up that tab with the tradtional 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:

canberry no-bake ceesecake
pumpkin no-bake ceesecake
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 ennergy 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 aobut having all your recieps 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.

And so we can spread a little pre-holiday cheer, I've asked Roger to share his No-Bake Cheesecake recipes over at my Facebook Author Page.

OK -now it's your turn. Tell me what is the one recipe your family would boycot Christmas without. (I love to hear other people's favorite foods, especially if they're weird.)

I Interrupt this Project for a Little Focus: Christmas- 1 Corinthians 13 Style

My friend Robin sent this to me. She has seen this several times around the Internet , but it was a first for me – and I love it.

I will not apologize for trying to keep Christmas well-planned. But that 's because I want to do my part to experience the Peace that passes understanding.  Prayer, peace, and a little planning.

I've printed it out and put it in my holiday binder.

Christmas- 1 Corinthians 13 Style

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals,

and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures allthings. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Author Unknown

My Christmas Project #10 Gather Your Elf Supplies

Hey girls – can you believe that you are ten days in? If no one else is saying it, I'm really, really proud of you. I love that so many of you are posting the benefits that you are already enjoying:

Feeling ahead for this year
Feeling ahead for next year
Knowing what you are going to get each person on your list
A feeling of accomplishment

Here are just a few of the comments that I'm hearing:

"Thanks for helping me keep it simple, Kathi. Doing photo Christmas cards for the first time ever and they are done and ready to go. I am smiling and ready to start sending…:)" Catha

"It's so fun to get out of bed this week and see what I get to do today to get ready for Christmas!" Renee

Y'all have made my season – I love that you are encouraging me, as I try to encourage you. I am way ahead this year and a LOT of it is due to you.

OK – enough of the love in. Time to get to today's project. Simple: Gather your stuff.

Originally this project was going to be "Buy your stuff", but I know that all of us probably have enough gift wrap, tags and ribbon to supply Santa's workshop. Problem is, most of us find it December 26th.

So dig through your basement, garage, spare closet or under the bed and gather together:

wrapping paper
ribbon
tissue paper
tags, etc.
Scotch tape
scissors

Get all this stuff in one place so that when you have to go into elf mode you're not running all over the house.

This would be the time to also purchase anything that you are short on (I end up buying tape every single year.)

I would love to see what you do to make your wrapping special or how you save money on wrapping for Christmas. Send me a picture of your how you make your packages special, and if I feature your pic on the blog, I will send you one of my books as a thank you! Send the pics to info@kathilipp.com

 

My Christmas Project #9 Gifts for Out-of-Town Friends and Family

My life was so simple. Then I married Roger.

You see, my whole family lives within  a two hour drive of my home. We get together for holidays and exchange gifts like the Norman Rockwell painting says we are supposed to do.

Then I had to marry a southern boy.

When Roger was looking for his first grown-up job, as a senior at Purdue University, he told God his requirements. "God, I will go anywhere except California." Yeah. That's a good idea. Tell God what you won't do.

So twenty-five years ago Roger got a job in Cupertino with HP and he has been a California boy ever since.

The only problem is that he left a whole family who all live in Georgia, and who all celebrate Christmas.  And somehow, each year I forget that their gifts require an extra step or two.

So today, your project is to get your plan together for any out of town gifts. There are three approaches you can take:

Order all your gifts online and have them shipped from the company.
Buy gifts and ship them out from home.
Make sure you've married a local boy or stop talking to out of state relatives and friends.

Let me know what approach you subscribe to, as well as any tips you have for gift giving for out of towners. I would love some fresh thoughts about what to do for my mother-in-law.

Later in the projects, my daughter, Kimberly, will be sharing all of her mailing tips for getting those gifts to Grandmother's house.

My Christmas Project #8 It's Catch Up on the Project Time!

Today is a day to get caught up on a Project you haven't had time to complete or get started on something that needs to be done. So if you need to finish up ordering Christmas cards, creating your binder, or some other previous Project, here is your guilt-free chance to get it done. If you are all caught up, here are a few ways to spend your time:

Pull out your gift wrap from last Christmas
Address Christmas cards
Wrap gifts
Clear your space for your tree and decorations
Decorate

Oh – and we have our first winner! Helen Kosman has won a copy of THE HUSBAND PROJECT for youself or someone on your guest list!!! Congrats!

My Christmas Project #7 What's Your Budget?

Yes- the reality of the holidays. It's a big holiday and for most of us, a huge part of our fall budget. So I want you to spend a little time budgeting what you are going to spend. Here are some areas that you may want to consider:

Food
Gifts
Donations
Decorations
Clothes
Cards
Shipping

So many ways for us to spend money. So here is what I want you to do: Help me write this post. Tell me one of your best tips on how you save money this season. One of you brilliant commenters will randomly win a $10 Amazon Gift Card to help with your Christmas shopping.

So tell me your secret strategies for stretching a dollar this season!

My Christmas Project #6 Get Your Gift Lists Together

I love hearing your feedback about how the Project is helping you make this holiday (and next). Look at how Renee is using the binder to prepare for next year (and BTW – we will be doing the Project again next year, so get a head start now!):

"I'm already thanking you, Kathi!  I love the Christmas notebook idea.  I even wrote out everything I needed for Thanksgiving dinner, including my grocery list, location of all the relevant recipes, and time schedule to get everything in and out of my single oven by dinner time.  Last night after all the guests went home and the dishes were in the dishwasher, I made notes on what recipes need to be doubled next year, which tweaks to the recipes should stay and which can go, (and, okay, I'll make fewer sweet potatoes, but you can't make me skip them altogether!).  I printed off a copy and added it to the front of my notebook and I'll know right where to find it next year!" Renee

And now for Today's Project: Write out all your gift ideas/what you've already bought for your gifts. You can print out lists to keep in your holida binder over at my author page. (See lnk below.)

Wouldn't it be great if the gift giving part of Christmas was the least stressful? Here are a couple ideas to help you take the stress off:

Limit the List For several years, we limited the number of gifts we bought for each kid: One spiritaul gift, one box of clothes, and one fun gift. You may think that it sounds very Little House on the Prarie-ish, but with all the grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends, the kids ween't hurting for gifts. Trust me.
Extended Family Swap We're doing this with my family this year. Everytime I start to panic about not having a gift for my brother, I stop, take a deep breath, and remember – "He's not on my list." Huzzah. If this is something you want to try, talk about it with your family now, not the week of Christmas.
Ask Ask people what they would like. I know it's fun to surprise people with something perfect, but really, why stress yourself out?
Keep Your Ears Open – Print out the Christmas List over at my Author Page and start to take notes for each person you're buying for. Maybe your son mentioned a book he's interested in, or your husband recieved a renewal notice for his favorite magazine, make a quick note to get it (or jot it down for next year.)

My Christmas Project #5 Schedule Plan the Next Few Weeks

OK – now that you are recovering from all things tukey, it's now time to kick the Christmas plans into hh gear. Spend 15 minutes scheduling out all your commitments for the next few weeks on a blank calendar.

It's so easy to have great ideas ("Let's go look at Christmas lights!" "Let's curl up and watch Elf one night this week!") and with the craziness of the season, let them all slip through your fingers because of your schedule. So along with all the chores of the season, let's schedule in some fun!

Head on over to my Facebook Author page and download printable blank calendars for November and December to fill out. Put it up on your fridge so everyone knows the holiday plans.

Here are some things you may want to consider with your schedule.

Kid's school calendar
Work events
Church events
Parties and other fun

Once you have filled in all the scheduled activities,  set aside some pockets of time to work prepping for Christmas. Here are some things you may want to schedule some time for:

get tree
cookie baking
decorating
project nights (for wrapping, card addressing, ordering gifts online)
a night to go look at Christmas lights
a night to watch It's a Wonderful Life

I'm not saying you should do all of those things (in fact, I don't think you should…) but if you want to do any of these or any other family/friend activities, put them on your calendar so you can plan the rest of your month. (And make sure the rest of your family and friends can see the schedule as well.)

 

When you're snuggled up on the couch with you family eating fresh baked cookies while watching It's a Wondereful Life, you'll thank me.

My Christmas Project #4 Get Your Christmas Pic Picked

We're keeping today's Project fun (and hopefully simple!) in honor of Thanksgiving. I want you to either:

Pick your Christmas picture (if you're including one in your cards,) or

Take a picture while everyone is gathered for Thanksgiving

See? Fun and easy. Tomorrow you can send it in to Costco, Target,  or your card company to get it ready for your cards. But for today, just enjoy looking through all those pics on your computer (or your phone,) and remembering how blessed you and your's have been this year.

Tell us all what you are doing for your photo: professional, a snapshot, something you found from this summer? Or maybe you're skipping the whole card thing – good for you! Tell us that too! For everyone who comments, I will enter you into a drawing for a $10 gift card to Shutterfly.com Here is what we did this year on Shutterfly – it was super simple (and did I mention, it's DONE!?!)

Photo Card
View the entire collection of cards.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving! I really do include you my friends as one of the things I am most grateful for!