Christmas Tips

Here I am all cold and wet

Working to post and yet

There is just one little regret

For my "deadline" I have not met.

This was supposed to post much earlier

But apparently things are 'twirlier' (using poetic license here)

As boxes get unpacked

And nativties get stacked.

The advent wreath is out and unpacked, with the little prayer book in the middle....

The above photo is my first uploaded picture from my new camera but it was a challenge to find the pictures I took as they are in a completely different location from the Kodak photos.  The advent wreath above is a homemade one that Mario and I put together many, many years ago when I had trouble finding one.  Mario made little wire spirals within the wreath, to hold the candles but it was still difficult at times to keep the candles in place.  Although the spirals are still there, I did find this candle ring that I just lay on top of the old wreath now.

This was supposed to be Tuesday Tips for Christmas but it is now a Wordful Wednesday tip post. 

 First tip, when decorating your tree, make sure you don't have top heavy ornaments or your tree could look like this one...

Now here are the tips I found on the Internet...

"Boss Yourself
At back-to-school night this year, my first-grade daughter’s teacher told us parents that she frequently tells a tattling child to “Boss yourself.” What this means, she explained, is that the child should make sure she is doing the right thing instead of paying so much attention to what the other children are doing. I loved this saying and have been using it at home with my children as well.

Ummm, so what does this have to do with Christmas stress? Well, the same guidelines can apply for Christmas as well. Don’t worry about what other people are getting their kids for Christmas. Don’t worry that the neighbors across the street already have their lights up and you can’t even remember where yours are. Don’t worry that the cookies you are bringing to the cookie exchange are store-bought instead of homemade. You and you family need to decide where you want to spend your time and money this holiday season and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.

Give Yourself the Gift of Time
Christmas was not meant to be packed into a day. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is more than just a song, after all. Christmas is a season that goes from December 24-January 6. That gives you 12 more days to get your Christmas cards sent out!

You can also give yourself the gift of time by cutting out activities no one really enjoys. Ask everyone in you family to pick on or two Christmas activities they really enjoy, and then focus on getting those activities done. Let everything else go.

Set a Budget and Stick to It
Extra expenses can certainly make you feel stressed out. Don’t judge the success of your Christmas by the number of packages under the tree. If you have a large family you buy presents for, suggest some ways to help reduce costs for everyone:
•Buy gifts just for the children
•Draw names so everyone buys a gift for only one person
•Set a limit on the cost of gifts
•Give homemade gifts
When you do go shopping for gifts, shop early in the Christmas season to avoid the last-minute crowds. Also consider shopping online. Many retailers offer free shipping during the holidays.

Cook Up Some Memories
So many memories involve food! Food plays a very important role in Christmas celebrations, from cookies to candies to Christmas dinners. If you enjoy cooking and baking, you’ll love this part of Christmas. If you don’t…remember our Christmas rule for this year: Boss yourself. Buy goodies, trade with friends, or just decide to be healthy and skip the treats altogether.

Even if you enjoy baking, it can be hard to find time to get it done at Christmas. It’s fun to set aside one day and have a marathon baking day with a friend. You enjoy special time together, and at the end of the day, you split all the goodies. Another option is to have a cookie exchange with a group of friends, where everyone brings a treat and you all share the goodies."

Here's a really cute home made item for someone with time and talent...

Some more tips on a picture...we can never have too many tips, can we??...

This is the BIGGEST tip I can give ever....remember to keep HIM in everything you do.  This year I have gotten the earliest start ever on my Christams nativity preparations.  I used to think it was not very christian to start too early but I have found myself  more into the praying and seeing Him this year as I put the nativities out. 

On Monday I had a lady come over from my consolation group at church.  Sharon lost her beloved husband of 34 yrs very suddenly last January and she is now relocating to Connecticut, so she will miss my nativity and cookie party open house...to 'make up' for this, I invited her over to see what was being put out as well as the permanent displays.  Sharon really blessed me with what she said as she was looking at them all...she said "I feel like I should be praying"...and I can only hope and pray that others will be affected the same way.

Since there are over three hundred natvities now, I could never do this on my own or with other's help, no...what I need to do is to do it for Him, for Jesus, then I can even do it all alone....

I am trying the newest blogger settings and there is no spell check (wah, sob, sniffle), although there are other neat features.  This means that the funniest parts of my posts will probably not be in the jokes but in the wrong words or misspellings I will now have!!  I plan to really check though.

Just in case I haven't tickled your funny bone enough with fast and creative spellings, here are some funnies...
~Holiday Diet Tips ~

If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar,
They cancel each other out.

When eating with someone else, calories don't count
if you both eat the same amount.

Foods used for medicinal purposes have no calories.
This includes any chocolate used for energy, brandy,
Sara Lee Cheesecake (eaten whole), And Haagen-Daz Ice Cream.

Movie-related foods are much lower in calories simply
Because they are a part of the entertainment experience
and not part of one's personal fuel.
This includes Milk Duds, popcorn with butter, Junior Mints,
Snickers, and Gummi Bears.

Cookie pieces contain no
calories because the process of breakage causes calorie leakage.

If you eat the food off someone else's plate, it doesn't count.

If you eat standing up the calories
All go to your feet and get walked off.

Food eaten at Christmas parties has no calories

And remember STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards!

~~~For the blessings of preparing for Your birthday and not being stressed about it, I thank You Lord.