Getting Organized – Prepare Now For Next Year’s Holidays
We’ve all just gone through the most intense shopping spree of the year. Now is the time to make notes about what we have done and plan for next year. That’s right. It’s no surprise, you will face this all again next year. It’s almost like these last four weeks are part of our civic duty. If you don’t buy gifts for your family and friends, not only will they be disappointed but so will the merchants who count on this seasonal shopping to turn a profit for the year. Our government counts on the sales taxes from this annual shopping orgy, too. And think about the jobs it creates. We need to create jobs, don’t we?
Excuse me! I was getting into my “Humbug” mode. There is much more to the season than what might seem to be our civic duty, but it still involves some shopping.
You can make next year’s shopping frenzy a bit more manageable if you make some notes from what you did this year. So, why not give this technique a try?
Start by making a list of everyone who was on your gift list. Do it now before you forget what happened. Make a note of what you gave each person and how much it cost you. Include the shipping costs if you had to ship a package to someone. Compare this list to the credit card statements and bank statements to make sure you remembered everything.
Make another list of everyone on your greeting card list (even if you only sent e-mail greetings). Make a note of who sent you a card. You might want to make sure you send them a card next year. Check the addresses to make sure you have the most recent address (street addresses and e-mail addresses).
Tally up all the costs for gifts, cards, entertainment, postage, and decorations. You want to allow this in your budget for next season.
With the information you have just collected, you will be better prepared to understand your credit card statement when it arrives. Suddenly that gift for Aunt Sarah is seen as part of a larger seasonal project. Remember when you bought that gift? You thought of what Aunt Sarah meant to you and figured she was worth at least what you spent on her gift. But now, the “larger seasonal project” is threatening your bank account. With this list you will better understand why you have such a large credit card bill to pay.
After you examine your credit card statements and realize how much debt you have added with your seasonal spending, write yourself a letter explaining what you want to do differently next year, and why. Remind yourself how you felt about the joy you had shopping for gifts for your family and friends, and how you felt about the gifts you received from others. Remember to include how you feel about paying the bill.
Summarizing your holiday experience in this way is not just a chore to take up your time. Next year, you will have a useful roadmap to get you through the process with more purpose. The list of names for cards will save you time and help get you organized. The list of gifts will give you a moment to think about each person and how things might have changed in their lives (kids grow up). When you read the list next season, you will recall what you got each person this year, feel more connected to them, and get a head start on ideas for gifts.
Next year, when you pull out these lists (and the letter to yourself) you want to compare the money you have available and the money you expect to pay for everything. If you don’t have enough money saved to pay for your seasonal shopping you should look for ways to cut back on the spending. The letter you write to yourself might explain how the true value of the gifts isn’t in the “stuff” you gave, but rather the thought you expressed to the person you were giving to. Using that information you might find a way to give meaning while not emptying your wallet.
During the past month, merchants have paid good money to advertising agencies and the media to get your attention. At times their messages might have overwhelmed you. The message to “Buy! Buy! Buy!” is delivered repeatedly in the midst of glitter, music, and so much nostalgia for times gone by. The lists from this year will help you focus on what you want to accomplish in the midst of all that advertising next year. And that letter to yourself will serve as a constant reminder of how clearly you saw things after the bills came due. Next Season you will be shopping with purpose. Maybe you will save time and money. And you might find Peace, Joy, and Good Will along the way. That’s my wish for you next year!
James W. Stone, has been involved in new product development and marketing for most of his working career. Jim has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA. His current interests focus on the psychology and sociology that influence our daily decisions when we spend money.
Much of this is covered in his book “Spend Joyfully!” http://www.spendjoyfully.com
Read more of Jim’s articles at http://www.jameswstone.com
A few tips to make Thanksgiving Less Stressful
Okay, some of these tips can apply to ANY stressful event but I’m going to focus on the upcoming big event in most households this week.
-Mashed potatoes (or other mashed things like sweet potatoes or squash) can be kept warm in a crock pot for several hours! Make your dish ahead of time, add everything like you normally do and then place it in the crock pot on low or warm setting. BIG time saver and frees up another burner just before you serve up the meal.
-Set the table(s) the night before if you can. I won’t be able to set the kitchen table until just before the company arrives as it also serves as a prep area but I can set the dining room table and the other extra table that will be out the night before. The dishes won’t run away.
-If you have boys like I do and have more than one toilet in the house than do your keep clean of the guest bathroom the night before and ban the boys from it to keep it clean! Yeah, that’s mom of boy humor but any one of you with boys will know and appreciate this tip!
-Consider purchasing a Nesco roasting oven. This oven is a God send!!! I can cook a 20lb turkey in this thing! It’s like having an extra oven that you can tuck into the bottom of closet any other time. So many people struggle with having enough oven room because the turkey is in there forever and you can’t bake anything else. This makes life so much easier and it can really be used year round (hmmm, perhaps that’s another post. LOL). Mine is a bit older and honestly, I wish I had the buffet tray that the newer ones have! Oh the possibilities!
-Don’t try making new things on Thanksgiving day unless you’ve already made them at least once. Many a Thanksgiving day stresses are over new dishes that a hostess is trying for the first time. Don’t do this to yourself! Stick to tried and true and ultimately, less stressful.
-Don’t refuse help! Oh my gosh, if someone is offering to make something for you, then by all means, let them! I know, someone may not bake the apple pie just like you but your guests won’t care (unless you were the blue-winner at the county fair 
). At the same time, don’t refuse help in the kitchen! I know, too many cooks in the kitchen can be trouble but so is a host/hostess pulling out his/her hair!
-Along the lines of not refusing help, is knowing what you can prepare ahead of time. I make all homemade bread and rolls in my home. My guests have come to expect and love my homemade goodies and I wouldn’t disappoint them BUT I also know that I can prepare the breads the evening prior. You can also prepare some dishes the evening before BUT not cook them off until Thanksgiving. Pies can usually be done the night before as well. Bread stuffing can be made the night before (don’t stuff the turkey until Thanksgiving to prevent too much possible bacterial growth/contamination and if you want to make it easy, put bread stuffing in casserole dish instead), Consider creating menus with a lot of items that can be prepped the night before. Even if you can’t put something like scalloped potatoes together the night before, you can slice the potatoes and put them in a bowl of water for the night and then pull it all together on Thanksgiving. Think ahead of what you can dice, slice and chop up the day before. Every minute counts!
-Write down the menu! This helps you remember everything AND if you have help in the kitchen, they can look over the list and see what you’re working on and what still needs attention. Did I mention it helps you remember everything? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found something in the fridge I forgot to put out. D’uh moment! Writing down the menu also helps you make sure you have everything you need. Last minute trips to the store on Thanksgiving can get pricey because you often end up at a costly convenience store and they’ll inevitably NOT have what you need, leaving you to scramble for a last minute emergency substitution. UGH!
- About: Tammy Paquin
- Tammy Paquin is a work from home mom of 3 boys and wife to a great guy and the owner and publisher of Frugal-Families, a website devoted to frugality, budgeting, simple living, homesteading and helping everyone, families and singles alike, stretch their hard-earned dollars. She and her family live in New England and love hiking, camping, kayaking and gardening
Festive Fruit Salads for Your Holiday Table
I love fruit salads. Unfortunately, many of the best fruit salad recipes are very high in calories and take a little more preparation time than you might want to spend.
The holiday season is a perfect time to try some new fruit salad recipes. Your family will love them and they make a delicious, colorful addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas table. If you are counting calories, many ingredients can be substituted with a lower calorie version, e.g., sugar-free Jello, low-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese, or sour cream. Enjoy!
Frozen Cranberry Salad
1 (15 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
Mix all ingredients together and freeze in bowl or mold. Serve this salad on lettuce.
Strawberry Supreme Salad
1 (6 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello
2 c. boiling water
2 pkgs. frozen strawberries
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 c. miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped nuts
2 (8 oz.) cartons sour cream
Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add frozen strawberries immediately. Stir until strawberries separate. Add pineapple, marshmallows, and nuts, stir together. Put half of this mixture in bowl and chill until set. Keep remainder of jello mixture at room temperature. When jello sets, remove from refrigerator and drizzle sour cream evenly over it. Spoon remaining jello mixture on top and chill until set. May be made a day ahead. (Use 9×9 inch pan).
Lemon-Lime Cottage Cheese Salad
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon jello
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lime jello
1 c. hot water
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 pint cottage cheese
1 c. chopped nuts
Dissolve jello in hot water. Add salad dressing, to which milk has been stirred in a little at a time, in separate bowl, before adding to jello. Add cottage cheese, pineapple and nuts. Pour
into mold and let set in refrigerator several hours.
Christmas Salad
6-oz. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
1/2 c. red maraschino cherries, cut in half
1/2 c. green maraschino cherries, cut in half
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. miniature marshmallows
Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise; blend well. Add fruit. Mix well and fold in whipped cream. Freeze. Thaw about 15 minutes before cutting into servings. Can be frozen in one dish or thicker or thinner servings, or in cupcake pans.
Cinnamon Candy Salad
1 (6 oz.) pkg. lemon or orange jello
1/2 c. cinnamon red hots
1 3/4 c. hot water
1 small pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large Red Delicious apple, grated
Boil together water and cinnamon red hots until candy is completely dissolved. Mix syrup with jello, add apple. Blend cream cheese, cream, and salt. Stir into jello and allow to stand overnight in refrigerator.
Article by:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
