Organized Christmas

Blessings Mix Tutorial: Holiday Gift Mixes to Make And Share

Cynthia Ewer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:58:34 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Have you shared your blessings with a Blessings Mix?

Small bags of snack mix with a seasonal theme, each ingredient in Blessings Mix reminds us of our blessings.

Inexpensive and easy to make, holiday Blessings Mix gifts have graced dinner tables, classrooms and offices the world around.

Use them as table favors, workplace gifts or party treats at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or to celebrate American holidays such as Independence Day or Veterans Day--and bring home the values that underlie each occasion.

Follow our tutorial to make this easy craft gift:

Cheap Holiday Chic: Free Thankgiving Printables from Microsoft

Cynthia Ewer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:29:59 +0000

Ready to set a pretty Thanksgiving table ... on the cheap? You'll need to have a fairly recent copy of Microsoft Word, but if you do, check out this bonanza of free Thanksgiving printables from Microsoft!

From greeting cards to party invitations, dinner menus to recipe cards, you'll find a bonanza of quick templates to spark your holiday celebration.

Thankgiving Printables for Microsoft Word

Christmas Countdown Day 21: Give ... to Make a Difference!

Cynthia Ewer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:50:55 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Is giving only about "stuff"--or is it a reflection of the heart? Plan to make a gift of yourself this holiday season.

This week in the Christmas Countdown, we've focused on gifts and giving--and 99% of the time, we've seen this effort in terms of "things." Stuff. Boxes and parcels and bags. Stocking stuffers. But have we considered making a true gift: a gift of ourselves?

In the days to come, we'll begin planning the American Thanksgiving holiday. Will we also begin to ponder those things for which we are thankful? Out of gratitude comes grace, and from abundance comes true giving.

Challenge yourself and your family to make a difference, this holiday season and beyond--to make a true gift of yourselves. Teach someone a new skill. Tackle a service project as a family. Visit an assisted living center, or take part in a church ministry.

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix Recipe

Cynthia Ewer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:19:43 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Set a pretty holiday table, or share with friends with these small Thanksgiving favors!

Easy to make and fun to eat, Thankgiving Blessing Mix is a simple snack mix favor to remind us of our nation's blessings.

Bagged in favor-sized gift bags and decorated with a harvest poem, Thankstiving Blessings Mix brings a festive touch to your Thanksgiving table.

We make it easy to create Thanksgiving Blessing Mix with free printable gift tags.

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks
2 cups small pretzels
1 cup candy corn
1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins
1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds
1 cup M&Ms-brand chocolate candy
16 Hershey's-brand chocolate kisses
free printable blessing mix gift tag

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey's Kisses.

Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup Thanksgiving Blessing Mix in small cellophane treat bags. Add one Hershey's Kiss to each bag. Close bag with chenille stem or twist-tie.

Print 4 copies of the Thanksgiving Blessings Mix printable gift tag or hand-write your own tags with the wording below.

Cut out tags, and attach one to each bag.

Makes 16 Blessing Mix gift bags.

Christmas Countdown Day 20: Status Check!

Cynthia Ewer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:50:55 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Nearly half-way there: time to do a little status check on the progress of the Christmas Countdown. I hope that most of us feel a bit more prepared, a bit better organized. We've met together for three weeks, and we've covered a lot of ground.

Still, it's natural to feel a bit of panic today. From here on out, time will fly with a vengeance. Rehearsals, parties, holiday activities will rain down upon us.

During the next three weeks, the Countdown slows the pace to match the season. Because we're doing more in other areas of our life, the Countdown will lighten the load.

Ahead lies Get Cooking Week, appropriately so as we begin to prepare for Thanksgiving. Beyond that, we Decorate, then prepare to Celebrate.

Get ready to settle into a slower rhythm! Because ready or not, the holidays are nearly here. This year, though, we are riding high and in control ... organized for the best holiday season ever!

Christmas Countdown Day 19: Crafting Rule of Four!

Cynthia Ewer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:50:55 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Ask any wife and mother what she needs most during the holiday season, and she'll tell you, "More time!"

Yet this same busy lady will fill her Christmas gift list with elaborate hand-crafted gifts, requiring substantial outlays of cash, time and skill.

Result? She careens into mid-December either (1) working nightly until 1 a.m. to finish the lot or (2) substituting hurry-up last minute purchases for the unfinished gifts.

How to take charge of out-of-control crafting? Apply the Rule of Four!

Trim the Tree, Trim Your Budget: 10 Tips for Saving Money During the Holiday Season

Cynthia Ewer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:44:48 +0000

Looking to keep the jingle in the holiday season this year, but still celebrate with style? Try these tips from ParentDish.com to prune holiday expenses while keeping the joy.

We love this one:

Discover holiday magic. Think of low-cost ways to celebrate. Let your children sleep under the Christmas tree. On a snowy evening, fill a thermos with hot cocoa, bundle up and take a walk to look at decorations around the neighborhood. If it's too cold to head outside, make a CD of your family's favorite holiday music or find a low-cost arts-and-crafts project that will keep your kids busy for hours.

Sound familiar? That's because our own Organized Christmas editor, Cynthia Ewer, was among the experts interviewed for the story. Check it out:

Trim the Tree, Trim Your Budget

Veterans Day Tribute: Thanking Our Veterans and Service Members

Cynthia Ewer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:51:13 +0000

As the mother of a U.S. Marine, and mother-in-law to a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Veterans Day has special meaning for me. Today, I would like to thank my son Ryan and my daughter-in-law Elizabeth for their service to our country--and extend that gratitude to all America's veterans and active duty service members.

From the mom's chair, I've had a close-up view of the very special strains and stresses encountered by our young people in service, and by the family members who support them as they serve.

Over the past ten years, I've watched my son progress from recruit to Staff Sergeant, and held him close in my heart as he went through two overseas deployments.

On September 11, 2001, Ryan called me from his barracks before dawn to let me know his unit had been placed on high alert--and that call led to this writer's most-read, most-published piece of work: My Child, My Home, My Country: A Marine Mom Speaks. That essay still speaks for my feelings today.

Since 2002, I've looked on with amazement and respect as my lovely daughter-in-law Elizabeth tackled marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, all while serving as a sailor--and later, as she coped so ably to run her household and rear her children as the spouse of a deployed Marine.

Christmas Countdown Day 18: Set Up a Wrap and Mail Center!

Cynthia Ewer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:50:55 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Repeat after me: "This year, I won't be wrapping gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve!"

If there's a single most-underestimated holiday chore, it's gift wrapping. Supplies lie scattered throughout the house, while space and privacy are hard to come by.

Translation: late-night Christmas Eve wrapping sessions.

Not this year! We're going to lick the wrapping problem at the outset, by setting up a wrap and mail activity center. With workspace, tools and supplies at hand, it’s easy to wrap as you go—and enjoy the task, without grump, grumble or hurry.

to do today ... create a wrap and mail center!

Having all gift wrap, tools and supplies in one place speeds gift wrapping and makes mailing easy. Follow these steps to set up a Wrap and Mail Center:

Christmas Countdown Day 17: Get Organized for Catalog Shopping!

Cynthia Ewer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:50:55 +0000

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Christmas
Author, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Gift shopping? Between mall madness, high gas prices and lack of time, it can be the holiday season's greatest source of stress. There's got to be an easier way!

Organized gift shoppers know there's an alternative to crowded malls and long lines at the checkstand: shopping online or from catalogs! We'll make it easy with catalog shopping tips and free printable forms to track catalog and Internet purchases.