How to Reduce Your Stress this Christmas

In theory Christmas is a time that is filled with joy and celebration. A joyous holiday when you get together with loved ones and catch up, exchange gifts and generally have a good time. Unfortunately in practice it can be a time of great stress and unhappiness. There is so much to do and so much to organise. And sometimes getting together with your extended family can be uncomfortable and even painful. So here is a plan that will help you to relax a little more this Christmas and hopefully a good time will be had by all. Christmas Shopping Don't leave everything until the last moment. Rushing will just make you tired and more stressed. Get you Christmas shopping done early, so you don't have to spend hours fighting other shoppers for the last doll or Christmas turkey. Don't over spend. It is very easy at Christmas time to spend too much and put yourself in a financial hole for a good part of the new year. Decide before you go shopping how much you can afford to spend and stick to your budget. Shopping early will help you stick to a budget as you will not be in a last minute panic, picking up anything that may be suitable regardless of the cost. If money is a little tight for you or some of your family members there are a couple of ways you can reduce your spending costs. Together you could decide that all gifts should be handmade or second hand. Or you could all decide that each of you will only buy for one other person. This way instead of spending $5 on 10 people and getting them all little cute but junky things you spend $50 on one person and get them something that they will really appreciate. Decide between the family an amount that everyone is to spend and then draw names out of a hat to see who you will shop for. Wrap the presents as soon as you can after buying them - that will leave one less thing to do on Christmas eve. Christmas Cooking Again planning is very important. You don't have to do it all yourself. Ask members of your family to bring something along. This way the chore is shared amongst many and everyone can feel like they have contributed. See what preparations can be made a few days before hand. The plum pudding and mince tarts can be made weeks before hand. Do what you can, but make sure everything is stored at a safe temperature. You can wash the potatoes but they will go black if you peel them. Dealing with the Unpleasant Relatives At Christmas time we can be thrown together with people that we would really rather not have anything with. Do your best to be pleasant to them but if they cross the line and say something that is rude stay calm. Do not attack them back; let them know that you do not appreciate their comments and that you would rather here positive comments about yourself and other members of your family. Do your best not to let the comments of one person spoil your day. Try not to dwell on any negativity. Instead think about the things you are enjoying about the day and go and find someone you do get along well with and talk to them. Alcohol can increase your emotional reactions to any situation so only drink in moderation. One final word Make sure that you look after yourself with appropriate exercise, relaxation, sleep and a healthy diet on the days leading up to Christmas. When we are feeling fit and energetic we are able to cope so much more easily with the ups and downs of life. However if we are already feeling tired and stressed any little thing can overwhelm us and this can make Christmas day more tension and tiresome. Have a great Christmas Want more ways to enjoy life? Kerry-Ann Cox, author and healer, has just released her new book "10 Spiritual law for stress reduction" Find our more at <a target="_new" href="http://www.exaltedliving.com/stress.htm">http://www.exaltedliving.com/stress.htm</a>

Home Made Gifts, The Best Way To Teach Your Kids The Value Of The Holiday

To a large extent the holidays have come to be more about materialism than the original values of peace, harmony, and faith. Advertisers hit us from all sides with messages of greed and pettiness. Every media outlet is rife with the idea, &quot;buy this, or they wont love you.&quot; In such an age, it is important to remind the children about the true meaning of the season. This can be done, to some extent, by helping them to build their own gifts to give to others, and teaching them what the true value of a gift is. This has several major benefits. 1. In building the gift you will be spending time with the child doing something constructive. 2. It will teach them the value of money. The item they buy would have to be made just like the item they make themselves. Money doesn't just appear it has to be earned, and then traded. So money is trading work, for work. 3. It will engage their imaginations and creativity. 4. The gift they create will be much more meaningful, and you should let them know that. As you can see, there are a ton of benefits to having your child build a gift themselves. At a young age this is obvious, but even as they grow older and into their teens this should be something you encourage. Building a gift is easy. Different levels of skill can accomplish different things of course, but the mediums are fairly similar across all ages. You can encourage the child to make you a card or a picture. You can give them clay or plaster and let them sculpt. Or you can suggest they write you a poem, or a story, or frame some nice pictures they take. You should play to the child's interests. If you get them started on an art form for a single project, it could click and give them a hobby for years to come, while expanding their horizons. Try and get them to be creative, and stretch their limits. Most important of all, be encouraging, the child is a new artist, and so will be hesitant about their work. This is your chance to help their self esteem at the early stages of a new craft. About The Author Joey Lewitin is an author and designer of fine gifts and furnishings, which are on display sat <a href="http://pebblez.com" target="_new">http://pebblez.com</a>

Easter Traditions: Seven Ways To Add Meaning To Your Family Celebration

Family traditions connect us to past and future generations. They provide meaning and connection, as well as a sense of ritual and comfort. And they can create - and help to preserve - some of life's most moving moments. Easter traditions can help to usher in a season of love, rejuvenation, and abundance. Here are seven ideas for sharing the sweetness of this special season: - Start a kindness wreath for your doorway. For the week of Easter, give each family member 10 or more ribbons in bright spring colors. Each time a family member reaches out to someone in kindness during the week, they simply tie another ribbon onto the wreath. - Ask your children to make a special drawing or a collage that depicts what Easter means for them. After you display them during the Easter season, scan them or take a photo and record the artwork in a special journal or album for a treasured Easter keepsake. - Create a Garden Journal. Cover a composition book with spring patterned papers or photos/clippings of your favorite flowers. Document the process of creating your family garden this year. Make sure to include photos of your family members digging in the dirt. Record their favorite flowers and their favorite part of working in the garden...and, of course, lots of journaling and flower pressings. - Fill an Easter basket with cheerful messages, handmade cards, or simple gifts. Then leave the basket anonymously on a friend's doorstep. - If you have young children, video- or audio-tape them singing a fun seasonal song. Tapes of "Here comes peter cottontail" and "Little Bunny Foo Foo" can make treasured mementos. Share the tapes with distant family and friends. - When it's time for your Easter brunch or Easter dinner, give each guest a 6x6 sheet of cardstock and ask them to handwrite a couple of special messages for the holiday...perhaps ways they are feeling renewed or grateful in their lives. Snap a photo of each guest and create a quick and simple 6x6 mini-album as a keepsake featuring one page for each guest (with their photo and contribution.) - Make some handmade Easter greeting cards to send to family and friends. Or renew friendships by hostessing a card-making party where each guest makes 5 to 10 friendship cards. Make a point to send out five cards this spring to people with whom you would like to rejuvenate a relationship. This holiday, may you embrace and celebrate the beauty that comes into our lives through our family and friends. (And enjoy lots of chocolate!) Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com - <a target="_new" href="http://www.momscape.com">http://www.momscape.com</a> and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - <a target="_new" href="http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking">http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking</a> - devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here: <a target="_new" href="http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/consultant">http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/consultant</a>

Nicely Designed Pillows As Gifts

Many of us are probably squeezing out our brains to the limit just for a single purpose, to think of what to give especially when it's Christmas or just a simple birthday present. It's always nice to give the jewelries, toys, clothes and shoes as we all had been used to of what to give. But haven't you realized that there is something much cheaper and more fantastic than clothes or jewelries? Yes, and those are pillows. Pillows can oftentimes express our sweetness and our tender loving care to someone we give them to. The feeling of sweetness just pops-up when we receive pillow gifts. There are a lot of pillow designs but the ones that best fit as a gift are the ones that are nicely designed and cute. A design with Disney characters would be nice just like a design with Finding Nemo characters and a design with our all time favorite superheroes like batman, superman, incredibles! They are not just for kids they are for adults too. Sweethearts, for example has a lot of moments to share by just seeing the gifted pillow. The expression of &quot;This was the pillow you gave me on my birthday, I liked it so much so sweet&quot; just goes out in the mouth. So when choosing the gifts for seasons like Christmas try to include pillows in your list. Try this site for example http://dakki.isnare.com you will surely see the pillow your child, sweetheart, and love ones wanted. About the Author: Glenn Prialde is the owner of <a target="_new" href="http://shop.isnare.com">http://shop.isnare.com</a> and the founder of iSnare - <a target="_new" href="http://www.isnare.com">http://www.isnare.com.</a>

Fireplace Decorating Tips for Easter: Give Your Rooms Natural Focal Point an Easter Look

Sure you decorate your fireplace and mantel for the winter holidays, but don't forget this important focal point in your room as Spring approaches. Here are some nearly-instant ideas for springtime and Easter fireplace decorating: Daffodils in crystal or glass vases on each end of your mantel bespeak the coming of Spring. Tie a wired chiffon ribbon in a soft spring hue in a bow around each vase for a nice touch. March a line of fluffy chicks across your mantel. Five or more chicks, whether stuffed toys, porcelain hens, or craft store chickens, make a cute display. And speaking of stuffed toys, now is a great time to find those old stuffed bunnies and ducks and turn them into mantel ornaments. Add Easter grass, and scatter decorated eggs along the mantel to keep them company. Tie wired gingham-checked ribbons into bows, and attach them to the edge of your mantel. Let the ends of each bow hang down various lengths from one to three feet. At the end of each ribbon, open a plastic egg, tape the ribbon's end inside the egg, and force the egg shut. This creates a set of eggs dangling at different heights. Bring out your glass, crystal, white, and pastel candle holders of different heights for your mantel. Select a trio of springtime colors such as lavender, pink and eggshell or aqua, pale green, and soft yellow. Use pastel candles in some of the candle holders. In others, perch decorated Easter eggs (real, plastic, wooden, or glass). The ideas above are great for your fireplace's mantel, but what's a terrific way to decorate your fireplace itself? Fireplace candelabra are the perfect accessories. And using candles in the shape of decorated Easter eggs in your fireplace candelabra is a super-simple, but visually dramatic way to decorate for the season. (Just don't be too surprised if the Easter Bunny replaces one of the candle-eggs with a chocolate one!) Susan Penney appreciates simple ways to make our homes renewing spaces for our families. She invites you to visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.FireplaceMall.com">http://www.FireplaceMall.com</a> for fireplace accessories to serve your fire-less or your fire-filled fireplace.

Practical Ways to Keep Your ADD Under Control During the Holiday Season

Do November's Thanksgiving experiences have you dreading the December holidays? The idea of gifts, family, and days off sounds great?but we all know that holidays are some of the most stressful times of the year. When an ADDer starts to become immersed in the shopping, cooking, traveling, and family interactions, their ADD can complicate matters. You can find yourself quickly feeling overwhelmed and overloaded. You may not be able to avoid these feelings altogether, but there are some strategies you can employ to help keep your ADD under control during the holiday season. The first thing that you can do for yourself is to schedule some &quot;you&quot; time. Find something that will recharge your battery - take a walk, go for a drive, sit quietly in a favorite chair, meditate, exercise, lay down and close your eyes, etc. Find something that works for you, and commit to doing it every day. Don't wait until you feel your ADD getting out of control. The holiday season can become more and more intense from day to day. Daily recharging is a method for preventing the intense feelings of being overwhelmed. Another thing that you can do to keep your ADD under control is to take frequent breaks during chaotic times. First, identify your stressors. Personally, I find myself overwhelmed and agitated while shopping during the holiday season. The streets, the malls, and all the stores are so crowded that it's hard to get where you want to go, find the things you need, and navigate your way without bumping into people! Some people don't mind this experience, but it instantly overwhelms me. So I make sure that my shopping trips are short, and I allow myself to take time out to go outside or sit with a cup of coffee when I feel myself getting agitated. I don't pressure myself to do it all in a set amount of time. And finally, another good strategy is to prioritize your tasks. Do you already feel like your list is building with holiday cards to send, decorations to put up, gifts to buy, etc.? Plan in the time you need, and spread out the tasks so that you don't end up scrambling at the last minute. Make a list of all the things you need to do, and then prioritize it. After your list is prioritized, commit some time to those things. As an added incentive, make appointments to do these things with other people. Ask your spouse to commit to a day to put up the decorations, invite a friend to have coffee and write out cards together, see if your mom wants to go shopping with you?you get the picture! Making the tasks fun and social may help keep you on track. Remember, the holidays are stressful for everyone, especially ADDers, but you can keep your ADD in check. Schedule in daily recharging time. Take breaks when you need them. And plan ahead to avoid procrastinating. Using these strategies to the best of your ability will help you keep your ADD under control this holiday season! About The Author Jennifer Koretsky is a Professional ADD Management Coach who helps adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She encourages clients to increase self-awareness, focus on strengths and talents, and create realistic action plans. She offers a 90-day intensive skill-building program, workshops, and private coaching. Her work has been featured in numerous media, including The New York Times Magazine and The Times (UK). To subscribe to Jennifer's free email newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, please visit <a href="http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm" target="_new">http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm</a> <a href="mailto:jennifer@addmanagement.com">jennifer@addmanagement.com</a>

Top 15 Valentines Day Quotations

<LI>"If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were."<br> -- Anonymous <LI>"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it's what you are expected to give -- which is everything."<br> -- Anonymous <LI>"The best proof of love is trust."<br> -- Dr. Joyce Brothers <LI>"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."<br> -- H. Jackson Brown Jr. <LI>"Greater is he who acts from love than he who acts from fear."<br> -- Simeon Ben Eleazar <LI>"The love we give away is the only love we keep."<br> -- Elbert Hubbard <LI>"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."<br> -- Lao-Tzu <LI>"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."<br> -- Friedrich Nietzshe <LI>"The only abnormality is the incapacity to love."<br> -- Anais Nin <LI>"Tell me who you love, and I'll tell you who you are."<br> -- Creole Proverb <LI>"To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead."<br> -- Bertrand Russell <LI>"There is no remedy for love but to love more."<br> -- Henry David Thoreau <LI>"The first duty of love is to listen."<br> -- Paul Tillich <LI>"If so many men, so many minds, certainly so many hearts, so many kinds of love."<br> -- Leo Tolstoy <LI>"The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death."<br> -- Unknown Resource Box - ? Danielle Hollister (2005) is the Publisher of <A HREF="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp" target="new">BellaOnline Quotations Zine</a><br>- A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it - <A HREF="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp" target="new">online</A>