5 Things to Do Now To Prepare for the Holiday Season

The older I get, the more I realize how quickly time flies. It's relentless. And I don't want to waste it. I shared most of these tips a few years ago, but I think they're worth repeating. You're welcome? No, I mean, you're welcome. :)

Here are some practical tips for getting in gear for the busiest time of the year, with less stress and lots more joy. I'll start with the simple, mindless tasks, ha ha, and move on from there. A little preparation really does go a long way, especially during the holidays.

1. Clean your candle holders, vases and other glass/ crystal
These items gather dust like the Boss, and just about every solid surface in our home displays two or three (or twelve) candles and other glass goodies during the holidays. To make them sparkle again, carefully place them on the top rack in the dishwasher and run them through a gentle cycle. Of course, make sure that they're dishwasher-friendly! Lots are! This is one of the easiest things to tackle ahead of time, and nothing twinkles quite like spot-free glass and crystal accessories. Plus, when you're elbow deep in tangled strings of lights and pine needles have found their way to every crevice, it feels so good to have this part already done.

This is also a great time to take inventory of candles, such as tea lights, tapers and pillars. Many are already on sale, and I've found that if I wait for those After-Holiday sales, it's pretty slim picking. Hot pink nativity candle, anyone? Yeah, me either.

2. Vacuum the corners of your ceilings and above door jambs
Not very glamorous, I know, but the holiday season gets so busy and hectic so quickly- no matter how hard I try to not let it!- and this is one thing I don't want to have to deal with during all that chaos. Dangling cobwebs were fine for Halloween. Not so much for Christmas.
Perfectly cleaned homes aren't necessary for friendly get-togethers and meals. We're human, and we have busy lives! Nobody should be judging you, but cobwebs are, well, gross. If you're a regular ceiling corner-vacuumer, then I suppose you've got this covered already.  But I'm not so much anymore, until the thought of some poor guest looking up to find Charlotte and her family perched on my ceiling gives me just enough incentive to do it.
And once that chore is complete, then I can go make a mess in the kitchen with this cutie!

3. Decide on your recipes now and purchase as many ingredients as possible ahead of time (and stick to that list!)
So many recipes for cookies, tarts & pies, rolls & bread, plus festive main course meals, so little time! Pinterest never fails to tempt me with about 1,2000 new treats to try by the time we sit down to Christmas dinner, but choose I must! I have found it best (and less stressful) to plan meals, parties, and even gifts around our favorite standbys, and limit the newbies. 
Of course I love to try new recipes, but I can't reinvent the cookie sheet every night! One or two new recipes throughout November and December is a good goal. Besides, in our family, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without our annual Chocolate Spiders or Chocolate-Dipped Mexican Wedding Cakes! 

4. Plant your Paperwhites & other indoor blooms
Okay, so technically these should have been planted last week to ensure blooms for Christmas, but I actually plant mine for New Year's, so phew! I'm safe. There are several varieties of plants and flowers on the shelves now- I swoon over Paperwhites so they're always my first choice- and most require at least 5-6 weeks to sprout and bloom. Plant them now, follow the directions given, and enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers throughout the season.

These Paperwhites are from WalMart and cost around $5. All in one kits like this are available at home improvement stores, some drug stores, and other discount stores.

 Cranberries make great holiday decorating accents!

5. Decide what's most important to you and your family, make your plans, and mark your calendars

A little chaos at Christmas time can be exciting and fun; too much, and your body, mind and spirit suffer. Nobody wants to feel overwhelmed and overextended during this most Joyous of Seasons!
Decembers are especially crazy for us because we have two birthdays (the 12th and 15th) thrown in there! Good intentions aren't going to make things go smoothly...we need a plan! And I'm not talking just about attending or hosting parties. We mark our calendars for our annual Family Cookie-Decorating Day, special shopping trips with each of our children, and fun outings like ice skating or skiing. There's time for spontaneous things, too, but without a basic plan, I feel frazzled and unproductive, and those things that we enjoy feel more like boxes to be checked rather than memories in the making.
 
Furthermore, I'm finding that I need to be super specific about the times I devote to sewing for my shop, Rose & Ruffle, during the holiday rush (thank you, by the way!!!) because I just won't stop until every last order is finished. That can mean I'm tempted to pass on something we might do as a family- which is a horrible feeling-, and that I never have enough time to make special things for Isabelle and the boys. Those things are integral to my daily joy, so I need a plan!

In our family, one of our most important and cherished tradition is the Prayer Basket. Each night during December we gather around the tree and take turns pulling out a name from the basket. Then we pray together for that person, family, school, or country, etc. Someone who didn't get to draw a name chooses a song to sing, and that's how we end our family time together, right before the youngest heads off to bed. I'll admit, over the years this has been much less of a nightly routine because of everyone's differing schedules now that they're older- and most of them go to bed later than I do!, but it's worth hanging onto, so we make an effort to practice this act whenever we can. It's my absolute most favorite thing to do each year. 

One thing I will add, something that I am still learning: make some time for yourself. It doesn't have to be costly or time-consuming or a big deal in any way, but we Moms are in charge of pretty much all the details of our family's activities, and that can take its toll. A little time away helps me recharge and reset.

 

Taking the time to plan and prepare ahead of time helps me enjoy this special time so much more. I hope it helps you, too!

Planning (and Dreaming)

The sun is making its appearance earlier and earlier, and I'm loving it. Since we've never been here through the seasons before, everyday feels like a happy little discovery. This morning, I've got sunlight streaming through the windows onto the fireplace, and that's definitely a first!

I don't think I mentioned this before, but last year my parents asked us to find them a nice house to rent in Florida for the whole month of February (one that would fit additional family, too). I didn't think it would be too much of a challenge, since we've always found great homes from VRBO and such, but it was! It took months and months of narrowing down our search, and fiiiinally we found a gem. My Mom and Dad are there already, and they love the house and the town, which is a huge relief to me. I'm so excited because we'll be heading down shortly! Our last few "vacations" have really stunk, so I admit I'm a little trigger shy, but we decided to go for it and I cannot wait! The thought of slipping into beloved flip flops and heading to the beach rather than the aerobics I go through every time I need to put on socks and boots up here...um, yes please! I'm also a little nervous about the long drive down- about 24 hours straight- but we'll manage. Flying is just way too expensive for all of us.

Ah, it's Super Bowl day. How could I forget that exciting little nugget? The fact that the Patriots aren't playing releases me from any and every type of fake excitement I'm expected to muster up, ha. I really could not care less, but all my boys do, so I don't mind mustering up a little something for their sake. Not this year, I'm off the hook. ;)

One of the boys, I think it was Caleb, asked me what I would ask for if I could have anything. Hands down, a personal chef! I love to cook and bake and putter around the kitchen normally, but I am just wiped out. Right now I've got two pans of cinnamon rolls from a can baking for Sunday breakfast, and I'm calling that a culinary success. My husband is a great and inventive cook, and he frequently picks up the slack, and I'm very thankful. Or he feels bad for me and my big-as-a-watermelon status and asks what he can get us for take-out, just the two of us, and then we sneak upstairs like naughty school children and joyously eat it all by ourselves. It's really quite fun!

Over the last couple of weeks, I've sewn up some cute baby things, and some pretty things for my pretty girl. She definitely has her opinion of what dear old Mom can and should make for her, and now I know what not to waste my time with. But she loves skirts- long and shorter- and "older girl" dress styles. No more apron dresses, which I've been informed are for babies. Boo. Here we are at church wearing our handmade skirts. Hers is so cute! Mine is old, pre-pregnancy, and I'm relieved I can maybe get away with it because my options, unlike my belly, are getting rather slim.

Everyone who knows me well knows about my obsessive list-making. It can be both a blessing and a curse. With a new house, new baby, upcoming trip, and a bunch of other things going on, there's just so much to plan for. Lists save my life! Sometimes a girl just needs good old pen and paper to jot ideas down on. Am I right?

And I'm trying to remember to carve out a little time to do something nice for myself each week. I used to soak my feet, do a face mask, or paint my nails every Sunday night, but then that routine sort of faded away with all the other demands on my time. Well I'm taking it back! This was last week's...I think I'm going pink this week. Exciting times, for sure.  =)

Today we celebrated my father-in-laws birthday. It's always nice to catch up with family, and of course to spend time with my adorable nieces. I'm so glad Isabelle gets to grow up with them- I never had cousins close in age to me, and now we've got great relationships, but it wasn't like having extended siblings growing up. I foresee some little girl sleep-overs this summer and I can't wait!

Oh, I totally forgot! I wrote up a tutorial for a little apron, pot holder and place mat set on the sewing blog. You can read it HERE if you'd like.

We're supposedly getting another storm tomorrow morning, so who knows if there will be school. Friday was an unexpected snow day, too. That's okay, just means more time for pancakes.  =)

SEWING PROJECTS FOR MYSELF

I used to sew clothes for myself All.The.Time when I was younger. I was athletic, fit, and everything I tried worked perfectly, and most importantly, fit. Around the time Ethan was born, I tried to make some things for myself, but my body had changed- I lost most of the pregnancy weight, but things were just, well, different. I tried a few more times but was always less than thrilled with the results. By the time I was running around chasing my three gorgeous boys (all born within 39 months of each other), I had simply given up on the idea. I loved my babies and I loved my life, but a thyroid issue and stress binge-snacking had me not quite loving my shape. It was a really difficult time. I cringe when I see nearly every photo of me from back then because I know I wasn't looking my best, and I certainly wasn't feeling my best.

I've worked hard over the past few years to like what I see when I look in the mirror, and let me tell you, it isn't just about the body. So much is about what's going on in the mind! I don't need to be perfect- and who is?- but I want to be my best. So I've embraced designing and sewing things for myself in the past year or so. And do you know what? I love it again! Such a great feeling.

Here's a sampling of one of my stashes for this spring/summer, and this year, it's going to be all about the dresses and skirts. I'm a tall 5'9" and the things I keep trying on in stores are simply too short. Same thing with pretty tops and shirts, but that's another story for another day. Sorry if this is totally and completely boring to you, but I kind of love it, ha.

I need a few well-fitting staples in my closet such as a denim softly-pleated A-line skirt, a go-to summer dress (or two, or three!) that can be dressed up or worn casually, and one or two pretty blazers/jackets to pull things together. I made quite a few tops last year- maybe I'll share those sometime- so I'm mostly set with blouses and shirts.

 Since we're barely above zero, and rarely even hitting hitting double digits this winter, dreaming of these summery things is both torture and exciting, ha ha!

I just had to share this cute pic I posted on Instagram a bit ago: we keep taking turns getting sick over here, and Caleb spent one afternoon pouring his little heart into knitting a scarf for Mimi. I LOVE that my boys are secure enough in their "manhood" to embrace crafty things- they are quite talented! All three of them make awesome things.

Speaking of dreaming about spring and summery things, here are the fabrics I'm using this year for custom nightgowns at Rose and Ruffle. I absolutely adore them! So, so pretty! I think #7 and #9 are my favorites. =)
I have more details on my sewing blog- here- and on my shop's site - here. Please let me know if you have any questions about ordering. Thanks!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE FINANCES?

Good Monday morning! This is either going to be a great one, or...nah. Let's not go there. Besides the fact that it's the first day back after a long break, I'm exhausted and my head is pounding. I was hoping for a full night's rest, especially after being sick for so long, but poor Caleb showed up at 2:49 AM because of the howling wind and "spooky sounds" in the woods, and then my mind started wandering uncontrollably. Some important things, and then some less so, like my ongoing pillow drama/dilemma and why Pinterest keeps changing things up, and I never got back to sleep. So let's hope for the best.

I don't know about you, but I often wonder just how people handle their money. Not exactly a subject you bring up at parties. Or over BBQ.When I'm listening to friends talking about vacation or purchasing a new big ticket item for their home or life, I find myself wondering: how did you pay for that? Did they set aside a little each month, sacrifice something else, or did they charge it, knowing (hoping) they'll pay it off at some later point?

In my family, we rely on credit cards for most of our purchases. I've had the occasional I'm-going-to-change-everything-about-everything in terms of how we handle finance moments over the years, but those ideas fizzled out rather quickly. Plus, we simply like the convenience of plastic. Our spending isn't out of control, we pay off the bill at the end of each month and never carry a balance, but something still feels a little off.

I want a plan. I need a plan. Maybe a good starting place would be to write out some financial goals. I'm not talking retirement here, just day to day living as well as bigger things like family vacations/excursions. It almost feels kind of embarrassing, like, I'm a grown up with a growing family and a home- I should already know these things. But they were never talked about in my house, and all of the plans I've tried over the years just haven't worked for us. So here's my question: what has worked for you? I'd love it if you shared your thoughts or ideas in the comments. Thanks!

It sounds so simple, really: just save up for what you want. But it never seems to work that way, especially when broken arms happen and the fridge dies and that rattle in the car is getting louder...