by Michaeline on November 17, 2012
If asked, most people would admit that gift giving is the biggest stresses when it comes to the holidays.
Gift giving is supposed to give you a great feeling on the inside. It is a way to share and to acknowledge our loved ones during this special season.
But many times gift giving doesn’t feel that way because it is considered one of the biggest stresses.
You have to decide what to buy, where to buy it, wrap it, ship it and/or deliver it. That’s a lot of work! Yet once you have a gift buying list, gift ideas, past gift lists for reference and supplies on-hand, holiday gift giving can be an enjoyable process.
How do you determine your gift list? How many people can you reasonably handle buying gifts for year? Is there a magic number….maybe 6 – 10? Maybe you feel that you can’t exclude anyone. All I can say is when your list of names is manageable you will enjoy the season.
Here are some ideas for taming your gift list more manageable: [click to continue…]
by Michaeline on July 9, 2011
I recently had the pleasure of opening our home to a friend for an overnight visit and we are expecting a visit from out-of-town family in two weeks.
In preparing for guests, besides cleaning there are things that you can do to help make your guest’s visit enjoyable. There are many sources out there and tips one of the websites that I thought had interesting points was http://simplemom.net/tips-to-help-guests-feel-welcome/
Here are a few additional tips from me:
• Schedule time ahead of the visit to de-clutter and clean your home so you are not exhausted when your guests arrive.
• Ask your guests if they have any food preference or allergies ahead of time.
• Have a variety of breakfast and snack foods available including fresh fruits, veggies and bottled water.
• If possible, determine what meals will be eaten at home or out so you don’t have to do too many grocery runs during the visit.
A little project management can help ensure a great visit anytime. Of course, having great guests helps too! And I love my house guests!