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Archives for December 2013

Staying Organized During the Holidays

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holiday organizationThis is a crazy time of year for most people. I have a relatively small family but every time slot of December is consumed with events. Between work parties, family gatherings, Christmas eve/day events and New Years plans, if you don’t stay organized it will be easy to get stressed out! I learned years ago that starting early with my organizing is what helps keep me calm.

 

Get a Calendar

I have a large central calendar on my fridge where I write out everything. No detail is too small. It is in a visible spot where I frequently look at it. I used to hide it in the cupboard but it wasn’t working for me. I got over the fact that it looked messy on the fridge and put it up! As soon as an event is planned write it out, even if it conflicts with something else, still write it down so you don’t forget. This is where you’ll have decisions to make. If you child’s Christmas concert is the same night as your staff party, something will have to give but this way you’re reminded what you have to RSVP to.

Write reminders on the calendar too since you’re likely to forget. We’re responsible for making the dinner rolls for our family dinner. I have a note written on the 23rd to remember the rolls giving me two days to find time to buy or make them.

 

Declutter

This is something I start in October/November. Around the same time I take out/put away the Halloween decorations is when I casually declutter certain areas of the home that accumulate over the year.  Our crawl space, where most of our storage is, has a tendency to have stuff shoved in it throughout the year. One evening in November I reorganize it so everything is accessible and I can easily get the Christmas stuff in and out without making a huge mess. In the month of November I also make a point of organizing the closets and ”junk drawer” in our house. Christmas is so busy for us that I need to make sure I know where everything is so no time is wasted. My friend couldn’t find her (fake) Christmas tree this year so went and bought a new one. How do you lose a seven-foot tree? She found it when putting the new one away, imagine.

I also anticipate certain things like needing space to make room for gifts I know the little one will receive. Just today I cleaned out her closet and cleaned her room, getting rid of toys and clothes she doesn’t play with or fit into. Decluttering is also a great way to give back by donating unused things to charitable organizations or to sell unwanted items and fund your Holiday budget!

 

Clean!

The weeks leading up to Christmas I make sure the house has at least one good deep clean. Spending one day to make sure the house is nice and clean is much easier to maintain with frequent tidying than constantly trying to get one room done. If you have little kids I know this is hard. Get a babysitter for a day, or at least a few hours to dedicate to getting things cleaned and put away. Someone told me trying to put laundry away with a toddler running around is like blowing a fan onto a desk full of papers, and I could not agree more.Cleaning with kids is one step forward and at least four steps back. Send young kids away for the day when you clean and if they’re older have them help out.

The holidays are fun, family filled time. Stay organized so you can enjoy it all!

What do you do to stay organized?

Lifestyle Check List

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lifestyle checklistLife can get so busy and so full on that we often forget about putting everything into order ready for any unfortunate circumstances, or even when we pass on. Too often we claim we can’t afford to seek outside help, or we simply don’t have enough time, and yet, as asked by Saga when discussing your financial future, can you afford to put it off? When you consider how much we all worry about our finances, it makes perfect sense to seek out seasoned, professional help in order to settle those worries.

 

Make Sure You’re Prepared for the Future

As expected for any lifestyle check list, drawing up a Will is possibly the most important and crucial move you can make in putting your estate and assets into order. Considering that almost three out of five people won’t bother writing a Will, it’s now more vital than ever to make sure that your money and belongings go to the people you want them to go to. Furthermore, once you’ve drawn up your Will make sure to keep it up to date, although this might sound tedious, it’ll prevent any unpleasantness after you’ve gone – divorce, marriage, children and various other circumstances which can throw a spanner in the works if you don’t keep on top of your legal documentation. If you’re in need of help Saga is on hand to offer sound advice whatever your query.

 

Don’t Wait For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today

As well as Saga Legal allowing you to take out a Will, not to mention their other services such as insurance and health, you can also take this opportunity to put smaller, less legally orientated plans into action, such as finishing off any DIY projects you’ve been putting off. Just as we put off drawing up legal documents, we also put off various home improvements, because we feel we don’t have the time or the money, and yet these are all things that, once sorted, will leave you with a relatively easy and stress free means of keeping on top of your assets and estate.

Whatever you decide to organize and put on your check list, make sure you take the time to seek professional help from respected sources, with the right help you’ll find that the whole process speeds up and gets sorted a lot quicker.

How to Handle a Divorce and Maintain Your Kids’ Well-Being

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divorceDivorce and separation are, without a doubt, difficult situations. This is even truer if you have children.

Divorce is a major shakeup in the lives of children because it doesn’t just dissolve a marriage but it also fundamentally changes the shape of our families. When you are going through a divorce, it is your job as a parent to guide your children through this period of their lives with the least amount of emotional scars and psychic wounds as possible. There is quite a bit that you can do, whether you have the cooperation of the other parent or not, to protect your children’s well-being.

Keep Communication Open

Don’t lie to your kids by giving them false hope or try to make your co-parent look bad. Be truthful but keep information age appropriate. Remember that as your children get older they may have new questions or concerns about their relationship with you and the other parent. Be sure that they know they can come to you at any time.

Give Lots of Reassurance

Remind your children that you love them, and that the other parent loves them, even if you can’t make a relationship work with your ex-spouse. Young children, especially, have a difficult time articulating their emotions. Help them by acknowledging their feelings even if they can’t name them.

Physical touch, such as giving hugs, relieves stress in children. Older children that receive regular physical contact are reportedly happier and have fewer behavioral problems. Everyone benefits from regular human contact, adults see the benefit of lowered blood pressure and better anxiety management. So be sure to show affection and hug your children.

Keep Routines

Routines are important for children. Predictability in their day to day life helps them understand and learn about the world around them. When children have routines, they feel safer and more in control of their lives. Managing change can be difficult for children, especially when large changes are brought on them suddenly.

Whenever possible, keep routines the same. Divorce creates tremendous change. Be consistent and stick to schedules for everyone’s sake. Having a familiar routines cuts down on stress levels.


Keep Adult Problems to Yourselves

“Don’t argue in front of the children” is pretty standard advice for any family but it has to go double when it comes to divorced families. Remember your co-parent is still your child’s family and always will be. Keep the details of the divorce between you and your ex.

Aim for Cooperation

When a divorce is contentious, it can be hard to bend. Hiring a child custody lawyer can sometimes be the most civil thing to do when your co-parent is uncooperative or determined to make life difficult. Learn how to tactfully set boundaries, but at the same time, be prepared to pick your battles.

If your ex is willing, consider attending co-parenting classes or at least trying to work past feelings of betrayal or mistrust that might follow a divorce. Put in place a parenting plan that respects the child’s relationship with each of his or her parents. Consider that the children of divorce fare better when there is cooperation between parents.


Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Stress and anxiety can take a toll, even on children. If you think you are experiencing symptoms of depression, or if you think your family can benefit from talking about their feelings with a professional, don’t be afraid to seek help. Sometimes an impartial third party can give you some perspective on your situation.

You may even find going to the doctor to be supportive as they might be able to prescribe you something to help you cope. However, if you prefer a more natural method, then you may want to check out websites such as https://perfectplantmarket.com/pages/thca-flower-austin, for example, to see how this can be beneficial to your health. As always, make sure that you check with a medical professional first to ensure that this is okay for you to do.

Family and friends are another source of help and support. If you need someone to talk to, someone that can help with the kids, or someone to have margaritas with, family and friends might be the ones to call. Taking care of yourself will go a long way to keeping your house harmonious and your mind at ease.

In the end, remember that children are young but they are still people. Treat them with tenderness and courtesy and even the most chaotic periods of their lives can be overcome.

How Much is Too Much? Establishing Gift Guidelines with Children

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Children Gift GuidelinesLast week at work, a lady ended up bringing her daughter with her to her dental appointment. Her daughter sat quietly over in the corner reading a book while I treated her mom. At some point the young girl, less than 8, started asking me questions. Everything from why I have a mask on to what I was doing to her mom. So I could stop answering so many questions (which all led to more ”why’s”) I started asking her questions.

Given the time of year, I asked her if she was getting excited for Christmas. She immediately brightened right up and exclaimed, yes. We started chatting about the crafts she was making in school and what she was going to ask Santa for. My daughter being only 18 month old, I was curious to know what she was asking for and what she expected to get. She explained that her mom told her that Santa only has room for three presents in his sleigh so she had to think carefully about what she wanted.

 

Setting a Present Limit With Children

I though the three present limit was a good idea. We all know how out of control children’s lists can get, which can, in turn lead to disappointment. The little girl explained that since she’s only allowed to ask for three gifts, unless they were really big, ”like a horse” she would get them, no questions asked. I thought it to be interesting to know the same parent who set the three gift rule had her daughter to believe whatever she asks for within her three gifts, except horses would be given to her.

The little girl asked for, and expects to receive an iPad, $100 cash to shop with and a new Xbox one.  What?!

Obviously I couldn’t really comment beyond, ”that’s a big list” since I wasn’t about to ask mom how she planned on doing that but to me, this list seems crazy to me. Again, I only have one child who is very young but she will not be raised to believe that Santa or mom and dad, will be providing close to $1,000 worth of gifts.

Even if you’re not a religious person, my opinion is that Christmastime is meant to be a time of year when we slow down, reflect on what we have, share gifts with ones we love, and reminisce. Simplify our lives for a few days, enjoy good food, bake cookies from scratch and focus on building memories, not things. I think it’s important that if you’ve decided to make gifts apart of your Christmas tradition, guidelines, or rules be set in place. The earlier you start the easier it will be.

 

Setting Realistic Gift Guidelines

Guidelines for not going overboard with gifts may include:

  • Setting a gift limit. Either in volume or price. If you set a three gift limit from Santa make sure they understand they are realistic with it. If you think it’s appropriate that they ask for a $400 gaming console, make sure they know the couldn’t possibly ask for both an iPad and cash as well. For older children, let them know early on that mom and dad have a Christmas budget to work with and they may not get everything they want.
  • Get them involved. Have your children help you shop. Have them shop with you for another family member and let them know the budget. Have them learn what that money can buy. This will help them have a better understanding of what they can ask for and what they may receive.
  • Open discussion. Especially with younger children, who’s understanding is still very much forming, help them with things like writing their letters to Santa. Explain that they may not be able to get everything they ask for.
  • Gift swap. This works especially well in larger families. Everyone draw someone’s name and you’re only responsible for gifts for that one person.
  • Reminders. It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. Remind your kids, and self, on a daily basis what the true meaning is (which may vary between individuals an families). Memories,not things.

I have had very sparse Christmases (in terms of gifts) and had years with more gifts that imaginable. I never feel any different about the season. I was taught early about the real meaning and to hold onto memories as much as I can. Learning to enjoy the simpler things in life will go a long way, even when Christmas is over for the year.

What are your thoughts on setting realistic gift guidelines?

Personal and Financial Christmas Safety

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holiday safetyThough the holidays are supposed to be a wonderful, celebration-filled time of year, there are often an increase reported incidents related to personal and financial security.

You need to protect yourself, your family and your belongings even more during the holiday season it seems. By taking a few necessary steps you can ensure you have an incident-free holiday!

 

Take Care of Yourself!

Now is not the time to skimp on a healthy lifestyle. You need to be in top shape for the holiday insanity rush! Not only for that perfect New Years Eve outfit you may have, but a good diet and exercise will be the stamina you need to make it through the six plus weeks of celebrations.  It is to be expected that there will be some indulgences with the season, living well the rest of the day(s) will ensure you don’t see the side effects of your enjoyments! Get out there and move.

It also goes without saying, that if you’re at a holiday event and there is alcohol involved do not drink and drive. Nothing is more precious than a life. Ensure those around you practice the same safety precautions as well.

 

Protect Your Belongings

Crime is at an all-time high in December. More cars and homes are broken into and there is an increase in credit card theft. Be aware of this and keep yourself and your family safe from these tragedies. Make sure you home is locked (and armed if you have a security system) when no one is home. Keep your car locked especially when there are gifts present. If you’re shopping, store your purchases in the trunk. Thieves are more likely to attempt a break-in if they can see something they want. They won’t necessarily waste their time if they’re unsure. Having a safe at home for valuables is always a good idea, regardless of the time of year.

When making purchases, paying with credit card for bigger ticket items may give you insurance should the item be lost or stolen as well. Make sure you keep all receipts in case something happens to anything you buy as well. It may only be a $20 toy but if it doesn’t work or you need to return or exchange it for any reason without a receipt, it is a waste of money. The holidays are not a time of year one wants to be wasting money unnecessarily.

When shopping online, make sure the checkout it secure. All legit websites should be secure and there won’t be anything to worry about but if you’re uncomfortable with a checkout process, do your homework, especially with smaller websites. Same goes for charities, never donate to an unregistered charity. All legit charities will have documentation and issue a receipt for your donation.

For additional financial security, make sure you keep track of any and all warranties  for gifts received and purchased should you ever need to make a claim.

After the gifts have been open, dispose of your garbage carefully. If a thief sees that giant 72” TV box at your curbside you better believe you’ll be a prime target. Cut all obvious boxes up and don’t ”display” obvious packaging.

The holidays are a good reminder to be overall more aware of our surroundings. If we take proper steps we can all have a safe and fun season!

What other ways do you protect yourself during the holidays?

A Pet Owner’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays

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holiday pets

The holidays are times of both excitement and stress, of festivity and fatigue. If you own pets, you not only get to prepare lavish meals, shop for family and friends, decorate, and wrap gifts, but you also have to deal with keeping your furry kids out of trouble when guests are over or when there are dangerous edibles like chocolate laying around.

But don’t despair! Owning pets can enhance your holiday spirit, not hinder it. Just check out the following tips for surviving the holidays with pets at home:

 

Staying Out of Trouble

The biggest issue with pets is that they can’t seem to stay out of trouble, especially when there are human treats and toys and decorations all around them. It’s quite a departure from the living arrangements they’re accustomed to for the other eleven months of the year, so many pets are naturally intrigued by the sweet smells in the air and tinsel hanging from the walls (they’d probably love nothing more than to claw or chew it all up!).

For starters, the ASPCA offers a comprehensive list of foods that are hazardous for dogs as well as one for cats. Things like chocolate can really upset their stomachs (or worse, if eaten in large quantities), so be sure to secure garbage containers and leave no food out where your pet could snatch it. Even if you have a cat or a big dog that’s normally pretty obedient, don’t underestimate what they’d do to get at that chocolate cake or roasted chicken sitting on your counter.

Also be mindful of decorations that could potentially harm your pet, such as a tree (make sure it’s locked in place so it can’t fall over) or small decorations that they could chew up or swallow, causing intestinal issues that could lead to a pricy visit to the veterinarian.

 

Hosting Guests

Having guests over for holiday parties presents another problem for pet owners: what should you do with Fluffy and Fido? Some people won’t appreciate animals freely roaming around while they’re trying to eat, but locking up your pets for several hours isn’t a realistic or humane option either. Your options here include: leaving your pets in your bedroom with a comfortable inside dog bed and letting them out after your guests have finished their meal, hiring a pet sitter to take care of your pets while you’re busy playing host or hostess, asking your neighbor to look after your pets for the evening (only if they like animals, of course), or if you have children and your party is for the adults only, ask or pay your human kids to look after your furry, four-legged kids for the night.

 

Going Out of Town

If you go out of town for the holidays, the logistics of making sure your pets are taken care of become a bit more complicated. Some people don’t mind dropping their pets off at a boarding facility, but not only are these rather pricy during the holiday season, they could potentially lead to health problems if your pet catches an illness from someone else’s pet. Another option is to simply bring your pet along on your holiday travels, but for many, this isn’t possible due to limited space or pet restrictions at your destination.

There is also the option of hiring a pet sitter, but this could cost you in upwards of $20-50 per visit, depending on the time duration and services rendered (e.g., taking your dog on a walk or crushing pills for your cat). If you don’t have a doggie door or your cat doesn’t use an indoor litter box, you could end up having to pay for multiple visits to make sure your pets are going to the bathroom regularly. To save money, consider hiring a reliable teenager in your neighborhood who clearly loves animals and would love to make some cash over the holidays by looking after your pets.

It is worth remembering, however, that teens are not always the most reliable people and may not be able to deal with an animal with complex needs. As such, in cases such as this, a professional sitter might, despite the initial expense, be the best option for you. You can click here to see the advantages of hiring a dedicated cat sitter, and can further search online to find local sitters tailored to your pet’s specific needs that fall within your budget. This way, you know your pet will be well cared for for as long as you are away.

If you’re only heading out of town for one night, however, you may be able to get away with leaving your pets alone, as long as they’re relatively independent anyway. All you need to do is give them a good meal before heading out (you can check out these Dr. Marty Nature’s Blend reviews if you’re looking for something to treat them with) and ensure they can go to the toilet in their normal way without you. If your pets are well-behaved, you can also put out some food for breakfast in the morning. Most pets only eat when they’re hungry, so once they’ve had their fill, they’ll leave the rest for whenever they want it.

Holiday Gift-Giving

Sure, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to managing your pets during the holidays, but it’s not all precautionary measures! When it comes time to unwrap presents, it’s always fun to give something to your pet to make sure they don’t feel left out. Whether it’s a simple bone or bag of cat treats or a luxurious new bed (you can always search around for coupons and coupon codes to minimize the costs of gifts for your pets), getting something for your pet is a nice way to share the holiday cheer with every member of your family.

What other tips and tricks do you have when it comes to pets around the holidays?