lifeshowtos

After the holidays are over, it seems all we have to wait for is Spring.  Winter is quiet, lifeless, and some days it gets so cold, that we are stuck inside. Of course, there are some days that are a bit warmer, that we can head into the great winter outdoors as well. Don’t let winter cabin fever get you down….    Dress warmly, have the hot chocolate ready afterwords, and get some fresh air already….

Things to do in the Chilly Midst of Winter….

- Have winter games. Dress a snowman.  Make a couple of teams and create a “snowman” fashion show. Bring the camera, or even video camera to capture this moment. It could be fun!

-Bring the sled.  Have a sledding race. Find a fun hill free of any dangerous obstacles that you could possibly run into, and see who  makes it down first!

-Go on a winter hike. Bring hot chocolate along, and just take in the beauty of the snow. Cuddle together to stay warm, or run through the snow.

-Don’t want to venture into the cold outdoors?  Bring your skates and hit the ice skating rink or even a roller-skating rink.  Skate to your heart’s content. Play the hokey pokey, skate to some fun upbeat tunes, and skate away those winter woes.

___________________

Don’t let the winter get you down. While it is very easy to have cabin fever and sleep away the day-don’t forget to breathe in the air of the outdoor. It could bring you some much-needed energy, and inspire some happiness that has been buried for some time.

I just wanted to wish all of the readers out there a Happy New Year…

I think we have a tough year ahead of us, but with some hope and plenty of prayer, perhaps things will get better–I will be keeping my fingers crossed.  Towards the end of 2008, retailers and individuals finally began seeing what kind of crisis our economy is really going through, and 2009 could be a year of repair, and perhaps time that some of us really begin to live frugally…

I also hope to make this blog more suficient in 2009 with more posts, and hopefully to be able to help and inspire the readers who come by here for advice and help… My goal is to hopefully post here every day-and you as readers can leave comments to remind me!…haha

I hope that at least one of your resolutions come true this year… You can make anything happen as long as you put your mind to it!..

SO here is a toast….to all you readers….Happy New Year~

So the holiday rush is over, and the New Year has came. And you begin to feel yourself—Let down..and missing the holiday spirit all over again. We all wait so anxiously for the glorious time of year when the Christmas spirit is high in the air, and everybody just seems more cheerful. Family comes around that we haven’t seen in awhile, and we get to eat all of the yummy food and those favorite recipes we have been craving all year-

Suddenly-it all comes crashing to a dead hault, and the holidays are just “done.” -OVER.

We find ourselves in a slump, especially if we have been on vacation and we have to head back to the daily grind of life, work, and taking the kids back to school again. Life begins, and all is boring again-or maybe it isn’t.

It’s easy to fall into some kind of after holiday depression and blues, but you can prevent it from happening…..

—Here are some things to do to ring in the new year—and not be blue.

• * Spend time with those that you love such as close friends and family. Be with them when you can. Don’t just visit around the holidays. Keep the spirit alive all year, by keeping in contact. Get and feel connected. Even when life seems too busy.

• *Pick up that new book you have been wanting to read, or find a great new book to read. Get away to another time, place, or world, and read. If you can’t read during the day, take some time before bed time and read. Go to bead 30-45 minutes earlier, and pick up a book.  If you can’t physically get away-you can mentally go somewhere else and relax…

• *Get interested in a new hobby for the new year. Start a cookbook filled with your favorite recipes. Start that scrapbook you have been talking about. Get the children involved so they can help too. Perhaps by next Christmas, family members might just want some copies!…

• *Write down your goals or expectations for the new year and make a point for at least 1 or 2 of them to come true. Keep the goals easy enough to where you can accomplish them.  There’s nothing better than finishing something that you have been wanting to do for a long time….

Don’t fall into a post holiday rut…. Get back into life-not into the daily drag.  Life can stay spirited all year long-as long as you make it that way

It’s that time of year again when its cold and snow is falling……

Snow is pretty when it first comes down, but after awhile, you can get cabin fever.  Plus the cold chill isn’t any fun, but it’s always cozy to curl up in your favorite blanket or perhaps a book.

 Winter doesn’t always have to get you down although.  During the winter, is a great chance to get plenty of “down-time.”

* Begin catching up on some books you have been wanting to read.  Find a favorite quilt, a cup of hot chocolate, and curl up with your book before bed time.  

* Start a new craft or hobby.  Gather some of your favorite photos and begin a scrapbook.  Add descriptions under the photos, and put in some neat little stickers or stamps. Decorate it however you would like

* Start a recipe book or box.  Write down or cut out your favorite recipes. Put them into a box or a little book.  Then when you are finished, you could always pick out a few of your favorites, and even try some baking to warm up the kitchen with delicious smells!

*Gather your family together for movie time or a “sleep-over.” Have the kids get their sleeping bags, pop some popcorn, get the quilts for mom and dad, and gather up for a movie.  Start it a few hours before bedtime on a weekend or Friday night, and then everybody can fall asleep together in the family room for a family slumber party…

*******************************

These are just a few simple ideas to beat the winter cabin blues… There’s so much more-all you have to do is use your imagination and keep the hot chocolate coming!

Spring will be here before you know it!

After years have passed, or your budget gets tight, it’s hard to find that perfect gift for Christmas.  After awhile, you want to find something that has meaning, and can last a lifetime or even be passed on.  How about searching through your family’s past to find old photos, recipes, trinkets, or anything else that has a special meaning?…

Try this new idea…”A TIME CAPSULE CHRISTMAS GIFT.”

You will need to get and find out a few things before you get started….

-Find out what year the person was born (the one you are giving the gift to).

-Speak with other family members and friends and try to get old photo, postcards, or any other keepsakes from the person’s past that you can use….Create a scrapbook page featuring the photos and memorabilia. 

-Find out about important events that happened during the year of the person’s birth. Look through old magazines and newspapers or even the internet….

-Try to purchase antiques or trinkets during their birth year or for different years of the person’s life. 

—-Once you have all of these items, you can begin creating this unique original Christmas gift idea. Buy a cute gift box and put all of these items together with a meaningful card.  Explain the time capsule gift and what each object in this box means.  It definitely will be a unique gift for the holiday season. 

This post is for the gals who read this blog….Especially if they love jewelry!

Can’t afford fancy jewelry to go with that favorite Christmas outfit? No problem! How about making your own jewelry!…There’s nothing better and more precious than handmade jewelry.  Making jewelry is also great when you can’t find the right kind to match your outfit too….

If you are trying to shop for a pair of earrings for Christmas, try making some…Below is some tips on making a pair of earrings for Christmas.

* Buy some of your favorite beads at craft shops like Hobby Lobby or Michaels.  Walmart also sells crafty accessories and supplies in its craft section too.  Look for Christmas colors, or beads that remind you of Christmas such as bulbs, snowflakes, angels, a Christmas tree, or even Santa Claus.  Every now and then you can even find mini pendants or charms that you can attach to an earring.

*Be sure to buy earwires, some thin beading wire, and crimp beads.  These are essential parts to your handmade earrings.

—Have all of your supplies together?..   Bead together the beads on how you would like them to look on your bead wire.  Attach them to your earwires, and add a crimp bead to hold the look together.  ….  Perhaps after your first pair you will want to make more!

Would you like to get your family a computer, but don’t have the extra cash to purchase one?  There are ways to get a computer without spending a lot of cash.  While times are hard, it is a good idea to find out how you can buy goods and electronics on a low budget for your household.  Computers can be pricey if you do not know what you are looking for-especially if you buy them loaded with software as well.

What some people may not realize is that sometimes you can get a computer free or for almost nothing from schools or universities when they throw out their old computers.  Some of these computers are still in decent working condition or just need small minor repairs-or perhaps the system just needs an update.  This is a great way to get a decent working computer. 

Also-Ebay is always full of electronics and people selling computers too.  You just have to read all of the descriptions carefully, and have an idea of what you are looking for. 

Always be sure to check out the classified ads in the newspapers, or even read over craigslist on the internet as well.  Somebody is usually always trying to sell or give away a computer that they no longer need.  If your children are needing  computer for school, or you need one for a home business, some of those places are wonderful to begin your search.  You don’t always have to have a lot of money to get the electronics or technology that you need for your home. 

The holidays are just around the corner, and families are in need more than ever this year.  Gas prices have finally given us some relief at the pump, but for awhile, the prices were just eating through out wallets.  Many families are suffering from job loss, a cutback of hours, and high energy costs.  There are many who have lost their homes, and they have been foreclosed on. 

If you and your family are finding yourselves in a somewhat comfortable, yet livable situation, perhaps you could try to help out families who are in need for the holidays.  Giving and helping others is a wonderful deed, and can really help you learn about current financial situations.  It is also great for your children to be a part of such services as well.  Perhaps if you help somebody today, -there may just be a time, that you could use a hand yourself later on.  If families can learn to help other families, some of the grief can be overcome.  

You can begin helping out families in need by donating to food pantries, giving away your coats that are still in great shape, or even donating clothes and toys for children at Christmas time.  Put together holiday baskets that you can hand out to families your area, or donate to nearby shelters.  Everybody needs a helping hand sometime, and is a great way to spend your extra holiday time. 

Take a tag off nearby angel trees, and shop for Christmas gifts for a little girl or boy.  These are often children who are less fortunate and need help with Christmas.  Put together small Christmas gift baskets and take them around to family homes who are in need.  Let the children help bake cookies to put in the baskets as well…  Christmas isn’t just about receiving–it’s about giving-….Giving your heart unto others…

Internet safety is a very important issue for all families with children.  It should be discussed in the household as well as having informational sheets posted up around your computer.  Always monitor your child’s internet usage, and use software to block out websites that you would not like your children to visit.  Let them know that they should not share personal information, or even let anybody know about their favorite places to eat, hang out, or where they go to school.  This is very sensitive information for internet predators and stalkers.

If you are an educator, you should also pay close attention to student’s internet usage and even have a discussion about how they can stay safe when they are using the computer online.  Internet predators are out there to seek our children, and the world wide web can be a very dangerous place without knowing the proper information.

Be aware of your child’s internet habits and the places they go online-it could very much save their lives!

For more information on Internet safety tips, check out the very informational article below, so that you can start learning today on how to protect your family and loved ones on the Internet.  Perhaps you may print and post it near your family computer too!

Click here to learn more about “What is  Internet Safety?”

Everyone enjoys a little get away to the movies every now and then-I mean-who doesn’t? But the cost is just enough to frighten me away sometimes!

You have to pay for the movie ticket itself-then the popcorn and the drinks.

I’m surprised you don’t drop a quarter somewhere for when you use the restroom!
I am only kidding on that though…

There are (surprisingly), some ways to save money going to the theater though!

If you live in the participating states, there is a program from Kerasotes theaters called, THE FIVE BUCK CLUB. Yes-it is still possible to see a movie for only $5!

I remember back when the day time movies were only $5….or $4.75 for that matter-but now I pay almost $6.00 for the matinee-and an ugly $7.50-$8 for the evening movies!…..

THE FIVE BUCK CLUB is FREE to join!.….

You just go to the website, sign up for a card, they mail it-and then BOOM-you are a member of the greatest movie club in the world.

You only have to keep track of the $5 show times in your area.
Just sign up for the emails that let you know which movies are $5.00 in your area.

Then take your card with you and you only pay $5!

Now only if they had a five buck club where you only pay $5 for your soda, popcorn, and some candy!….That would be the greatest!!!!

-—So–you want to know how to sign up for the FIVE BUCK CLUB???

CLICK HERE to get the great details for signing up for this movie saving idea…..