A Very Simple Christmas

I love my Christmas decorating ideas this year!!!

Some of my homemade Christmas ideas combined with little money widens the gap even further, and in fact, makes the gap into a friend. And decorating my tree with store-bought decorations suddenly seems completely undesirable. (Even ones I already own.) Shiny balls from Wal-Mart and yes, even lovely Hallmark ornaments are out of place and out of my sync with my Christmas.

So I’m decorating my Christmas tree in dried oranges, garlands of popcorn and cranberries, mixed only with what ornaments I have that are handmade and/or vintage family hand-me-downs.

Combined with the scent of the white pine tree, my house smells incredible.  I’ve been keeping busy this week, a little at a time between work and life, prepping ornaments. It’s quite a production!



Plan the perfect baby shower

Whether you're having a baby boy or a baby girl, keep your planning as effortless as possible.

Having a second child and handling two kids can be a bit overwhelming at first. Getting organized before the baby is born is your best bet, even though that might be a bit more challenging than it was the first time around. Best guidance I received was; "take all the help offered!"

One positive change that a second child brings is an increased confidence in your own abilities, knowledge, and experience. The things that seemed so difficult with your first child — breastfeeding, changing diapers, handling illness — will seem like second nature to you instead of a full-blown crisis.

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY CURRENT BABY BOY SHOWER IDEAS IN THE WORKS:

"Look whoo's having a baby boy!"

Making homemade invitations along with homemade decorations using paper and a color printer will save you lots of money!

Use all your resources for putting together the perfect baby shower.

One of my favorite resources is THRIFT STORES!

My favorite finds:

Under $5 for both!

Priced at .25cents  or more depending on size.

Add your special touch to your desired decoartions.

Gettin over the Pre-Wedding Jitters!

The date is set, the invitations are out, your seating arrangements have been decided on but the only problem is that you may feel like Julia Roberts in her film “Runaway Bride”. So what do you do when the last thing you feel like doing is walking down that aisle?

WEDDING JITTERS CAN start the moment you begin talking about getting married to when he slips that ring on your finger to the moment you’re walking down the aisle. They happen because marriage does change your whole life. The jitters don’t necessarily mean you’re having second thoughts about the person you’re marrying. He or she may be the best soul you could ever find. Jitters can come from the life change marriage causes. It changes the way you live, your friends and who you are friendly with, the new family you might be gaining. It’s basically fear of the unknown.

Here’s what to do to overcome those jitters:



Forget perfection

People focus on perfection. Perfection breeds jitters. Get rid of “perfect.” Everything will not be perfect! The perfect wedding will not happen accept it, the perfect apartment, the perfect friends, the perfect sister in law, some things are just the way they are and you have to learn how to adapt, which is all normal.

Let go and give away the need to control everything. Be careful about what is fantasy and what is real. Focus on what is truly important.

Perfectionism is about control. If you let it loosen a bit, you will find that the grief, fear and loneliness that many people who are about to marry experience are not only normal but  healthy. Everyone questions whether they are making the right decision. Questioning is NOT doubting.

Face your fears

Jitters thrive on fear. Worry never prevented nor solved any problem. It is normal to feel fear when jumping into the unknowns of marriage. Everyone involved may be having jitters. Find a healthy way to deal with all of the family and their demands and expectations. Understand that you cannot please everyone and everyone may not be pleased. They have their own feelings of loss, happiness, disappointment — they may not like your fiancé! And that will cause you to have jitters. If parents disapprove, remain calm and do not react with anger. Attempt to remain an adult, NO MATTER what the situation!