Search Results for: blog planning holiday visits

Schedule Yourself A Happy Holiday Season

It is that time of year again, time for everyone who works at home to get out their calendars and make sure that they plan ahead for a successful holiday season. With all of the family gatherings and other fun things that you want to do within the next couple of months, it is easy to get distracted from your work. However, if deadlines get missed or work piles up into an overwhelmingly large work load, you might not be feeling so merry or bright. By planning ahead for work and play, you can set yourself up for a successful … Continue reading →

Negotiating Family Holiday Visits

Many of us look forward to the holiday season because there are many opportunities to spend time with family. Of course, when families make plans to gather there is the potential for conflict. Whether there is a history of tension between certain family members or not, planning a gathering for a group can bring out both the best and the worst in people. Here are a few tips for handling holiday scheduling headaches if they do arise. Many holiday conflicts occur before the date of the actual family gathering, as family units have to make scheduling decisions about which relatives … Continue reading →

Start Your Holiday Shopping Now

Confession time: I am terrible when it comes to Christmas shopping. It’s not uncommon for me to still be wrapping presents on Christmas morning while everyone waits downstairs for me to “get dressed.” I don’t like pushing through crowds, I don’t like the pressure of finding the perfect gift, I don’t like the stress of spending when I don’t have that much to spend, and I always let time get away from me. Sometimes it will be a week before Christmas before I realize I only have a week to get everything together, and by that time my schedule is … Continue reading →

How Much Are You Planning to Spend on Your Kids this Holiday Season?

Recession? What recession? Seriously, I often wonder how much the media has skewed our view on the nation’s economic situation. Every headline, every news ticker, every “top story” has to do with how poor our country’s financial situation is, and how things are only going to get worse before they get better. While news anchors are reading stories about record unemployment, mounting foreclosures, no money here, less money there, my friend’s 10-year-old daughter is heading to the spa. No kidding. Young Keera scored an invitation to yet another birthday party, this time at a local spa that caters to tweens. … Continue reading →

Splitting Holiday Time Between Two Families

Holidays are a wonderful time of year. They are a time to visit and celebrate with family and close friends. They are a time to be thankful for the relationships that you have. Once you are married or involved in a serious relationship (serious enough to meet the family) the family and time to spend with each family doubles. You no longer have one family to celebrate with but two. Scheduling and planning can be very tricky. Things can get even more complicated when your family and your mate’s family live far apart. Trying to decide or determine which family … Continue reading →

Planning Your Vacation Via The Internet

When was the last time you stepped foot into a travel agency? With the dawn of the Internet and the tens of thousands of travel resources available online, travel agents seem to be a dying breed. My aunt retired from the travel industry last year after spending more than 20 years as a travel agent. She was, by all accounts, the only person anyone in my family dealt with when it came to booking a trip. Now she’s spending her days on the golf course and we have all begun turning to the Internet to secure our travel plans. Now … Continue reading →

Holiday Surprises

Seems that I wasn’t the only one that deals with holidays with family and being part of the military. Granted I knew I wasn’t but it is always nice to hear someone else is dealing with this too. I think this issue has many topics that can be dealt with that I hadn’t really thought of yesterday as I wrote on it. For me, another issue is the fact of those last minute visitors that tend to surprise you. Now most of the time people think, oh the military can’t be surprised which while that is true it is also … Continue reading →

Planning Holiday Visits

The holidays are a hectic time of year for most of us. The frantic pace of life during this time wears us all out, but is especially difficult for pregnant women. You need to rest, but you need to shop, wrap gifts, visit relatives and fulfill many other commitments. You need to take stock of what you really need to accomplish. Prioritize your list so you can fulfill your obligations while preserving some time for rest. Shopping is one chore that can be avoided. Shop online for most of your gifts. This is easier than ever and the gifts arrive … Continue reading →

Tips for Safe Holiday Visits

If you’re going to be spending the holidays away from home, you’ve probably already started planning for the trip, the items to pack, and making arrangements to protect your home while you’re away.* However, there may still be a few things you haven’t considered, when taking small children for visits: 1. Bring childproofing items with you. Stores may not be open when you arrive. Pick up outlet covers and similar items before you leave. A baby gate won’t take up much room in your vehicle, so throw it in for good measure. It may come in handy. 2. When you … Continue reading →

Countdown To The Holidays

It’s official (just pop into any retail store) the Holiday countdown has begun. As of today there are 18 days left until Thanksgiving, 41 days until the start of Hanukkah, and 50 days until Christmas. Are you ready? If you aren’t then you’ll want to make frequent visits to the HOME blog over the next few weeks. I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed. Sherry, Marjorie and I will provide you with some our favorite holiday decorating tips and share practical information about preparing your home for all those out-of-town guests. To get you started, here are a few … Continue reading →