I have kids that are 16, 13,10 and 6 years old. We all know that when kids get to this age that they want gifts that are expensive. All their friends have new mp3 players, high tech video games, cell phones, etc. As working parents we know how much these things cost.

I work at a factory, so spending hundreds of dollars on the newest gadget isn’t in my
Budget. But since we love our kids and want to give them things they actually want and like, it makes it tough on us. So every year we spend too much money and then the bills come in, and our eyes bug out. Then we have to try and get overtime to pay them off. If you are lucky, you will pay off those bills before next Christmas.

I have found items that kids do like that aren’t that expensive. Since it is winter, most kids like to get warm pajamas and slippers. Believe it or not, even my 16-year-old daughter loves to get pajamas with cool characters on them. The younger kids love to get
slippers with Spongebob, Barbie, or whoever is popular at the time.

You can get most of these items for around $20. Not only that, but since my girlfriend likes to keep the heat at around 64 degrees, I wouldn’t mind a set of flannel pajamas myself.

Not to mention the fact that my 2 older children don’t really care for toys anyway, so it would really be a waste of money to buy these things.

The other thing I have noticed is my 16 year old and many of her friends are into the retro look. You know, the clothes that we wore at their age, that we had hoped were lost forever. But it does make it easier to buy clothes without emptying your wallet. I think every city now has these resale stores, you know the ones, they sell used clothes, and when I go in them my allergies start bothering me. You can get some great deals in these stores.

Another great place to buy gifts is Ebay. I know some people are leery about buying online, but I have never had any problems. You can get some good deals on Ebay, but you have to be careful. If you have a product in mind you can check prices at different websites, like shopping.com or bizrate.com. Then you can make sure you are getting a good deal. The other thing with Ebay is to make sure to check the feedback of the person you are buying from. This tells you what other people thought of this seller. The last thing to check is the shipping charge. Some people sell things low, but charge a huge amount for shipping.

No matter what you choose, using the internet for research or purchase is a great time
saver, and maybe even a money saver. So good luck with your Christmas shopping this year and DON’T break the bank.

Mark McAuley is a 40 year old divorced father,factory worker and struggling website owner.
Please visit my websites at:
http://purplemoose.us
and http://www.mcauleygifts.com

One of the great joys of Christmas, is doing things together. That includes everything from shopping and wrapping gifts, to cutting a tree, baking goodies, and making your own special decorations, like wreaths.

Even the children can help gather fir tips, and with a little help from parents, and some simple accessories like bows, bells, candy canes and berries from a discount store, they have great presents for aunts, uncles, grandparents and teachers.

Wreaths are made on a steel ring, with a good gauge wire. Check with your local craft store to see if they carry the supplies you need, or if you’ll need to order them online. This should be done a few months ahead of Christmas, in case it takes time to get the supplies.

However, the fir tips can’t be gathered until late in the Fall. The needles on fir trees need to “set”, and the tree must have stopped growing for the year. In northern states like Maine, it is recommended not to gather tips until at least early November, after three consecutive nights of temperatures that are 20F or lower.

Fir tips are literally the end of the tree branches. The actual tip is a center stem, with one to either side, growing from the base. As you go back up the main stem, you have stems growing off both sides, and the further you go, the side stems will have more stems of their own, which often branch off into secondary stems.

Tipping, is to cut the last 12-20 inches off branches from the middle of the tree. This is where you are more likely to find branches with needles all around the stems. Lower branches are older and have had more wear, and upper branches are newer, and tend to be longish.

From a 12″ branch end, you can break 2-3 sections, each having a stem/branch of 4-6 inches, depending on the width of the wreath you are making. A standard wreath size is 16-20″, and is made on a 12″ wire ring. You will want to attach perhaps three pieces on each side of the ring, in order to give the wreath fullness.

First, attach the end of a roll of wire securely to the ring. Lay one bunch of tips on the wire ring, lining up the wooden stem with the ring. Wrap the wire around the stems, about 1/3 of the way up the branches. If your wrap it too low, your tips will flop off the wreath. Pass the wire around the fir tips and ring, twice, and pull tightly after each pass.

Turn the ring over, and attach a second bunch to the other side in the same way. When you become more skilled, you will be able to put a bunch on each side at the same time, being careful to wrap the wire tightly to secure both bunches at once.

Work your way around the ring in this manner. As you break your fir branches into smaller bunches, try to keep them about the same length, so your wreath has some uniformity. Little bits that stick out, can be trimmed off when you’re done, with a pair of rose clippers.

When you come to where you started with the first bunch, it sometimes looks like there isn’t enough room for more, but there would be a gap if you didn’t add something. Take your last bunch, and insert the stems under the tips of the first bunch, lift the tips and pass your wire around that last set of stems. Wrap an extra time or two for good measure, then form a loop, twist the wire, and cut it. You’re now ready to trim and decorate your creation!

Love home decor? Why not make a career out of it by checking out the home decor opportunities at http://www.homedecorbusiness.com

Have all of the tragic events of this year changed how you are approaching this Christmas season and the rest of your life?

Personally, I feel released from all of the trivial upsets in life. I’ve noticed that I am approaching each day with a renewed sense of gratitude. It’s almost as if my vision has become clearer and I am seeing things with a fresh perspective. I have a new attitude.

Joseph Campbell said, in the book, the Power of Myth, “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so
that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”

I believe that as children we are all naturally in touch with the “rapture of being alive.” It’s when we grow up that many of us slowly begin to fall asleep. We make choices that aren’t our own, stay in relationships or jobs that don’t fit who we are and, we forget how to play. Many of us end up living a “full” but “unfulfilling” life. This continually dampens the rapture for life that we were all born with.

Many say that Christmas is for children. If you have children in your life try to spend some time and observe them this Christmas. Experience their excitement and enthusiasm for life. Let them reconnect you to the dreams and wishes you once had as a child. Perhaps that is where the gift of rapture lies… in the spirit of childhood.

Maybe it’s time to bring those childhood dreams out of the box you shelved away so many years ago. Breathe new life back into them. This could be the greatest gift you give to yourself, your family and the world this Christmas

Nancy D. Bishop is a Life Coach and writer. She coaches women at midlife to find their authentic paths. She has written many articles and publishes a free monthly newsletter. For more information on her coaching programs and to subscribe to her newsletter, visit her website at http://www.yourlifeyourway.com

Many years ago, when I was living in circumstances not quite like today, I invented something in the spur of the moment which is fascinating and has significantly improved my life.

It actually started four months earlier, for my birthday in fact.

I had wanted to buy something very esoteric for me – a personal development tape set about wealth and success; but it was massively expensive and although my husband didn’t exactly beat me with sticks on a daily basis, there would have been NO WAY I would have been “given permission” to buy this with the meagre family funds.

This sort of thing was held to be “stupid” and “pointless” and “a waste of money”, and there wasn’t anyone at all in my life at that time who would care enough or even try to understand me enough to actually go out and buy it for me.

Please. Start the violins! And then bring in the cello section, for good measure!

Ok, so I was feeble back then, had no self esteem, didn’t know what I was doing because I hadn’t received my personal development tapes yet but I came up with the idea to sneak the money and then in order to have an excuse for having the tapes around the house, to say that a girlfriend had given it to me as a present.

I went into action. I sold some things, skimmed some of the money off the shopping budget, ordered the set (without using the family checkbook but with postal orders instead!); sat on the doorstep for a week so I could intercept the postman; when it arrived, I hid it carefully and then got gift wrap, wrapped it, put a card to it and signed it with a greeting from the imaginary friend.

Then I put it on the hall table because now, it could be seen and stand up to questioning.

When my birthday came, I hadn’t been so excited about it in YEARS.

I raced down the stairs like a kid to get “my present”, and even burst out into tears when I opened it (which was explained with an onslaught of PMT) and hugged it.

It was the best present I’d had in YEARS.

Then, Christmas turned up and even though I felt guilty as hell, I did it again with something I similarly desired.

I’ve been doing this ever since.

Now you may say that’s not in the spirit of things, but 25 years later and with the hindsight of a professional career in counselling and psychology behind me that began with that gift I gave myself, I would say that what I did there was to CHANGE MY LIFE.

There was no-one there to give me what I wanted, and finally, I stopped waiting for that mysterious knight in shining armour, or the glowing angel manifesting on my doorstep, or the mysterious rich uncle who I never knew about, or my husband to undergo some instant personality transformation so he would finally “get me”, and instead, I took my life into my own hands.

*I* gave *me* what I need and wanted.

And the result was that I *actually GOT WHAT I NEEDED*.

That’s an amazing lesson, in many ways and on many different levels.

Women are STILL deeply entrained to be the providers and to take nothing for themselves; the “culture of everything for others and nothing for you” is even more global than that and extends to EVERYONE.

There are many things about the bold move of DELIBERATELY choosing and wrapping a present complete with a card TO YOUR SELF which are remarkable.

ALL the religions say that you should give service – there is no logical reason to EXCLUDE one single person from the service, of all the many people on this planet.

8 billion minus – one?

And that one is … YOU?

That makes no sense, but that’s the way we have come to understand it.

In psychology terms, to exclude the self from the service and devotion extended to others is actually pathological and a sign there’s something wrong with you!

One could argue, and I would indeed argue this, that if you give gifts to other people but NOT TO YOURSELF, you are sending the wrong message, big time.

And practically speaking, this shouldn’t be anything special. It should NOT be like the first time I did that – full of guilt or shame or so significant or revolutionary as a concept.

You should just simply be on your own shopping list at Christmas, just the same as everyone else you are buying presents for!

Everyone should buy themselves a gift at Christmas! And on their birthdays, and on whatever holiday or celebration their culture prescribes. They should take the opportunity to express thus practically their support and gratitude for all that was done, for WHO THEY ARE, with a small gift and a card which carries the words so they may be read, and understood.

That is in essence, a blessing.

To perform this ceremony on behalf of one’s self is not only fair, and more than that, it is a HUGE metaphor of integration and integrity.

It is a fantastic opportunity to sit back and assess, very practically, where you’re at, what might make you happy, and to enter in a communication with the “forgotten self” that brings this one back into the fold of the 8 billion.

This is not a selfish act at all, but instead, a golden opportunity to ensure that on many levels, this one person gets what they want; that this one person is as happy as circumstances will allow; and you know, beyond all material goods, it really is the thought that counts.

Dr Silvia Hartmann is the author of “Oceans Of Energy” and “Project Sanctuary”. You can get a free, beautifully illustrated ebook, The Enchanted World, free meditation downloads, stories, fairy tales and articles at http://SilviaHartmann.com”

Christmas can be a tough time for children. For one thing, they’re all keyed up about the presents that they’ve been dreaming of for months. Secondly, there’s a lot of extra commotion in the house during the holidays, and for many kids, way too much sugar. Thirdly, small children may have mixed feelings about the whole Santa thing – after all, a herd of hoofed animals on the roof isn’t something you see every day.

Kids can be excited about Christmas and scared at the same time. My three-year-old awoke from a nightmare the other night, and I couldn’t get many details out of him – but in the morning, he told me that he dreamed Santa was taking his toys away. In his nightmare, Santa wasn’t bringing presents, he was stealing them! Well, what do you expect someone who enters your house in the dead of night to do?

It’s a good idea to check in with small kids to make sure they don’t have fears about Santa or Christmas that you’re not aware of. Remind them that you’re taking care of them and that they’ll be safe. You’re allowed to change the Santa story a bit to make your child feel more comfortable. After all, Christmas should be joyful, not terrifying!

My older son was afraid of the reindeer when he was smaller. “They’re too big, and they have antlers,” he said. He’d seen elk in our town, so he knew what he was talking about. “They don’t come in the house,” I told him. “They are tied to Santa’s sleigh.” “Okay,” he said, “as long as they’re tied up.”

Sometimes a visit to a mall Santa can calm kids’ fears – sometimes it hurts more than it helps. Ask your child how he’s feeling about the whole thing – you may need to have a few heart-to-hearts to make sure that that holiday fears aren’t stressing him out. For some children, you may need to adjust the mythology so that Santa doesn’t come in the house. That’s okay. Let your child know that Santa will leave the presents in the garage, or make other ‘arrangements’ that will help your child feel comfortable. If Christmas is about the children, it’s perfectly fine to value the child’s experience over the traditional St. Nick story. One thing’s for certain – Santa won’t mind.

Liz Ryan is a CEO and a mother of five kids ages three to twelve. She leads the online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

With all the tempting food available in December, it’s difficult to resist eating too much – yet if you don’t you’ll regret it later. One or two bouts of over-indulgence won’t make much difference but if you throw in the towel for the whole month you’ll end up quite a few pounds heavier in January.

But how do you resist when there is so much on offer? And without feeling that you’re missing out? Here are 10 tips to guide you through the holidays.

1. Have what you really want

When you’re faced with wall-to-wall goodies, don’t feel that you have to get your nutrition before you indulge. You’ll only end up with more calories than your body needs. In other words, if you know you’re going to have the apple pie, don’t fill up on meat and potatoes and then have it! One occasion is not going to make you malnourished.

2. Take three bites

If the chocolate cake looks good but you know 800 calories is not going to look great on your hips, have a tiny piece. Have three bites, eat them as slowly as you can and really taste what you’re eating. Satisfy your taste buds without wolfing down a huge portion.

3. Quality counts

Instead of buying cheap fattening treats at Christmas indulge yourself and your family with the best delicacies you can afford. Buy the best and treat yourself that way rather than picking your way through a mountain of unmemorable junk.

4. If you lapse

If you do over-indulge, don’t give up all semblance of watching what you eat for the whole festive period. It’s only one meal, one snack and you’re unlikely to have done much damage. Just go right back to eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full – right from your next meal.

5. Pace yourself

If you’re going to a party or dinner later don’t starve yourself or you’ll fall ravenously on the buffet table or bread basket. Do, however, eat moderately during the day with lower calorie but filling foods. Have soup and bread or salad and a baked potato for lunch and have a small snack such as an apple or some toast later in the afternoon so that you don’t arrive too hungry at the party.

6. Stay away

Whatever you do don’t position yourself near the buffet table – you’ll nibble all night. Put one or two things on a plate and get away from there – you can always go back if you’re still hungry. By the same token don’t leave snack foods lying around at home. Put them out of sight as much as you can.

7. Keep busy

The more you do the less time you’ll have to sit around eating, so get busy around the house (you can make it spick and span for Santa). Get all your preparations done early so that you’re less stressed and less likely to turn to food to soothe your frazzled state.

8. Plan ahead

No matter how much you have to do, make sure you take a few minutes out of your schedule to plan your meals each day. It would be even better if you could organise yourself to do this on a weekly basis. If you don’t plan your meals you’ll end up eating out or calling for take-away more than is good for you. Also if you know you’ve got big meals or parties on particular days plan some lighter meals (but not starvation rations) on the days before and after to help balance out the amount you are eating.

9. Low calorie options

If you are in charge of cooking use all the tricks you know to reduce the calories of the food you provide without reducing the flavour. Look up some low-calorie versions of the dishes you normally cook online and use these. Or try some new lighter recipes. They may be an improvement on what you usually cook. Your family and guests will think that you are serving them something special rather than something low-calorie. In any case provide alternatives for any particularly fattening dishes – fruit salad as well as Christmas pudding for example. Your health conscious guests will thank you.

10. Be Mindful

We put so much in our mouths without thinking about it, without even noticing it or enjoying it. This is easy to do with so much food available and lying out on display. Make sure that whatever you eat, you serve it properly. Put it on a plate or in a bowl, sit down and enjoy it. Even if you intend to do this, you’ll catch yourself nibbling from packets, standing up in the kitchen or whatever – but awareness is half the battle – just notice how much you do this so that you can gradually start to change this habit.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly “No More Diets” ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report “How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds“. Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!

Christmas shopping is one of the most extreme activities of the year. Embracing both the essence of a gift-giving holiday and the over-spending associated with modern life, Christmastime is both exhilirating for the heart and harrowing for the pocket. For a more balanced Christmas simply spend some time planning a budget before you head out to the stores.

Shop till you drop, but make a list first

Lists are great tools, because they have the magical quality of keeping you focused. It’s easy to lose focus when shopping at Christmastime, because there are so many incredible gifts out there and we really want to show our friends and family how much we love them by always buying bigger and better gifts. But at Christmastime, if you shop without tracking your spending you’ll end up with a Christmas debt that won’t feel very festive at all.

To create your Christmas shopping list, simply begin by analyzing what income you have at your disposal. Record this amount at the top of a piece of paper. Then list the names of friends and family you’ll be buying gifts for this year. Next to each name write a key-word that suggests the most suitable gift for each person, e.g. “book”, “board game”, “clothing”. Then divide the total disposable income amongst each person and record the amount next to each name. This is the maximum amount you will spend for each gift.

Remind yourself that Christmas is about giving the simple message of love, it’s not about giving bigger, better and more expensive gifts. Before you walk out the door to go Christmas shopping, understand one thing: you will be seduced into spending more than you probably should. So, take a few minutes, and a few breaths, and simply remember the essence of Christmas.

Dylan Miles, journalist, and website builder, lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.merrychristmasworld.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Grab a notebook. Grab a pen. It’s time to get serious about your Christmas shopping by making your list (and checking it twice).

Make a list of the people you’ll be buying for this year. Leave space between each person’s name. Now go back through the list and write down gift ideas and a rough dollar amount you’re willing to spend on each person.

Example:

1. Aunt Fran – Collects lighthouses, loves golf – $30.00

2. Beth – Candles, bath, and body products – $20.00

3. Joe – Something for his new truck, loves fishing – $50.00

Bring your notebook shopping with you. It will help you to stay focused on who you need to shop for, a general idea of what you’re looking for and your price range. Making a detailed list like this will prove invaluable in keeping you organized and on budget with your Christmas shopping. As you shop, cross off each person on your list. Be sure to keep an eye open for bargains and grab a few extra gifts – there’s always that visitor that shows up that you didn’t anticipate.

Set holiday shopping goals for yourself and jot them down in your notebook.

1. I will have all cards in the mail by December 10th.

2. All of my major shopping will be done by December 15th.

3. I will not go over budget!

Making lists and setting goals for yourself this holiday will save you time and stress and allow you to enjoy the season for what it really is. If you haven’t started your shopping, start now. It’s not too late to get on track. The first step is starting your notebook, making your list and getting a plan of action.

After the holidays, store your notebook away somewhere (perhaps with your decorations). It will serve as a great reference when you’re ready to start your shopping next year.

Happy Holidays, Happy Shopping…and by keeping a Holiday Notebook – Happy You!

Nicole Dean is a mostly-sane mom and creator of ShowMomTheMoney.com – a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more money-saving tricks at http://www.showmomthemoney.com/TimeSavers.asp and to take her free tutorial for work at home moms at http://www.showmomthemoney.com/free-tutorial.htm

Christmas is a time of holiday and festivity. And delicious food is integral part of the celebrations. You relish food and have fun with your friends and relatives. In this excitement you hardly give sufficient attention to how much you should eat. There is a tendency to overeat at odd times and quite often the associated problems follow.

Is it possible to enjoy our favorite Christmas recipes and have a control on our diet at the same time?

The answer is a big YES.

And this is not limited to Christmas time either. But this is a good time to start on the right path.

In our busy and mechanical life we have long forgotten to pay attention to the subtle indications sent out by our bodies. While attending to the ‘necessities’ of our lives and fulfilling our ‘obligations’, we tend to abuse our bodies. The consequences are there to see within us and all around us.

Yet with just a little self-discipline this situation can be greatly improved. I am not suggesting skipping meals or reducing diet forcibly.

Just try these simple tricks and see the difference.

* Feel Good About Yourself – Before you start your meals get into a happy state of mind. Now don’t tell me it isn’t possible. You can always think of something positive and pleasant. The idea is to feel happy. Feeling happy is a habit – it is worthwhile cultivating it.

* Be Thankful For Your Food – Saying prayers before your meals is one of the best practices created by the civilization. In all situations it may not be possible to go thru this ritual. But the least you can do is to have your meals with gratefulness in your heart.

* Have a Regular Time Schedule For Eating – This point cannot be over emphasized. Some discipline in the intake of your food can go a long way in regulating your life. This may be difficult to maintain in the midst of festivity, and that is quite excusable. If you are otherwise disciplined in your eating habits, occasional exceptions can be easily tolerated.

* Don’t Eat Hurriedly – Don’t be in a hurry to devour your food as if it is going to run away. Instead slow down your eating and consciously enjoy the flavor.

* Eat With Full Awareness – While you eat give full attention to your eating. Don’t make it a casual or a half-hearted effort. This is a commitment you have to make to yourself. In fact this approach bears positive results with any work you undertake.

* Chew Your Food Well – Avoid just gulping down your food. By chewing your food properly not only will you enjoy it, you also help your body to assimilate the food better.

* Pay Attention To Indicators Of Your Body – While eating listen to your body. It will give you sufficient indication when you have had enough. Eat to your heart’s content but avoid overindulgence. If you follow the steps outlined here you will ?know? when it is time to finish your meals.

I will add one more bullet point here – have regular physical exercise, or physical movement. It need not be a vigorous routine if you don’t want it, but it should be enough to make you feel hungry at the next meal.

The points I have outlined here are nothing new – they form a part of age-old formula which also have scientific support. I have not tried to suggest what food you should have – that will depend upon lot of factors I am not aware of including your particular situation and physical condition.

But these simple tricks work well with all situations and you can practice it with any other remedial measures you may be taking. They will certainly help you to enjoy your Christmas recipes better.

Sanjay Johari is an author and an internet marketer. He has contributed several articles to various ezines. Visit his website for ebooks on all time favorite Christmas recipes:

http://www.sanjay-j.com/recipes/

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