Simple Living Tips

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• 33 Quotes That Will Make You Smile

  Happy Quotes to Make You Smile.

  

  Quotes can’t change your circumstances. They can’t make your life instantly better. However, happy quotes can change your thinking. They can make you think with a more positive attitude going forward. They give you a bit of happiness, if only for the few moments it takes to read them.

  We all know that life is hard and that it’s not always fair, but these quotes will help you to see that, really, life really isn’t so bad after all.

  1. When someone else’s happiness is your happiness, that is love. – Lana D. Ray
  2. It’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe
  3. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. – Dr. Seuss
  4. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. – Bernard M. Baruch
  5. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde
  6. Be the change that you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi
  7. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Mae West
  8. I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying. – Oscar Wilde
  9. Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. – Oscar Wilde
  10. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
  11. A woman is like a tea bag; You never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water. – Eleanor Roosevelt
  12. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. – Friedrich Nietzsche
  13. I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk. – Oprah Winfrey
  14. Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. – Dr. Seuss
  15. I’m on a 30-day diet. So far I’ve lost 15 days. – Unknown
  16. Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. – Mark Twain
  17. For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  18. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Rober A. Heinlein.
  19. It’s never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot
  20. If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content. – Leo Tolstoy
  21. Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. – Mahatma Gandhi
  22. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin. - Mother Teresa
  23. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. – Beverly Sills
  24. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevent
  25. Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman
  26. Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. – Marthe Troly-Curtin
  27. Love is like the wind, you can’t see it, but you can feel it. – Nicholas sparks
  28. Do one thing every day that scares you. – Eleanore Roosevelt
  29. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. – Dr. Seuss
  30. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein
  31. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. – Confucius
  32. Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. – Alfred Tennyson
  33. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw

  Now it’s your turn…

  What is one quote that always makes you smile? One quote that makes you think?

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• 9 Ways to Get More (and Better) Sleep

  Get More Sleep!

  

  Ever since becoming a parent almost 4 years ago, I have longed for more sleep. I asked friends and family – how do I get more sleep? I begged my good friend Google – help me get more sleep!

  Unfortunately, that didn’t work. There was no magic solution for getting more sleep. I recently learned that the only way to get more sleep was – imagine this – to start sleeping more and sleeping better.

  As a mother, I found that I was often putting myself at the very bottom of the list and my need for more sleep was being pushed aside for my childrens’ needs – and because of this, I was suffering both mentally and physically.

  Now that my kids are a bit older and are in a regular sleeping routine of their own, I am able to focus on myself a bit more. And let me just tell you, I feel fantastic because of that (most of the time, anyway!).

  If you’re trying to find ways to get more sleep, here are a few tips that have helped me:

  1. Make sleep a priority

  It can be difficult to care for ourselves as much as we need to, especially if you have children, but it is absolutely essential to our own happiness and health (and therefor, the health and happiness of our family).

  Don’t leave yourself until last. Make sure that sleep is a big priority in your life. Your mind and body (as well as everyone around you) will thank you immensely.

  

  2. Have a regular bed time routine

  Start getting ready for bed at the same time every day. Brush your teeth, floss and wash your face, and then snuggle up in bed and relax.

  If you can’t fall asleep because you have too much going on in your head, keep a pad of paper and a pen near your bedside, and write down everything that is on your mind. This exercise helps me quite a bit when I can’t fall asleep (which isn’t often anymore).

  Note: Keep up this routine on the weekends.

  3. Wake up at the same time

  Waking up at the same time each day is an important part of getting better sleep. When you go to bed at the same time, you wake up feeling alert, refreshed and stress-free. Now that’s a great start to any morning!

  Yes, you need to wake up at the same time on the weekends, too. This has to be routine if it’s going to work. So, regardless of when you go to bed at night, you need to be up at the same time each morning.

  4. Nap smarter

  If you are still exhausted during the day, a short nap (no more than 30 minutes) will usually cure that for you. Don’t nap longer than 30 minutes because this will often have the opposite effect than what you’re looking for.

  When I used to nap during the day, I would nap until I woke up (usually about 2 hours from when I fell asleep). Every time I woke up from those naps, I would feel groggy, hungry and even more tired than when I first laid down. Now, if I need to nap, I only give myself 20-30 minutes of shut-eye.

  

  5. Sleep in a cool, dark room

  Before you lay down to go to sleep, make sure your room is free of all lights. No lamps, no television or computer lights, no cell phones – even the lights on a digital alarm clock can make it difficult to sleep. Close your blinds/curtains and make your room as dark as possible.

  It’s also very difficult to sleep in a warm room, so try to keep yours pretty cool. Most sleep scientists agree that sleeping in a cool room contributes to better sleep.

  6. Make sure your bed is comfortable

  Although I always encourage people to avoid paying full price for anything, I also encourage you to invest in certain things – a good mattress being one of them. The better your mattress, the better quality of sleep you will get. It’s that simple.

  Along with a good-quality mattress, you should also have the proper pillow to support your head and neck, as well as sheets that are comfortable and not too warm.

  7. Exercise regularly

  Your exercise habits during the day play a big role in how well you sleep at night, so make sure you are exercising on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean you need to be working out for hours a day – even 30 minutes of daily activity is all it takes to start getting more (and better) sleep.

  If you can’t find time to exercise during the day, don’t do anything too strenuous before going to sleep. Instead, try a relaxing exercise, like yoga.

  

  8. Tidy your bedroom

  It’s hard to rest in a room that is covered in clutter. Keep your bedroom tidy at all times so that it is a restful place to wind down at night.

  Don’t just tidy up once and hope for the best. You need to have a system in place for keeping clutter out of your bedroom (and the rest of your home). My series on how to de-clutter your home may help you with this.

  9. Limit food & beverage intake before bed

  What you put into your body before you go to bed plays a big role in how well you sleep at night. If you must eat something, keep it light and as fat-free as possible, such as yogurt, cereal with milk, or fruit.

  Try not to drink too much before bed, because this will likely mean you will be up throughout the night to use the washroom. Avoid caffeine, and drink water only until about 2 hours before you go to sleep.

  Getting more sleep (and sleeping better) is one of the best things you can do not only for your physical health, but for your mental health as well.

  When you get enough sleep (between 7-8 hours each night), you will be in better health, but you will also have a stronger immunity, a better sex life, better control over your weight and you will overall be in a much better mood.

  How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

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• Activities for Kids: Cardboard Box Fun

  Activities for Kids.

  

  What is it about cardboard boxes and kids? We hear it every time gifts are given to children, “He liked the box more than the gift!”

  There are actually good reasons why young children love boxes and there are many ways you can further this play for your kids. This post will help shed light on why children love boxes and how you can make it more fun for them.

  Why do children love boxes?

  I tried to ask my two year old this question, but he was far too busy playing in his box – which at that moment was a fire truck. Though I am no longer two myself, I do have some thoughts as to why children love playing with boxes…

  1. Simple – There is no set up required, no batteries needed, no adult help for small pieces.
  2. Allows for Wild Imagination – So many toys today take imagination out of play. Many toys even talk for the child! A cardboard box allows a child’s imagination to be in control. If the child is pretending the box is a fire truck, he or she also has to imagine the siren, etc.
  3. Sparks Creativity – It’s amazing to me that the exact same cardboard box can be a house, a car, and a spaceship all on the same day. You never know what your little one will come up with next!

  Ideas for sparking creativity:

  If your child happens to be growing tired of his or her box (though this has yet to happen at our house!), there are simple things you can do to spark some creativity and imagination.

  • Add a prop (a blanket, firefighter hat)
  • Turn the box on it’s side
  • Read a book about an ambulance, etc.
  • Take it outside with some paint and brushes and watch your child’s creativity go wild!

  A cardboard box can be many things, including the following:

  A Vehicle

  Try to leave the vehicle as simple as possible.

  Consider adding a door, a paper towel roll for adding gas, and a paper plate as a steering wheel.

  Keep in mind: If you paint your vehicle red it could limit some creativity as it will likely stay a fire truck.

  

  A House

  This could be a house for your child or for some little people/dolls.

  Consider adding a door and/or windows.

  Keep in mind: Throwing a blanket over the box makes a great fort that can quickly be removed, allowing your child’s imagination to “change” the box.

  

  Puppet Theatre

  Younger children will certainly require help.

  Consider adding different scenes (that are simple) drawn on paper and make little people out of toilet paper tubes.

  Keep in mind: This is an ideal way for young children to practice re-telling familiar stories that they hear.

  

  Sensory Bin

  Cardboard boxes can be filled with Cheerios, snow, uncooked pasta, rice… just about anything.

  Consider adding diggers to turn that box into a construction site. Another idea is to add toy farm animals for fun on the farm.

  Keep in mind: Simply taking out the props and adding new ones will change the entire activity.

  

  Hundreds of other things:

  • Hats
  • Shoes
  • Stilts
  • Blocks
  • Play Food

  Boxes can provide hours of fun for children and it’s really easy to see why: they allow for simple, imaginative, and creative play, which many children (and parents!) greatly enjoy.

  This year, save yourself time and money when shopping for gifts for your children – wrap up an empty cardboard box!

  Do your children love playing with boxes?

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• How to Stay Home With Your Kids and Not Go Crazy

  Stay at Home Moms – How to Avoid Going Crazy.

  

  Are you a stay at home mom (SAHM) that is struggling to find balance between mothering, taking care of the home and setting aside some time for yourself? If this sounds like you, you’re definitely not alone.

  Why you’re likely to go crazy

  It’s very common to feel as though your job (and yes, being a stay at home mom is actually a job!) as a stay at home mom is not as important as someone who works outside of the home, but I can assure you that being a stay at home mom is one of the hardest jobs out there. It’s rewarding, but it’s an extremely difficult job.

  The fact that you are doing it shows just how strong you are, and just how important you are. Without you running the home, can you imagine how upside down things would be? Acknowledge that and be proud of yourself!

  Because you are likely at home with young children day in and day out, it’s possible to go a bit crazy after awhile. I’ve been there (many times). Cleaning up messes, playing with children, making meals. All of that stuff may seem easy at first, but it gets monotonous after awhile, which in turn can make you go a bit cuckoo.

  In fact, some stay at home mom’s often wish they could go back to work – just so they can have some kind of communication with someone other than a toddler. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve ever felt like this. It’s normal.

  If you really want to stay at home with your kids and not end up going crazy, here are a few tips:

  Embrace the mess

  Let go of your idea of the perfect home. With young children, a perfect home is not realistic. They are going to make many messes, every single day. Instead of chasing them around all the time, picking up after them, just let go of the notion that your home has to be spotless at all times. Until your kids are out of the house, it is likely never going to be spotless.

  Messes mean that fun is being had – and that’s a great thing. Don’t try to prevent messes from happening. Control the situation as much as you can, involve your child in the clean up process when it’s over, and move on to the next activity with excitement – not fear of the mess it may bring.

  

  Get out of the house

  When you’re a stay at home mom, trips outside of your home are often rare. No one likes spending half an hour getting your child ready to go on a 15 minute walk. Or trying to dress a child that is throwing a temper tantrum.

  But, in order to stay sane, it is highly recommended that you try to get out of the house as much as you can. I don’t mean you should go out for hours every single day, but try to go outside every other day for at least an hour.

  A few things you can do:

  • Go to the library
  • Play outside
  • Visit a friend or family member

  Connect with other moms

  Sometimes us stay at home moms feel like all we ever do is change diapers, clean the house, and have conversations with young ones about poop and Dora the Explorer. This alone is enough to make any person go crazy.

  If you have other moms to connect with, those days that you feel like running for the hills will be much easier to handle. Your “mom friends” will understand your situation, give you tips on remedying that situation, and will encourage you and give you hope. No one understands this stay at home mom thing more than other stay at home moms.

  If you don’t know of any stay at home moms in your area, check out Baby Center. There are tons of moms on there that would be happy to listen and help you through tough times.

  Make time for yourself

  I know that this may seem impossible, but it’s one thing that you absolutely must do if you want to avoid going crazy.

  Before I had kids, I was a night owl. I would sleep all day and play all night. Then, kids came along, and they are now usually awake at 8am or earlier each day. That means that I also have to be awake at 8am or earlier each day. On top of that, I also need to make time for myself. So, I get up even earlier than my kids do – just so I can drink a cup of coffee and read in peace.

  It’s absolutely crucial to have that alone time. If it’s impossible for you to wake up earlier than your child, consider asking your partner to give you some help when they arrive home from work. Even just 20 minutes to ourselves to read a book, take a shower or sit around and stare at the ceiling – you need to make time for yourself. It’s impossible to properly care for others when you are not cared for yourself.

  

  photo

  Get help

  Many stay at home moms think that because they are at home most of the day, that they are required to tend to all aspects of running the home. Keeping it clean, doing the grocery shopping, caring for the children. But you know that you can’t do it all. It’s crazy to think that any one person can manage a home and children without any help.

  It is possible to do it all alone, but you will likely end up going crazy at some point, and that is what we’re trying to avoid here. When you start to feel like you just can’t handle it alone anymore, get some help.

  Your spouse, friends & family, a neighbour – even paid help is sometimes worth the money. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that you are just as well cared for as everyone else.

  A stay at home moms job feels like it never ends. And it doesn’t, really – not until your children are in school. Make your life easier and less stressful by following the 5 tips above.

  The most important role us mothers have is raising our children to become competent and happy individuals. As a stay at home mom, you have an even greater influence on your child. Going crazy is not an option. If you follow at least one of the tips here, I promise that you will have some semblance of calm in your life.

  Stay at home moms – how do you avoid going crazy?

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• Scheduling – How to Create a Schedule That Works

  Scheduling That Works!

  

  Have you tried to schedule your life and found it too restricting, too complicated, too much work?

  I feel your pain. I used to create useless schedules all the time and they never helped me with my schedule problem at all. Until I finally created a schedule that worked.

  Creating a schedule that works for you is imperative if you want to get things accomplished. Don’t become a slave to “I’ll get to it when I get to it”. Get to it now. Learn how to schedule your life to make all of the items on your to-do list a breeze to complete.

  How to Create a Schedule

  When you’ve tried scheduling in the past, you probably tried to cram as much into your day as possible, right? There just never seems to be as many hours as you need to get everything done.

  But guess what – there are enough hours in the day to get everything done. You just need to practice better scheduling and time management, which is something I hope to help you with today.

  You were given the same 24 hour days as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Helen Keller, and Oprah Winfrey. You can be just as successful as them – with proper planning and scheduling. [Click to Tweet This]

  Start tracking your time

  Just like you would track your spending when creating a budget, you need to track your time to help you create a schedule that works.

  For the next week, I want you to track your time. When you woke up, how long it took you to make and eat breakfast, how long your commute to work was, what time you got home, how much time you spent on social media – track everything.

  Cut out time-wasters

  After a solid week of time tracking, you should start to see a pattern of things you do all the time. It’s likely that many of those things are just for fun and not helping you achieve your goals.

  Leave a bit of fun in your schedule, but cut out everything that is not helping you move forward in life. Be ruthless and sever all ties with TV watching, video game playing and social media reading (unless, of course, those things help you in your life).

  You can still do these things, but only once all of your “must-do” tasks are completed.

  

  Schedule everything important

  The very first items you want to add to your schedule are the things that absolutely must get done. Some examples:

  • Sleep
  • Cooking & Eating Meals
  • Exercise
  • Grocery Shopping
  • Work

  It’s very important that sleep be your #1 priority. Only you know how many hours you need to feel rested and ready to go in the morning. If that’s 6 hours, schedule 6 hours for sleep time. If it’s 8 hours, schedule 8 hours.

  Don’t sacrifice your sleep in an effort to get something else done. Feeling tired is not going to help you achieve anything, so make sure you are getting enough sleep.

  Make room for the unexpected

  Something I think is very important when creating a schedule is allowing for the unexpected to happen.

  Your child spills something sticky on the carpet and it takes you 30 minutes to clean the mess, an unexpected phone call or visitor – things like these can’t be scheduled, because you never know when they will happen, so it’s important to include a bit of wiggle room in your schedule for when they do.

  If you don’t use all of your “time allowance” (24 hours)during the day, you can use it all up in the evening with those time-wasters you enjoy. Or you can go to bed early, which may also be a good idea if you’ve had a hectic day!

  Plan your day the night before

  I once read that when you plan your day the night before, your brain starts working immediately on those tasks and continues working throughout the night.

  Now, I don’t know if that is actually true, but I do know that by planning my day the night before, I am able to accomplish so much more that day. Because I write out my to-do lists in the evening, when I wake up, I can get right to work, instead of sitting around for an hour trying to figure out what I need to do that day.

  Experiment and refine when necessary

  It’s important to remember that no schedule is going to be perfect the first time around. You may forget to add things to your schedule, you may decide to eliminate things, or you may find that your daily tasks start to take less and less (or more and more) time to complete.

  Experiment with new routines and change up your schedule until you finally come up with a schedule that works for you.

  Always review your schedule every few months and make any changes necessary.

  Be flexible

  Life changes all the time. You may not have children now and so your schedule is a bit more open. Down the road when you have kids, you realize that most of your time is eaten up by your little ones and all you want to do in your spare time is sleep.

  Perhaps you get a new job and it requires more (or less) work from you. This will affect everything in your schedule as well.

  Keep in mind that scheduling is a lifetime process. Things change, people change, and so, schedules change as well. Remember that.

  

  You’re more productive when you have a schedule that works for you. Creating a schedule is often not the hard part, but sticking with the schedule is what is usually the reason for failed attempts at scheduling.

  This is why it’s important not to create a schedule, but to create a customized schedule just for you. A schedule that actually works. Take time to get used to your new schedule, make any adjustments necessary and enjoy living with less stress and enjoy accomplishing much more than you ever did without a proper schedule.

  Do you have problems with scheduling or have you found a schedule that works for you?

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• Goal Setting – How to Motivate Yourself to Achieve Your Goals

  Goal setting – how to motivate yourself.

  

  If you think goal setting is hard, think again. That’s the easy part. The hard part is actually achieving those goals. Unless of course you are motivated to achieve the goals!

  If you’re struggling with goal setting and how to get motivated, here are some tips:

  Break your goals into bite-size pieces

  This is something I did a lot of last year, and it helped me immensely with the goals I had set for myself.

  Setting large goals is perfectly fine, but you’re never going to be able to achieve those goals if you don’t work out a plan for achieving them.

  When you break your goals down into bite-size pieces, and are doing just one or two small things a day to get you where you want to be, your chances of achieving those goals is much higher than if you did not break those goals down.

  Tell everyone about your goals

  When other people know about your goals, you feel bad if you “let them down” by not achieving them. This makes it much harder for you to fail.

  Tell your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, your boss – tell anyone who will listen. Most importantly, tell people who are going to hold you accountable and constantly check in on your progress. This is exactly what you need to keep moving forward.

  Post your goals everywhere

  Make sure that your goals are posted everywhere that you are.

  Instead of writing out your goals on a piece of paper (or worse, on the computer) and then sticking that paper in a spot where you will never see it unless you go looking for it, display your goals all over the place.

  In your office, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, in the car. When you are always reminded about your goals, you are much more likely to achieve them.

  To keep yourself motivated, it’s also a good idea to post your progress.

  Don’t compare your goals to others’

  Share your goals with others, but don’t think that your goals have to be the same as someone else’s.

  We all have different hopes, dreams and desires. You don’t (and probably shouldn’t) have the exact same goal list as someone else.

  Your goals are your own, so stay focused on them and only them.

  Join an online forum related to your goal

  Whatever you are interested in, there is likely a community forum related to that interest.

  There are forums for saving money, getting out of debt, couponing, quitting smoking, living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, parenting, cooking and so much more.

  Do a quick search online and you are sure to find a forum to join. Sign up and start connecting with people who have similar goals as you.

  Reward yourself often

  Don’t wait until the end of the year to congratulate yourself on a job well done – congratulate yourself now.

  Just taking the first step in creating a goal, and a plan for that goal, is a huge accomplishment.

  Give yourself small rewards after each milestone, and at the end of the year, if you’ve achieved your goals, you’ve earned a big reward (decide what that big reward is when you set your goals, so you know what’s waiting for you at the end).

  Motivating yourself to achieve your goals may seem difficult at first, but it’s really not, and it’s an important thing to do when you’re working toward something.

  Without motivation, it becomes extremely difficult to gain any traction and it’s more than likely that you will give up on your goals rather quickly.

  When you motivate yourself, you can achieve anything. So start motivating!

  How do you motivate yourself to achieve your goals?

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• Family Christmas: 10 Ideas for Holiday Fun

  

  For families with children, Christmas vacation might feel daunting. Our regular, scheduled lives will suddenly be unstructured with empty days on the calendar. I find that my family is not at its best if we are either too busy, or if we have too much time to kill and no semblance of a plan.

  Here are some thrifty ideas that we are going to try to end the year well as a family:

  1. Puzzled

  Each Christmas, my kids get a challenging new puzzle. We find a corner of the house where it stays set up and we all work away at it. Puzzling slows down the pace of the holidays, giving a feeling of accomplishment as a team.

  

  To save money, instead of buying a new one each year, swap puzzles with a friend.

  2. Search It

  Many places offer free (or inexpensive) winter break events – check local libraries, websites like Kids Around Canada, events at your local community centre, and even free/cheap skate & swim times.

  3. Off-Season Drive-In at Home

  On a mild night, head out to your family vehicle. Bring out a movie to play on a portable DVD player or computer, and call it a family drive-in. Of course, pajamas, blankets and popcorn are a must.

  4. Unplugged

  Set aside a block of time to be “unplugged”. Ignore the phone, turn off the television and computer, and just spend time together. This would be a great time for family charades. Nothing can humble a parent, and amuse a child, more than mom & dad clucking like chickens.

  5. Kids’ Dinner Choice/Dessert First

  Let your children choose what to have for supper one night. Age permitting, let them cook it too, or at least help. This might even be a good night to try out a new recipe or have dessert first.

  

  6. Help Others

  Consider who might need some holiday cheer. A neighbour? A family friend? Brainstorm as a family how to help someone else. Shovel their driveway, invite them for hot chocolate… think beyond your own home and give back to ohers.

  7. Embrace Board-dom

  Dust off the board games and rediscover games you may not have played for a long time. Classics in our home include Risk, Monopoly, Checkers and Life. Another personal favorite of mine is playing Sculptionary – which uses Pictionary cards and Playdough. No talent required!

  8. Nostalgia

  Pull out family movies or photo albums. Share your “Remember when…” moments. I once showed my boys a picture of me as a toddler. Confused, one of them said, “Hey, that’s me… but why am I wearing a dress?”. Kids love to hear stories about themselves, and be reminded of memories they may have forgotten.

  9. Weather-Permitting

  My boys tease me that every time I put their snow pants away, we have a blizzard. It happens every year! We all enjoy having some snowy fun. Tobogganing, outdoor skating, snowmen making… let it snow! Our kids love taking markers outside and colouring the snow. Apparently green snowballs fly the fastest and red snowballs spiral best.

  

  10. Slumber Party

  Before taking down the Christmas tree, why not spend one night as a family with sleeping bags spread out around it? My boys are planning a Christmas Eve camp out with daddy this year, but you could have your slumber party any time during the holidays.

  Be sure to appoint different photographers (have each family member take turns with the camera) to capture this year’s holiday fun; kids often catch moments that we might miss – and this will give the usual photographer a chance to make it into the pictures.

  There is power in simplicity and slowing down. For a season that is typically rushed, instead, let’s savour this time together. Hopefully some of these suggestions will contribute to “peace on earth” in your home.

  What ideas do you have to make this a fun holiday time on a dime?

  Karen Gauvreau is a contributing writer for MrsJanuary.com. She was once voted, “Most Likely to Use Coupons Even If She Won the Lottery.” She is a wife and a mom of 4 boys that she affectionately calls her Blue Balloons. She proudly manages her family’s household on one salary by living frugally, and by creatively earning occasional income.

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• 10 Ways to Simplify Christmas

  

  Imagine this: it’s December 24th and you still have not finished all of your Christmas shopping. You still need presents for your mom, best friend and your cousin Jamie. You also need to pick up a few more items for Christmas dinner.

  Oh, and some Christmas crackers.

  So you head to the mall, only to realize that you are not the only one who is doing some last minute shopping. The mall is packed and you are eventually so overwhelmed with the madness, that you just decide to pick up some gift cards and call it a day.

  And then you vow to shop earlier next year (but you never do).

  Sound familiar?

  Christmas is a busy, stress-filled holiday for many people. The good news? It doesn’t have to be. Here are 10 ways to simplify Christmas:

  1. Stay at home

  Make it a goal to stay home on Christmas day. Don’t visit with family, friends, neighbours – or anywhere else for that matter. Do this before or after Christmas. Instead, stay at home and enjoy the company of your immediate family.

  This is the first year that we are not travelling on Christmas day and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to not only avoid traffic and the stress of taking 2 young kids to multiple homes, but to create some Christmas memories with my own family.

  2. Limit gift giving

  Instead of blowing the budget on Christmas gifts (again), consider limiting the number of gifts you hand out this year. Instead of buying a gift for every person you have ever met, maybe you could stick with your immediate family and friends (or even just family!).

  Another idea is to stop giving gifts to your spouse. Save those for Valentine’s Day or your anniversary. When it comes to Christmas gifts, focus on your kids instead.

  3. Have a pot luck dinner

  If you are having people over to your home for Christmas dinner, ask each guest to bring at least one dish with them. You handle the turkey, and everyone else is responsible for vegetables, side dishes, bread, drinks and dessert.

  This is not only a great way to simplify your Christmas, but also a great way to save money on Christmas dinner. Hey, if you’re providing the house, and a big ol’ bird, you deserve to have some help!

  4. Avoid the mall and shop online

  Many retailers have online shopping available on their websites, and during the holidays, they often have a ton of great coupon codes for discounts and even free shipping.

  If you can, stay away from malls and try to do as much shopping online as possible. Avoid those crowds.

  5. Stop buying Christmas decorations

  Go through your collection of decorations and get rid of everything that you haven’t displayed in the last 2 years. There’s no sense holding on to things if they aren’t being used.

  Then, promise yourself that you will not buy another Christmas decoration again, unless you give up something that’s already in your collection. One in, one out.

  6. Do your baking once

  If you’re planning to do any Christmas baking (for gifts or for yourself), try to get it all done in one day and then freeze your baked goods until you need them.

  Everything has a shelf life, even in the freezer, so don’t leave food in there too long. I suggest doing your baking & freezing no earlier than 1 month before you need the items.

  7. Stop sending Christmas cards and send e-cards instead

  Someone once told me that every Christmas, their parents would mail a Christmas card to over 50 people. This included people they didn’t even talk to anymore. They just sent them as part of a ritual.

  The cost of a stamp is currently $0.61, so that’s over $30 per year to send out cards to 50 people. Not to mention the amount of work it would be to write in each of those cards and address the envelopes.

  To save yourself time and and money, stick to e-cards this year. There are many free Christmas e-cards available online.

  8. Focus on activities, not gifts

  Why not go cold turkey and eliminate gift giving altogether? Instead of giving physical gifts, make memories instead.

  Watch Christmas movies, drink hot chocolate, read Christmas stories, do Christmas crafts, play in the snow, make a big Christmas dinner. Save the gift giving for birthdays.

  9. Give gift cards

  Cut yourself some slack this year and give out gift cards for Christmas, instead of worrying about finding “perfect” gifts for everyone on your list.

  We all want gift cards for Christmas anyway, right? (Don’t lie and say no!)

  10. Stay organized

  Create a Christmas binder. Make gift idea lists. Schedule family activities. Make a Christmas to-do list.

  Do whatever you need to do to get organized for Christmas. The most important part? Do it before Christmas!

  If you want to avoid that overwhelmed, stressed-out feeling that the Christmas season often brings, try out a few of the tips above.

  Not only will you simplify Christmas, but you’ll save money, make memories and [hopefully] enjoy the holidays so much more than you usually do.

  How do you simplify Christmas?

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