by Judy Hardaway
Christmas is busy, fun, exciting, and sentimental. We love it all — all but the part when we have to clean up and put everything away. While it may be tempting to just throw everything into boxes and worry about sorting it out next year, you’ll be sorry when a precious Christmas DECORATION or ornament gets lost or broken. Following these 10 tips will help you:
by Jan Hayner
How is all of the shopping , wrapping and party planning coming along? Taking the stress out of the Holidays, is half the battle of being able to enjoy yourself, family and friends. Make it easy on yourself and think of all of the ’simple’ things that you can do that will make it more enjoyable.
Here are a few tips that will help to make that possible:
by Patty Gale
There is nothing more comforting than the smell of Christmas cookies fresh out of the oven. As a little girl, I remember eagerly watching my mom, as she would carefully remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven. I couldn’t wait to help decorate with the homemade frosting, the cinnamon candies and the multi-colored sprinkles that would make each cookie design come to life.
by Marcia Francois
There are less than 3 months to Christmas.
When you think about that, what do you feel? Do you feel overwhelmed and just a little bit stressed at everything you have to do? Or do you feel excited at the idea of spending time with friends and family?
My best Christmasses have always been when I’ve been organised, prepared and more importantly, when I didn’t leave everything right up until December.
Here are a couple of things to consider so that you have an organised Christmas this year:
by VANA member Frances Palaschuk
For small business effective seasonal marketing campaigns can mean real big business. It is after all the busiest season of the year. Almost every business takes advantage of some sort of marketing gimmick from Holiday Barbie 2007 to Stocking Stuffers for your pets. When you think about it they are still selling the same old products and services but with a twist.
By Jody Gabourie, Maven Solutions
Does the sight of Christmas decorations in stores leave you catching your breath? Not out of excitement but because of the feeling of “overwhelm” that grips you? For some, the holiday season represents stress, pressure, expectations, guilt, disappointment, exhaustion… and the list goes on. And it doesn’t have to be that way! Your holiday season can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it, and it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.
Take some time now to think about what’s most important to you as we enter the holiday season, and then do a little planning. Here are some tips to help you save time and reduce stress at the office:
By Susan Dunn
Here come the holidays. If you work it right, it can add another full-time job to the 3 or 4 you already have. We can get in the mode of being so over-extended, what’s another over-extension? You can get so numb you don’t feel it, or so addicted to adrenalin you feel like something’s missing if you aren’t going a mile a minute, 24/7.
Introvert Alert
The more introverted you are, the more taxing the holidays are likely to be. Extraverts get their energy from people (often from the willing introvert!) while people drain introverts of energy. It has nothing to do with “liking” people, it has to do with the means and mode of relating to people. A party full of strangers, semi-acquaintances and small talk isn’t the introvert’s cup of tea. (Sitting at home along with a toddy in front of the fireplace listening to Luciano Pavorotti’s Christmas concert is not the extravert’s cup of tea!)
By Delorus Quintal
People usually think of Christmas as time for celebration and holidaying. However, the actual picture is far from it. The preparations for these celebrations usually eat up so much on your time that you are left stressed out and with no time for your self. You can however, simply prioritize things and enjoy the festive season in a much better way.
One of the best things that can be done is to determine not to do too much. Think about whom you need to buy presents for, and seriously consider your Christmas card list. There is no reason to get all of your acquaintance gifts, and if your college buddy has not sent you a Christmas card in a couple of years, that is one less card you need to write this year. A few token gifts, like chocolates or nuts, are good to have on hand and wrapped in the even of an unexpected present.
By Margaret Page
The holiday season is notorious for being the most stressful time of the year. In addition to the demands of regular life, we have shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, school plays, parties, menu planning… and did I mention it’s the most stressful time of the year?
Unfortunately, a stressful holiday is simply not enjoyable. If you’ve ever been there (and honestly, who hasn’t?), you’re familiar with that silent promise: next year, I’ll do it differently.
By Gisela McKay
With women starting businesses at a rate almost four times that of men, odds are you have a special someone in your life who is a woman entrepreneur. Starting a business is a life-changing effort and that is worthy of support and encouragement.
Here are ten gift ideas that say, “I believe in what you are doing, and I want to support your efforts.”