Simplifying The Holidays-Part I

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year.  However, trying to organize can be an uphill battle.  This year, I have decided to post a series called Simplifying the Holidays with this post being Part I.   Today, shopping has been heavy on my mind — well, it’s always on my mind, but holiday shopping is different.  As I was perusing one my very favorite websites www.mymerrychristmas.com, I came across a fabulous blog post by B. Francis Morlan on the subject of Black Friday where she gives 5 very good reasons why us saavy shoppers should avoid it.  I was amazed!  Yes, TMF Readers, in the past, I have been part of the thousands that hit the stores as early as 3:00 a.m. waiting in line for a good deal on the day after Thanksgiving.  However, after reading these five tips, I may just decide to forego this year and get my highly underrated sleep in!  I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did. 

To the savvy shopper we advise: stop. Sleep in. Forget about the so-called big deals.

Here are five reasons to avoid Black Friday:

1. The Big Deals Aren’t That Big a Deal – A 36-inch flat screen television for $300 might see like a mighty tempting deal. So too that $200 laptop. The deals even might seem crazy enough to cause you to camp out on concrete for 24-hours or more in sub-zero weather. Don’t buy into it. A cheap laptop is just that – cheap. Chances are it won’t last until next Thanksgiving. And if you’re going to make a purchase for a major appliance chances are you’ll find a better deal on what you really want in October, especially in electronics. That is when merchants want to really clear the shelves to make room for holiday merchandise.

2. Biggest Bait-n-Switch Day of the Year – Every ad is going to say “limited to quantities on hand”. Often, especially for the more attractively priced stuff, those quantities are very limited. 50 laptops for a line of 1000 people are not going to last long. Retailers love getting people in with a low price – and then showing them alternatives after selling out on the hot stuff within minutes. With crowds anxious for a deal the percentages are in their favor that a shopper looking for a bargain – any bargain – in the competitive rush of early morning shopping is going to drop money on something they didn’t intend to buy.

3. Great Price, No Rain Checks – For many retailers standing in that line in the near-winter weather means nothing. Yes, they’ve got great prices advertised. But once they are out they are out – and unlike ordinary everyday sales Black Friday sales offer no guarantee, no overstock and no rain checks.

4. Better Deals Online – Start shopping online the Monday before Thanksgiving. Online retailers want to cash in on Black Friday too and they work a lot harder during Thanksgiving week to get your attention and your money. Amazon in particular has refined the art of getting folks to stay in their jammies to shop – at all hours, too. And there’s no shoving online.

5. Holiday Return Policies Kick In – just as the deals on Black Friday are an exception so too are the holiday return policies. Some retailers will only let you return product at the sale price – regardless of whether or not you have a receipt. Others are charging now a “re-stocking fee”. Investigate the return policy before you spend – by law they have to post it.

The best way to avoid Black Friday is to do your shopping well in advance of the holiday shopping season. The deals are exceptional from just before Labor Day to Halloween. Retailers are clearing out early year models and marking down to drive sales traffic. They have to. Mid-September to mid-November is one of the weakest shopping periods of the year. And there are deals aplenty.

Black Friday is festive event, sure enough, and for many just spending time with family and friends amongst the chaos is fun in and of itself. And if that’s your thing, great – just leave the wallet and especially the credit cards at home.

Personal Reflections for a Joyful Mind

With the holidays fast approaching, I, like many of you readers, end up doing a lot of self-reflection of not just the past year that flew by, but about what I want to do differently next year, what I want to change about myself and remembering those special people that have gone from us too soon.

As I have stated many times, by the time I was 31, I was widowed with 3 children.  I had lost my husband, older brother and grandfather all within a two year period.  Of course, that was over 12 years ago now, but in my reflections, I have come realize how far I have actually come in my life since that stressful time.  I am writing this post with The Joyful Mind Project on my heart with hopes to maybe spark some of you readers who may also be reflecting in your own way.  Maybe you suffer from anxiety as I did after my experiences, maybe you suffer from depression or maybe you just are overworked and overwhelmed and you feel like your world is crashing around you.  In my experience, getting through and getting to the point of reflection came first by way of acceptance.  Just plain and simply accepting life as it is.  Going thru this process can be nothing less than devastating but it is reality.

Accepting life right where you are, all of the bad, the ugly and the good is essential.  It’s really about deciding to “surrender” what you “think” your life is or should be at that moment and choosing to accept and change.  It has been written that…..”Life is not the way it’s supposed to be.  It is the way it is.  The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.”   The way we cope.  What a powerful statement.  Of course, the way we each individually cope is always going to be different, but for me, it took a good long time.  I had a catch phrase that I told myself often and it was this…”If you can cope, you have hope.”  Cliche, I know but it worked for me.

Once you begin to accept that you are right where you are supposed to be at this moment, your whole perspective will begin to change.  You will decide at that moment to devise a different relationship with the problem at hand.  I tell my coaching clients all of the time that if they focus only on what is wrong with their blended family then that will be their reality because at that point, they aren’t “choosing” to fix the problem.  Their words have not become impeccable.  They haven’t gotten to acceptance yet.  Accept there is a problem, get help and do your best to fix it.  See the problem differently instead of letting it debilitate you.

TMF Readers, when you are going thru acceptance, remember to not allow your emotions to consume you.  You never have to follow or obey your emotions.  You can choose to manage them.  Don’t give all of your power away to your emotions because it is then that they can take over your life.

It is very empowering to accept that where you are right now doesn’t have to be your whole life.  Your perspective can change as long as you don’t allow yourself to continually focus on the “wrong” and focus on what you can change to make it “right.”  Choice is a powerful tool.

Peace & Blessings,
Diane

Diane’s Easy & Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie

TMF Readers, with the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to give you a few really quick recipes that will make your life in the kitchen so much easier. 

One of my great childhood memories is that of a good piece of pumpkin pie.  Needless to say, I have been indulging already by getting a jump start on my baking.  Below is my fool-proof pumpkin pie recipe.  It is lovely, quick and yummy.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 frozen pie shell (or you can make your own crust if you dare venture)
1 – 16 oz can of pureed pumpkin
1 – 14 oz can of sweet & condensed milk
(you can also use evaporated milk plus 1 cup of sugar if you don’t want to use sweet & condensed milk, but I like my pie more luscious)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or, you can substitute with 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Beat eggs, add pumpkin, sweet & condensed milk and spices and beat until smooth.  Pour batter into pie shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat down to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes.  Allow to completely cool on a baking rack and serve with whipped cream. 

Happy Holidays!

Today’s Modern Family Holiday Gift Guide

Changing houses and mixing traditions is just part of the stress that comes with the whole stepfamily territory during the holidays. Christmas shopping, if you both come into the marriage with kids and have kids of your own, can get really expensive. Not to mention that some blended families exchange gifts with ex-spouses, their new spouses and their kids, too and don’t forget about aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, stepgrandparents…! Whew! So while pondering some ways to cut holiday expenses, one of my favorite modern day( S)Mamas, Danielle, offered the idea of re-gifting and said that she even plans to try it this year.

“Re-gifting is also another cost-effective gift giving option and something my sister-in-law was infamous for. If you receive something that doesn’t suit your tastes, you have no purpose for, or that you already have; instead of possibly offending the person who gave it to you by asking for a gift receipt to return it for something else, you simply give it to someone else you think it would be better for (think the holiday fruitcake pass-along taken to the next level:-). It’s kind of sneaky and some might see it as disrespectful but it’s always the thought behind the gift that counts and better that gift go to someone who will love it than keep it for yourself and have it stashed away collecting dust,” said Danielle.

She went on to explain that you have to be VERY careful when going this route. You have to make sure to keep track so that you don’t wind up giving it back to the giver. Imagine the horror of giving the gift and have the receiver say ‘oh!! remember when I got you one of these last year?!?!’ Yikes!! It’s a good option, however, with gifts you receive from people who live out of town or for giving to those who live out of town, and even better when the initial giver doesn’t know and/or has limited to no contact with the eventual receiver.

Well we were so impressed by the idea of recycling gifts and cutting your holiday expenses that we thought we share a few of our recycled gift ideas with all of you.

Model Train Set: Train sets, if taken care of, can last a long time and is really good recycled gift idea for children. For example, you could pass it along to a younger cousin.

Books: From a collection of children’s Dr. Seuss books to old classics or self-help books, like Martha Stewart’s “Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook; books are great and thoughtful ideas.

Champagne Glasses:  If you’re anything like my husband and I, you may have received duplicate wedding gifts that you just never got around to returning.  So, if you still have those champagne glasses, picture frames or a toaster, consider re-gifting it.

Neckties:My husband has about 100 neckties or so because for some reason, most people buy a father a tie or a wallet for just about every occasion.  They are a fantastic recycled gift idea for men.

Video Games: Instead of selling those video games that your son or daughter only played one time to Gamestop, consider giving it to another family member or family friend for Christmas this year.

Baby Items: I had a baby 7 months ago and I have a swing that my baby boy barely used, a bassinet that he never used and tons of clothes with the tags still on them. Any friend or family that is expecting a baby is getting some of my baby items this year. Baby clothes, bottle warmers, monitors, and baby furniture are excellent recycled gifts ideas.

Alternatives to the traditional holiday dinner

Leg of Lamb

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner menus, for many families, have the same old thing on them. Families usually fill themselves up on turkey, dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes until they bust. It’s always been kind of crazy to me that these two holidays are only a month apart from each other, yet the menus are identical. As such, I am growing sick and tired of the same old thing. If I eat another piece of turkey, I’m going to start gobbling! Therefore, I decided that it’s okay to break away from the traditional and try something different on Christmas. I won’t be struck with some holiday curse for doing so, will I?

When I asked others if they were having the traditional meal this year, to my surprise, many were not. A few said that they planned to have a seafood feast for Christmas dinner this year. Others were having steak and prime rib roasts for dinner. Those who live in warmer climates during this time of year decided to cookout this year. All of these are fabulous alternatives to the traditional holiday dinner, and a few just might find themselves on  my holiday menus in the years to come. Tomorrow, however, I decided to prepare a baked leg of lamb, shrimp scampi served over rotini, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and chocolate cake…yummy! It will be a nice break from the norm and my family was totally excited about my plan for something new. It turns out that they were sick of turkey and dressing a long time ago as well.

What are your plans for Christmas dinner this year?

Happy Holidays!

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I would share with you readers a few recipes that I make for my family during the holidays.  For those of you who don’t know me personally, I am a foodie.  I love to cook for my family, my friends and my colleagues.  I will be putting out more recipes as the weeks come near to the Holidays; a few are my own original creations and a few I have been given by friends over the years.  I hope you enjoy!

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. carmel ice cream topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, divided
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) jello flavored instant pudding
1 cup of cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed and divided

Pour ¾ cup carmel topping into crust; sprinkle with ½ cup nuts.
Beat pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended.  Stir in 1½ cups Cool Whip and spoon into crust.
Refrigerate 1 hour and then top with remaining Cool Whip, carmel and nuts just before serving.

The day after Thanksgiving, I usually make a yummy Hashbrown Casserole for the next night’s dinner with the leftover turkey or ham, it’s really simple.

Leftover Turkey or Ham Hashbrown Casserole

Leftover ham or turkey cut or torn into pieces
1 package of frozen country hashbrowns
2 small 10 oz. cans of Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom (your
preference) soup.
2 8 oz. packages of Monterey Jack/Colby Cheese
1 small bag of mixed frozen vegetables

Directions

Combine hashbrowns, soup, vegetables and 2 cups of cheese together and place in a lightly sprayed 10×13 inch glass baking dish.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Uncover and cover with remaining cheese.  Place back in oven to melt cheese.  Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Peace & Blessings,
Di

Changing Seasons

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…….Ecclesiastes 3:1

BFSO readers, do you love Autumn, Fall and Winter as much as I do?  As the leaves begin to fall and change colors and the air gets crisp, I reminisce with myself about growing up off of the George Washington Parkway in Alexandria, Virginia, walking along the Potomac River with my sister and playing in the freshly fallen leaves.  I then begin to yearn for the seasons fabulous flavors.  The first thing that comes to mind is sweet potato and pumpkin pie, hot beef stews and yummy warm casseroles.  Did I mention that this is my favorite time of the year?  Well, as you can see, it is! 

 While some folks are fretting over the arrival of Jack Frost, I am reveling in the anticipation of family gatherings, holidays, comfy warm sweaters and pajamas and fun-filled snowy days.  I even like to do a little day traveling during this season.  I love to explore quaint little towns like Nashville, Indiana, where you can walk along the old- fashioned sidewalks, watch candy-makers craft their magic and eat in old-fashioned country restaurants.  It makes me feel as if I stepped back into time.  It’s really a treat and the kids love it.

I look forward to every season that God blesses me with.  I can’t wait to see the little ghosts and goblins in October.  I, again, am taken back to a memory of Halloween and my mother dressing me and my sister up as Gypsies and my brothers up as Ghosts.  Those were the days!  We didn’t go to the store to buy our costumes usually, we had to be creative and make them!  Then, I am taken to thinking about Thanksgiving and the wonderful memories I have of my grandparents visiting, all the yummy food and reflections of blessings we have received despite any disappointments that may have happened during the year.  I actually picked the beautiful month of November to get married because I absolutely love the ambiance of November. THEN…HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS!!! I absolutely adore Christmas.  Not because of presents (I have actually stopped requesting them) but because of the time I get to spend with my husband, children and now my beautiful Grandson!  I call it “making memories.”  Some of our family traditions include enjoying craft time every weekend leading up to Christmas where we paint ornaments, Christmas village houses, birdhouses, etc.  My children look forward to this time and so do I!  I also look forward to being able to look back at their crafts in years to come and enjoying them over and over.  Oh, have I mentioned football yet?  Well, I won’t go on and on but football is HUGE in our home. 

 Autumn, Fall and Winter bring all kinds off great memories back to life for me and I wanted to share a few of the above with you readers.  In the next few weeks, I will be providing you readers with some great Fall recipes and fun things to do.  BFSO family, take advantage of this beautiful time and season that God has blessed us with.  I promise, you will surely find lots to be thankful for.  Remember, Autumn is a second Spring, when every leaf is a flower.                                  

Peace and Blessings Abound,

Di