This Holidays

Writen by Gail Leino

With a holiday party, you may feel that you have to spend your days before working to get ready and then spend the party catering to everyone else's needs. If you want to through a holiday party that is more stress free and enjoyable to you, there are several key things that you will want to take into consideration. Remember, this is supposed to be a time where you can sit down and relax and enjoy the holidays with those that you love. If you do not feel that it is going to happen that way, take into consideration a few thoughts here.

First off, take into consideration the various holiday parties that you have spent slaving in the kitchen. If you do not think you can afford to have your holiday party catered, do a bit or homework first. Talk to several different caters, request sample meals and pricing packages. What you may not realize is that they often get food at a much lower cost which can in turn help them to lower their budget. Or, you can tell them what your budget is and see if they can offer some help to you. If you decide that you just can't handle the price of a holiday party catering then look for wholesale clubs that sell prepackaged appetizers. Plan meals that can be at least, somewhat done in advance.

Another benefit to getting some help for your holiday party is to seek out the help of a cleaning service. Many worry about what the house looks like or all of the chores that need to be done before you can host your holiday party. Yet, it can be quite affordable to take full advantage of a local cleaning company to come in and do all of the tough work for you.

A holiday party does not need to be overly stressful for anyone involved. In fact, those that are looking for a great party that they can feel relaxed at need to just think of other ways to make things happen for them. Instead of spending countless hours planning, working and worrying, think of an alternative solution like those we mentioned here fore your next holiday party.

Writen by Gail Leino

When planning a Halloween party it is a lot of fun to plan a theme party. Not only can you plan your costumes and decorations easily, but you can also use the theme to select invitations and help your guests pick their costumes too. Of course, the theme of a party depends on the age of the guests. Here are some suggestions for guests of all age.

For children elementary age and younger, the easiest thing to do is to have a party that will probably allow them to wear the costume they had been planning on all along. These could include a Sesame Street Monster Party, Cartoon Stars Party, and Blues Clues Mystery Party (complete with Handy Dandy Notebooks for all the guests), Monsters, Inc. Party or even a Superheroes party for the boys or a Princess party for the girls.

For older children and pre-teens fun themes may include Goosebumps Party, TV Monster Parties (guests come as one of the monsters or monster family members seen on television i.e., Munsters, Addams family, etc.), Literary Monsters (Headless Horsemen, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula would be just a few of many possibilities).

For high schoolers or adults, possible themes might include: Old School Monsters – you know the ones from way back before color was introduced to television or movies (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Mummy, Creature of the Black Lagoon, Werewolf, Dracula, Phantom, Thing, Fly, Godzilla, Blob, or King Kong for starters), Science Fiction and B Movie Casting Call (Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Rocky Horror, The Blob, The Alien Machine, etc.), Clowns – who doesn't find clowns and mimes just a little on the freaky side? (Bozo, It, Krusty, Ronald, etc.), Fortune Teller or Seance (everyone should bring their fortune telling device of choice be it tarot, magic 8 balls, ouija, etc.), Dead Poets, Musicians, & Author's Society (everyone comes dressed as their favorite dead performer – a karaoke machine and an open mic for poetry recitations will add a unique twist to the night!).

Writen by Barbara Hemphill

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Family, friends, good food – and no presents to buy. To make it your best holiday ever, consider these organizing tips:

• Choose your preferred style: formal with everyone dressed up and using their best manners – or a more informal relaxed style. If you've invited more people than your dining table will seat, decide whether to add extra tables or a set up a buffet and use couches and occasional chairs for seating. Arrange for extra chairs if necessary.

• Keep in mind the ages of the people involved – and choose a time for the meal that will fit their needs – young children may get too tired if you wait to sit down at 1:00 pm. Consider seating for children based on ages. Teenagers might enjoy the day more seated together.

• Ask guests to identify their favorite dish – include as many of them as possible. (If someone wants a pecan pie, and you don't like to bake them, check out your local restaurant or bakery.) Don't assume you have to do everything – why not invite guests to bring a favorite dish? (Or ask them to bring a table centerpiece or bottle of wine.)

• Plan your menu well in advance, make a shopping list, and purchase non-perishables at the same time you do your regular shopping. If you're planning to use a fresh turkey, place your order early.

• Get out the table linens before Thanksgiving morning – make sure you have the sizes you need, and check to see if they need to be laundered, or ironed.

• Select table decorations. If you have children, involve them in the planning and execution of the celebration. (My children loved to make turkey cookies!) Consider disposable Thanksgiving napkins.

• To save clean-up time, or if the family china is insufficient to accommodate the guest list, attractive holiday disposable tableware is a viable option. Be sure you have enough serving dishes and utensils for the quantities you will be serving.

• If you're having a sit-down dinner, consider setting your table the day before to minimize last-minute stress. Make a checklist of things to be done on Thanksgiving day in order or priority.

• Determine your clean-up strategy prior to dinner. Do you want everyone to chip in and help – or would you prefer to spend the time with the family – and clean it up when they're gone?

• When the day is over, make notes about anything you wish you had done differently – file your notes away for next year, and give Thanksgiving for another special day.

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

Writen by Leslie Gail

Does your blood pressure rise the mere thought of the holidays approaching? Has this time of year turned into more stress and frazzlement than fun and celebrating traditions? The holidays can be a time of celebration, a time spent with loved ones. It can also be a period of clicking your heels together like Dorothy did, wishing you could open your eyes and it would all be over. There is no denying the fact that this time of year is full and busy. You can however make some simple changes in your life to bring about some balance. Wouldn't it feel great to enjoy this time of year, truly embracing the moment for what it is? This is a time to celebrate all that you are grateful for, a time to share with others in need. You can grasp this opportunity to place a positive handprint on someone else's life. Take a deep breath, let go of insignificant details and enjoy the moment.

ACTION TIPS FOR THE WEEK:

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Planning ahead for what is to come will only alleviate stress later on. What can you prepare for now that you won't have to face later? Do you have holiday shopping? Are you adopting a family for the holidays that you will need to provide gifts for? Will relatives be visiting that you need to plan meals for? Create a master list of what needs to be accomplished by when. Next, begin crossing items off the list as you take care of them.

2.Take a breath

You will undoubtedly encounter stressed out people during the holidays. Instead of taking on their energy as your own, take a deep breath and let it go. Make a conscious choice how you will respond to others' negativity.

3. Don't overcommit

This time of year, your calendar can easily fill up with party after party. If you truly want to enjoy the holidays, take some time for youself and learn to say no. Realize you aren't obligated to attend every gathering you are invited to. Pick and choose the ones you are excited about, and be sure to plug in some relaxing evenings in between.

Have a great week! Leslie

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Leslie Gail, Certified Coach and owner of New Life Focus Coaching, contributes regular articles to The Rocky Mountain News, conducts seminars and helps her clients live to their fullest potential. Leslie specializes in working with clients in transition. By creating structure, balance and boundaries, Leslie is able to move clients forward at a comfortable pace.

Leslie Gail, Certified Coach and owner of New Life Focus Coaching can be contacted at http://www.newlifefocus.com

Writen by Emily Rose

"The heart of a mother is a place to call home. Mom means security, trust, care, and unconditional love."
-Emily Rose

Motherhood, it is selfless, hard work that in the end results in the formation of a beautiful life. Each day mothers pour out themselves to their young ones and pray that they are growing up healthy and happy. Days form weeks, weeks form years, years add onto years breathing life into a child.

They capture each moment in memory, picture, or poem. Days are filled with silly songs, t'ball games, piano recitals, homework, diapers, birthday parties, and school dances. They spend many sleepless nights worrying when the curfew has come and gone or pace the emergency room floor after a bicycle accident. They fill stockings and Easter baskets at midnight. They run here and there between soccer practice and study groups, ballet and daycare. Countless hours are spent repeating spelling words and creating planet mobiles. Dinner is on the table and popcorn and movies await happy faces. Small tiny things are done, barely noticed, but given with great care. The "thank you's" may be few and far between.

One day their once tiny newborns grow wings and leave the nest. The sweetest thing is when those children return and they find that they are now not just your children, but close friends. The cycle continues when those children have children of their own and learn what their mother had so selflessly and sweetly done over those many years. A mom puts down her life to raise her children to help them reach dreams, achieve goals, be joyful, and have good character.

As mother day approaches it is the perfect time to ponder the meaning of motherhood and give thought to how you have been blessed with your mother, grandmother, or special lady in your life. If you have been touched by a mother, whether she is yours or someone in that role, let them feel the deep appreciation for what they have done. Choose a special flower, card, or gift to present to your mother symbolizing how honored and privileged you have been to have her in your life. Give her a special bouquet of roses meaning that her love was as fragrant and beautiful as the arrangement, or a personalized bracelet or monogrammed pendant she can wear in daily remembrance of how she has forever imprinted your life with love.

Author, EmilyRose owner of http://www.emilyrosejewellery.com bio at http://personallyblessed.blogspot.com.

Writen by G Williams

TRUTH and UNDERSTANDING - An electronic magazine of real knowledge

Millions, perhaps billions of people will once again run full throttle into the upcoming fall and winter holiday seasons of Halloween and Christmas. Many fully acknowledge that the customs of these events are deeply rooted in paganism.

Many take paganism as an ugly word, but it simply means teachings of the nations that did not know the Jewish or Hebrew God of the Bible. An important point to always remember is that the Hebrews or Israelites and not the nations (non Hebrews) were the ones who brought us the knowledge of God. Even in the New Testament we know that Jesus and the Apostles were Israelites. This is why scripture says, "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." So it always comes as a surprise to me that the tail (the nations) tries to wag the dog when it comes to religious knowledge. Yet this is what is commonly allowed in the so-called Christian holidays.

The Catholic encyclopedia seems to struggle somewhere between acknowledging that modern Christianity has incorporated pagan teachings and no it is just a coincidence. A coincidence? When you look at the preponderance of coincidences like a day for all the dead Saints that comes on the heels of an ancient Celtic fire festival called Samhain (notice that this is a nations non Hebrew pagan teaching here) now called Halloween in which we have children dressing as demons, ghosts and skeletons or we shift to Christmas and really examine through some simple web research about the origin of these Bacchanalian or Saturnalia type festivities.

Research the origins of the Yule log, tree, mistletoe, wreaths, greenery, birthdays, gifts, caroling (yes even seemingly innocent Christmas carols are from ancient circle dances dealing with fertility rites of the medieval Celtic countries of Europe) and lights. Bacchanalian festivities also had parties celebrated with drinking and promiscuity orgies and riotousness. The Saturnalia festivities also included exchanging gifts, greenery, lights etc. It is impossible to ignore that we have ties to teachings of the nations or pagans that we have justified just as the Bible says, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Yet again the Bible says, "what communion has light with darkness?" But we say we cleaned it all up. Why we Christianized it Lord! Yet again the Bible says, "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!"

But some may ask isn't it all ok. Can't we just have some fun? Why half the stuff I do isn't really Christian related, I just do it for fun and I'm not thinking of Christ. I've seen these attitudes. They are attitudes of someone who thinks they have some distinguishable alter ego. That somehow we can separate ourselves from ourselves like some type of Jekyl and Hyde. But do you think you can really hide half of yourself from before the Lord? The Bible says, "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord" and "He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord" Therefore all we do is in plain sight of God.

So how dangerous is all this? Well this is what I call mixing of religions or religious practices. Though it appears to be innocent by most, truly it is the most dangerous of all sins. Believe it or not this is something that gets God absolutely furious. Notice God said, "do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way". If nothing else notice the word nations in the above. God is saying do not adapt the practices of the nations. In another example from the book of Ezekiel we read, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary?" What was this sanctuary? Why it was God's temple back in the Old Testament. What were they doing to drive God far from His Temple? Well a further read says they were doing things like bringing in, "every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols", the Bible says the, "women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz." (It is known that there were ancient pagan religions that practiced weeping. Tammuz was an agricultural god who got weak as summer waned on and we all know how we get sad as summer nears its end, so they wept) and the Bible reads, "twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east" (hey look it's a first Easter sunrise worship.)

The point of all this is that it all occurred in God's temple. They had stained, soiled, desecrated and defiled the Temple of God by bringing in the ways and teachings of the nations, the pagans, those who did not have a knowledge of proper worship of the true God. After all, why do you think they were called pagans? Because they were stupid, get it? And why is it that their knowledge is so great now that it is brought into Christianity? Because we are stupid I guess. Belittling God's Temple is not relegated just to the Old Testament. I'm sure we all remember how infuriated Jesus became when He encountered the merchandising in the Temple and made a whip and started to crack some heads. Some things are just off limits.

But now for the biggie because there is a scripture that we need to look long and hard at which says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." Defiling our human temple here is no different than all we just read about defiling the physical one. Simply intermix paganism, mix in the bad with the good and you are defiled. As a matter of fact if you mix in any ways of any kind of disobedience you are on your way to defilement and utter destruction.

Disobedience leads to destruction, but obedience and a humble spirit leads one to salvation. It is your disobedience that caused Christ to have to die for our sins (our disobedience) so why do we think it is ok to continue to disobey? Now that you have learned nothing from paganism, for what did you learn from the Yule log or dressing your child up as an Easter egg? Why not learn from God about His holidays? Most people do not even know that God also has Holidays (Holy Days). Well He does and there are seven of them that He commands us to observe.

You can learn about the true holidays that you never knew of from our website at www.cornerstone1.org

Glenn Williams is editor at Cornerstone Evangelical Association. A site dedicated to teach Christians are not to separate from Old Testament laws yet still look to Christ for salvation. You can sign up for a free weekly newsletter at http://www.cornerstone1.org or mailto:subscribe@cornerstone1.org

Writen by Roy Thomsitt

Over the past two months I have been writing a Christmas story. It is about Santa Claus and the remarkable sequence of events that befell a young girl living on the edge of the rainforest in Palawan, a tropical island where I live.

Of course, for such an apparently far fetched story, it was important to check out the facts. That was easy to do here in Palawan, but how could I interview somebody quite so famous as Santa Claus, who lived far away in a land where I would freeze to death as soon as I got off the airplane?

Well, it turned out to be more easy than I thought, and we met, believe it or not, close to a big firework display in Southern England on November 5th 2005. How I got there and how he got there, I am not allowed to say. In fact, I cannot say, simply because I do not know for sure. I can only speculate. My passport shows I was here; my wife tells me I was here; I tell myself I was here. But I was there, and this is what I can report from the notes I took at the interview. There was much more, but I am sworn to secrecy, and Santa Claus has such amazing powers, I would not go against his wishes.

These are the 3 questions, and answers, I am allowed to reveal.

Q1 There is much speculation amongst historians about your origins. Can you tell us, to put this straight once and for all?

(Roars of laughter from Santa) "The last people you should ask are historians. They can only look backwards. What a dumb life they lead; they can never find the truth like that. Life is multi dimensional; time is multi dimensional. What do historians and scientists know about all that? The truth is like a sun with all it's planets rotating round. If you just look backwards, you miss the whole spectrum, and you miss the sun itself.

"What are my origins? My good man, you're just a simple soul, like everyone else on the planet, so I know you mean 'when and where do I come from'. I do have a birthday; in fact, I have many birthdays, and they are all true. But for your narrow little world, I was born in 701 AD."

"But," I said, "all the historians……." his glare told me to be quiet about historians. That seemed like a good idea, given that they got it all totally wrong.

Santa was a tolerant and gentle man despite his massive powers. "And, young man" ( I had not been called that for a long time) he said. "You will not believe where I was born. It was not the North Pole, though I go there often. It was not Lapland, where I do now live. It was Central Africa."

I was dumbfounded; he just laughed at me. I moved on quickly.

Q2 I have to ask, Santa, how do you get around the whole world like that, every Christmas, delivering gifts to so many millions of children? In less than 2 days. It's just not.."

Before I could finish, he had put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me.

"Of course it's possible. You think it's not possible because your "scientists" say so, not because of the truth. Only the truth matters. And it is possible, because I do it every year. You say "not possible" because of the way you all look at things; narrow and blinkered. Even my blinkered reindeer know more than your silly scientists; so forget it's not possible. I do it, and young man", (I was really beginning to like this guy), he went on, "I just love every moment of it."

"But……?" I was about to ask, but he stopped me again with a firm hand.

"Ok," he said gently. "Let me just tell you about something. In the 8th century I was exploring brainwaves; your scientists don't have an inkling yet about the brain, how it works, the brainwaves and what they mean and how you can use them. I was able to discover great things, things all the scientists have been too narrow minded in the past to seek out, understand and utilize."

I was in his spell, listening intently to every word. He was about to reveal….

"Have you heard of Quantum Chimney Descent Theory? No, of course not. By 820 AD I had it all worked out; a year later I had discovered Time Corridors. You know time corridors? No, of course not, but I tell you young man, that was what did it, that was what enabled me to deliver gifts at Christmas all over the world.

"I then developed the Time Corridor Interweaving Theory. For the next 30 years I started to put them both into practice, and then bring them together. That my dear friend is how I get around the whole world like that and deliver gifts: by exploiting the Quantum Chimney Descent Theory in unison with Time Corridor Interweaving.

"Do you understand now?" he asked.

Well, who was I to argue, I might sound like a historian or scientist? So, that was it, I had the answers to the greatest Santa Claus question of all. I did not have a clue what he was talking about, but I am sure he anticipated that.

We went on to the final question as the firework display reached its climax.

Q3 What happens to all the mince pies and glasses of sherry that millions of children leave out for you?

Santa roared with laughter again, "oh, all the things people leave out for me; they are so sweet those children. "But you know, their parents should tell them the truth; they should not deceive. It is their parents who drink the sherry and other alcoholic drinks. It's just their excuse. I don't drink the stuff, never did.

"But the mince pies, yes I do love a good mince pie. The children are so considerate leaving them for me, and I eat as many as I can in Australia. But over a million? I have to tell you, those mince pies get spread around all sorts of places. The creatures of the oceans and the forests are very much experts on mince pies now. But the year before last....."

Santa saw my expression change.

"Aaah, we can't say what happened that year, can we? It's in your story. We mustn't spoil your story."

A moment later I awoke in my bed many thousands of miles away near the Sulu Sea. My wife was next to me; and funnily enough, I was next to her. When I went to my computer room a while later, I found my notebook. And what you have read above is what was written in it.

I really did like Santa Claus; "young man" indeed.

This Christmas Santa Claus article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

Roy is also owner and author of the Xmas Ornament web site.

Relax for the festive season with Roy's new Christmas story for adults and children.

Writen by Sean Carter

Christmas decorations are one inseparable part of the Christmas holidays, without which Christmas would lose all its color, spirit, warmth and charm. And it's also great to get together with all in the family or the whole gang of friends for the Christmas decorations. Isn't it a joy untold to watch the hand-crafted stars or bells hung up on the Christmas tree or on the wreaths ? Don't you feel the festive tickle to see Christmas-themed table-spreads, curtains, napkin-holders, or carpets ? Ideas for Christmas decorations are plenty to satiate the festive craving of all and sundry. And the stores dish out a huge array of Christmas decorations too. You can either buy them home or decorate your home yourself with your own ideas and designs. Here's enlisted a few for you to get started with your Christmas decorations and Christmas planning.

• The easiest and simplest of all Christmas decorations—get empty boxes or cartons and wrap them up in red, green, blue colored papers or colorful Christmas wrappers. Tie ribbons around some and leave them sporadically around the base of your Christmas evergreen or on the mantle.
• Hanging cute Christmas stockings make good decorations too for your Christmas décor. You can cut out papers or fabrics in shapes of stockings or candy canes, have them colored by the kids and stick them all around the room to add that festive touch on Christmas.
• Umpteen stores sell battery-operated candles especially for this holiday and these look radiant in and around your home as also on your Christmas tree. Anyone would like to go for these hassle-free Christmas decorations and give their interiors a total face-lift for the occasion.
• A fetching idea for your Christmas decorations would be to deck up your house plants with little stars and bells and to place them on window sills.
• Get holly boughs and mistletoes home. Hang them around and watch the magic of Christmas unfold before you. These Christmas decorations are traditionally passed down through ages and never fall out of the hall of fame
• How about this ? Take a pin-up board and pin Christmas-related images or messages on them. You can also fix Christmas cards that you get for the year. This Christmas decoration would be best for your office cubicle or room. So bring your colleagues in the spirit of the holidays instantly as they step into your holiday 'den'.
• Now here's another to rev up your Christmas decorations—take a white table-spread and stick little paper or fabric pieces in shapes of stars, bells, candy canes, gift-boxes, Santa hats and more.
• Deck up your halls in Christmas streamers (bought or homemade) or in Christmas wreaths. You can hang a bunch of bells on the doorway too. Won't it be sweet to hear the jingles every time anyone enters during the Christmas season ?
• Decorate white slender candles with red and green ribbons. Tie them into a bow or just spiral it around. They would swell for sure if placed in a cluster on your Christmas dinner table or over the mantle. Don't forget to leave a bell carelessly at the base. Your friends, folks or sweetie pie would surely love the shine and shimmer of the bell in the candlelight and you may collect few kudos for such thoughtful Christmas decorations.
• For outside decorations, get some Christmas lights home. Glowing bulbs or lighted candles that run on battery would just suit fine outdoors. You can place a big cutout of Santa to welcome your dear ones too. Or you can let loose your own festive ideas.
• Play Christmas numbers for the background scores to complement the tree, table and hall decorations. Well chosen Christmas songs are just the right fill for the holiday ambience.
• Create cute bows for the special day and have them stitched to curtains or tied to door-knobs or around the glasses on the Christmas table. These Christmas decorations won't take much time and would be fun to do too. So get on with these.
• Well then, welcome the season of joy and brace up to make merry with friends and family—it's Christmastime folks ! The merriest time of the year is here. So leave your worries behind, deck the halls with wonderful Christmas decorations and share the warmth and joy of the season with all far and near.

Writen by Phil Sikes

Children usually anticipate Halloween for two reasons. The first is that they have a chance to dress up as their favorite characters. The second is that after they dress up, they get to go door to door, asking neighbors for candy. And the more candy you give them, the better. For these reasons, it is important that the kids Halloween costumes be perfect.

Kids Halloween costumes come in all kinds of different styles. Some choose to dress up as their favorite superhero or cartoon character. Others choose more traditional Halloween costumes such as witches, black cats, and monsters. They can also be happy, like clowns, or scary and modeled after popular horror movie characters.

Often, the kids Halloween costumes that the children wear will depend on the parents. Some wonít let their kids wear scary costumes. Other parents donít mind. But as long as the child is still allowed to go trick or treating, in the end theyíll probably get over any initial disappointment.

Choosing Kids Halloween Costumes

The first step is to choose the kids Halloween costumes that your children will be wearing. Start by asking them what they want to be. If they express an interest and wanting to dress as something violent, such as a horror movie villain, you may want to intervene. If dressing up like this is all in fun, then perhaps you wonít mind.

If they can't seem to decide, give them a few choices. Think about the shoes they watch, the books and comics they read, and the toys they tend to play with. Before you give them a choice, you may want to check in advance to make sure you can easily obtain the costume as a rental, to purchase, or the pattern and its necessary materials.

Getting the Costumes

The next step after your children decide which kids Halloween costumes they want to wear, you'll need to either buy it, rent it, borrow it, or make it. What you do will depend on your budget, the availability, and whether or not they will wear it again.

Costume shops are great for both purchasing and renting. You can find patterns in craft books, at the local craft shop, and online. Ask others if they have a costume you can borrow. You can either purchase it used from the classified or an online auction site.

Making the Costumes

If you do decide to make the kids Halloween costumes this will require some advanced planning. This isn't a project that can wait until the last minute because you need to give yourselves time to complete the project and allow for even more time to fix any mistakes or start over if you need to. You don't want it to be the evening of Trick-or-Treat when you find out that the costume doesn't fit properly. By then, the stores will pretty much be out of costumes. No matter what you decide, the number one thing is to make sure your children are happy.

Writen by John Morris

It's the age of innocence when their eyes a little brighter and their smile are full of possibilities. Their minds are being shaped by everything around them and it's important to make sure that those surroundings are positive and promote good character traits.

The question is are toys and video games the right Christmas gift for kids? The simple answer - yes.

Creative Development

Children love toys and they love to play video games. Imagination is the greatest gift that we can give our children and toys are essential to their creative development. With so many toys on the market, it's difficult to choose which are best for our little ones during this holiday season. The best way to know is to ask your child to write a Christmas list. Go over the list and make sure that everything will be a positive learning, or playful, experience for your child. Avoid buying anything with an implication of violence or negative influences, which is sometimes present in current video games.

Promote Healthy Competition and Creativity

On the other hand... Video games can offer a very positive learning experience if selected carefully. They have the ability to promote healthy competition and creativity. If a child fails to achieve the next level in a video game, they are forced to come up with more creative ways to move forward. This creativity can lead to a wonderful imagination in all areas of life. Video games can also promote persistence and shows a child that patience is a key factor in achieving any goal. If a child begins playing a video game and stays with that game until he/she defeats it, this promotes patience, determination and intelligence. The child will learn that, if he/she works hard enough, they can achieve anything. This will carry over into other aspects of life and will be a positive experience. The most important thing is, that now, the child is simply having fun and doesn't even realize how beneficial a creative mind can be. They don't realize that they are learning and, to them, they're just enjoying their toys.

Promote Sharing

Toys and games are terrific Christmas gifts for kids also because they promote sharing while keeping the child entertained and happy. Some toys promote learning, such as math and board games. Others, such as building blocks, promote creativity and the ability to build things on their own. A karaoke unit could help a child overcome shyness while a Barbie doll will allow a child to make up story lines and create fictional events.

Age Recommendations

Before choosing any toys or games as Christmas gifts for kids, make sure to read the age recommendations printed on the box or noted in the description. It's important that the age recommendations match that of your child for safety reasons. If a toy needs batteries, don't forget to include them in the box.

Unconditional Love

Keeping in mind that children are very influential, the best gift that we could ever give is unconditional love. Perhaps you can't wrap it up or even add a fancy red bow, but that just goes to prove that the best things in life really are free.

Happy Holidays!

For great Christmas gift ideas for your kids check out http://gifts.christmashub.com and my main site http://www.christmashub.com

Writen by Mary E. Richardson

Holiday Grief- what is it? How does it differ from other grief? What is grief anyway?

These are but a few questions you might want to explore as we move ever deeper into the holidays, the season of celebration, gift-giving/receiving, parties and gatherings of various sizes and diversities.

Grief is not a feeling; it is a heavy and complex emotion (energy-in-motion) containing every imaginable feeling in the human psyche. When someone experiences the loss of a loved one, a spouse, a child, a parent (not just from death but from any tragedy), grief emotes powerfully to pull you down to where you can safely begin to feel yourself without that which you've lost.

Grief provides a safe haven, a kind of hospice where you can tend your wounds, grow new skin, encourage the scabs to form and thicken, so that you rise back up into the world as a new person.

However, many people choose to ignore this gift of Grief and rather than actively grieve, they passively carry their grief inside, sometimes for the rest of their lives, accumulating more and more grief. Numbed out to their own feelings, they push forward as if nothing has happened to them, as if they have not been irrevocably changed; they choose to live a lie. Their bodies then have to adjust to the deadness it is forced to carry inside; eventually that becomes disease. On the outside, it shows up in depressed feelings, temper tirades, road rage, jealousy, guilt, shame, and projections onto others.

It is amazing how forceful people can become in their attempts to hide their grief from their own conscious awareness. They even convince themselves that if they close their eyes to it, so will everyone else. Not true. It is in the air we breathe. We breathe each others' air. We exchange each others' realities and each others' fantasies. Surely you've heard it said, "Magic is in the air;" or "Death is in the air." That is true. So too is: "Grief is in the air."

Depending upon how well you know yourself, how well you own your own feelings, grieve your losses, and ground yourself in your own center, that will determine the real choices you actually have in filtering the air you breathe. In these days when toxicity is killing everything that lives and breathes and drinks water, we need filters to maintain good health. The same is true for our psyches. This filtering begins by asking ourselves the questions we've not dared to ask, maybe have not dared to even imagine.

During the holidays and on the anniversaries of a tragic event, Grief usually offers us another opportunity to grieve losses not fully grieved for the purpose of healing. If you can feel the feelings rising up inside you, you can choose whether and how you will receive this unexpected and precious gift- the opportunity to create new life.

© 2005 Mary Richardson

Mary Richardson is a transformational facilitator. She assists people who are in the midst of chaotic life changes and transition. Guiding them in the journey through the chaos, she helps them tap into their own resilience and recreate their lives. You can contact Mary at: mevrichardson@comcast.net.

Publisher's Guidelines: You may freely publish this article online, in email newsletters, or in print so long as the resource box and byline are in tact and all links are active. Author would appreciate a notification, but that is optional.

Writen by Johann Erickson

Christmas table decorations for those one of a kind Christmas parties are fun and easy to make. If you do plan on making your own Christmas table decorations, they can be time consuming and if you have a dozen or so tables to decorate, you need help!

It depends on the type of Christmas party you will be hosting, the atmosphere you wish to provide and the style you want to showcase. If you're having a Christmas party for children, simple centerpieces with take home accents will do but if it's an elegant grown up Christmas party, your Christmas table decorations will probably be elegant and traditional.

If you're indeed hosting a Christmas party for children, be as creative as you wish. A good idea is to decorate using styrofoam balls. They are inexpensive, usually around five dollars at the craft store and they are sold in bags of single sizes or mixed sizes. With some non-toxic craft paint, some glue on eyeballs and seed beads, you can turn a ball into an adorable snowman or an ornament fit for the tree.

The best way to make a snowman who will actually stand up straight is to cut a small circular piece of thick cardboard, using a thin bamboo stick put a hole in the center and allow the stick to stand. Take one of the largest styrofoam balls and slide it down the bamboo stick to the base of the cardboard, then repeat with a medium sized ball and then a small one for the snowman's head. Decorate with your imagination!

To give the illusion of bright ornamental balls, either paint or spray paint the different sizes of the styrofoam balls and roll them in glitter. Add stripes and stencil on stars or snowflakes to make them unique. Use a paper clip to secure a ribbon for hanging.

For adult parties, sometimes more design effects should be used to create the perfect Christmas table decoration. Start with the other decorations in the room, the theme and go with it. Start with the tablecloth…if it's country style then use a bright flannel topper or Christmas colors like red, green, gold, silver or white. If the room is dim, consider adding lighting elements on some of the tables.

One beautiful way is by adding floating candles in dyed water.

At your local discount store in the craft section there are beautiful glass and plastic bowl options to choose from and the average price for a small to mid sized piece is about a dollar and a half or three dollars for the larger ones. Fill the bowls ¾ full, add food coloring and stir in your desired color. Packages of floating tealites or votive candles are about five dollars for a twenty-four pack and when lit in a darkened area, they appear so elegant.

Confetti sprinkled around the bowls on the tables in holiday colors with twirls of ribbon adds just the right finishing touch.

Another idea is to make your own crystal balls using etching solution; you can even purchase festive stencils to etch. Using the same bowls turned upside down with a small candle with do the trick as long as they are sitting on a base that allows air to flow for the flame. To make a fitting base with the look of gold foiling, without the cost or the time, use aluminum foil and gold craft paint. Wad up the aluminum foil to give it a crinkled appearance and carefully open it up to its original size. On a flat surface lightly paint gold accents all over the shiny silver side of the aluminum foil. Two oblong wooden blocks, also available for pennies at the craft store will do the job when wrapped and placed beneath the crystal ball. Finish off the look with small gift boxes wrapped in multi designed Christmas wrapping paper or foil with a hidden dinner mint for each guest at the table.

Christmas table decorations are a must for any Christmas holiday party and the guests will be astounded with the creations. These are all easy and they don't take much time to put together. Make your party unforgettable using simple elements for your Christmas table decorations and explore the creative aspect of Christmas décor in it's many forms.

About The Author
Johann Erickson is a writer for such sites as Online Discount Mart (http://www.onlinediscountmart.com) and TV Products 4 Less (http://www.tvproducts4less.com)

Writen by Nicole O'Reilly

With Halloween fast approaching it's time to dust off those dirty and cobwebbed Halloween games for the kids. Depending on the style of party you are throwing you may be looking for Halloween crafts, icky sticky food games, some races and team games.  A good selection of Halloween games and activities will keep the group interested and the party running smoothly.

Just a little bit of organisation will go a long way, so be sure to have a few more games prepared than you think you will need. Games may finish quickly or if the children are not showing interest, a couple of back-ups can save you from any embarrassment. Prepare all of the music, props and prizes before the party and make sure that you understand all the rules.

When choosing Halloween games for children it is important to select games that are age appropriate for them. An older child may love the ghoul and fright of all the scariest Halloween themes and games whereas a careful selection needs to be made for preschoolers.

Toddlers will love games and themes that involve pumpkins, friendly ghosts, black cats and a smattering of not-so-spooky witches and scarecrows. Younger children prefer simple, short games, nothing that requires too much explaining or has numerous rules. Many games for toddlers / preschoolers are variations of favorite party games that have been given a Halloween twist. Games like Marshmallow Bobbing (a gentler variation of Apple Bobbing), a Witch Hunt (based on a Scavenger Hunt) and a Monster Freeze Dance are all fun games for the littlies.

Halloween games for parties can be as diverse as crafts, gooey food games, racing games, team games or even some old-fashioned Halloween games.

Halloween crafts are a great option as they encourage imagination and creativity and the children will love being able to take home their own special Halloween creation. The crafts can be as varied as making and decorating cookies, producing your own Halloween decorations, Halloween face-painting, or pumpkin decorating.
Older kids will love a gooey, squishy games that can be played with food and they can even help you to think of ghouly names for spaghetti intestines, or cauliflower brains.
More traditional Halloween games are centred around Fall themes and the harvest. Many involve apples and craft ideas with Fall leaves.

Whatever Halloween games you choose, be flexible, and willing to improvise if you need to. Allow the children to set the pace in regards to the length of the games. If they are all enjoying a game then let it continue, if not move on.
And most importantly Happy Halloweening!

For more games, crafts, recipes and fun for Halloween check out Halloween Games Central at Kids Fun and Games.
The place to go for all your games needs for 0-8 year olds is Kids Fun and Games. Educational baby and toddler games, party games, crafts, indoor and outdoor games, festivals and more.

Writen by Kathy Burns-Millyard

If you've ever tried to buy gifts for teenagers, you've probably run into a common problem: Teenagers are hard to buy for!

Buying gifts for teenagers is difficult. Each one has their own tastes and style, and some are influenced by popular culture while others aren't. So the first step in figuring out what kind of gifts to buy for teenagers, is to find out a bit about the teenager. If that fails though, here are 5 gift ideas that tend to go over well with almost any of them.

1. MP3 Player - Music players are popular. And they're useful too. Now some teenagers might turn their nose up at any MP3 player that isn't an iPod, but many others would be thrilled to have one if they don't yet already.

Try finding one that gets radio broadcasts in addition to playing MP3s, that way they'll have some variety when they're tired of listening to the same songs over and over. Also try getting an MP3 player that doesn't require extra cords. Those could be lost in a teenager's room. Many MP3 players are made to simply plug into a USB port, and those seem to be the most convenient.

2. Sunglasses - While this might seem a bit cliche or obvious to some, sunglasses are always popular. They're still considered "cool" and with the wide variety of styles these days... one is sure to be a hit with either boys or girls.

3. Wallet/Purse - Another someone obvious gift idea that's often overlooked. Teenagers are starting to carry money, personal papers and misc other things. They may have wallets and/or purses already, but they may not have great quality or the style they want. So try a nice leather wallet gift for boy's, and maybe a designer purse for a girl.

4. Games - This is a very broad gift idea, and the type of game you get will depend quite a bit on the teenager you're buying for. Most teenagers love computer games. Some also adore strategic board games though, and many like card games too. The card games we're talking about for teenagers might not be the kind adults think of though. Many teenager like card games that involve collectible cards. Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh are two examples of popular strategic card games which involve collectible cards.

5. Cell Phone/Top Up Card - Some teenagers have cell phones already, but many still don't. Their parents either don't want, or can't afford to have a two year phone contract. And teenagers talk. Alot. Thus having regular cell phones can create outrageous bills due to time limit restrictions on regular cell phones.

An excellent alternative - and a gift any teenager will adore you for - is to buy them a pre-paid cell phone. And if they already have one of those, the gift idea becomes extremely easy: Just buy them a "top up" card! The top up cards allow them to add minutes to their pre-paid phone, and can be bought at most major stores for as little as $20.

Writen by Matthew Keegan

A day is soon coming that some folks are looking at with dread, for others in eager anticipation, while the rest of us are scratching our heads not knowing what to make of it. So, what am I talking about? Why, Black Friday, the day immediately following Thanksgiving Day in the US.

So, why so black and why on a Friday? Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving used to mean one thing for retailers: it was the first day in the lengthy retailing calendar where a store could make enough money [move merchandise] to see yearly losses [for bookkeeping purposes represented by the color red] turn into gains [represented by the color black]. Supposedly, all the sales completed throughout the year were done at a loss until that one big day, Black Friday, whereby enough merchandise is sold to reverse course and to begin to turn a profit for the year.

Today, retailers don't rely on just one day, even though some news reports still seem to indicate that the day after Thanksgiving is so vital to them. In reality, retailers have long since spread their reliance on Black Friday further out; now it is an entire season, Christmas, that ultimately determines whether a merchant turns a profit for the year or not.

Of course, if you are part of that one small, but significant part of the population who must rouse themselves up at 5 a.m. one day after eating Thanksgiving dinner and schlep over to a local retailer to wait on customers for twelve straight hours then the day is, understandably, black to you. Happy Black Friday!

Copyright 2005 --Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Samples from his portfolio are available right online.

Writen by Rex Ryan

Gift Baskets are an ideal gift for nearly any occasion. Gift baskets provide a convenient way to find a gift for practically any occasion, but they also provide an avenue for creative and personalized gift giving. Making gift baskets is fun and easy, and homemade gift baskets generally prove to be superior, personalized gifts to their pre packaged counterparts.

Finding a perfect gift is usually a challenge that goes far beyond understanding someone's interests and hobbies. One of the biggest problems with gift giving is the lack of true "tweener" products that cost in the reasonable $30-$60 range. For every hobby there are lots of little items that are needed on a continuing basis, and there are lots of bigger items that are expensive and/or very personalized equipment choices. Small items like golf balls and tees are not sizeable enough to represent a real gift, but a set of golf shoes or clubs is too expensive and individual to make a good gift. Gift baskets make it easy to find an assortment of smaller products and put them together for a personalized gift basket.

As a starting point, you should try to think of a quality, themed container to build the gift basket around. For example, a bucket makes a perfect container for a car wash gift basket. Absent a container that matches the theme, you will be forced to buy, find or make some other kind of container. Wicker baskets are popular, but really any container will do if it is dressed up properly.

Generally, gift baskets are put together with shredded paper. You can buy this paper at stores where crafts are sold, and cut it with scissors. This paper can also be used to cover the container if you are forced to use something like a shoe box. You could use newspaper, depending on the type of gift basket you are making, but colored paper is something you should plan on getting.

A great way to wrap the gift basket up is with tulle netting. This can be purchased at hobby stores or through many Internet locations cheaply. Place the gift basket in the center of a large piece of tulle netting, wrap all the content inside the netting, and tie it off with a ribbon.

If presentation is your top priority, some of the commercially available gift baskets will be hard to beat. But with work, a homemade gift basket can look even better than purchased gift baskets. But the real value in personalizing a gift basket is the thought that goes into the individual items of the gift. That's the thought that is remembered, and endearing to the person you are giving to.

Rex Ryan maintains the website:

http://www.giftbasketdeals.info

Writen by Brad Jacobsen

Christmas was a magical time for us as children, with the thoughts of Santa Claus coming to visit on every special Christmas Eve night. Thinking back, I remember waiting to visit Santa in the line up with all the other children.

We eagerly waited for our chance to sit with Santa, to give him our list for Christmas and to express how we were all good boys and girls that year. I remember visiting with Santa a number of times as a child but nothing was more memorable as one 37 years ago. At the time I was 7 years old and my sister was 5. It was a special year with my Mom, Dad, Grandfather (Papa) and Grandmother (Nana).

We all helped to get that special Christmas tree, hang the lights and decorations just right, while listening and singing to Christmas carols. Christmas eve night was now here and my excitement was topped by the hope that Santa would remember everything I had on my list.

That night, papa and nana came over to babysit us as our parents attended a Christmas party in town. It was getting dark and the Christmas lights were glistening around the house with the wonderful sounds of Christmas carols everywhere. As my sister and I got into our pajamas, papa waited to tell us some special stories of Christmas before our bedtime. My papa was always a very good storyteller, but there was one particular story that really stood out. He explained that Santa Claus had a very busy night on Christmas eve, and on his journey, if he stopped by, it was important that he have some milk and cookies so that he could continue on. After the story, my sister and I, scrambled to the kitchen, climbed up onto the counter to get a dish and a glass. My sister filled the dish with special shortbread and chocolate cookies while I filled up the glass with milk. Papa told us exactly where to place these special items so Santa would see them in plain view. We wanted to make everything just right for Santa! Nana and papa tucked us into bed, wished us a good nights sleep with special dreams of Santa's surprises for us in the morning.

Early the next morning, Christmas Day, before any stir of activity in the house, my sister and I jumped out of bed and immediately ran towards the kitchen. I noticed the empty plate on the counter along with a half finished glass of milk. All the cookies where gone (my sister had left about 5) except for some crumbs that were left on the plate. Next to the plate was a sheet of paper with a picture at the top, of a man with a long white beard. I hopped onto a chair next to the counter and could plainly see the handwriting that said 'From Santa'. Being so young, we had trouble reading the letter in its entirety so we jumped off the counter and went to our parent's room to show the fabulous find from Santa. We made sure that our mom and dad were awake fairly quickly by jumping on their bed because we really wanted to know what Santa said to us. "Wake up! Wake up! A letter from Santa! Can you read this to us Mom?" I passed over the letter. Although my mom was not quite awake, she turned on the light and said "let's see what we have here." Mom started to read the letter out loud. "From Santa, Thank you for the milk and cookies. The journey from the North Pole is a long one, and although it's late, I still have many more stops before I go back home. The cookies were yummy, and the milk was refreshing. Your snack will help me finish my long but exciting job tonight. I have left a special present for each of you for being such a good boy and girl this year." Our eyes glistened with each word read by our mom hearing that Santa had really been here!

Now, 37 years later, I don't remember all the gifts at Christmas time and but I do have a special memory of a letter from Santa!

About The Author
Brad Jacobsen enjoys spending time with family and friends at Christmas time and runs a web site that allows Santa to send letters to all boys and girls. You can go to santa-letter.1-800products.com/.

Writen by Carolina Fernandez

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

I was feeling a little blue last week. Out of sorts. I had a funny sensation all week. Couldn't really put my finger on it. I was feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. An uncommon feeling for me and one that I haven't experienced since I can remember. I came to the conclusion that it was because I was entering unchartered territory in getting this Rocket Mom Society officially launched. That even though I see the need, feel the need and am eager to respond to the need, that others would not necessarily catch my vision. That to get it up and running was too much work. That I was unqualified. Technologically retarded. Feeling a tad bit sorry for myself—no, feeling sorry isn't quite right—um, maybe feeling that I had over-stretched my personal limitations. Yes, that's it: stretched too much. Reached too far. Dreamed too big. And my emotions hadn't yet caught up with my brain.

I needed perspective, but far more, I needed wisdom. I needed to read that going out on a limb produces anxiety. That these feelings were normal. That I wasn't nuts. That it was okay to ask for blessings. For reassurances. That praying for enlarged territory was not only "allowable," but it was part of God's design on my life.

I curled up on my living room sofa with one of my favorite books: Bruce Wilkinson's The Prayer of Jabez. Having read and re-read it many times, I needed to re-read it now and capture, once again, the wisdom contained in its few pages.

Growing up as one of those Christians who believed it would be greedy of me to ask for even more of God's blessings when I enjoy so much to begin with, I had a hard time with the concept that it was not only okay to ask for more, but that it was what God wants from me. For starters, I had an incorrect understanding of the word "blessing." I had, of course, heard the word, seen the word. Hundreds if not thousands of times before. But we use it incorrectly. And it leads to misunderstanding. As Wilkinson discusses, we say "Bless you" after someone sneezes. We casually tell people we wish them blessings. We bless the food, bless the turkey, bless the pumpkin pie.

But "to bless in the Biblical sense means to ask for or to impart supernatural favor." (1) When I ask for God's blessings, I'm not asking for more of what I could get, or more of what I could accomplish or more of what I believe I deserve! I'm asking for God to impart to me—through His supernatural power—something which I could not attain by my own.

In Wilkinson's book, we see that Jabez left everything up to God: how he should be blessed, what blessings would befall him and how he would receive them.

It met me exactly in the moment in which I needed it. (I love when that happens…) I was able to finish the book, pull myself up off the sofa (after a nice little nap) and bounce through the weekend with renewed energy and enthusiasm. I had a simple prayer: "Lord, show Yourself powerfully. Show me that You are here. All around me. Working everywhere. Even in my loneliness and my fear."

And funny little things happened all weekend long. I got emails from friends with whom I hadn't conversed in weeks. Phonemails, too. Kind gestures were bestowed on me…catching me totally off-guard. Like when I offered to watch a complete stranger's little girl in the outside lobby at the Cheesecake Factory so the mom could check on the estimated length of her wait, only to receive during dinner some food sent over by her as a way of saying "Thank you." Several more small, seemingly insignificant acts of kindness occurred over the next couple days, giving me very much a sense of God's presence. Of His working everywhere.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I would ask you to give special consideration to the word "blessing." It is not meant to be taken lightly. It is a word which we raise up to our Creator in prayer. With humility. We ask for showers of blessings in order to further glorify God. Praying for God's desires to be met. Not ours. We pray without ego. Or competitive ambition. But just to better walk these days in service to Him and to our fellow man.

My Thanksgiving prayer is that you would receive supernatural blessings in order to live more fully God's design on your life. That He would abundantly bless you so that all of the things that He desires in the world would be met through each one of us bold enough to ask for our place in it. That however God wants to use you to fulfill His goals, you would be up for the challenge. And that it would be crystal clear, that it will not be by your works—or by mine—that His will be fulfilled. For as Scripture teaches: "The Lord's blessing is our greatest wealth; all our work adds nothing to it." (Proverbs 10:22) I hope you use some of the "downtime" of the holiday weekend to prayerfully submit yourself to God's work in this world. To be fully open of how and where you might fit into the eternal drama. That your heart would be pricked in such a way that you would be open to the miracles which God wants to do through your life.

May God's richest blessings come to you, on Thanksgiving Day and everyday!

NOTE:
Wilkinson, Bruce, The Prayer of Jabez, Multnomah Publishers, Sisters, p.23.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; homeschooling for ten years provided fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is available on Amazon.com, in bookstores everywhere, or by calling 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via parenting classes and radio and TV interviews. Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com to subscribe to her free ezine and get a weekly shot of inspiration.

Writen by Beth Tabak

"The stress-free way to enjoy the holidays is to plan, take one step at a time, and have a sense of humor." Beth Tabak

Can you feel the holiday jitters beginning? Suddenly there it is right around the corner. Relax! Take time to plan well now and ease into the holidays with a big smile. Grab a journal and pen, and let's get started.

1. Reminisce over previous holidays- In your journal create a column for What Works and another for Not That Again. Under What Works list the activities that bring you joy, come naturally, and click into place. Under Not That Again list your challenges. Jot down the things that drain your energy and bring you down. What can you do to delegate, dump, or change the items in the Not That Again column and embrace more of the activities in the What Works column? What changes need to be made?

2. Choose a theme you can be excited about- What is important to you this holiday? Base your theme on that. If you want to stay home instead of traveling your theme could be "Home for the Holidays". If your budget is tight consider "Simply Sensational". Your theme helps you stay focused. A theme that honors your spirituality could be "Faith and Family First". Or choose a favorite quote such as Mahatma Gandhi's "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World". Get creative, have fun, and write it down.

3. Set your top 4 priorities- Base them on what you really want which should connect with your theme. Get crystal clear. Write them down. When you know your priorities you are able to respond easily to a request and set boundaries. When someone asks you to get involved request 24 hours to respond. Look at your priorities and see if it serves them. If it does, consider it. If not, the answer is likely no.

4. Create a Map- What if you took a big trip without planning? You would likely get lost, waste time, and experience anxiety. It makes sense to plan at the holidays when so many areas of our lives are effected: time, energy, personal care, relationships, physical environment, and finances. Consider creating a task list thru the end of the year. It takes a block of time but will save you time and stress. It will rescue you from running in circles, going back and forth to the same place, and trying to remember what's next. In the past I've had hundreds of items on my task list. No wonder we get stressed when we attempt this in our heads. Here's a tool to help. Pick up a task list at www.StartingNowCoaching.com or create your own. On your computer create a chart with 4 columns. Use your theme for the header. Under your theme list your priorities horizontally. Label the columns in a way that is helpful to you. I use Business, Personal, Holiday, and Need List. Use small font and minimal margin space to fit as many rows as possible. Print your map. List your tasks and add on as they come to you. Keep your map with you at all times. Schedule time to carry out the tasks. Have fun and build momentum as you make progress. Remember to save it for next year.

5. Simplify- Every task must be handled. You can do it, delegate it, or dump it. Eliminate what does not serve your priorities. What can you get help on and delegate? This is a good time to get rid of those items on your Not That Again list. Hire someone to decorate or a housekeeper for the month. Have everyone bring a dish instead of you doing it yourself. Get your family involved and remember that things don't have to be perfect. Let go. This will give you the space to embrace what you truly enjoy.

6. Set a budget- Develop a budget that feels good. There are lots of ways to make a holiday special without adding stress to your budget. Show people they are appreciated. Plan family fun and activities. You can let someone know what is special about them in a card, letter, cassette, or video. Get creative. Every year I have one gift for the kids to find. I wrap empty boxes inside each other. When they open the last box there is a clue telling them the next step. Don't let a tight budget steal your joy. Make it fun!

7. Set boundaries- Decide now what you will not tolerate. Write it down. Remember your Not That Again list? Is there someone who ropes you into things you don't want to do? Have the conversation that's overdue. No is no. If someone keeps asking after you said no, they are attempting to control you. Setting boundaries is about educating people on how they can treat you. Is there someone you need to educate?

8. Schedule time for planning and yourself- When is a good time to update your plan? When can you take time for you? Put it on your calendar each week thru the end of the year. Keep the appointments. Add this line to your daytimer as a reminder: "I have an appointment in honor of myself this ______(day) at __:__ (time) to do something special for me because I sooooooo deserve it!"

9. Give in a way that gives you joy vs. obligation- When you give in a way that comes naturally to you, you stay in integrity with who you are. Therefore, you are able to share your own special gifts with others. When you are doing what you love life clicks. If there is a situation you are dreading, think about how you can tweak it and handle it in a way that would bring you more joy.

10. Take action now- Begin today so that you are tying up your last bows well before the pitter patter of hoofs on the rooftop. Keep your holiday journal and map close at hand. The sooner you complete your tasks, the sooner you can sit back, smile, and enjoy the season!

What I want for you is to take action to move one step forward to prepare for the holidays...Starting Now!

Please send your thoughts and comments. I would love to hear from you.

Copyright 2002, Beth A. Tabak. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Beth Tabak of http://www.StartingNowCoaching.com is committed to small business coaching & personal life coaching. She is also a speaker and columnist. Beth coaches big thinkers to move beyond limits, stand out in the crowd, and experience the vastness of their capabilities. Stop by to see all the gifts available to you and say "hello".

Writen by Susie Cortright

One of the highlights of the year in our family happens each November in an unlikely place: the bowling alley.

Years ago, my in-laws started a tradition of getting together Thanksgiving morning amid arcade games and greasy fries to bowl a few games. This Thanksgiving tradition has become a defining event in our family. Each year, more families join us and we sit back and marvel at how our web of family and friends continues to compound each year.

Celebrate families and togetherness this Thanksgiving Day with some time-honored traditions, which give us a sense of family identity and meaningfulness that can last for generations. Here are nine ideas for starting new family traditions - and for revering the old ones:

1. Sit down with your family and reminisce about your childhood celebrations. What do you remember most about Thanksgiving and the days that follow? Thanksgiving traditions can be much more than just food and recipes. In what ways did your childhood traditions symbolize particular values, such as abundance, generosity, the importance of family? What would you like to do that's the same? What would you do like to do differently?

2. Make a small booklet or a mini scrapbook album (which you can either make or purchase.) Write "Five Things I Love About My Family and Friends" and keep it out on the table during your Thanksgiving celebration. Each guest can come and record thoughts and insights. Other themes to try: "Five Things I'm Thankful For" or "Five Wishes for my Family and Friends." An even simpler approach would be to put one sheet of cardstock out for each year - and combine them together over the years in a Thanksgiving Gratitude Scrapbook.

3. Keep a Family Gratitude Journal through the year. Each night, a family member can share something that they are grateful for. Share the highlights of this family tradition at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day.

4. Make a Gratitude Circle. Before the Thanksgiving meal, everyone stands and holds hands in a circle. Guests each take a turn sharing what they are grateful for. Or - if your guests are on the shy side - ask everyone to write down their blessings on a piece of paper, which you can read before or after dinner.

5. Designate a particular tablecloth for your family Thanksgiving celebrations. Provide fabric markers where guests can record their "gratitudes" or special prayers for the year ahead. Ask your guests to sign and date each message, as you'll be using the same tablecloth year after year.

6. Involve the entire family in Thanksgiving decorations. Family Fun magazine posts lots of creative ideas for the entire family here: http://familyfun.go.com

7. Make a hostess gift for the person who is cooking this year. Purchase an apron or a t-shirt or a gift album with sentiments of thanks from each guest. Present the gift after dinner.

8. Show your gratitude to an unsung hero. Get together with your family and decide on a person or a group in your community who could use an extra pat on the back, ie. firefighters, soldiers, police officers, volunteers. Put together a special plate of goodies and deliver it (or pack it up for shipping) as a family.

9. Preserve your traditions. After the meal, record everyone's favorite activities. Appoint one person to be the scribe - or ask everyone to jot down a few thoughts. And don't forget to take lots of photos. It's fun to place disposable cameras throughout the house so everyone can capture bits of the action.

Copyright 2005 Susie Cortright

About the author: Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - sites devoted to celebrating life with children. Learn more about her scrapbooking club or about starting your own scrapbooking business on Susie's team. Visit her site today to subscribe to her free newsletters.

Writen by Edi Sowers

"Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life. Too many of us divide and dissipate our energies in debating actions which should be taken for granted." – Ralph W. Sockman

Most of us have at least some habits that we know do not support our well-being and success. Experts say that in order to break a habit, you need to replace it with a different habit. So, let's take out the habits that drain you, and add habits that give you energy! These things can be pleasurable things that nurture and restore you!

Here are some ideas to get you thinking (remember these daily habits will be different for everyone!):

Take a bubble bath

Go for a walk

Write in your journal

Write a thank you note

Call a friend

Do 10 minutes of stretching

Have lunch out under a tree instead of at your desk

Get to bed a half hour earlier

Wake up a half hour earlier

Brush your dog (or cat!)

The idea is not to add habits that you feel you SHOULD do - rather, to add habits that you would really LOVE to do because you know they will make you better able to enjoy life and do the things you must do!

Many people have a very difficult time with this. They are so stressed out and so guilt-ridden that they can't imagine doing anything for themselves on a daily basis!

A couple of tips to integrate these new daily habits:

Develop some sort of visual reminder. Most of us are so busy with full lives, it is helpful to have some kind of daily reminder until the habit becomes just that - a habit!

Try adding just one of your 10 daily habits at a time. It's less overwhelming, and you'll likely experience greater success!

So, write down your list of 10 daily habits, and start enjoying yourself today!

Visit LifeHouse Coaching to sign up for "Blueprints for a Dream Life" and receive Edi Sowers' f*r*e*e* weekly articles, coaching tips, and special offers. Edi works with women business owners who work at home and face the arduous challenge of balancing their personal and professional priorities in order to build their dream life.

Writen by Sharon Turnbull

Valentine's Day approaches -- that time of year when lovers (and wannabe's) are frantic, wondering whether to splurge on the heart-shaped box of chocolates, over-priced flowers, or the predictable greeting cards. Ever wonder how the madness all got started?

The history of Valentine's Day began with the ancient Festival of Lupercalia which honored the founding of Rome. To insure the fertility of the land, the festival also celebrated the erotic love that was the special domain of Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage. The month February was even named in her honor -- the word comes from the Latin word "febres", meaning feverish or febrile.

Held on the hillside near the Lupercallus ("Wolf-Cave"), where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were raised as infants by a pack of wolves, the festivities were held on February 15 each year. Led by a pagan priest, the activities included "whipping" all the women to ensure their fertility.

Another part of the celebration involved a lottery in which the names of the unmarried females were drawn by the eligible bachelors and the couples were paired for the following year to honor the goddess Juno -- obviously a prototype of matchmaker.com.

Turn the clock forward to the third century and you find Claudius II serving as the Emperor of Rome, which by that time had seen its glory days and was now being threatened on its borders by the Goths.

Claudius had a problem on his hands. He definitely needed his army to be at full strength. He felt that married men weren't very good soldiers, given their tendency to go A.W.O.L. when it was time to harvest the crops or whenever they felt the urge for a conjugal visit.

So concerned was the Emperor that he used his authority to ban the practice of marriage. And he banned the Festival of Lupercalia as well, since it was obviously contributing to the high incidence of marriage that seemed to be destroying his militia.

For the first time, the pagan Emperor and the growing Christian church found themselves on the same side of an argument. The Church was also opposed to the pagan festival of Lupercalia, objecting to its lustfulness, and especially the practice of the lottery.

Yet it was a dangerous time to be a Christian priest. A parish priest named Valentine was part of the Christian underground and, in defiance of the Emperor's edict, continued to marry couples in secret. He was soon found out and carried off to prison.

There must have been something very "special" about Valentine. The Emperor himself supposedly took the time to visit him in prison and tried to convert him to the worship of the ancient pagan deities. He failed miserably, and Valentine was executed on the February 14, in the year 270.

Church policy in dealing with the ancient religions often included a strategy of incorporating, rather than just banning, the pagan traditions. And it proved to be an effective strategy. Many of our contemporary holiday rituals and traditions are actually based on ancient pagan celebrations.

Anxious to end the lusty Lupercalia that they saw as a "festival of the flesh", the Church was a bit more subtle than the Emperor in their approach to getting rid of it. Having a "Saint's Day" celebration for the martyred Valentine, and holding it a day earlier than the pagan festival, was a clever idea indeed.

But like so many other holidays, Valentine's Day was co-opted once more, this time by secular, commercial interests. And so today we find ourselves sending valentines to all sorts of people, even those for whom we haven't the slightest marital, romantic, or lustful feelings . . . and wonder where all the passion in our lives has gone.

Sharon Turnbull, Ph.D., is the editor of The Goddess Path, a free monthly ezine that combines mythology, archetypal psychology, personal growth and just plain fun. She is also the creator of the popular online personality assessments, The Goddess Quiz and The Greek Gods Quiz. You can visit her websites at: http://www.goddessgift.com and http://www.god-goddess.com

Writen by William Lezubski

Halloween is quickly approaching and if you're searching for costume ideas, let us assist you in finding an exciting costume for this once a year spooktacular event!

Many of your ideas may come easily from watching your favorite movies, or you may read about the hottest trends for the holidays in your desired magazines, and come up with a really creative idea for a great costume character.

However, if you happen to be at a loss for a unique costume idea this year, times a ticking! Don't worry, we can offer you a list of the newest Halloween costumes available, and add a little twist that will make a hilarious splash for your outfit this season.

Halloween fun starts when you create that unique costume, that everybody wonders how you came up with that concept! Many adults and kids love to be the center of attention with the most creative characters that no one else will have, and that's a tough task in itself when there are dozens of retail stores selling the exact same Halloween costume.

The best costume tips we can offer to ensure that you don't have half a dozen people with the same Halloween outfit, is to try and mix and match the costume, in order to create an outrageous combination, which will have your friends and family howling their heads off!

Think Out Of The Costume Box To Get Those Creative, And Fun Juices Flowing!

If you're having a little trouble coming up with something that will wow your party guests, remember you must think outside the box! If you need a little push in the right direction, let us offer you a few of our suggestions to get you started, and see if you can expand on our outrageous Halloween tips.

Become a Vampire Baby: Just think about it for a second? Dracula had to be born and brought into this world just like us, so did you think he came into this world with his fancy ensemble? Of course not, so how about taking a large blanket for a diaper, a full-size skin tone color or light grey body tights, cape, white face paint, blood, and a pair of fangs. Add a baby bottle filled with deep red cranberry juice and VOILA!

Now with your baby vampire outfit ready to take on the dark underworld of infants, we are sure you can imagine the laughs you will get, and I bet you wouldn't have thought that Dracula would be getting his/her gruesome cheeks pinched so much during the night. After your party, it's going to be rather painful crawling back into your coffin.

Here's another wacky one! Cross-Dressing Darth Vader: Find a really awful dress, preferably off-white or pink, and get your hands on a Darth Vader mask. Now we're sure with the popularity of Star Wars that you will come across many Vader costumes, but while they may be switching over to the dark side that night, you will be flipping-over to the Darth Vader Cross-dressing side.

Come on, can't you picture this great idea! Going up to guests at your party and saying, "Luke, I'm really your mother!" Ok let's move on, maybe you'll like our next idea!

For the adult only event, and we mean a total non-Halloween family function (no kids allowed), the guys can consider going as an Egotistical Scotsman! Order a Highlander costume complete with the plaid skirt and all the accessories. Now we're sure you're actually wondering what is the major difference from another Scottish costume.

Here's the twist, you go out and purchase a skin tone color stocking and fill it with foam, tie off the tip to give it the, well, you know what look we're talking about! Then wrap it around your waist, letting it hang just long enough for it to be showing slightly below your skirt. Who's the king of Scotland now! For the men that still don't get what I'm trying to explain here, talk to your better halves or your mother, they can help you!

Of course we are not going to leave the women's costume ideas out, but it was a little more difficult coming up with a twisted thought for the ladies. So here we go!

Female Hugh Hefner: It's time to turn the tables, and we know it's not difficult for a beautiful lady like yourself to get your hands on a few of your male friends to dress-up as sexy Playboy bunnies! The rest is history, all you have to do is go online and find an authentic Hugh Hefner smoking jacket, silk looking pants, and fake cigar.

Make sure you're strutting around with your Playmates waving your cigar and acting extremely arrogant, and pinching the occasional bunny cheek during the night. (Pinching at your own risk, and we take no responsibility for this action, oh what the heck, give him two pinches on the cheeks for good luck!)

In order to make sure your costume theme idea is realistic, you must ensure your male partners are hanging around you often, giving you all the attention you deserve as the sexiest Playboy icon. Have the guys wear thick red lipstick while placing kiss marks all over your cheeks. We have a feeling after the Halloween party is over, you may not want to give up all that attention! We may be creating some monsters here.

Kids Ideas Are Very Creative When It Comes To Wacky Costume Fun!

Children are the best source when it comes to thinking of crazy ideas, and they can easily turn up with some mad creations! If you don't have any kids to help you, then contact the closest friend that has a bizarre imagination. If you can do it on your own, then we suggest you jump on your witches broom, and fly with your off the wall idea.

It's crunch time, and you want to make your ideas fun and unique. If you happen to like our wild ideas, and they find your funny bone, then go with them. Or if you would like to create your own concept, go for it.

The bottom line here is that we want you to achieve a great costume idea, by taking simple concepts and letting your ideas work to create that little twist, that will make your outfit that much better. Your Costume will be so funny that you will have all your guests laughing in stitches. Hmmm., stitches, I think we have another great idea for a costume!

About the author: William is the owner and the author of "1st In Halloween Costumes" available at http://www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com A great source for Adult Halloween Costumes online! You can easily find and compare halloween sites offering quality adult costumes, sexy adult costumes, and adult halloween costume ideas.

Writen by George Wood

Finding great Christmas gifts for women is a tough job for many men. You think, plan, cancel plans, make new ones, and then buy a gift which you think the lady would never like. Why not think a little beforehand and then act according to it. What you need to think about is what the woman is most specialized in or how she enjoys herself the most. For example, if she likes to try new fashions and colorful clothing items, then you can buy a wonderful scarf or a muffler for her. Even sweaters, stockings and shawls are liked by many women.

Think of what might be useful for them in their household. Most women like to receive Christmas gifts which will help them decorate their home, especially the bedroom and the kitchen. They like to try out new machines, choppers, blenders, juicers etc. These machines can prove to be good gifts for women. For the bedroom she would love to have elegant lamps, mirrors and rugs. If you want to have something smaller and more stylish you can also look for decorative stuff, for example candles, and fresh flowers. Even perfumes and body accessories are loved by many women.

Humorous gifts also tell woman how much you care for her to have thought of such an idea to make she smile. It is always very touchy to give something out of your own possession which woman may have admired or appreciated at some point. Polish it a little and wrap it in a beautiful Christmas gift wrap to give it a new look. Buy something nice for the bedroom or living room and help her in deciding where it should be placed. Try to have everything in perfect harmony so that nothing may look out of place or disoriented.

Finally, an idea every woman would love, is to receive a shopping voucher as a Christmas gift. All women are shopaholic whether they admit it or not. You can also surprise your lady with a surprise dinner at her favorite restaurant. Women love it when men remember their favorite hangouts and other things they might have told them at some point in their lives. If you can think back to an old occasion the both of you enjoyed, you can bring back that time by making everything look the same again and surprise her. Believe me, this is going to take her breath away.

Writen by Regina Garson

As the holiday season swings into overdrive, many of us agonize one more time over the perfect holiday gift for our loved ones. No matter the budget, no matter the list, the agonizing is a yearly ritual. One of my kids' early preschool teachers had the best gift idea of all. She said no matter what else you give them, be sure to give your kids some memories. When you get down to it, memories are one of the very few things that you can count on lasting.

I still think about that bit of advice as I reminisce about the best Christmas ever when my own children were small. In the classic family tradition, they were all snug in their beds. I had just finished my holiday cleaning. Every decoration was perfect, all the gifts were neatly wrapped and truth be known, Santa had already stopped by.

Then, as fate would have it, the dog needed to go outside. I was unaware it was even raining until he trotted back in through the kitchen, leaving a tell-tale trail of muddy paw prints across my fresh shinning floor. I stared in disbelief at the muddy paw prints. They led right up to the table where Santa's treats were still waiting. And then, in a flash, I grabbed a bowl, trotted right out into the rain and scooped up my own batch of newly-minted mud.

I pondered momentarily, wondering exactly what a reindeer's footprints looked like. Then I realized that since no one in my family had ever seen them either, the only thing that really mattered was that they had to be different from those of the dog. I started the tracks at the door, and planted muddy little three-toed paw prints right beside the dog prints. I went all the way up to the kitchen table, and then back to the door again.

Then I took out a piece of paper and wrote:

I am so sorry, but Rudolph saw the snacks on the table and he came in behind me tracking mud all over the place. I am very sorry for the mess.
Merry Christmas,
Love Santa
P.S. Thanks for the snacks.

Then I took a few really good bites out of some carrots and placed the stems on the plate next to what now remained of Santa's cookies.

Of course, the kids found the note and the muddy reindeer mess before I got up. They rushed in to wake me up and tell me what Rudolph had done and for me to please not be mad at him for messing up my clean floor. Santa was really sorry. He even left a note.

What were the gifts that Christmas? I no longer have a clue. But ask the kids about the time Rudolph got loose in the house and tracked mud all over the kitchen. They will tell you and I still remember their faces and the excitement over the misadventures of Santa's errant reindeer. They'll never forget and I won't either.

Christmas was suddenly alive, it was real and the magic lived. Years later they asked me about that event and how it came about. A mom tracking mud over her own freshly-mopped floor never occurred to them. And so they believed. If there had ever been a shred of doubt in their minds, it vanished and Christmas was born once again.

You can never know when your magic moment might come. Our best ever was Rudolph's muddy mess. Everyone has a similar story, and if they don't they most certainly should. My mom told me that when she was a child all snug in her own bed, late one Christmas Eve, she heard sleigh bells in the darkness outside her window. She too believed. If you ask her about it today, she will tell you about those bells of yesteryear as if it were only last night.

This year, if you can, just for a moment, put the holiday frenzy on the back burner where it belongs. It's Christmas. Give the most enduring gift of all. Keep the magic alive. Give a memory.

Copyright 2005 Regina Pickett Garson

Regina Pickett Garson edits and publishes Magic Stream, http://www.magicstream.org -- which is among the earliest online self-help and wellness resources. She teaches at Virginia College in Huntsville, Alabama.