Christmas Time Is Here!!!

Everybody cheer, Christmas time is here. Finals are done, now I start to run around that is, for gifts for friends. There is so much to grab, so much is needed I asked for so much, I begged and I pleaded. I grabbed all the tinsel and three it on the tree I grabbed a few stockings for family, friends and me. I threw up some garland and put on a Santa Hat. My friend got into the Santa suit and petted our cat I grabbed my debit card and off I ran buying my gifts with lots of bags in my hands. At home I wrapped and placed near the chimney Oh I nearly forgot to get and decorate a tree. Off on another adventure I found the right one Home to decorate and have a little fun. Once it was lit and all was hung I knew my job had just begun. wait or was it done ....wink wink

Christmas time is full of errands to run, things to do, people to see, and songs to sing. It is supposed to be one of the most exciting and fun seasons of the year. Sadly though i have run into many people who do not like Christmas. HOW CAN THEY NOT LIKE CHRISTMAS?!?

That is a good question. Who would not like Christmas? Scrooge....well before he changed. Yes that is a symptom for Christmas. People turn into Scrooge's. So How do you know if you are turning into one?

1. Do you have trouble going into a store because you cannot stand the ringing of the bells?
2. Do you have a dislike for wrapping Christmas Presents?
3. Do you dislike Christmas Trees, all even the fake ones?
4. Do you gag when you hear Christmas Songs?
5. Do you avoid going out and shopping during Christmas?
6. Do you want to scream?
7. Do you hear chains in your home?
8. Have you been visited by a ghost?

If you answered Yes to any of the above you are having a symptom of Christmas.

Remember Christmas time is a time for smiling and having fun. Yet if you are stressed out how can you have the fun? Breathe enjoy looking at all the decorations around. There are so many lights. Do not stress about small things. A nice gift for 20 dollars for most people is a 10 dollar gift card to food and a 10 dollar gift card to the movies. Gift cards are fun, you don't have to stress about not knowing what the other person wants because they can go get it for themselves.

A gift for a family under ten dollars: the dollar store

• 1 basket
• 2 movies
• popcorn
• Hot cocoa
• 4 mugs with candy in them

Arts and Crafts family:
Find a place that will teach you how to make something and you get to keep the product. Pay the ten dollars for each person or whatever the price is. I know a family that makes candles and they let people make the candle and take it home and it ranges in price. The price I did was 10 dollars. I got a heart candle and got to pick out my colors, my scent, my designs, and then I got to make it myself with the help of their time.

Gifts for the whole family to give away:

1. approx 7 dollars for the chalk spray
2. you can get jars from the dollar store or recycle jars you have
3. Marshmallows dollar store
4. Hot cocoa dollar store
5. Chocolate chips dollar store
6. Ribbon dollar store
7. Chalk dollar store

Spray the jars outside of the house the day before with the chalk spray. (only spray the OUTSIDE of the Jar ONLY) The next day: inside the jars fill up with hot cocoa, marshmallows, chocolate chips in layers. Place on lid and tie a ribbon on it. Let the kids use chalk and decorate. Dollar store mugs work as well.

You can even do these jars as surprise jars... guess what is on the inside with a clue drawn with chalk on the outside. This is a fun craft.

Good gifts right now would be gift cards to an all purpose or grocery store. Such as Walmart where they can get clothes if needed, or bathroom items, or A grocery store for food. Right now a lot of people are struggling and this can help them get by. Or be creative and make a gift basket of those items. Dollar store would be good to pick up bathroom stuff for a gift basket.

Another fun thing for Christmas is to get the kids involved in cooking and baking and make plates (dollar store plates) and fill them up with the goodies you and the kids made.

** Can you tell I like the dollar store**

So what if you don't have a dollar store where you live?
The thing about Christmas is not to stress. You can always come up with something. If you don't have a dollar store or money then think about re-gifting nice items that you have not used and would not use. Be truthful. If you had a sweater that still has the tag on it that you have not touched in three years then more then likely that should be the first thing to re-gift.
Another idea is to make a coupon book yourself add things like:

• One free day of hugs
• One hour of cleaning
• One hour help with baby sitting
• One silly song
• One hour foot massage or back/shoulder massage

****Be creative****

One year I had beads that I had not touched in a very long time and I had some of my friends kids over and decided we were going to make bracelets for everyone for gifts. In fact any crafts is good for people. I had a friend that loves to do puzzles so they put a puzzle together, glued it, framed it and gave it to me as a gift. I LOVE IT. It is hanging in the front room. Everyone gets to see it when they come in and I had a lot of people comment on how beautiful it is.

A gift could be a day together. Me and my friend took a gift day for each other and we just made food, watched a movie, and laughed talking about things that happened in the past. Remember if you have no money and you know you get paid after Christmas you can do a IOU a dinner or whatever you want to owe.

Just remember not to stress you can always do something for someone. Just think positively and pray. God always provides. An example of that is one year I had no money to get everyone a gift. I prayed and prayed and got nervous as time got closer. I started to stress but stressing was doing nothing. I prayed again asking for help. I was told to be patient, think positive and everything will be fine. Well a week before Christmas I got two gifts early, one from a secret Santa and one for a belated birthday. (My birthday is December 7th). Both were candy which I don't really like. It was the nice kind of candy that was in a box set that they order through places like sees candy and such. I was so excited because I needed two gifts for two people and I just got them from other people. I re-wrapped them still unopened and gave them to others.

Other ideas:

1. Get a notebook and write out recipes
2. Draw a note card
3. Offer to walk with a friend for a week and do other fun things like Bob Harper's or Jillian Micheal's workout (works for those who say they want to go to a gym)
4. Offer to be a chauffeur for a day
5. Offer to do some house work or garden work
6. A gaming day where you compete on video games all day at your house if you have the consoles or theirs so they have a friend to play with.
7. A day going around looking at all the Christmas lights.
   

If you need more ideas you can always ask me or a fun site for cheap gift ideas is:

http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/
http://tr-work-from-home-ideas.com/
http://find-your-abs-fitness.com/
http://www.online-games-your-way.com/
http://www.kidpartyideas.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned for fun decorations for Christmas

~Hugs Keyria~

f ffi fifi fiinaaa I am to scared to say the word... FINALS ahhhhh!

Wow, where did the time go? Looks like my clock broke down for a long time. Finals are coming up, Christmas is coming up, and more. There is so much to do that we start to panic. Where did the time go?

What was the first step of de-stressing???? We start to panic... just remember BREATHE. Lets start with finals. If you can get into a study group. It does wonders but if you are like me and don't have a way then take the time to review your past notes. There is plenty of down time for this:

If you are a passenger in the car bring your notes.
If you are waiting for the kids at the school for pick up, bring your notes.
If you are in your car waiting for your partner to finish shopping in the store bring your notes/book. In fact, my friend and I went shopping and he took in his book (for his class) and pushed the cart and read as I shopped.
There is always a ten minute part of a day when you can read the book. Do not make excuses. Instead find time and use it.

I also learned that after I write the notes for class, I type them up. To make sure I am typing them up I send them off to friends to help them remember as well. My friends in return on days that I am sick cover for me by taking notes or if they see I left something out in my notes they send me an update. This helps me not only remember what I just wrote but it is like rehearing it and helps me to retain it better.

What really helps me learn is I try to make a study guide. I will make up questions from the notes and then have to answer them. Sometimes I will do flash cards. Yes this may seem a bit silly to others but if you really want to pass and you really are learning these methods can help. I will also put poems or songs to words or phrases that need to be remembered. We all remember some of those poems. Never Eat Sour Watermelon = North East South West. Or In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

The best thing I can tell you other then to study is come time of the test. RELAX. Take a deep breath and just relax. If you cant remember a question answer go to the next question and return to the one you cant remember later. Usually test will give away certain answers in some of their other questions. Not always but sometimes. Even still after you finish the other questions you have made time to clear your mind and when you go back you can normally remember. However if you still cannot remember, you have gone blank, do not stress!!!! The more you stress the harder it is for you to get through a test. Take another deep breath and try to remember your notes. Have patience. The more you rush the more you will forget. Patience gives you time to remember things, and it means to be calm.

Remember if you do not pass the test it is NOT the END OF THE WORLD. One of my friends didn't pass her test she was so upset about it. I told her to relax and just redo the class. She wasn't happy about it but she did follow my instructions. She came to me and said she was glad she did because she was able to not only pass but she said she caught on a lot more because she remembered stuff from the first time and then she was able to follow along with the other stuff she missed. She passed the class with flying colors and instead of getting the C she was hoping for on the first time when she got the D. She got a A on the second time and that looks so much better then a D let alone a C.

So remember life goes on and sometimes we have to redo courses to learn them better. That is the same with life sometimes we have to redo lessons in life to understand them better.

To learn about Christmas de-stressing... stay tuned to this blog and it will appear.

~Hugs Keyria~