Family Fun

March Special Dates and Events

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This year March has only two special dates/holidays. There is Daylight Savings day on Sunday, March 11. Most of us will move the clocks forward and lose that extra hour of sleep.  You don’t want to be late for any plans that day so be sure to set your clocks the night before.

ShamrockThen there is St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 17.  St. Patrick’s Day may have started out as an Irish religious holiday over 1000 years ago but many people, including all us non-Irish, love to join in the celebrations today. Below are several links to find out about the history of this holiday and fun ways to celebrate it with your family.

March also has several month long events. There is Women’s History Month, American Red Cross Month, And National Craft Month. There is also Poison Prevention Week. If you have small children or pets be sure to check out the FAQ’s at the link below for a lot of good information.

If you are a crafter then this will be a month filled with special sales and classes at your local craft store. Below are some links for some of the major stores where you can find out the specials in your area.

If your craft/sewing area is filled with clutter and unfinished projects it may be time to clean it out before starting any new ones. I’ll be posting an article on decluttering craft supplies next week.  Be sure to check back here or better yet sign up to receive an email when a new post is written. You can sign up here…..

Check out the sites below and start getting organized for the month ahead. Remember that a little planning today makes tomorrow easier and a lot more fun!

Janice

Women’s History Month

http://womenshistorymonth.gov/

http://www.nwhp.org//

American Red Cross Month

www.redcross.org

National Craft Month

This is a great site for projects and links to blogs on crafting.

http://www.craftplace.org/

If you’re into sewing and crafts these links are for the major craft stores.  On the main page of each site you can also link to their Facebook page.

http://www.joann.com/

http://www.hancockfabrics.com/

http://www.hobbylobby.com/

http://www.michaels.com/

poison_prevention_awareness_month_pageMarch 18 – 24,  Poison Prevention Week

http://www.poisonprevention.org/poison.htm

March 11 (Sunday), Daylight Saving

Make sure you move your clocks forward.  Spring forward, fall back. That’s how I always remember which way to move the clock.

   http://www.holidaysmart.com/z_daylightsavingstime.htm 

ShamrockMarch 17 (Saturday), St. Patricks Day

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/patrick-history.html

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Ideas for Last Minute Holiday Inspiration

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It’s hard to believe Christmas is just a little over a week away.  The first night of Chanukah is next Tuesday, December 20. The greeting cards are arriving in force now. If you haven’t mailed yours yet it’s time to do it.

In my monthly newsletter I included a lot of website links for ideas on Christmas and Chanukah. Here are some of those links to help you with ideas for gifts, organizing your holidays, making homemade decorations with your children, holiday recipes, and lots of other ideas.  Check them out for some last minute inspiration.

Christmas

http://christmas.organizedhome.com/

http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/

http://browse.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/christmas/index.html

 

Chanukah

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Hanukkah.htm

http://holidays.kaboose.com/chanukah/

 

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

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Reduce Stress by Creating New Traditions

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December is one of the most hectic, crazy, and hopefully fun months of the year. There are the holiday parties at the work place, schools, friends’ parties, and family gatherings.  Then there is the shopping for gifts plus the shopping for groceries for meals and baking. Don’t forget there are all the decorations to put up to create that festive mood in your home. Plus sending out all those greeting cards!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, or both there are a lot of preparations for the holidays.

Along with all these activities comes a lot of stress. The expectations are high. Usually these high expectations come from long standing traditions, many which we don’t even know where they came from.  Maybe it’s time to lower those expectations and create some new traditions that fit our lifestyle of today.

It’s not always easy to change a tradition without feeling guilty, especially if it’s been handed down for several generations. If you enjoy the tradition then go ahead and keep it going.  If you don’t enjoy it you probably experience un-needed stress to keep it going.  Maybe it’s time to question why!

Here is a little story about following traditions and not knowing why.  I’ve heard many times in different ways. Some call it “Grandma’s Cooking Secret”.

A young newlywed was cooking a brisket.  Her husband asked her why she cut off both ends of the brisket before putting it in the roasting pan.  She replied that was the way her mother always did it.  She later asked her mother why and her reply to her daughter was because her mother had always done it that way.  The next time they were over at the newlywed’s grandmother’s house she asked her why she always cut off the ends of the brisket. The grandmother replied, “because my roasting pan was too small”.

Snopes has several variations of this story. They will make you question why you follow some of your traditions.

Start some new traditions this year that fit your current family, not past generations. You’ll be starting new traditions to pass down to your children. And let them know why you are doing things your way.  Be opened minded about your children wanting to create some of their own new traditions.

Change is sometimes hard to accept. If you’re not happy with a new tradition then you can always go back to the old one next year.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

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Countdown to Halloween Series Part 5

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We are down to the last week before Halloween. Time to make sure everything is ready to go. Below are several check lists to help you. You still have time to prevent that crazy last minute rushing around.

Costumes

  • Try them on and make sure they fit correctly.
  • Make any alterations if necessary.
  • Review costume safety (see links below) to make sure you are not putting your little ones at risk for an accident.
  • If using make-up be sure to test it in a small spot several days before the party or trick-or-treating. You don’t want to ruin Halloween with an allergy flair-up.

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Countdown to Halloween Series Part 5Read More »

Countdown to Halloween Series Part 5 Read More »

Requesting Input for New Blog Series

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I am currently writing a blog series called “Countdown to Halloween”.  My objective is to help you prepare for Halloween over the course of the four weeks of October.

I will be sending out 1-2 blog posts each week with a list of things you can do to start enjoying the holiday without all the last minute stress. This series will be set up where I will welcome your suggestions or questions. It will be a lot like a free e-course only we get to help each other through the comment section of this blog and/or on my Facebook page.

cat02 halloween

Before I start the blog series in the next few weeks I’m asking for your input now on what you would like to see in the each post. Right now the areas I’m writing about are:

  1. Setting up indoor and outdoor decorations.
  2. Making or buying costumes.
  3. School parties.
  4. Buying candy or other treats.

If there are other areas you would like to see addressed in this series please let me know in the comment section.

If you want to receive the “Countdown to Halloween” blog series and future blog series please sign up here….

If you already receive the blog post updates in your email then you are ready to go.

For more tips on organizing and decluttering be sure to “Like” my Facebook page. This is also a good place to make comments or ask questions.

http://www.facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors

 

book cover

The “How To Have A Fun, Safe, And Decluttered Halloween” eBook is now available for the PC, Kindle, and Nook. It’s a witches brew of tips on decorations, costumes, and treats. Get it now before you head to the store.

 

Thanks for you input.

Janice

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