Happy New Years!

As the year comes to an end and the tree starts coming down, we start to reflect on the year past and make resolutions for the next year. I know there’s a number “13″ in the next calendar year and the Mayan’s supposedly predicted mankind’s demise, but let’s throw superstitions aside and know that it will be a great year full of good luck and abundance. What are your plans for New Years? Do you make resolutions and do you follow them? How about not making unreasonable resolutions for the New Year, (I will lose 20 pounds and fund a trip to Paris!), but how about making ones you can stick to, and be happy about?

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Here are some easy resolutions you can be sure to stick to:

1. I promise to treat myself better. (No more negative talk.) I won’t say anything bad about myself I wouldn’t say to my best friend. After all, I AM my best friend, and I love me. If I am truly unhappy about something in my life and want to change it, I will make the steps to do so.

2. I promise to eat better. I will make a conscious choice to make better food choices and think before putting something in my body that could be bad in the long run.

3. I promise to keep in touch with my loved ones. Life is short. Let them know you love them. It doesn’t take long to make a phone call and brighten up someone’s day.

4. I promise to look into saving for retirement. I know I should have technically done this when I graduated from high school, but I didn’t. A consultation from Northwest Mutual is free and extremely eye-opening… Hey, it’s your future.

5. I promise that I will spend more time with my friends. An occasional lazy weekend instead of hitting up a party happening is ok, but if you stop hanging out with friends altogether, you stop getting invited places. Lately I’ve realized the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships with friends, and I want to put in the effort to spend quality time with those who are important to me. Throw a girls night, go to brunch, or sit on the sofa with someone and chat on a lazy Sunday. Make memories, grow friendships, and meet more people!

6. I promise to read more books and less magazines. A mind should never stop learning. Books on my list this year: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus,  and You are Not Your Brain (a book about changing your way of thinking in 4 steps to be more positive).

7. I will be better with the money I DO have. I use Mint.com for budgeting and financing and I rave to my friends about it. I also keep a check register for months ahead of time so I know when to be on the lookout for low balances. It doesn’t hurt to talk to a financial planner to see where you can cut back on expenses and save more money for things like vacations and emergencies.

8. Last but not least, I will listen to my gut. I will stop ignoring my instincts and find ways to be happier. If something genuinely doesn’t make me happy or feel right, I will find a way to either change it or change myself, otherwise, it has to go. Happiness should be a way of life, not an end goal. Make it happen!

Happy New Years, friends! Be safe, and I’ll see you next year!

 

 

Glitter Crafts!

So I found some cheap glitter at Hobby Lobby and wanted to try and make some crafts. I know, “glitter is the herpes of crafting.” because once you use it you can’t ever get rid of it. But it’s so pretty! Craft number one: the Anthropologie tree in a jar. I’ve seen these little guys at Anthropologie for $28, and thought to myself… I can make that.

Tree in a Jar

Tree in a jar. Simple looking and adorable.

First I collected what I needed. Jars from Peanut butter were better shaped than the jars from spaghetti. You can use actual Mason Jars if you choose. I didn’t have a small tree on me (you can get them at craft stores in the model town area) so I clipped a few sprigs off my faux garland and decided to hot glue them together.

Here’s the glitter I found for just under $5. What a steal! So much I can do with this…

I gathered these things out of my ornament box since I wanted to add a little more to the jar than just a tree.

I hot glued the little sprigs together then trimmed them into the shape of a tree. The next step was to paint the branches white for the snow.

I used a dry brush technique, where you dab a brush in a little bit of acrylic paint, then lightly dab some off of the brush, and lightly touch the edges of the branches till you get the look you are going for. Let this dry.

I needed the tree to stand upright so I used an old wine cork to do the job. I cut it in half with an exact o blade, then carved out a little hole in the center and hot glued the branch wad into it. Let this cool / dry.

Here’s my little santa in the jar! To finish the jar, you glue the tree into the lid, I also put some quilt batting around the tree and glued it to the lid for fluff. I glued the little santa in there too. I put about a half tablespoon of glitter in the jar then screwed the lid on, and there you have it!

All I have to do now is paint the lid a different color. Since I had everything I needed at home all I had to pay for was the glitter. This would be a great gift idea!

Glitter Clothespins

Next I wanted to make some glitter clothespins for gifts. This is one of the easiest crafts. You need:

• Clothespins
• A roll of magnet tape
• acrylic paint
• glue like Elmer’s or Mod Podge
• Maybe Gorilla Glue

Take your clothespin and if you decide to use white glitter, paint the clothespin in a color of your choice, the color will show through the light glitter.

If you use the gold and silver you can just paint on some glue and sprinkle on some glitter. Shake off the excess glitter, let dry, and paint a coat of Mod Podge over the glitter so it doesn’t keep coming off.

I painted some in blue, and used the white glitter to let the blue paint show through. I had to cut the magnet tape into a skinny strip to fit on the back of the clothespin. Once I stuck the magnet tape on I realized it was starting to curl and come off. Not fun! I tried hot gluing them back on and it worked better, but they slightly peeled off again. Maybe use some gorilla glue and make those puppies stay on there.

These are the colors I ended up with!

Finished! The magnets aren’t the strongest, so think twice before putting something heavy in them. Happy Glitter-ing!

Don’t Buy New Gift Wrap This Year! Ideas for Alternative Wrapping.

Gift wrap. One of those things birthday candles and a Starbucks cup that hold excitement for just a little while then 5 minutes later, it’s gone and wasted. Yay… That was fun. So why spend the money this year on wrapping when you are already spending money on the gift? You can make your own wrapping with just a little creativity that will cost you less than one of those fancy glitter covered gift bags.

How about stamping old tissue paper? You can also get a large pack of tissue paper at the craft store for $1. Not too bad! Plus I bet you already have some laying around the house somewhere.

While we are on the subject of stamping, how about using the insides of paper bags? You can use a ball of twine or jute you get at the hardware store for tying your gift for under $2. I know you’re thinking, “Roxanne, stamps aren’t cheap you know. You need ink, and the stamp, and that will add up.” You’re right. It does add up. Not if you use a coupon to your local craft store you get online for 40% (in most cases) or look at the dollar store or shop when there’s a sale. I know Michael’s craft store has dollar bins in the front of the store with stamps. Look there. OR: Try making some.

Link via Say Yes to Hoboken.

Check out this post from Ellinée about creative gift wrap ideas.

More Ideas to wrap with:

• Road Maps
• Table clothes and linens
• Old Cookbook pages from a thrift shop. Just the recipes you would never cook… Or ones you want to share.
• Fabric Scraps- stitch the edges and tie around the present

• Paper from Christmas past. Why not re-use? I tend to keep old tissue paper, I like to use that inside of a clear plastic bag tied with ribbon.
• Newspaper. Find a funny headline and circle it. Or circle words to create a sentence.
• Comic Books from a re-sale store.
• Use strips of tule as ribbon, it’s very easy to tie.
• Shoeboxes- use some acrylic to paint them.
• Wallpaper samples from a paint store. I went in one year and got old wallpaper books and used the large squares to wrap all of my gifts. The paper is so thick you can make boxes out of them Click here for a template.
• Coffee Filters. Why not lay them all out, tape some together from the inside, and wrap a gift in it, finished with some nice ribbon?

How about using wrapping from a thrift store?

These thrift store finds are some great creative and cheap solutions. And low on the carbon footprint.

And speaking of Jars:

Why not use some Elmer’s or Mod Podge and make your lids personalized?

Use some lunch bags for gift wrap and make them pretty.

How about an old lunchbox? Check out this site for ideas for gifts under $5.

I LOVE this idea with the tissue paper:

So cheap, and cute. You can even keep it and re-use it again. Or decorate with it.

So, save some time, money, and trees and think about making your own gift wrap. After all, it’s what’s inside that counts. Happy Holidays!

Guest Post: Stress Reduction Tips for Simplicity During the Holidays

The holidays are often a very stressful time of year. Not keeping stress in check can lead to even more stress during the most wonderful time of the year. The good news is that there are ways to prevent stress and stay sane during the holidays so that you can enjoy your loved ones and celebrations.

Image Source: moastidrom.blogspot.com 

Talk it Out: Find a close friend and just talk to them. Getting whatever is causing your stress off of your chest will make a world of difference. Make sure the person you talk to is trustworthy and not a source of your stress, however. You need to be able to be completely honest and open with this person for them to help you in relieving some stress.

Watch Your Budget: It feels good to buy great gifts for everyone on your list, but your bank account and credit card debt may not like this very much. Finances are a major source of stress during the holidays. Your family will not love you any less if you do not get them the most expensive gifts. They just want your love and company. So, create a reasonable budget and stick with it. You will have less stress and enjoy the holidays a lot more.

Throw Perfection Out the Window: Things are not going to go flawlessly. There may be a hot toy that you will not be able to find, a pie that gets a little burned or you may be a few minutes late to a party due to traffic or weather. The holidays never go perfectly. Just know that things can and will happen and regardless, everything will still be fine. In a nutshell, give yourself permission to let go of the things that are out of your control and do not over-analyze the things in your control.

Maintain Your Healthy Habits: It may be hard to exercise with family staying at your house, or to stick to healthy foods with so many tempting treats. However, it is important to keep your healthy habits because this will help make you feel better and you will not have to worry about feeling guilty for over-eating or not exercising. Now, this is not to say that you have to be flawless, but instead of eating in excess, eat the portions you would normally eat and then get your workouts in as you normally would. Your body and mind will thank you. It is also important to keep sugar and fats to a minimum because these can make us just not feel our healthiest.

Plan Ahead: Few things are as stressful as getting things done last minute. Get your shopping done in advance and do a check about a month before a big dinner or party to make sure that you have everything you will need. This way you will have an entire month to get those odds and ends. When the big day comes, you will be able to just concentrate on getting everything together and will not be in a position where you have to rush to the stores to find one or two items that are often flying off the shelves during the holidays.

Do Some Deep Breathing: When you feel like steam is about to start coming out of your ears, take 15 minutes, go somewhere where you can be alone and do some deep breathing. If you have a house full of people, go out to your car. Just find a quiet place where you can get comfortable, close your eyes and breathe deeply for 10 to 15 minutes. This will calm your nerves and restore your inner calm.

 

About the Author: Richard Tucker is a father of 2 who has been writing about self-improvement and simple living for many years. When he’s not writing, you can find Rich reviewing energy efficient elevator replacement components.

Hello, September.

As I sit here with cold toes, (even though it’s near 80 outside, i’m cold blooded, what can I say) I am reminded of fall. Yes, we all love and gush about fall and it’s colored leaves, chunky sweaters, pumpkin lattes, and layers, so i’ll do what I do every year. Write about it.

Get cozy, it’s about to get colder. Image credit

 Yes please! Image link

Find a good book to read.

I imagine this to be Nutella hot chocolate. Image link

Go ahead, throw a dinner party. The farmer’s market has the best stuff this time of year.

My FAVE fall outfit that looks good on anyone. Leggings, boots, cozy dress, chunky scarf, and your favorite fall jacket.

Tomato basil bisque. Three delightful little words.

When I think fall, I think Chai Tea. This recipe is about home made chai concentrate, but in a pinch brew a packet of Tazo Chai and mix with a little skim or half and half for a smooth latte.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for fall already! True, i’m not ready for summer to diminish quite yet. I still have a lot of beach going, outdoor festing, farmer’s markets to attend, and bike riding to do. Happy Autumn!