I was thinking the other day ... a lot of people place a lot of hope in winning the lottery.
I don't think there is really anything such as coincidence. I think that there is a whole lot more going on than that. Somebody up there clever is still in charge :-)
Anyway - while I was thinking myself admittedly - about all the things I could do if I won the lottery - I got to thinking ... more truly ... the thought popped in my head that if I did win the lottery, I would have nothing left to look forward to.
That is the same about knowing the future.
I don't want to know the future. Don't want to know horror-scopes filled with doom and gloom that are mostly computer generated (had a science teacher tell me that).
I am looking forward to it though. I believe it is going to be good.
But there is a joy in not knowing what it is going to contain.
A long time ago, I felt pretty hopeless. I have my hope renewed though. That is pretty special. For the first time today, I put my youngest child on one of those $2 rides at the shopping centre. I used to be such a tightwad that I had refused to do things like that with my other two children. What a shame.
It isn't the $27.8 million dollars that makes you truly rich - it is those $2 moments with your children, surrounded by your family and loved ones that make you realise that you are richly blessed. Family and true friends are priceless.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Why You Should Celebrate Christmas (Well, well I do anyway)
I have been looking around at so many of the Christmas displays and it has changed since when I was a child - I think the Nativity scene used to be displayed a lot more.
I was reading an article about preparing Christmas decorations around your home, and nowhere did it say about a Nativity scene.
A birth long ago - has it become irrelevant now? Not to me? It's the whole reason for my existence.
That birth was a man - God become man - who declared his love for me and for multitudes of others when he took all of my failures up upon himself on a cross. Then died. I thank God that wasn't the end of the story - it truly is my neverending story.
I thank Him, at the end of the day, that He is there now, on a throne, somewhere beyond the reaches of the heavens, at the ends of the infinite universe, still smiling, knowing that this little child inside of me smiles every day, because of Him.
On my Christmas shopping list, for the very first time this year, I am going to buy myself a nativity scene, and send up a little prayer of thanks.
I was reading an article about preparing Christmas decorations around your home, and nowhere did it say about a Nativity scene.
A birth long ago - has it become irrelevant now? Not to me? It's the whole reason for my existence.
That birth was a man - God become man - who declared his love for me and for multitudes of others when he took all of my failures up upon himself on a cross. Then died. I thank God that wasn't the end of the story - it truly is my neverending story.
I thank Him, at the end of the day, that He is there now, on a throne, somewhere beyond the reaches of the heavens, at the ends of the infinite universe, still smiling, knowing that this little child inside of me smiles every day, because of Him.
On my Christmas shopping list, for the very first time this year, I am going to buy myself a nativity scene, and send up a little prayer of thanks.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Getting Over Monday-Itis (Depression Awareness)
 |
| Do you feel like you have Monday-itis, more than just on Monday?
Image File -
Creative Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Depression.jpg
|
"Blah! ......day!"
Do you feel in a "funk?"
Low energy?
Have you felt this way for a couple of weeks? Are you ok?
If you've felt like this for a couple of weeks, you feel like you've got nothing to look forward to, and you feel like everything is an enormous effort - you may need to get thee (pun intended) to a medical checkup.
Depression is still a somewhat misunderstood subject. But according to beyond blue statistics, one in six men may experience depression within their lifetime, and women are twice as likely to experience depression than men are.
On the subject of mental health - in November men's mental health programs are supported by the "Movember" campaign.
De-Stigmatising Depression and Anxiety
Recently, R U Okay day was celebrated. The word is getting out in the media that depression and anxiety do affect a lot of people, but it is nothing to be ashamed of to get medical treatment for it!!!!
A couple of men (and women) in my group of family and friends go to counsellors, and I closely know people who have been treated for depression.
Stigma is a real issue for perhaps preventing people from seeking treatment, so if you know anybody who is not ok, then please be supportive, not dismissive of their problems.
It is a kind of fallacy that people who say they are "depressed" are seeking attention - if you have to say it to get attention - then you really are asking for help and need to go and get medical assistance. Anybody who says that somebody is just doing something for attention needs to get a real understanding that depression and anxiety are medical conditions!!!
Reasons for depression
Depression and anxiety can begin to happen as a result of a reaction to an external issue, such as job loss or a recent illness, or it can be the result of an underlying medical issue. It may also occur that a series of minor stressors are adding up, and it has been difficult to take care of yourself properly such as getting adequate rest, sleep, nutrition and exercise. It can be a combination of factors that can cause anxiety, stress and depression.
Getting a thorough medical checkup
In any case, a medical check up is in order to assist you to get back to wellness. I recommend seeing your primary health physician - they can help you with a number of different treatment modalities. If you prefer alternative therapies there are some doctors who are holistic medicine practitioners, and can help you develop whole of lifestyle programs such as nutritional support, physiotherapy and massage, exercise physiology, talk therapy with a psychologist or registered counsellor and sleep assistance.
It is very difficult to treat depression with just a prescription, and a doctor who is responsive to the whole person and their wellbeing is a good start. You may need to book an initial appointment with your doctor, and then you can rebook a double appointment so that you have more time with your doctor to investigate the underlying cause of your depression.
Depression can come about as a result of a nutritional deficiency, so don't rule this out either. Depression is a medical condition, not just a made up "imagined state of mind."
How you can help yourself:
Firstly, be gentle with yourself. You may need to lower your self-expectations. Are you being realistic towards your goals right now when you are medically unwell?
Do, however, set goals that are achievable, and that will give you a sense of satisfaction on a daily basis. For you this may include getting dressed and getting up out of bed, and attending to personal hygiene. Eating nutritionally balanced food and getting gentle exercise every day are good goals to adhere to.
Enlist the support of people you trust. If you know that there may be some people within your social circle who have experienced depression before, or that of a loved one, and have been supportive, then you may feel you are able to trust that person to support you.
Do focus on positive aspects of your life. Think of the things you are grateful for. For me, some days it is a case of being happy about having dirty dishes to wash, because that means I have food in the house, and haven't gone hungry. If you have achieved at least one of your goals, such as getting up, then do be grateful and celebrate that achievement!
Spend some time watching comedies, looking for jokes on the internet or reading joke books - laughter is really good for you, and will help boost your mood.
Independent or Self-Publishing Your Manuscript
It started me thinking, I had just graduated from university, and I began to plan a manuscript - a friend of my husband's had written a novel and self published it - this inspired me to get started.
It was a long task, it took me a number of years, I started and stopped it here and there, had my children in between, and the manuscript stayed there unfinished and unpublished.
In the last couple of years, the Kindle has really taken off, and ebooks have become more viable - which is perfect for the independent publisher.
So, I decided to publish my manuscript to an ebook format. From there I discovered Create Space, where I could put my book into a traditional book format. It is a little trickier, but it works too. Now my book - FireStorm - is a reality. Just waiting for my own copy of it LOL.
And so, I have done indie publishing. I have also published a non-fiction on stress reduction - The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
The whole process is remarkably uncomplicated.
I have had some friends and relatives read my manuscript and they said it was worth publishing, so after polishing up a few of the chapters - it has gone up.
I grieved a little over not having an "official" career in journalism at a traditional newspaper after graduating from uni with a journalism degree, but the 21st century has seen the advent of "people powered" writing and information, and we share in this utopian world of the internet where anybody can be a writer, actor, film producer - between blogs, youtube and social media, and indie publishing - if you feel you have something to share -
Don't deprive the world by hiding what gift you have embedded in you.
I don't write for the money, it is a hobby I enjoy. If somebody is entertained or informed or somehow helped, then I have done my "job."
Consider putting your manuscript onto Kindle direct, or iBooks, or some other ebook format.
Everybody has got something in them they want to share.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Clean Your House to Improve Your Mood
I have been overcoming the funk mood and Monday-itis by keep on remembering my little kitchen prayer hanging on the wall, gratitude is a wonderful practise.
I came across a wonderful post in a blog Four Little Ducks - about this lady's laundry system for her four children. It is excellent, and she has inventoried her children's clothing in order to keep more organised.
I commented to a relative last week that a dirty house can be downright depressing. I decided that in order to dethrone the yuck mood, that some housework was in order!!!
Sometimes nothing works better than just "having at it."
I find the best thing to do is to tackle one task at a time. It may help to put on an audio book or some music to lift the mood.
The kitchen is also the most critical place in the house - because we all need to eat - a dirty kitchen with gross science experiments in the fridge, open packets in the pantry going stale, dirty benches and filthy plates will (1) cost you money (2) make you sick (3) just looks grouse and makes you feel bad.
Notoriously, I once washed up in a bathtub because there were so many filthy plates in my share house. Desperation makes necessitation of whatever is around.
In the interests of hygiene and if you really do hate wiping up then set up a table nearby with tea-towels all over it, and wash things then drain them on the table with the tea-towels spread over it.
Spray all the bench tops with cleaning product (vinegar works well too) then leave for 5-10 minutes then scrub it.
With the laundry, sort it all out, wash it, dry it, sort into whose belongs to who, then put it away, or get that person if they're capable to put it away.
Pull out the vacuum cleaner and broom, and give the floors a 5 minute once over.
Have a scrub at the toilet, and wipe over the seat.
You will feel a sense of achievement, and a mood boost. You have also inadvertently had an exercise workout as an added bonus.
For a really good regular cleaning system for those of us who are domestically challenged I recommend Flylady.
Bye bye bad mood. Hello clean house and healthy mood.
I came across a wonderful post in a blog Four Little Ducks - about this lady's laundry system for her four children. It is excellent, and she has inventoried her children's clothing in order to keep more organised.
I commented to a relative last week that a dirty house can be downright depressing. I decided that in order to dethrone the yuck mood, that some housework was in order!!!
Sometimes nothing works better than just "having at it."
I find the best thing to do is to tackle one task at a time. It may help to put on an audio book or some music to lift the mood.
The kitchen is also the most critical place in the house - because we all need to eat - a dirty kitchen with gross science experiments in the fridge, open packets in the pantry going stale, dirty benches and filthy plates will (1) cost you money (2) make you sick (3) just looks grouse and makes you feel bad.
Notoriously, I once washed up in a bathtub because there were so many filthy plates in my share house. Desperation makes necessitation of whatever is around.
In the interests of hygiene and if you really do hate wiping up then set up a table nearby with tea-towels all over it, and wash things then drain them on the table with the tea-towels spread over it.
Spray all the bench tops with cleaning product (vinegar works well too) then leave for 5-10 minutes then scrub it.
With the laundry, sort it all out, wash it, dry it, sort into whose belongs to who, then put it away, or get that person if they're capable to put it away.
Pull out the vacuum cleaner and broom, and give the floors a 5 minute once over.
Have a scrub at the toilet, and wipe over the seat.
You will feel a sense of achievement, and a mood boost. You have also inadvertently had an exercise workout as an added bonus.
For a really good regular cleaning system for those of us who are domestically challenged I recommend Flylady.
Bye bye bad mood. Hello clean house and healthy mood.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Simple Effective Permanent Weight Loss Tips
About five years ago now, I had gastric banding. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on gastric banding. I have lost over 100 pounds, but it wasn't just the physical band that helped me, I had to change my way of life.
I had a lot of emotional eating issues. There is really only one secret to absolutely permanent weight loss -
1. Learn to love and respect your body.
Why should you love and respect your body? You have only got one, it is the vehicle that you are transported around the earth on, and the tool for which you accomplish everything that you desire upon this earth.
Looking after it will make you feel better within yourself. Eating well and doing gentle exercise will get the weight off (don't rush it) and essentially you will begin to enjoy being in your own body.
Do the best you have with what you have got.
Treat yourself with respect - I believe God made me and loves me -
1 Corinthians 6:20
"You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and soul, which are God's."
The first commandment is to love God. The second one is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves - so many people have trouble loving themselves, they they can't love others easily. Those of us who have responded to being loved ought to share a little encouragement.
Believe me - you are loved - and you are worthwhile. Give yourself a hug or some flowers if nobody around you is, and celebrate the wonderful individual that you are.
I just want to share some other simple tips with you that I have picked up along the way:
1. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and drink plenty of water. If you don't like the taste, sneak veggies into your meals as a sauce, or drink veggie juice - eventually you will get a taste for it. If you like fizzy soda - drink soda water, with a twist of lemon or lime. Eventually you will lose the taste for the sugary stuff.
2. Reduce the size of your dinner plate. My stomach had been overstuffed so much that it was very hard for me to diet - so now I don't "diet" - I have permanently changed my way of life. If you slowly reduce the amount of food you serve yourself, and eat protein at each meal, you will feel fuller for longer. I serve myself on a bread and butter plate. Also put your fork and knife down in between mouthfuls. You will eat slower and allow your body to turn on its full signal properly.
3. Get sleep. If you are sleep deprived, your body and brain will crave junk food. If you can't sleep, see your doctor.
4. See your primary health care practitioner for a regular check up and to get some good health pointers. See your healthcare practitioner to also get clearance to exercise if you need to.
5. Do some gentle exercise to reduce your stress, and to help you sleep. It also helps with weight reduction. I find that doing PraiseMoves as exercise really helps me. I also look for more incidental opportunities to do exercise. I park the car at the back of the parking lot so I have to walk further, I take the stairs, I get up and hang out my laundry. I do my own gardening. In the beginning I was so heavy that the best exercise for me was walking up and down the lanes of a pool. Be gentle with yourself. The weight will come off as you make slow, permanent change.
Stress is not good for trying to lose weight, as stress causes cortisol, a hormone which causes the retention of fat in areas like the stomach. As I reduced my stress, I lost weight as part of the process.
I have put more of my weight loss and stress reduction journey into my ebook, The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
I had a lot of emotional eating issues. There is really only one secret to absolutely permanent weight loss -
1. Learn to love and respect your body.
Why should you love and respect your body? You have only got one, it is the vehicle that you are transported around the earth on, and the tool for which you accomplish everything that you desire upon this earth.
Looking after it will make you feel better within yourself. Eating well and doing gentle exercise will get the weight off (don't rush it) and essentially you will begin to enjoy being in your own body.
Do the best you have with what you have got.
Treat yourself with respect - I believe God made me and loves me -
1 Corinthians 6:20
"You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and soul, which are God's."
The first commandment is to love God. The second one is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves - so many people have trouble loving themselves, they they can't love others easily. Those of us who have responded to being loved ought to share a little encouragement.
Believe me - you are loved - and you are worthwhile. Give yourself a hug or some flowers if nobody around you is, and celebrate the wonderful individual that you are.
I just want to share some other simple tips with you that I have picked up along the way:
1. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and drink plenty of water. If you don't like the taste, sneak veggies into your meals as a sauce, or drink veggie juice - eventually you will get a taste for it. If you like fizzy soda - drink soda water, with a twist of lemon or lime. Eventually you will lose the taste for the sugary stuff.
2. Reduce the size of your dinner plate. My stomach had been overstuffed so much that it was very hard for me to diet - so now I don't "diet" - I have permanently changed my way of life. If you slowly reduce the amount of food you serve yourself, and eat protein at each meal, you will feel fuller for longer. I serve myself on a bread and butter plate. Also put your fork and knife down in between mouthfuls. You will eat slower and allow your body to turn on its full signal properly.
3. Get sleep. If you are sleep deprived, your body and brain will crave junk food. If you can't sleep, see your doctor.
4. See your primary health care practitioner for a regular check up and to get some good health pointers. See your healthcare practitioner to also get clearance to exercise if you need to.
5. Do some gentle exercise to reduce your stress, and to help you sleep. It also helps with weight reduction. I find that doing PraiseMoves as exercise really helps me. I also look for more incidental opportunities to do exercise. I park the car at the back of the parking lot so I have to walk further, I take the stairs, I get up and hang out my laundry. I do my own gardening. In the beginning I was so heavy that the best exercise for me was walking up and down the lanes of a pool. Be gentle with yourself. The weight will come off as you make slow, permanent change.
Stress is not good for trying to lose weight, as stress causes cortisol, a hormone which causes the retention of fat in areas like the stomach. As I reduced my stress, I lost weight as part of the process.
I have put more of my weight loss and stress reduction journey into my ebook, The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction.
Affording Christmas
Christmas should be a joyful time of celebration, getting together with loved ones and relaxation. It should be a time where we remember how much we have to be thankful for, and to appreciate one another.
I was reading the Tightwad Gazette, and it was referring to how there comes a certain price/amount of gift/level beyond where gifts become meaningless, and it is different for every person and family.
My two oldest children have disabilities, so when they were younger, my husband and I spent a lot of money on them, to "compensate" them for any lack they had. I am sad to say one Christmas they got horribly disgusted when they were given pyjamas by some relatives. I am now teaching my children about appreciation while they are still young enough to accept my advice (LOL).
A sign I made now hangs on my wall, it reads:
(Info available at www.elefantz.com, also Handmade magazine, Volume 30, number 7, Express Media Group 2012)
"Thank God for dirty dishes - they have a tale to tell - while other folks go hungry, we're eating very well. With home and health and happiness, we surely shouldn't fuss, for by this stack of evidence God's been good to us."
My husband and I are going to be putting on a meal for my brother, his wife and their family. That is our gift. On top of that, we have agreed that we can give the children a gift that is either (1) free, (2) handmade (3) from a second hand source or (4) under $5-$10.
When you start looking at items, and seeing them in terms of "how many hours is it going to take me to work to pay for that thing," when really your children want time with you, and that is completely priceless - it brings new meaning to the gifting selection!!!
Different families may be on different levels of income, and whatever that threshold may be will be different - apparently in the royal family they give very, very simple understated gifts - like pairs of socks. If royalty can give a pair of socks, there is no shame in undies and socks!!!!
For sources of gifts this year, I have started looking now. The local supermarket has been a good source, when I have hunted down the back on the clearance rack, I have scored some really good buys that are end of line products. I thought they would make excellent gifts. Some of these end of line purchases I am going to combine together in a basket for the receiver (in my husband's family) so that the value is worth a lot more than the set budget.
It is the time and the selection and the thought that goes into it that matters, not the material wealth behind it.
This year, for Christmas and the time of celebration, I am going to go to bed that night, knowing that I haven't maxed out a credit card and I will sleep well. That is going to be a gift to myself!!!
I was reading the Tightwad Gazette, and it was referring to how there comes a certain price/amount of gift/level beyond where gifts become meaningless, and it is different for every person and family.
My two oldest children have disabilities, so when they were younger, my husband and I spent a lot of money on them, to "compensate" them for any lack they had. I am sad to say one Christmas they got horribly disgusted when they were given pyjamas by some relatives. I am now teaching my children about appreciation while they are still young enough to accept my advice (LOL).
A sign I made now hangs on my wall, it reads:
(Info available at www.elefantz.com, also Handmade magazine, Volume 30, number 7, Express Media Group 2012)
"Thank God for dirty dishes - they have a tale to tell - while other folks go hungry, we're eating very well. With home and health and happiness, we surely shouldn't fuss, for by this stack of evidence God's been good to us."
My husband and I are going to be putting on a meal for my brother, his wife and their family. That is our gift. On top of that, we have agreed that we can give the children a gift that is either (1) free, (2) handmade (3) from a second hand source or (4) under $5-$10.
When you start looking at items, and seeing them in terms of "how many hours is it going to take me to work to pay for that thing," when really your children want time with you, and that is completely priceless - it brings new meaning to the gifting selection!!!
Different families may be on different levels of income, and whatever that threshold may be will be different - apparently in the royal family they give very, very simple understated gifts - like pairs of socks. If royalty can give a pair of socks, there is no shame in undies and socks!!!!
For sources of gifts this year, I have started looking now. The local supermarket has been a good source, when I have hunted down the back on the clearance rack, I have scored some really good buys that are end of line products. I thought they would make excellent gifts. Some of these end of line purchases I am going to combine together in a basket for the receiver (in my husband's family) so that the value is worth a lot more than the set budget.
It is the time and the selection and the thought that goes into it that matters, not the material wealth behind it.
This year, for Christmas and the time of celebration, I am going to go to bed that night, knowing that I haven't maxed out a credit card and I will sleep well. That is going to be a gift to myself!!!
Monday, October 8, 2012
How to Have an Affordable Family Resort Style Vacation
We went over the weekend to Bestbrook Mountain Resort, and camped there. It was really beautiful. Camping at a resort? That does sound bizarre, but Bestbrook had a range of options from bush camping to luxury cabin accommodation.
We set up a Glamping - style tent accommodation for ourselves. We had a real mattress, could go to the recreation room to watch television and the dvd, had really lovely bathrooms that we could use ... it really had all wonderful facilities.
It had plenty to do - there was a resort style pool, adjacent to a large main resort building that had a large restaurant, bar and games room.
You could have a camping and nature experience, and on the same day when the mood struck, go up to the resort area and relax on the large verandah overlooking the pool with a cool drink.
For the children, there were endless possibilities. There was a regular "taxi" service all around the resort, and it shuttled everyone backwards and forwards to different farm and Australiana style activities, such as whip cracking, horse riding and damper making.
There was an animal nursery for the children, and even a jumping castle.
We had a bit of a cafe experience from the restaurant, and the food and drinks were delicious, all served with impeccable service.
The rates were very affordable, and for us, camping was an affordable option at the time, but for the number of different activities and the first class facilities, you couldn't go wrong for a really affordable vacation.
If you are in need of a break, and your family want to go away somewhere - have a look at resorts that offer camping or bunkhouse accommodation as an option. You can take all your own camping gear to glam it up it style, or take your own very basic set of equipment. It is a very inexpensive but definitely high quality experience.
We set up a Glamping - style tent accommodation for ourselves. We had a real mattress, could go to the recreation room to watch television and the dvd, had really lovely bathrooms that we could use ... it really had all wonderful facilities.
It had plenty to do - there was a resort style pool, adjacent to a large main resort building that had a large restaurant, bar and games room.
You could have a camping and nature experience, and on the same day when the mood struck, go up to the resort area and relax on the large verandah overlooking the pool with a cool drink.
For the children, there were endless possibilities. There was a regular "taxi" service all around the resort, and it shuttled everyone backwards and forwards to different farm and Australiana style activities, such as whip cracking, horse riding and damper making.
There was an animal nursery for the children, and even a jumping castle.
We had a bit of a cafe experience from the restaurant, and the food and drinks were delicious, all served with impeccable service.
The rates were very affordable, and for us, camping was an affordable option at the time, but for the number of different activities and the first class facilities, you couldn't go wrong for a really affordable vacation.
If you are in need of a break, and your family want to go away somewhere - have a look at resorts that offer camping or bunkhouse accommodation as an option. You can take all your own camping gear to glam it up it style, or take your own very basic set of equipment. It is a very inexpensive but definitely high quality experience.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sorting the Medicine Cabinet - a Tutorial
If your medicine cabinet is an eyesore and you have a whole bunch of pill packets, jars and boxes falling over and out onto you then you can not only organise it, but save money by knowing what you have and what you need to replace.
The first step is to sort.
Make sure you have about 30 to 40 minutes of uninterrupted time to do this, and ensure there are no small children around who can access the tablets and be accidentally poisoned.
Sort your packets, prescriptions and bottles into categories. You can sort each person's prescriptions into their own category, and then other medications into categories such as pain relief, stomach ailment relief, allergy relief, topical creams, vitamin supplements, natural remedies and first aid supplies. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but will of course depend upon you and your family's individual needs.
Prescription forms can also be kept in a file. I keep all my prescriptions down at the local pharmacy, and when I am nearing the end of the medicine supply, I can call ahead to have the prescription made up for me to pick up later, or have it delivered.
Sorting through medications into categories will help you also identify out of date medications, which need to be disposed of at the pharmacy. It is important not to use out of date medicine because many medicines have a storage shelf life, after which they may be potentially hazardous.
The second step is to organise.
Once you have your medicines and first aid supplies sorted, and have disposed of your out of date supplied safely, you can get ready to organise them into storage.
A permanent marker and some small plastic baskets and a first aid box are all useful for storage of medicines. A cupboard that is inaccessible to small children is essential, or a locked box or locked cabinet that is free of a moist environment can be used also for medicine storage.
Bathrooms are not ideal spaces to store medicines as the moisture can compromise some medical supplies.
Once you have appropriate storage space, organised some small category containers and either a permanent marker or some labels, then you are ready to store.
The final step is storage.
Storage of medicines in a safe place out of reach of children is essential, to stop a child from potentially being poisoned.
Once you have acquired and labelled your containers according to categories, place each medicine packet or container into its appropriate box or basket.
It may be viable to store first aid supplies separately so that the box or bag can be taken to wherever it is needed.
Place all labelled boxes or baskets into the safe cupboard or locked cabinet, and then your job will be done.
Since organising my own medicine cabinet I have realised I do not need to keep purchasing pain relief products, as I already had a number of boxes, and had kept purchasing more because they had gotten disorganised.
I can now find pain relief in a pinch!
The first step is to sort.
Make sure you have about 30 to 40 minutes of uninterrupted time to do this, and ensure there are no small children around who can access the tablets and be accidentally poisoned.
Sort your packets, prescriptions and bottles into categories. You can sort each person's prescriptions into their own category, and then other medications into categories such as pain relief, stomach ailment relief, allergy relief, topical creams, vitamin supplements, natural remedies and first aid supplies. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but will of course depend upon you and your family's individual needs.
Prescription forms can also be kept in a file. I keep all my prescriptions down at the local pharmacy, and when I am nearing the end of the medicine supply, I can call ahead to have the prescription made up for me to pick up later, or have it delivered.
Sorting through medications into categories will help you also identify out of date medications, which need to be disposed of at the pharmacy. It is important not to use out of date medicine because many medicines have a storage shelf life, after which they may be potentially hazardous.
The second step is to organise.
Once you have your medicines and first aid supplies sorted, and have disposed of your out of date supplied safely, you can get ready to organise them into storage.
A permanent marker and some small plastic baskets and a first aid box are all useful for storage of medicines. A cupboard that is inaccessible to small children is essential, or a locked box or locked cabinet that is free of a moist environment can be used also for medicine storage.
Bathrooms are not ideal spaces to store medicines as the moisture can compromise some medical supplies.
Once you have appropriate storage space, organised some small category containers and either a permanent marker or some labels, then you are ready to store.
The final step is storage.
Storage of medicines in a safe place out of reach of children is essential, to stop a child from potentially being poisoned.
Once you have acquired and labelled your containers according to categories, place each medicine packet or container into its appropriate box or basket.
It may be viable to store first aid supplies separately so that the box or bag can be taken to wherever it is needed.
Place all labelled boxes or baskets into the safe cupboard or locked cabinet, and then your job will be done.
Since organising my own medicine cabinet I have realised I do not need to keep purchasing pain relief products, as I already had a number of boxes, and had kept purchasing more because they had gotten disorganised.
I can now find pain relief in a pinch!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
How to get affordable clothing
Sourcing affordable clothing -
A while ago I dug out the sewing machine, after having sorted out all my sewing equipment, and decided to finish up some trousers that I had bought the material and the pattern for.
It was a Burda pattern, quite a nice one. I like the cut of Burda patterns, they seem to fit me really well and I like their style.
I was also having a look around different websites and came across the Burda Style website. It is a really good source of information, and great for people who are new to sewing.
My trousers worked out really well, and fit great. I am going to try some other of Burda's ideas, particularly the wardrobe restyling options, where items of clothing are repurposed.
I have purchased clothing from thrift stores and then put new buttons on them or patched them, fixed them, and they have come up really lovely. I bought a suede jacket for my husband a while ago, and the buttons were all cracked, so I replaced those. I just have to recondition the suede, because it is a little dried out.
My sons also needed some new shirts, so I purchased some from the thrift store for them. There were also some lovely toddler girls clothes at the thrift store, so for $50 I bought the whole family a couple of big bags of clothing.
A few weeks ago I accidentally spilled some bleach on my good tracksuit pants - some black ones. There were also a couple of long sleeved black t-shirts that needed refreshing, so I purchased some black clothing dye from Spotlight, and put it through the machine. The result was really good.
If clothing is stained, treat it with a pre-wash stain remover, or try soaking it. Make sure you try to follow the care directions on the label.
Some clothing can't be washed, be mindful of clothes that are dry clean only. I have heard that dry-cleaning kits for the dryer can be purchased, but I haven't tried them myself.
I have bought clothes before on ebay, but sometimes I have been off with the sizing.
There also may be some items of clothing in your wardrobe that you could change the buttons on, add an applique or embellishment, and make really updated.
With a little skill, imagination and ingenuity, you can be fashionable and have quality clothes on a budget.
A while ago I dug out the sewing machine, after having sorted out all my sewing equipment, and decided to finish up some trousers that I had bought the material and the pattern for.
It was a Burda pattern, quite a nice one. I like the cut of Burda patterns, they seem to fit me really well and I like their style.
I was also having a look around different websites and came across the Burda Style website. It is a really good source of information, and great for people who are new to sewing.
My trousers worked out really well, and fit great. I am going to try some other of Burda's ideas, particularly the wardrobe restyling options, where items of clothing are repurposed.
I have purchased clothing from thrift stores and then put new buttons on them or patched them, fixed them, and they have come up really lovely. I bought a suede jacket for my husband a while ago, and the buttons were all cracked, so I replaced those. I just have to recondition the suede, because it is a little dried out.
My sons also needed some new shirts, so I purchased some from the thrift store for them. There were also some lovely toddler girls clothes at the thrift store, so for $50 I bought the whole family a couple of big bags of clothing.
A few weeks ago I accidentally spilled some bleach on my good tracksuit pants - some black ones. There were also a couple of long sleeved black t-shirts that needed refreshing, so I purchased some black clothing dye from Spotlight, and put it through the machine. The result was really good.
If clothing is stained, treat it with a pre-wash stain remover, or try soaking it. Make sure you try to follow the care directions on the label.
Some clothing can't be washed, be mindful of clothes that are dry clean only. I have heard that dry-cleaning kits for the dryer can be purchased, but I haven't tried them myself.
I have bought clothes before on ebay, but sometimes I have been off with the sizing.
There also may be some items of clothing in your wardrobe that you could change the buttons on, add an applique or embellishment, and make really updated.
With a little skill, imagination and ingenuity, you can be fashionable and have quality clothes on a budget.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Cappucino Experience Without the Expense
My husband for my birthday bought me a Nespresso Coffee Capsule machine. It is sooooo easy to use, my teenage sons love to use it as well. It came as a package deal from Harvey Norman with the Aerocino frother, and a bunch of coffee capsule tasters.
I used to have a very expensive coffee shop addiction - I would want to go to the coffee shop and stack up on the cappucinos. Not so good for the waistline, not so good for the budget, with all the naughty treats added to the coffee experience as well.
I love having time with my friends for a chat over coffee, so more than ever I say to them now to come on back to my place and have a coffee. They do enjoy it.
I don't usually have treats on hand, because I have teenagers moving in and out of the fridge and pantry constantly, but when I do plan to invite people over, I can quickly duck up to the shop if need be and grab a little something to share. It isn't so bad, because portion wise, it gets shared around more people - better for the wallet and the waistline.
LOL - that is one of my weight loss tips that has worked so well - by all means have a treat, but share it with as many people as physically and humanly possible - which is really easy in a house of three males with large appetites.
My sons love to cook also, and they make themselves the odd treat (with supervision). They also love to eat lots of fresh fruit.
The Nespresso machine is great, but I know Aldi stocks one that is less expensive (Expressi), and I have seen MAP coffee capsule machines on sale at different department stores as well such as Target and Big W. It is well worth looking around. Coffee capsule machines might be more expensive than grinding your own coffee beans, but because the machine is so easy to use, I do bother to use it, and I save by not frequenting the cafe. It is excellent value that way.
I used to have a very expensive coffee shop addiction - I would want to go to the coffee shop and stack up on the cappucinos. Not so good for the waistline, not so good for the budget, with all the naughty treats added to the coffee experience as well.
I love having time with my friends for a chat over coffee, so more than ever I say to them now to come on back to my place and have a coffee. They do enjoy it.
I don't usually have treats on hand, because I have teenagers moving in and out of the fridge and pantry constantly, but when I do plan to invite people over, I can quickly duck up to the shop if need be and grab a little something to share. It isn't so bad, because portion wise, it gets shared around more people - better for the wallet and the waistline.
LOL - that is one of my weight loss tips that has worked so well - by all means have a treat, but share it with as many people as physically and humanly possible - which is really easy in a house of three males with large appetites.
My sons love to cook also, and they make themselves the odd treat (with supervision). They also love to eat lots of fresh fruit.
The Nespresso machine is great, but I know Aldi stocks one that is less expensive (Expressi), and I have seen MAP coffee capsule machines on sale at different department stores as well such as Target and Big W. It is well worth looking around. Coffee capsule machines might be more expensive than grinding your own coffee beans, but because the machine is so easy to use, I do bother to use it, and I save by not frequenting the cafe. It is excellent value that way.
The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction Ebook
I am flogging off my ebook for free, from the 12th of September - 13th of September, on Amazon.com.
It is called The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction - it is a great read - and pretty necessary in these full on 21st Century times.
My next book which will be launched at the end of October will be titled 101 Ways to Live Well for Less Money - a must have.
You can have a great life, you can enjoy every single day, and you don't have to load up a credit card and buy stuff you feel guilty about and stash in the back of the cupboard cause you bought it on credit.
I must say I have enjoyed writing these for you - there are some original ideas in my books - and a lot of it is very practical. My favourite feature of The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction is the practical toolbox section.
Enjoy. Why am I giving it out for free? Tell your friends - after the promotion, it is only 99 cents.
Click here for the link to my ebook. If you don't have a kindle, you can download a kindle reading app on your smartphone, PC, ipad, iphone or Mac. I have a Kindle for Mac app, and an Kindle for iphone app. They are both pretty good, and they are free.
It is called The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction - it is a great read - and pretty necessary in these full on 21st Century times.
My next book which will be launched at the end of October will be titled 101 Ways to Live Well for Less Money - a must have.
You can have a great life, you can enjoy every single day, and you don't have to load up a credit card and buy stuff you feel guilty about and stash in the back of the cupboard cause you bought it on credit.
I must say I have enjoyed writing these for you - there are some original ideas in my books - and a lot of it is very practical. My favourite feature of The Savvy Little Guide to Stress Reduction is the practical toolbox section.
Enjoy. Why am I giving it out for free? Tell your friends - after the promotion, it is only 99 cents.
Click here for the link to my ebook. If you don't have a kindle, you can download a kindle reading app on your smartphone, PC, ipad, iphone or Mac. I have a Kindle for Mac app, and an Kindle for iphone app. They are both pretty good, and they are free.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Simple Middle Eastern Spice Mix Recipe
I found a middle eastern spice mix recipe at Chef Jeena's. It was excellent, although I have made an altered version with less ingredients, and using powdered spice to make a budget version.
I bought large cellophane packets of the spices at Woolworths, and then put them all into an empty old washed out coffee jar. I then labelled it, and I keep it in my pantry to use ready made - saves time using a generic middle eastern spice mix. Good for when you are in a shortage of time, and have people walking around the house asking when dinner is ...
Here is my budget recipe version:
Ingredients:
One sachet of ground cumin
One sachet of ground coriander
One sachet of dried ground mint
One sachet of dried ground thyme
One half sachet of ground cinnamon
One half sachet of ground nutmeg
One sachet of paprika
One half sachet of turmeric
One teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Place all ingredients into a bowl, mix with a wooden spoon then put into a coffee jar and seal.
Add fresh lemon juice and minced garlic when adding to cooking. Can be used as a marinade, spice rub, breadcrumbs, or in rissoles etc.
I bought large cellophane packets of the spices at Woolworths, and then put them all into an empty old washed out coffee jar. I then labelled it, and I keep it in my pantry to use ready made - saves time using a generic middle eastern spice mix. Good for when you are in a shortage of time, and have people walking around the house asking when dinner is ...
Here is my budget recipe version:
Ingredients:
One sachet of ground cumin
One sachet of ground coriander
One sachet of dried ground mint
One sachet of dried ground thyme
One half sachet of ground cinnamon
One half sachet of ground nutmeg
One sachet of paprika
One half sachet of turmeric
One teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Place all ingredients into a bowl, mix with a wooden spoon then put into a coffee jar and seal.
Add fresh lemon juice and minced garlic when adding to cooking. Can be used as a marinade, spice rub, breadcrumbs, or in rissoles etc.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Making Do and Mending While Saving, Not Spending
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| Go to a garden to invigorate yourself and maintain motivation Image courtesy of Neosnaps |
Sometimes it is hard to maintain the motivation to save - there is no "novelty" to it, or "instant gratification" in saving. It is a discipline, to say the least - for a lot of people I know and have spoken to. I was speaking to someone recently about saving habits, and she was surprised that I had already spent my pocket money. She commented that she saved it and always when she started working had one lot of pay banked ahead just in case anything should happen. What she said makes a lot of sense, and she does have a good emergency fund. She is a very generous and sweet person though, and it always willing to help others.
I was raised by screaming at my poor mother and she caved into my demands. I have Aspergers, so I think that I was probably quite a difficult child for my mother to handle. My brother was more easygoing than I, so my mother found him easier to parent. I remember having my mother in tears one day because I wanted a magic pen colouring book and I threw a full blown tantrum at her in the newsagency until she bought it for me. She ended up in tears.
I don't blame her, nor do I condemn her - back then Aspergers was an unheard of thing amongst Australian doctors - and my mother was very sick a lot of my childhood. She did the best with what she had at the time, as did my father. Neither of them are any longer with me, but I have learned to rethink my whole view of money from how I was raised.
My sons are both on the Autistic spectrum, and I have applied what I have learned with them. They are now more satisfied with saving up to get what they want, and are learning delayed gratification. Now I have to seriously apply this to myself.
So I am looking at ways of making do, mending and applying novelty ways of saving and rewarding myself (without spending money or spending very little) for applying the discipline of delayed gratification.
I know I can do it, because I did the same with my excess weight, not to say that I didn't have help along the way - often we need tools to help us - and these can be different for each person.
If you want to redecorate your home, some inexpensive ways to revamp it while you are saving for your renovation are to really give your home a good spring cleaning (such as washing the walls and curtains), remove clutter, consider re-arranging furniture, adding a throw from a thrift or dollar store, or maybe making some new cushions. For whitegoods that are a bit chipped or sad looking - investigate repainting them or touching them up with appliance white spray paint (make sure you follow all the safety directions). I touched up my chipped bathtub with epoxy enamel spray paint for metal surfaces (I can't use the bath while it is drying).
I am also looking to upsize my washing machine - the door on it is a little tricky - so I am being very careful to close it gently, and I replaced the pump in it. I have three children now, and a lot of washing, and would like a larger washing machine, so that is one of my savings goals.
To not get sidetracked however, and end up spending my money on something else - I have set up an automated savings plan - that means I won't think about it, so out of sight, out of mind. I have also gone and got from the whitegoods store a brochure of the machine I want to get and stuck it up on my notice board to remind me to save for it.
Make sure you allocate in your spending plan (also know as budget) some small amount of money to splurge on something (if you're like me and like to have a treat for yourself - mine is now a magazine or chai latte instead of a cola addiction) that you can use also for impulse purchases. If you allocate the impulse purchase money and then spend no more, you will still stay reasonably well on track, instead of feeling deprived and then going on a spending binge.
Another way to satisfy a spending urge is to go to the library - I walked out of there one day with some books, magazines, DVDs and music CDs, and I felt like I had a major episode of retail therapy, but I hadn't spent a single cent!!!
For an outing, pack yourself a lunch, a thermos or a cool drink and then go for a walk around a beautiful local park. You will feel invigorated and motivated to keep on track with your goals.
Five Minute Fritter Recipe - Vegan and Food Allergy Alternatives Provided
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| My fritters plated up with ketchup |
Having three guys in the house with ravenous appetites (two teenage boys included) is sometimes a challenge to come up with things that will fill them up. Because I allocate one lot of meat for the day (and some vegetarian meals as substitutes sometimes) to stretch our budget - I was a little bewildered. Not for long though, I decided to brainstorm.
One of my favourite places to get recipes from is Taste. I also go to Allrecipes for inspiration as well. I have a large collection of really lovely cookbooks, but sometimes going online you just can't beat it. I leave my laptop open with the recipe and I go back to it every so often to check I have added the right ingredients. So tonight it was fritters.
A basic fritter recipe:
(metric measures are assumed in this recipe)
Ingredients:
3 cups of self raising flour (or plain flour with appropriate amount of baking powder added)
2 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vegetable stock (optional)
To this I added some grated carrot, a chopped onion, some corn kernels and grated cheese - so they were a vegetarian option. If you are vegan then you can substitute the cheese for tofu (slice it thinly) and use soy flour as a substitute. Replace one egg with one tablespoon of soy flour and one tablespoon of water. You can also add cooked sliced meats, or deli meats if you so desire, or other grated or finely chopped vegetables to create a bit of difference.
Method:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and then heat a large frypan with some oil. Spoon out a tablespoon of the batter onto the frypan per fritter, and flip until browned on both sides, and cooked through thoroughly. The batter will no longer appear wet on the sides when cooked through, if in doubt, slice one open to ensure batter is cooked.
Serve with condiments if desired, and a side salad.
If you have coeliac disease or are lactose intolerant you can substitute gluten free self raising flour, lactose free milk, rice milk or soy milk. I use soy milk as I am lactose intolerant. I also like to use free range eggs (I pick these up at a good price from the local farmers markets).
My husband and my teenage boys ate them, and enjoyed them. My husband had two and then informed me that he was full and couldn't eat any more, so they were a budget success - and I also fed them successfully a vegetarian meal!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Organising Your Sewing Kit - A Tutorial
As a start towards Christmas 2012 preparations, I thought perhaps some hand-made gifts would be appropriate. However, I needed to seriously get my sewing kit organised. I can happily say that I now have it looking more organised, and I know what I have, so I won't be doubling up on supplies that I don't need or already have. I organised my very expensive quilting tools and templates into the kit, so now everything will be accessible in my "new" craft cupboard that I have brought into the house beside my desk.
When my eldest son was a baby we were living in a small flat, and we bought a pantry cupboard second hand, and we have been carrying it around for a number of years. It ended up out in the shed, but since we have cleaned out our garage to become a rumpus room, I have brought it inside, cleaned it up and re-purposed it for use as my craft cupboard.
I had to seriously go through my things, throw some old worn things out, clean it up, and I purchased a new sewing box. My old sewing box had a busted lid and it was time for it to go. I also had an old cutlery tray in it that I was using as an organiser for the top, but it was split and wrecked too. Spotlight had a sale on sewing containers, for VIP members they had 30 percent off during their January sale, so I put my pocket money towards purchasing a new clear sewing box with a cute design. As you can see from the before - it is no wonder I had not been enthusiastic about sewing anymore, I had let my lovely things and things I had spent good money on get disorganised and scattered.
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| My sewing kit prior to being sorted |
I knew I wanted to sort out my sewing kit so that I could get organised for Christmas, and handmade goods and to make clothes and different things. I motivated myself to do it by getting a nice sturdy unbroken sewing kit organiser with a cute design on it. Sometimes it does become time to part with the old, and bring in the new. If you do have a lot of sewing tools and items that you have spent money on, it makes sense to store it properly and organise it so that you end up saving money in the long run, and time because you're not doubling up on things, or hunting around for things that you knew you had but were not sure of their whereabouts.
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| The new sewing box I bought on sale |
I then placed like items with like items. As you can see from below, I have a large variety of things - I had sewing needles, including embroidery needles, and put these together, I had some little craft bells and embroidery floss, and a whole lot of buttons. I put like with like. A number of years ago I had made myself a sewing envelope, and I put into it my sewing machine screwdrivers, and tweezers. I put all my rotary cutting blades together, and also grouped all my threads. I put all the attachments for my sewing machine into a packet, and also had a bobbin container which I placed some empty bobbins into.
I had a spare sewing box that I had bought a few years ago, but it was not large enough to keep all my sewing items in. This annoyed me when I tried to put everything into it, so subsequently I shoved it aside, and it got dusty and neglected. So today when I was organising my sewing kit, I gave it the proper respect it deserved (because I had parted with good money for it) and cleaned the internal and external parts of it. This is it below with my threads on the top tray. Below is the lower part of the box, showing my quilting templates, and some of my other sewing accessories placed into separate containers. Zip-lock bags make excellent storage pouches because you can see what is in them.
For my large sewing threads that go onto my overlocker, I salvaged an old plastic sewing kit container, and have placed them all into there. So, as you can see from the very first image, my sewing kit is now organised into three separate containers, and I have thrown out all of the old worn out things, and put like things with like. I feel better organised, now I know what I have. I will now be able to go to the fabric store and purchase only what I need for a project, not what I already have. I won't be frustrated anymore either trying to find things! Bring on the handmade Christmas gifts now - I am prepared to make them!
I had a spare sewing box that I had bought a few years ago, but it was not large enough to keep all my sewing items in. This annoyed me when I tried to put everything into it, so subsequently I shoved it aside, and it got dusty and neglected. So today when I was organising my sewing kit, I gave it the proper respect it deserved (because I had parted with good money for it) and cleaned the internal and external parts of it. This is it below with my threads on the top tray. Below is the lower part of the box, showing my quilting templates, and some of my other sewing accessories placed into separate containers. Zip-lock bags make excellent storage pouches because you can see what is in them.
For my large sewing threads that go onto my overlocker, I salvaged an old plastic sewing kit container, and have placed them all into there. So, as you can see from the very first image, my sewing kit is now organised into three separate containers, and I have thrown out all of the old worn out things, and put like things with like. I feel better organised, now I know what I have. I will now be able to go to the fabric store and purchase only what I need for a project, not what I already have. I won't be frustrated anymore either trying to find things! Bring on the handmade Christmas gifts now - I am prepared to make them!
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| My red satin sewing box inner tray with all my thread collection |
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| My sewing accessories - like is packaged together with like |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Planning for Christmas 2012
High Class Mamma isn't about me proselytising about how to be a better class than any other person, or about looking down upon another - I was really grasping what I had intended this blog to be, and where I wanted the direction of it to be headed as 2012 starts off.
I really want to be blessed to be able to reach out to other people - to see the potential in them - provide that little bit of needed encouragement; inspiration ... to get out of debt, to start that course, apply for that job, or to make peace with yourself ... to pay forward kindnesses.
High class living - at low expense (tee hee hee) because the finer things of life are definitely worthwhile, and they make life more enjoyable - but the stuff isn't what the finer things of life are. Being able to sleep at night because the mortgage has been paid, and knowing that I haven't got a heinous credit card bill coming to me in January from stuff the kids have gotten bored of is definitely a plus. Also, I have lost 53 kilograms of bad feelings - emotional baggage translated into physical baggage.
I enjoy my family and my friends, I cherish them. I look at ways to trim the fat off the budget so that we can live to fulfil the goals which really count.
So now that the paper has been recycled, the toys lying around the place, and I look back at what was Christmas 2011, I am thankful for my beautiful family, that I am still here to enjoy them, and savour my wonderful friendships.
As I look forward to Christmas 2012, I am going to enjoy the journey on the way there - each day can be a step in preparation towards celebrating a very special time. As a Christian it took on new meaning for me last year - just to be thankful for what Jesus did for me - and even though the stuff wasn't piled high or the gifts very elaborate, my experience was unlike any other. It was joyful, and amazing. It wasn't the stuff, though receiving gifts is lovely, because somebody took the time to think about me - that is really awesome. It was being around people, the kids, laughing, sharing and enjoying.
I was invited to my brother's home, and I felt very privileged to be there. He is an awesome man now, and watching he and his beautiful wife together are really precious to me. They have their own place now, and they are amazing financial managers. They save, and save, and save, and get exceptional quality stuff. Their children are gorgeous too.
My husband and I have been together this year for 20 years, it is a special time for me - this year - I really am going to enjoy this year. I am starting preparation for Christmas early this year, though, with some savings goals in mind, and I really want to treat ourselves to something lovely.
My husband's 40th birthday is next year, so I said we ought to start saving now ...
Plan and prepare. Save. Have a wish list. Enlist the help of your family now in assigning a budget and the gifting scheme so you're not caught short :)
Then you can enjoy in January the peace of having no nasty credit card bill that you are concerned about (if you clear the amount every month, then that is a different story altogether). That is a pretty classy feeling.
Here are some Christmas planners I have seen which may be worth looking at - one you have to pay for, the other is free - so depending on your budget - take a peek :)
I like Flylady, and have been a follower of her routine for years:
Her Holiday Control Journal is good, a printable.
For Bloggers, The Organised Housewife has some excellent planners, including a Christmas Planner, she has some free printables.
I really want to be blessed to be able to reach out to other people - to see the potential in them - provide that little bit of needed encouragement; inspiration ... to get out of debt, to start that course, apply for that job, or to make peace with yourself ... to pay forward kindnesses.
High class living - at low expense (tee hee hee) because the finer things of life are definitely worthwhile, and they make life more enjoyable - but the stuff isn't what the finer things of life are. Being able to sleep at night because the mortgage has been paid, and knowing that I haven't got a heinous credit card bill coming to me in January from stuff the kids have gotten bored of is definitely a plus. Also, I have lost 53 kilograms of bad feelings - emotional baggage translated into physical baggage.
I enjoy my family and my friends, I cherish them. I look at ways to trim the fat off the budget so that we can live to fulfil the goals which really count.
So now that the paper has been recycled, the toys lying around the place, and I look back at what was Christmas 2011, I am thankful for my beautiful family, that I am still here to enjoy them, and savour my wonderful friendships.
As I look forward to Christmas 2012, I am going to enjoy the journey on the way there - each day can be a step in preparation towards celebrating a very special time. As a Christian it took on new meaning for me last year - just to be thankful for what Jesus did for me - and even though the stuff wasn't piled high or the gifts very elaborate, my experience was unlike any other. It was joyful, and amazing. It wasn't the stuff, though receiving gifts is lovely, because somebody took the time to think about me - that is really awesome. It was being around people, the kids, laughing, sharing and enjoying.
I was invited to my brother's home, and I felt very privileged to be there. He is an awesome man now, and watching he and his beautiful wife together are really precious to me. They have their own place now, and they are amazing financial managers. They save, and save, and save, and get exceptional quality stuff. Their children are gorgeous too.
My husband and I have been together this year for 20 years, it is a special time for me - this year - I really am going to enjoy this year. I am starting preparation for Christmas early this year, though, with some savings goals in mind, and I really want to treat ourselves to something lovely.
My husband's 40th birthday is next year, so I said we ought to start saving now ...
Plan and prepare. Save. Have a wish list. Enlist the help of your family now in assigning a budget and the gifting scheme so you're not caught short :)
Then you can enjoy in January the peace of having no nasty credit card bill that you are concerned about (if you clear the amount every month, then that is a different story altogether). That is a pretty classy feeling.
Here are some Christmas planners I have seen which may be worth looking at - one you have to pay for, the other is free - so depending on your budget - take a peek :)
I like Flylady, and have been a follower of her routine for years:
Her Holiday Control Journal is good, a printable.
For Bloggers, The Organised Housewife has some excellent planners, including a Christmas Planner, she has some free printables.
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