NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING with Ariane Benefit, Organizing Coach

20 Neat & Simple ways to simplify Holiday Decorating, Gift Giving, Card Sending, and Entertaining!

The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving and celebration of new beginnings.  But our traditions of decorating, gift giving, card sending, eating and entertaining have become so complicated and stressful that it’s almost impossible to recognize the true meaning of the holidays anymore.  Here are a few tips to help you simplify, reduce stress and get back to experiencing the joys of holiday traditions!

Decorating Tips

• Decorate less!  This year, try using only half of your decorations. Spending less time displaying decorations will give you more time to enjoy them!  You’ll also have less to put away after the holidays!

• Don’t add to your decorations, REPLACE them!  If you buy a new decoration, let go of an old one.

• Create a decorating routine.  Use pictures of last year's decorations as a guide to help you figure out where to put everything more quickly.

• When you put holiday decorations out on display, put some of your non-holiday decorations away. Keep those decorations in your holiday storage box until the holidays are over!

• If you have decorations that are worn out, or that you don’t really use any more, donate them.  Don’t just keep them out of habit. If they are sentimental, take a photo and let them go.

Gift Giving Tips

• Set limits. It’s so tempting to give your kids lots of gifts.  But when you do, you are actually teaching them to expect that every year.  The best gift you can give your kids is to teach them that the true meaning of the holidays is to give of yourself to others, be with people you love, and not about how many gifts you get.

• One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is overspending on gifts. Make a list of everyone you want to give a gift to and set a budget that allows you to celebrate the holidays without creating a financial hardship.

• Limit the number of shopping trips you make. 3-4 should be plenty!

• Create your gift list based on what you know people really need and use. If you aren’t sure, find out their favorite stores, restaurants, activities or service providers and give them a gift certificate. See Jeri Dansky's Tips on Giving Gift Cards and Gift Certificates (Here are my "clutter-free holiday gift ideas")

• Don’t go shopping just to look for gift ideas!  When people shop looking for ideas, they often end up finding too many great gift ideas, can't decide, and then they buy too many gifts!

• Don’t bring home “possible” gifts thinking you'll return the ones you decide not to give.  That almost never happens! And it just causes more stress. The best time to make decisions about what gifts you want to give is BEFORE you go shopping.

• Shop online!  Especially for people you have to ship gifts to.  Having your gifts wrapped & shipped directly to them can save you a lot of aggravation waiting in line at the post office!

• Instead of spending a lot on gift wrap, make creative gift wraps out of items in your home.  For example, use fabric.  You can even cut strips of fabric to make bows. 

Card Sending Tips

• Rethink your card traditions.  How many cards do you really need to send out this year?

• Consider sending e-cards, making phone calls or sending personal emails with photos this year instead of cards.

This year, in lieu of mailing cards, we donated the money we usually spend on cards and stamps etc. ($200) to www.RoomtoRead.org.  Instead, we are making our own e-card to send on Plaxo.  I purchase the Plaxo service because of how simple it is and they let me upload my own photo for the cards. Plus when they send the card, the recipient does not hoave to go the website to pick it up - so no worries about spam.  

• Imagine how much nicer it would be to actually talk to the college roommate you exchange cards with every year but haven’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.   

Eating and Entertaining Tips

• Limit how much sugar you eat.  Sugar impairs your immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand.  Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something.  You don’t have to do it all yourself!  Remember, people love to contribute.  Don’t you? 

• Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday.

It doesn’t exist!  What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you?  Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do.  The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card.  90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives.  By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday traditions, you can start getting back to a simpler, happier holiday season!

Wishing you Happy, Healthy & Simpler Holidays!

Neat & Simple Holiday Tips!

Have you been wondering where my holiday organizing tips are?  Look no further! 

They've been posted over at Clutter Control Freak Blog!  (Photo is of my cat Alex playing with giftwrap - Isn't he precious?  Click to see the photo bigger)

See all my articles at: http://www.cluttercontrolfreak.com/author/abenefit/

6 Ways to Simplify Your Holiday Decorating

7 Ways to Simplify Your Holiday Gift Giving

De-clutter Your Holiday Greeting Card List

7 Neat & Simple Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Stress

Happy Holidays!

BONUS!!!   An incredibly cute cat video that was emailed to me recently : )

Our Las Vegas Vacation - Worth the Vacation "Hangover" : )

I love taking vacations, but the older I get the harder it is to recover from them!  It seems the longer the time I go away and more deeply I "disconnect" from everything, the longer it takes to get reconnected with all the elements of my life. And now, I'm finally reconnecting with you! : ) 

Having a 3 hour time change and getting sick after coming back made this vacation hangover particularly grueling and lengthy.  I think I got so sick partly because of the insane amount of smoking I got exposed to there.  Everywhere we went there cigars and cigarettes being smoked.  It was unbelievable how much smoking was going on there.  I suppose there is a connection between gambling and smoking. But it was really bad. We couldn't even walk down the street, or wait for a shuttle bus, or even go to the spa or pool at our hotel without suddenly taking in a deep breaths of CIGAR smoke - never mind the cigarettes.  It was like they were having some kind of cigar convention there (but they weren't) : )

We were so constantly bombarded with smoke that my lungs were killing me most of the time there.  (I am forever grateful to be living in NJ where we finally got a statewide smoking ban passed.  There is NO smoking allowed, at ALL, in any indoor facilities, and many outdoor areas as well.  As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit, but it's a lot easier to quit when you don't have to breathe it in everywhere you go.) 

We don't gamble, so I can't review the casinos except to say that they were EXTREMELY smoky, I actually had to cover my mouth to breathe a few times or hold my breath to walk through - because you HAVE to walk through them to get to the shows and the restaurants in most of the hotels on the strip.

OUR PHOTOS

Here are a couple Photo Albums we put up on Google's Picasa web.  I don't spend a lot of time doing photo albums, but I wanted to learn this tool so that I could hopefully start sharing more photos (and videos) of my work.  I just wish it didn't take up so much time. This is the EASIEST way to do it I've tried so far.  I uploaded over 50 photos all at once with no problem.  Added Captions in about 10 minutes. The MOST time consuming part was choosing the best photos and renaming the files.   

Here is our Las Vegas album - over 50 views taken with my new Olympus Stylus FE-290 7MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom 

You might especially like my strategy for not bringing home a lot of clutter...I took photos in the stores of most of the souvenirs I was tempted by!  tee hee.  I love just being able to see them and not having to find homes for them somewhere in the house. 

p.s. Photos were resized and some were auto corrected with Microsoft Office 2003's Photo Manager.  Love that for quick and dirty edits. 

Here is our Leaving Las Vegas album showing some amazing aerial views from the plane.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

More nice things about Las Vegas: The weather was gorgeous!  Sunny and in the low 70s every day.  : )

RESTAURANTS

The food was amazing, I now understand why Top Chef did one of their seasons from Las Vegas.  We had a beautiful traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Lawry's Prime Rib.  FABULOUS.  I wish there was a Lawry's in New York City.

We had a delicious but very expensive meal at the The Mix restaurant which is in the THE hotel at Mandalay Bay. We were seated on the outdoor balcony of the 64th Floor and the view of the city was stunning. Good thing we don't drink or the meal would have been really outrageous! It was fun, but the whole environment seemed rather pretentious to me.

Our overall favorite though was Wolfgang Puck's Postrio Cafe at St. Mark's Square in the Venetian Hotel.  The food was 5 star, the service was just as fabulous and the atmosphere was far more relaxed and inviting.

Another favorite was the Harley Davidson Cafe.  They have a bunch of REAL motorcycles on a track suspended from the ceiling that actually move all through the restaurant.  It's like being in Disneyland.  Check out their virtual ride through the restaurant and their photo gallery...way cool.

SHOWS

We enjoyed the shows, especially:

Mama Mia at the Mandalay - My FAVORITE!!  Loved it.  The ABBA music made be feel 17 again!  I was actually 17 when Dancing Queen came out and I danced to it on my 17th birthday.

LOVE by Cirque de Soleil at the Mirage - It was a gorgeous show and the music was amazing.  I've Cirque before and was expeciting more acrobatics, it has a little, but this show is NOT about the acrobatics...be forewarned : )

Blue Man Group at the Venetian - My husband LOVED this one best.  I liked it, but it's really a guy's show.  They spray the audience with colored paint and stuff like that.  It got very gross at times - like when they squirt what looks like vomit out of their outfits and then eat it.  eeewww.  not my thing.  But at times it was very insightful too.  Overall, it's a fun show, glad I went, glad we didn't pay half price.  : )

ICE at the Riviera by a skating acrobatics ensemble from Russia.  It was nice, but DON'T pay full price.  The stage is too small and is not in the round so they don't have room to do anything too spectacular, though from what they did do, it was clear they are very talented. One cool thing about the show was that they have a thin ice track that weaved through the audience so that they could skate through now and then.

The Fountains of Bellagio were my favorite. We saw several different shows set to various kinds of music. Check out my video clip of - the entire Singing in the Rain show below. I took this clip with my new Olympus Stylus FE-290 7MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom  After using it for the past month, I LOVE this camera. It was so easy to take the video, the audio is amazing, and it was so easy to transfer to my computer, (See my post comparing the Olympus FE 290 Wide Angle Digital Camera to the Samsung L74 Wide Angle.)  and upload it to my new favorite service...Google Video!  It's my new favorite because they don't have a 10 MB restriction like YouTube does.  You have UNLIMITED file size!!  How do they do it??!!   I don't know, but here it is.  Hope you like it!

BOTTOM LINE

I'm glad we went, but I would not go back. There are many more places I'd rather go, but I'm glad to have been there once in my life.

Well that's all for now. This post and getting all the photos and video clip together has taken nearly all day!

But meanwhile I was also playing with my early Christmas Gift, an HP iPaq PDA  - it's basically a handheld mobile computer with enough features to compel me to try using an electronic calendar again!  For one I can handwrite entries!!!  It also allows me to connect to the internet and email via WI-FI and cell phone. Plus it's an MP3 Player, a note recorder and much more. I'll wrote more about that eventually : )  For now check it out on Amazon here - It has great reviews! HP iPAQ 111 Classic Handheld

Till the next time,

Neat Checklist to Simplify Sending Holiday Cards!

Here's a step-by-step checklist to simplify and make it easier to send those holiday cards on time! 

1. SIMPLIFY / CUT BACK ON YOUR LIST!

In an effort to simplify, this year we have decided to minimize the number of paper cards we send out.  For the first time ever, I'm not going to add anyone to my list that is already at 200!  I'm also cut our list to 90! It's not easy, but we did it.  Here's my strategy for cutting back. 

People we are taking out of our Christmas labels Word File.

1. People I've lost touch with.

2. People who are business / school acquaintances. 

3. People who don't send us cards (including family members).  Obviously they must not care about getting any if they don't send any, right?

4. People who understand why we are trying to simplify. (Sending over 200 cards is just too much!

5. People we know don't really care whether or not we send a card.

6. People who will be just as happy if we just send them a digital e-card!

People we are keeping in the file.

1. Family Members & friends who send us cards regularly because they love sending & getting cards.

2. People who meant a lot to me during my life when I lived in various places around the country that I really love exchanging updates with every year.

3. Older people we know don't get a lot of cards, don't have computers, and for whom receiving a card means a lot to them.

2. START EARLY & PREPARE THE "INGREDIENTS"

Start a couple weeks before Thanksgiving if you can. Chunk out your tasks into manageable bites as shown below.  Every week we get 2 - 3 of these tasks done.

1. Update your address book and mailing label lists & print out the labels
   (I recommend using a Word Template for address labels from Avery)
2. Print out or gather your Return Address Labels. 
   (I make my own in Word, but you can also just buy labels, or even better start gathering the labels you get for free from different charities.)
3. Buy Holiday Stamps from www.usps.com.  They are usually available by Thanksgiving.  If you order early you never have to worry about your local office running out. 
4. Make sure you have the right number of cards.   
   (I usually buy cards when they are on sale for the next year so I don't have to scramble to get this done. I keep them in a box in my office closet labeled Christmas.  I also keep any unused labels & stamps and last year's gift lists in that box. )
5. If you send out photo cards, choose your photo & get them ordered.
6. If you send a holiday newsletter, start outlining the things you want to include.  If you send pictures inside a cards, choose one and get it duplicated.
7. Write your Newsletter first draft.

2. PUT THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER & MAIL!

Week 1 after Thanksgiving do the next steps.

TIP: Prepare cards a few at a time while watching TV so it isn't overwhelming.

1. Put Return Address Labels on all your envelopes (try doing - 10-50 cards at a time)
2. Put Stamps on all your envelopes

Week 2 after Thanksgiving do the next steps.

1. Put Recipient Address Labels on the cards
2. Do your final edit, then print and fold your holiday Newsletters (if you have one) and put them inside the cards.  Also, put each card with it's stamped and addressed envelope.
3. Divide cards into sets of  5 - 10 cards each.
4. Each day work on a set of cards.  Also, get a plastic bag to carry cards with you.  Anytime you have to wait somewhere, like at a doctor's office.  Write personal notes and sign your cards.
   

   If you really don't want to spend time on personal notes, you can order pre-printed cards.  If you do that, you can just skip steps 2-4 and go directly to the next step!

5. Mail the set of cards!

Do a set each day and even if you have 100 cards, you'll have them all personalized and sent in 7 -10 days!  If you have more cards than 100, go back to Step One and Simplify!  : )   Or start a week or 2 earlier. 

Wishing you Happy, Healthy & Neat Holidays!

Here's a comment from a Robbi in California.  Thanks Robbi!

I keep a Christmas card list in my computer, in the Mail's Address Book, in a special folder called Christmas Card List. (I'm on an Apple Macintosh.)

In November, I go through it to make sure that the people on it are ones I want to send cards to. I remove those who haven't been in touch throughout the year. Then I print the list, which includes names, addresses, and family members' names such as spouse and children.

When I receive cards, I doublecheck the sender's address against my Address Book. Then I shred the envelope. Then I mark on my printed Christmas Card list that I received the card. I write any notes on it for updating the Address Book, such as new spouses' or children or pets' names, dates of birth, new jobs, new email addresses or whatever.

On December 31st (allowing for late arrivals), I go to my computerized Christmas card list and remove those people who have not sent a card, and update the Address Book. Then I throw out the cards and start the New Year clutter-free!

Robbi in California

6 Great Re-usable, Creative Gift Wrapping Alternatives!

Check out the six beautiful, convenient, re-usable, and recyclable gift wrap ideas at EarthEasy.com!

My favorites are:

• Fabric Gift Bags.  They include instructions to make your own.    But you can also buy them!  Check out these 2 neat stores:
  Paper Mart and Lagniappe Gift Wrap
• Comic Strip Pages.  I've used this one for kids and adults - they love it!
• Last Years Calendars.  What a neat idea!
• Children's Art

See more details and ideas at: Gift Wrapping Alternatives.

Another source for neat gift-wrapping ideas:  Paper Mart

Organizing for the holiday - Greetings.ca

Though we are spending our weekend continuing to recover from waterproofing our finished basement, I couldn't resist taking a break from the painting to share this neat Canadian Holiday Blog called Greetings.ca with you!  Brianne, one of the editors, wrote a great post about how she's going to apply the christmas ornament organizing tips she got from the Holiday Storage article I posted in my Holidays category (courtesy of Jennifer Swanson, a brilliant organizing consultant based in the Minneapolis, MN area.)

This blog has some really neat articles including:

-  What Jewish people  do on Christmas day.

-  Preparing for Hanukkah (Chanuka) which starts on December 15 at sundown. 

-  What to consider when buying toys for young kids

( Link: Organizing for the holiday - Greetings.ca.)

Soy Candles - The Perfect Gift for Candle Lovers

If you know someone who loves candles, I highly recommend you consider giving only SOY candles.  They burn clean and don't destroy your sinuses the way traditional candles do, and they burn up to 40% longer!

This year I received several awesome soy candles from www.CaterpillarCandles.com   They smell so good in my office, even when they aren't burning my office smells delicious! One of the scents is vanilla cappucino - it smells DIVINE! You can also get many unusual scents such as Banana Bread and Christmas Fudge. 

The candles are lovingly hand-made by Jennifer Sherman who is a real sweetheart and even provides you the ability to make your own customized candles and custom gift baskets.  You can get 5% off your purchase, too!   

See my related post Are Candles Ruining Your Health? at http://blog.neatandsimple.com/blog/2005/12/are_candles_rui.html

5 Steps to Simplify Holiday Storage

I recently found a particularly excellent website by fellow professional organizer, Jennifer Swanson in Minnetonka, Minnesota. She is wonderful and her advice is very practical! I feel like I've found another "sister" in organizing.  With her permission, I am sharing her article on Simplifying Holiday Storage. Enjoy!

______________________________

5 Steps to Simplify Holiday Storage
by Jennifer Swanson

Do you box up your holiday decorations the day after Christmas--or hold onto the holiday spirit until the snow melts? Either way, a little thought when storing your decorations this year will save you a lot of time when you take them out next year.

1. Photograph. Take snapshots of your decorating arrangements to save time and decision making next year. Order double prints. Keep one set with your Christmas decorations to serve as instructions for yourself and your helpers. Put the other set in your safety deposit box with your household inventory for insurance purposes.

2. Tag. Handmade ornaments are precious heirlooms, but we often forget who created what and when. Write on strung paper tags, available at office supply stores, and attach them to ornaments and other important items. (Avoid stick-on labels-the glue may deteriorate over time, causing them to fall off.)

3. Sort. Group similar items together, and consider giving decorations you haven't displayed in years to new homes, perhaps to a friend or a charity. Make a list of supplies you'll need for next year, such as wrapping materials, cards, extension cords, and replacement light bulbs. Determine how many and what size containers you'll need for storage.

4. Shop. With your list from step 3, take advantage of after-Christmas sales. Stick to your list, being careful not to collect more clutter just because it's on sale. 5. Store. Put away sorted decorations according to groupings. For example, keep all your tree trimmings together rather than scattering them throughout your storage boxes. Be sure to label each container according to its contents. Consider numbering your boxes according to decorating priority. "Box 1" would contain those items that you consider essential and would want to unpack first, such as decorating photos (see step 1), holiday music, and special recipes. Take this opportunity to store other items that you only use during the holidays, particularly those that take up valuable kitchen cupboard space. When it's time to deck your halls next year, it will be fun, fast, and stress-free. Here's to an organized New Year! _____________________________________ Jennifer Swanson is a professional organizing consultant, speaker, writer and mother of three. She publishes a free monthly e-newsletter, offering practical ideas and encouragement to help you organize and simplify your life. For more tips, visit www.JenniferSwanson.com.

Clutter Free Greeting Cards You can Plant in the Ground!

Now this is a really neat idea!  Imagine a holiday greeting card made of plantable paper which has seeds embedded in it that actually grow after you plant the card!  Look no further! Green Field Paper Company offers the following types of paper:

- machine-made Hemp Heritage hemp paper

- Grow A Note® seed embedded plantable paper also kcalled seed paper

- 100% Junk Mail® infused with their own junk mail

- Gilroy Garlic paper infused with garlic skins

- Java paper made with coffee chaff!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Food Preparation and Safety for the Holidays

This Food Preparation and Safety Guide from The Green Guide is so extensive I just had to share it here.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=111&s=foodsafety

Here are few of the useful links they provide...

For more tips and products, see our Plastic Containers Product Report and the Smart Shopper's Plastic Picks card in "Safer Plastics for Storing Foods."

For more on holiday food safety:

See The Green Guide's Meat and Poultry and Eggs Products Reports

Foodsafety.gov is the gateway to government food safety information.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has several fact sheets including seasonal food safety, meat and egg preparation and safe food handling. (www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Seasonal_Food_Safety_Fact_Sheets/index.asp)

Other green holiday choices:

For brands and a comparison of organic and conventional holiday food prices, see "Healthy Shopping for Holiday Feasts."

The Perfect Gift: SPA Music & Soy Candles

If you can't afford to give someone you love a whole day at the spa, here is a beautiful and affordable alternative!  Check out this SPA & Candle gift collection!

It was created by my dear friend and former roomate, Robin Spielberg who is the pianist and composer!  Robin Spielberg is one of the top pianists in the world today.  She has toured all over the world and is currently on a U.S. Tour.

I have all 14 of her albums (including a Christmas collection and a Chanukah collection which is one of my all time favorites of hers) and have given them as holiday gifts to friends, clients and colleagues many times over the years.  They are always enthusiastically received and people always askfor more!  Her music is timeless and ageless.  Everyone loves it...even die-hard rock & roll fans.

And the ORLA Soy candles are heavenly!   The cucumber-melon scent alone is enough to make you smile and relax.  Combined with Robin's incredibly beautiful piano music, you can curl up with a book and forget about all your cares. 

To order directly from Robin go here! You will not only be giving someone a gift they lwill cherish forever, you will be supporting an extremely talented independent musician!

www.robinspielberg.com

Wishing you Neat & Happy Holidays!

More Clutter Free Gift Ideas!

I'm not the only one thinking about clutter-free gift ideas. Check out these great sources filled with tons of neat clutter free gift ideas!! You're sure to be inspired to find the right clutter -free gift for everyone on your list!

Monica Ricci, 2006 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas 

The Fly Lady, Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Women

The Fly Lady, Clutter-Free Gift Ideas for Grandparents

And here's mine!  Ariane's List of Clutter Free Gift Ideas!

Enjoy!

Clutter-free Gift Ideas!

It's that time of year again!  Time to decide who you are going to give what to.  As always, I'm on the lookout for clutter free Christmas & Holiday gifts...so here are some suggestions!

From Beth Dargis over at My Simpler Life - her clutter-free gift favorites include "tickets to events, a night on the town, and cookies of the month."  She also found a neat article on clutter free gifts that aren't things at Consumerism Commentary.

Here are some of my favorite clutter-free gifts...

• Popcorn & movie rentals (who would ever let popcorn become clutter??? : )
• A digital photo slide presentation on the web or use Powerpoint of a special event / memories you shared with the person.
• A free night of babysitting is always popular with moms.
• A gift basket with fruit, nuts and maybe even popcorn!  If the recipient can't eat it all, they can share it with others! (Hmm...could it be I'm in the mood for popcorn??)  see www.harryanddavid.com  and http://www.thepopcornfactory.com
• Plants and flowers are great, if you know their taste, and know they have room for it!  Plants that be planted outside are an excellent choice.
• Tickets to movies, concerts, games, etc. are always great...but be sure you know their schedule will allow...or give them a gift certificate so they can pick their own event.
• One of my favorites - a massage, pedicure or even a day at a spa!
• How about a weekend at a retreat/spa such as www.newagehealthspa.com  This is a place I love to visit to eat healthy, unwind & exercise.  Plus I always learn something there during their workshops.
• Make a favorite dish and deliver it!
• Another humanitarian alternative is to give the gift of charity...organizations like http://www.altgifts.org or to Habitat for Humanity https://www.habitat.org/donation/gfth/
• And then of course there is the Buy Nothing Christmas movement which has some interesting ideas.  http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html They have a free information kit (downloadable) at http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/resources/info-kit.html

Wishing you a happy, healthy & clutter-free holiday!

Clutter-Free Gifts for Mother's Day

Looking for a great gift for one of your favorite mom's this year, but don't want to create clutter for her? The key to giving gifts that don't become clutter is to really pay attention to everything they say they need, wish they had time for, would like to do, etc. Take notes!  Keep a gift idea file on hand and you'll always be able to offer gifts you know she will love. There is no more treasured gift in the world that the one that is given with love and real attention to a person's needs and wants.

Here are a few neat, simple, and clutter free gifts she is sure to love.

1. Give her a unique skill you have to offer. For example, I know how to make websites, and am a fairly good photographer. So for the 70th birthday party of a very special mom I took over 250 digital photos. Then I made a website with about 40 of the best photos and emailed the link to all the attendees. Before the party, I bought a small photo album that had pages with quotes and space to write on the left and photos on the right...it was under 10$. I brought the album with me and had all the attendees write a message on a page in the album. After the party, I inserted pictures of people where they had signed. The gift was priceless. She absolutely loved it!  What skills do you have to offer that could help her out? 
2. Give your children's Art. If the mom you are giving a gift to lives far away and doesn't get to see your children often, have them make a special card or piece of art work for her.  Or, gather up a collection of their best artwork, scan it into the computer and make a PowerPoint presentation or slideshow to send. Or put it on a public website like Flickr.com and email it. If she doesn't use e-mail, you could also make a little booklet and mail it to her.
3. Volunteer to babysit for free!  Combine this with a gift certificate to the movies, or a dinner out and you've got a gift any busy mom will LOVE.
4. How about a coupon for a trip to a Museum or other special place she likes and lunch or dinner out. Or perhaps a daytrip to a nearby city, or a picnic in a favorite park! Again, make sure it's something she really likes to do.
5. Give a gift certificate to get a massage. Take the time to find out who her favorite massage therapist is. Few people want to go to a massage therapist they didn't choose.
6. Make a favorite dinner or desert and deliver it to her.
7. Help her get organized. If you are good at organizing, and you know she's been wanting help organizing, give her a day of your time to help her get organized - like cleaning out a closet or a garage. Or perhaps get her a gift certificate from an professional organizer you know she's worked with or would like to work with.
8. Nature. If she's admired your plants & garden, make her a plant with cuttings from your favorite plant or a bouquet from your garden.
9. Tickets! Tickets to a favorite event like a broadway show, movie, concert, game, etc. are always appreciated!

Also Consider these great gift ideas!

If you are still looking for a unique and clutter-free gift idea for your best friends and family, consider some of my favorite products of all time.

Clear Kitchen Clutter & Eat Healthier with the Vitamix!
FREE SHIPPING: Save $25 - savings only available if you click this special link

REVIEW: Read how I use my VITAMIX here!

COUPON: Get 33% Off! Mrs. A's is Offering Neat & Simple Readers 33% off!

See my review of Mrs. A's Coupon Organizer!

If you have a clutter-free gift idea - please share it with us!  Just click on "comments" below. : )

Happy Mother's Day!

Clutter-free gift ideas and a less commercial Christmas

Have you ever thought Christmas has become way too commercialized? Have you ever wished you could just not participate in the frenzy the holidays have become?  Do you worry you might seem cheap to your friends and family?

Well, thanks to Dawn at www.frugalforlife.com I discovered a site that actually gives you amazing resources to get started decommercializing the holiday! They even have a Kit!  It's called www.buynothingchristmas.org This site is EXTRAORDINARY! They have coupons you print for services you can give. They even have a Buy Nothing Catalogue.

Here are 10 ideas of mine for gifts you can give without buying anything.  I'd love to hear any ideas you have!

1. Create a...

Creative Ways to Recycle Greeting Cards

Again from Dawn at www.frugalforlife.com

Other uses for those holiday/birthday/anniversary cards include:

• Bookmarks
• Gift tags
• Recipe cards
• Decorate brown paper gift bags
• Make your own cards
• Use the pictures for magnets

See more great tips from Dawn.

Happy Holidays,

moon added this comment  (before we moved to typead)

HI, found u on blogazoo..will be sure to come back I have been using old xmas cards to make gift tags for many years. The ones that have writting on the back of the front (u know ppl who write u a letter in the card) well those I just glew onto coloured constuction paper, THEN cut out what ever it is I want.....anyway, great blog...thanks, have a good day

                  

 

creative holiday tips recycling cards

Are Candles Ruining Your Health?

CANDLE LOVERS - There is good news and bad news!

First the BAD NEWS
As beautiful as candles are, they are one of the worst things you can do for your sinuses. If you wake up with headaches often, paraffin wax candles could be the reason. Some people think they have allergies and its really due to burning candles. They pollute indoor air so badly, that most air purifiers include a warning that the purifier can't work properly if you burn candles.

Many candles also produce carcinogenic toxins. We stopped burning candles a couple years ago when we started having chronic sinus infections. Our doctor said no more candles! We only burn them outdoors or near an open window, and even then, only occasionally. And now, we almost never wake up with sinus headaches or get chronic sinus infections now.

The GOOD NEWS!
The good news is we can now burn candles again! Thanks to soy wax candles. According to ROBYN LANDIS, author, activist, musician, and personal Eco-Shopper at http://www.theecoshopper.com/ , they don't "produce petrol-carbon soot (the stuff that blackens your walls) Soy wax is non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. It also burns slower (up to 40% longer) and cooler than paraffin, which means the candle lasts longer. There is no wasted wax. Because soy burns evenly there is no "tunneling effect" as with paraffin wax candles. Finally, soybeans are a renewable resource. Paraffin contains petroleum, which as we well know is not a renewable resource. Paraffin wax also contains 11 documented toxins. Soywax is completely biodegradable. Many paraffin wax candles also use lead laced wicks."

To learn more visit: http://www.healthycandles.org/

Here are some places to get Soy Candles

http://www.herbalremedies.com/ (Some very reasonably priced candles here. For example, get the Country Barn Jar Candle, Triple Scented, Lead Free, All Natural Soy Wax Blend, In Glass Mason Jar w/ Antique Screw on Lid, 120 hr - 16 oz for only $10.95)
http://www.sensia.com/
http://www.soyphisticatedcandles.com/
http://www.secretclosetgifts.com/
http://www.sunlightspa.com/
http://www.vickyscandles.com/
http://store.naturessoycandles.net/
http://www.vickerey.com/
http://www.soylights.net/
http://www.caterpillarscandles.com/
http://www.ecolightcandles.com/

Health Candles Soy Products Sinus gifts Paraffin renewable resource