No Stress Holidays
The holidays are coming soon. Get organized now, and you'll have plenty of time to spend with your family. With everything that needs to be done throughout the holiday season, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a simple system that would help you get your holiday season organized?
Start with a family meeting. Family meetings are perfect for organizing things from chore schedules to parties.
It's also the perfect time for everyone to keep in touch with each other. Schedule one or two per holiday season. Start now for Thanksgiving and schedule another one for Christmas before the end of November. Schedule a call-free hour for each planning session and let the answering machine field calls. Planning early will give everyone something fun to look forward to.
Don't overbook your schedule. Pick the things you enjoy doing the most, and focus on them. This way, you'll have plenty of additional time for yourself and your family.
Purchase a five section divided notebook (or use pages from your personal organizer). Title each of the dividers as follows: Holiday Schedule, Gifts, Meals, Parties, and Extras.
Holiday Schedule
In the Holiday Schedule section of your notebook, paste in a calendar page for the month of December. This section will be the center of all holiday activities. That is why it is so important to have a family meeting, making sure everybody gets to do and participate in what he/she likes best. On this page keep track of all holiday events and parties, including school programs, concerts, and work parties. Remember to include your favorite television specials and family traditions such as viewing the Live Nativity or the Christmas Light Tour.
Don't forget getting the Christmas tree and decorating the house.In the same section of your notebook number the pages from 1 to 31 and use these pages as your daily calendar. As the month progresses you will appreciate the open spaces of the daily calendar for scheduling events and activities. Remember to schedule in shopping for gifts along with wrapping and mailing them. This would be a good spot to schedule in Christmas cards, too, writing them and getting them into the mail. Gifts In the Gift section of your notebook write a heading across each page as needed.
Kid's Wish List requires a page for each child. Copy directly from their list or paste it in. Gift Ideas should be a couple of pages devoted to jotting down gift ideas as they come up while shopping, watching TV or talking to someone. Stocking Stuffer Ideas should follow the same format as gift ideas but jotting down stocking stuffer ideas instead. The Master Gift List is the key to your budget and your sanity.
On the Master gift list use a page for each person or group of people (people from work, nieces and nephews, etc.) and keep track of what you actually buy and how much you spend. This is the key to making sure you don't forget anybody, that you don't spend too much, and that your spending is balanced.
Holiday Meals Use this section of your notebook to plan your holiday meals and to plan your baking and candy making. Title each section accordingly. Jot down the menu for your holiday dinner and make out your shopping list.
Check your baking and candy recipes and make out your shopping list. If you have other special holiday items just add them here: decorative paper plates and napkins, Hickory Farms for unexpected guests, eggnog, a trip to the liquor store. Keep track of everything you need here and you won't be making second and third trips to the store for forgotten items.
Holiday Parties This section is good whether you are planning a party, going to a party or both. Include sections on Decorations (what you will use, where they are, additional items you will need to purchase), Guest List, Food and Beverages (plan here for potluck parties you are invited to as well as the menu for your party), Preparation (what needs to be done and who is going to do it--try to divide responsibilities evenly), Invitations and Wardrobe Planner (make sure you have all the accessories as well as your main outfit for each occasion).
Extras
This section of your notebook will include the Holiday Chore List. This is a place to list all of the extras that need to be done for the holidays: extra cleaning, getting the guest room ready, putting up the outside decorations, etc. Remember to schedule time sensitive chores onto your daily calendar in section one. The family meeting is a good place to discuss these extras and to divvy them up. The Extras section is also a good spot for your Christmas Decorations inventory.
Jot down items that you remember from last year that you need: extra lights, a bigger tree stand, new candles, etc. As you begin to decorate you can also add onto this list. Planning your holiday season may seem like too much trouble, but the benefits of planning in advance are numerous: no double scheduling, no wasted shopping trips, no scrambling around trying to find last minute gifts, peace of mind knowing that you did everything you wanted to do most, and the joy of a no stress holiday season filled with friends, family and fun. And just think, next year you will have your holiday planner all set up and ready to go. Put this year's planner in a safe place and bring it out next holiday season for another no stress holiday..
Multi-Cultural Holiday-Party Teaching Tip
Happy Holidays! At this time of year, why not plan a multi-cultural holiday party?Have your children research the holiday customs of their family's heritage country. Depending upon their ages, your students may watch a video, read a book or article, research on the internet, or interview family members.Have them make a collage or write a report of their findings.Graph the number of students whose families come from different countries.The day of the party, let them wear clothes, bring in food (labeled with name of the food and the country it represents), bring in music, and play games representing as many of the countries as possible.Another way to have an international celebration is for each teacher on the team to be in charge of a different country. Make a passport for the children that needs to be stamped upon their visit to that country. At each stop, the teacher will present an activity for the country (s)he is representing...anything from a dance to a game to a cooking activity...the...
Multi-Cultural Holiday-Party Teaching Tip
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Stephanie Anne: Designs Entire Interior of 7,500 Square Foot Highland Park Home in Less than One Month to Benefit Dallas CASA
DALLAS, TX (ContentDesk) March 29, 2006 - Stephanie Anne, celebrated designer and retailer, takes the challenge to design the entire interior of a 7,500 Square Foot Highland Park Home in less than one month to benefit Dallas CASA.
What most could not do in 6 months, Stephanie Anne has vowed to do in less than a month.
This really should be a reality show, explained Stephanie Anne, renowned designer and CEO of Stephanie Anne Home.
I cant even describe to you what it takes to put all this together, but it is worth it to raise awareness and funds for Dallas CASA.
Pulling together with her key vendors, Stephanie is making the impossible possible.
The compilation of all efforts will result in the Estate Show Home Weekend.
A home tour will be conducted from 10 am 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 1-2.
Tickets are $10 in advance at the Stephanie Anne Home Store at 4346 Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75225.
Otherwise, they...
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Structured Settlements
A structured settlement is an arrangement with the insurance company that involves periodic payments obtained as a substitute for release of liability.
As indicated, structured settlements are often obtained as a result of lawsuits and are an excellent alternative for lump sum settlements. Structured settlements are usually to be paid from the gross income to the injured party or as workers compensation settlement by the company against which the case has been filed.
Structured settlements are often not very helpful when there is a need for immediate cash, but a part or whole of them can be sold in case of a monetary emergency. People often wish to exchange these for a lump sum that would be readily available during an emergency.
Even with such drawbacks, structured settlements are still popular because the procedure usually benefits both the parties involved in an accident or an injury.
Structured settlements are best suited for cases...
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Author of "Mistress-Keeping in Japan — Then & Now" (Boy? Lafayette De Mente) Explains How to Party With the "Natives"
Tokyo, Japan (ContentDesk) January 29, 2006 -- Until the last couple of decades the Japanese had the reputation of being workaholics not given to letting their hair down and having a good time. The Japanese were indeed hard workers, but the impression that they didnt go in for parties and other forms of entertainment was way off the mark, says author Boy? Lafayette De Mente in his book "Mistress-Keeping in Japan."???? De Mente debunks the idea that historically the Japanese were not into good time activities, especially the sensual kind. He notes that one of the earliest anecdotes in Japans creation myth is about a party held by one of the gods that became so boisterous he was kicked out of the pantheon as punishment. ???? But this particular god didnt give up partying, and apparently passed on his predilections for a good time to the human progeny of the gods. In any event, De Mente goes on, entertainment of various kinds has been a significant part of Japanese culture since ancient...
Author of "Mistress-Keeping in Japan — Then & Now" (Boy? Lafayette De Mente) Explains How to Party With the "Natives"
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Microsoft Great Plains Upgrade ? version 8.0 overview for IT Director/Controller
This is short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director/Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains upgrade. If you have Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind the scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customizations, ctree/Pervasive migration to MS SQL/MSDE. As of right now it is reasonable to upgrade to Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 Is upgrade required? Not actually, but you have to consider these factors ?Technical Support discontinuation - the old version may not be supported - currently if you are on version 6.0 - support is already discontinued. You can not have Microsoft Business Solutions help you, but obviously you have MBS partners who can still help you. If you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL, then your support expires December, 31 2004.
?Tax Updates/Magnetic media...
Microsoft Great Plains Upgrade ? version 8.0 overview for IT Director/Controller
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Can Everybody be a DJ? An Interview with Jonny Rocket of Playlist.
(ContentDesk) July 22, 2004 -- Already making plenty of noise in the marketplace is a new concept called Playlist, which exists both as a club and as an online music competition (see www.ipod-dj.com for details on how to enter and what you can win).Playlist is attracting attention for several reasons. First, as a part of what some are calling "iPod Culture," Playlist is helping disseminate music to a wide audience. And second, many of us just love the Warholian idea of a bunch of people showing up at a club to be a DJ for 15 minutes of fame.So far, the Playlist club is only in London, but you can expect them to go global soon because this concept takes social networking and marries it to a party context. And who doesn't like a nice loud party?Briefly, here's the rundown on the two forms of this new phenomenon:BRICK-AND-MORTAR PLAYLIST.You arrive with your favorite 15-minutes of music on an iPod or other digital music player,...
Can Everybody be a DJ? An Interview with Jonny Rocket of Playlist.
Party > Can Everybody be a DJ? An Interview with Jonny Rocket of Playlist.
No Stress Holidays
The holidays are coming soon. Get organized now, and you'll have plenty of time to spend with your family. With everything that needs to be done throughout the holiday season, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a simple system that would help you get your holiday season organized?
Start with a family meeting. Family meetings are perfect for organizing things from chore schedules to parties.
It's also the perfect time for everyone to keep in touch with each other. Schedule one or two per holiday season. Start now for Thanksgiving and schedule another one for Christmas before the end of November. Schedule a call-free hour for each planning session and let the answering machine field calls. Planning early will give everyone something fun to look forward to.
Don't overbook your schedule. Pick the things you enjoy doing the most, and focus on them. This way, you'll have plenty of additional time for yourself and your...
No Stress Holidays
Party > No Stress Holidays
How Do Plasma Televisions Work?
Plasma TVs have been one of the most popular home entertainment solutions on the market for several years. They offer outstanding resolution and a quality picture and are usually capable of displaying HDTV signals, allowing you to watch all of your favourite HDTV programs. Compared to rear projection TVs, plasma technology offers some of the best viewing angles- no need to fight over the best seat anymore- and offer uniform screen brightness.
But how does plasma technology work?...
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Party plasma tv No Stress Holidays
How to Order Wine in a Restaurant
Ordering wine in a restaurant is not much different than buying it in a wine store. The main difference is that you have an audience. Yet ordering wine in a restaurant can be intimidating especially if the wine list is extensive.Experiment or HomeworkKeep in mind that even the experts will not be familiar with every selection on a wine list. If you are a novice and your are going on an important date, you should do a little homework to get some idea of what you might want to order. Unless...
glasses Party How to Order Wine in a Restaurant
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