It's holiday time again. We love them, yes. But, if you're like me, all the media commotion makes it easy to forget their true meaning. And what's behind the true meaning of the Holidays? This year, after meditating on this question, three ideas came to mind: grace, gratitude and random acts of kindness. With these thoughts, I give you my own three steps for making the Holidays more meaningful. Step One: Find Grace It?s been a rough year full of deadlines, long hours an...

?Tis the Season friends! While the world around us seems to go into a deep sleep, our homes remain jubilant and warm with celebrations of many kinds. As the streets become less occupied in these chilly months, our dwellings do the opposite. Keep your loved ones and guests entertained with a fabulous winter décor. 1. It?s time to put the fireplace back in business! This is the perfect time for some serious mantle décor. No matter what beliefs you and your family hold true, ...

During the holidays, many schools and churches plan a holiday "Pancake Breakfast with Santa" fundraiser. In fact, this is one of the simplest and most fun fundraisers you can host. Step 1. Select a Charity Choose a charity to receive the funds. To me, the best charities to benefit would be related to children ? at least during the holidays. Is there a children?s hospital in your town? Or a family having a hard time in your school or church? Step 2. Location & Time ...

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is cook. Not only does it cut down on my own chores list, but it?s an easy way to spend time with my kids and learn more about their lives. Christmas season may be crazy busy, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find ways to cook with your kids. If you look at the opportunity, your kids can be helpers during this stressful time. 1. Dinner Buffet If you know you?re about to have one of ?those nights?, enlist help. Have buffet ingr...

The holidays are filled with traditions and every family has their own, handed down for generations. Traditions surround the holidays, from Christmas trees and ornaments to the food and festivities. While traditions are important in remembering where we came from, they are also important for where we are now. With families spending less time together throughout the year, between work, school and activities, the holidays give them more time to be together. Following traditi...

I'd really like to make Christmas count this year. So I'm doing my Christmas shopping a little differently. ONLINE - For all of the years that I've had an online business, I've never done my Christmas shopping online. I picked my father in laws name for Christmas, he is an avid golfer so I went online to find something great for golfing instead of the usual (and useless) golf stuff. I found this set of "Birdie Balls" that are great to practice with at home. I'm sure he'...

Christmas shopping - or lack of - sneaks up on me every year, no matter how good my intentions. I am traditionally the original Scrooge at Christmas, the stress and pressure to try to make everything nice and find the perfect gift idea gets to me before the first ornament is out of the box, just the thought of it usually makes me grumble. Sound familiar? But this year I am kind of looking forward to it. Why? Because I'm doing Christmas gift giving a little differe...

I received my first model train set when I was just 11 years old. It came at Christmas and was set up around the tree like a silver train track wreath. There were two engines (although if I remember correctly one was just for show), five boxcars, two flatbeds and a caboose. The engines were old black CN locomotives with that bold red ?CN? logo on the sides, while the boxcars were nondescript brown and black. The Caboose, now that was a deep rich red, as they should, be and wa...

Celebrating an old fashion Christmas together as a family is the perfect way to create treasured family memories that will last a lifetime. An old fashioned Christmas is a wonderful way to enjoy the holidays. You bring back good memories and create new ones with the current generation. Here are a few ideas to try. 1) Decorating This is the first step for your old fashion Christmas. And the best way to start with the decorations is to set up an old fashion tree. Sin...

With the cool ?ber? breeze around, it is undeniable that Christmas time is just around the corner. Since Christmas time is the perfect time to give gifts to your loved ones, you should be doing your list as early as now. If you?re feeling low because you don?t have much dough to buy gifts, worry no more because there are a lot of cheap gifts out there that you can give out. Remember, the value of a Christmas gift does not lie on its price but the thought behind it. MAXI...