Nov 29 – Simplify the Season – Portraits and Cards

Welcome to week SIX!!  Can you believe we’ve made it this far together?  I trust your Thanksgiving was filled with Turkey and family. 
Wasn’t shopping so much fun?!  What could possibly be left to talk about after all that shopping?  Well…

Would you like to be able to Simplify the Seasonal Portraits? Schedule the Christmas portraits and Address the Christmas card envelopes early. Early, as in, the first week of December. Which is NOW!!! When scheduling portraits keep the time of day in mind. 

Do you need to work around school, work, and nap schedules? 

Make sure everyone, including the husband, is well fed at portrait time. (Low blood sugar makes for poor picture posers!)

Keep these same things in mind when going to visit Santa.

It is ok if you cheat - like me - and have photo cards made which come with envelopes so that you don’t have to buy actual Christmas cards -- in that case, just make a list of card recipients.  You can go one step further and make labels if you're super savvy.  (Note:  If you are planning to write a Christmas Letter, keep that in mind for addressing envelopes.  You will not need card shaped envelopes.  You will need letter sized envelopes.  Wallet-sized photos will still fit nicely into letter sized envelopes.) And write that Christmas letter now.  Keep in mind that office supply stores have envelopes in all different sizes.  If you are crafty enough to make your own cards or in need of some extra envelopes, this is a great thing to remember. 

I made a HUGE mistake when buying my own Christmas Cards this year.  I did not notice that the envelopes are metallic silver.  While pretty, even the Sharpie marker doesn’t show well.  These will not be mailed, but will be used as cards we hand out. 

Remember: addressing Christmas Cards can be done in the carpool lane or while watching a movie.  Another way to build relationships this Christmas season is to have a card addressing party with your friends.  You don’t even need a big kitchen for that!  So you think your home is too unacceptable for a group?  Meet at the local coffee shop for coffee and addressing cards.  Do you sense my idea here is to include those you love in the tasks that you all must do?  I knew you were catching on!

As soon as you have your portrait appointment, think about clothing choices for ALL who are going to be in the pictures.  I am famous for dressing my son and husband well and realizing at the last minute that I put all of my effort into them.  Think on this also: shoes often show in these pictures.  I am not saying that you have to wear your finest dress shoes.  But make sure what shoes you do choose (and that your children choose) are clean. 

Here’s a rundown for you on this busy week:
Call to schedule portraits.
Plan wardrobes for all involved.
Make a list of card recipients.
Be sure you have proper addresses.
Buy stamps.
Get tasks done.
Have fun!

Feel free to share your thoughts on Portraits, Christmas Cards, New Years Cards, and the "family newsletter"… or any other randomness that you feel like sharing with us as we Simplify the Season!

Technorati Tags: Simplify the Season,Christmas,Santa,Portraits,Pictures,Christmas Cards

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

The lucky winner of the Paula Deen…

 

is Jane!!!

Congratulations Jane and thanks for Simplifying the Season with us.

The next step is yours, so send your address to my email
(j u l i e b a v i  a t  g m a i l  d o t c o m) and Paula will be on her way to see you! 

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!  Enjoy those Turkey leftovers!

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

 

Technorati Tags: Simplify the Season,Paula Deen,Winner

Nov 25 - Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

It is Christmas in the heart
that puts Christmas in the air. 

~W.T. Ellis

 

 

I thought this was appropriate as we are exactly one month away from Christmas Day.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Simplify the Season,Thanksgiving,Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom,quotes

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

Simplify the Season – Shopping Part Two

Still no luck even with the gift finders?  Get a gift card.  Make it personal.  Think about the recipient's tastes on this one.  For example, if the recipient is a luddite, a gift card for an electronic or computer store is probably not the best idea; however a restaurant gift card for that uncle who enjoys fine dining - a gift card to Aunt Emma's favorite boutique (I promise she’ll appreciate it much more than another frog)- some movie passes for the college student - and a bookstore gift card for the reader whose favorite author will be releasing a book past your holiday celebration deadline – all great ideas. Simple pairings make them personal by adding on some simple and inexpensive “tags” - a bag coffee candy (or bag of truffles) with a coffee shop card, a bookmark with a book store card, a bag of candy with the movie card. Now you’re thinking outside of the gift card envelope!!

As a family, we love to be generous and give to others, especially during the holidays. We try to Simplify our Season by only purchasing two gifts for our child. There are things that we would rather spend DOING with him than GIFTING (plastic toys) to him. We usually choose a small gift and a large gift.  I also use this time to set up traditions. He gets an ornament every year and Christmas/winter themed pajamas. Those types of things are what I want him to have.  They are necessarily things he would choose, so I do not consider them gifts. We have Christmas pictures taken. We usually choose a charity to give to - adopting an angel from the angel tree or filling a shoe box (or three) for Samaritan’s Purse, donating to Toys For Tots.

I have a friend who gives their four children each three gifts as a reminder of the three gifts of the magi.

When you are shopping, keep in mind that you are going to stay the course and have a Simplified Season.

Overbuying on gifts creates a post-holiday clutter problem for all of those who receive the overabundance of gifts.  Shop smart.

Experiential gifts-passes to a theme park,the zoo, theatre tickets- are also a great way to keep the clutter at bay.

One final note on shopping. Let’s not forget about on-line shopping to save time and gas money. This is especially great if you can find FREE SHIPPING options. Some sites (like WalMart.com) will even let you ship to the store nearest you for free.

This week brings us a giveaway!  I know that we’ve already talked about baking, but for those of you who are Paula Deen fans check out Paula Deen’s Holiday Baking!  Not only does it have 155 recipes, tips, and ideas – it has gorgeous pictures, y’all!  My mouth waters when I’m just flipping through it.  It can be yours for free, just follow along with us. 

Ways to enter the giveaway:
1. TWEET about Simplify the Season (be sure to include @juliebavi in your tweet!)
2.  LEAVE COMMENTS on the blog this week and next week
3. Join our Facebook fan page
4. Invite friends to join us on Facebook
5. Leave comments on our Facebook fan page 

Make sure to check back on Fri Dec 4 to find out if you are the winner!

Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family this week.  Next weekend we’re going to talk about Christmas Pictures.  Can that be Simplified?  It certainly can!

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. 

In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. 

~ Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Simplify the Season,Quotes

Simplify the Season – Shopping Part One

Welcome back!  I am so glad you are choosing to Simplify your season along with us.  So far we’ve discussed traditions, baking, party planning, and BOY have we had some fun!  Now on to the commercial side of this season… shopping.

Could shopping possibly be a part of a Simplified Season? You betcha!!! And who doesn’t love shopping? I don’t mean the “sharpen your elbows, Black Friday, 3am” kind of shopping. Although if anyone can turn shopping into a contact sport those ladies sure can! Are you one of them? I can’t see this as simplified, only as an odd form of rugby. 

My favorite thing about Christmas shopping is finding that PERFECT gift. The gift that you know that the receiver will open and love.

Where do you start?
Make a list of everyone for whom you will need to buy gifts.  Include family, friends, neighbors, clients, your child's favorite playmate, service people (school teachers, nursery workers, babysitters, hair dresser, the staff members at an office you frequent regularly, postal worker, barista, whoever!).  Even if the gift is "just" a plate of cookies, jot the person down.  Great!  So, my stress free friend, just by making the list of recipients, you may even get some gift ideas.  Hooray for you!  With just a little advanced planning, you are well on your way to a stress free Christmas Celebration.

Think about that list of people. Do you have to buy gifts for people whom you hardly know. Whether it is a brother-in-law or a boss, this can be a daunting task.  Do you end up spending hours wandering the malls and marts to try to find that special gift that will please the recipient?  Look no more I have the answer!

But first... THINK about giving “clutter free” gifts. For example, Aunt Emma – maker of the great sweet potatoes- may love frog figurines.  BUT she probably has enough to fill her house and yours.  So instead of giving Aunt Emma one more frog related gift, let's find something she could actually use.   Instead of just giving one more generic bath set -- know the giftee. Find out if they have a favorite brand or scent and go with that. Novel concept?  You betcha!  Have I stepped on any toes yet?  Probably.  Sorry, we’re simplifying!!!

Where can you find unique gift ideas for everyone on your gift list (including you!)?

http://gifts.com

I call this the Ultimate gift finder.  It is totally free to use.  It will scour the internet (the WHOLE internet) for unique gift choices just for you.  All you have to do is fill in a minor detail or two (gender, age, interests, occasion) about the gift recipient.  The personality profiler is an amazing tool!  Another perk of using this site is that you can get ideas without making a commitment.  You can even go to the retailer sites from the gifts.com site and find more ideas!  (Yes, it helps me find gifts for my "hard to shop for" brother-in-law year after year.)  Aunt Emma will thank you. 

Are you a parent or a grandparent (or an aunt) looking for toys for the tot in your life?  Try the search features on www.target.com or www.toysrus.com for age appropriate toy ideas.

I love to hear the unique gifts people find along the way! Leave a comment or send me an e-mail and let me know if gifts.com or the toy finders have worked for you… or at least if you had fun trying it out!  Want to have fun for a few minutes?  Personality profile YOURSELF on gifts.com What a hoot!!

As you digest all of this, if you’re still feeling stuck, stay tuned.  Never fear!  We’ll continue shopping next weekend.

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

I love the Christmas-tide, and yet,
I notice this, each year I live;
I always like the gifts I get,
But how I love the gifts I give!

~ Carolyn Wells

Simplify the Season – Party Planning

Thank you for joining me on Week 3 of Simplify the Season.  I hope you’re finding the information so far helpful.  My hope for you is that you will be breathing easy once the holidays really do get underway.  You will be so prepared!  If you missed the first two weeks, just click for TRADITIONS or BAKING.

Ok friends, let’s take care of Thanksgiving!

Where shall we start?  Let’s clean out the fridge and pantry.  WHAT?!  You heard right!  Get rid of any old, stale, expired, and “we’re never going to eat this” foods.  This gives you an idea of what ingredients you need to buy AND creates space for the wonderful creations you are going to make over the next several weeks.  What a way to think and plan ahead, friends!

What next?  It is time to make some decisions.

Which family member is hosting this year?  Are you having Lunch or dinner?  If you're the hostess, make a list of dishes to be prepared and dole out the responsibility!  That's right.  Let Aunt Emma make the sweet potatoes.  That not only frees you up from cooking an extra dish here and there – let’s face it you can still cook your favorites-- it allows everyone to be a part of the celebration.  It makes people feel welcomed and included when they are able to make an old favorite or try a new recipe.  You may want to let the less experienced/less willing cook stick with being the ICE BRINGER.  It is an important role. 

How can you possibly keep all of the foods to make and guests who are coming and what they are making organized??? 
Option One - You COULD make a simple list.  Take a sheet of paper.  Fold it in half long ways to make two columns.  In the left column: write guest name.  In the right column: food/drinks that guest is bringing.
Option Two - This can also be accomplished by using a spreadsheet, if you want a cleaner look. Column 1: enter guest name.  Column 2: enter food/drinks that guest is bringing.

If you have family coming in for the holiday the night before, would you like a great idea for what to feed these weary travelers? Wouldn’t you like it to be simple? How about an easy crock-pot stew, chili, or spaghetti?  It will stay warm if traffic or a flight causes a delay… Plus it is GREAT leftover. 

Keep these same things in mind when planning your Christmas dinner! Look at that! You just moved a month ahead of the game! Woo-hoo!

Since we’re talking about food… and we have taken care of Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Dinner, and feeding guests arriving from out of town… We may as well FAST FORWARD to New Year’s planning.  No worries!  We’re not done with Simplifying the Whole Season just yet.  We’re just skipping ahead for a moment.  New Year’s Eve is typically a time for parties with welcoming a new year in excitement and anticipation.

And it’s busy!!!

Consider hosing a New Year’s Day brunch with traditional good luck foods.  New Year’s Day is still hectic for you and your family? 

Consider hosting a party later in Jan if you must host. Three Kings Day is a wonderful celebration to share with friends. Does that still seem too soon?

Well, know that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

 

Technorati Tags: Simplify the Season,Christmas,Thanksgiving,meal planning,family,New Year's

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

"I like spring, but it is too young.
I like summer, but it is too proud.
So I like best of all autumn, because its tone is mellower,
its colours are richer, and it is tinged with a little sorrow.

Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring,
nor the power of summer,
but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age.

It knows the limitations of life and its content.

From a knowledge of those limitations and its richness of experience
emerges a symphony of colours, richer than all,
its green speaking of life and strength,
its orange speaking of golden content and
its purple of resignation and death."

~  Lin Yutang

Technorati Tags: Fall,Wisdom,Autumn,Seasons,November

Simplify the Season – Baking :)

Last week we started out by talking about traditions.  If you missed it, you can catch up with us by clicking HERE. 

Week 2 is upon us and what a great time to talk about Baking!  Before you rush out and buy lots of ingredients because they sound festive or look like what mom bought.  Before you have a chance to pull out 10,000 cookbooks and reminisce about recipes that you KNOW you will not have the time to make.  BEFORE the holidays are actually UPON us and you feel like you are drowning in commitments.  (Let’s face it, no matter how much you prepare, something will come up.)  Let’s PLAN.

Pick a couple of favorites and do them. It’s hectic trying to bake 7 or even 5 DIFFERENT goodies.

Schedule time – whether you do a little of prep/baking over the course of several days or you spend one huge weekend in the kitchen… PLAN IT.  On the calendar.  In pen.  Say it is so.

Consider Baking with a friend. Each pick 2 goodies to make. Double the recipe to make twice as much as you usually would. Then split. Not only do you have more goodies to go around, you are building in fellowship with friends during an especially busy time of year. You’re also investing time in a fellow human being, which lets them know that they are important! 
Even if you only bake one item with a friend, that is one less item you are baking alone, and one more relationship you have invested into.

When you’re baking at home, remember that even little (washed!) hands can help. It’s important to invest in those littlest hands as often as we can!

I used to LOVE baking with my mom. When I first moved to Jacksonville I missed that, but I started holiday baking with a good friend. At the time I was single and in college; she had 3 kids under the age of 5.  We created lots of happy memories by learning about and investing in each other’s lives.

Have you have chosen WHEN you are going to bake and WHAT you are going to bake?  Great!  Make a list of ingredients you will need to purchase to do your baking.  Now is the perfect time to inventory your spices.  Old spices tend to lose flavor.  If they don’t SMELL like their intended spice, they won’t TASTE like it either.

This week’s message to you, friend: DO NOT go overboard! Use your time wisely this season. 
(I guess that’s actually two messages.  It was worth it!)

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.