Who Said Nothing in Life is Free?

As December lingers into the near future some us already have our schedules packed full, which is making us, wonder how in the world we’re going to manage our regular schedules, including keeping the house together?

If you are worried about keeping things together this holiday season, then you are not alone. As always, things get busy and we find ourselves with less and less time as each day passes.

As simple as it sounds, keeping up with cleaning and other household chores can get overwhelming but if done correctly will help relieve your stress and make every day run smoothly.

Here are a few tips to staying on top of everything in between working, holiday parties, and more.

1. Trust Your Nose

The scent your home brings on during the holidays is a huge factor in how clean everything seems, feels, and actually is. Using a good Putzmittel to scrub your couches, rugs, and pillows will make sure your space smells new and refreshing each time you walk through the door.

2. Clean and Clear Air

As cold as it might be outside, you should also try to get the windows cracked open for at least thirty minutes a day as this can revamp the closed-in or musty feeling that is caused by clutter and dust.

Not only will the fresh air help with feeling good when you͛re just hanging around the house and even sleeping, the fresh air will also create a clean and comforting environment for you to think clearly.

3. Set Up A Schedule

Having a regular cleaning day just once a week will help you stay on top of how much cleaning you’re actually doing and making sure it gets done.

Setting aside a few hours once a week will be a nice way to help time move more slowly too. With every week that passes, especially during the holidays, its difficult to remember what even happened yesterday!

This way, you’ll feel more in control of your schedule and it will help keep your surroundings and your thoughts free of clutter.

4. One Big Thing at a Time

Whilst doing your regular weekly cleaning such as vacuuming, mopping, and wiping the counters, try to pick at least one big thing a week that you want to also get done.

This could be cleaning all the blinds, wiping all the glass windows, or even dusting in those hard to get places. Try to find something that usually gets overlooked on a regular basis, and may need some serious attention.

Sometimes these big tasks seem irrelevant but are usually what people notice the most when they’re over for your holiday party.

5. Maintaining the Main Entrance

A lot of your around-the-house cleaning can be managed pretty simply if there is an organized and clean way that people enter and exit your home.

Setting up a coat rack for your family and visitors to keep their cold layers is a great way to keep these items from lingering around unwanted.

Underneath this rack you can also set up a little area for shoes too. This way no one will be tracking muddy footprints and debris from outside, which means less cleaning for everyone.

Because the main entrance is the center stage for anyone who walks in the door, keeping it under control will help set the mood throughout the season.

6. We’re Not Forgetting the Fridge, Now Are We?

One of the most overlooked household items is the refrigerator. Its͛ use is to hold our food, and when the door is shut, it becomes completely forgotten.

This season, try to stay on top of the food you͛re putting in your fridge, as its bound to get overstuffed with leftovers that will keep getting shoved to the back. This task can usually be added to the weekly cleaning spree and is something you can pass on to the kids. Don͛t forget that they’re allowed to help too!

Starting today, the Captain Morgan’s rum brand’s holiday apparel partner Tipsy Elves is selling everything from ugly sweaters to onesies to leggings – and even a tandem sweater perfect for couples or best friends.

Plus on Cyber Monday (11/26), the official Captain Morgan Body Pillow (5’ tall, 26” wide) will go on sale for the limited-time price of $20.18 on the Captain Morgan online merch store: CaptainMorganStore.com. Following the flash sale, the body pillow will remain on sale (pending inventory) for the regular price of $34.99.

Enter the code below for 50 points at Kellogg’s Family Rewards

THAN-KFUL-REWA-RD50 (exp 11/26)

Black Friday Deals:

On Walmart.com: Trusted for generations, Gerber is offering new parents the most practical (and essential!) Black Friday deal at Walmart.com. No need to wait in line to pick up a 6-pack of white long-sleeve Gerber Onesies(r) bodysuits for just $10, starting Black Friday. Perfect for layering in the winter months! That’s less than $2 per item and more than 35% off! (Original price: $15.84). The deal is available starting Black Friday while quantities last.

On Gerberchildrenswear.com: For those looking to get a head start, Thursday (11/22) through Saturday (11/24), visit Gerberchildrenswear.com for major discounts on a variety of clothing and accessories, including:
– 25% off all Onesies(r) bodysuits & swaddles and blankets
– 30% off Take-Me-Home sets
– 40% off Playwear.
– Up to 75% off select items sitewide
– Free shipping on any order (no minimum purchase) with code: JINGLE

Cyber Monday Deals

Beginning Sunday (11/25) at 3 PM EST, Gerber Childrenswear will offer 30% off sitewide – no code required! For free shipping on any order (no minimum purchase), use code: JINGLE.

As a pre-Black Friday warm up, Swagbucks is offering big cash back for shopping online at several of your favorite retailers right now! Just go to this page to see all of the deals available and get the jump on your holiday shopping.

In order to take advantage of the cash back, just create your Swagbucks account when prompted (it takes less than 30 seconds) and then you’re all set! Your cash back comes in the form of SB points, which you can redeem for gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, or get PayPal cash!

As a special bonus, if you sign up through me you get a 300 SB ($3) bonus when you earn your first 300 SB before December 1st! This site’s a great way to extend your shopping budget, especially around the holidays!

Every year Christmas comes around and brings with it the same challenging question: what to
get the kids? Sometimes your kids might have big ideas of their own, like a new bike or a fancy laptop with the capabilities to send someone to Mars (or pretty close anyway).

Whether or not they have already given you any ideas, you might be wondering what you can
give them to get their creative juices flowing. Instead of deciding on a simple material object this Christmas, try to get one of these gifts to inspire your little one’s artistic and intellectual side. Who knows, you might end up with the next Picasso!

1. Art Set

Art sets come in many shapes, sizes, and mediums. You can go with a painting set complete with brushes and paints, a canvas, and an easel. Or, you can opt for the drawer’s paradise package with all the types of colored pencils, markers, and pastels you could ever imagine.

Regardless of your choice, this Christmas gift is sure to be one your little one will cherish for a long time. Art might become their treasured hobby or future career. Even if they do not find a deep passion for art, they will definitely enjoy creating little masterpieces from time to time and will be prepared when school projects call for twenty different colored writing utensils.

2. Jewelry Maker

Many arts and crafts packages are advertised on television, but make your own jewelry kits are special. Your child will get to experiment with both their creativity and their style. They can choose from a crazy number of beads and string to construct the perfect bracelet or necklace that they will wear on their first day of school or to their best friend’s birthday party.

Along with creating the jewelry, they will have to use their math skills to measure out how long a piece must be to properly fit their wrist or yours, since they might decide to make you a beautiful Christmas gift for next year.

3. Musical Instrument

Some kids thrive on visual art while others live for music. If your child must have the radio on 24/7 or is constantly sharing their own renditions of made up songs, then getting them a musical instrument is a perfect idea.

Learning a new instrument will teach your child many new skills. They will learn how to read music, count a beat, and match pitch. While developing these skills, your child will also get to explore music, possibly for the first time, on their own creative terms. Within a year’s time, they might be writing their own songs or have started a band. Whether you are looking to get your child a musiciansfriend.com snare drum or a clarinet from your local music store, an instrument is a gift that will bring your child a great amount of creative happiness.

4. A Cookbook

Cooking may not be the first creative activity that comes to your mind, but it is one that will surely benefit your child’s life from Christmas on out. Food is an important and often highly valued part of living, and knowing how to cook scrumptious food will make your little one extremely proud of themselves.

A cookbook is a great place to start your child on the journey to learning the ways of the kitchen. Depending on their age you can start slow with easy recipes you can cook along with them. This will allow you to help them expand their knowledge on food and give them the floor to be a part of what they eat. An extra set of hands in the kitchen may also make dinnertime run more smoothly.

Making a Choice

There are a ton of Christmas gift options that can encourage your child to work their creative side. If you are having a difficult time deciding which route to take, do some investigating.

Pay attention to which subjects your child likes in school the most, or subtly mention a friend of theirs who also draws or plays the oboe and gauge their reaction. One is sure to stick out from the rest, and your child’s eyes are sure to light up on Christmas morning when they open their new path to creative freedom.