Make a list and check it twice: Christmas is coming!

 Lists, lists, and more lists: the best way to stay on top of everything now that the Christmas season is now upon us!

Christmas shopping is an inevitable part of the holiday, and lists are necessary to keep track of who you need to buy for, who you have bought for, and what you have selected as a gift. Once you have all of this figured out, you can better manage your time and determine where you will need to shop. Find out when stores open and when you can go that works best for your schedule. Remember, the closer to Christmas you go, the busier it will be! Keep track of what stores are offering sales when so you can get a better price on your items.

If you’re shopping online, this should be done as early as possible to ensure you have enough time for shipping and aren’t paying an exorbitant price for shipping it at the last minute. If you do plan on shopping online, it’s also important to consider the extra time and cost that shopping out of the country will entail, and the possibility for delays especially during this busy season. Also, not every company will ship internationally so it’s best to do your research ahead of time so you aren’t left without a gift at the last minute. With the current exchange rate as it is, try to find your gifts from Canadian vendors – it will make your time management and bank account a lot happier!

An even better solution to the stresses of gift giving is not purchasing gifts at all or at least limiting the amount of items you have to buy.

Consider giving gifts that aren’t purchased at a store, and are ultimately worth a lot more: for example, a gift certificate for free babysitting, household chores, cooking lessons, fitness help, or home organization! Family or couple trips are also a good idea, or even practical gifts like AMA or gym memberships. For a full list of ideas, check out a previous post on giving clutter-less gifts.

To limit the amount of gifts you have to buy, try setting up “secret santa” or gift exchanges with coworkers, family, or friends. This will significantly cut down the amount of items you have to buy, and the items you receive. This way, you won’t be bringing in more unnecessary clutter into your home than you have room for!

Gifts are supposed to be items or gestures that the receiver can really appreciate, and giving a gift is supposed to make you feel happy. Don’t over stress yourself and leave this activity to the last minute. Prepare and plan ahead of time as much as you can, or try to eliminate or limit the potential stress that this holiday tradition can have. 

Ghoulish grub and bone rattling crafts for Halloween

Get into the spirit of Halloween whether it’s at home, at work, at school, or for a party. Making a craft or baking a spooky treat is simple and easy to do, and doesn’t require much more work than a regular recipe or activity would require. The best part is you don’t have to break the bank to participate in Halloween fun! Below, we’ve found some great recipes and craft ideas that anyone can take part in during the Halloween weekend that won’t take much time or effort on your part.

Trick or treating and wearing a costume are only one part of Halloween – make your own spooktacular decorations for your home or cook-up some wickedly good desserts for a party! [INSERT TWEET THIS LINK].

For a super-simple Halloween themed snack idea or party treat, try these Witch Brooms from Couponing to Disney. They’re really quick and easy to make, and you can add your own little designs and decorations to them! The amount of supplies you will need will depend on how many you want to make.

Ingredients:

• Pretzel sticks
• Peanut butter cup treats
• Assorted decorations (optional)

Note: these ingredients can be purchased as gluten-free options.

Instructions:

• Unwrap the peanut butter cups and place them upside down, so the narrower end is facing up
• Insert the pretzel sticks into the peanut butter cups so the will resemble a witch’s broom standing up
• If you want to add some flair to the broom sticks, you can alternatively use icing, sprinkles, and other baking decorations to the peanut butter cups.

Another great dessert idea that can also be made with gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and nut-free options, are these Frankenstein Rice Krispie treats from Big Bear’s Wife.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounces marshmallows
• 6 cups rice krispie cereal
• 10 drops yellow food coloring
• 10 drops blue food coloring
• Melted Chocolate/Candy Coating
•  Candy Eyes

Instructions:

• Melt the butter in a large pot and add the marshmallows. Stir until they are all melted!
•  Add in the food coloring and stir until it turns green.
• Add rice krispie cereal a little bit at a time and stir to combine.
•  Press rice krispie cereal into a buttered 9 x 13 pan. Press flat and let cool.
•  Let rice krispie treats sit for about 30 minutes.
•  Remove from pan and cut into squares.
• Melt chocolate according the package directions. Dip the tops of the Rice Krispie Treats into the melted chocolate.
• Lay on a sheet of wax paper (or a plate).
• Use some of the melted chocolate and “glue” on the candy eyes.
•  Fill a ziplock bag with some of the melted chocolate, snip an end off and pipe a stitch mouth onto Frankenstein.
• Let the Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats sit for about 20 minutes undisturbed or until the chocolate had hardened.

If you’re feeling crafty, these Witchy Pinecone Owls from All Free Kids Crafts requires minimal materials – and they look really cute!

Materials:

•  1 pinecone
• Black craft felt
• Colored craft foam
•  Scissors
• Glue
•  Ribbon

Instructions:

• Gather a pinecone from your yard.
•   Cut out a triangular piece of black craft foam. Round the edges.
•  Cut slits in the piece on the rounded side.
•   Cut out two doughnut-shaped circles of black craft felt.
•  Fold triangle into a cone. Slide cone into one doughnut piece. Flip up slits to the underside of the hat.
• Glue slits to the underside of the hat. Glue second doughnut piece to cover up slits.
• Glue colored ribbon around hat.
• Cut out small diamond shape from craft foam in whatever color you like and glue onto pinecone.
•  Cut out two small black circles and two larger colored circles from craft foam.
• Glue smaller circles inside larger ones and glue onto pinecone.

Read more here.

However, if you’re looking for a little more complex craft – this one is sure to light up Halloween night! A Little Claireification has a great DIY Mummy Mason Jar Luminaries that is not only fun to make but will look great around your home afterwards.

Materials:

• Mason Jars
• 1″ Gauze Bandage
•  Googly Eyes
• Flameless Votive Candles

Instructions:

• Take a mason jar and wrap it with some gauze bandage tape.
• Hot glue on a couple of googly eyes
• Add in a little flameless votive candle (or a regular votive if these will be attended at all times) and boom! 

Happy Halloween!

Fall is here - and winter isn't too far behind!

Now that summer is definitely over, it’s time to start preparing your home for the fall and winter seasons. This means clearing out your closets, mudrooms, and bringing in the clothes, shoes, and accessories that you’ll need in the coming months.

To make room for your seasonal clothing – especially bulkier jackets – pull out any summer or spring clothing and take this time to go through your items. Donate anything that is old or too small. Also, think about how often you wear it or if you even wear it anymore. If you don’t like it, don’t keep it. Donating these items to someone who could use it is better than letting it take up storage in your closet or wardrobe.

Summer clothing is often light-weight and made out of in-expensive material that doesn’t last long. Don’t hold onto the items you know won’t hold up until the next summer.

Summer shoes can also be taken out and sorted through. Any flip flops that are falling apart, or flats that have seen better days should not be kept. Try on your other shoes to make sure they fit, and take this opportunity to repair any heels or pairs that need repair.  

Once you’ve decluttered your summer items, consider moving them to the back of your closet or another area that is out of the way because you won’t need to access these items on a daily basis. Clear storage bins can also be used to store summer clothes under the bed, or on top of a closet shelf.

Alternatively, a rolling rack can be installed in a basement or spare bedroom closet to hold your summer and spring clothing, and clear plastic bins can hold shoes. If you don’t have clear bins, make sure you properly label what items are in each container and who they belong to. Make sure they are stored properly – avoid having to re-iron creases in blouses and work shirts if you choose to store them in a drawer or container.

Once this is done, you can pull out your warmer jackets and sweaters, and store them in the front area of your closet, or the easiest accessible drawers and cupboards in your wardrobe. Pull out boots, hats, toques, gloves, and scarves. However, because Calgary’s weather is constantly changing and we can get mild weather even in the winter, consider keeping a few lighter pieces out, like a thinner jacket or t-shirt just in case. Also, if you’re planning on taking a winter vacation to a warmer location, it might be easier to store a few items from your summer wardrobe in an accessible location.

When you’re going through and changing out your seasonal clothing, the most important thing to keep in mind is organization and efficiency. By placing your everyday items in a location that is easy to access, you can stay organized in your daily routines. Swapping out clothing in your closet gives you more space for the items you actually need, and keeps the items neat and tidy and quick to take out.

Winter is fast approaching so make sure your home is ready for it! [INSERT TWEET THIS LINK]