Stress-less Family Fun with Christmas I-Spy

At holiday gatherings it it often hard to keep everyone engaged and interested.  This game is great for all ages and can be played inside and outside the house.  There are several different ways to play this game; collect points for each item you find and at the end of the day the person with the highest total wins or see who can collect the entire list in the shortest time.  Read more »

Stress-Less Christmas Prep

With only two weeks left to Christmas, I’m in a flurry of preparation.  Here are five simple tips that I’ve discovered to help you prepare for a stress-less Christmas season.  These forward planning tips can help to eliminate last minute glitches and get your holiday off to a smooth start.

  1. Have spares on hand.  Just like the Scouts, “be prepared”.   Have extra essentials on hand: batteries, xmas light bulbs, camera memory cards (or film).   Take time to review your holiday gifts an make sure you have the right size batteries on hand.   Check your gaming equipment and stock up on rechargeable batteries.  Ensure you have off-loaded all the pictures in your camera and will be ready to capture those candid holiday moments. Read more »

Tips for a Stress-less Holiday Season – Part 5 of 5

In the frantic rush to get ready for the holiday season, it’s easy to let stress make you cross and snappy.   This is the time of year for “goodwill among men”, but it’s more often the time of cranky children, indifferent shop assistants and crazed shoppers.    If stress is winding you up, have a look at these tips from my series on Stress-less Holidays.   These last five tips are a hodge-podge of lessons learned from holidays past and hints for protecting the house from accidental damage. Read more »

Tips for a Stress-Less Holiday Season – Part 4 of 5

In the words of the Coca-Cola advertisement “the holidays are coming, the holidays are coming!”   Does that thought fill you with dread or excitement?   In my series on Stress-less Holidays I’m sharing my top 25 secrets for navigating the holidays with ease.   In part four of this series I’m sharing tips on forward planning that can make eliminate last minute shocks and lead to a calmer, stress-free holiday gathering. Read more »

Tips for a Stress-less Holiday Season – Part 3 of 5

Is your holiday planning in full swing yet?   Have you started to panic because you’re not ready for the holidays, but can’t stand the thought of fighting the crowds at the mall?  In my series on Stress-less Holidays I’m sharing my top 25 secrets for navigating the holidays with ease.   In part three of this series I’m sharing meal-oriented tips for easier, stress free holiday gatherings. Read more »

Tips for a Stress-less Holiday Season – Part 2 of 5

It’s the middle of November and lots of people I know are already worried out about creating the perfect holiday.  I’m not particularly concerned because I am relying on my top 25 secrets for a “Stress-Less” holiday to make this festive season a breeze.   In part two of this series, I share another five secrets to help you reduce holiday stress.  Read more »

Tips for a Stress-less Holiday Season – Part 1 of 5

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of magic and wonder, but for many of us it’s filled with stress.  Here are 5 of my top 25 secrets for a “Stress-Less” holiday. Each week for the next month I’ll be sharing the rest of my Holiday secrets. Read more »