Posts Tagged ‘hostess’

10 Tips for More Meaningful Holidays

No matter how many lists you make, cards you send, gifts you buy, or packages you wrap, there will be things you intended to do this holiday season that won’t get done. If you do manage to get everything done, but you’re too tired to enjoy the season, everyone suffers.

Consider these tips to minimize your stress and maximize the meaning this holiday season:

1. Tamper with tradition. Dragging yourself through “we’ve always done it” rituals when they’ve lost their meaning, and you’ve lost your energy, does not contribute to holiday joy.

2. Begin the season by making a list – but don’t stop there. Pick out the most important item, the second, and on down the list. Remember, a creative mind always has more ideas than the body can accomplish!

3. Use your calendar – not just for appointments with other people, but with yourself as well. If you plan to send cards, estimate how much time it will take to write and address them, and block out that time on your calendar.

4. Ask your family what’s important. Prepared foods instead of home-cooked means more time for sharing new sports equipment and relaxing with friends.

5. Avoid perfectionism in gift-giving. It’s the thought that counts. Choose one or two gifts that can be used for several people. A relaxed parent or hostess is a greater gift than anything money can buy.

6. Focus your energy. If your family isn’t as excited as you are about decorating the whole house, invest your efforts on what means the most to you.

7. If the holidays bring pain because of death, divorce, or family far away, be gentle with yourself. Recognize that grief is a healthy and that next year will be better, even if you can’t believe it today. Concentrate on making other people’s holiday more joyful.

8. Take time out from total togetherness. Let your child call a friend and take a nap. Give your siblings the car keys and a map. The idea is for everyone to enjoy the occasion.

9. Be clear about expectations. If you never tell your family what you want them to do, it’s unfair to expect them to know.

10. Look over your list, leave off what you can live without, and enjoy the real reason for the season.

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

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Baby Shower Games to Make Your Baby Shower Exciting

The perfect way to spoil the baby shower games is when there is less involvement and participation from your guests. Have you ever been to a baby shower party, any kind of party, and been bored to death? Well, I have, and let me tell you, they are as boring as they get.

Also you don’t have a choice but to grin and bear it because you don’t want to demotivate or offend the guest of honor. Would you like to have that kind of baby shower game party for your guest of honor? I know the answer would be a big NO.

Baby shower games keep the party lively and entertaining:
No two ways about it. Baby shower games when introduced in the party and managed well will make the guest want to stay longer and give your expecting mother a lot of warmth and fun.

The best thing about the baby shower games is that it relieves the expectant mother of the stress which comes with being pregnant. As you might know yourself, being pregnant can be a very stressful time. She gets to be involved in the fun and enjoy the baby shower games with joy.

Tips on making baby shower games look better:
There is a lot of pressure on the baby shower hostess to provide fresh baby shower game ideas. You have a lot to do with a limited amount of time to prepare for the baby shower.

The best games for baby showers will be the ones which match the age group and gender group that is coming to the baby shower. The games you choose will also depend upon if you are going to be more formal, or casual in your clothing choice.

Finally, if you have decided on a baby shower theme for your shower, the games should fit in with the theme. You also need to figure out how many, and how much time is needed to play the shower games. I would consider about three games for a two hour baby shower.

This gives the baby shower guests plenty of time to do all the other things you have planned for the baby shower, like opening of the baby shower gifts, serving a meal or appetizers, getting to know each other and sharing time with the expectant mother.

You might also consider giving out small but useful items as door prizes and/or prizes for the game winners. You don’t need to spend much for the baby shower game prizes. Maybe a phone card, fancy bar soap, manicure set, picture frame, shampoo, notepaper, cookie cutters, sewing repair kit, chocolates, storage boxes, or other small but useful items that won’t break the bank would be ideal prizes for the games.

There are many kinds of games for baby showers, including free shower games and printable shower games you can purchase for a very reasonable price. Some online merchants sell kits that have everything needed for a baby shower. Then there are other merchants who sell themed baby shower kits with games, single games and/or baby shower game kits. Most of these come as downloadable games you can print off your computer, while a few merchants sell games that are shipped to you. Whatever your needs, you can purchase or find free games to fit all your baby shower needs.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy is owner of http://www.planning-a-baby-shower.com where you will find further tips on baby showers and baby shower games.

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