Keeping The Spirit Of Christmas – Stocking “Stuffers”

During this time of year it is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the season. We need to put decorations up, we need to buy gifts, we need to wrap gifts, we need to bake yummy treats, we need to deliver all the baked goods, we need to go to this Christmas party and this Christmas program and we need to address and mail all of our Christmas cards. When we have so much to do it sometimes gets hard to keep the true spirit of Christmas.

To combat the craziness, I like my family to do something that my mother taught us 9 kids to do when we were little children. During the month of December (ideally we would try to do this every night) we would write notes to each other, including to the parents, and put them in each other’s stockings. We weren’t allowed to read them until Christmas, although I remember some years I would sneakily take down my stocking and run to the bathroom so I could peek at the notes I had. (Sorry mom !)

You didn’t have to write a note to everyone every day, but you were supposed to write at least one note and you were supposed to rotate to whom you wrote. They could either be simple notes about thanking someone for doing the dishes when it was supposed to be your turn to do them, or they could be more involved letters where you told your sibling or parent why you were grateful to have them in your life. There would be times when we would really get into it and we would write several notes throughout the day. And of course some years we did better on writing these notes than other years.

On Christmas morning it was a tradition in our family to “open” our stockings before we opened any presents. I still remember the special feelings of love and warmth I would get when I read all these notes that had been written just to me! Writing these notes and receiving these notes really did help us to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas and it also taught me many valuable lessons. Above all it taught me how to enjoy doing quiet/anonymous service for others and it taught me to love the feeling I got inside when I did something nice for someone else.

**This post was originally published in 2006.**

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For more Christmas activity ideas, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar. For more Holiday Traditions, check out Banana Migraine.  For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, please visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dyer.

Our Christmas Giving Tree

At the beginning of November our family started a new tradition where each night we added leaves to our Thanks Tree and Giving Tree. This experience was such a raging success that we decided to implement another new family holiday tradition, a Christmas Giving Tree.

Every night we add a paper ornament to our paper Christmas tree. You are probably much more creative than I am and can come up with a more festive tree – my tree is very basic. However, you get the point .

On the ornament we list an act of service we did that day. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It could be as simple as smiling at your neighbor or saying “I love you” to a family member. It is a wonderful way to remind everyone daily what the holiday season is truly about.

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For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, please visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dyer. For more Christmas activity ideas, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar.

The Challenges of Infertility

By nature I tend to be a proactive person. Normally if there is something bothering me or causing me a lot of stress, I like to try to do what I can to find a solution to the problem. However, not all of life’s dilemmas can be tackled with this approach, especially when it comes to infertility. In this case there is absolutely nothing that can cure the heartache of knowing what you want, but no matter how hard you try to reach it, it still alludes you.

In August when I went to a doctor’s appointment at a Women’s Health and REI Clinic, I was sorely disappointed when I was told by the doctor, whom I really like, that I had already exhausted all the conceiving tricks she had up her sleeve. Granted there is still in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, but both of those options cost a considerable amount of money … especially for poor college students. It is also hard to know if this is the route to go for us since getting pregnant is only half my battle. The other half is trying to figure out how to keep my body pregnant once it does successfully get to this point. Five miscarriages later and we are still at it.

Now please don’t get me wrong. Even though I still desperately want another newborn babe to cradle in my arms (I don’t feel like our family is quite complete) at least I feel abundantly blessed and watched over by our loving Heavenly Father. After all, He has already sent me two miraculous little ones. I do not take them for granted. I know it was a combination of medical technology and prescriptions (Clomid, Prometrium and Heparin/Lovenox shots), understanding the unique way my body works and divine intervention that got these two precious souls safely to our home.

One book that has been a huge help in my attempt to bear children is “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” written by Toni Weschler. It is phenomenal … and it’s not just for women looking to get pregnant. It also contains a lot of other information on how and why a woman’s body works the way it does. There is more to making a baby than just having s*ex. You need to know when you ovulate and this book easily explains how to get the timing right – understanding your cervical fluid and your basal body temperature are crucial components.

I know the information this book gives is relevant and useful, especially since most of the couples who I have lent this book to, couples who were battling their own infertility issues, were able to conceive once they had a better grasp of how things worked. I just wish it were this easy for all of us. Sure knowledge is helpful, but sometimes that doesn’t always produce the desired results. That is when it will be by faith that you are made whole.

I am deeply grateful for my faith in God because there are many days where I don’t feel like I can endure any more grief and heartache that comes from traveling the infertility road. On these occasions I know without a doubt that the Lord is lending me His strength, in fact I know He is holding me up by His “omnipotent and righteous hand” as I attempt to learn to overcome the trials He has lovingly given me. He also sends me packets of spiritual sunshine and peace; He always seems to know when I need them the most.

Above all I am grateful for the knowledge that some day all the pain and suffering I have endured will be made right. That is the glory and glad tidings of the Atonement. That is what is meant when it says in the scriptures, “beauty for ashes.”

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For more information on infertility, please visit Morning Glory and Lei who graciously host Woman to Woman.

Memorable Gifts

I need your advice.

Today is Backwards Day for Works-For-Me-Wednesday. What does that mean? Instead of me sharing a tip with you, I get to ask all of you a question or two and you are supposed to provide me with a myriad of suggestions .

Here it goes:

• I want you to tell me what are some of the most memorable gifts you have been given … or that you have given? They can be gifts that give of your time or money.

• Also, what are some good gift generic gift ideas to have around to give to mail carriers, hostesses of holiday parties, school teachers, etc.?

With the holiday season fast approaching, it will be fabulous to have all these ideas as a reference. Just think, this list will also benefit you and not just me.

Thanks in advance for sharing!

The Thanks and Giving Tree

I love the reason why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Whenever I think about this November festivity, my mind instantly reverts back to all the Thanksgiving holidays I enjoyed when I lived at home in California.

Even now I can smell the buttery aroma of my mom’s famous monkey dough rolls, I can hear the cheery laughter and loud voices of the 20-30 people who were always crowded into our warm yet cozy home, and I can taste the sweetness of the homemade punch my Grandfather made year in and year out. I truly cherish the traditions and family togetherness this holiday consistently creates.

Now that it isn’t so easy to spend this holiday with my entire family, my husband and I are building our own traditions. One thing we like to do is focus on gratitude for the entire month.

This year, and hopefully every year hereafter, we will have a Thanks Tree and Giving Tree displayed in our house. Every night each person in the family will take a turn to write on a leaf something they are grateful for. This leaf will go on the Thanks Tree. Every night each person will also write on another leaf an act of service they have given to someone else during the day. This leaf will go on the Giving Tree. The act of service could be as simple as smiling at someone, saying “I Love You” to a family member or writing a letter to a friend.

I can’t wait to see our trees grow bigger and I am eager to see the things we will each share, especially my children. I know my heart is full of gratitude for all the tender mercies the Lord continues to bless me with on a daily basis.

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The idea for this activity originally came from Cocoa of Chocolate On My Cranium and she kindly gave me permission to tell about her family tradition on my site. If you would like to start your very own Thanks and Giving Tree, then please visit her blog to download the necessary graphics.

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For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, please visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dyer.  For more Fall and Thanksgiving activity ideas, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar.

The Lowdown On Trunk-or-Treat

One of the moms in Keri’s first grade class recently asked me what we were going to do to celebrate Halloween. I casually replied that one of the things we like to do is attend our Church’s annual Trunk-or-Treat party.

She looked at me with this incredulous look on her face and asked, “A what kind of party?”

“A Trunk-or-Treat party,” I explained. Apparently this social phenomenon isn’t understood by everyone.

So what is a Trunk-or-Treat party? It is when a bunch of people get together (i.e. through a Church, neighborhood or school organization) to celebrate Halloween, but instead of going door-to-door trick-or-treating, you go trunk-to-trunk trick-or-treating. People park in a big lot, decorate their trunk and hand out candy to those dressed in costumes.

**Picture courtesy of Google. I was too busy following my trunk-or-treaters to snap any outdoor shots of my own.**

There are a myriad of benefits to this type of activity. For example, it prevents people from getting hit by cars (the parking area is normally roped off), the candy is safe (everyone knows everyone since you are part of a community) and it is an extremely family friendly environment.

If you don’t have one in your area, you should really think about starting this new tradition.

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For more Fall activities, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar carnival. For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday participants, check out Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

If you haven’t noticed by now, Autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year. One of the myriad of reasons why I cherish this season is because it is the time to cook and bake with pumpkin. Yum! I have a whole array of pumpkin foods that I find utterly heavenly … more on that subject in a few weeks.

Today, though, I want so share with you a recipe that not only involves pumpkin, but chocolate, too. Who can argue with that?

Well, maybe Liz can. She is the one who got me hooked on this recipe in the first place. She is not really a chocolate fan. I know, pretty hard to believe. But if she won’t eat these, I will gladly eat her share!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups canned pumpkin (I just use one large can.)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 cups white sugar

6 eggs

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons cloves

mini chocolate chips (as many as your heart desires)

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, vegetable oil, sugar and eggs. Mix well by hand or use an electric mixer. Blend in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix thoroughly. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven. For baby muffins bake for 15-18 minutes. For muffins and small loaves, bake for 30-35 minutes. For medium and large loaves, bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Always use the minimum amount of time and check for doneness.

For variation you may add any of these: raisins (yuck!), mini chocolate chips (yum!), pecans or walnuts. You can also sprinkle the top with chopped nuts or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze.

The key is to not eat too many in one sitting.

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For more Fall activities and recipes, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar carnival.

For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday participants, check out Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer.

Mess Free Pumpkin Activity

If you are ever in the mood to do an enjoyable pumpkin activity with the kids, but you aren’t in the mood to be cleaning up slimy messes (i.e. pumpkin guts and seeds), then this activity is just for you. Instead of carving a jack-o-lantern, create one with soft gummy candy and pins.

Shoestring licorice or gummy worms can be used for the hair. Junior mints can be used for eyes. Tootsie rolls make excellent eyebrows. Gumdrops, marshmallows, gummy bears, gummy lifesavers, fruit by the foot, jelly beans … the creative possibilities are endless.

This is also an excellent idea for a Halloween party, a school activity or any other large gathering involving kids!

Enjoy!

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For more Halloween activities, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar carnival.

For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday participants, check out Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer.

A Simple Fall Centerpiece

This centerpiece is so incredibly easy to make that even I don’t have problems messing it up. First you cut off the top of a smallish pumpkin. Then you clean it out. Add some soil to it, plant a flower, add some more soil and then water it. Voila! You now have a gorgeous and festive Fall decoration.

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For more Halloween activities, check out Scribbit’s Winter Bazaar carnival. (Isn’t the button classy? My brother designed it!)

For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday participants, visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer.

How To Successfully Manage the Holiday Season

Jacket weather has arrived. Pull out the rain boots and bring on the simmering cups of hot cocoa laced with caramel and hazelnut and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Give me a good book, some quiet time and a blanket to cover up with and I will be in heaven … sort of.

With the arrival of Autumn also comes the arrival of craziness. New schedules are being hammered out as kids begin school and other activities. Throw into the mix Fall carnivals, Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Festival of Lights and Christmas. Don’t blink, you very well might miss them all.

Although Autumn is my absolute favorite season, one of the things I detest the most about this time of year is being so harried, frazzled and over booked that I always feel rushed. As a result, I find I don’t get to truly appreciate the spirit of the season unless I plan ahead, stay organized and learn to simplify my life.

Since Christmas will be here in a mere 13 weeks, give or take a few days, I thought I would share some tips I have picked up over the years that have helped me to dispel some of the franticness of the season. These things definitely help me feel more relaxed and not quite as rushed.

1. Write on the calendar. Rule #1 – you don’t have to say yes to every, single invitation … do I need to repeat that? In fact, hold a family council and decide together which activities to attend and which ones can be skipped. Plan ahead for annual events you know always happen and try now to figure out the dates of those things. The Christmas dinner your husband’s boss always throws? I am sure it is planned more in advance than the night before it occurs, which is sometimes when your significant other first tells you about it.

Furthermore, make sure to literally write on the calendar, in pen, some days where you will “Stay Home.” Plan nothing these nights, or use these days to bake those sugar cookies with the kids you have been saying you are going to make for the last three years.

2. Christmas letters/emails. Start those letters soon. Since we are on tight budget while my husband is in grad school, we send out a Christmas/Holiday email to save money on stamps, cards and address labels. Emails also save a lot of time.

3. Convenient family photo. I always like to send out a current family photo with our email, but trying to find a time to get a nice picture taken sometimes seems impossible. Since we get dressed up to attend church every Sunday, I just take our digital camera to Church, arrive a few minutes early, and have a family friend who is handy with a camera snap a few shots. The kids behave remarkably well because they are excited to go to their respective kids’ classes.

4. Finish your gift shopping before Thanksgiving. Some people might argue with me on this one saying you will miss all the good sales, but frankly, I don’t mind spending a few extra dollars when my time and sanity are on the line. And this is coming from a very frugal minded person who is extremely budget oriented. To wreak less havoc on our budget, I also purchase things throughout the entire year and keep a birthday and Christmas stash hidden in my house.

Once you have the gifts, don’t forget to mail them off early. Remember any overseas packages need to be mailed by mid November. If you want to save money on shipping costs, give any gifts to family you might see at Thanksgiving time.

5. Keep a list of the gifts you have purchased. This helps ensure that equal money is spent on all the kids. It also helps to prevent overspending.

6. Keep a few extra, simple gifts on hand. Every year it seems like there is always someone you forget to buy a gift for – your daughter’s school teacher, your son’s soccer coach, the mail carrier, etc. To help you out in a pinch, always keep a few generic presents on hand – a scented candle, a mug full of treats, or a small box of stationary.

7. Purge now to make more room for new items. Before the holiday rush hits in full swing, take some time to help your kids sort through their things. Put away clothes that are too small, pack up toys that aren’t being used any longer, throw broken things in the trash and donate any unwanted items to charity. Don’t forget to purge your own things as well. If space is an issue, when out shopping, think small. It’s hard to find a new “home” in your house for large items.

8. Don’t be ashamed to buy a dessert. Many of us can bake fancy and gourmet treats, but the real question is do we have the time to do so? If you signed up to bring a sweet to the winter party at school, don’t stress yourself out about making something homemade. Costco cookies can be quite delicious.

9. Buy those black shoes now. If you know you will have a fancy holiday party to attend in the month of December, purchase those black dressy shoes and any other necessary accessories you have been meaning to get sooner rather than later. The last thing you need to be doing is picking over the leftovers on a display table in the mall the afternoon of the big event.

10. Enjoy all the Fall holidays. Sometimes all we seem to focus on is December 25th. Every other day is just a means to arrive at this date. Take some time to celebrate the beginning of Autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving. However, remember to keep things simple.

11. Think outside the box. A successful holiday season isn’t measured by the amount of money one spends or the number of presents one purchases. Instead of buying big ticket items, get creative. Make homemade gifts if possible or write a thoughtful letter instead of spending money. If time is more the issue, utilize gift cards given with a sweet note.

12. Enjoy family time. In a few years time no one is going to remember if you cooked five different soups for the Fall potluck. However, your kids will always cherish the fun memories you created together.

13. Don’t sacrifice your alone time. It is so hard to give to and serve others when your own cup is completely empty. Take the time to adequately rest, exercise, read some good books and enjoy your hobbies.

What helps you to stay calm during the mad rush of the holiday season?

Works-For-Me: Laughter

“On average, children laugh 400 times a day, while adults laugh about 15 times. Why the gap? Did we lose something? Have we forgotten the way we used to be? Why is it that children seem to cope with life’s oddities better than adults? Perhaps it’s because they do not fully understand. But I think it is simpler than that – they laugh. As we grow older, we get far too serious. Watch children play. … Everything is fun. They are spontaneous. Only when we become adults do we start to get boring. Do we need to cultivate a different attitude? Humor is in the way we see things, the way we think. It’s an attitude, not an event. Perhaps the key lies in becoming more childlike.” ~ Gary K. Palmer

Life definitely requires its serious moments, but when I find myself becoming overly frazzled and stressed out, a good hearty laugh helps me to relieve the tension.

Laughter works for me, it even has lasting effects. After I have enjoyed a hard, deep laugh, I find myself smiling more often and being more carefree. Now I just need to learn to laugh more than 15 times a day … do I even laugh more than 10 times a day?

I might need to be a little more diligent about this.

For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, please visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer. Also, make sure you enter my Free Chicco Stroller giveaway!

My Undiagnosis

Nearly four years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). The nephrologist attending to my case used an ultrasound and a CT scan to make the decision. Since then I have had several urine and blood tests performed just to make sure my kidneys are functioning properly. Thankfully the tests always come back within normal parameters.

Another sure sign of kidney disease is high blood pressure. Mine is typically really low. The highest it has ever gotten is 130 over something which occurred when I was in labor with Cory.

Since it had been a few years since I last visited with a nephrologist, my primary care physician and I decided it would be in my best interest to set up an appointment to see a kidney specialist. While setting up my visit, they also scheduled a renal ultrasound to be performed before my appointment with the doctor.

The ultrasound technician was the first person who alerted me to the fact that my PKD diagnosis might be incorrect. Although I do have a large 13 centimeter simple cyst on my right kidney, the kidney tissue itself looked fine. The tissue in my left kidney also looked good.

While in the kidney clinic, they took my blood pressure twice (98/60 and 94/62), had me give a urine sample and talked with me extensively about my medical history. I then had two different renal doctors tell me that I don’t have PKD. In fact to use their words, I have “no kidney disease, just cysts.” What a marvelous piece of news to receive!

When I left their office I felt like I was walking on air. I didn’t even mind paying my $7 parking garage ticket.

So what works-for-me? ALWAYS get a second and third opinion when it comes to your health, even if you feel like you completely trust and respect the diagnosing doctor.