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Tips for Christmas Decorating on a Budget
Being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your Christmas decorating. Sure you have to be little frugal with your choices but it also means you can be creative as well. Here are some tips and neat tricks for holiday decorating on a budget.
Stick with a certain theme.
Reflect and think about the theme or colour scheme you want your decorations to be. Once you lay the foundation of the theme you are already ahead of the game. By planning ahead you eliminate the chances of you spending unnecessary money.
Don’t be afraid of mixing old and new decorations together.
If you have decorations from previous years you would love to use again, by all means do so! No one is stopping you. If the older decorations fit with the current theme you have, they would make a great addition and help you save a bit of money.
Set a firm budget.
One of the errors people do about a budget is not sticking according to plan. So decide what the limit is and stick with it. Keep all your receipts and continue to add whatever new additions to the overall total. If you find yourself getting close to the limit, you’ll need to decide and eliminate any excess decorations you don’t need. Your wallet will thank you for it.
Make a wreath out of gift bows.
If you have a bunch of gift bows you can get creative by making a bow wreath. All you need is a Styrofoam circle, hot glue gun, and a bunch of gift bows in different colors. Make various sizes to place them in different parts of the house.
Sometimes less is more.
You don’t want to overwhelm your home or guests with decorations so sometimes less is more. Doing things such as stringing multi-colored lights around the room can make it feel festive.
Remember to incorporate your centerpieces.
Do you have a beautiful bowl in the middle of your dining room table or on your coffee table? Why not use it for your holiday decorating. You can make it more Christmas-like by placing festive looking pinecones in it. The pinecones are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at the craft store. You can add a bit more flair by spray painting them gold.
Make a card wall.
Instead of leaving all your Christmas cards in a pile, section off a part of your wall and hang the cards there. Not only will it be a piece of art, it’s a great way to showcase the thoughtful messages from your family and friends. You can do this with the current Christmas cards you have or with previous ones you just could not let go of.
Decorating on a budget does not have to be boring or frustrating. It can take a little more planning, especially if you are trying to stick to a certain price threshold. However, you can still have fun and beautifully decorate your home to make it festive and cheery!
Tips and Ways to Avoid Getting Christmas Burnout
Sometimes even those of us who have a ton of Christmas spirit can even fizzle out. The obligations of seeing family and friends along with other tasks like shopping, card mailing, and cooking can send anyone into a tizzy. Just when you think you’ve had enough, another invitation comes in the mail or worse, you get a phone call from the in-laws that they are coming over a day early. While some things are inevitable, you should let it ruin your holiday spirit! If you find your Christmas spirit fading fast, we have some ways to help alleviate the Christmas burnout you may be experiencing.
Choose what your priorities are.
We all know we can’t do everything we want. So make sure to streamline your priorities. Figure out what you really want to do and take it from there. The quickest way to set yourself up for a holiday burnout is to spread yourself too thin. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, it’s time to sit and look over all the things you have to do and cross out the ones you don’t need or really want to do.
Don’t do everything yourself.
If you are married, ask your partner for his/her help. We all think we can do it all but ultimately trying to do everything ourselves leaves us running on empty. Instead, delegate tasks to your spouse or even to family and friends.
Be careful to not overcommit.
The last thing you want to do is overcommit yourself. Remember you don’t have to attend every party you get invited to. If you feel bad for not attending every party, make sure to send a thank you note for the invitation. If you try to go to all these parties, you’ll get up like this cat.
Spend some time alone.
Sometimes you just need a little bit of rest and relaxation from all the holiday hustle and bustle. So make sure to segment some time where you can have some “me” time and do whatever you want…as long as it not more holiday chores! Your mind and body will thank you.
Communicate with your family about your plans.
Often times, things do not go according to plan because no one communicates with each other. Instead, be direct and tell you family exactly what you expect or want to do. This can eliminate unexpected surprises. If they try to guilt you about being honest, talk to them about their emotions and explain why you want things a certain way.
Get your shopping done early.
Want an easy way to avoid burnout and unwanted stress? Do all your shopping early to get it done and out of the way. You don’t want to deal with the hassle of crowded malls and last minute gifts. If you prefer to not deal with the mall at all, there’s always online shopping as well.
You don’t have to get burnt out during the holidays. Just make sure to not stress out if you can’t accomplish everything on your list. We hope you keep your holiday spirit burning bright as ever!
How to Find the Perfect Secret Santa Gift
If you are involved in a Secret Santa gift giving event at work, you may be stumped as to what to get the person you are assigned. While Secret Santa’s are a great way for you to get into the spirit of the holidays, it can be stressful to find a gift for someone you don’t know that well. Don’t worry! We have some tips on how to find the perfect gift for your Secret Santa.
Purchase a practical item.
This is probably your safest bet. Get something the person can use, whether it’s something in the office or a nifty gadget they can tinker with at home.
Get something that has to do with their favourite series or movie.
Chances are you know some of the general information about the person. A great gift idea is to get some memorabilia that has to do with their favorite television series or films. Or if you know the person is really into seeing the latest films, why not give them a gift certificate to the movies?
Ask around the office about their past.
Sometimes the smallest gift and gesture commemorating a moment or past experience can be more touching than any other pricey gift.
Look to their desk or office space for ideas.
Chances are there are plenty of gift ideas already around the person’s work space. Is there a particular picture the person loves? Why not make it a gorgeous canvas print? Even if you don’t know the person that well, you can still get them a touching gift.
Give them a gift where they can learn something.
Maybe you overheard they wanted to take cooking classes or learn to play an instrument. If the budget allows, why not buy them some classes? You’ll be giving them something they wanted along with the gift of learning.
Get them something tasty.
Don’t get something cliché or typical like an average box of chocolate. Is there a confectionary by you? Make a sample box of their top treats and give it as a gift. Or is there a pastry shop with petite pastries to die for? You want their gift to be memorable and delicious.
If the person has everything they need or you are completely stumped, make a donation in their name to their favourite charity.
Sometimes you just don’t know what to get and that’s all right. Why not give a donation to a reputable charity? You can make the gift even more special with creative wrapping.
Or you can make your own gift.
Are you crafty? Has the person commented about your talent? Why not make them something? Not only will it include a bit of yourself, it will also be unique and a one of a kind gift that no one else will have.
Secret Santa events do not have to be stressful. Have fun and be creative and see where the journey takes you. You never know, you may come up with something totally unexpected!
New Christmas Traditions for Newlyweds
You and your partner are now in the next chapter of your life and are celebrating your first Christmas together as newlyweds. Why not start some new holiday traditions? This will allow you to kick start the holiday season in great spirits and will also give you even more reason to cherish each other and your memories for years to come.
- Decorate your tree. Whether you prefer a faux tree or a real tree, dedicate a day to getting it set up. You can even have mini traditions within your tree decorating one. For example, you can purchase a new ornament for your tree each year with the year on it.
- Choose specific decorations to bring out each year. This is to commemorate your first year as husband and wife. Despite whatever theme you have the years after; these decorations will always have a special meaning to you.
- Start having Christmas parties at your place. This is another way to signify you are stepping into a different chapter in your life. This doesn’t have to be the main family gathering everyone goes to every year but it could a holiday party for you and your close friends. Not only will you be starting a tradition, you will also be creating lovely memories and strengthening your relationships with your friends.
- Cook Christmas treats with each other. These treats should only be made during the Christmas season so they remain extra special. It could a recipe you’ve whipped up together or it could be one that was passed down to the both of you by a dear family member.
- Make sure to spend some alone time with each other. Often times we tend to not realize just how much traveling we do for the holidays to see everyone we care about. Since this is your first holiday together as spouses, make sure to spend enough time with each other, even if that means taking a night off from social events to just some time in your home relaxing with Christmas movies.
- Volunteer together. Keep in the spirit of Christmas by volunteering to help those in need. It can be a shelter or even a food bank. When you volunteer, not only will you be able to spend time with each other, you will also be able to give to those who are not as fortunate.
- Spend Christmas morning together, alone. You may have to travel to family events the day of Christmas, but it doesn’t mean you can’t spend the morning alone with each other. This is a perfect time to exchange gifts with each other and bond. The night before, talk to each other about how you want to spend the morning. Do you want to open gifts by the tree on in bed? Will there be breakfast or will you just enjoy your holiday treats?
It’s exciting to celebrate Christmas as newlyweds! You should take full advantage of it and create some fun traditions you will continue to do for many years down the road.
How to Host Your Own Ugly Christmas Jumper and Shirt Party
You're reading this so we've established you love Christmas. Maybe you love it as much as you love ugly Christmas jumpers and shirts. Maybe you even have an entire collection of them waiting to worn. In fact, maybe you love them so much you want to host your own ugly Christmas jumper and shirt party. If this is the case for you, then what are you waiting for? Here’s all you need to know about how to host the best ugly Christmas jumper (or shirt) party.
- Create fun, eye-catching invitations. You want your invitations to be just as loud as your party. Be creative about it. You can use an ugly sweater print so people get the theme of the party. The invitations do not have to be expensive either. You can create your own on various printing websites or just create them yourself on your own computer. Be creative and don’t over think it!
- Or you can make an awesome invite online for all your family and friends. If everyone you know is into social media and you know they are bound to check your invite, why not try this method instead?
- Make some killer ugly Christmas jumper (or shirt) decorations and centrepieces. You want to grab everyones attention with your ugly Christmas jumper and shirt themed party so make sure to decorate accordingly. Use balls of yarn in various sizes places in glass jars or even make little ugly Christmas jumper and shirt candle holders. If you are stumped on what to do, get inspiration from sites such as Pinterest, which will sure get your creative juices flowing.
- Create fun and unique party favors for your guests. Give your guest something quirky so they will remember the night. Perhaps it’s an honorary ugly Christmas pin or maybe it’s a knitted bag filled with delicious candy. Add your own special touch by writing a personal note to everyone who came to your party and made it a success.
- Plan out a festive menu. You want it to be in the Christmas spirit so make sure your food represents the theme. Why not create your own drink like a “Santa's Festive Fizz” where you can make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of it. As for food, you can bake gingerbread men and adorn them with cute ugly Christmas jumpers or shirts of their own. Check out Gingerbread Party Shirts for some inspiration.
- Make sure to incorporate some fun games. Since all your guests will be arriving in ugly Christmas jumpers and shirts, why not create some friendly competition? You can have each person vote and participate in games such as the: Best Christmas Jumper, Best Christmas Shirt, Best Handmade Christmas Jumper, Best Handmade Christmas Shirt, Best Couple’s Christmas Jumper, Best Couples Christmas Shirt, the Ugliest Christmas Jumper, the Ugliest Christmas Shirt and of course a wooden spoon for the person who put the least effort in.
Like these Christmas shirt guys!
Remember there is no right or wrong way to plan a party. Do what you think will be awesome and just have fun. Even if everything doesn’t go according to plan, just have fun and enjoy the company of your close friends and family. If it is a hit, why not make it an annual thing to kick off the holiday season and get things started on the right foot?