Reducing Stress at the Holidays

Guest Blogger, Vickie Dellaquila, an organizing guru, offers the following tips to help you relax more during the holidays: 

The holiday season is once again upon us. Time for family, decorating, and presents. How does your list look? Do you have too many things to check off your list or people to shop for? Here are some ideas on how to focus on the holiday and make it a little less stressful.

Gift List

Look at your shopping list. Can you eliminate some people? Perhaps nieces and nephews who are older now need to come off your list. Maybe you could exchange names within your extended family and even immediate family instead of everyone purchasing gifts for everyone else.  With only one gift to buy, the spending limit could be raised, you would still save money, and perhaps it would even be a nicer gift. For many families, this is a relief when someone finally suggests it.

Gifts

Give some gift certificates for things to do. The list is endless -- skating, movies, bowling, sport events, gym passes, zoo passes, restaurants, lessons to learn a hobby such as knitting. There are so many activities or places to choose from. Many people appreciate gifts of food, wine, homemade cookies, bath products, stamps and stationary.

Monetary gifts in the name of someone to your favorite charity are also valued.

Wrapping

When it comes to wrapping gifts, save money and the environment by using these tips: Make the wrapping part of the gift. For example, wrap the gift in towels, sheets, or blankets as part of the gift. Place small items inside the gift such as a crock pot, special pan, or re-usable basket. Be creative. There are so many ways to wrap gifts that don't involve paper that will just be thrown away.

Reuse gift bags. You know everyone does it  (!) and it is good for the environment. When the gift bag becomes too shabby to give, use it as a lunch bag to carry your lunch to work: recycling at its best!

Use burlap sacks decorated for the holiday for wrapping gifts or make holiday sacks to use every year. Children will look forward to who will be receiving the special sack this year.

People usually make way too much food for the holidays. Make less or give your extras as gifts or to a shelter.

Keep receipts of anything you purchase as gifts in case they need to be exchanged or returned. You really don’t want to have a chia pet sitting around in February and not know what to do with it. Return it or give it to someone else who would enjoy it! The giver does not need to know. A gift is a gift and you get to decide what you want to do with it.

The holidays can be a stressful time for many people, however with a little planning and organization they can be a little less stressful.

Happy Holidays!

Vickie Dellaquila is a (CPO®) Certified Professional Organizer, (CPO-CD®) Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization and owner of Organization Rules, Inc. She is also the author of the book Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash-A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Seniors Downsize, Organize, and Move and the Moving Workbook. For more information please visit www.OrganizationRules.com

Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinners

Who says you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving?

Given a ltitle creativity, those who are not fans of turkey and all that goes with it on Thanksgiving Day can come up with meals to share with family and friends that they enjoy more.

Here are some of the meals that others have created for their own particular feasts:

• Pancakes
• Pizza
• International favorites
• Mexican (compete with margaritas)
• Lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs
• Baked ham
• Roasting chickens or Cornish hens
• Grilled oysters
• Prime rib
• Pot roast
• Gumbo
• Order out Chinese

And the meal that probably most likely resembles the first Thanksgiving? A pcnic! For those of you who will have nice weather on the 22nd, eating picnic food outside is a great way to celebrate and be thankful.

Getting Creative with the Crock-Pot

Getting Creative with the Crock-Pot

Crock Pots have been around for years, following on the heels of our moms' electric skillets and saucepans.

I know exactly how long they have been around since I received a stylin' orange one for a wedding present more than 38 years ago. 

Today's crocks offer more options for the chef. Mine has a timer on it so that the pot will turn off at a certain time and then stay warm, eliminating the main complaint of overdone food. These new ones also can cook side dishes (I have used it to cook potatoes for mashing) and desserts so you could have a combination of Crock-Pots to take care of the entire meal!

There are probably a million recipes for Crock-Pot or "slow cooker" meals on the Internet, so I don't need to point you in their direction here. As the days cool off and snow is on the horizon, (and with Trick or Treaters stopping by tonight for a couple of hours), there really is no more convenient way to have a warm meal ready.

Pumpkin Carving Tips

It's time to start thinking about whether you want to carve your own pumpkins to greet Trick or Treaters or leave your rotund fruit au naturale.

Cutting into that thick skin and spooning out great globs of goo is not a great time, most of us would agree. Often I admit we took the easy way out and drew faces on the pumpkin with permanent markers, instead. Hey, they last longer that way!

But if you are preparing for Halloween and you have grandchildren excited to see a pumpkin face come to life, it's hard to avoid any actual cutting.

So if you are feeling adventurous (or guilty!), here are some tips on pumpkin carving you may want to make note of for the holiday.

Carving Tips 

Jack-O-Lanterns

Perfect Pumpkins

Pumpkin Topiaries

Wish I had thought of these!

I have several blogs that I follow because I like the way the owners write or the special things they create.

Sarah at Repeat CR-after Me always offers up crafty good ideas for creative types. I especially liked these topiaries because they are simple to make and inexpensive, with all supplies in stock for the season.

To see photos and instructions on how to make these beauties, visit http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/. and drop down to Sarah's September 28, 2012 post.

Enjoy!

Cut and run

Well, finally, after much aggravation, I was able to fashion a couple of the fabric corsages I have wanted to make for weeks. Overcoming sewing machine problems, lack of supplies, and inertia, I sat down and sewed a couple

Guess what? I don't like them! All that planning and work and they didn't turn out the way I had envisioned.

I pinned a couple of them to a basket for you to see, but they are a sad accompaniment to the lovely fairy my friend Lee made me for my birthday.

Oh well. I think I will clean up my sewing space and think about what I would like to try next. Sometimes things just don't work out. That's OK, there are lessons learned, I know. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained --  but a serious mess!

Creativity = Chaos

I finally figured out how to do a ltitle free motion quilting on the flower corsages I wanted to make. I cut out a lot of circles of different sizes but decided I didn't have enough "interesting" fabric to use, but I am sticking to my plan of only using what I have on hand.

I'm trying to do little projects that are fun and creative and will make nice gifts for others. It's not as easy when you can't run out and buy more stuff. Like you, I've got way more craft stuff than I could possibly use in a lifetime. What's that old line: She who dies with the most fabric (yarn, paper, etc.), wins?

Maybe not the best sentiment for these "green" times?

Friends, DVDs Great Way to Learn

As I mentioned before, I am trying to learn free motion embroidery. A friend came over last week and helped me set things up and I feel like I can go ahead and jump into this new-to-me craft, but with a lot of practice.

But since I am not a comfortable seamstress, I also borrowed a DVD from the library which featured Ann Fahl's technique for Coloring with Thread. It was very helpful as it matched what she had written in her accompanying book.

But there's something about watching a real person do something that makes it much easier to learn. I have always sought out books to learn new things, but I now think that DVDs, and to the same extent YouTube-type vidoes, are more the way to go. There's no replacement for having a person right there with you that you can ask questons of, but coming in second place are these new video learning tools.

If there is something you have being waiting to learn, get a friend to come over who knows how to do it (best of all). If that can't happen, borrow some DVDs from the library or check out YouTube offerings. You will be up to speed a lot faster on the basics, which will allow your creative self to take off!

Stop! Creativity May Have to Wait. . .a bit

Sometimes, being creative means that you have to take two steps back and put those whimsical, inspired ideas on hold.

I know, not much fun, but often, it's the only way.

I recently bought an open toe free motion spring foot for my old Viking sewing macine. This model was the first, I think, of the series of machines which had electronics built in so that I could write names on fabric bags, and do a lot of decorative stitches. (See photo above)

I haven't used the machine in years and years except for a couple of projects sewing on paper. But I have been interested in learning to do free motion embroidery with the machine for a while.

With luck, and my friend's advice, I actually ended up buying the right free motion presser foot for the machine. So I decided to try and quilt with it and ended up with a big old jam (probably one of the reasons I gave up sewing years ago.)

I decided I didn't have enough information to go ahead and try again, and for a reason that escapes me, I don't own a book that would show me how to do this type of embroidery.

So I ordered some basic books at the library and hope they come in soon so I can get back to my projects.

This is very frustrating as my creative juices were flowing last week and now I will have to get inspired again next week once the books arrive and I can take the steps to learn more. But this is the intelligent way to do things, I know, so I will do the responsible thing and wait.

Except that I hate waiting.

Traveling Plain

I don't know how long ago it's been since you flew, but when you don't fly often, and I don't, it is easy to quickly see how things have changed.

Security may be even more scary these days. I always feel vulnerable and guilty at the same time when I go through security. It reminds me of being a grade school student and the teacher asking if that was a note in my hand and didn't I want to stand up and read it to the class?

I try to eliminate anything I could be wearing or carrying that might cause the TSA agents to take a closer look at me. I wear no jewelry, wind pants with no belt and place everything I can in one of the bags going through the scanner.  You are not even allowed to have a tissue or piece of paper in your pocket when you enter these new scanners so now I know I have to unload my pockets prior to the search.

You still have to take your shoes off when being scanned, and even with those, which I placed in a plastic bin, the agent had to move them around in the bin to his satisfaction.

I do settle down a ltitle after I am through that ordeal, but when walking onto the plane (small, very small!) and seeing how cramped everything is, my first response is to run back through the tunnel to the waiting room.

I could drive to my destination, couldn't I?

Flowers Suffering from Dry Weather

My friend and I went out this week to get a few replacement plants for her garden. We went to the same nursery we had gone to in May when we had to restrain ouselves from buying every lush plant they had on sale.

Not so this week. The nursery's plants looked like mine: droopy, burned out, and very sad. Even our weeds are suffering from the intense heat and humidity we have been experiencing here in Western Pennsylvania.

My little baby dahlias with the most gorgeous colors have given up the fight and need to be pulled out and tossed. My hanging basket is dropping leaves faster than I can sweep the porch. And every day, whether I water or not, my impatiens look completely shriveled up, like they have been spending time in the desert.

So what creative thing can we do to rescue our gardens? I'm not sure, short of watering more which I am doing.

Would love to hear any creative tips you might have to help us all save the plants and flowers we have tendered this summer. It would be a shame to lose them all.

Thinking outside the box

The above photo shows a robin's nest built on top of one of our backyard deck supports and right over the top of an empty wooden birdhouse.

I noticed this week that there was a lot more nesting materials lying around the birdhouse and on the ground than had been there earlier in the summer. The original nest was so flat that I didn't think it could hold eggs let alone baby birds. But the whole thing was remodeled by an enterprising mother robin and she either has eggs or baby birds in it (I can't see into it). I am guessing there might still be eggs in there because I didn't hear any chirping when I went out to take the photo, but I guess I will have to wait and see.

If I see even a hint of small heads peeking over the top of the nest, I will get out my telephoto lens and take a few quick shots, hopefully not infuriating the mother robin too much.

I have been disappointed this summer in that I haven't seen any baby birds come to my feeders when I know the birds must have hatched their eggs already and the babies are out on their own. So finding this little treasure makes me very happy.

I know robins like to build their own nests but it is kind of funny that the birdhouse is empty again this season. No little birds seem interested in making it home. I will have to move it when the baby robins are gone for the year. It is designed to be a blue bird nest, but I don't have the right locale to attract them.Too bad..

I did catch sight of a blue bird while on a nature walk the other day. Here it is, sitting pretty on top of a blue bird house that is being used!

(More) Creative Ways to Get Birds to Bathe

We still haven't had much luck (see below post) attracting birds to our shiny new bird bath. I have come up with a couple of ideas to entice them, but so far, no good.

First of all, my idea of placing a tray of seeds next to the bath didn't work at all. I was afraid to leave the seed out overnight because of the other four-legged creatures who would love nothing better than to spread seed everywhere.

We did build the brick platform I had mentioend in the last post to elevate the bird bath (see above photo) so the birds would not feel so enclosed by the deck slats when they stopped by for a drink or bath. I think we now have the bird bath at the optimum height for that, but no takers yet.

Also, I have slowly been moving the red hummingbird feeder closer to the bird bath so that the little birds will notice it (Hey! There's a bird bath right here!), but that hasn't worked either.

But there is some good news. As you can see in the photo below, some creatures do like the new deluxe accomodations! Butterflies have been landing all over the water wiggler, taking a rest. So glad we can at least offer them a perching spot.

6/25/12 -- A titmouse took a drink out of our birdbath today. Hallelujah!

Getting Creative with a Bird Bath

I received this beautiful bird bath for my birthday last month. It is pretty awesome because it allows you to plant flowers in a ring at the bottom so the entire piece can brighten up a corner of your world.

I also received a small batter-operated "water wiggler" (see photo) which keeps the water moving, making the bath more attrative to birds and less of an egg-dropping spot for mosquitoes.

So far, though, we haven't been abale to attract any birds to the bath. I placed it right next to the hummingbird feeder so that the littlest birds would see it and use it to drink and bathe. No such luck.

We also placed the entire bird bath on a small table to raise it up in the corner of the deck so birds might feel more comfortable stopping by for a drink. We plan to build a small structure in the deck corner out of some leftover bricks to set the bird bath on so it is raised.

I am also trying another Plan B, which has me hanging a tray of bird seed directly next to the bird bath to see if the birds will stop to nosh and notice the bath. A titmouse (the most curious of backyard birds I think) was checking out the seed yesterday, so I am hopeful this will work!

The Most Beautiful Time of the Year

I was out yesterday with a friend buying annuals to plant around my house. No matter how much I see them, I can't believe how vivid and colorful the flowers are. I bought these geraniums and dahliettas* to place on my front steps because there they will receive sun all afternoon.Now if I remember to water them, they should flourish!

Such a beautiful time of year for creatives. Mixing and matching flowers for beds and pots unleashes all of our creative energy. It can be so hard to resist overbuying and planting, but that could be a good problem to have.

I hope you can find time to wander through some greenhousess this weekend to inspire projects in your piece of the planet.

* Dahliettas, part of the dahlia family, provide "charming, profuse blooms in a wonderful assortment of flower forms and colors. (They) add a splash of color to the garden, combination containers or summer bouquets. (They) attract butterflies (yeah!) and are fun and easy to grow.

Paths less Traveled

The other day I had the opportunity to walk with a friend along a river trail in Pittsburgh, where I live. I have driven by this trail hundreds of times on my way to other places, but never really spent time on it.

Seeing the city's Downtown area from a completely different angle was really inspiring, and spending time on the Allegheny River, one of three large waterways around the city, was very relaxing.

I took the shot above from a lookout point on the trail and realized I had never seen this vista before.

I have promised myself to spend more time on this trail, and seek out any others I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. Sometimes being creative means just spending time in a place you haven't been before, even if it is in your own backyard.

Chimney Swift Tower, river trail, Pittsburgh

Hearts to Hands

Our extended families have been growing lately, with several little ones being born to our nieces and nephews. Such joyful occasions! My sister-in-law found some things that I had made for her children about thirty years ago and has given them to her son's twin boys to use now.

I recently came across baby blankets my mother-in-law had made for my sons when they were babies. I also have a small quilt and a couple of wall hangings that I made for the boys when they were born and am holding onto those for grandchildren of my own.

I was thinking that I don't really have any toys or equipment left from the days of babyhood, having given it all away for someone else to use. But what we did hold onto were the handmade items.

How wonderful to be able to pass these things down to a new generation. They have held up through the years of use and being packed away and can now be used by new young families.

Next time you think about making a handmade gift for an expected little one, I hope you will do it. Future generations will thank you!

Penguins on Parade!

We rushed to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium in the middle of March hoping to see the penguins released from their homes to walk along the outdoor sidewalks with us regular folks.

The zoo had been parading the penguins for a few weeks and the weather had not been cooperating. Of course the birds didn't mind the cold but we were a little more wary.

Finally we were able to get there on the weekend to see the march. But alas, there were so many people lined up with little ones and strollers and other vehicles along the parade route that we couldn't get near enough for me to even snap a photo of the pens as they waddled by.

We did go inside to visit with the penguins who had been left behind in their enclosure at least on this partciular Saturday. No one was paying attention to these guys who were doing their penguin things in back of the glass and in the water. My husband shot this great photo of one of the penguins preeening for the non-audience.

Maybe next year! But I couldn't help but think about how many people had paid to come into the zoo just to show the walking penguins to their children. What a great marketing strategy! We even ended up becoming members of the zoo (as a senior couple, no less, which was really reasonable!).

Kudos to whoever came up such a creative way to get folks into the zoo during the inclement months. I know we will be back several times in the next year to use our membership

Now our attention has to switch to the other Pittsburgh Penguins as they get ready for the NHL playoffs.

Creativity Tip No. 44

Turning Vintage Ephemera into Something New

I have been on a search lately for old post cards and greeting cards. The artwork on these gems reminds me of days past and inspires me to do something creative.

Alas, it is hard to find these treasures anymore and harder still to find them at a reasonable price. But I will keep on looking because they give me such joy.

Check back to see the greeting cards I will fashion from these postcards and notes. I have been turning ideas over in my head and can't wait to get started. Today, which I thought was going to be so sunny and warm, has turned cold so I am indoors getting ready to work.

Andy Warhol and the Car

I adore the car. It's much better than a work of art. ~~ Andy Warhol

What to do on a wintry day in Pittsburgh? Visit museums, of course.

On Saturday we had a chance to visit the Andy Warhol Museum  where the featured exhibit focuses on the artist's love of cars. With the widespread appeal of his soup cans and shots of celebs like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor (and the VW bug!), Warhol's artwork featuring cars is not as widely- known.

But sitting smack dab in the middle of the first floor exhibit hall at the museum on the city's North Shore is one of the commisioned BMW Art Cars painted by Warhol in colors and strokes to replicate movement in the 70s. Warhol insisted on making all of the brush strokes himself so this car is genuinely one-of-a-kind.

The exhibit runs till May 13. If you live close enough, jump in your own art car and ride on down to the museum. So much creativity in one spot!

Creative Spotlight: Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month. Feng Shui Expert Yvonne Phillips offers these suggestions to help all women be more relaxed, and therefore open to even more creativity in their lives.

Feng Shui for Women of this Century

What we read and have heard throughout our lives from the women who came before us seems to confirm that mid-life for the typical American female is a time of extraordinary stress. Not only are the physiological challenges at times hard to manage and understand, never mind mediate, the confluence of responsibilities for children, aging parents and career are enormous stressors assumed at a most vulnerable time in a woman’s life. How can women best create within their environments the clarity and flow that enables and amplifies optimal strength, health and adaptability to the many shifts within and without?

Feng Shui (FS) has many answers to this question and will provide for spaces and lifestyles that can more easily accommodate fluctuation, provide stability and magnify support and well-being.

When managing a household with children, particularly teens and college-aged kids, the key is defining space in a way that allows for privacy and retreat for over-worked moms. First, clear your space of all unwanted clutter and broken or damaged items. Do not allow the excess items to sit within your home, even if the piles are intended for charitable donation. Remove unwanted items immediately.

Decorate your bedroom and bath with subdued and calming colors, avoiding shades of blue in these as well as other areas of your home, as it gives the effect of “drowning” and too much “water” element within a home, including a blue exterior or roof, is considered very poor FS.

Focus on green hues and pale earth tones, and confine children’s and family photos to other areas of the home, keeping the bed and bath a sanctuary of relaxation and intimacy. Pictures with the kids can find the perfect place in the family corner of your shared living areas, as defined by the bagua map at http://www.creativecolordesigninc.com/. Set the tone even more by adding your favorite music, mementos and creating a spot within these spaces where you are surrounded by favorite scents and items of comfort and indulgence.

Your commitments may extend beyond children and spouse by middle years, so creating a true retreat atmosphere is of paramount importance. The fire element can be placed at the middle rear or back of your space; the fame and reputation area of the bagua map by implementing candles and creating a romantic spa environment within your bedroom or bath.

Finding a balance between being a nurturing support to aging parents and creating opportunities for self-nurturing is critical during middle-age.

Transitioning from work to home can be eased through proper FS and careful consideration of the energy in the entry to your house. Be sure it is tidy and free of shoes and other cast-offs. Free your porch or front steps of any items that block the energy leading to your door and remove all debris. Draw the eye to areas of beauty and cleanliness and clear all pathways to the two most important areas of the home, the kitchen and bedrooms.

FS will de-stress your spaces and enliven your sense of stability and well-being by creating positive flow and conditions which support the body, mind and spirit as they move through the many demanding arenas of our life passages.

Creative Spotlight: Charm Bracelets

Women love sparkly baubles, there is no doubt. Jewelers have capitalized on this notion for years, but some really smart ones have come up with a whole new way to feed women's need for charms to circle their wrists.

The new "memory" bead braclets are everywhere these days. I hadn't really paid attention until I saw one of my friend's this past summer. It was shimmering with all kinds of color and keepsakes, something that has always appealed to me.

This photo (above) is of my old charm bracelet from high school. It includes charms for my Sweet 16 birthday, for the musicals I was involved in (publicity committee, never center stage), my guitar and high school and team memorabilia too. Because of the sheer weight of the bracelet, I didn't wear it too much, but have kept it safely in a drawer all these years.

For Valentine's Day, I received one of the new style of charm bracelets and am enamored of it. It has a long way to go till it's filled up, but with Mother's Day and a birthday coming up in the spring, guess what I bet I will be receiving? That's nice to think about even as it's nice to look closely at my old charms and remember the times in my life they represent.

Creative Spotlight: Aprons

Aprons and More Aprons

For some reason, I have been thinking a lot about aprons, which I never use. My grandmother, above, wore aprons all day every day. I have a couple of hers and am attempting to put my hands on them so I can take photos and show you. No such luck so far. Imagine: Losing something in my home. (It's about the third thing lately I haven't been able to find, and I hope that's not a trend.)

My grandmother Zelinda, who we called Nonna, was a wonderful woman who loved to cook and clean. She had the cleanest house I have ever been in. It's what she did.

Her love of aprons did not quite pass through the generations, but I am wondering if that will change. I own three other aprons -- a beautiful one crafted by a friend as a Christmas present; one given to me by my in-laws which was brought back with them from Ireland and one from Disney World.

Today there is an entire magazine devoted to aprons called Apron-ology so there must be a lot of interest in these garments. Although I have seen the magazines in stores, I haven't bought one. I just might have to change that.

Stop by to see more photos of aprons and a picture of my other grandmother, for whom I was named and who also wore aprons most of the time.

Creative Spotlight

A cute birdie decoration

After keeping busy making baby blankets for nieces and daughters of friends, I made this cute little crocheted bird following directions at a great new crochet site I happened upon. Attic24 contains the creative crocheting energy of  Lucy who lives in Northern England.

What I really love about her patterns is the full bore use of color! Rainbow colors attract me every time. (I used to favor pastels, so much so that one visitor to this house when we first moved in thought I must be a perennial optimist because of the pastel color choices.) Now I lean more towards jewel tones, possibly a sign of maturity? Naw!

I hope you will visit Lucy's site. She has promised a new "creative mess" project soon, using buttons and bows and all sorts of things from her stash. Can't wait to see it!

 

In the meantime I am making a couple more birds for friends. I will post photos of them as they are done, like the cardinal above.

Yeasty Adventure: Studio Lighting



No, this isn't my house OR my equipment. But it's a neat photo!

 I asked Santa for some hobby lighting equipment so that I could begin to learn the best way to light objects and portraits indoors.

A class in studio lighting was available at Pittsburgh Filmmakers when I was still taking classes there but I didn't have the inclination to dive in then.

Truth be told, I prefer taking photos outside. I remember how after I had spent a couple of winter months shooting (bad) photos of my son at his indoor college track meets how amazing it was to look into the viewfinder when he finally had an outdoor meet. Wonderful!

But since I live in Pennsylvania, the chances for outdoor shots have been reduced considerably with the frigid turn in the weather. So I am hoping to learn how to beef up my skills in order to take better indoor shots.

I will keep you apprised of my progress, and if you have suggestions, please don't hesitate to send them along. I need all the help I can get!