You're in for a special treat today. Tara Tyler, author of Pop Travel and one of my good blogging buddies, is here at The Daily Dose to share some of her Lazy Housewife Christmas tips! Take it away, Tara...
Today, I'm in Lazy Housewife mode, getting the house all spruced up for Christmas and guests. Very excited to have my parents come to town! While I prepare, I'm going to share some Lazy Housewife Xmas tips!
- Don't spread yourself too thin
- Did you volunteer to bring treats/appetizers here, there, and everywhere? You don't have to make them all; buy some! I love Kroger!
- Make sure you take a break. Doing too much will also wear you out and leave you more susceptible to getting sick!
- Don't kill yourself with the cleaning
- Spread it out
- Prioritize
- Clean least used areas first and high traffic areas last
- When you are cleaning, make sure you lighten your mood with some tunes!
- Use some seasonal air fresheners or candles
- Know that your visitors love you even if your house isn't perfect!
- Do enjoy the best parts of Christmas
- Christmas decorations and lights make me smile
- I always dig out my Christmas DVDs and watch them or listen to Christmas music while decorating – makes things merry & bright!
- Watch snow fall, catch some on your tongue, make a snowball or a snowman – be a kid!
- Make a favorite seasonal recipe to share
- Decorate cookies! with the kids (or without)
- Make a gingerbread house
- Sing, play, and just relax with loved ones!
- Do show extra kindness to others
- Mailman, garbage man, teachers, babysitters, etc. (I like to give them candy or small gift cards)
- Tip a little extra
- Volunteer and give if you can - it's that time of year
- My special Christmas tips:
- From my mom: display Xmas cards by hanging on ribbon in a doorway
- Also from my mom: save the Xmas cards and clip the scenes or cute characters to use as To/From tags for next year
- Decorating: fill glass vases with small ornaments, Xmas potpourri, garland, pinecones, tiny lights, etc
- Light timers! not just outside, but inside all around the house. I have twinkly lights
- I love catalogs - they have great decorating ideas, especially Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and Pier 1.
- Use the kids' art to decorate
I guess I'll stop there. I could ramble on and on! One of these days, I'll finish my Lazy Housewife book. I'd actually like to make some funny videos and include some of my tips… I just wish I had the time and resources. For now, I put some ideas on pinterest. Yes, I finally joined.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my tips. I sure had fun stopping over here. Thanks again, Dana! You're a peach! Merry Christmas, all!
 |
| Cooper thought he could get through life without having to pop... |
A tale of deception and teleportation.
When a distraught client enters J.L. Cooper's small town detective agency, ranting about a pop travel teleportation cover up, Cooper takes the case. He blames the pop travel craze for his wife's death and would love to expose a glitch in it.
But the glitch turns out to be disintegrating travelers. And now, his client is dead, his secretary is missing, and a hit man is stalking him. Plus there's all the webcams watching his every move. Cooper must find a way to expose the deadly flaw, while using pop travel to escape the maniacs covering it up, not to mention save a couple of tagalongs he's not sure he can trust. No problem.
Available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Goodreads <==> Trailer <==> FB Author Page
After having a hand in everything from waitressing to teaching math to rocket engineering, Tara Tyler now writes and teaches in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. In addition to her novels, she has published short stories and poetry in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, and Humor. So many stories to tell!
Thanks for the great tips, Tara! Come back anytime.
After having a hand in everything from waitressing to teaching math to rocket engineering, Tara Tyler now writes and teaches in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. In addition to her novels, she has published short stories and poetry in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, and Humor. So many stories to tell!
Wishing you all a fantastic Wednesday. ☺
Love the tips! I really need to clean - it took a backseat during NaNo. :)
ReplyDeleteSame here. :)
DeleteI love the tips but as for visitors, we never have any so that made me smile
ReplyDelete:) We don't get many either, since we're both so far away from our families.
DeleteThanks for the tips. I have family coming for dinner in less than two weeks. I really like the glass vase idea filled with ornaments. I have several vases I could put to use (-:
ReplyDeleteDoesn't that vase sound pretty? I think it's a great idea!
DeleteGreat advice. I use the play Christmas music while cleaning all the time and especially while baking.
ReplyDeleteI should do that more often. Baking isn't my favorite thing, but I think if I had some music playing, it would be more bearable for me. ☺
DeleteNice tips. I like the one about cleaning. I usually find myself doing it all the night or two before. I get so caught up with the gift buying and holiday foods, that I pull an all-nighter. Maybe I should start a good week or two before.
ReplyDeleteThank for the tips.
I'm the same way—and those all-nighters are just getting to be too much.
DeleteI'm not married and I don't have kids, so I'm not a housewife. But I do like the tips! I'll have to use them when we really celebrate Christmas.
ReplyDeleteTara definitely has a lot of great ideas!
DeleteGreat tips! Dana I love the cleaning part and the holiday decorations ideas. Thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the tips. Tara is full of good ideas!
DeleteThanks so much Dana! Really glad I could spread some good cheer and tips =)
ReplyDeleteI will respond in more detail later. (but I had to stop in and say hi from work!)
I'm glad you did! Hi! :)
DeleteDecorate cookies without the kids, then you get to keep them all for yourself!
ReplyDeleteIf I'm bringing Christmas snacks, you can bet they will be store-bought.
Now to break out my TSO Christmas CDs...
Enjoy!
DeleteYup, don't make all the treats. I consider a new bottle of vodka every Christmas a big help. lol
ReplyDeleteLOL ☺
DeleteI don't think decorating the cookies without the kids would work to well at my house! Great tips!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would work here either. :)
DeleteYou give some cool tips. Even with no hubby or kids I know stressing yourself out is bad mojo.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is—I speak from experience. LOL
DeleteThey are all good tips! And I so wish we had the need for a timer, we didn't get the outside lights up and it's snowing to beat the band all week. :/
ReplyDeleteMy husband hasn't been able to put up our outside lights yet either. It's not too snowy here, but it's just so bitterly cold...
DeleteI liked her tips, especially the one that if you are bringing something to a party, it is okay to buy something from the store to bring. Hope your Christmas preparations are going well Dana!
ReplyDeletebetty
I definitely embrace that tip! In fact, we're having a lunch at our church this coming Sunday, and I'm supposed to bring a salad. Off to Wegmans I go! :)
DeleteThings are starting to come together. Thanks, Betty.
I like the decorating tips. I went to the Christmas Tree Shop and picked up a couple of glass candle holders and filled one half way with red and white bulbs and hung candy canes around the edge. I was impressed how nice it looks. I'm thinking of taking it to a glass cutter to get a hole cut so that I can put a small 36 string of lights in it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! That sounds really beautiful.
DeleteGreat to see Tara here. She rocks!
ReplyDeleteMy mom always hung the Christmas cards from a ribbon when I was a kid and I loved helping her hang them. This tip brought back fun memories!
That's a great idea, too! I need to do something with all of ours.
Deleteexcellent post and advice! thanks Dana!
ReplyDeleteTara's full of great advice, that's for sure!
DeleteMerry Christmas Dana and family. Enjoy tis holiday season.:)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melgie. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
Delete