HOLIDAY FEVER....GIFTS..PLANNING

HOLIDAY FEVER,,,,,,,,,,,,,GIFTS,,,,,,,,,ENTERTAINING AND LOTS TO DO.

The end of the year is nearly here and we all get into the swing of busy days, invites and lots of gifts and get togethers. I love festivals , as they remind us of the joy there is, in every day life. Be mindful of the way you can make an ordinary day good, make a little moment special and create memories that will remain beautiful.

SHOPPING.
We all know that the last minute is when the stores are crowded, queues are long, and patience and time wear thin. Do no go there . Plan now. Start with a list of who you will invite, who you will visit, and who will be stay over guests at your home.
Buy the dry goods now, ingredients for favorite dishes, check if you have adequate serviettes, clean cloths, candles and dish cloths. Plan the tables in your mind and make a menu list for your events. Then plan to cook and bake ahead, where you can. Cookies, cakes and quiches, can be made ahead. Make sure that you have cookie cups, baking containers and plastic containers to store in and to give to the family to take food home. Whatever is left over from large meals, will be tossed in three days from the fridge. My daughter, SEL, says, ''DO NOT BRING THE ENEMY HOME" she reminds me that I do not need a shelf for cookies, ice cream in the freezer and corners of chocolates for desperate housewives and women with weak moments. I buy good chocolates, when I entertain. When the guests leave I put them back into the container and seal well with tape. The fear of breaking my nails DISCOURAGES me ,even in a weak moment, to open them, for instant gratification. It works to have a date, dried fruit, banana or a few spoons of yogurt.
The same applies to cream, fancy creamy cheeses and puddings. Leave them in the store for some one else. Buy SANELY and SENSIBLY, it is the only way to be in control.

GIFTS.
I love to buy gifts, especially the kind I would like to receive. Books and book vouchers, are a welcome gift. The music world offers super discs, I received the Susan Boyle disc for Chanukah It is a sheer delight to listen to her singing. Kids love a voucher to a store that has computer soft ware and music they like. A gift of a massage, a gourmet cookery class, a week end away, a concert or a tour in the city, is lovely to give.
Start a Chanukah tradition that the kids receive a bit of Chanuhak Gelt and they can save it. You might need to remind them what SAVING is, no one remembers this any more. The banks offer a give away money box, if you open an account for kids……………………this is what the world is made of, the planning ahead for rainy days,
Original gifts unclude,flowers that arrive once a month for a year, pizza that is delivered twice a month,what fun. I gave my kids a voucher for a coffee emporium and that was handy for a quick coffee and something to eat when there is no time to skip home.
A visit to UTOPIA, the Orchid garden in Bachan , is a terrific outing. Walking shoes, a camera and you can browse for a few hours and enjoy a light meal there.
I will post some easy ideas in a day or two to start the holiday season. Have a great week and let it be filled with LOVE and LIGHT RONA