Tanuu Blog

The holiday season comes and goes so quickly that it is easy
to be caught off guard. Think like a Boy Scout & “Be
Prepared” this year.

All too often we find ourselves unprepared for Christmas Day
when we have known all along that it is where it always is,
neatly nestled between Thanksgiving and New Years, during
the last week of December. It always seems though, that we
forget someone or something until the last minute and end up
rushing around with all of the other crazy busy people on
Christmas Eve.

There is an easy way to avoid this though. Account for the
possibilities. What are you likely to forget? Who are you
likely to leave out? Here are a few things you should keep
on hand during the holiday season, whether in your car, the
fridge or cupboard.

While you are doing your Christmas gift shopping, pick up a
bunch of little things to have around as take-away or
hospitality gifts. It could be anything from candy, to small
trinkets or ornaments, or a box of candy. It’s inevitable:
an unexpected person will show up, and it’s best not to be
caught empty-handed.

Keep the refrigerator stocked with small dessert items or
snack trays. This is good for when you are doing your
holiday visiting. This way you can bring something with you
to each place that you visit during your Christmas week.
Stuff like apple pie or ‘veggie’ platters are great, because
they can be used pretty much anywhere that there’s a
gathering of people.

Stash a couple bottles of wine in your car (unopened of
course). You could even save a few bucks by buying a case or
two at once. Some retailers will even offer a discount for a
mixed case of different brands or types. Keep the wine in
your trunk in case of last minute visiting hours. That way
you are not running around like a nut at the last minute
trying to find a liquor store that’s open.

Don’t buy individual Christmas cards for each of your
co-workers. Buy a big box of cards at once and keep them in
your car or briefcase. When you’re dealing with a large
amount of people such as at the office, it’s easy to forget
someone. Keep cards handy so you can correct any oversights
before it seems like a slight.

Be a good Scout, stay prepared, and your holiday season will
run more smoothly this year.

Mike Nalbone is the webmaster at http://www.ChristmasGiftOfTheMonth.com which offers unique,
memorable Christmas gift ideas for everyone on your list.

This Article is © 2005 and may be reproduced or displayed
solely in its entirety, unmodified, provided the above
resource box is included along with an active (click-able)
link to http://www.ChristmasGiftOfTheMonth.com

What does holly, that untidy traditional greenery you just have to festoon your house with every year, have to do with not tearing your hair out before it’s even Thanksgiving? Plenty. You can use H-O-L-L-Y to help you get organized.

1. H: Help

How many times have you tried to do the perfect turkey all by yourself just so your mother-in-law would be impressed? Here’s a reality check: (a) If your mother-in-law is any kind of a real woman, she remembers that her mother-in-law put the exact same pressure on her, and (b) if she’s the kind of person who complains because the cranberries come from a can, she’s the kind of person who complains anyway and would be unhappy if she couldn’t try to make you look like an incompetent nitwit, and how a woman like that could raise your wonderful husband is beyond everyone.

If that husband is such a great guy, get him in the kitchen. Sit down and plan what the two of you really want—he might not want a six-course dinner, which is fine, because you don’t either. Get the kids involved. By now some of them are at that stage where they want to show off what they can do “all by myself,” and you know that even though you hate your daughter’s taste in music, she did make killer stuffing last Thanksgiving. And your son makes a great omelet for Christmas morning. Then there’s your sister who loves to chat, so put her to work while you listen to her endless monologue.

Electronic help is great too—use a PDA or the family computer to keep a list of recipes and ingredients. There are many great, sometimes free, computer programs available.

2. O: Oh-No

Let’s face it. You’ll make mistakes. The sugar cookies will burn. You can always “eat” your mistakes and try again—just don’t try a new recipe for the first time Christmas Day. In fact, plan for your mistakes. That’s right. Most of us spend so much time agonizing over avoiding mistakes we forget that they are going to happen anyway, and not necessarily at our hands. So your best girlfriend Susan brought over deviled ham instead of double chocolate cake…there’s a reason we have bakeries, right? Just cheerfully accept the mistake and move on. People can get over a slightly too well-done roast, but they will be downright uncomfortable if you spend the entire dinner moaning about it.

3. L: Love

You know Christmas is the season of love, and you can have as much fun with take-out pizza as you can with an elegant dinner if the company is right. One sure way to recapture love is to bake cookies together. There’s nothing like the sight of kids rolling dough and decorating their works of art.

4. L: Let It Be

Sorry for the Paul McCartney overtones, but once you have your plan in place, stick to it—that doesn’t mean you can’t compromise slightly. Agonizing over turkey versus tofu causes you to lose your appetite, and is as harmful to

Candle fundraising can prove to be one of the most fun fundraisers that you can take on, depending on how you approach it. You can make the candles yourself for your candle fundraising or order them from an Internet company, but you will find that making them can be fun as well as profitable. They are easy to make and the candles project can be fun for everyone. Just keep in mind that you will have to use disposable materials for the cleanup as the gel is very hard to get out of things.

Start your candle fundraising with gel votive candles. These candles look and smell good and have a long burning time. To make these candles for your candles fundraising you will need gel wax, pretty votive holders, wicks, wax color and scent, scissors, a pot, paper plates, and pencils. Twirl the top of the wick around the pencil.

Make sure you have left enough wick to reach the bottom of your container and try to keep it as straight as possible. Put your pencil across the top of your holder so that the candle wick is centered properly. Melt the wax and add scents and coloring as needed and you have made a candle for your candle fundraising project. Working with a group at this can prove to be very entertaining and profitable way of candles fundraising.

Of course there is another way to sell your candles besides door to door or at a sale. You can advertise them on Internet fundraising but to do this there are some rules to be followed. Fund raising on the Internet can be very profitable if done properly. Make sure your site doesn’t fade into the background and invisible to the public. You need to make it attractive for your candle fundraising. Make sure the candles you’re selling are featured.

You are on Internet fundraising for donations so put the donor first. Always give the donor options for your candles fundraising and show the donor just how their money is being used. Have other activities added to your site that will make it interesting to those who are donating to your candle fundraising event. Make sure you keep your eye on the purpose you are there for don’t add other sales to your site it just confuses the donors.

Candle fundraising should stay with candles. You can have assorted or different scented candles but don’t confuse it with other products. Having an easy way of paying for your product will help your candles fundraising. With easy payment options the donations will grow.

For a website totally devoted to Fundraising visit Peter’s Website Fundraising Answers and find out about School Fund Raising as well as Charity Fundraising and more, including Cheerleading Fundraising adn Church Fundraisers.