Christmas

Every year my girlfriends and I get together for a holiday cookie swap a few weeks before Christmas.  We all love how the swap gives us an excuse to get together – plus we’re guaranteed to leave with several tins filled to the brim of different treats to munch throughout the holidays. But this year everyone is just too busy to bake in time for our usual party date. So for this go-round, I had a great idea – swapping festive jars of holiday cookie mixes and recipes instead of the baked-up goodies!  While we won’t get the variety of years past, we will still get to try out few new recipes, and I can bake them when my schedule quiets down.

I put together the cute mix jars in the photo a few days ago. The cookie cutters and holiday ribbon are from my local craft store. I designed the recipe cards using a common word processing software, and printed them out on card stock at FedEx Office. ...read more

Throwing a holiday party this year? Well I wish I had the time, as I love hosting parties with a personal touch. One idea I’ve loved since I first saw it comes from my friend Robyn. I was at her wedding in Seattle earlier this year, where she had the place cards in the photo above. I loved how elegant the dark metallic frames were, coupled with the detailed scrollwork around the names. I wanted to share with you all in case Robyn’s creativity sparks some ideas for your upcoming events!

If you want to make them or something similar, here are some pointers. You can pick up the frames (2”x3”) at a local party store. The name cards can be easily designed using word processing software and free clip art, and printed out on standard card stock. And if you wanted to carry this design across other event stationery – like invitations, menu cards, buffet cards, hostess gifts, and more – it’s as simple as using the matching graphic, font and color scheme in all the materials. ...read more

Sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a bit. Since there are so many holiday parties, dinners and get-togethers (trust me, my waistline knows), you may find an unconventional celebration to be refreshing. 

That’s exactly what we’re doing in our office this year. Instead of a traditional office party, we’re sharing in the spirit of the holiday season by volunteering together. It’s a fun, easy way to give back and spend time together, which is what the holidays are all about, right?  Our office is helping with the Frisco Fire Safety Town holiday lights event in Frisco, Texas. Safety Town is a community education program run by the Frisco Fire Department that resembles a miniature town complete with real buildings that represent area businesses, including a FedEx Office retail center! We will help the children write letters to Santa, distribute coloring books and more. This volunteering event should be lots of fun, and we’re encouraged to bring our families. ...read more

My son has been coming home from pre-school for the last few weeks laden down with arts and crafts projects – everything from Thanksgiving handprint-turkeys to Christmas count-down calendars.  I saw this great article on the Examiner Web site I just had to share for all the parents out there battling this issue too!  Check it out here. She’s got five great ideas, and I have at least one more to share. ...read more