Article and Photo Courtesy of Organized Christmas
Been to the mailbox lately? If your house is anything like mine, the
Christmas catalogs are here!
That's not to mention the holiday issues of my favorite magazines,
which seem to dive into my supermarket shopping cart whenever I'm not looking.
Christmas magazines and catalogs are fabulous resources for seasonal
decorating, gift ideas, and Christmas recipes—but en masse, they can become too
much of a good thing.
When the piles avalanche from every side table, finding an article or a
recipe that caught your eye a few weeks ago can be an impossible job.
How do you keep all that good information without being crushed by
stacks or drowning in paper? Answer: a set of tear files.
To Do Today
Set up tear files for holiday inspiration
The low-tech equivalent of Pinterest, tear files are the place to tuck
all those fleeting tips, recipes or decorating ideas that cross your path as
you plan for the holidays.
Whether you set aside a group of page protectors in your Christmas
planner, or invest in standard file folders, start trapping those good ideas
today.
Over the years, holiday tear files become a rich resource of
inspiration. Tap them to plan gift-giving, decor and holiday meals this year
... and in the years to come.
To Read Today
Christmas Organizing Secret:
Try a Tear File
Christmas magazines and catalogs are fabulous resources for seasonal
decorating, gift ideas, and Christmas recipes—but en masse, they can become too
much of a good thing.
When the piles avalanche from every side table, finding an article or a
recipe that caught your eye a few weeks ago can be an impossible job.
How do you keep all that good information without being crushed by stacks
or drowning in paper? Answer: a set of tear files.
Try a Tear File!
Tear files are just that: a collection of torn-out pages from magazines
and catalogs, organized according to subject. Properly cultivated, they’re a
quick and central repository of all things Christmas.
Storage options for your tear files make it easy to retrieve saved
snippets. Small numbers of torn pages can be stored in clear plastic page
protectors in the Christmas Notebook, filed by category behind dividers.
For larger collections of torn articles, set up hanging file folders in
a small desktop holder, or invest in an accordion file. Label files according
to category to make it easy to tear, drop and store.
Label tear files according to your interests. Here are some suggestions
for tear file categories:
- Gift Ideas
- Decor Inspiration
- Floral Creations
- Crafts
- Gifts to Make
- Tabletop and Centerpieces
- Recipes To Try
To feed your tear files . . . just tear! Did this month’s magazine show
the perfect floral swag for the dining room doorway? Tear the article, staple
the pages together and dump it in the Floral Creations file until you’re ready
for a trip to the crafts store.
Spot a perfect gift for a special nephew--but you've already purchased
his Christmas gift this year? Rip! Into Gift Ideas it goes, where it will jog
next year's memory.
After you've torn the catalogs or magazines? Toss them!
Store tear files in the Christmas planning activity center for easy—and
clutter-free—seasonal reference ... for an organized Christmas!
Today's Recipe
Christmas blessings mix recipe
Thinking ahead to Christmas giving? Share your blessings with Christmas
Blessings Mix!
Small bags of snack mix, each ingredient of the Christmas Blessings Mix
recipe reminds us of a holiday blessing.
Free printable gift tags make it easy to make multiple gifts for table
favors, classroom gifts or Secret Santa exchanges, and share a holiday
blessing!
Count your blessings with Christmas Blessings Mix! Small bags of snack
mix, each ingredient reminds us of a holiday blessing.
Bagged in favor-sized gift bags and decorated with a holiday poem,
Christmas Blessings Mix brings a festive touch to your Christmas celebrations.
Share them with church friends, co-workers or family for a meaningful
gift.
We make it easy to create Christmas Blessings Mix with a Blessing Mix
tutorial and free printable Christmas Blessings Mix gift tags and bag toppers
containing with the Christmas Blessing Mix poem.
Blessings Mix Tutorial
Ingredients
2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks
2 cups small pretzels
1 cup cinnamon imperials candy ("red hots")
1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins
1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds
1 cup M&Ms-brand chocolate candy
16 Hershey's-brand chocolate kisses
printable gift tags
Instructions
In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey's Kisses.
Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup Christmas Blessings Mix in small cellophane treat
bags or zipper food storage bags. Add one Hershey's Kiss to each bag. Seal bag
or fold down top to seal.
Attach your choice of free printable Christmas Blessings Mix gift tags
or bag toppers, or hand-write your own tags with the wording below.
Makes 16 Christmas Blessing Mix gift bags.
Christmas Blessings Mix Poem
Bugles: Bring us the joyful message of the Heavenly Host, announcing
peace on earth, good will to men.
Pretzels: Symbol of a mother's loving arms; as Mary wrapped her Son in
swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger.
Red Hots: Red berries that decorate the holly plant, a reminder of
eternal life and Christ's redemption.
Nuts or seeds: Promise of a a future harvest, one we will reap only if
seeds are planted and tended with diligence.
Dried fruits: Remind us of the rich gifts brought by the Wise Men.
M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed
future.
Hershey's Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.
