If you love pumpkin, try this 2-ingredient recipe from Momcrieff.
PUMPKIN MUFFINS – Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
Instructions
If organizing your home before the holidays is on your to-do list, take advantage of this month’s offer.
Contact A New Leaf by November 15, 2017 and let us help you get ready.
Pay for 3 hours and receive a 4th hour at no charge!
A TIME TO REFLECT
Another year is quickly drawing to a close. It’s a busy time of the year for everyone. Stop and take five minutes out of your hectic day and pause.
Recall your favourite holiday times as a child. Our recent snowfall makes me want to bundle up and build a snowman or make snow angels with the two little ones next door. They were so excited when they received an early gift this weekend–a new puppy. Watching Murphy chase them around in the snow was priceless!
Are you looking forward to 2017? Are the holidays getting you down?
Do you …
Take a step back, reflect and make a conscious decision to do things differently this year. Perhaps this edition’s articles will help shift your perspective. Remember–it takes time to incorporate changes into your lifestyle. Small gradual changes usually produce better long-term results.
All the Things You Don’t Need for a Perfect Holiday
The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents
Here are some suggestions for clutterfree, low-cost and no-cost gifts. There’s no shortage of ideas!
18 Excellent Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Even Toys
What Random Act of Kindness will you do over the holidays? Everyone knows someone who is less fortunate. What can you do to brighten their day?
13 Children’s Books That Encourage Kindness Towards Others
It is my hope that you can enjoy some relaxing time with your family, friends and neighbours–whoever means the most to you–in the remaining weeks of 2016.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at A New Leaf Organizers!
This Cranberry Orange Cake sounds perfect for the holidays!
If you would like to bake some new kinds of cookies this year, check out these Fancy Christmas Cookies.
Check out this super easy Candy Cane Wreath–and the other seasonal ones!
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!
This year, give the gift of organization to a friend–or even yourself–from A New Leaf Organizers!
CLICK HERE for more information.
It’s hard to believe it’s mid-November already!
At the beginning of the month, I travelled to beautiful Vancouver to attend the annual Professional Organizers in Canada conference. It was a wonderful trip, and I attended a number of great education sessions, caught up with organizing colleagues I hadn’t seen in a year or two, met some new professional organizers and enjoyed some amazing West Coast food!
At our Awards dinner, I was presented with my certificate for attaining Gold Leaf status. This status level recognizes not only ten years as a member of Professional Organizers in Canada but also “a persistence of spirit, a determined passion and a dedication to giving back to the profession.”
In other news, my mother is recovering well from her recent hip replacement, my youngest son has sold his house, and I’m the officially designated wedding planner for my oldest son and his fiancée‘s wedding!
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The countdown to the holidays has begun. Don’t stress! A small amount of planning now can save you a great deal of time in the coming weeks.
To get you started, you can take a look at these archived blog posts.
Planning for the Holidays – Part 1 and Part 2
I’m including Gift Giving Ideas too!
So get started and turn over another leaf!
Until next month,
Anyone who knows me knows that I love snowmen. I couldn’t resist sharing this recipe for Easy Melted Snowman Cookies!
Check out this fun way to serve veggies and dip during the holidays.
For more healthy and delicious recipes, check out our Archives!
TAKE BACK YOUR CALENDAR!
Here are our TOP 5 time-saving ideas for
..December!
MAKE A LIST, CHECK IT TWICE. In addition to making a list before you head out, ask family members to provide you with their wish list in advance of the Holidays. Take advantage of online wish lists and store registries.
PLAN BACKWARDS. Look at your calendar in terms of deadlines. For instance, if you want your cards in the mail by December 10th, plan for all of the related tasks, such as writing a newsletter and getting stamps, and schedule enough time to complete them prior to your deadline. Do the same to plan for your gifts, meal planning, decorating and all the myriad tasks on your list.
STREAMLINE YOUR GIFT GIVING. Unless you REALLY enjoy them, avoid buying marathons by purchasing gifts online and even outsourcing to an assistant or family member. Having a list and a set budget can help reduce time lost to decision making and retracing your steps. Consider a gift exchange instead of giving a gift to all extended family members individually.
STRATEGIZE YOUR GIFT WRAPPING. Have a dedicated (and well-stocked) location in your home which everyone is expected to use. Encourage your family (and yourself!) to “wrap as you go” and NOT leave it all until the last minute. Another good idea is to purchase a number of the same gifts to give to teachers, hosts/hostesses, bosses, etc. Have a couple of these wrapped and on hand in case guests show up with an unexpected gift.
SIMPLIFY FOOD AND DECORATIONS. Stock your pantry with staples, so that you are well supplied for baking and food preparation. Not every dish and treat needs to be homemade–and neither does every meal! Consider a potluck dinner or giving out assignments. Have decorations like your tree and other greenery delivered.
These are just our TOP FIVE suggestions and you, no doubt, have many more. If you can think of some that we’ve missed, add your comments on our blog or FACEBOOK PAGE.
Cathy Mendler
Phone: 519-669-1377
Email: info@anewleaforganizers.ca
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