New Year’s Eve Party Planning & Safety Tips 2017

The New Year’s Eve Holiday is exciting and Fabulous!  With Thanksgiving and Christmas behind us, it ‘s time to turn our thoughts to the New Year!  It’s a time to celebrate our accomplishments of the year, reflect on the goodness of God in our lives and how He has brought us through.  It’s also a time of reflection on the lessons He teaches us along the way, as well as time to look forward to the New Year!

The blessing of a new year gives us hope,  a fresh start, and a chance to be near those closest to us. Time to celebrate!  Yes you can plan an awesome party for New years eve inexpensively.  The Good thing is New Years eve at least is not one of those big food holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  So you should be spending less on preparation.  New Years eve parties can be simple or fancy.  It’s really about having fun, seeing friends, and the countdown to midnight.  Of course you’ll have food but it doesn’t need to be over the top.  Traditionally New Years Day dinners are nice, but New Years eve you can get away with appetizers.  The number one rule keep it simple!

1. Keep Decorations Simple.  Use candles! Set a nice table, (use  holiday decorations as in opening picture) Check out dollar store for banners, party hats, noisemakers, plastic ware, etc.. You’ll pay more at other stores and for throw aways, it just make sense.
2. Host later in the evening. Hosting later in the evening allows you to serve a lighter meals or appetizers.  If people are arriving later, chances are they’ve eaten, and late new years eve parties often have champagne and appetizers not full course meals.  Serve Amazing appetizers like mini cheese burgers on a stick, buffalo wings, Baked Potato,topped with butter cheese and sour cream with bacon.
3. Check the internet for free or cheap New Years eve events in your neighborhood.  Local community parties can be great, get your friends together and check out a local party.
4. Host a potluck dinner.  You’ll have variety and save money on buying everything yourself.

1. Have a designated driver.  If you are unable to get a designated driver, in most cities this is the only day of the year when cab rides are free if you’ve had too much drink.
2.  Women should travel together to stay safe. There’s strength in numbers.  Or at least buddy up!  Two of you together rather than alone.
3. Make sure phones are charged before going out, use a car charger if you have one.
4. Use self control avoid drinking so much that you are unaware of your surroundings. Be alert.

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Christmas Day Blessings 2017 Celebrating our Lord & Remembering Loved ones in Heaven

Merry Christmas everyone!   As we gather with our families this Christmas and enjoy great meals and gifts, as Christians we’re celebrating the Birth of our savior, our Lord Jesus Christ!  Glory to God who gives us the victory!  As I write this my heart is heavy with emotion and tears well up in my eyes thinking of the goodness of Jesus and all he has done for me!  I’m so thankful and so grateful for my blessings I don’t take anything for granted.  I thank God every step of the way and so should you, because things could be a lot worse.  As the saying goes no matter how bad you think you’ve got it , there’s someone hurting worse.

For example here in California we’ve had a lot of fires lately due to the dry brush and the wind.  Many people have lost their land and their homes.  They now have to stay in hotels or with family for the holidays.  Obviously their holiday will not be the same as they envisioned it would.  My heart goes out to those people who have lost their homes.  So obviously those of us who are in our homes this year have a lot to be thankful for.  Think of the people who are homeless today, hungry and lonely.   Pray for those less fortunate than yourself.  Prayer strengthens us and gives us power!  So pray without ceasing.

Pray with your families and for them.  I’m so thankful God has kept me alive another year, kept me in good health this year, taken care of my basic needs, and a lot of my wants.  The Lord knows what you have need of.  He has blessed my children to be in good health and doing well for themselves as young adults.  He blessed my husband as leader of the family and allowed him to protect, provide, and guide.  He’s blessed me to attend a prestigious University, and not just attend but excel!  He’s given me spiritual maturity and allowed my spirit to blossom and soar!

If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side “Where indeed would I be?”  He’s given me the gift of writing and creativity and allowed me to share the word of the Lord around the world.  So I love you Lord I praise and worship you today, no other help do I know.  So I thank you today because you “are” Lord and are worthy to be praised!!  Take a moment and take stock of what you are thankful today!  The miracle of Christmas is Christ!

• Worship

My dear readers and followers, the top post of December has been, “Remembering Loved Ones in Heaven”.  Bless your hearts.  When I wrote that post over a year ago I had no idea how significant it would become.  I wrote it because I too, am remembering my loved ones in heaven in this holiday season. I miss them all the time, but at the holidays I miss them more.  If you have been following me for a while you know that I’m an only child and I  lost my mom in 2005, sometimes it still feels like yesterday. My husband lost his father and an aunt this year. so we’ve been hurting too.  My mom and I were close and would celebrate the holidays together.  We’d do Thanksgiving at her house and Christmas at mine.

She was such an excellent cook, and just a happy spirit, the type of person you like to be around.  Her wish was to be cremated so she is here in our home with family.  I love having her here.  I can put pictures around her vase, light candles, which I often do or just simply talk to her.  I recommend cremation to keep your family close by.  It’s not only my mom who I miss I miss my grandparents, my great grandparents, who were such a huge influence in my early years.  I also miss my older aunts, my cousin, they are gone but never forgotten.

At the time of  my mom’s death I was so crushed!  I thought I would never celebrate the holidays again!  Because now that she was gone all the fun was taken out of it for me.  I had other family to celebrate with but I didn’t want to.  I isolated myself and I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone for years.  That was my way of dealing with grief and pain!  Probably wasn’t the best way, but  we do what we can do in our moments of pain.  I did some grief counseling which really helped me out a lot, I highly recommend it.   Then I learned one of the best ways to cope with grief and pain is to get yourself off your mind and do something for somebody else.

For example; since I couldn’t go to my mom’s for Thanksgiving anymore, rather than sit home and be lonely I started going to the “Salvation Army” on the east coast and help feed the homeless, needy, and elderly lonely people.  Slowly God began to heal my heart and I began to come out of my shell when I met my husband.  Then God blessed me with my own family.  Having family holiday gatherings and doing things for my family gives me joy and purpose and most of all I can love again!  So thank God for the Gift of Love!  So remembering our loved ones at this time of year is something that I share with you.  We will keep our loved ones memories alive by each us burning a candle on Christmas eve and Christmas Day and we can pray for each other’s healing.  Sound good?  You with me?  Awesome!  Lets do it!  God Bless all those with loved ones in Heaven!

How will you spend your Christmas holiday?  Will you Attend Church services today?

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Christmas Holiday Decorating and Entertaining

We’re Counting down the days to the big day!  There’s still time left to tie up those loose ends and pull it together! Nothing says Holiday entertaining like decorating the house for the holidays.  This was a tradition in my family we spend hours, days, decorating and providing just the right  atmosphere to give your guests that warm and welcoming feel.  Depending on your budget you may opt to keep it simple and that is just fine.  Depending on the number of areas in and around the home you plan to decorate, decorations can add up in a  hurry!  So by all means do what you can afford  and avoid overdoing it.  The lights alone can cost a bundle.  Hopefully SCW’s list of holiday decorating and entertaining will give you plenty of ideas to get started.

Outdoor decorations

• Outdoor lighting decorations with Christmas is my favorite holiday, I love an elaborate display.  But be prepared for the high electric bill.  Your lights don’t have to cover every square inch of your house to look festive and you don’t have to only decorate with lights, there’s garland and wreaths some people use them all.  Whatever you like that’s what you do but the point is that you don’t have to overdo it.

• Invitations

• Ornaments

Do it yourself ornaments.  Inexpensive, easy to make, and creative

• The tree

• Who doesn’t love the fun of going and picking out a Christmas tree with your family. This is my family’s preference.  We prefer a real tree for the smell.  It has a great holiday smell that goes throughout the house.  Of course you have to maintain a real tree by watering it, maybe spritzing the pine needles with water every week.
• An artificial tree is the tree that keeps on giving.  They are more expensive but you get a lot of use out of it for years to come.  It just comes down to deciding what’s best for your family.

 

• A well-appointed table (the centerpiece of holiday gatherings)

• Holiday drinks and treats

Festive non alcoholic holiday drinks are the way to go for guests who prefer not to drink, they look delicious and are easy to make.  Recipes can be found online simply type in the name of the drinks that interests you and viola! your easy to make recipe awaits.  Have fun!  For me I’m not much of a drinker so a little wine is fine and of course a little champagne for new years.

Gingerbread cookie mocha creme

Cranberry ginger ale spritzer

Virgin chocolate peppermint martini

• Treats to Go

Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles simply wrap in plastic tie with a bow and cupcakes to go!

• The Food

 

Author’s Note: My dear readers and followers around the world!  From my family to yours We love you!  Thank you for reading SCW.  My hope is that Christ will find his way into your hearts and homes this season.  God Bless you! Wishing you happiness in the new year and the whole year through!

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Couples Christmas Gifts 2017

Looking for a Christmas gift for that special couple in your life?  SCW’s list for couple’s Christmas gifts will generate some ideas for you.  Again couple’s gifts don’t have to be super expensive just because you’re buying for two people.  Think meaningful gift.  Something they’ll like and something they will remember.  It could be something as simple as having a picture of them framed.  Be creative  and have fun! Merry Christmas!

 

• Personalized coffee mugs

• His and hers pillows

• Do it yourself, date night movie gift basket – these are fun to make.  You get to decide what you want to put in it.  A simple basket is relatively cheap. Add a couple DVDs, popcorn, snacks, drinks, and viola!  The perfect couples gift basket, they’re really popular this year.

•  Keepsake ornaments

• His and Hers Mac machines

• Keepsake engraved jewelry

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