Christmas On A Budget

Christmas is a time of great financial stress for many, many people. Today I want to share some tips to help you get through Christmas without it crippling you financially.

1- Set a realistic budget. Work out exactly what you can afford to spend and stick to it.

2- Credit cards - Credit cards are a Godsend if used correctly. My advice is only spend what you can afford. Use your cards by all means but make sure you'll be able to pay them off when the NEXT bill arrives otherwise you'll be paying interest.

3-Whatever your budget is for Christmas this year plan your spending.

-How much with the food cost?
-What bills will be coming in over Christmas?
Cost out all the essentials first.
Whatever is left goes on presents, going out etc.

4-Be creative with presents.
-Make gifts (cakes and biscuits go down well or an original painting by you or the kids)
-Give the gift of time. Can you offer babysitting time, gardening time or cleaning time to friends and relatives.

5-Give your Kids some credit.
This works in two ways

-Trust your kids and explain to them that this year your on a christmas budget and you only have limited money to spend on gifts most kids can understand this. Smaller kids will still expect Santa to bring gifts - Explain that Santas on a budget too for this year and he has lots of children around the world to buy presents for.

-Give your kids some IOU's this Christmas. Decorate a cardboard box and fill it with newspaper etc, inside an envolope write out an IOU.
for example IOU 1 picnic on the beach, IOU 1 baking day, I owe you a trip to the cinema.

These are great ways to add inexpensive or no cost gifts. Most kids and adult love seeing lots of presents and the opening. Don't think your kids will think this is a rubbish gift. I always add these sort of gifts (for children and adults) and they all love it. It's also something to talk about, plannning when and where.


6 - Speak to relatives and explain that this year your on a really tight budget. Ask them not to buy presents this year and then you don't need to buy for them.

7 - Make use of the bargain shops.  Pick up some fun items for next to nothing and fill up the space under your tree.  Ever present doesn't need to be 'That special gift'.

My kids get a small pack of after eights every year from santa and it's a family tradition that costs very little.

On my law of attraction blog this week I'm posting all week about how to create you ideal Christmas. You'll find more advice there at http://loa4llife.blogspot.com/

Parents - Remeber no matter how big or small your kids are all kids prefer happy parents (not stressed out parents who are worried they are in debt).  Time is a very precious gift.

My very best wishes to you all and hope for a wonderful Christmas for everyone.

Wendy x

Get Your Ideal Christmas - Part 2

Many of us have limiting/negative beliefs regarding Christmas time. 

-Christmas is always so stressful
-Christmas costs so much money
-We always and up argueing at Christmas
These are all negative beliefs.

Maybe Christmas is a reminder of the people who are no longer with you. 

For whatever reason Christmas can be an unpleasant time for many.

Before you can attract the things you want you must first work on clearing negative beliefs you hold.

As many of you already know I love hypnosis as a way of doing exactly this.  It's easy, cheap, relaxing and it works.

Today I have put together a few suggestions that may be exactly what you need to release your negative beliefs.

Transform a stressful Christmas into a relaxed one http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/stress_management/stressful-christmas.html#3460

Enjoy family gatherings www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/relationships/family-gatherings.html#3460

Worried about all the Christmas parties - Do you want to be the life and soul of the party?  Try this www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/personal_development/life-soul.html#3460

Is money an issue this Christmas - This could be what you're looking for.  www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/phobias_fears/financial-worries.html#3460
I know asking you to spend money when you're already worrying about money seems odd but at $12.95 this download could make a huge difference to your Christmas.

Just want to be happy?  I think we all want this http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/bundles/worry-happy.html#3460

I often get so worked up about everything going well I end up so stressed I can't possibly enjoy myself.
This download helps me in these situations
http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/stress_management/lighten-up.html#3460


I always like to be completely honest with you.  So I'm letting you know that if you decide to buy any of these downloads I will receive a commision from the sale.  So is this the reason I'm recommending them?  NO! I only recommend things I believe in 100%.  I use many of these downloads myself.  As I said I love them and find them so relaxing.  For me this is probably my favourite method of releasing negative beliefs.

I am happy to give information free of charge but the commisions I receive from things like this make this possible for me.  So please, if you do decide these downloads are right for you please click through on these links.  The price is exactly the same.  It just means I get a little thank you in my Paypal account which is always greatly appreciated.

I'll be back tomorrow with more ideas to create your ideal Christmas.

Kind wishes

Wendy

Get Your Ideal Christmas - Part 1

This week I'm going to be concentrating on Christmas.  Specifically how to have a great Christmas.
 
Remember that we receive whatever we put our focus on (positive or negative).

So it's important to focus on what you do want.

Christmas is different for everyone and what you want may be very different to what I want.

So today I want you to get really clear about what you do want.

A really good way to do this is to write down everything you don't want and then ask yourself
"So what do I want?"
Then write what you do want on a sheet of paper. 

Read it through and if anything doesn't feel quite right change your list until it does feel right to you.

Now go through every single statement on your list and really focus on it. 

Perhaps you wrote down "I do want my family to enjoy the Christmas dinner I cook for them."

You need to focus on this statement.

How would you feel ?  (Happy and warm inside knowing everyone was enjoying eating the food I made)

What would you hear? (This tastes wonderful, thank you for spending so much time cooking for us, it's delicious)

What would you smell? (Delicious aromas fill the air of cooked turkey and delicious roast vegetable cooked to perfection)

What would you taste?  (Mouthwateringly delicious christmas pudding, Umm Yummy!)

What would you see? (Everyone happy and enjoying the food I cook)

I'm sure you get the idea.  Do the same for every single thing on your list and add as much emotion as possible.

The more detail you add the better.

That's enoght for today.

Happy Christmas Creating

Wendy x

Make Time For Someone Special

It doesn't matter who that someone special is in your life.  It could be your husband, wife, kids, parents, sisters, brothers, friends.  It could even be the person on the cash desk that is always polite to you.

Whoever it is (they are)  MAKE TIME FOR THEM.   Tell them they make you happy, tell them you care...

We spend so much time rushing and doing we don't always take the time for the things that really count.  A smile, a hug a friendly word.

I'm closing my computer in a few minutes to go and collect Jack from school.  He's been poorly all week and today is his first day back to school.  He'll need a hug and lots of fuss.  My husband is finishing early so my weekend family time is starting now.  That's what matters to me.

Make time for the people that matter to you.

Share love and be happy.

Wendy

Happy Weekend

Just a quick note from me to you today to wish you all a wonderful weekend.  I'm planning on switching the computer off this weekend (well for most of it).  It's been a long week with Jack being poorly.  I'll be heading off to collect him from school in a few minutes.  I'm stopping off to buy Coloured card for Jack to make some special cards and then we're doing whatever we feel like for the rest of the weekend.

Lots of time for hugs, snuggles on the sofa and playing. 

Make sure you're making time for the people you love.

Happy Weekend

Wendy

Recipe Day - Lemon Chicken

I love this quick and easy recipe.  It's yummy and healthy which is always a winner.  Hope you like it.
Feel free to share it with friends.  Just looking at the picture is making my mouth water.  And for once it looked pretty much the same when I cooked it too.  I'm not reknowned for my cooking abilities.  So these easy recipes are a blessing for me and my family.

Lemon Chicken
Serving Size: 4 ~ 6
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons Dry sherry
4 green (Spring) onions, chopped
1 Piece of root ginger, shredded
500g (1 pound) boned chicken, cut into 1 inch strips
2 Celery sticks, sliced
125g (4oz) button mushrooms, quartered
1 Green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 tablespoons Light soy sauce
Shredded rind of 2 lemons
A few lemon slices to garnish
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying


Directions:

Put the sherry, spring onions and ginger in a bowl.

Add the chicken, toss well to coat, then leave to marinate in the bowl for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan.

Add the celery, mushrooms, and the green pepper.

Stir-fry for one minute.

Add the chicken and marinade, then cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce and lemon rind then cook for a further minute.

Pile into a warmed serving dish and garnish with lemon slices.



Per Serving (excluding unknown items):

294 Calories; 6g Fat (20.0% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 144mg Cholesterol; 346mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.



More delicious Chinese recipes can be found in Nicholas Zhou's Chinese cookbook "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking".
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Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" - Nicholas Zhou's cookbook with 500+ low carb and low fat recipes with 170+ colorful pictures. Based on a master chef's 40 years of cooking practice and 4 years of writing and research, it has helped 12,800 people worldwide improve their health.
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Best Law of Attraction Books To Give This Christmas.

Christmas is a perfect time to share the law of attraction with your friends and family.

Today I have put together a collection of books I think would make great gifts.  You could even ask Santa for some to be delivered to you.

Here's my top 10

1. The Secret



2.  Zero Limits




3.  The Key to Living the Law of Attraction




4.  Focus on the Good Stuff




5.  The Key - The Missing Secret to Attracting Anything You Want





6.  Wealth Beyond Reason




7.  Living The Law of Attraction (Real Stories)




8.  The Think Big Manifesto




9.  365 Ways to Live the Law of Attraction




10.  The Complete Vision Board Kit




Learning the law of attraction is the best gift you can give yourself.  However I do offer a word of advice here.  If people aren't ready to learn about the law of attraction you can't force it.  I have many people in my life that I know would appreciate any of these special books.  I also have many more that would think I'd lost the plot and not be at all impressed with such a 'weird gift'. 

You'll know in your heart if the person is ready and wanting to learn more.  Have they shown a genuine interest?  Are they open to ideas?  Are they down on their luck and looking for a different way?

Well that's all from me today.  Have a wondeful day, night, week, month, year, LIFE!