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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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WELCOME TO HOMEBODIES
November 21, 2006
Volume 7, Issue 45
Weekly encouragement and empowerment e-zine
for stay-at-home parents and working parents
considering the at-home lifestyle
Your Hostess - Cheryl Gochnauer, author of
"Stay-at-Home Handbook", "So You Want to Be a
Stay-at-Home Mom", "Mom to Mom" and founder of
http://www.homebodies.org
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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLES:
"They Attack at Dawn: Shopping the Day After Thanksgiving" by Homebodies
founder Cheryl Gochnauer
"Quick Tips for Holiday Entertaining" by Homebodies columnist Mary Jo
Rulnick, author of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Feeding Family and Friends
"Skills to Pay the Bills” by Homebodies columnist Amy Bergin, founder of The
Couponizer (http://www.thecouponizer.com)
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THEY ATTACK AT DAWN:
SHOPPING THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING
Homebodies
By Cheryl Gochnauer
homebodies@comcast.net
Copyright 2003
The Hahn women are a hardy bunch.
By 4:00 a.m. the morning after Thanksgiving, they’re up and ready to shop on
this, the busiest retail day of the year. Armed with catalogs and
cappuccino, Missouri mom Shirley Hahn and her daughters Angie and Becky -
plus grandma, an aunt and their cousins – begin their bargain-searching
blitz.
They’re not the only ones. “No matter how early you go, there’s already a
huge line,” says 18-year-old Becky. “There’s no time for food. If you’re
going to eat, pack it the night before, then grab it from the fridge on your
way out, or you’ll go hungry.”
“Bring your cell phones,” Shirley warns, so you don’t lose momentum at the
mall searching for daughters instead of deals.
BEAUTY BASICS. Forget the mirror; there are stores to conquer. Becky simply
pulls her hair up in a ponytail, throws on a hat, and away she goes. “I see
these women with full-fledged makeup, hair perfectly done, and I’m like,
‘How can you get up that early? And these are the same women trying to steal
stuff out of my cart!”
DEFENSIVE DIVING. Ah, yes. The old “Oh – I’m sorry; was that yours?”
routine. After waiting out in the cold for a couple of hours, then funneling
500 shoppers through 4 open doors in 5 minutes - Shirley calls it herding
cattle - people do tend to get testy. Doorbuster specials disappear
immediately. Beware parents diving for the same elusive must-have. “It’s
always moms fighting over stuff,” Becky says. “‘I had it first!’ ‘No, I need
it!’ Oh, my word, People - it’s a toy!”
BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS. Shirley can get a little impatient herself. A couple
of years ago, Becky, Angie and their cousins, who were staying with Grandma,
overslept. When Shirley rang the doorbell, the house was dark. “I said, just
a second, I’m getting dressed,” Becky accuses, “and you took off!”
“I’ll just run upstairs real quick, you said,” Shirley rebuts. “Well, I knew
there wasn’t going to be anything real quick about that.” Besides, the
jacket she wanted for her husband was on sale. “It was the wrong thing to
do, I guess,” Shirley admits, “But I got the leather coat!”
BACK AT THE RANCH. So where are the guys all this time? “Sleeping,” says
Becky. “They come out around noon, looking for farm supplies or hitting the
home stores. Then they head back to the house, complaining about the crowds:
‘You women are crazy!’ Finally, they go belly up on the couch with leftover
turkey and talk about sports.”
“Getting the girls together is what’s so much fun,” says Shirley. “We’ve got
to go.”
Of course they do. They won’t have another opportunity like this until the
after-Christmas sales.
*****
Have you read Cheryl’s books, “So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom”
(InterVarsity Press, 1999) and “Stay-at-Home Handbook” (InterVarsity Press,
2002)? Request a copy of each at your local library, favorite bookstore, or
online at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830823360. They make great
Christmas gifts!
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QUICK TIPS FOR HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING
Mary Jo’s Greetings
By Mary Jo Rulnick
maryjo@maryjorulnick.com
Copyright 2006
The extra commitments and responsibilities brought on by the winter holidays
can make the most organized person frantic. Then there's what seems like the
never-ending expense of holiday giving to add more stress. And add in
holiday entertaining to the jam-packed schedule and who wouldn't be ready to
skip Christmas. However, mix in a dash of preplanning and a pinch of
preparation to create a gathering you can easily host and enjoy, too.
PREPLANNING
To start, plan your menu by making as much of it self-serve as possible.
Set up a drink station so guests can help themselves. Mix up trendy dishes
with traditional ones for your menu. And be sure to watch the advertisements
for loss leaders that are plentiful this time of year. Include one or two
hot dishes and fill in the rest with raw veggies, seasonal fresh fruit and
make-ahead cold side dishes. Be sure to offer a low-cal choice and
vegetarian dishes, too. For hot dishes, use the slow cooker or a roaster to
keep food warm.
Consider a cheese get-together. Chunks of cheese with spiced nuts, fresh
or dried fruits and a variety of breads can make a great munchies table. Be
sure to include three different types of cheese for a smaller group and five
or six varieties for a larger group. Serve each cheese on a separate plate
with its own knife.
Or try hors d'oeuvre party for simplicity. For appetizers, make bite-size
nibbles in a variety of colors, textures or flavors. Serve small bite-size
hors d’oeuvre so you can eliminate the need for utensils and spills on your
carpeting when guests are trying to cut something in half and the piece of
kielbasa lands on your carpeting. A favorite club sandwich cut into quarters
makes an easy appetizer. Add a garnish on top with a toothpick.
A dessert theme works for an afternoon or after-dinner hour get-together.
Serve three or four desserts, such as seasonal fresh fruit, holiday cookies,
and miniature cupcakes for smaller crowd and five to six items for a larger
group. Offer coffee and tea; however, make it self serve.
Using foam and paper plates will cut down on after-party clean-up;
however, use holiday-themed colors in the paper products to add pizzazz to
the table. You can find these at dollar or discount stores. Don’t forget
music and match it to the gathering and the crowd. Borrow additional CDs
from friends or the library.
PREPARATION
Now you’re ready to write a shopping list using your preplanned menu.
Post the menu on refrigerator so you don't forget anything in the frenetic
pace to get everything on the table.
Create a preparation and cooking schedule. Note the designated times that
particular dishes must go into the oven or slow cooker so they’re ready in
time for the bash. Make as many dishes a day ahead as possible. Or mix dry
ingredients together, adding wet ingredients on cooking day.
Pull out your serving trays and dishes several days beforehand. Use
grandma's bowls and heirloom pieces to hold paper products, cookies, breads
and more. Don't keep them hidden. Decide if you need to buy or borrow
additional pieces. Again, look to dollar & discount stores for
possibilities.
Set your dining table or buffet table a day or two prior to the party.
Include everything from dishes to utensils to serving pieces. Cover the “set
table” with a sheet to avoid dust collecting and uncover prior to guests'
arrival.
Keep garbage cans throughout the party area so guests can dump their own
plates and not leave them on your coffee tables or another other flat
surface they find. Assign tasks to family members or early bird guests.
Include everything from lighting candles to hanging coats to refilling the
relish tray.
Now, take a deep breath and enjoy mingling with your guests.
*****
Mary Jo Rulnick is the author of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Feeding Family
and Friends (Time Warner, 2006). Visit Mary Jo at www.MaryJoRulnick.com or
contact her at MaryJo@MaryJoRulnick.com.
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SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS
The Couponizer
By Amy Bergin
abergin@thecouponizer.com
Copyright 2006
When I was working full-time, I didn't worry much about money. My salary was
sufficient to cover everything I needed and then some. Spending money was
like breathing for me; it just happened without much conscious thought.
However, everything — and I mean everything — about spending and saving
money changed when I got married and had my first baby. Spending money on
the baby — clothing, stuff for the nursery — seemed to never end. Saving
money became lost in my it's-for-the-baby spending frenzy.
Over time, I felt suffocated by my overspending. In my heart, I knew I could
not continue feeling like that. The constant money worries were robbing my
family of true peace. I longed for the days when my husband and I did not
fight about money. I decided that I needed to change my spending habits.
In hindsight, I realize that, as a new mom, I was reestablishing my identity
by connecting to and being influenced by the marketing of products and
services geared toward moms. According to Silver Stork Research, a
mom-focused research company, today's moms control 80 percent of all
household spending, a value of $1.7 trillion annually. So now, six years and
two more babies later, I fully understand that moms wield mighty spending
muscles.
I have successfully established new spending skills that help me achieve our
financial goals as a family and allow me to stay in control. The disconnect
between my spending and my family's income no longer exists. I refuse to be
unduly influenced by mom-focused marketing strategies. Instead of spending
like it was breathing, I now spend money as if I'm scuba diving: If I do not
measure every breath, I will run out of air. As a result, my family is
closer and more comfortable.
One of my favorite passages from the Bible is "If the ax is dull and its
edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." I
now believe that spending money smartly is an essential skill, especially
for families with kids.
Here are a couple of ideas for working out money plans:
• Take time to listen to what your intuition tells you about your spending.
• Listen to your spouse and how he feels about your spending. If things
aren't working, acknowledge the problem and work together to create a new
plan.
• Look for classes, workshops, and books that will help you plan your
finances and achieve your goals together as a family.
*****
Amy, mom of three, is the proud owner of a business centered around The
Couponizer, a product she developed based on her own coupon-organizing
system she used while shopping for her family. Amy launched her product on
QVC and was on the show, 2005 Decade of Discovery Product Search. She is
active in several local tennis associations and is a MOPS (Mothers of
Preschoolers) discussion group leader. She has also taught a class on
finances for couples. Contact her at abergin@thecouponizer.com.
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PUBLICATION INFORMATION
Copyright 2006 Cheryl Gochnauer. All rights reserved. For permission to
reprint an article, please write homebodies@comcast.net.
All articles are printed with the author's prior consent. It is assumed that
any questions, tips or replies to questions may be reprinted. All letters
become the property of Cheryl Gochnauer.
Cheryl Gochnauer does not assume responsibility for advice given. All
advice should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and
applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice is safe
and suitable for their own situation.
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