What To Give, part 2

There have been so many stories in the media, how to give, how to save.
And many find themselves in a novel setting. Not Dickens. But not like before. We all are revisiting what our values are.
How does that relate to gifting?
I think that anyone who has found their way to this blog is already smart, sensitive.
I feel like I preach to the choir, can I hear a shout?!
But let's just review the basics.
Holidays....warmth, happy.
Media......buy!
I just posted on my Madcap Logic blog priorities for holiday gifting. Really basic stuff but a gentle reminder.....what/who do we care about?
Colorful plastic items that dominate under-tree real estate or.......real deal stuff?
Just think about extending your own values to your family. It matters.
Don't get sucked into media frenzy. Turn off your TV.
Ideas for gifting abound.
Check out New American Dream...they have it right.
Treehugger, go green, keep green.
You get the idea. Go forth and multiply.
Again, any other ideas, post in comments.
It matters. Big time!

Turkey Trot

Hi all, you have yourselves a nice family spell.
Thanksgiving has really evolved into a school holiday/chance to spend time with family, elders (before they pass) take family photos, connect the cousins, eat lots of food-kind of time. That's cool.
Most of us know that it is a sanctioned pig-out, we don't always do this to our systems.
We indulge, we eat, we burp. Maybe walk around the block to work it off. Maybe hit the gym a little harder afterwards. All cool.
Lotsa food.
Just thought I would explore the origins of "the bird".
Our photo here indicates a bunch of these ground-living birds, looking astute and colorful.
We all like to think that our holiday centerpiece, the bird, resembles those of our ancestors, the Pilgrims.
However, the bird has a history older than we realize.
And the menu.... forget about it.
Kathleen Curtin, Food Historian at Plymouth Plantation shares this info.
"Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the Pilgrims's first feast table:
Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.
Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.
Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.
Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.
Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese."
Who knew?
And for the bird, I share a photo of a large, unassuming warehouse in Longmont, CO, that bears the sign, Butterball. It has come to that.
Bon appetite.

Coping With Financial Stress.......Stay Calm

Scary week, no? Financial swings the likes of which we haven't seen since.....horse and buggy days? Everyone around me is uncertain, confused, anxious. And what of the children? Certainly they are picking up on our stresses of paying bills, filling fridges, if not through direct conversation, or listening in on our end of phone calls, then certainly from the tone in our voices. Shopping for school supplies was never fun but now it is painful.
"Who needs all those crayons?!"
"What's wrong with last year's backpack?"
"Ten dollars for the Disney Princess six-piece stationary set?"
I am neither an economist nor a psychic, I don't know what will happen. But I am a Mom. I feel it is our job, as responsible beings to set a tone for the family. We are all feeling fear these days, but we should try to keep our financial anxiety in check. Lets just try to maintain a sense of calm and grace during this crazy time.
Breathe, Stay Active
Fear can effect our body with a "fight or flight" response, flooding us with adrenaline. Get up, move, run, walk, kick a ball, punch a punching bag, work it off. If you sit still, you will feel panic. And breathe. Again. long, slow, throughout the day. Let the shoulders go.
Couples Coping
Money is a huge stress-out subject in relationships, even in the best of times. Try to set some ground rules during these crazy days. Don't talk about money before bed. Or in bed. Support each other, acknowledge the fear. Focus on what you do have. Lovely children. Friends and family. A functioning body. Each other.
The Kids
Don't lie to your children, they always seem to know anyway. But don't overwhelm them either. A child can't comprehend the FDIC, bank consolidation or jumbo loans. I can barely. Simply sit them down and talk about how the money world is really complicated right now, and scary (certainly they have heard stuff from friends) but reassure them that you will all be OK.
And you will. Turn off the TV. Eat simple, homemade meals together, at home. Talk about other things. Certainly the financial world isn't the only thing going on right now. Just, possibly, the scariest.

Kind of Funny, Kind of Sad

We are selling a lifestyle here, not a printer.
Clean, happy life. Connected. To a wireless printer (if the IT guy set it up right) but are we connected in real life?
This is dad and daughter, she is clearly too young to be a girlfriend. They are hanging out. Super edited clean house, white on white on white on.....who let him in with the shoes! Oh, ok, they are his inside kicks. And he owns the place. No prob.
So we can assume this is dad's house, maybe the parents are divorced, mom lives elsewhere in a hovel with stained carpets and no wireless printers. Or, mom is simply out of the photograph, in the kitchen preparing a nutritious meal for the clean team.
How are these two people relating to each other? Are they? She is smiling, maybe at some witty Facebook comment, he is smiling, but his eyes are not on her. He is online too. A golf crony just made a jab at his handicap. Or the hottie from last weekend just suggested something fun but furtive.
They just happen to be in the same room. Like at Starbucks. Maybe they don't even know each other. Yeah, that's it. They are related but don't know each other.