For the past few days, we have been out of town celebrating Christmas with family. While I look forward to our holiday travel and visit, there is nothing like returning home to your own bed and belongings. It is also a relief to see that all of our belongings are still there.

We are very fortunate to live in a secluded area but that still doesn’t mean that we are free from would-be burglars. Luckily we have neighbors who keep an eye on our home but even that may not be enough security. When we are away I like to have peace of mind that everything is OK on the home front – which is why an alarm system with alarm monitoring would be a good investment. Knowing that someone is watching over your home and property while you are away is a great comfort.

I have not done much research on home alarm systems. It is something that we never believe we need until it is too late. Our home was robbed a few years ago. They came in through the back door that did not have a deadbolt on it like the front door. The thieves didn’t take much but it was still an unsettling feeling knowing strangers had been in our house going through our stuff. So there are benefits to having a security system. I wished we had one then. While I hate preparing for worse case scenarios, I’m always glad that I did when/if that scenario comes true.

While I do enjoy the holidays, I am so glad to be back home. I do love visiting with family but really love the comforts of home, too.

First let me say that I am not one of those people who starts buying Christmas gifts the day after Christmas. But this year (2012) I plan to get a huge jump start on everything Christmas. Now I will not start immediately but definitely want to start earlier than I normally do.

Each year I go through Christmas making small mental notes about what I would do differently. The problem is that after Christmas I am usually so mentally wiped by the holiday that I do not think about the next Christmas until October. This year, however, is different. It is two days after Christmas and I feel recovered. So I will be making plans for Christmas 2012 way sooner than autumn.

I was disappointed that I did not make the first Christmas gift this year. Next year I want to make some gifts and will start as soon as possible. This really is the time to make long term plans for Christmas 2012 since it will give me the most time to work on them.

Also I plan to bake more next Christmas. I really missed even attempting to bake anything this year. Hopefully I will have a new oven by Christmas 2012.

Overall Christmas 2011 was a good one – in fact the best one in recent years. With some planning, Christmas 2012 will be awesome as well.

So company is coming and you need to clean like you’ve never cleaned before? The holidays are super hectic and really who has time or the energy to spend cleaning? So if your house needs a fair amount of TLC before the guests arrive, here are some tips to get through cleaning for the holidays.

If you have guests staying with you, then actual cleaning may have to take place. Set up one bathroom as the guest bathroom and clean that one really good. Any other bathrooms should be off limits to guest. Make up some excuse like the toilet doesn’t flush properly. A chance of a backed up toilet should keep guests well clear of any bathroom.

If you do not have time to clear your clutter, hide it. Get some cardboard boxes and place stuff in it. Then stack them in the corner of a guest bedroom or somewhere else out of the way. I can’t imagine anyone will ask about cardboard boxes around Christmas. Guests will come up their own ideas about what may be in them. It could be Christmas decorations, presents, items put away to make room for Christmas decorations, etc. There are plenty of reasons that cardboard boxes would be stacked in a room this time of year.

While you may have lovely Christmas china that you cannot wait to use, hold off until it’s just your immediate family. Buy paper plates, cups, utensils for a crowd. Even consider buying aluminum foil disposable pans for cooking. Make kitchen clean up as simple as possible. There are presents to open after all.

When guests are coming, clean what you can and hide the rest. Do not stress over cleaning. Enjoy the holidays. With the extra company at your home, it is not going to stay neat and tidy anyway.

Have you started decorating for the holidays yet? It seems people decorate earlier and earlier. I know several folks who put up their Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. When I ran across this article on 12 safety tips for the holidays, I knew it was worth sharing.

The article mentions choosing a live tree. Choose a fresh tree because older cut trees have already begun to dry out and will be less resistant to taking in water. You definitely don’t want a really dry tree to hang hundreds of little lights on. Check the bottom of a tree for resin. A fresh tree with have lots of the sticky substance.

You should read all the tips but one that is also I want to mention here is burning wrapping paper in a fireplace. Do not do this. It is dangerous and can lead to a fire. The wrapping paper burns suddenly and could cause flash fires. Also, take it from someone who has seen wrapping paper burn in a fireplace, it is usually very smoky. You can tell it is definitely not meant to burn in a fireplace.

With your Christmas lights, test your strands and extension cords. Look for exposed wire, cracked bulbs, and other dangerous problems. If you are using lights outside, make sure they are outdoor lights.

Never leave candles burning unattended. Keep those fire hazards in your line of sight and set them on level, heat resistant surfaces. It never fails. Sadly there always seems to be at least one house fire caused by candles in our town.

But read the rest of those tips and follow them. Also share your holiday safety tips, too. Let’s stay safe this holiday.

Of all the celebrations we have this holiday season, I am most looking forward to getting together with friends. Why? Well we have awesome friends but that is beside the point. We are playing Dirty Santa – a tradition that started last year and that we missed because of illness. But not this year. We will be taking vitamins and drinking orange juice so that we are all healthy and ready to party.

Dirty Santa is way better than drawing names or Secret Santa. You bring a wrapped gift to the party – then everyone draws a number. The first player can choose any gift they want. Maybe they will be drawn to the biggest or the one with the shiniest wrapping paper. They will then open their gift. Maybe they will love it or hate it. They will be lucky to make it to the end of the game with the same gift. Player two can either take player one’s gift or choose a wrapped gift. If he chooses player’s one gift, then player one chooses another gift. Play continues until everyone has gotten to choose a gift. This is where it is awesome to go last. You can choose any previously opened gift. I have been wanting to play Dirty Santa for years – so I’m really excited.

My husband has chosen his gift he will be taking. It’s OK and a pretty cool gadget so hopefully it will go over well. I’m still uncertain what to buy. It would be fantastic to choose something everyone wants but not sure that exists. Something that half of the friends would like the other half would find not so fun. They are a diverse group – so this makes it even more tough to find something that will be well received by whomever winds up with it.

I still have a few weeks – so I will just have to keep my eyes peeled for something extraordinary.

We spend hours decorating it so it only seems right that we want to show it off. Be careful displaying your Christmas tree this holiday. With those curtains open, everyone – including thieves – can have a free peak into your home.

When you put your Christmas tree in front of a window and then draw back the curtains, check to see what is visible from the road. Keep presents out of sight as well as other valuables. You may want to only open your curtains far enough to display the tree and nothing else.

This is one Christmas tree safety tip that I never thought about until I read it on Facebook posted by the local police department. I figure there are two ways you know this tip – if you were robbed or if you are a burglar. We live way off the road and also do not display our tree near a window – there just isn’t room. So this is good to know for those who enjoy displaying their Christmas tree.

Have you started your Christmas shopping? Stuck for ideas? Then read on for some holiday gift ideas.

For kids

Kids are the easiest people to buy for. If my daughter already has a toy, then she will gladly take another one just like it. So you really can’t go wrong with her. Any toy that is advertised on TV will most likely be on a child’s wish list.

For teens

Teens are harder to buy for as they are not so easily impressed and the toys they play with are much more expensive. It is best if you are stuck with buying a present for a teen, then purchase a gift card.

For men

Men can be as hard to buy for as teens. A lot of men will buy what they need and never used what they don’t need. So it is best to find out what the men on your list need or use. If all else fails, buy socks or underwear. There are two products the men never seem to buy and always are grateful to receive.

For women

Women can be extremely hard to buy for. You will want to get a gift receipt and include it with the gift. Find out what they like – scents, teas, pretty stuff. Not all women are into the same thing. Some may love bath and body items while others may not care for it. Some women may appreciate a new vacuum cleaner while others may punch you in the face if try to present it as a ‘gift.’ It’s best just to ask what they would like. I give my husband plenty of options as he is no longer allowed to go rogue when it comes to buying me Christmas gifts.

So it is best before you shop to do some background work. Find out what is on people’s wish list. It will make shopping a whole lot easier.

Every since the announcement for the Kindle Fire, I have wanted one. A few things held me back from just pre-ordering it. I just received a 3G Kindle a few months back and am still in the honeymoon stage with it. It just seemed wrong to get another electronic play toy so soon.

This past weekend I was able to get some hands on time with the Kindle Fire and loved every minute of it. The Fire is responsive to touch, sleek, and just felt good in my hands. It was then that I decided that this would be a great birthday gift. My birthday is in February.

Yesterday my husband mentioned getting me a Fire for Christmas. After a little more discussion, we decided to get one now instead of waiting since it is bound to be a popular gift. So I got my Christmas gift last night – and so did my husband. He picked out some wireless headphones. Usually we get our Christmas gifts for each other way before Christmas. I’m not sad about not having anything at Christmas since opening gifts is all about my daughter anyway.

There is a really bright side to buying presents to yourself(or significant other) early. Your Christmas budget isn’t already taxed, so you can be sure to get what you want. Sure, it may sound selfish and goes kind of against the ideals of the season(better to give than receive) but if you can’t treat yourself at Christmas, then when? Plus having a new toy will help keep my Black Friday gifts(to myself) down. So really I’m saving money and now can concentrate on buying for others.

Merry Christmas to me!

Sunday we will have our traditional Easter Egg Hunt at my parent’s house. We usually have about six kids, and I try to have at least a dozen plastic eggs for every child. Each plastic egg is stuffed with something small like a piece of candy. This year I’m contemplating leaving out the candy but need more ideas for plastic Easter egg stuffers. Here are some ideas that I may try this year.

Money – Good ole money. A small amount of change in each egg could add up to a few dollars. It’s also something I have on hand in the change jar. The less I have to buy, the happier I will be.

Small toys – One year I used a bunch of McDonald’s Ty Teenie Beanie Babies egg prizes. Those worked well and were a huge success. It helps to have the larger plastic eggs though.

Homemade items – The one polymer clay item I can make is small mice. My daughter loves them and some may find their way into eggs this year. They are easy to make since they are made up of balls.

Stickers – It seems we have a ton of stickers. This would help thin down our collection and make a nice egg stuffer.

Treasure Hunt Clues – One idea I had is to hide a golden egg somewhere outside of the egg hiding parameter. Then put clues into the eggs to its location. This would mean the kids could work together to find the golden egg and the big surprise. Yes, I’m totally inspired by ‘Survivor’ on this one.

That’s all the ideas I have. What about you? What do you use as stuffers for plastic Easter eggs?

Guest post written by Erica Shephard

I think that Christmas time is the easiest time to get a little more creative with all things that you can bake. I mean, there are all kinds of ways that you could decorate it with icing or even use as a cake topper. There are all kinds of little cheap trinkets and toys that you can use as a cake topper, or so I thought.

I had imagined this perfect little cake in my mind to make for our annual family get-together for Christmas and wanted to find a reindeer topper that was pretty big to put on top of it for it. Well, I didn’t have a whole lot of luck finding any in a store or online with our WIRELESS INTERNET. So I knew that I would have to get a little creative.

I knew that I would probably have to make one myself and found an example of a deer cake topper that was similar to what I wanted to do. So I think that I’m just going to take this craft and modify it so that it’s a reindeer instead