The Hip Mom's Guide to Christmas Shopping

Ok, I must admit that I have done most of my Christmas shopping already.... online. I'm not a big "Black Friday" person. I don't enjoy the crowds at the mall. I LOVE sitting by the fireplace on my laptop ordering gifts from amazon.com. I always try to find items that are eligible for free shipping, so I don't have to spend an arm and a leg on it. The hardest part about Christmas shopping, in my opinion, is finding the right gifts for each person. I thought it would be fun to discuss gift ideas this week. I cannot think of a great gift for my dad... any ideas? No more socks, ties or photos of the kids... I need a cool new idea! If you need help finding a gift, just let us know the age and sex of the person, and maybe we can help. Looking forward to hearing from you...

The Hip Mom's Guide to Taking a Break

As I write this, I smell the turkey roasting....mmmmm.....delicious! I'm so thankful to be having my family over for the afternoon. After all of the dinner preparations, I'm going to sit down and relax. The dishes can wait, the mess can wait, the laundry can wait. It's time to enjoy family and friends. I hope you will do the same. In a few days, we will start talking about Christmas preparations. For those of you who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving... have fun and good luck!

The Hip Mom's Guide to Preparing Turkey

Our poll from last week showed that many of you enjoy hosting the Thanksgiving dinner in your home. I wonder how many of you will be hosting this year. I, for one, will be having 25 guests over for the festivities. Two questions I always ask myself are "how much Turkey will I need to buy?", and "how long will it take to thaw and cook the bird?". I did some research, and i will share my findings with you... Before you buy the turkey, figure out your guest list. You should have 1 to 1½ pounds of turkey per person. That sure seems like a lot! It's always great to have leftovers, though. If you're buying a frozen turkey, calculate the time needed for it to thaw: one day for every five pounds of turkey. It's best to thaw it in the fridge, but if you need to speed up the process, you can place it in cool water. Below you will find approximate cooking times for different sized birds... both stuffed and unstuffed. It's a good idea to rub cooking oil on the bird to keep it moist and to give it that golden brown color! Happy Roasting!!!

Approximate Roasting Times for Turkey:

Size of Turkey Unstuffed Timing Stuffed Timing
8-12 lbs. 2¾ - 3 Hours 3 - 3½ Hours

12-14 lbs. 3 - 3¾ Hours 3½ - 4 Hours

14-18 lbs. 3¾ - 4¼ Hours 4 - 4¼ Hours
.
18-20 lbs. 4¼ - 4½ Hours 4¼ - 4¾ Hours

20-24 lbs. 4½ - 5 Hours 4¾ - 5¼ Hours
(325 °F oven temperature)

I hope your turkeys are delicious and your hearts are thankful this Thanksgiving!

The Hip Mom's Guide to Thanksgiving, Part 2

Everywhere we turn – from talk radio to Barnes & Noble -- we hear about the importance of thankfulness. Many of us stop and take time on Thanksgiving to ponder the blessings in our lives. But how many of us do this on a regular basis? On a daily basis? I’m certainly guilty of plunging through my days, volunteering at the schools, running to Costco, getting a few hours of writing in, making dinner (picking dinner up….), serving dinner, and getting through the bedtime routine only to sink into my pillow without another thought. And why shouldn’t I? What’s so important about taking time, more often than one Thursday in November, to be thankful? Here’s what the experts have to say:

Oprah:
“I [keep] a gratitude journal [every day and] list at least five things that I'm grateful for ….It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: PERSPECTIVE…And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated: ‘If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘Thank you God’, that would suffice’.”

WebMD:
“If you want to get healthier, give thanks…Thousands of years of literature talk about the benefits of cultivating gratefulness as a virtue," says University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons. Throughout history, philosophers and religious leaders have extolled gratitude as a virtue integral to health and well-being. Now, through a recent movement called positive psychology, mental health professionals are taking a close look at how virtues such as gratitude can benefit our health. And they're reaping some promising results.” This article goes on to say that grateful people reap such benefits as handling stress better and a strengthened immune system.

The Bible:
From the beginning of time, the Bible has taught people to be thankful. Here’s a familiar and compelling verse to consider as we approach the traditional day of giving thanks.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15)

Happy Thanksgiving! -Kirsetin Morello

The Hip Mom's Guide to Thanksgiving

How do we teach our kids to be thankful? How do we focus on our blessings while we are running around basting turkeys and mashing potatoes? How can we keep the focus off of food and football and on thanking God for all of our blessings? Well, here are a few suggestions that I have.... I think it would be nice to have a station set up for the kids on Thanksgiving Day with paper, scissors, markers, crayons, stickers, etc.. Each child can make a list of what they are thankful for (parents can help the little ones). Then, they can decorate their lists and share them with the family. As the family sits down to dinner, I think it's nice to go around the table and have each guest name one thing that they are thankful for. Finally, I think it's important to take the time to discuss the first thanksgiving and the sacrifices that were made so many years ago for the freedom that we enjoy today. Of course, it's easy to plan all of these things if you are hosting the party. If you are a guest, you could bring the craft for the kids and start up positive discussion at the table! What ideas do you have? How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving? - Barbie Schowalter

The Hip Mom's Guide to Money Responsibility, Part 2

Kids and money. It’s tricky, isn’t it? We want our children to learn to handle money, but we’re afraid to relinquish the reins. What if they spend it all on candy? What if they spend it all the first day? Or we struggle with know how much to give or how often. Should we pay weekly or monthly? Should we tie money to chores? Do they have to buy their own tennis shoes? Doesn’t somebody know the rules? If these are questions you’ve wrestled with, I highly recommend Mary Hunt’s book, Debt-Proof Your Kids. She knows the rules! With wit and humor, Mary walks you through when, how much, and most importantly, why your kids need to learn to handle money. It’s a good reminder for us as parents, too, that money doesn’t grow on trees and there’s no reason for our kids to think it does. Happy reading!