Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday today with their family and friends! 

10 Movies to Watch on Christmas Eve

Its Christmas Eve everyone! I hope that all of my readers are exactly where they want to be today. Unfortunately, my husband is spending the day at work, but he gets off early and has all Christmas day to spend with Zander and I. So, I feel as if we are truly blessed in so many ways as a family.

I like to take time on Christmas Eve to just hang out with my family and watch a few of our favorite Christmas movies together. Now that we have a baby, I see how important these traditions are going to be in just a few years, and I can't wait to share my favorite movies with my little man.

10 Christmas Movies to Watch on Christmas Eve 

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas: This is by far my favorite movie. I watch it for Christmas and Halloween every year. Also, its perfect for children of all ages to watch and enjoy. 
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with Jim Carey): I absolutely love this movie. Jim Carey is always so funny and brings a whole new feel to this timeless Christmas classic.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon): 
4. A Christmas Carol: This movie based off of the classic Christmas story of the same name. Its definitely a must for any Christmas lover. 
5. A Christmas Story: I LOVE this movie! I can remember my first time watching this movie: "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" Plus, I have always wanted that girlie leg lamp.
6. Arthur Christmas: This is a new movie on my list but it looks absolutely amazing! 
7. The Santa Clause: Tim Allen makes an amazing and totally funny Santa is this great Christmas movie! 
8. Elf: Will Ferrell makes the perfect Christmas elf with tons of enthusiasm for the holiday season. 
9. Miracle on 34th Street: This is actually my mom's absolute favorite Christmas movie. So, when I was a kid, we would stay up and watch this movie every Christmas Eve. 
10. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: I just love watching this poor family and their crazy antics. 

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Feel free to leave all of your wonderful comments in the section below because I love hearing from all of my readers! 

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Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Good morning everyone! I hope that everyone is all ready to celebrate Christmas with their family or friends on Thursday! I know that I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone and showing off my handsome little man.

Today, I'm going to share with you some printable Christmas gift tags that I made for my own gifts this year. I hope that some of you can use these!

Grab Your Own Printable Christmas Gift Tags Below

Grab your own printable gift tag here.

Grab your own printable gift tag here. 

How to Get These Free Printable Gift Tags

• Right click the images above or click on the links above and save to your computer.
• Open gift tag in a Microsoft Word document and size to your desired height.
• Print.
• Decorate your gifts.

Do you like decorating your Christmas presents with unique decorations? Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or personal stories in the section below. I love reading all of your comments! 

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DIY Christmas Gifts

Happy Monday everyone! Christmas is Thursday and I'm happy to say that I have all of my shopping and wrapping done. For once, I had everything done weeks in advance so I'm pretty happy with myself. Do you have all of your shopping and wrapping done?

DIY Christmas Gifts

Every year I make all of the gifts that I give out by hand. I always try to make things that everyone can use. And honestly, there's nothing more useful than food. If you're stuck on what to get that special someone, here are the presents I made this year. These DIY dip mixes are not only easy to make but delicious as well.

Grab your printable label here.

Garlic 'N Chives Mix

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 2 tsp minced onions
• 4 tsp dried chives

How to Make This Mix

1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Place ingredients in an air tight bag.
3. Print out, cut out, and staple label to bag.

Grab your printable label here.

Veggie Dip Mix

• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp dill weed
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbs chives

How to Make This Mix

1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Place ingredients in an air tight bag.
3. Print out, cut out, and staple label to bag.

Grab your printable label here.

Italian Dip Mix

• 2 ½ tsp celery seeds
• 2 ½ tsp paprika
• 2 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 ½ tsp onion powder
• 2 ½ tsp paprika

How to Make This Mix

1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Place ingredients in an air tight bag.
3. Print out, cut out, and staple label to bag.

Do you get your Christmas shopping done way before Christmas or do you wait to the last minute? If you are an early bird, do you have any tips or tricks that you'd like to share? Leave any questions, comments, or personal stories in the section below! I love reading your comments.

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Five Christmas Home Decor Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner. Seriously, we've only got twenty-three days left until the sleigh bells start ringing. Its kind of hard to believe that Christmas is so close and I have yet to finish anything Christmas related! I plan on making all of my Christmas gifts in the next week or so. I'll be sharing all of my DIY gift ideas over the next few weeks with you guys.

Five Ways to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Do you decorate your house for Christmas? Over the past few years, I have not decorated my house, but with a new baby in the house I feel like I am obligated to make his first Christmas the best it can be. Here are some tips that I have incorporated to share the holiday spirit in my house.

Decorate Your Tree

Over the past few years I have put up a tree, but I never really put much thought into it. This year is different. I am making a number of tree ornaments that go along with my tree theme. Next week, I will share my tree theme with you guys (hint: its a book and a movie!). There are several ways that you can decorate your tree: themes, colors, or just do whatever you want. Decorating the tree was my favorite holiday tradition and I hope that Zander loves it just as much as I do.

Hang the Stockings with Care

I don't actually have a mantle to hang our stockings on, but I do have a cute window that will work perfectly. I'm not sure what I'm going to fill a newborn's stocking with but at least he has one and that is what really counts!

Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers remind me of the great holiday play The Nutcracker- three guesses why. I have always, always, always loved nutcrackers. I even have a small collection that I have been hoarding for years and years.

Snow Globes 

I've never been one for snow globes. I mean, I'm clumsy and anything that is made out of glass and filled with water just seems dangerous. But, there are less fragile versions of this old favorite tradition that doesn't cost anything and is more durable that other options.

Spread Cheer with Family and Friends

Let's face it, the holidays are meant to be spent with family and friends. So, the best way to decorate your home for the holiday season is to spend time with the people that you love the most. And most importantly, have fun and enjoy your time with your loved ones.

What are your favorite ways to decorate your home for the holiday season? Leave your replies, comments, and personal favorites in the section below! 

If you would like more of Methodical Living, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Free Printable Letter to Santa

Happy Friday everyone! I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend!


Today, I want to share with everyone a free Christmas printable. Since my little guy is too little to actually write a letter to Santa this year, I will share this printable letter to Santa with him later on. But for now, your little ones will be able to enjoy this cute printable and write all of their wishes to Santa out!

Grab Your Free Printable Letter to Santa Below

Grab Your Free Printable Letter to Santa here.

How to download this printable:

1. Right click on the link above and save the image to your computer.
2. Open the image in a Word Document.
3. Print out as many images as you need!
4. Have your children write down everything that they want from Santa. 

Do you still let your children write to Santa? Feel free to leave your comments and personal stories in the comment section below!

Do you want to see more of Methodical Living? Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Also, if you need help organizing that one room in your house or need an organizing solution feel free to email me at methodicalliving@yahoo.com. 

What's Your Christmas Tree Decoration Personality?

Decorating the Christmas tree has always been one of my favorite traditions. I absolutely love picking through boxes of decorations to find the ones that perfectly represent how I'm feeling about the holidays that season. My family has had these same wooden ornaments since my mom was little and they are my absolute favorite. I hope that one day, my son has fond memories of sorting through boxes of ornaments and finding his favorites to hang on the tree. 

Classic

This tree is the one that I grew up with for the entirety of my childhood. The classic tree is just that: classic. You can pick out your favorite ornaments, lights, and ribbons for your tree. Honestly, none of the decorations do not even have to match if you don't want them too.

Theme

I have personally never done a theme tree, but I am trying my hand at this particular tree this year. This holiday season I plan on decorating an Alice in Wonderland themed tree. A themed tree is perhaps my favorite type of tree because you can do anything you want to do. I came up with a great plan on reading a fantasy novel to my son and decorating a themed tree each year during the holiday season. Next year, I plan on creating a Narnia tree!

Color

Color trees are extremely popular. My aunt has stuck with her color tree (in white) for years. They're always in style and can match your personality perfectly. Just pick your favorite color and decorate away. You can even do an ombre effect and use different shades of the same color to get a different look.

Mini Tree

A lot of people do not have the space to incorporate an entire Christmas tree into their homes; so, a miniature tree is used to add a bit of whimsy to their living spaces. These can be really fun to decorate while tiny ornaments and other decorations! Also, I love the idea of using miniature trees to decorate smaller rooms and add more pizzazz to your house for the holidays.

What is your Christmas tree decoration personality and some of the traditions that you do each and every year? I love learning more about my readers so leave all of your comments in the section below and I will answer as soon as possible! 

If you want to read more from Methodical Living check me out on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Update!

Hello everyone! I apologize for being absent for so long without any notice, but I have a good reason (I swear!). 

As a lot of you may know, I've been pregnant for a while now. Actually, my due date was November 15th and while that date came and went, I was still pregnant. So, I had to get induced- which is a fancy way of saying that my body needed just a bit of help going into labor. And, I may say that I was more than ready to get things going after being pregnant for 41 weeks. 

After trying to induce labor for three days, it was a big failure. Well, I must say that I was dilated 9.5 cm and had my water broken, but my little man refused to come out the way I had planned. See, I had a very detailed labor plan, and my little man just wasn't feeling it. I plan on writing a detailed post on my labor experience later on. Anyway, I was forced to have a c section on November 22th and I was finally able to meet my little man. And he is absolutely perfect, all 7 pounds and 15 ounces of him.

So (long story short) I have been struggling to adapt to being a new mother and healing from surgery. While I may not post as frequently as I would like to on here, I would like to make a note that I have not forgotten about this page. I will do my best to post as often as I can. :) Also, I plan on redesigning the blog too so there may be a lot of changes going on around here in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Hello everyone! Can I get a woot woot for it finally being Friday? Thanksgiving is over (unfortunately), but hey there is always Christmas to look forward too! Speaking of Christmas, today I'm sharing my printable Christmas gift tags.

I prefer to make gifts instead of buying a lot of junk that my family and friends will just throw in the back of their closets. I'll be sharing all of my finished gifts a little closer to Christmas this year, but I'm very excited about the gifts! :-)

Grab Your Own Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Download these gift tags here.

Instructions:

1. Download the image by right clicking the image above or going to the link above.
2. Save the image to your computer.
3. Open the image in a Word Document and resize according to your needs.
4. Print out the gift tags.
5. Decorate your gifts!

Do you prefer to receive handmade gifts or store bought gifts during the holiday season? I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

If you would like more of Methodical Living follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

How to Clean Your Computer & Other Electronics

Electronics have become an essential part of our daily lives. In fact, how many of you think that you could live without your cellphones, computers, or other electronic devices for a day, week, or even a month? I know that I use my computer, television, and cellphone every day, and I'm not sure what I would do without these devices. Since these electronic devices are a major part of our lives, you need to regularly clean them! 

Check Out These Great Ways on How to Clean Your Computer and Other Electronics

Telephones & Cellphones

These devices are used every day and can accumulate too many germs and bacteria to think about.(Gross!) Telephones and cellphones are just a trap for icky things that lurk only in your nightmares. But, cleaning a cellphone could not be easier.

How to clean 

Simply wipe down the device with an alcohol pad. Be sure to include the ear piece and mouth piece because that is where bacteria lurks the most. For the touch screen, use a dry cloth to wipe away all of the smudge marks.

Computers

Computers have become an essential part of our daily lives. Many of us sit at our computers daily doing work, having fun, watching beloved shows, or just wasting time. A computer is a great place for dust, germs, and bacteria to multiply; so, make sure to regularly clean your computer.

How to clean

Cleaning a computer is easy. Simply wipe down the screen with a soft, damp towel. After your screen is clean you can clean between the keys of the keyboard by using a q-tip. Also, taking a rag that is slightly damp with alcohol and run it over your keyboard. The alcohol can eliminate any bacteria that is lurking there.

Televisions

The television is a great invention. It does keep me entertained for many late nights and definitely doesn't help my insomnia. But the television is a great place where dust collects.

How to clean

Take a soft, damp towel and wipe down your television. Using harsh cleaning products on your television can have adverse effects on the screen. So, if you want to use something other than water be sure that it will not harm that plasma or projection screen.

Do you have any tips on how to clean your computer and other electronics? I love to hear from you, so feel free to leave any personal stories, comments, or questions in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something that has not yet been featured on Methodical Living send me an email at methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible!

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Free Thanksgiving Printable

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and its the perfect time for celebrating and giving thanks with the people that mean the most- whether that be family or friends. Personally, I am anticipating staying at home with Zander, the hubster, and my fur babies because Zander will barely be a couple of weeks old. But, I have made this particular Thanksgiving printable in anticipation of Thanksgivings to come.

For those of you that are planning on hosting a grand Thanksgiving this printable is for you! I know that there are so many people that suffer from food allergies these days; so, I made these labels. Or you can use them as place settings to add the perfect flair to your holiday table this year! 

Get Your Own Thanksgiving Printable

Grab your free Thanksgiving printable here.

Instructions:

1. Download the Thanksgiving printable from the picture or link above. 
2. Open the picture in a Word Document and re-size it to your liking.
3. Print out as many as you need.
4. Fill them out and fold them.
5. Decorate your table! 

Do you have a special Thanksgiving tradition that you use to decorate your table with? I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

If you would like more of Methodical Living follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

How to Make Your House Smell Good

Good morning all of you lovely people! Today, I want to focus on the holidays and how to make your home smell good. The holidays are looming closer and closer. I love this time of the year and I love the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. The fact that I can get together with my family and friends to enjoy great food and share even better memories fills my entire body with warmth and good feelings.

The Scent of the Holidays

Smells have a funny way of bringing back memories and I associate those delicious smells of turkey, cranberries, and other goodies with the holidays. Sometimes I want to enjoy those delicious smells of the holidays but I don't want to do all of that work. So, here is a great way to fill your house with the delicious smells of Thanksgiving and Christmas with just a few simple ingredients.

How to Make Your Home Smell Good

What You Need:

• Ground Cinnamon
• Cinnamon and Sugar
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Dried Cranberries
• Oranges
• Crushed Cloves

What to do:

1. Mix the ingredients above in a large pan with water.
2. Let the mixture simmer on low.
3. Be sure to check up on the water every so often and add more as needed.
4. Enjoy the smell of the holidays throughout your entire house.

What holiday smells are your favorite? How do you make your home smell good? I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

If you would like more of Methodical Living follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!

Psychology of Color and Home Decor

Good morning everyone! Today, I would like to discuss the importance of picking the right color for that one room in your house. You know “that room” that is dated and you've been talking about sprucing it up since forever. Yeah, that one.

Does color really matter?

Nothing can change the personality and feel of a room quite like the color of the walls that is unless you do some major renovating. The color you choose to paint a room can have several effects on the outcome of your decorating endeavors. On the positive side, the color can make the room more inviting, calming, or open. But on the opposite side of the spectrum, the color you choose can make the room look smaller, darker, or dated. Choosing the right color can be a toughy- believe me I've been trying to come up with the perfect color scheme for my future living room for a few years now.

Luckily, I have time to decide what will work for me and my family and what colors are just off limits. For example, I'm into bright colors that really open up a room. My husband on the other hand likes darker colors, and absolutely hates the color yellow (which I'm quite fond of in small doses)! So, when we actually have a space that we can paint without fear of a land lord's disapproval there will be a lot of compromise But, there are some colors that we absolutely agree with each other on 100%, and that's always a great thing.

Personally, I am a lover of the neutral colors especially gray. That is actually what I want to paint my future living room, and then I'll add hints of colors to really catch the eye. Neutral colors are great when you are in a situation like the one my husband and I are in because they don't really go out of style and they are simple but functional.

Neutral Colors

If you're not into neutral colors that is okay too! Just remember that colors can be a very powerful tool in home decorating. Certain colors are more suitable for different rooms in your house. For example, blue is a great color to use in your bedroom because of the calming properties the color possesses. My mom's bedroom is this beautiful sage green that is absolutely gorgeous! Since green is a mix of blue and yellow it definitely has a lot of the calming aspects of blue.

How Colors Affect Us

• Yellow: Cheery and warm. Can hurt your eyes. Has been proven to make a baby cry.

• Green: Tranquil and serene. Is seen as being more natural than other colors.

• Blue: Calming and serene. Has been proven to lessen appetite.

• Purple: Creative and thought provoking. Is seen as being related to royalty and very luxurious. 

• Red: Passionate and intense. Has been proven to stimulate appetite.

• Orange: Excites and warms. Is seen as being youthful and generates happiness. 

• Black: Sophistication and mystery. Has been linked with death or evil.

• White: Hope, light, and purity. Gives the feeling of cleanliness and simplicity.

• Gray: Authority and maturity. Is stable and strengthens character.  

Are you affected by the psychology of color or do you just pick whatever colors you like? I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

If you would like more of Methodical Living follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

Thanksgiving Printable Activity

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, friends, what we have, and pretty much everything else in our lives. During most of the year, we often forget to give thanks for the little, amazing things in our lives- I know that I do (too much).

Here is a great activity to do with your family and friends on Thanksgiving. Simply, print it out, give a copy to everyone before or after dinner, and fill them out. You can pass the time by reading out your answers to each other and find out what everyone is truly thankful for!

Get Your Free Thanksgiving Printable Below! 

Download the thanksgiving printable here

Instructions:

1. Right click on the picture or click on the link above and save the picture.
2. Open up the picture in a Word document.
3. Print it out.
4. Hand it out.
5. Fill it out.
6. Give thanks!

Do you and your family have any Thanksgiving traditions? I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

If you would like more of Methodical Living follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

20 Delicious Desserts for Any Holiday Gathering

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner and you know what that means-family gatherings, parties, and general merriment. Are you ready to dump your diet and jump on the holiday bandwagon? Families, friends, and coworkers will gather to enjoy delicious foods and make great memories together.

At my family gatherings we feel no shame in admitting that we have dumped our healthy eating habits for a couple of months. My family gatherings usually include more desserts than actual food so you know that we love our sweets. I have to admit though that sometimes I get tired of the same old desserts year after year. So, here are twenty delicious desserts to take your holiday gatherings to the next level this year.

{Busy at Home}{Domestic Mommyhood}{Flour on My Face}{Domestic Mommyhood}

1. Easy Homemade Fudge Recipe
2. Glorious Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
3. Blueberry Peach Dessert Monkfruit in the Raw
4. Tiramisu Affogato Coffee Dessert Recipe
5. Oreo Cheesecake
6. Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies
7. Chocolate Pudding Cake
8. Trifle Dessert Recipe
9. Decadent Black Forest Cake Recipe
10. Strawberry Refrigerator Cake
11. Vintage Blackberry Pie Pops
12. Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
13. Homemade Chocolate Pudding
14. Funnel Cake Bites Recipe
15. Raspberry Tart Recipe
16. Crock-pot Blueberry Cobbler
17. Peanut Butter Gooey Bars
18. Divinely Chocolate Cake
19. Rocky Road Pudding Dessert Recipe
20. Raspberry Angel Dessert Recipe

Do you have a favorite holiday dessert? I love reading all of your comments so feel free to leave all comments, questions, and personal stories in the comment section below!

One Earth Party

Hello everyone! So, I rarely throw parties, but I cannot resist a good cause and helping to support those in need. Come join me at my One Earth Online Party on Thursday! If you feel like partying with me for a great cause, click here.

More About One Earth & Their Products

The picture above is some of their jewelry line in pink and purple sparkle. 

 Do you use coconut oil? If so, Argan oil is better than coconut oil and you can use it all over your body!

 This is Mohammed or Moho for short. He is the biggest boot designer and Moroccan tote artisan. Moho works as the Moroccan Operations Manager. 

This is a natural process of producing dyes using different types of berries in Peru.

This is Fatima. She is working in her co-operative store in Morocco to take care of her family.

 This is Lucia. She lives in Peru, just outside of Cusco. She is completely in her traditional Peruvian garb that has been woven out of alpaca and sheep wool.

 This is Mohammed from Morocco. In this picture he is making a Dainty Purse.

One year after the birth of One Earth, shoe artisans were able to make many upgrades. In the picture above, they are installing bathrooms, complete with a new bamboo roof. 

I look forward to seeing everyone there!