Category: Holiday

Affordable and Festive Indoor Holiday Decorating Ideas

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It is the time of year when we begin to experience cool air, changing leaf colors, increased visits by our family and friends, and for most, attention paid to affordable indoor holiday decorating ideas. Its time spent in the attic, garage and that closet that gets the least attention the rest of year by those who are looking for ways to decorate for the holidays without breaking the bank. Fortunately, affordable indoor holiday decorating ideas are a great way to celebrate the holidays and still have money left for the New Year.

Start at the Front Door

Stepping into a home with a table in the foyer area covered by a nutcracker runner, or floral Christmas basket will immediately set the mood for the festive occasion. Red bows hung in the foyer or a hallway decorated by lighted string Christmas card holder can be a warm greeting for a visitor. A snowman rug or welcome mat inside the front door will convey a greeting, saying “We are glad you are here to join us in celebrating the season.” Dont ignore the opportunity to make the first impression a statement of celebration and welcome. Indoor decorating the entrance into the home can be very affordable.

Decorate the Common Areas

The lighted Christmas tree need not be the only effective decoration. Throw pillows decorated with the seasons theme for the sofa or chairs are an inexpensive and yet expressive way to celebrate the season. Lighted cordless wreaths and garland are becoming more and more affordable and are great ways to decorate a mantle or the top of a door frame. Lighted cordless corner swags will welcome the visitor as they pass through a doorway from one room into another. Ceramic snowmen on the end tables or colorful Santa doorstops can be used as affordable but effective ways to decorate.

Include the Food

Decorating ideas should include those areas were food is being served. Most families will entertain by having others into their home for dinner or snacks. A holiday centerpiece is an inexpensive way to dress up one of the most central areas of holiday gatherings. Candles are always an affordable way to decorate a table. A hurricane lamp globe with a candle inside and surrounded by garland is an inexpensive festive and seasonal centerpiece. A Santas sleigh votive candle set will please children and adults alike. While children are often focused on the lighted Christmas tree, adults are most often focused on the food. A suede holly and poinsettia decorated table runner will add festive color to the serving table. Nutcracker place mats and napkins can be an affordable way to decorate. Holiday chair covers complete the holiday dining experience.

Deck the Halls and Walls and Nooks and Corners

Wall decorations are festive and need not be expensive. Christmas holiday paintings and photos are eye catching and pleasing and add to the atmosphere of celebration. Fireplace screens and magnets, music boxes, Christmas plates and wire holders, plush animals sitting around on tables and chairs, hanging Advent calendars and Santa cookie jars are all affordable and expressive ways to celebrate.

Indoor holiday decorating ideas do not have to be expensive and complicated. After all, the season is to be enjoyed, and should not be a season of stress brought on by excessive spending for decorations. A persons expression of joy and celebration that results from this holiday season can be displayed by doing thoughtful decorating with little expense.

Holiday Stress – Is It the Time of Year, or Is It the Time of Man

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Life seems to compress as the holiday’s get closer, and this shows us in no uncertain terms how “intense” our lives have become. Holidays put normal life into hyper-speed, but really our lives in general are now in hyper-speed anyway, which can make the holiday’s seem almost unmanageable. However, there is hope, if we can understand the problem.

Research indicating that change is stressful, even good change, explains why the holidays are so stressful, as we are taken out of normal routines and challenged to “perform” in new and abnormal ways during holidays. Furthermore, modern life in general is changing at a mind-numbing pace. So, how do we adapt to change more healthfully? T’ai Chi / Qigong (Chi Kung) tips for loosening your grip on the holidays, and on life in general, include “remembering to breathe.”

So, right now, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, and then think of relaxing your torso open from the bottom abdominal area to allow the lower lungs to fill with air, observing as they fill up through the top as the upper chest inflates. Good. Now, on the sighing exhale observe your body “relaxing” the breath out from the top of your lungs all the way down to the bottom as your abdominal muscles relax back in . . . fully expending the air from the bottom of the lungs. Repeat this allowing the lungs to fill from the bottom all the way up to the top, and then relaxing the air out of the body from the top of the chest down to the upper pelvic muscles.

Although at first it seem as though the torso muscles work to expand the torso open for air, and then forcing the air out, little by little as you relax open to the breath, every atom of your being relaxes open to be breathed effortlessly. Every muscle in your head, face, shoulders, and torso . . . begins to let go, as though the breath were breathing you, and all you need to do is let go a little more with each sighing exhale.

The tip of the tongue placed on the roof of the mouth allows the breath in more gradually, rather than in one big open throated gush. Studies show this slow, gradual, inhale and exhale oxygenates the body much more effectively. As you breathe in the full breaths with the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, your entire being relaxes open to the lightness of air, even the bones, organs, brain and heart. Then as you exhale every atom of your being can “let go” of everything it holds onto to release the loads and burdens of the mind, heart, and body to be exhaled into a healing lightness. You actually expand open with this lightness as an airy feeling of “effortlessness” permeates every tissue and field within and around your body.

This openness feels almost like the wind can blow right through you. Close your eyes so that you can feel internally the deep letting go as the bones themselves begin to release their grip on issues and tensions they may have unconsciously gripped. You will always find the more you let go, the more you can let go. As you approach the holidays or life beyond the holidays, allow your mind to release its expectations and obsessions as they come up. Let the world to flow to you and through you, rather than “reaching out” for outcome, and “holding on” to expectations. Often better opportunities are coming at us if we can let go of our grip on the past or illusions of the future.

By being “open” we may dream a much greater reality as it occurs, for the holidays and for our lives. By using holiday stress as a catalyst to breathe life and healing light into our clenching bodies, we can carry the promise of the holidays into our greater lives, breathing open to the goodness that waits to fill every aspect of our year and our lives.

You can experience a “Daily Dose of Bliss” by visiting www.worldtaichiday.org and clicking on Free Online Lessons then Sitting Qigong.

Ideal Bras for Holiday Party Dresses

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With trick-or-treating in the bag, people are starting to gear up for the busy holiday season that’s just around the corner. Buying gifts, attending holiday parties and finding that perfect holiday dress are all on the agenda. And while this time of year can be stressful, attending holiday parties and feeling fantastic in your dressy clothes shouldn’t be.

To ensure that you look your absolute best in your holiday party dress, it’s imperative to choose the perfect bra to wear underneath. Unsightly bra straps, exposed bras that aren’t pretty enough to be shown, strapless bras that fall down, or worst of all – going without any bra at all — are a few of the pitfalls to avoid when choosing lingerie to pair with your dress.

Knowing what lingerie to wear underneath a party dress is a perplexing complication in the shopping process for many women. In fact, some women turn down an otherwise fabulous dress simply because they don’t know what bra to wear with it. But rest assured, finding a great bra doesn’t have to be difficult. The following guidelines will lead you in the right direction toward finding the ideal bra this holiday season.

Straps

If you have a strapless dress, the most obvious and safe choice is a strapless bra. Many convertible bras have removable straps, so you may have one in your lingerie collection already that will work.

Bras that have decorative straps with embroidery or lace can look very pretty showing underneath a strapless dress or under the straps of a dress. The important thing here is to stay with the same color family of your dress. In other words, a black lace bra strap showing underneath a black cocktail dress looks sophisticated – a fuchsia bra strap does not. Likewise, consider the style you are conveying with your ensemble as well as the event you’re attending. If the event is an office party and your overall look is classic and sophisticated, revealing your bra straps may not be the best choice.

Padding

The amount of padding to choose is mainly a question of personal preference. Some women like to feel more natural and opt for a lightly padded bra such as a bralette or other bra with minimal padding. If you are a woman with a petite bust, there are many options available in the Petite Lingerie market that will enhance what you have and make fitting into a holiday dress easier. For point of reference, Petite Lingerie is made specifically for women with AA bra cup sizes, A bra cup sizes or B bra cup sizes.

If you have a petite bra cup size and prefer a bra with more padding for your holiday dress, look for a push-up bra that has padded inserts or “bumps” that push breast tissue up and in, therefore creating maximum cleavage. No matter how padded your push-up bra is, make sure it is comfortable and fits you properly in the cups and band.

Color

When choosing a bra for your holiday dress, it is important to coordinate the bra color with that of your dress. For example, a black bra is likely to show through a lighter color dress. Contrary to popular belief, a nude bra is the best option to wear under anything white, rather than a white bra. The closer the shade of nude is to your skin, the more the bra will disappear under your clothing.

The Norfolk Broads by Norfolk Holiday Guide

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The Norfolk Broads is an area consisting of many rivers and lakes situated close to the East coast of the county. In conjunction with the neighbouring Suffolk Broads it is the largest protected wetland and third largest inland waterway in Britain. Its status is equivalent to that of a national park, although it has not been designated as oneyet. The Broads Authority, set up in 1989, is responsible for conservation, planning, recreation and waterways.

The Broads, as it is commonly referred to, has an area of 303 square kilometers (for those who, like me, are struggling to come to terms with metrication that is 117 square miles). In its entirety it is made up of seven rivers, namely the Ant, Thurne, Bure, Chet, Yare, Waveney and Wensum, together with sixty three broads. Of these broads only thirteen are for the most part navigable, with three more having only channels which can be navigated. The total navigable waterways amount to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and provide some spectacular night-time scenery.

Intensive peat digging during medieval times is believed to have culminated in the creation of the broads. The result is an area which has, quite fittingly, been described as Britains Magical Waterland. It is home to a diverse range of plants, insects, birds and animals, many of which are the rarest in the UK and some of which are unique to this area. Our most beautiful insect, the Swallowtail butterfly, has made its home here and the delightful British Otter is making a welcome comeback here thanks to the landscape and the water quality.

The Norfolk Broads can be explored along the numerous footpaths and cycle tracks running parallel to the rivers, with bicycle hire available around the county. However, the best way to take in the beautiful landscape and its wildlife is to rent a boat and cruise the waterways at your leisure or to take a guided boat tour. There are many businesses throughout the area offering tours or boats of all shapes and sizes for hire. You can live on board or there is plenty of accommodation available in close proximity to moorings if you want to hire boats by the day.

The Norfolk Holiday Guide is managed by Wentworth Leisure Ltd, a family run company with a love of travel. We are committed to promoting the tourist trade in Norfolk and are doing everything we can to encourage visitors to choose Norfolk as their holiday destination. We are totally independent and are not connected in any way with the Norfolk Tourist Board or any other organisation in Norfolk.

The website is a contemporary, easy to use online guide for holidays within the county of Norfolk. We hope you will find all the information you require for visiting this popular tourist destination. This online guide will help you to choose the Norfolk holiday accommodation that best suits your needs. We have specially designed the Norfolk Holiday Guide website to offer you a quick and easy way to search for your tourist destination or service, with no commission paid to ourselves, as all bookings take place directly with the service you are looking for.

Holiday cottages in Devon

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Devon is one of the most popular holiday destinations in England. Devon is situated in South West England, and offers plenty for tourists sandy beaches, open spaces of national parks, historic villages, bustling seaside resorts and rolling countrysides. There is much to do in Devon including attractions and activities, shopping and restaurants, stunning scenery and sandy beaches, making it the perfect destination for a family holiday.

In keeping with this, Devon offers several accommodation options for all your needs. You name it, from luxury hotels to camping sites, there is something for all in Devon. Holiday cottages are an excellent accommodation choice they are comfortable, self catering, affordable and most are baby friendly and even dog friendly!

East Devon is an ideal location for a break at any time of the year. It is composed of rolling farmland countryside, coastal towns and villages and the Exmoor National Park. Here are a few holiday cottages situated in East Devon.

Bothy, Spreyton: This is a gorgeous 16th century romantic hideaway that is buried in the glorious countryside. It has its own large private garden and even has an extensive library! It is close to the Dartmoor National Park, the Two Moors Walk and the glorious Teign valley which hosts the famous Castle Drogo.

Hannaford Quay, Topsham: This is a beautifully refurbished and comfortable holiday cottage situated on The Strand, close to the edge of the River Exe. It is a five star property, well equipped and set in a fantastic location.

Idehill Cottages, Colyton: These cottages are situated overlooking the Coly Valley and an 18 hole golf course, which is exclusively for guests to use. The cottages are located in a peaceful setting and provide an excellent opportunity to sport a wide variety of birds and local wildlife. The cottages are comfortable and have good views, and have their own personal patio/sitting out area with garden furniture and a barbecue.

The Mede, Topsham: This is a gorgeous self catering cottage set in a quiet residential cul-de-sac on the edge Topsham. It has wonderful views up and down the Exe estuary, and a recreation park nearby. This holiday cottage is suitable for those with walking disabilities, as it is all on one level and no steps involved. The area is famous for its birdlife, pleasant riverside walks and excellent shopping.

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