It's January. The holiday decorations are all put away. The kids are back in school. It's a brand new year! But there they are... Its those pesky credit-card statements - singing all the way to the bank. Everything that happened between Thanksgiving and New Years is a blur.

Sound familiar? Well, that used to be me, too. What if I told you it doesn't have to be that way anymore?

All the pieces to this holiday puzzle are right here. Within these pages, you will learn that you can:

• Keep the whole family happy
  
• Remember the meaning of Christmas
  
• Plan a spectacular holiday party
  
• Get it all done - with style and flair
  
• Prepare meals everyone will rave about
  
• Have time to savor the holiday season
  
• Create beautiful, lasting memories to cherish
  
• And... reduce that stack of bills, too

Now, that is what I call surviving Christmas - with style!





Get comfortable, grab a cup of coffee, and read on. Together, we are going to make this a holiday to remember!

So - First things first... Let's get organized!




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If you've ever tried Santa chats on the web, this one has a special twist - a two way visual web chat! A dear friend, Santa Mike, has started this service. A unique tip for surviving Christmas with an extra-special twist! Please see his site for more details, at Visit Santa Online.* (Opens in new window)









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Christmas is the season for giving. Please be sure to make a stop at the Gina's Gang page for two inspiring and heart-warming videos about a very sweet little girl who is living with juvenile diabetes.

Juvenile diabetes strikes more than 35,000 children each year. It is not preventable, nor is there a cure. Please consider donating to help us find one! This year's Walk For A Cure will be on October 9.

If you would like to help even more, you may post these videos to your own site or link to them in emails and newsletters.




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Before we move on -

There is nothing worse than dealing with a personal tragedy during the holidays. Please take a moment to look at the following. You might be able to give a stranger the most perfect and wonderful Christmas ever -

Amber Alert - USA
Amber Alert - Canada
Lost Pet Alerts - USA
Specific to Illinois
(because that's where I live, lol!)
If you live in the Palatine, IL area, please help us find our own lost kitty -

LOST - ONE-EYED, WHITE CAT in Palatine Sparky is all white, has no right eye. She is a small, unaltered female - no tag/collar/chip. Grayish spot over left eye. Last seen 7/10 near Rose Park, but lost ... Free classified