Heart Filled Holidays

The new year is here and resolutions abound. Join us as we take a look at the truth about New Year's Resolutions including strategies for success and ways you can dump the guilt. Then stay tuned as we look forward to another new year, the Chinese New Year. We have Kathryn Weber, feng shui consultant, author, and creator of the #1 feng shui ezine joining us. She'll share the inside scoop on Chinese New Year; what it means for us and the best ways to prepare ourselves and our homes.

Today's show is our ‘Hearth and Home' episode where we're talking about creating homes and adding the warmth of home to your celebrations. Last December I had the privilege of meeting a woman who is on a mission to create that for a lot of kids who don't have one. It's an exciting dream from an amazing lady who will share her story with us. We'll also be talking about New Year's resolutions including how to set yourself up for success. And, in Christmas Corner, we'll look at the truth about scaling back for the holidays.

Today is all about birthdays and blessings. While the holidays take up most of our attention at this time of year, sometimes a birthday happens in the midst of it all. Listen in as we talk about some simple ways to keep that birthday special. We'll also take a close up look at the blessings of a handmade holiday. We've talked quite a bit about making your own presents or even decorations, but why would you do this? Why would you spend the time, especially if you're not ‘crafty?. On today's show we'll talk about what happens, the unexpected blessings you may experience when you go this route. We'll wrap it all up with a chat about the 12 Days of Christmas including a look at how you can make your celebrations last for more than one day.

Today's show is a bit of a medley. We're touching on holiday birthdays because we all know how those can add a certain flair to the season:) We'll also talk about cleaning the house, thrifty decoration, the 12 Days of Christmas and more! We have a really fun guest today. Barb Tobias is the Thrift Talk Diva and she'll be sharing some fun ideas for creating a warm and welcoming home you'll love to entertain in - and she does it all for pennies on the dollar! Barb grew up on a farm, later lived a life of privilege including being a runway model. When she lost it all she learned to dress and decorate in the styles she loved for prices she could afford. Now it's all fun and games and you won't want to miss her story or her advice so be sure to tune in!

This week we're talking about the rules, making them and breaking them. We're chatting about some of the common issues like "Do I really have to send Christmas cards?" and "Who do I invite?" It's equal parts etiquette, dreams and reality, all mixed together to create your wonderful holiday season. Sharing secrets with us for using etiquette to enhance our family gatherings is Carey Sue Vega. She's a mom and an etiquette expert who understands how and when to use the rules and when to bend them. She'll be sharing some of her tips and stories to help us have a brighter holiday.

This week we're talking about our kids. We'll be looking at ways to shape their expectations, tips for keeping their focus, fun activities to do with them, and ideas for helping both us and them enjoy all our celebrations more. Joining us is Blythe Lipman, author of 'Help! My Baby Came Without Instructions' and host of the ‘Baby and Toddler Instructions' radio show. She'll be sharing ideas for confident parenting while planning and enjoying our celebrations. Plus she'll share her answer to the number 1 questions parents ask so don't miss out!

This week's show is all about you and the warmth and wonder you bring to your holidays. This isn't just about crafts. We'll be chatting about all things homemade; from scents to gifts to decorations to atmosphere - we'll cover it all! Joining us with her own special magic is Nikki McGonigal, creator of Nikki in Stitches. She'll be talking to us about handmade holidays with ideas that add love and your special touch to your celebrations. Her new ebook titled 'Handmade Holidays' is chock full of great ideas and amazing inspiration for adding your own special touches in a way that make a celebration uniquely yours. We'll chat with her and she'll share some of that inspiration with us.

Our last look at Thanksgiving traditions with a few fun ideas, a special offer for listeners, the Christmas Club and plans for Black Friday whether you shop or not! And Jon Patch of Talkin' Pets Radio joined us for some fabulous conversation about those furry, feathered, and scaly critters we all love. We chatted and also shared some tips for celebrating safely and lovingly with pets.

Thanksgiving, gratitude, stress-less holidays, stress-relieving techniques and a visit from Beth Bracaglia, all on today's podcast. Listen in as Beth shares 8 simple tips and one essential truth for easing the stress this holiday season. Find out what's new at Heart Filled Holidays and more!

This week's show kicks off with a look at a fun fall or Thanksgiving activity that you can use starting today to grow your thankfulness and maintain your focus on what's important. Then three of the co-authors of A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts join us for a warm and wonderful chat about their marvelous book and meaningful holidays. We peek at a couple stories and delve into ways to make your holidays warm and cozy.

Last Monday was Halloween so we chatted about Halloween superstitions, tips and more. It was also the last show in our series on communication. Lisa Giruzzi joined us once again to share her insights and to let me pick her brain. She told us why communication is the key to getting what you want and answered our questions right on the air. Then we popped on over to Christmas Corner to talk about gifts and traditions. Join us for a fun and informative show!

Green Halloween, alternatives to Halloween, great gifts to buy and make, inspiration and a visit from Kathleen Ellis! What a show. Terrific ideas and inspiration to help you celebrate Halloween and all your other holidays. Kathleen Ellis joins us to talk about a life of total beauty and the wonderful event Your Beautiful Holiday. Don't miss it!

This week we're going to be dealing with dough. No, we aren't baking cookies, but we'll do something just as sweet. We're going to talk about money and how to handle it so you can enjoy your holidays. For some expert advice, we have Hollis Colquhoun joining us. Hollis is a financial expert, author of the award winning book Women Empowering Themselves: A Financial Survival Guide, and a martial artist. She'll be sharing her wisdom along with her financial self-defense strategies and I'll be sharing some tips and tricks I've found or used myself.

Holidays are amazing and fun but they take planning and preparation, and Christmas is no exception. In fact, people spend more time preparing for Christmas than for all the other holidays put together. So this week we're going lighten the load by sharing tips, techniques and simple strategies for making that easier both now and in December. We started out with a look at Halloween and other upcoming holidays. Then we were joined by Lane Jordan, author of the much anticipated book 12 Steps to a More Organized Christmas and Holiday Season. Lane shared her insights on things we can do now and throughout the Christmas season to help us stay focused on the true meaning of the holiday and not get caught in the time management traps that are just waiting for us.

Join us as we talk about our teens, how to celebrate with them so they become engaged and we all enjoy ourselves. Our special guest is Nicole O'Dell mother of 6, author, and host of Teen Talk radio. Nicole joins us to share her insight and help us find the path that fits us and our teens.

Next Monday we're back to beauty again but with new topics and a different spin. We'll discuss looking good and feeling good, that's feeling good inside and feeling good about how we look on the outside. We'll be learning tips and tricks for feeling better for the holidays and everyday. As a special treat Jennifer Robin, author of "Growing More Beautiful" will be joining us to take an inside look at being beautiful. Jennifer has a unique perspective and uses her artist's eye to teach us how to see things in a new light. She'll share her thoughts on how we can look and feel beautiful along with some holiday tips.

This week we got healthy and happy. We took a look at simple, fun and easy ways to improve our health (even during holidays and special celebrations) and to stay happy. We even found a way to let the advice of ‘eat, drink, and be merry’ help keep us healthy. One of the greatest challenges for Moms is putting a dinner on the table day in and day out that is healthy and doesn’t instigate a round of whining. That can be especially challenging when you are busy planning a special event or preparing for the holidays. But there is good news! The Meal Makeover Moms, Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex, have solved that problem for us, and Liz joined us on the show to give us amazing advice and super simple tips for getting out the unhealthy fat while adding nutrition still whipping up something the whole family will love.

It's bling time on Heart Filled Holidays! This week we're going to have a great time talking about fun stuff including things that make our holidays sparkle and shine. We'll talk glamorous hostess gifts, sparkling conversation, flashy get-aways and Christmas decorations with bling. Then, to tackle our wardrobes, we're bringing in an expert Missus Smarty Pants. Listen in for a dose of holiday sparkle that will make any day shine!

This week's show focuses on etiquette. That may evoke images of formal teas and using the correct fork but we're talking about real etiquette for real people. Join us as we chat about accepting and declining invitations, sticky situations and modern day concepts of etiquette. Listen to etiquette expert and trainer Elena Neitlich, the founder of Etiquette Moms, as she shares ideas on expectations and boundaries and the role they play in our lives.

This week is a Grab Bag show where Sandy spends the entire hour with you covering a variety of topics. Today we covered happiness, expectations, simple gift exchange ideas, planning a vacation that leaves you rested and relaxed and more. Tune it for a thought provoking hour with Sandy Fowler.