Tis the Season to be . . . . Stressful?

It's the most wonderful time of year, well for most of us. If you are like, me, you are faced with piles of unwrapped gifts and stacks of unaddressed cards; it is so easy to get overwhelmed during the Christmas season. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands - baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, entertaining, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes I'm not sure what do to next on my long list. Sound familiar? An escape to a sunny location is sounding like a priority!

Make sure you take some time to relax and rejuvenate to truly enjoy this holiday season. Here are a few ideas to have a stress-less or stress-free Christmas.

1. Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Take a walk at night and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

2. Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, heavy hors d’oeuvres, or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and physical activity.

3. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity. If it's not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

4. Be realistic. Try to remove something from your list of holiday “must-dos”. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, try to imagine your front step or your mantel not decked out with holiday décor – will your Christmas still be the same? Find something to cross-off that you can live with.

5. Try to do one thing at a time. Everyone at this time of year is so busy multi-tasking it is so hard to focus on one task at a time. Try to focus your time at one thing at a time. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends, and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list.

Don’t let the holidays become something that completely stresses you out. Remember to take time and relax – find some time for yourself. With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.

Chip It! new from Sherwin Williams

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Congratulations!

Congratulations to Beth M and Sue S (both from MN) for winning the Impressive Windows & Interiors web contest. Sue's suggestion that won the attention of our judges was simply naming the newsletter, "impressive" and Beth's suggestion that won the attention of our judges was renaming the blog "impressively yours". Way to go ladies, you will be receiving your $250 gift certificates in the mail soon. Maybe they will let us post what they decided to purchase with their gift certificates?? We will keep you all posted. Thank you everyone for your wonderful suggestions, we truly appreciate all of your participation! Jill & staff

Join me in August!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Gain-A-Competitive-Edge-In-Your-Business.html?soid=1101907072279&aid=p9QJLdgODk4

What is in a name??? Time is running out!

C'mon people get creative and keep those wonderful entries coming in-AND WIN WIN WIN! WHAT IS THE CONTEST ALL ABOUT? Today through 7/31/2012, I will be having a contest to rename my Impressive Windows & Interiors 'e-newsletter' and my Impressive Windows & Interiors 'blog'. Each person is allowed five entries for each category (10 total). There will be two winners, one for the new e-newsletter name and one for the new blog name. There are no geographical restrictions to this contest, anyone can enter (if you are over 18). Remember, if you are a winner and live out of state you can take advantage of Eye4Design, a virtual design service that we offer. So really there is no reason not to enter. Each winner (2) will receive 1-$250 gift certificate for Impressive Windows & Interiors. It is valid on anything that you would like...a product, a service or even to be used as a gift (transferred to someone else). There is no limit to how many you can win, so one person could win BOTH and could combine them for a really awesome room makeover!!! The gift certificates expire after a two year period. How do you enter? There are five ways. 1) You can 'message me' on facebook via my personal page, Jill Ragan Scully. 2) You can 'message me' on facebook, via my business fan page Impressive Windows & Interiors. 3) You can send me a 'direct message' on Twitter @JillRaganScully 4) You can send me an 'email' at Jill@ImpressiveWindowsandInteriors.com 5) You can 'respond to this post' and write your suggestion(s).

Please submit entries as soon as possible. If your brilliant idea is the same as someone else and it ends up be a winner, the first one to submit will be the winner!!! Judging (by me) will take place the first two weeks in August 2012 (1-15) and the winner(s) will be notified as soon as possible (on or before August 16, 2012)

Intro to Impressive Windows & Interiors Part 3

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Intro Impressive Windows & Interiors Part 2

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Introduction to Impressive Windows & Interiors part 1

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And please stay tuned for our fabric line debuting in late 2012 and our design book available in early 2013.

As always, if you need some inspiration to make your "before" house a home, we would love to help. Visit our website at www.ImpressiveWindowsandInteriors.com and give us a call at 651-437-5512 today and we will get started on your "after".