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1. Get Collaborative

If money’s been tight all year, your children are likely aware you’ve been trying to cut corners. Get the family together and brainstorm about ways to spend less on gifts. They may enjoy coming up with ways to give their time to teachers, aunts, and cousins instead of store-bought items.

2. Co-host

Just because a function takes place at your house, that doesn’t mean you need to be solely responsible for hosting. Ask your sister to share the responsibilities to cut down on costs. She may appreciate the opportunity to do something together.

3. Barter

Lots of people list items–both used and new–they’re looking to trade on Craigslist. Search through the barter ads or list your own to find holiday presents, decorations, and more.

4. De-clutter

Now is the perfect opportunity the clear your space for a more calming environment. You may be able to earn extra cash by selling those items in a yard sale or online.

5. Share a part of you

Instead of giving away store-bought items, look through the possessions that mean something to you, and give them to your friends and family. Include with each a note that explains why you chose that specific piece of you to share.

6. Let other people off the hook

Make a wish list online for your friends and family that includes inexpensive gifts; or even gifts that don’t cost any money, such as a babysitter for a specific date in January. This allows them to feel they’re giving you something you want without breaking the bank.

7. Use your passion

Do you do what you love for a living? If not, use it now. If you play the guitar, write a song for your significant other.  If you’re a great writer, offer to revamp your friends’ resumes. Why not give the gift of your passion and skills to friends who can use them?

8. Hand deliver holiday notes instead of mailing cards

Your grandmother may prefer a note expressing what she means to you over a card everyone else received with your signature at the bottom.

9. Make a cash daily limit

This one is more practical than meaningful. People often don’t realize how little things add up, particularly when using credit cards. If you commit to only spending what you have in cash in your wallet, you’ll save on impulse buys, like food and decor items.

10. Show your children what matters

Kids will always have wish lists for Santa; but they’ll learn a lot about value by watching you. Don’t just tell them it’s the thought that counts–show them through your interactions with people who give and receive your gifts.

Getting married? Congratulations! But you probably have a million things to do to prepare for the big day. If the list of to-do’s is stressing you out and making you wish you could afford your own personal wedding planner, let technology make the planning a little more easy and enjoyable.

1. A new kind of address book

Get rid of the handwritten address book you’ve been carrying around and enter the information for your invited guests, new family members, and vendors (such as your caterer or florist) in the Contacts folder of Microsoft Outlook® 2002. It not only makes it easy to change information without erasing or crossing out, it keeps the information in one central location. No more worries about accidentally leaving your address book somewhere with no recollection of where it could be.

Hint – You can create separate Contacts folders specific to your wedding to add a little organization to your address book. This will allow you to import and export that information for other uses, which you will learn as you read on.

2. A simple communication tool

As you enter information into Contacts, be sure to include e-mail addresses for your wedding party and vendors so you can use e-mail to easily keep everyone up to date on all wedding activities.

Hint – If appropriate for your taste, you can create a custom template for your e-mail so that when you send it out it has a wedding theme. Add a wedding bell for fun!

3. A to-do list that almost does the work for you

Of course you have a list of one hundred things to do. You could write them all down and try to keep track of them on paper, but instead, try using Tasks in Outlook 2002 to keep them in a central place. You can set due dates and/or identify the progress you have made on your tasks. And if you haven’t checked off an item by the assigned due date, you get a nice reminder that it needs to be done.

Hint – If you need to assign a task to your spouse-to-be, your maid of honor, or your best man, you can do so by checking the Assign Task option and it will send the task to them in e-mail. You will then either receive an e-mail message when it has been completed or a reminder if it hasn’t been completed.

4. A calendar that keeps you on task

As you schedule appointments for things such as clothing alterations and food tasting, use the Calendar in Outlook 2002 to enter your appointments. And be sure to set a reminder to prevent you from forgetting! If you have followed our first tip and entered your wedding party in your Contacts, you can pull up your attendants’ e-mail addresses and send them a meeting request with the time and date for an appointment, such as clothes shopping. If they accept, it automatically enters the appointment into their calendar with the reminder you have set.

Hint – Set reminders for important appointments a day ahead to prevent you from forgetting until the last minute.

5. Unique invitations that stand out

If you are having a tough time rationalizing paying a professional printer to make your invitations, you can stand out from the rest and create your own. Microsoft Word 2002 is great for adding photos, clip art images, and special formatting to make your invitations shine. Not only will your invitations look unique, but you can also keep a consistent theme by creating the rest of your wedding documents, such as engagement announcements and ceremony programs.

Hint – If this sounds like too much work, check out the

Templates site on Microsoft Office Online, where you will find wedding-themed templates already created. You can download these and edit to your taste.

6. Your own custom envelopes

If you decide to create your own invitations, why not go a step further and print matching envelopes as well? With the contacts you created in Outlook, you can use the Mail Merge option to import the information into Word and thus print your own envelopes with the invitees’ names and addresses as well as your return address.

Hint – To add a special touch, you can even add graphics to your envelopes.

7. An interactive budget

Ah, yes — everything costs money, and boy, does it add up fast. Get rid of the calculator and let Microsoft Excel 2002 track your expenses for you. By creating a budget in Excel, you can automatically calculate your total expenses as you go. It’s a good way to see how you are doing based on the budget you set forth, and it’s simple for you to know what you have left to spend.

Hint – If you would rather not take time to create your own budget spreadsheet, check out the Templates site for templates you can use.

8. A tracking system that works

Keeping track of your RSVP responses, all those presents, and the thank-you notes you need to send can be tough. Excel makes this simple. As you get responses or open presents, type in the person’s name and the response or gift associated. Once you’re done, you can sort the list by the "yes" or "no" response to determine how many people will attend or to whom you need to send thank-you letters.

Hint – If you created a Contacts folder of your invited guests, you can export their information into Excel 2002. That way, their names and addresses will already be in the spreadsheet for you to use.

9. A memory book to share

Add a little something different to your reception: Run a slideshow with pictures of you and your spouse during the reception. With Microsoft PowerPoint® 2002, you can take a basic presentation of photographs, add music and custom animation, and turn it into a continuously running slide show that seems almost like a home movie.

Hint – Create a similar presentation with pictures from your honeymoon to send to family and friends who live far away, so they can see what a great trip you had (and you won’t have to spend money on additional copies of pictures).

10. The extra mile

If you want to make things easy not only for yourself but also for your guests, take some additional steps in your planning with these suggestions. Avoid annoying phone calls with questions about where to stay and what to do by creating a personal wedding Web site with Microsoft FrontPage® 2002. On the site, you could post pictures and information such as suggested hotels, fun activities to do in the area, and stores where you are registered. For guests without e-mail access, you can use Microsoft Publisher 2002 to create a beautiful, full-color wedding guide to drop in the mail instead.

Hint – For the ultimate "professional" look, use Publisher to create beautiful, full-color invitations, thank-you cards, or even your wedding program or dinner menu — all templates included!

Now that you’ve read all of these tips, get your wedding planning started. It should be a piece of cake!

Have you ever had one of those days where you could barely squeeze in 5 minutes to use the bathroom? At one time I had my 3 little ones in diapers, it’s a wonder my bladder didn’t explode! Or I could’ve used a diaper myself.  As a busy parent, we hardly have a moment to ourselves. While parenting our children is undoubtedly the most rewarding job in the world, the joy can be robbed if we are overworked.

We cannot be at our best as a parent if we are short on energy and short on our temper.

Here are three signs that you need a break –

• You want to scream, cry, and throw something across the room all at the same time.
• You want to gorge 10 pounds of chocolate at one sitting.
• You want to curl up in a fetal position.

Don’t let yourself get to that breaking point!

The ideal situation would be to get a babysitter for 2 hours and have that time to yourself. However, we all know it is unrealistic to have that luxury everyday. However, we can be creative in carving out some moments where we can give ourselves a quick lift. It will make all the difference.

I’ve found these 10 ways to rejuvenate my energy in the midst of a busy day. These work even with the kids around:

1. Get some fresh air

I know it can be an effort to get out of the house, but believe me, it is worth the effort. Pack the kids up in a stroller, take a snack and juice for them, and go outside for a short walk. Breathe deeply! Look up at the sky, enjoy the beauty of the day. Take a camera with you and take pictures of flowers or a butterfly. Have your children collect pebbles, leaves and flowers. That keeps them well-occupied. I love looking at the houses in my neighborhood while getting landscape ideas and criticizing weird choice of paint colors! Occasionally I’d find a neighbor to chat with. Going outside gives you a freshness in your day.

2. Make yourself a hot cup of spice tea

Sit down and drink it slowly. Sometimes I put a warm towel over your eyes for one minute.

3. Start making plans to do something for yourself

Call the babysitter, make a hair appointment, schedule a lunch with a friend. Having something to look forward to will lift your spirits.

4. Do jumping jacks or jump rope with the kids

A little exercise to get the blood flowing will actually give you more energy than sitting down. I have a very old Jane Fonda aerobics tape that I follow once in a while with my children jumping around along with me.

5. If you can’t get away to take a shower, the next best thing is wash your face

I like to splash my face with nice warm water for several minutes and scrub with a moisturizing cleaner. Once in a while, I’ll apply a mask. The laughter of the children at the way you look with a mask on is an added benefit! After that, put on fresh make-up, even if you’re not going anywhere. You’ll feel more alive when you look good in the mirror.

6. Call a friend

Call a friend to chat.

7. Turn on the radio to your favorite station

I like listening to talk shows to engage myself in the outside world. Music that promotes a calm atmosphere is good too.

8. Read a joke book or read jokes from a joke website

there are so many good clean jokes on the internet. Make sure you laugh out loud

9. Get food delivered

I generally prefer my own home-cooked meals, but some days, I don’t need the stress of having to cook. It’s also relaxing to eat out of the box so there are no dishes to wash.

10. Give time to yourself

This is the most important one – when your children take a nap, make sure you use that time to clean the house do something for yourself – take a shower, read a book, take a nap!

Expand your circle of friends or find someone special to date. These clubs, social groups, and dating events are sure to help you meet people in Portland.

1. Bergfruende Ski Club

Even though they call themselves a ski club, this group gets together for all kinds of events including dinner parties, camping trips, and nights at the theater.

2. Events and Adventures

A singles group for active people with events every day of the month.

3. Portland Skyliners

A social club for tall people. In order to join, Men must be at least 6′2" and women at least 5′10" without shoes.

4. 8 Minute Dating

You’ve probably heard of speed dating. At these events, you’ll spend 8 minutes with 8 perspective dates. When two people find a mutual connection, your contact information is exchanged.

5. Columbia River Orienteering

Orienteering is a competitive sport where participants navigate through various checkpoints in designated areas, from city parks to wooded forests. This group offers events for people at all levels. Beginners are welcome.

6. Willamette Sailing Club

Sailing enthusiasts get together for racing clinics, social events, and regattas. This is the only small-boat sailing club in Portland, dedicated to boats under 20 feet long.

7. Portland Meetup

Meetup is an organization that’s all about connecting people with common interests, from politics to pets. You can find groups of people to connect with or start your own group, and it costs nothing to join.

8. Mazamas

This group’s activities revolve around hiking, climbing, and conservation. They also offer classes such as Basic Climbing and Avalanche Awareness for people interested in outdoor adventure.

9. Oregon Trails Club

Hiking, biking, kayaking—this group does it all. If you love the great outdoors and you’re looking to explore Oregon, join the Trails Club.

10. Walking and Running Clubs

Train for a race such as the Portland Marathon or just find other runners and walkers to hit the trails with.

Reconsidering that trip to Europe this summer? Don’t! There are plenty of ways to save money while actually enhancing your experience.

There are two distinctly different ways to travel Europe. You can run from one museum to the next, crossing off sights on a checklist, or you can relax and enjoy the beautiful city you are in. This way you will truly enjoy your vacation, spend less money, and see the city through the eyes of the locals. Here are some tips on how to do this:

1. Rent an apartment instead of staying in a hotel

There are many vacation apartment rentals that can be rented by the night or by the week. These are less expensive than hotels, and the owner of the apartment meets you there.

Take this time to ask them questions about their city and find out about their favorite things to do. A few of my favorites are Cocoonbarcelona.com, Cross-pollinate.com, and Realrome.com. To find more, just Google the name of the city you are visiting and “vacation apartment rental.”

2. Pick and choose the “tourist” activities to do

The admission prices can add up quickly, and there is so much more to see of a city than the inside of its museums. Decide ahead of time which activities you want to do and check to see if there is one day of the week that is free. Just make sure to go early on these days because there will likely be a large crowd.

3. Make friends with locals

Ask them what they like to do. There are plenty of fun things to do in cities that don’t require standing in long lines and buying expensive tickets. You will also have a much greater cultural experience doing the activities locals like doing.

4. Do some homework before you go

Research tipping standards. Americans tip far more than Europeans do. Also find out how to tell if the tip is included in your bill. It might say it on the check, but if you don’t know the language this doesn’t help you. Call your credit- and debit-card companies and find out what charges there will be. Credit cards typically have a foreign currency charge, meaning you will be charged every time you use the card. If this is the case, it is best to get cash using your debit card. This way you will only be charged the ATM fee once rather than being charged for every purchase you make.

5. Don’t eat out for every meal

If you stay in an apartment, use your kitchen. It is also fun to shop at a grocery store or go to an outdoor farmers market to pick up bread, cheese, meat, fruit, and wine to make a picnic. One of my favorite meals in Paris was a picnic we made in the park next to the Eiffel Tower.

6. When you do go out to eat, go to more residential areas

They typically have better food and are less expensive. Ask about specials. Be careful going to a restaurant with a great review in a guidebook. These restaurants become very popular with tourists and the restaurants will oftentimes increase prices.

7. Research budget airlines when visiting multiple cities in Europe

Europe has a lot of these, and if you buy the flights ahead of time you can find amazing deals. I flew from London to Dublin for $20 including all taxes. The two most popular airlines are at Easyjet.com and Ryanair.com. If these airlines don’t fly the route you are looking for, go to Whichbudget.com to see which airlines do.

8. When looking for flights to Europe, be as flexible as possible with dates and airports

My favorite site for searching flights is Kayak.com. If flights to your destination are very expensive, look into a roundtrip flight into London. These are usually the least expensive flights to Europe. From there you can fly to your final destination. If you can’t find a budget flight out of the airport you are flying into, you can take a bus to another nearby London area airport. Buses are lined up right outside all London airports and they depart very frequently. To check times, search on Nationalexpress.com, and just buy tickets when you are there.

9. Research public transportation ahead of time

Getting from airports into cities is very easy and affordable. It will be much easier to do if you pack light. See if there are any multi-day public transportation passes you could buy if you will be in a city for more than one day.

10. Take the whole picture into account

When traveling between cities, calculate the actual time and cost of both a train and a plane. Train stations are typically very close to the city center, while the airports that budget airlines use are often very far from the city. Make sure public transportation is running if you are taking an early flight. What can seem like a great deal on a flight can get very expensive if you have to take a taxi to the airport.

About the Author – Katie Frederick is a member of the Orange County, CA, Incubator and the founder of Easy Euro Trip.

1. You notice the grandmas

and the grandpas at the beach are snapping at the grandkids.

2. You see an ad

for a rib joint and think, "Nah. I’ve had enough of those."

3. You sign on and notice

that your backlog of office e-mails has hit the 500 mark, while the number of half-drunk water bottles around you outnumber the full bottles by a 5-to-1 ratio.

4. You only have two rolls

of toilet paper left out of a 24-pack.

5. You crave a simple glass of ice water

instead of a those coconut-pineapple-five-kinds-of-rum drinks.

6. You have more sand in your car

than they have at Normandy.

7. You walk around humming

Jimmy Buffet’s greatest hits, and find out all of your mail has been forwarded to Margaretville.

8. You see it has been raining

in Maryland and you know your grass will be a half-foot high. And you are happy to know you are needed.

9. You can’t wait

to get home to read the book you brought to the beach.

10. You are delighted

to learn that NFL training camps are opening.

Responsible travel starts at home, literally. Any savvy traveler can tell you that the journey starts long before you step out the door. Whether it be a weekend  or an extended international hiatus,  here are ten ways to start traveling green before you’re out the door.

1. Cut the paper trail

Paperless booking is no longer the way of the future, it is here now. When the International Air Transport Association switched to all paperless ticketing last year, (and their bookings comprise nearly 95% of international travel), they started saving an estimated 50,000 trees every year. Not only is e-ticketing saving resources, it can save you time and hassle as well at check-in.

2. Get disconnected 

Before you head out, unplug ALL the appliances you can. All the things that power your home – televisions, blenders, TV’s, chargers, computers, toasters – are secretly sipping away at electricity. This “standby power” expenditure can really add up, both for your power bill and the environment.

3. Drop the plants off at the sitter

Instead of having a friend or relative drive over to your house to water your plants while you are gone, try finding a plant sitter who will allow you to bring the plants to their house instead. This will save fossil fuels and emissions for those plant-watering visits, and your plants are likely to receive better care that way, as your plant sitter will be less likely to over-water them.

4. Enter the digital age

Ditch bulky guidebooks and maps for digital downloads and podcasts to take on the road. Go Green Travel has a recommended list of paper-free guidebooks and our friends over at Transitions Abroad have picked their favorite travel podcasts.

5. Consider buying offsets 

More and more people are budgeting in carbon offsets as a responsible way to reduce their environmental impact when traveling. You might also consider that direct flights, even though they may be a bit more expensive, always equal less total mileage and therefore less emissions.

6. Book wisely

With a plethora of sites like the Green Hotels Directory and Dine Green at your fingertips, a little time online can go a long way for finding sustainable restaurants, booking hotels with best practices and picking goods and services that benefit the community you’re visiting and keep your money local.

7. Go light

Packing the bare necessities is best for you and the planet. Trying packing a few days early, take a walk around your hood, then re-assessing what you have. I bet you’ll be able to find a few more cuts to your packing list.

8. Don’t forget the water bottle

I won’t step up on the soap box again but, seriously people, making a plan and preparing to treat your own drinking water is one of the simplest ways to prepare for a far greener trip.

9. Plan to hoof it

Walking, biking and using public transport are all great ways to enjoy a local’s view of a destination while leaving a gentler tread. Before you go, plan for biking and walking routes, and download local bus and train schedules so you’ll be ready to hit the ground…strolling.

10. Grab your brain and go forth with purpose

Keys – check. Passport – check. But don’t forget your brain! So many travelers hang up their responsible sensibilities and leave their eco-friendly habits at home. Everything you’ve adopted in your daily life – recycling, turning off the lights, saving water – should apply just as equally when you are away. Treat the world with the care you give your home and you will find yourself at home in the world.

Sure vacations are meant to be relaxing but they can end up being more stressful than your day job! Check out these top tips for avoiding traveling stress and relaaaaaaaax. I’ve worked myself up into some fits of traveling stress on several occasions that’s for sure. But what a shame, this is our time out!

Check out the 10 tips below on beating vacation stress, I hope they help you chill!!

1. Learn Some Words

Language misunderstandings and misapprehensions can be incredibly frustrating. Take the time to learn some key words and phrases before you go that should help you to get your point across.

2. Prepare for all Scenarios

Don’t get caught out without that medication you can only get at home or the only shoes that you can hike in. Think through all the eventualities you might encounter and come prepared for each one. And don’t scrimp on travel insurance, it’s just not worth it.

3. Be Airport Smart

Airports can induce high stress levels so be airport smart: book your seats online and leave plenty of time for check-in so you can sail through onto your flight without a care in the world.

4. Take Two Clear Days

It takes two days to unwind from work and settle into your vacation. Fact. So don’t make any plans and take these days to ease yourself into your new surroundings and get used to doing nothing.

5. Get into the Zone

So you’re an incredibly efficient, organized, high-achieving individual. Not anymore – you’re on vacation! Relieve yourself from the pressure of trying to create the perfect trip – be flexible, go with the flow and everything will just slot into place.

6. Ditch the Kids

Not in a nasty way of course, but if there are facilities to leave the kids for a day or an evening – go for it. Take some quiet kids-free time and don’t feel guilty, you deserve it!

7. Don’t Over-Plan

Remember the goal of the trip is to relax. So as much as you’d love to go on every tour on offer and see everything in the guidebook, be realistic. Leave yourself some free-time each day, otherwise it’s just not fun.

8. Take the Easy Option

So the taxi’s more expensive and you could do the tour yourself but if it’s going to save you time and effort in the long-run, take the easy option – you’re on vacation!

9. Cut Yourself Off

This is an obvious one. You don’t need me to tell you that checking your Blackberry, or even Facebook, every two seconds isn’t conducive to a relaxing vacation. Don’t do it!

10. Invest in Relaxation

For some people just being in the sun with nothing to do isn’t enough to help them relax. Book a massage, take a yoga class or practice meditation. Whatever you think will help you relax and unwind.

Got vacation stress stories?? Post up your comments below, we want to hear from you!