When I tell people that my favorite season is winter, they think I’m crazy.  Most people think of short days, cold weather, hectic holiday shopping, and endless snow.  Of course I also mind these inconveniences, but I still relish the coming season.

If there’s one thing that keeps my sanity in the holiday season, it is the gift list.  This is not your ordinary throw-away list like a weekly grocery shopping list.  It has become an invaluable resource throughout the year, as well as a record of giving through years past.

Trick-or-treat!  These words bring back images from my childhood as well as new traditions with my own family.  The custom can bring out the best from children, the worst from teens, and is loved and hated by adults.  Still, Halloween marks the start of the autumn and winter holiday season, commercialism and all.

When it comes to Halloween costumes, I have always pulled the working mom excuse and bought costumes for my kids.  Sometimes we got hand-me-downs or found deals at costume swap events, but for the most part, we forked over large sums of money for costumes. This year was different!  I was somehow inspired to make my daughter’s costume and it cost less than five dollars.  If you’re already crafty and can sew, move along, you will be seriously underwhelmed!

Balance can be extremely difficult to achieve especially if you are a control-freak perfectionist.  Unless of course, you choose balance itself to master.  Over the years, I have strived to "have it all", from work, to personal life, and finally family.  Once the kids came however, everything was thrown out the window.  Now that my oldest child is nearly nine years old, I have finally found a sense of balance in most areas of my life, although it sometimes comes crashing down like a house of cards.  Here are some of my tips to help achieve balance.