Living with family is such a mixed bag – fun, love and excitement mixed in with a good dose of frustration. We’re kicking things off with a simple strategy that can save you some of that frustration. And, as a bonus, it can save you time and make getting the family dinner on the table a little easier. After that good news we’ll look at kid crafts that are perfect for Mother’s Day gifts.

Then we’re talking to Barb Tobias, the Thrift Diva. Barb has a fun and fabulous perspective on using thrift to live large and have fun. She’ll be sharing tips for finding the best garage sales and getting the best deals along with ideas for turning trash into treasure.

And finally we’re wrapping things up in Christmas Corner with simple ideas for homemade gifts, even if you feel like you don’t have enough talent to make anything..

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

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Mother's Day is around the corner and that means gifts for grandmas, moms, friends and other special women. Whether you're sentimental, practical or too busy to shop we have ideas for you.

It's that time of year when teens are graduating high school and heading off to college and young adults are graduating college and heading out on their own. One thing they'll all need to do is handle their finances. Finances can be tough to teach; it might feel overwhelming to your child, you may not know where to start or you may not feel that you know enough to be the teacher. Susan Schell has taken care of that for you. Susan is a certified financial planner and she's joining us today to give us the inside scoop on shoring up your child's finances as they move into the world as adults.

Then, in Christmas Corner, we're talking about family fun and family vacations. Summer is right around the corner and that's when families are itching to get out of town. Whether you're planning a day trip, a weekend getaway or a full family vacation, if you're looking for a little Christmas fun we have some towns that will deliver. Plus we're sharing a homemade gift idea that's perfect for ladies of all ages from tweens to grandmas. You can make this pretty craft and put a smile on a special lady's face.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

This week's show has you primed and ready for family time! Kicking things off, we have some thoughts on Mother's Day. Mother's Day can be an awkward holiday since the people who typically plan and organize holidays and family activities are the ones who are meant to be honored. We'll talk about ways to avoid the awkwardness of the holiday and how to have the Mother's Day you really want. And we didn't forget about all the single moms our there! We have tips for you so you can celebrate and have the day you dream of.

Then we're chatting with Claudette Chenevert, the Stepmom Coach. Claudette will be sharing her expertise for creating a happy and harmonious step family. Hear Claudette's story and how she found her happy ending. Then learn about one simple technique that can get your step family pulling together, creating a happy and successful family.

Lastly, in Christmas Corner, we have tips for better photos. Let's face it, photos are the cornerstone of our memorabilia and you'd love to have some great pictures to look at as you reminisce about old times and family functions. While you can still enjoy the memories no matter what the photos look like, it's more fun when Timmy's head isn't cut off and Suzy isn't fuzzy or a shiny blur. And if you can capture the feeling of the moment, that's nirvana.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Water, it's everywhere and we are constantly hearing about how we need to drink 8 glasses a day to maintain good health. You probably understand that in your head, but your heart just isn't in it. Today I'm sharing 5 motivating reasons to drink water, reasons that will make you want to grab a glass right now. Then I'm sharing the details of my last vacation; not to brag, but to show you how going against the grain can really make you happy.

Then we're talking about simple living for real families. There's a lot of hype out there about simple living but, for the average family, a lot of what you hear can feel daunting. Today, Andrea Dekker is joining us to share the real scoop about simple living. She's a wife, mom and full time blogger working from home who believes in keeping things real. She'll be sharing ideas with us for making life easier for your family through simple living strategies, strategies that work for real families.

And finally we're wrapping things up in Christmas Corner with a chat about that annual family Christmas photo. I'm sharing ideas for breathing new life into your same old routine as well as tips for taking better family photos.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Easter, expectations, crafts and Christmas on today’s Heart Filled Holidays radio show. With Easter right around the corner you may be looking for new ideas for the kids Easter baskets. And what if you’re trying to have to reduce the Easter candy intake? Or create candy-free Easter baskets? No worries! Sandy Fowler will share great ideas for fun and treats that satisfy kids of all ages (and their busy moms too!)

Life doesn’t always go the way you expect. Sometimes it’s the little things; maybe the gift you bought was a bust or the kids kept bickering all through your family vacation, and sometimes it’s the really big things like realizing you’re on the wrong path in your life. Regardless of the circumstance, or how long it’s been going on, when life doesn’t meet your expectations things can feel bad – really bad. Christine Hassler has named that phenomenon; she calls it an expectation hangover. Today she’ll join us to talk about those expectation hangovers, discussing causes, cures and ways to find peace again.

We’ll wrap things up with some fun, crafty ideas in Christmas Corner. Whether you want to keep the kids occupied during a school break, have some fun on a family night or reduce your holiday stress, we have an idea for you but I can’t tell you now – it’s a surprise.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Happiness is all over the media these days and moms are trying to figure out how to live well and be happy. Today we're learning a lesson from beavers. Find out how these little critters can help moms be happier. Then take a look at ideas for filling those Easter baskets! We have tips for filling Easter baskets for older kids and you'll hear some candy-free basket ideas to help you create fun without the sugar.

Then we're chatting with Jenny Friedman from Doing Good TogetherTM. She's joining us to explore fun and simple ways for families to volunteer together. Doing Good Together empowers parents to raise children who care about others and contribute to society. One of the ways they do this is by sharing ideas for family volunteering which include children of all ages. Jenny will share some of these ideas with you as well as giving you tips for making the most of your volunteer experience.

And in Christmas Corner we're talking about homemade gifts for dads. Dads can be tough to buy for and receiving a homemade gift can melt their heart faster than an ice cube on a sidewalk in August. You'll discover two cute and creative ways to show dad you care.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Today we are focusing on the family, logistically, emotionally and creatively. We'll kick off with a look at organizing your family from mail to schedules to chores as we talk about the Family Command Center (which I think is more appropriately called a Family Hub). I'll also share a few ideas for fun and games for St. Patrick's day so you can enjoy a little fun with your favorite people.

You'll get to hear from Michele Rosenthal today. Michele is the author of Your Life After Trauma: Powerful Practices to Reclaim Your Identity. Michele will open our eyes to the truth of PTSD and how it may be affecting people close to us. She'll show us where PTSD really comes from and how it affects people every day and give us ideas and hope for recovery. It's not just something that happens to soldiers and victims of violent crime. It can happen in everyday life and Michele will show us how to identify it and handle it.

And in Christmas Corner we're having some fun! We've done a lot of work lately on planning and organizing a debt-free holiday so today we're moving on to some lighter topics - decorations and bows. We'll look at some fun and easy decorations you can make for your home. They are pretty, sophisticated and whimsical but easy enough that the kids can help create them. Then we'll learn how to make a bow. I always see these fabulous wire bows on wreathes, walls and even presents and, after today, you and I will both know how to make them.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

This week we have some fun and romance in store. We're coming up with some Girls' Night Out and Girls' Night In ideas to bust those winter blues and beat your cabin fever. Then we're talking about romantic getaways. Let's face it, family life can take a toll on the romantic relationship in your life. Let's infuse a little fun back into your marriage.

Then we have Mark Hundley joining us to talk about holidays and how you can use them to live more fully. Mark is an expert on grief and grieving and he'll share some fabulous ideas for using holidays to bring more meaning into our lives as well as talking about the role celebrations can play in helping a family through the difficult time of someone dying.

And in Christmas Corner we're wrapping up our Debt-Free Holiday series with some final words on creating income for your family. We've covered everything from planning the perfect holiday to budgeting, saving and now making money. After we wrap that up we'll take a look at a homemade gift idea that's perfect for kids of all ages.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

This week we're talking about siblings. Every family experiences the joy and frustration involved with living with children who don't always get along. I'll share our experience as well as a few tips from the experts on how to help your kids forge strong sibling bonds.

Then we'll be moving on to an interview that I'm really excited about. Today's guest is Al Ferguson, creator of The Dad Network, and he'll be giving us a peek inside the world of dads. Parenthood is a wonderful, amazing, crazy and stressful time. It's a time when adults are reduced to laughter and tears on a regular basis. But moms and dads see things differently, do things differently and don't always communicate well. Today we'll find out what dads are really thinking and what they wish moms knew.

And in Christmas Corner we're continuing our Debt-Free Holiday series. Today we're looking at two ways to have more money in your home. Along the way you'll be thinking about what you really want for your family and making sure you're putting your money where your heart is.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Today is the day we are going to save you time and energy - two things everyone wants more of! February is National Time Management month so we're taking a look at time management practices and busting 3 of the biggest myths.

Then we're taking on our emotions. BB Crawford is joining us to talk about our emotions. She'll show us what causes our stress and anxiety and why we sometimes lose control. We'll talk about what's going on and what you can do about it.

In Christmas Corner we're continuing our Debt-Free Holiday series with some more ideas for adding money to your Christmas fund. Then we'll talk travel. The holidays encompass some of the busiest travel days of the year so every little tip that makes those better gets us a little closer to some Christmas joy.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com