Celebrate Interview:
Laurie Turk ~ TipJunkie.com

Tuesday, December 16, 2008, by Leigh Anne & Sherra

We're moving! Visit us at Find Your Sock Yarn and re-subscribe to get the latest updates. Your favorite features like Question of the Week, Words of Wisdom quotes and fun giveaways will be there. Archives will remain here for now. Thanks for visiting!

We will be interviewing women who inspire us, encourage us and renew our spirits. Women from diverse backgrounds…women just like you…women very different from you…women who share and teach so we can all learn something new. Their words may be just what you need to read today…

Leigh Anne and Sherra say…

Laurie at Tip Junkie runs several blogs – Tip Junkie and Executive Homemaker. Both of her sites are dedicated to helping and supporting women, something that is important to us here at iLashGirls. Laurie’s blogs are full of great ideas. Laurie is a “gatherer” too! She brings together some of the best ideas out there in the blog world – all in one place. Both Sherra and Leigh Anne have enjoyed Tip Junkie since we first ventured into the blogosphere. We hope you will enjoy getting to know Laurie too!!

I am a happily married, mother of 3 boys, and have become more girly with every boy. I got married early in life and got my Ph. T. (putting hubby through) while working as an administrative assistant in a dental office. I have a passion and drive for promoting creative women and their ideas. I am the creator of Executive Homemaker.com and Tip Junkie.com. I try to embellish my life with fun and creative ideas while managing a household of all boys.

First, a few personal fun facts and questions…

My love language is Quality Time. So I love to hang out with my man and my friends. I also love to throw a party. For example, last year I really wanted to get to know some of the older and wiser women at church. So I threw a Cougar & Kitten Luncheon where I invited a couple Kittens (30 year olds) and a couple Cougars (50 year olds). It was such a fun afternoon. I was so blessed for reaching out to these women; they are an inspiration to me.

Favorite color:

Pink and Teal (but not together – he he)

Favorite food you associate with the holidays:

Pumpkin pie {{yummy}}

Pet Peeve?

When someone asks my advice on an important subject and then doesn’t take it. {{wink}}

What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world)

I’m addicted to Little Debbie snacks, especially the honey buns.

One word that describes you:

Passionate

What’s your motto or mantra:

Create Your Own Experience

What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?

Recreating a fun idea (or event) inspired by a friend or blog; for my family or a friend.
Promoting creative women who don’t know how to promote themselves.
Working with my husband on our latest crazy idea.

Word of the Month ~ Celebrate

Give us your definition of celebrate:

Enjoying the moment

What is your favorite memory of a celebration in your childhood?

It was when my mother threw an Olympic birthday party for my 7 year old brother that corresponded with the summer Olympics. Come to find out, we were so excited about it, my brother and I invited the entire neighborhood door to door a couple days before. {{oops}}

However, I remember that my mother went OTT on all the events and awards. She even had a 3 tiered winner’s platform which my dad made and took pictures of all the medalists! The backyard, house, and front yard were filled with teams of kids wanting to work together to win the events. It was the best birthday party I remember attending as a child.

What is your favorite holiday to celebrate?

Halloween

How do you celebrate throughout the year, not just at the holidays?

I love holidays and have little traditions to celebrate each one throughout the year. St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween are my 2 favorites. We are also a ring and run family. We’ll Egg Your House with plastic candy-filled eggs for Easter and the Phantom will show up at your door for Halloween with treats.

Do you have any unique celebrations that have become traditions within your family?

Here are a few:

I also take my boys with me when shopping for a Secret Santa gift or whatever service I’ve signed up to do through church or school. I have them help wrap it and we talk about why we’re performing the service. I believe it has really helped them focus on giving to others and helping the boys appreciate what they already have.

What’s your best tip for a new wife or mom on how they can create a new celebration tradition for their young family?

Don’t forget the little routines you did growing up in your family. You might not have considered them a tradition but you can make them into one. For instance, every year my parents went on a date on Christmas Eve and the kids were left to fend for ourselves. This meant grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa for dinner and rocking out to Christmas music as loud as we wanted. I now do that with my boys as a family every Christmas Eve and it’s become a tradition that we all look forward to.

You can also find tons of holiday tradition ideas on Tip Junkie. I’ve compiled a list of great ones for women who want to unite their families with fun and simple activities.

How do you find reasons to celebrate the “little things” in spite of the stresses of every day life?

Oh, this is so vital. I think the key is to stay organized and find a system of managing your household that works for you. I use the Executive Homemaker Binder that houses all your important information all in one place; at your fingertips.

I have also found that blogging has helped me focus on the fun little quirks my family has as well as the milestones we achieve.

Can you offer some suggestions on great ways to celebrate on a limited budget?

Here are a couple suggestions you can do year round:

Playing games as a family, having a family game night.
Making homemade decorations and putting them up as a family. (banners, artwork, things to hang from ceiling or door ways.)
Reading stories and books about the holiday.
Making holiday goodies and delivering them to friends.
Watching holiday movies as a family.

Share with us some ways you give your celebrations that added “signature” touch?

I love to laminate. It brings me joy. So my “signature” would be creating something in Microsoft Publisher like a party favor, game, or activity. You can find many examples of things I’ve made on Executive Homemaker.

Share a life lesson learned about celebrating, something, perhaps that you know now that you didn’t know when you were 18?

Having a son with autism, a son with ADHD and a strong-willed 2 year old; I’ve learned that life is what you make of it. You can focus on what you/your kids don’t have or you can create your own experience. I choose to stay positive, change what I can, deal with what I can’t, and make sure I do the things I love. Creating, promoting women, and spending time with the people I adore are the things I love. I make sure I do them often.