Tis the Season

This week at R & W we are working on a kitchen installation, adding a portico to the front of a house and a basement remodel. We are so thankful for the work we currently have and have had this past year. It has been a challenging year, but we've survived nicely - couldn't do it without our awesome employees and subcontractors either. They are all the best of the best and we are blessed to have them all on our team! We're looking forward to finishing up 2009 with a bang and having an amazingly successful 2010 - not just for our company, but also in ways that we can be of help to others. We hope you all enjoy this holiday season and that 2010 is a great year for you and your's too!


It's not hard to start feeling a little blue when that Chicago weather starts to rear it's freezing head. But let's not forget, it's the holiday season and we should enjoy it to it's fullest potential! Here a many ideas that the whole Franz family enjoy throughout the whole holiday season.

Live with an open servants heart and serve/give as the spirit leads during the season.

Drink holiday flavored coffees every chance you get or use holiday flavored creamers or coffees at home.

Eat all of the holiday goodies your diet will allow, such as Peppermint Sticks, Cinnamon Twizzlers or Gingerbread ice cream.
Burn holiday scented candles. My favorite is Yankee Candle’s Cedar and Balsam candle, giving the house that evergreen smell while using fake trees.

Even if you don’t decorate much, string a string of lights around the house here and there (kids love this in their rooms!). It adds such a festive mood to any room! Also, put them throughout a bush or tree outside a window you look out frequently at night.

Keep your holiday candy jars or plates filled with goodies for your family and guests. Buy a bag or two of candies each week with your grocery shopping.

Go to Bath & Body Works to pick out a holiday scented shower gel/lotion/body spray trio (or just one of the three). Holiday Candy Apple is outstanding. Re-apply the lotion at night before bed for a festive scent to drift off to sleep with.
Also buy Bath & Body Works hand soaps in the holiday scents to have at each of your sinks in the house. Vanilla Bean Noel is my favorite!

Go to the library and check out any Christmas themed novels. Debbie Macomber has several that are fun and light hearted.

Keep all of those lovely Christmas books with short stories or Christmas ideas in a basket by your favorite chair to read when you’re allowing yourself some down time (and be sure to be sipping your holiday beverage while you’re at it—for extra measure, treat yourself to a squirt of whipped cream too!).

Gather your Christmas movies (and your family for that matter) and make it a deal that you have to watch at least one a week between Halloween and New Year’s.
Play Lite FM in the car, on your computer, throughout the house, etc. They start playing Christmas tunes in November.

See live performances throughout the holiday season. If your child loves dance, take them to see the Nutcracker or be sure to get to a Broadway in Chicago production downtown (give as an early gift to a child, spouse, sibling, parents, etc.). Go to any church pageants or performances too as time allows (no overbooking, though!). Have family over for an afternoon holiday tea before or after any performances your children might be in.

Serve on a committee or two for a holiday event. One year I served as a parade judge for our Merry Cary parade—what a blast that was!

And most importantly—relax, enjoy and remember the real reason for the season!