Picture Perfect Holiday

Sure, a picture in a frame is a lovely gift, but I have some ways to personalize those gifts that won't break the bank! Use old pictures and scrap booking paper to personalize a plain gift bag. The plain bags are less expensive, you can use them beyond the holidays and the recipient will love the personal touch. This is also a great way to personalize Christmas cards, buy a pack of blank cards and personalize them for each person! Use your computer to create a calendar for a loved one. You can buy calendar kits at your local office supply store, or simply buy a ream of heavy paper and print them yourself. You can have them bound at a local office supply store for a couple of dollars. Speaking of the computer, use it to blow up pictures to a full sheet, print them out and use them to wrap small gifts. They're really festive! Hope this helps you have a picture perfect holiday!

More ideas for wrapping it up!

If you have a pile of gifts that need to be wrapped, this is the place to be. I have some easy and unique gift-wrapping ideas that are inexpensive. Gift bags are a great alternative to boxing and wrapping but they can get really expensive. So forget the fancy bags and think embellishments! Buy a plain white or brown paper gift bag and use scraps of paper or even last years Christmas cards to decorate the front.Want an even less expensive alternative? Check out a local restaurant supply store for white bakery bags, you can get them in a bundle and they can be altered to fit any holiday! Use a paper shredder to cut strips of brightly colored construction paper for stuffing the bags! Or simply fold them over, punch a couple of holes and thread some ribbon to seal the bag. You could also check the restaurant supply store for butcher's paper. You get a huge roll of white paper that can easily be dressed up with ribbons, raffia or even rubber stamps! Looking for a cute alternative to expensive gift tags that you can't even fit your name on; enlist the help of your computer. Use a business card template to design the cards, and simply print a full sheet of the cards. Cute and custom!

Time to wrap it up!!!

The key to any task is organization. Well I have easy ways to keep your wrapping supplies organized so you can get through the chore of wrapping those holiday gifts in no time! If you're always combing the house to find scissors and pens and tape and tags, buy two sets, one for the house and one for wrapping. Keep the wrapping set corralled in a see through make-up bag for easy, portable access. If your wrapping paper rolls are always unrolling and falling to the floor, try this: cut a paper towel or toilet paper tube along its length. Then slip it around the paper, it will keep it rolled up and it won't rip the paper like tape can! Now for storage, a clear hanging garment bag is the perfect spot to store all of your wrapping paper. Slip the rolls upright in the bag. Put your ribbon spools in the bottom along with your tape and scissors kit, and then stash the whole kit in a closet, always together and right where you need it! I hope this helps!!!

Tree Time

It's time to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house. If you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, I have some tips to get you back in the Christmas spirit.
When you get your tree home, you need to let it settle. To give it a good start, cut a couple of inches off of the tree trunk, so that it can easily absorb water.
Fill a bucket with cool water and pour a cup of maple syrup into it. Then put your tree in the water and let it sit for a couple of days. The sugar in the syrup will help preserve it. Make sure that you keep that tree sheltered from the sun and the wind. Then, when you're ready to bring it inside, make sure to make a fresh cut in the trunk. If your lights were put away in a big ball last year, don't worry. unplug the strings from each other . Then you can plug them into the wall one at a time. Follow the lights to loosen the mess. A little safety tip: if you have small children or pets that seem fascinated by the tree, hang decorative bells on the lower branches. This way if anyone is too close to the tree, you'll be able to hear them. Merry To You!

Zipping through Holiday Frustrations

Forget the wires, string and tape.this holiday season all you need are zip ties to help you decorate. Zip ties are strong and they hold securely without damaging so that they're the perfect temporary fix. Thread a zip tie through the back of a bow and secure it around a wreath, this will keep the bow in place through all sorts of wind and weather. A zip tie also makes a great hanger zip it into a loop on the back of even the heaviest wreaths for a safe and sturdy hanger. Zip ties are the perfect tool for securing garlands to banisters and fences. They wrap easily around the posts or spindles and hold tight. They will also secure ornaments or other decorations easily to a wreath or garland. If your zip tie isn't long enough just attach a few together and make them the size you need. Use zip ties to secure light strands to your wreaths or garland, you can also use them to organize and hold together all of your wires for your holiday lights so they blend easily and aren't a tripping hazard. Once you've zipped, a nail clipper is the perfect tool to clip off those little tails. Happy Holidays!

After Holiday Laundry Mess??

The holidays bring wonderful memories and tons of company, I have some tips to plow through these not so welcome holiday leftovers! Pre-treat ring around the collar stains on dress shirts with shampoo. It's the oils in your hair and skin that cause that stain, so the shampoo will break it up. Dish Liquid is also a gentle and inexpensive pre-treater for all sorts of stains on all sorts of fabrics - just squirt it on and work it in. The stain will launder out without a problem. If there's a chance you won't be doing laundry for a few days, use a clear dish soap so the colorant won't transfer to the fabric. Adding a cup of white vinegar to your wash cycle will remove the sour smell from towels that they sometimes get when they're piled up. A great substitute fabric softener is a half a cup of baking soda added to the wash cycle. Your clothes will come out soft and fresh. As an added bonus, baking soda is a milder than fabric softeners so it won't irritate sensitive skin. Finally, when you're folding laundry, an easy way to keep sheet sets together is to slip the sheets inside the pillowcase. Now that we've gotten through that Thanksgiving laundry - lets start gearing up for those December holidays!

Celebration Stains

I love celebrations, but when the parties are over, sometimes there are stains left behind on my carpets. I have some stain removers to help if you find yourself in the same situation. Always use white cloths when you're cleaning stains. A colored cloth could transfer dye onto the carpet, creating a bigger stain. Chocolate can be removed from your carpets and upholstery with a little white shaving cream (not the gel!) . Spray some of the foam onto the spot and work it in with a cloth. When you see the chocolate coming up, switch to cool water to lift the shaving cream. For alcohol stains such as wine, sponge the area with some cool water. Then mix a half of a teaspoon of dish detergent and a tablespoon of white vinegar into a quart of warm water. Use a cloth to blot the stain with the mixture. This will remove the stain and smell in one step. Then layer the area with some white towels and heavy books to absorb moisture. (You can also blot wine stains with club soda.) For a beer stain, mix equal parts of white vinegar and detergent. Sponge it onto the stain and then blot it out. Hope this helps ease out those celebration stains!