8 days of December

Well, that worked out well, huh? I said I was gonna post every day for the 24 days of december and then I never got around to posting again. It has just been crazy so far this month. But then december always is. So far all i've done is put up the decorations. No lights yet. I was going to tonight but it is super windy outside, actually feels like winter, so I thought me up on a ladder in 30 mph winds wasnt a good idea. I still cant' find my christmas tree though. Moving 3 times in the last 8 months has definately been good at helping me declutter and purge some of the crap i've been hauling around the last 33 years, but I didnt intend on loosing my tree. I've had that tree for 10 years now. Yeah it was getting a little frayed and worn, but it was still pretty. Plus I have enough decorations to fill 2 trees and now I have no where to put them. It's taking alot of will power to not rush out and buy a new one. But i'm determined that one will pop up somewhere. Most things that I truly need do.

1 day of December countdown

For the next 24 day's i'm going to journal different ideas, crafts, activities and gift ideas for the holidays. Alot of these can also be used throughout the year.

The night you put the christmas tree up, have a family slumber party. Set up sleeping bags around the tree, make sure you have lots of snacks and hot cocoa. Watch a favorite family holiday movie or tell christmas stories and share memories of holidays past.

Let the kids decorate their bedrooms too. Dont forget the bathrooms!

Everyone puts out disposable cameras for wedding receptions, so why not christmas? Place them all around the house to make sure you dont miss any holiday moments.

In my family we always made a countdown chain for christmas. On the first of the december, my mother would let us all pick a color ribbon. She would then weave these together and we all got to take turns cutting 'our' ribbon, counting down to christmas. It was always a big deal on our day.

Put green food coloring in hot oatmeal and top with cinnamon for a festive touch.

Hot glue bright glass ornaments to a styrafoam cone to create a festive ornament tree.

Use old christmas cards to create a holiday house. Use double sided tape to adhere to a box.

Leather Shoes

For a speedy clean and shine on patent leather, rub a tiny amount of petroleum jelly over your shoes and buff. Or use a spray-on glass cleaner.
For a quick shine, rub a dab of hand cream over your shoes and then buff. And give your wooden shoe heels a shine with an application of lemon oil or furniture wax.

Cleaning Pots and Pans

To brighten darkened aluminum, cook and acidic substance, such as tomatoes, rhubarb, apples, or vinegar in the pan. Try removing stains or discoloration by boiling 2 tbs cream of tartar in 1 quart water in the pan.



Check the majufacturer's care instructions before washing enamel cookware int he dishwasher. Use only nonabrasive cleaners to remove cooked-on food on emanel. Soak stained white enamel pans in warm water and a smal abount of chlorine bleach.



Remove coffe and tea stains from glass or ceramic pots by soaking them ina solution of 2 tbs chlorine bleach per 1 cup water. Another method is to soak the stained cookware over nigh tin a solution of 2 tbs automatic dishwasher detergent to 1 pot warm water.



Remove stains from a pa with a nonstick surface by boiling a solution of 1 cup water and 2 tbs bakign soda in it. Wipe the surface lightly with cooking oil or shortening before using again.



To remove burned-on food from a pan,s crape off as much of it as possible with a wooden spoon. Then fill the pan with hot soapy water, let it soak, and later scour it with baking soda or a nonabrasive cleaner on a plastic scouring pad. Or you can bring water to a boil in the pan, and while the water simmers, scrape off scroched bits with the wooden spoon. After 10 minutes, pur out the water and scour the pan. Repeat the procedure until the pan is clean.

Pots and Pans

To prevent rusting, store cast-iron pots without lids, adn stack between paper towels.

Kitchen Smells

TO make your garbage disposal smell frsher, drop in half of a used lemon, then run the motor until the lemon is pulverized and washed down the drain.



To get rid of refrigerator aromas, dampen a cotton ball with vanilla extract and put in the refrigerator inside a small bowl.

Cleaning Jewelry

Amber: Put 2 drops of linseed oil on a cotton ball and rub into the amber; remove oily residue.



Amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, garnet, jade, sapphire, ruby, topax, tourmaline: Add 1 tbs ammonia to 1/2 cup warm water; immerse jewelry and scrub with a soft toothbrush. Rinse in clear water and dry on a lint-free cloth.



Diamonds: Mix 1 cup hot water with 1/4 cup ammonia and 1 tbs detergent. Soak diamonds in the mixture for 20 minutes; scrub firmly but slowly with a toothbrush. Rinse in hot water, then dip in rubbing alcohol and airdry or dry wiht a lint fre cloth(do not rinse off alcohol).



Gold: Mix 1 cup warm water with 1/2 cup ammonia. Soak jewelry in this mixture for 10-15 minutes; gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, then rinse in warm water. Let dry on an absorbent towel.



Lapis, malachite, turquoise: Use detergent (not soap) in cool (never hot) water and clean with a soft brush.



Opals: Clean with detergent (not soap) and water; handle carefully since opal is very fragile. When ot worn, opals should be sored in a humidor.



Pearls: Soak pearls in a milkd soap and water solution. Rinse and buff with a flannel cloth. Do not soak a string of pearls, clean each one individually. For greater luster, wear pearls often so that they can absorb natural skin oils. For the same effect, rub a little olive oil over pearls and wipe dry with a chamois cloth.



Silver: Rub silver with silver polish, toothpaste, or a dry cloth dipped in baking soda; use a toothbrush to get into holes or crevices. Then rinse and towel-dry. For a quick clean, rub dry ashes over silver.