December 2010

Everyone loves the Holiday Season!

Family, friends, and food! Getting ready for the holidays can be stressful. Start early to avoid being overwhelmed and by the time December rolls around you’ll be ready to celebrate!

Glow - Tip: Choose a Theme

If you don’t know what to do because your home decoration and ornaments always look the same, pick up a new item and make it the look of the season. For example, you may add stars and mix them in with the ornaments you already have. You can extend this to your table too!

Surprising ideas for this Holiday Season that will make your Home Glow

• Fragrant season
- Before guests come boil a pot of water (2 quarts) with eight cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger.
- Add natural pine stems to artificial garlands to help feel the holiday spirit throughout your home.
- Do the same to door wreaths so the essence of the holiday hits before guests come through the door.

• Homemade silver polish
- Make paste with baking soda and water. Rub onto the silver and then rinse with warm water.

• Window cleaner
- Cleaning your windows with 3 parts water and one part vinegar is a chemical free alternative to glass cleaner.

• Clean the walls and baseboards
- Prepare a solution with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and water. Clean the walls with a soft sponge and then
  rinse with a wet terry cleaning cloth (remember, to avoid discolorations always test a small area before starting).

• Maintain your fireplace
- Put ashes in your garden or landscape because placing them in a plastic garbage bag can be dangerous. The
  ashes will help fertilize your plants.
- To remove stains created by ashes always use a dry brush. Do not add water because it will make a greasy
  mixture making stain removal more difficult.

Surprising ideas for this Holiday Season that will make your Table Glow

• Setting the table
- Decide if you will organize your meal plated or buffet style.
- Create stunning versatility by playing with heights – using boxed crates covered in a fabric or tablecloth to display
  your food in a very chic way.
- Make sure you have all the appropriate china, crystal and silverware based on your menu.

• Table decorations
- Add remaining tree stems to your table with some ornaments to make a beautiful pine scented centerpiece.
- Create the most beautiful table decorations by using fresh fruit such as apples, pears, oranges and grapes and
  replace them often.

• Tablecloths
- For an impeccable and smooth- to- the -touch finish, add powdered starch to the last rinse when you wash your
  tablecloth. You will notice the difference once you iron it.
- Add a liner between the table and the tablecloth to make it richer and fuller – experiment with different colors!.

• Sparkling crystal
- Add extra shine by rubbing crystal with alcohol.

Stay tuned for the January Newsletter with great tips on how to organize and clean your home after all the holiday celebrations!

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New 2011!