| Monthly
Quote |
“The
worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in
the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”
- Johnny Carson, American entertainer, (1925-2005) |
| Tip
of the Month |
Part
of the fun of the holidays is the spectacle: the glittering
lights, the colorful gifts, the thoughtful cards. Whatever
holiday you celebrate, make your home more festive with these
easy tips:
Hanukkah: Combine cobalt blue items with
silver to make every aspect of your home ready for the festival
of lights. If you’re hosting a meal, purchase cobalt
blue stemware, which is great for company. An elegant cobalt
vase filled with white roses or silver balls or stones makes
a lasting impression. You can place it between a pair of silver
candlesticks or in front of a sunny window to create a stunning
look.
Christmas: You don’t have to cover
your home in lights, snowmen and garlands to jazz up your
holiday. A few simple decorations can transform your home
from normal to Christmassy!
• Purchase and hang some stockings – this item
instantly says “Christmas”!
• Hang a wreath. Available in countless stores and in
styles that range from traditional to kitschy to swanky, a
wreath welcomes guests into your holiday home.
• Play some Christmas music. Although not a decoration,
playing a little “Jingle Bells” and “White
Christmas” gets everyone in the holiday mood.
• Dim your lights and light some candles. Easier to
set up and take down than lights, candles are elegant and
festive. You can choose between a variety of colors, but you
should go with a theme, such as red and green or silver and
gold. You can also throw in one or two strongly scented candles
to add the smells of the holidays to your home, such as baking
cookies or freshly cut Christmas trees.
• Pick up a few poinsettias. Another instant way to
give your home some holiday pick-me-up! Place a few in prominent
places, such as at the foot of a staircase or in the corners
of your dining room.
Kwanzaa: There are a few key items that you
shouldn’t be without when celebrating Kwanzaa: a mkeka
(a place mat usually woven of straw or raffia), a kinara (candleholder),
mishumaa saba (seven candles – one black, three green,
three red), mazao (fruits and vegetables representing crops),
vibunzi (one ear of corn for each child in the household)
and a kikombe cha umoja (communal unity cup). Once you have
these items, decorating for the Kwanzaa celebration is easy.
If you celebrate Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, you can recycle
many items you would use for those holidays. From Thanksgiving,
you can re-use many of the harvest-themed items, such as ears
of corn, squash and gourds (just make sure you omit the cornucopia,
since it is a Western tradition). Since red and green are
also colors of the African flag, you can purchase solid-color
items to use for both holidays, such as napkins, table runners,
placemats and candles. To decorate your Kwanzaa table, first
put a red or green tablecloth on the table to protect your
wood surface. Center the mkeka on top of that as either a
table runner or a square table topper. Place a kinara as your
centerpiece, with the black candle in the middle, the three
red candles on the left and the three green candles on the
right (you can also alternate candles if you wish). Place
baskets and wooden bowls of fruit and vegetables around the
kinara and arrange your ears of corn around the bowls and
baskets. From there, you can get creative, whether it’s
hanging the African flag in the room or some African-themed
posters.
Source: Holiday Decorating for Dummies by Kelley Taylor, Wiley
Publishing, Inc., 2003.
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Making
the Holidays Greener
Attention to environmental issues
is increasing both in the media and among the general
public. The holiday season can be especially wasteful,
so we’ll walk you through easy ways you can make
your holidays greener!
Thinking about all of the discarded
wrapping paper, dried-up Christmas trees and tossed
cards can make those of us who are environmentally conscious
feel more than a little holiday guilt. According to
estimates from the California Integrated Waste Management
Board, the 10-week holiday season generates an extra
million tons of waste nationwide each week! So, what
can you do to lessen your impact on the earth this holiday
season?
Plenty, according to a recent Wall Street
Journal Online article, and it won’t be as difficult
as you think. Not all of us are crafty or handy, so
check out these five ways to be greener during the holidays
without a glue gun or hammer:
1. Your shredder is your
friend. Do you typically send a few packages
to friends and family scattered throughout the country
or the world? Instead of purchasing Styrofoam peanuts
or bubble wrap, make your own packing materials by employing
your shredder. You can make it easy and just shred newspaper
or used paper, or you can be more festive and shred
colorful, shiny holiday catalogs. Shreddings can be
used for packing gifts to send or for filling gift boxes.
If you tend to receive gifts in the mail or you order
online or through catalogs, another way to conserve
and re-use is to keep boxes and packing filler you receive
and use them to send gifts. This also saves you the
trouble of having to purchase these items!
2. Rethink wrapping. Wrapping paper
is probably one of the more wasteful aspects of the
holidays. Most manufacturers don’t use recycled
paper and some types of wrapping paper, like foil, can’t
be recycled after they are used. You can do your part
to save some trees and still end up with a beautiful
gift. One option is that if you have to buy wrapping
paper new, make sure it’s made from recycled paper.
You can also re-use old wrapping paper and bows if you
are careful not to rip or crinkle it too much in the
haste of opening gifts. Gift bags are another option
that are easy to use season after season and tend to
weather re-use better than wrapping paper. You can also
get creative and use different materials for wrapping
gifts, such as the comics from your newspaper or holiday
gift catalogs. You can also try to seek out thrift store
items, like old maps, magazines or even clothing. The
same goes for ribbons and bows. Use old string, worn-out
tape measures or an old tie instead.
3. Use a live tree. There is always
a heated debate about whether a fake tree or a live
tree that is recycled into mulch is better for the environment.
You can skip the controversy by purchasing a potted
tree and then planting it after the holidays. A potted
tree can be re-used year after year, and will make your
yard prettier during non-holiday months! You can employ
other live plants as combo decoration/party favor during
the holidays. Try using an assortment of smaller potted
plants, such as rosemary or poinsettia, as your holiday
centerpiece. When guests leave, give each one a potted
plant as a gift!
4. Recycle cards and send recycled cards. During
the holidays, two billion holiday cards are sent and
no one knows how many are on recycled paper, says Barbara
Miller, spokesperson for the Greeting Card Association.
Most greeting cards are not printed on recycled paper,
so you may have to look a little harder for holiday
cards that are recycled. Another option when sending
holiday cards is to consider sending e-cards instead.
Finally, when the holidays are over, make sure you recycle
the holiday cards you received!
5. Decorate with old items. Instead
of buying a brand-new factory-decorated wreath, why
not use items around your house to decorate one of your
own using items you already have? Seashells, ribbons
and toys can all be tied onto a wreath to give a personal,
unique feel to your holiday décor. Whatever items
you choose to use – toys, cookie cutters, cups
– you can secure them onto a wreath with wire
and top it off with a big bow. You can use the same
techniques for your Christmas tree. Instead of purchasing
ornaments, use antique teacups filled with candy or
strings of popcorn. Be creative, and use what interests
you, whether it’s toy cars or golf. Just picture
what a conversation a Christmas tree decorated in golf
balls, tees and scorecards will be!
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