You all know I love magazines. Because it is the holiday season, all bets are off as far as being reserved in my magazine purchases. The other day, while in a long line-up, I resisted many of the great decorating ones...skimming through them instead...when my eyes
caught the cover of Good Housekeeping. How did I miss that one? It is always a holiday favourite- with its many heartwarming stories, multitudes of tips, celebrity guests sharing their Christmas traditions...well, I snapped it up! And in the spirit of the season, I am going to share the best of the best with you...because I know how busy we all are...we can't possibly read all the magazines ourselves!!These are random tips, in no special order, and are all from the December 2007 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine:
- This one is for you silver collectors: if you're out of silver cleaner, use a dab of white toothpaste to spot shine your piece.
- When shipping gifts, if you are re-using old boxes: strip off old labels, especially the old bar codes, so the package doesn't end up in the wrong destination! If sending toys, remove the batteries so they don't accidentally get turned on and the batteries drained from all the jostling while in transit.
- When replacing your vacuum bag, add some cinnamon essence oil to a few cotton balls and pop them into the bag. Simply vacuuming before guests arrive will leave a wonderful festive scent to your home!
- Drink more tea... for your skin!! Researchers have found that those who drink more than one cup of green or black tea a day daily for at least a month cut their risk of developing the two most common kinds of skin cancer by 20-30 %
- To prevent excess snacking, chew on gum! Chewing gum often prevents us from taking test bites while cooking, and if you want to be "good" at a party, pop a piece in after sampling a few of the goodies. But note: chew discreetly, and no smacking that gum!! And, of course, don't chew gum at swank events...or near your grandmother!! disclaimer: Please note, if you do decide to refrain from eating all the good stuff, you may want to sample the punch...because you will likely be feeling rather miserable at being so deprived...gum loses its flavour pretty quickly...so find a table to stick it under and go get a sausage roll!!!
- When posing for holiday snapshots, follow these tips: Sit down: when the photographer is shooting down from above you, it even out your proportions and makes you look smaller. Also, if your arms are less than buff, don't hold them at your sides...place your hands on your hips with elbowss pointed slightly back. Angling your body toward the photographer will noticeably slim your frame, double chins can be downplayed by keeping your face straight on and tilting it up...not that any of us need to do any of this...
- make a candy garland: buy a big bag of candy from the Dollar Store by stapling the ends of each piece together: and easy craft for an older child to do. Be sure to let him/her eat a few along the way...you're supposed to pay children for their labour, you know!!
- If shopping online, be safe!! Use only websites that display the "lock" symbol (padlock icon) at the bottom right of the website's sign-in screen (where you enter the password) and on the checkout screen (where you type in your credit card info). This means the site has a secure connection. If you see an "s" after the "http" in the web browser once you're on the page to place an order, that also indicates that the site has a secure connection. If you don't see the padlock or the "s", it's a good idea to do your shopping elsewhere.
- Instead of taking on the sometimes overwhelming task of winding greenery up the bannister of your home, simplify: just do the newel post instead with a large bow and jingle bells, an evergreen swag, or a stocking or pair of mittens with little wrapped gifts tucked inside.
- Use ornaments as place card holders, elevate baked goods and sweets on cake stands and tiered trays, and use small feathered trees to display your favourite ornaments. In fact, why not use the tree as a centerpiece for your table?
- If your nonstick cookie sheets are browning your cookies before they are baked, note the finish on the sheets. Have they darkened down with use? If so, reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees...the cooler temperature will be just the trick to end up with perfectly baked cookies.
- Hint around to your husband how nice it would be if he were more like Tim McGraw...no, I'm not being mean, but thoughtful Tim writes a heartfelt letter to each of his daughters and his wife, Faith Hill and tucks it into their stocking...On second thought, I don't think I'll word it that way...hubby might retort that it would be nice if I were more like Faith Hill...and we all know how that would end up...!!
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Well, off I go to do all that I have to do...and more! Tis the season to be busy...!!!
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