Household Tips
By Suzanne

"It's Beginning to Smell a lot like Christmas"

Close your eyes and imagine for a minute the unforgettable, heartwarming smells of Christmas: pine trees, bayberry candies, cinnamon cookies, clove pomanders, and bowls of apples and oranges.

Fragrances can bring back memories of wonderful times and make us feel like those times are with us again. Of all our senses, smell is the one that never fails to reach our emotional center to evoke feelings and memories of the past. The unmistakable aroma of a fresh cut Christmas tree will always get me in the holiday spirit. Get yourself and your family in the mood for the holidays. Fill your house with the fragrances of the Christmas.

CINNAMON PINECONES
Boil 5 Cinnamon Sticks in a medium sized pot of water for 5 - 10 minutes. Add ten large pinecones. Remove water from heat and allow pinecones to sit in the water as it cools. Lay the pinecones out to dry on a rack.

SIMMERING CITRUS
This is a great simmer recipe to fill your home with a wonderful holiday atmosphere. In a simmer pot or small kettle, combine the peel of ½ orange, peel of ½ lemon, 12 whole cloves, 2 dried bay leaves, 1 stick of cinnamon and ½ cup water. Bring this to a boil, then turn down and simmer on low for several hours. Add more water as necessary.

APPLE CINNAMON ORNAMENTS
2 T Cinnamon
1 T Cloves
1 T Nutmeg
2 T White Glue
1 C Apple Sauce
Decorative Ribbon

Mix dry ingredients first and then add apple sauce and white glue. Use a rolling pin to flatten it and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to make a hole for the ribbon. Place on a rack to dry for 48 hours.

POMANDERS

A traditional way to make your home smell lovely---and they make great gifts.
Using a darning needle, poke holes in lemons, small oranges, tangerines or apples. Insert a clove in each hole. Place the fruits in a shallow baking dish filled with a mixture of ground cinnamon and cloves, turning occasionally, until the fruits have dried and hardened. (It speeds things along if you place them on top of a refrigerator) When they are "cured", tie a ribbon around them if you like, give as gifts, hang on branches of your tree, or place them in bowls around your home.

SHARE A CUP OF CHRISTMAS

This makes a wonderful gift when placed in an airtight decorated pint jar. Sure to warm the soul.

Friendship Tea Mix
1 (18 oz.) jar Tang breakfast drink (orange flavor)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup presweetened lemonade mix (such as Countrytime)
1/2 cup instant tea
1 (3 oz. box ) orange or peach Jell-O
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves

Combine these dry ingredients and store in an airtight container. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons per cup of boiling water. Makes approximately 50 servings

EASY HOLIDAY DECORATING IDEAS

Create a charming display of teddy bears dressed for the season. Gather together three or more teddy bears and arrange them on a table or on the floor in a corner. Dress the bears with touques, scarves and mittens. Place candy canes in their hands or tie bows around their necks. You can even wrap up some small, empty boxes with Christmas wrapping paper to place in the bears' hands.

Make simple bows from Christmas print ribbon and pin them to your curtains.

Display a collection of nativity scenes from different cultures.

Hang a collection of Christmas stockings on your mantle, a shelf or the wall (even if you don't stuff them). The more the merrier.

Revisit your childhood. Cut snowflakes from white paper and hang them in all of your windows.

Use red and green 3-dimensional fabric paints to trace simple Christmas patterns (like stars, bells, Santas, stockings, etc.) on a white tablecloth.

Buy a clear plastic shower curtain. Use a hot glue gun to attach Christmas decorations to the outside of the curtain. Don't use breakable ornaments - instead, try small wooden or plastic ornaments (remove any hooks), bows, garland, etc.

Tie a red ribbon around a tall, slim drinking glass. Fill the glass with candy canes and display on a shelf or side table.

Fill a small glass bowl or decorative Christmas bowl with small cones and display on end tables, shelves, buffet tables, etc.

Purchase plain green or red place mats and attach Christmas ribbons, bows or small wooden ornaments with a hot glue gun.

For quick ornaments, hang Christmas cookie cutters with ribbon. Hang them on your tree or in a window.

Decorate plain red, white, green or gold candles with 3-dimensional fabric paint. Draw stars, bells, angels, snowmen, etc. If you make a mistake, let the paint dry and peal it off, then start again.

Create a cookie wreath centerpiece for your table. Just arrange Christmas cookies in a wreath shape right on the table cloth. No need to attach them to anything since everyone will want to nibble at them. If you like, place a pillar candle on a small plate in the center of the wreath.

Pile a collection of Christmas books on a side table.



Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light From now on, our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Make the Yule-tide gay, From now on, our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days, Happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more.

Through the years We all will be together, If the Fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

Happy Holiday Wishes to all !!!!
Suzanne
house pixel outline by
http://www.pracken.com/tutorials.html