Top 6 Tips When Buying a New Fridge

Whether you’re buying a new fridge because the family’s outgrown the old one or your existing one has just plain conked out, take the time to consider these points before taking the plunge.

Measurements

Measure the dimensions of your existing fridge space. There’s no point buying a new fridge if you have to remodel the kitchen. Most modern kitchens have been designed with a specific model in mind so take this into account before falling in love with the latest two door side by side unit when your space only allows for a basic upright.

Power Usage

Think about the environment and future power bills. Check the energy efficiency and star rating. While the initial investment of a unit with a good energy star rating may be higher it will pay for itself in the long run with reduced power bills.

Grab a bargain

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Retailers will regularly want to clear their stock at certain times of the year so check out the seasonal sales, end of financial year and Christmas bargains. If you prefer to shop from home there are great websites for home appliances on line that are able to sell their whitegoods at reduced rates due to less overheads. Most offer free delivery within the metropolitan area.

Decide what’s right

Look at your options for fridges with freezers. If you have an existing stand alone freezer maybe you can do with a stand alone fridge. The upside down fridge freezer is another interesting concept as it puts the food you need accesses to the most at eye level and within easy reach.

The basics

Water dispensers and ice maker units can be a real bonus in hot climates but if the fridge is big enough you might be better off keeping cold water in a jug and making your own ice in trays in the freezer.

Fridges with temperature and defrost controls make it easier to control the unit, especially if you live in a high humidity area.

Maintenance

How easy will it be to clean? Most new fridges are self defrosting but keep in mind while the outside surface might look fantastic in the showroom it is not going to stay that way, especially if you have kids.

If your old unit is still working think twice about using it as a bar fridge in the shed. Older units use a lot of energy and if there is little else inside except for a dozen beer bottles it will hardly be worth the running costs. Think about proper disposal if it is beyond repair or resale.

The more information you have at your fingertips, such as dimensions, style and price range the easier the choices when you have a selection of fridges in front of you. Whether buying on line or in store make sure you have checked out all the features before committing the deal.

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Some Belated Holiday Tips

True, I should have written this a few mother ago, I know that. However, I was sitting around with my family last night and we got to talking about last year’s Christmas decorations. Although we all love the holiday season, and my family is a bit over the top about it, no one can say that it is not a stressful time of year. I’m not just talking about the shopping for gifts, making sure I don’t forget anyone and that I get something that is appropriate for who I’m getting it for. The amount of hours that it entails is crazy! But that is just the gift aspect of the holiday or in this case Christmas season.

The part that really takes a lot of time and energy is the Christmas decorations. This is a project that cannot be dumped on mom like all other house chores and decorations. True, I choose the decorations, from the lights to the lawn decorations, but it’s my boys and my husband that has to lug the stuff up from the basement and climb around the house and put the stuff into position.

The stress is worth the reward as im sure you would agree, and the work and all the frustration that always goes into holiday preparation is promptly forgotten when everyone is sitting around the table or relaxing on the couch. But what we got to talking about is a very interesting twist that we experimented with last holiday season and I felt it would be nice to share it with anyone who is interested in making their holiday decorations stand out.

Years ago we went out and got that classic reindeer and sleigh with the glowing lights that you plug into the side of your house. We got wreaths and rope light and all the other standard holiday decorations. But after many years of use the stuff started to break and fall apart or simply rust and not be presentable anymore. Finally this last year we were all out of our old stuff and were not in a financial position to go out and buy more.

So I took some old mannequins that I had in the basement and decorated them like snowman. Then I took the old rope lights and wrapped them around the snowman mannequins. It sounds messy I know, but it looked great. This was a Christmas were we made due with very little but it actually came out pretty good in the end. So I guess the point of this all is that if you are low on cash, try to use your old things to make that magical Christmas spirit come alive for your family.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make your own decorative door swags.

Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

You do not have to be the design guru to create a Christmas tree worthy of a display window. Just follow these general guidelines to give your tree maximum impact this year.

A complete tree traditionally is composed of lights, garland, trim, and ornaments, arranged in that order. Add a tree skirt for a finishing touch. It is customary to add the topper last, although this is mostly for ceremonial purposes.

Lights

Thread lights from the base of the tree to the tip, and the inside branches to the outward ones. For trees taller than 4 feet, use up to 100 small twinkling lights per foot. Trees 2-3 feet tall need 35-80 lights. If you prefer to use the larger C-7 or C-9 bulbs, multiply the height of your tree by its dimension. For trees up to 7 feet divide this number in half. Divide by 3 for trees over 7 feet. Check the packaging of C-7 and C-9 bulbs, since not all brands have been approved to use with artificial trees.

Exercise caution when using strings of lights end-to-end. As a general rule, do not hook more than 3 sets of lights together, as doing so can overload the circuits and blow the fuses. Some commercial grade sets are safe to hook up to six sets. Hook together only strings of the same lights; for example, never hook a string miniature twinkling lights to a line of C-7 bulbs. This is also true when hooking your tree topper to the light sets. Use a 3 outlet cord instead. Discard any damaged light sets or decorations and turn everything off when you go to bed for the night!

Garland

Garlands can be made of tinsel or beads, and some ambitious revelers still make their own garlands out of popcorn, cranberries, and/or linked paper. Ribbons of various widths, styles, and colors also make fabulous garlands. Hung in large loops, garland adds drama to your tree, although how you drape your garland is a matter of taste and sometimes depends on the size of your tree. (Large loops can look silly on a smaller tree.) Nowadays you can also string garland vertically, by securing it at the top and looping downward. Experiment to see what looks best. Garlands may slip, particularly if the tree is delicate or droopy. To keep them in place, wind the garlands around the branches or secure with ribbons or wire.

You will probably need about 10 feet of garland per foot of tree. Any extra garland can be used to decorate around the house, and is particularly lovely used on the mantle or in wreaths. You may use up to three different types of garland, but make sure these coordinate with each other.

Ornaments

Whether you have hundreds of one-of-a-kind collectibles, or a box of shabby hand-me-downs, your tree can look fabulous if you hang your ornaments well. First, create depth and interest by hanging some ornaments on the inside branches. Use plain or inexpensive ornaments for this, using the outside branches to showcase collectibles, if you have them. If you are still building up your collection, shoot for 10 special themed ornaments per every 2 feet of tree. Hang similar ornaments in a group, taking care not to crowd them, but keep them together for maximum impact. You really can’t have too many ornaments, the key is in the spacing.

A word about metal hooks: save them for fishing! Instead, use loops of ribbon, raffia, or cord to hang ornaments. These can be a unifying factor if your ornaments don’t all match, and are much lovelier and easier to handle than metal hooks.

Skirt, Trim and Toppers

This would include tinsel, bows, or whatever else you want to throw on your tree. Trim can be used to tie together different types of ornaments, but it’s completely optional. Whatever you do, don’t spoil your tree by drowning it in trim. Use a little for enhancement. As far as the skirt goes, it should be big enough to cover the stand, but not bigger than the average branches. Add some wrapped presents and you are ready to go!

The most common toppers are stars, angels, and finials, but these days you can use almost anything to top your tree. A big bow that matches the garland would be a fine example of a tree topper. Your tree topper is a significant piece, so choose wisely!

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Gathering Balsam Fir Tips for Maine Christmas Wreaths

Balsam fir is used to make Christmas wreaths and Christmas centerpieces in Maine because it is plentiful and makes beautifully fragrant wreaths. The tips of the branches are used which is the end portion. The tips are cut in lengths from 12 to 20 inches. One tip is normally broken into two or three pieces, bunched together and then wired onto the wreath ring.

Gathering the balsam tips is called tipping. Tipping can’t start until late fall after the needles are set which is normally after the first few frosts. After the needles are set the balsam fir tree will stop growing, staying dormant, until spring. The pores in the needles are sealed by a waxy coating that covers the needle’s surface. If tips are gathered before setting the needles fall off in a short time and can’t be used. In Maine, balsam brush shouldn’t be collected until after November 1 with a minimum of three consecutive 20 degree or colder nights.

To gather tips on privately owned forests the tippers have to get permission. Large corporations issue permits with fees for their property. Most wreath producers are very particular about the quality of the tips they purchase. It’s hard to produce a top quality wreath if you don’t have top quality balsam tips to start with. The tips should have needles on all sides of the tip’s stems appearing rounded. They should be a dark green color. They also should be free of any sign of insect damage.

The best quality tips come from the middle of the tree. The branches on the top of the trees oftentimes have long stems and the bottom branches usually only have needles on one side. Naturally, wreath producers purchasing tips are looking for the deep green, rounded tips that come from the middle of the trees.

After cutting the tips are stacked on a stick in alternate directions until the stick weighs between 50 and 75 lbs. with twine attached to the ends for carrying. They are then taken to be sold to the local wreath producers. The tips are sold according to their weight.

Global warming may have an adverse effect on the Christmas wreath industry in Maine if it continues as predicted. As the fall gets warmer and warmer it’s possible that we won’t have the needed frost to set the needles on the balsam fir trees until it’s too late for the Christmas season.

How to make some Christmas wreath marshmallow/cereal treats. Thanks to Stacey (Dreamer72fem) for the cookbook! 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 (10z) bag of marshmallows (about 40 large marshmallows) 2 tsp vanilla Green food colouring 4 cups corn flakes cereal (or cereal of your choice) Candies/sprinkles for decorating In a microwave or over medium-low heat on the stove, heat butter and marshmallows until melted together. Stirring so that the mixture is smooth. (2-3 minutes on high in microwave, stirring at the halfway point). Add vanilla extract and green food colouring Place corn flakes in a large bowl and pour marshmallow mixture over the flakes. Stir thoroughly to combine and colour each flake. Grease hands with butter or margarine. Shape 1/2 cup of the corn flake mixture on waxed paper (or greased or silicone mat covered cookie sheet) to form a wreath. Sprinkle with candies.
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Jackson, CA (PRWEB) July 26, 2007 -

Traveling this fall? How about including re-enactments and other living history events in your plans. They’re a great way to enrich RV road trips, family travel and home school outings. History-travel experts Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker offer you a long list of suggestions that are fun, unusual and educational.

Authors of the new travel book ‘America’s Living History-The Early Years,’, the Sheumakers have published a free ‘In the Spotlight’ travel article on the website AmericasLivingHistory.com. It focuses on 45 events that will take place during September and October at national and state historical parks, historic landmarks and living history museums throughout the United States.

“We chose premier historical destinations that recall America’s most formative years — the time before the 1840s westward movement. Many have activities that make history fun, whether you’re traveling alone, with friends or with kids,” says Suzanne Sheumaker.

Among the special events are Native American celebrations, African American heritage days, 19th-century harvest festivals, pioneer gatherings, religious history weekends, heirloom garden shows, military encampments, war re-enactments and a wide range of craft fairs reminiscent of Spanish, French and English colonial days. Brief overviews with phone numbers and URLs are included.

Feel free to share all or part of ‘In The Spotlight: Living History Events’ with others, in print or online. Just remember that the article is copyrighted. So please credit the authors and include a link to the website AmericasLivingHistory.com

About the Authors

Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker are history-travel experts. They recently published the new guidebook ‘America’s Living History-The Early Years’ to bring together in one place tantalizing information about tourist attractions that recall America’s most formative years. The colorful 224-page book is receiving high praise for its unique approach to both U.S. history and U.S. travel. With insightful text and 500 destination photographs, it enables readers to page through America’s early years chronologically, from Native Peoples to the first stages of westward expansion. Along the way, readers discover a wealth of exciting places that can be enjoyed today. Regional maps and tourist information make travel planning easy.

‘America’s Living History-The Early Years’ is available wherever travel books are sold. If it is not in stock at your local bookstore, you can order it or go to Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com or other online bookstores. Autographed books are available direct from the authors via Red Corral Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-9792598-0-7

Contact:

Red Corral Publishing

Suzanne Sheumaker

209-295-5582

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Learn tips and techniques for how to refinish old wood furniture, including how much wood stain to apply, in this free how-to video. Expert: Jennifer Ware Bio: Jennifer Ware sews hand made quilted holiday stockings, quilts, pillowcases, and other special order items by request. Filmmaker: Jennifer Ware