Category: Lifestyle
5 Fun Facts About St. Patrick’s Day
Besides drinking green drinks and eating corn beef and cabbage what do you really know about St. Patrick’s Day? Here are five fun facts you can share around the dinner table tonight!
1. The word “shamrock” comes from the Irish word “seamróg,” meaning “little clover.” It is the symbol of Ireland
2. We all get decked out in green on St. Patrick’s Day, but the holiday was originally associated with the color blue. It’s thought that everything shifted to green because of Ireland’s nickname “The Emerald Isle,” the green in the Irish flag and the shamrock, or clover.
3. The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in the Irish village of Dripsey. It lasts only 100 yards, which is the exact distance between the village’s two pubs.
4. St. Patrick was a Christian missionary, bishop and a patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Britain. When he was only sixteen, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland, where he spent six years in captivity, working as a shepherd.
5. The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the largest parade in the world. It was first held in 1762 by a group of homesick Irish expats and soldiers who served with the British army.
Ways to Get Ready for Spring Now!
It may not be here yet but spring is finally coming and we’re all ready for warmer temperatures! If you want to get a head start on the season here are some things you can do now to prepare.
1. Clean out your closets. If you are someone who stores your spring/summer wardrobe somewhere else during the colder months, start washing and organizing them now! Make room for them by cleaning out your bedroom closets.
2. Locate your screens. If you remove your window/door screens and replace them with glass in the winter, now is the time to locate them! You’ll want them installed the first warm day so you can welcome a spring breeze into your home.
3. Jump-start spring cleaning. Get ready for the season by doing your spring cleaning now! Throw out anything that was damaged during winter and get organizing. That way when warmer temperatures hit you can spend your time outside!
4. Find outdoor essentials. If you like sitting outside in the evenings start shopping for a new patio set! Already have one? Find and wash the chair cushions now.
Tips for Cleaning Your Stemware
Does your stemware look dingy? Do you want to clean it properly but you’re unsure how? Keep reading to learn how to clean those fancy wine glasses without getting spots or residue!
1. Crystal stemware should always be hand-washed. Glass stemware can be washed in the dishwasher on a gentle cycle.
2. Never let red wine sit in glasses over night. Pour out the contents and fill the glass with hot water if you’re not ready to wash yet to avoid red wine stains.
3. Always hold the stemware by the base when hand-washing.
4. Use a gentle sponge and mild soap or detergent. You don’t want to use anything too abrasive that could scratch.
5. Use a lint-free towel to dry the stemware off. If you let them air dry you will risk getting spots. Make sure to dry both the inside and outside of the glass and handle with care to avoid fingerprints!
5 Time-Saving Household Cleaning Tips
Cleaning is a daunting task that seems to take up a lot of our time. We spend hours of our day scrubbing baseboards and washing floors and putting away clutter. If you want to save yourself some time use these five tips next time you roll up your sleeves for a day of cleaning house.
1. Use dryer sheets to clean baseboards. This goes for chair rail too! If you have a lot of dust and debris that’s piled up on the trim in your home, don’t bother scrubbing it down with soap and water then drying it. Instead, use a clean dryer sheet to quickly wipe up the dirt. The particles stick to the sheet and you’ll be moving on to your next task in no time. The clean smell they leave is just an added bonus.
2. Use a lemon to make your stainless sink shine. It takes a lot of time to scrub down a kitchen sink and usually we end up with streaks that make it look dirtier than when we started. We have to scrub to make the steel shine and use harsh chemicals. Instead, rub a lemon on the inside of your sink. It will clean away the gunk, make your sink shine and smell fresh.
3. Make a clutter basket. When you’re cleaning the house sometimes it seems like you’re spending the entire day putting things back into their place. Instead of picking up clutter multiple times a day, throw it all in your “clutter basket” as it piles up. At the end of the day make one trip putting away all of the items you’ve collected.
4. Clean your couch with a brush. Most vacuum cleaners come with a handy attachment that looks like a brush. Instead of constantly vacuuming your couch and pillows, remove the brush attachment and scrape for pet hair and lint. The brush will pick up everything including the unwanted stuff you don’t even see in a short amount of time.
5. Designate a day for bigger tasks. Some cleaning tasks need more attention, for example, the bathroom. Instead of doing a mediocre job of cleaning your bathroom each day, designate a day to do it. Once a week you should scrub your sink, tub and toilet really well and wash the floors and linens. Then you won’t need to spend so much time throughout the rest of the week.
5 Tips for Hosting a Super Bowl Party
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here! Before you open your door to your football-loving guests, read our tips for throwing a successful Super Bowl Party!
1. Make sure you have plenty of seating. Not only do you need seats for your guests, you need seats that have a great view of the TV. Count how many people you need to accommodate and rearrange furniture if necessary. Use giant pillows on the floor as an option so people can be close to the action!
2. Cook finger foods. Your guests are going to be sitting in your living room and paying attention to the game so there’s no point serving a five star meal! Make a bunch of appetizers or throw something in the crock pot to snack on.
3. Play your own games. Design your own version of Super Bowl squares for your guests. Ask everyone to pay $1 per square and divide up the pot at the end of each quarter. This is a great way to get guests who aren’t huge football fans in on the action.
4. Use coolers. Instead of filling your fridge full of beverages for your guests (and taking up all the room), display a large cooler in the living room. This way your guests don’t have to leave the excitement to replenish their drinks.
5. Dress the part. Ask your guests to show up wearing their favorite team’s swag! Want to take it a step further? Break out the face paint! Give the kids at the party something fun to do by painting their faces before game time.
Blizzard Preparation Checklist
A blizzard is heading our way and it’s time to start checking to make sure we are prepared at home! Before settling in for the night tonight make sure your home is prepared with the following items. Once the snow starts falling many local businesses will be closed so it’s important to prepare! Do you have all of the items on this list?
• Non-perishable food—at least a 3-day
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications
• Fully-charged cell phones
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Pet food
• Candles/matches
• Sand or rock salt
• Warm coats, gloves, hats and boots
• Firewood (if you have a fireplace)
• Warm blankets
• Snow shovel
4 Tips for Successfully De-Cluttering Your Home
We all have had issues with clutter whether it’s our kitchen drawers that get filled up with junk or our linen closets. Sometimes it can get overwhelming and we’re unsure how to fix the problem! Here are 4 tips to help you get rid of your clutter fast!
1. Choose one room at a time! Don’t expect to de-clutter your entire home in one weekend. Instead, pick one room at a time and focus on a smaller area.
2. Remove junk before you start buying. Bins and baskets are a great way to store our everyday household items. Before you go out and buy a bunch of containers for your stuff, clean the area and determine just how many you’ll need so you aren’t buying in excess.
3. Finish what you start. Sometimes when we start cleaning we can create a bigger mess than we had when we started. To avoid digging yourself into a clutter hole, finish each task before moving onto another space.
4. Give yourself a break! If you de-cluttered your office on Sunday and by Saturday it seems messy again, don’t give up. Put items away before things get out of hand again. Spending five minutes putting clutter back into it’s home each night will save you a lot of time in the long run and you won’t have to start all over.
5 Tips For Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions
Making resolutions is easy…sticking to them is the tough part! Whether you are trying to lose weight, save money or get organized here are some tips to help you be more successful with your goals this year!
1. Make your goal realistic. If your goal is to lose weight, remember that losing 100 pounds in a year is just not feasible (for most of us) so make your goal one that is realistic to obtain in one year.
2. Make sure you resolutions are specific. Don’t just say “I am going to get healthy in 2015.” Instead say I am going to exercise three times per week this year and stick to it.
3. Find a buddy with a similar goal. If you want to quit smoking this year, find a friend who has the same wish and keep each other accountable. You can inspire each other to stick with it.
4. Give yourself a smaller time frame. One year is a long time to be held accountable for a lifestyle change. Instead give yourself monthly goals. For example, save 100 dollars by the end of January. Once you have done that, challenge yourself to save 200 dollars in February.
5. Don’t be afraid of setbacks. We are all human and tend to slip up throughout the year. Don’t worry about a setback and just get back on track rather than choose to give up.
5 Tips for Holiday Shopping on a Budget
‘Tis the season for empty wallets! The holidays are certainly a time when we tend to drain our bank accounts shopping for the perfect gifts. Here are five tips to help you shop this season on a budget!
1. Make a list! Don’t go to the mall blindly. Make sure you have a list of people to shop for and budget how much you want to spend on each person. Cross off people’s names as you purchase their gifts.
2. Buy children something they want, need and something to read! Instead of going overboard with toys and clothes, ask your children to come up with one gift they really want. Supplement that with an item they really need and then finally something they can read.
3. Search for coupon codes. Websites like retailmenot.com offer coupon codes for hundreds of stores we all shop every day. If you’re shopping online, make sure to check for offers first!
4. Wait for sales. Stores like Macy’s offer annual sales every holiday season where you can get many things for a discounted rate. Put items on hold and wait until the sale to pay for them and pick them up.
5. Stop when you hit your limit! We all tend to go overboard during the holidays but make sure you set a spending limit and do not go over it, no matter how early you finish your holiday shopping.
5 Thanksgiving Traditions to Start This Year
Interested in starting some Thanksgiving traditions with your family and friends? Here’s a list of five great ways to make memories this turkey day.
1. Have every person at your dinner table write down one positive thing about each person in the room. Throw all of the answers into a bowl and read your own compliments aloud. This game will be sure to make everyone smile.
2. Have an award ceremony! Make everyone vote and hand out ribbons to the winners. Ideas for achievements could include “the best pie,” “the biggest eater,” “best dish washer” etc.
3. Watch a certain movie after dinner. Gather the family and friends around the TV after dessert and start a tradition of watching a great classic movie. Promise that the only night each year you’ll watch that flick is on Thanksgiving.
4. Make a thankful tree! Have all of your guests write what they are thankful for on a paper leaf and hang it on a tree used as your table centerpiece.
5. Are you a competitive bunch? Why not have some turkey trivia? After dinner let the games begin, break up into two teams and play some good old fashioned trivia!