Kathy Zengolewicz

For those of you who celebrate with live Christmas trees there are a few special fire safety precautions you need to take. When you are selecting your tree, make sure that is fresh. The needles on a fresh tree should be green and hard to pull back from the branches.

The needles should not break off if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be a little sticky to the touch. To check and see if your tree is fresh, bounce the tree trunk on the ground. If few needles fall off, then the tree is fresh and not considered a fire hazard.

When setting up your tree, do not place it near a heat source, including a fireplace. The heat will cause the tree to quickly dry out. A dry tree can be easily set aflame by heat or a spark. Don’t put the tree up too early, it shouldn’t be up longer than 2 weeks. Keep the tree watered at all times.

Contact your local government to see what steps you need to take to dispose of your tree properly. Most cities or townships pick up discarded trees on specific days, different from your regular trash pick up day.

If you are using an artificial tree, make sure that it is flame retardant. Never use candles on or around your tree. Inspect your holiday lights yearly for frayed wires or broken or cracked sockets. Only use lights that are UL approved. Do not over load electrical sockets. Use only nonflammable decorations.

Take the time to make your holidays happy and safe.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Keep all produce separate from any meat in your refrigerator. Crisper drawers help protect and keep your produce moist and aid in the maintenance of freshness for longer periods of time. Mostly all fruits and vegetables can be stored in the freezer. Make sure to freeze in small pieces.

It is better to buy small quantities and eat any produce as quickly as possible after purchasing them. The flavors and nutrients start to degrade the moment they are picked.

Tomatoes should be stored, unwashed, at room temperature. Vidalia onions have a high water content and should be wrapped individually in paper towels before storing in the refrigerator. Eggplant goes bad very quickly and should be eaten with a couple of day of purchasing.

Asparagus should be stored with their tips in water and with a wet paper towel wrapped around the tops to keep them crisp. Mushrooms can be stored in a cool dry place and washed directly before use.

Lettuce should be washed as soon as possible after purchase and cleaned. I rap my lettuce head at the core, remove the core and hold it, core side up, under cold running water until the water comes out of the top. Then let it sit and drain before putting into a lettuce crisper and placing it in the refrigerator.

Cantaloupe will go from ripe to overripe quickly. Store the or any other melons at room temperature. Mangos, plums, peaches and pears can be stored in a brown bag at room temperature.

Storing your fruits and vegetables properly will help them last a little longer and save you money.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

In the kitchen: A Boston fern placed in a wooden basket looks great on top of your refrigerator. You can start a small herb garden on your window sill above your sink.

In the bath: Place an African violet on the tank top of your commode. Hang a spider plant from a corner or in a window.

In the bedroom: placing a fragrant plant like an azalea or a rose plant on your night table will also give you pleasant dreams.

In the living room: Place an English ivy plant in a brass container and place it on the mantle or a curio cabinet. Placing plants on end or coffee tables in unusual containers such as baskets or an old Victorian shoe makes the room interesting and entertaining.

In the dining room: Shop around at some flea markets or garage sales for an old bird cage. Placing a trailing ivy plant in the cage looks beautiful.

Indoor plants need lots of TLC, so make sure to create a routine of watering and weeding dead leaves from the plant to keep it healthy. Feed your plants a multi-purpose plant food like Miracle-Gro every two weeks and watch them flourish and grow.

When you decorate your home with live plants the benefits can be plentiful.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Today I want to deal with all of the mess and stain that you know you will have after the feast. I know my table is always a mess after a big dinner. I would like to share with you some sure fire ways to help with your clean up.

Removing nasty stains is a big job. To remove cranberry sauce or wine stains simply put ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide and one cup of cold water in a spray bottle. Spray the stain and then dip a clean clothe in ice water and rub. The stain will be gone in no time.

Coffee and tea stains? Mix one teaspoon of white vinegar to one quart of cold water. Spray it on the stain and blot with a clean cloth. Poof! Stain gone.

Dawn dish washing liquid is great for removing grease stains for almost any fabric. I use it to remove the grease stains from my table clothes.

Believe it or not, if you have a nasty stain like grease from a bicycle try smearing the stain with Cheeze Whiz and then launder as usual. You will be shocked by the outcome. It really works.

For butter stains on carpet or upholstery, scrape off any excess butter, sprinkle with baking soda or cornstarch and let it sit for about 20 minutes then vacuum. If the stain remains, mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and one tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of warm water. Apply the detergent/vinegar solution to the area with a sponge, then blot with cold water and use a clean clothe to blot dry.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you should have on hand:

• A first aid manual or guide
• sterile gauze
• adhesive tape and bandages in different sizes
• An elastic bandage
• A pair of goggles or other eye protection
• A manual aspirator or suction unit
• Antiseptic wipes
• Topical medications such as iodine, aloe vera gel, tea tree oil
• Anti-itch ointment
• Soap
• An antibiotic cream like triple-antibiotic ointment
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Hydrocortisone cream
• <Acetaminophen and ibuprofen
• A pair of tweezers
• A sharp pair of scissors
• Safety pins
• Instant cold packs (disposable)
• A bottle of calamine lotion
• Alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
• A thermometer
• Plastic gloves (2-3 pairs)
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A mouthpiece for administering CPR
• A list of emergency phone numbers
• A blanket (on hand)

Make sure to read through your first aid manual or guide to ensure that you understand how to use the contents of the kit. It is a good idea to have all members of the family be familiar with the kit and how to use it.

Store the kit in a safe place out of a child’s reach, but accessible for an adult. Check the kit regularly to replace any items that have been used or that have expired.

You can assemble a first aid kit in almost any type of container. Make sure that the container is clean and waterproof. It is always better to hand a kit on hand. You never know when it may be needed.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

sxc.hu

Do you know what’s in your medicine cabinet? When was the last time you checked the expiration dates on any medications that you have? I can’t say that I ever thought about it before, but I took the time recently to to do just that and I was surprised to find that so many of my over the counter medications were expired. I don’t mean recently expired, I’m talking being expired for some time.

Aside from any prescription medications you may be taking it is a good idea to have some of the following items on hand.

Aspirin, for use as a painkiller and a fever reducer.  Although it is not wise to give aspirin to children, you should still keep some on hand for when it is needed.

Ibuprofen like Advil and Motrin and naproxen like Aleve and Naprosyn are also effective painkillers for adults and children over 12 years.

Decongestans and over the counter cold medicine is another must. Cough syrup for adults and children are sometimes needed in the middle of the night, so keep those handy. The same thing goes for antihistamines and allergy medications.

Keeping antacids tablets, calamine lotion, antihistamine cream and cortisone creams available is smart.

Bandaids, bandages, gauze pads and medical tape should be in every medicine cabinet. As well as an oral thermometer, toothpaste, floss and a spare toothbrush.

We don’t always think about things like medicine cabinets and what should be in them. Don’t be unprepared and make sure to check for any expired medications which can make you sick, and replace them with brand new supplies. You’ll be glad that you did. Make it a point to check your medicine cabinet regularly.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Indoor gardens can be made to exude beauty in a room.  They are the perfect solution for apartment dwellers who don’t have room for an outdoor garden. Believe it or not, indoor plants actually filter the air in your home. They do require some maintenance, but if you choose the right plants the maintenance time will be drastically reduced.  Let’s take a look at a couple of different ideas for an indoor garden.

These plants need a minimum of care and are inexpensive to buy.

A pothos plant, or devil’s ivy as it is sometimes called, is the most common indoor house plant. It has even survived bachelor pads, now what does that tell you? It can survive and flourish with changing  levels of light, temperature, humidity and watering. It is one of a few species that can survive without any natural light source.

A spider plant. Everyone knows how easy it is to care for a spider plant. Why not start your plant from a small cutting/clipping and see how big it grows in a few months time.

A bromeliad is another excellent indoor plant. The have colorful foliage and they adapt nicely to growing conditions that exist in most houses.

Another good idea is to create an herb garden to sit on your kitchen counter or window sill. Make sure  to grow only the herbs that you will use in your cooking.

This should be enough information to get you started on your indoor garden.

Indoor plants, however, do need consistency with watering and feeding. I will blog about watering, feeding and decorating with indoor plants at a later time, so stay tuned!

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Changing your curtains or getting a new window treatment can completely change the look of a room. It doesn’t matter whether you choose sheer curtains, heavy draperies or a sheer curtain with an over drape. Window treatments express your style and also provide privacy. You can choose anything from a simple linen curtain to a faux silk drape for a stunning effect.

For the kitchen, you don’t have to go to a lot of expense. I did a makeover on my kitchen and it cost me next to nothing. Throw some paint on the walls to brighten and freshen them and change your drawer pulls. My kitchen theme is apples so I looked around and found small apple knobs and I replaced my old drawer pulls with those. Go to a linen outlet and choose a few colorful, seasonal dish towels, hand towels and dish cloths. They will definitely make your kitchen bright.

Living rooms were made for candles. Arrange a couple of pillar candles, different sizes, around the room to give it a rich look. Around this time of year you can get seasonal paper plates in all sizes to set the candles on to give them a festive charm.  If your sofa is looking a little shabby, try a new slip cover or better yet arrange a favorite quilt or afghan, corner facing down towards the cushions, across the top of the couch. This will give your living room a warm and inviting look. Remember to keep you living room lamp and coffee tables free of clutter.

Always make sure that your entry way, at the front door, is free of clutter. When the path is clear, your home will feel more welcoming.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

I love to listen to music and dance, well it’s what I call dancing, while I dust and straighten up. I am sure that you have mismatched socks around the house so put on aside for dusting. Spray the sock with furniture polish, put it on like a mitten and dust your lamp tables, chair and table legs, knick knacks, etc. When dusting always dust from the top down.

Use a bucket of bleach water (but be very careful, you don’t want a spill) and a clean cloth, or Clorox disinfecting wipes for cleaning down you light switch plates, phones, door jambs, etc. In winter months it’s especially necessary to wipe your door knobs to rid them of virus and flu germs.

Save the vacuuming for last. Using a handheld vacuum for the chair and sofa cushions is a lot easier than dragging the larger vacuum around. Handheld vacuums are great for picking up crumbs and dust in between cleanings. Some housekeepers vacuum multiple times during the week, especially if there is a pet in the house, but once or twice a week should be enough in most circumstances.

Keep the clutter to a minimum on the coffee table, keep books and magazines in a neat pile. Fold afghans or sofa throws when you finish with them and give any pillows a quick fluff. Throw out old newspapers and put video equipment away after playing. If you do these things daily, you home will never be in a state of disarray.

Finally, make sure to have a good sturdy door mat for wiping your feet. The mats made of artificial grass do the best jobs of getting debris from shoes so you track less dirt inside.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Hang a quilt on the wall behind your headboard. It’s a simple step that looks great. You don’t have to match the quilt with your bedspread, but do keep the same color scheme.

Mix and match some pillows to brighten up the room. Your décor should express your personality so find a favorite print and use a dollar store picture frame and you have instant art for your bedroom walls.

Not a print kind of person? Take pictures of your children or other loved ones, yes that does include you pets, and frame those photos. Make a collage of those pics. I like that kind of art!

Redecorate or replace your lampshades to correspond with your new décor, or better yet, install wall lamps. That will keep some of the clutter off of your bedside or night table.

Change the position of your bed. Placing your bed on an angle, where the corner of the room is in the middle of your headboard, that gives a unique semblance to the room.

If you’re a snuggler, top your bed with a soft down comforter. If you just want to inject some color into the room do it with a few accessories like a new lampshade or knick knacks.

You can add a homey look to your space by draping your quilt or comforter over the headboard or footboard using your bed as a quilt stand.

So, you see there are many easy and inexpensive ways to change a room using your imagination. Have fun trying some of these suggestions.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle