Kathy Zengolewicz

I know that the kitchen should remain practical, but there are a few things you can do to make it look as decorated as the rest of the house.

Start by putting up a cheap pair of curtains. They don’t have to have a Christmasy design, you can use a pair of plain white cafe curtains and add a red or green valance. Use some holiday knick knacks, from the dollar store, to line your window sill. Instead of using the window cling ons, this year I found some gel type window decorations and they look great and add just the right amount of color.

Put some greenery, live or fake, around on you kitchen table or countertops. Pick up a poinsettia plant or two and put that on a counter or table for a festive touch. A small live Christmas tree, the plant type, with a small red bow around the base looks great and doesn’t take up a lot of room.

These are just a few ideas for you to help make your surroundings pretty, but won’t put a strain on your wallet. If you find that these tips are a little too much, then opt for placing a few red bows, in strategic places, throughout the kitchen. You may even have a few ideas yourself, if so then go for it.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Now, my children all have their own homes and sometimes its hard to get everyone together, at one time, under the same roof. Three of my children have growing families and it is tough for them to set aside time to be with their siblings. All five of my children have always had a close relationship and I didn’t want to see that end. I knew I had to find a solution for this, so I put together a family game night.

I understand that at times money is tight, so we try to keep our get-togethers as inexpensive as possible. We have decided to set one night a month aside to gather, snack and just enjoy each others company. We started this process a couple of months ago and it seems to be working well. Just the fact that they can bring their children to the family game nights helps. They get to go out for the evening and not worry about paying a sitter.

Sometimes keeping your house in tip top shape means keeping it filled with good times and great company. Fill you life with friends and family. Start a tradition of keeping in touch with the ones you love. If you are not a game playing family, that’s okay. You don’t have to play games, you just have to make it a point to see each other regularly and enjoy the company.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

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

If you wait until the 23rd or 24th of December, you will have to fight crowds, you will have very little merchandise to choose from and you will wait in long, long lines. Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, not stress.

Now, shop when you think the stores will be less crowded, like in the early morning or late at night. Some stores are open 24 hours, if that’s the case you can probably shop at 3:00 am. If you shop in the middle of the night, who knows, maybe you can get everything done in one night. Wouldn’t that be great!

Make up a list of specific gifts for everyone and stick to that list. If you know what you are looking for, chances are it will be that much easier to find. Set a maximum price for each gift and stick to that, also. Try not to use a credit card. Those little plastic cards will get you into a financial bind. Try to work within your budget. If you can stick to the budget, you’ll be that much happier on December 26th.

If you are shopping online, make sure to check out this site: http://www.couponcabin.com and http://www.currentcodes.com/ Also, do a google search of “coupon codes” (without the quote marks) and you’ll find promotional codes for lots of terrific sites.

I hope these tips help with your shopping and keep your stress level down. Remember to stop, relax a little and enjoy the season.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

sxc.hu

Most weatherproofing can be done by you, no need to call a professional. Here are a couple of easy jobs that will make a big difference when the cold weather blows in. Clean all gutters and downspouts in early fall and check them again, to make sure they are clear, before winter. Clean or replace the filter in your house heater. Make sure to turn off all outside water spigots and turn the water flow off from the inside.

Buy snow shovels and any other winter supplies early, before the snow hits. Always keep extra bottled water and canned goods on hand in case of an emergency.

Make sure that attic and basement walls are adequately insulated. Look under your doors for gaps where the warm air can escape or cold air can find it’s way into your home. Caulk all window or door frames that are in need of repair.

Feel around the electrical outlets and switch plates for cold air. Insulate where needed. Have your chimney cleaned and test the flue of your fireplace to make sure there is a tight seal when it is closed.

These are just a few ideas to help you save money and to keep you warm throughout the winter season.

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

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

sxc.hu

There are plenty of commercial product on the market to extinguish offensive smells, but I would rather use ordinary everyday solutions.

If you have an offensive smell in your house you will need to first find out where it is coming from before you can dispel it. Lots of times that is easy to do, especially when the odors come from cooking. The worst cooking smells come from broccoli, cabbage and fish. If you set a small bowl of regular vinegar on your kitchen counter it will absorb those odors. I have a cooktop range so I place the bowl of vinegar close to the range top.

Make sure that your garbage is emptied daily. Rotting garbage is one of the worse smells. Clean your trash can regularly with a strong detergent and rinse. After drying place a sprinkling of baking soda in the bottom, before putting in a bag, to keep it stench free.

To keep your kitchen cabinet smelling fresh, place a couple of vanilla extract soaked cotton balls in a sachet bag and place in the back of the cabinet. I also place a sachet bag in my freezer. Don’t like the smell of the vanilla, then use lemon, orange or peppermint extract. It will keep your cupboard fresh for weeks.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle