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

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

Here are few tips that I hope will help.

Turn off the television when you are not in the room. The pennies you save can add up over time.

Kathy Zengolewicz

Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store. You can make small crafty gifts or some goodies in a jar which can consist of anything from soup to cookie mix. Follow my blog on Home & Living and I’ll show you how to make some great inexpensive crafts to give as gifts.

Follow the thirty day rule. When you are considering making a large purchase, think it over for 30 days and then if you still want it shop around and make sure to get the best deal

Don’t buy unnecessary items when food shopping. Make a list of the items that you need and stick to it. You can save a bundle that way.

When you are planning to get together with family and friends, invite them to your house instead of going out. We have a family game night once a month. This is a great way to spend some quality time with children and grandchildren and save money too. My grandchildren play right along with the adults.

Cut back on convenience and prepackaged foods. Instead, make easy casseroles or stews.  They are nutritious and cost less to make than buying the pre-made items. Make extra and have leftovers one night a week.

Turn those lights off when you leave a room. Better yet, use CLF(Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs. They use about 25% less electricity than a regular incandescent bulb.

Install a programmable thermostat. They can save anywhere from 10 to 20% on your energy bill. Cleaning the filter in your house heater will also cut down on your energy bills.

And last, but not least, shop early for holiday gifts. I know for a fact that items, especially toys, cost as much as 1-2 dollars more after Thanksgiving.

I will be bringing you more money saving tips in the weeks to come. I hope you will find these tips useful.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

sxc.hu

Don’t be stressed out at the thought of hosting family or friends overnight. I have a few tips to help you make your guests feel right at home.

Make sure to air out your guestroom a few days before. When I say air out I mean just that. Open the windows slightly to let the fresh air circulate in the room. You don’t have to leave it open all day, just about an hour and close the bedroom door so that there won’t be a draft in the remainder of the house.

Make up the bed with fresh linens. Put a medium sized basket in the room with a few essentials. You don’t need anything fancy just some toothpaste, new toothbrushes, soap, hand and body lotion, shampoo and conditioner. Leave a couple bottles of water, with drinking glasses, on the bedside or night table. You never know when you may need it and I’m sure your guests do not want to be roaming you home in the middle of the night to find water.

Also, place clean towels and wash clothes for each guest in the room. It’s nice to leave a book or magazine there, too in case they’re a little restless and can’t sleep. Some people sleep poorly when they’re not in their own bed.

Another great idea is to put some fresh flowers on a table or bureau. It adds a nice touch and is relatively inexpensive. Making your guests feel comfortable, whether they are family or friends, will help to make their visit more memorable.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Image: Kathy Zengolewicz

Place a small table under the pegboard to hold a couple of baskets. I save any gift bags or bows that I receive, that look nice, and re-use them for gifts that I give to others. You can use the baskets to store gift bags and bows.

Group all of your like objects together. For example I group my scissors together with my hole punches. Use hooks to hang your scissors, punches and small items like rolls of ribbon and tape. To store your rolls of wrapping paper, stand them upright on the table, against the pegboard, and attach a small bungee cord to hold them together. Don’t make the cord too tight or it may rip your gift wrap.

You can attach a small black mailbox to hold things like a glue gun and extra glue sticks. I you have the kind of mailbox that has a newspaper holder on the bottom to store my craft paper.

If you keep the table top free of clutter, when you are working on a project you will have plenty of room for your tape, scissors, glue, craft paper, etc. It is much easier to complete a project when you and your work area are organized.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Food, Cooking, and Holidays:
Cooking with a Little This and That
10 Ways to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Your Last Minute Stop for Halloween Ideas
17 Halloween Cupcake Ideas
20 Pumpkin Inspired Recipes
Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner
30 Fall Inspired Desserts and Treats

Organization and Declutering:
Do You Have an All or Nothing Attitude
Tips to Get Your Organization Started
Simplify Your Life:  Do Not Call Registry

Homemaking and Housekeeping:
Ideas for Repurposing Old Dresser Drawers
Tips for Completing Dreaded Chores
10 Ways to Save on Your Winter Energy Bill
How to Keep Your Carpet Smelling Fresh
Recycling Containers for Your Home
10 Easy Ways to Save Water
What’s in Your Washing Machine?
An Exploration of Laundry Myths
Lenox Bloom Dinnerware Review

Other:
A Farewell
Wordy Wednesday: My Trip to New York
Links I’m Enjoying
5 Tips for Grocery Store Baggers
 I’m Headed to New York City!

As I mentioned earlier, this will be my last post at Keeping the Castle. It’s been a pleasure.  You can continue to find me at Thrifty Mommy and on Twitter. 

image used with permission of Linette G

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Then Wednesday I made a sausage and spinach quiche.  Wouldn’t you know it, someone asked me what was in it.  I think I said something like, “Uhhhhh, some sausage, eggs, spinach, cheese, uhhhh.  Hmmm. Let me think.”  Honestly, I have no clue the amounts of each thing in the quiche.  I just kept adding more eggs, milk, seasonings, until I thought it looked right.  Recently, I’ve been experimenting with making my own caramel macchiatos.  I have it just about right.  They are so good.  Now my friends are asking me for the recipe.  Once again, I am not sure of the amounts.    I realize I am becoming one of those frustrating people that can’t tell you a recipe.

Are you a no recipe kind of cook?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

1.  Commit to 15 minutes. Set the timer for 15 minutes and commit to work for that amount of time.  Give yourself permission to stop working when the timer buzzes.  This will help get you started and the time you’re working doesn’t seem so overwhelming.  This way you can conquer the clutter one small pile at a time.  And it’s amazing the amount of work that you can get done when you diligently work with no distractions.

2.  Make a compromise. Set realistic expectations for how you want your house to look.  For me, I try to keep the common areas fairly clean.  Each day I *try* to put away the things in the main areas of the house.  It makes me feel like things are under control, even though there’s five loads of laundry waiting.

3.  Get the whole family involved. Set the timer and have everyone work together for 10-15 minutes.  Encourage teamwork, working as a family, responsibility, and end results.

What tips do you have for getting organized?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Each of us has a certain chore that we just don’t like to do.  This has me thinking of some tips to help us accomplish these dreaded chores.  Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get to put these tips to use.

1)  Reward yourself.  Tell yourself that after your chore is completed, you’ll do something nice for yourself.  It could be a quiet cup of coffee, your favorite television show, or reading a chapter from a book.

2)  Set the timer.  Sometimes when there’s a chore I don’t want to complete, I set the timer for 15-20 minutes.  I know that I only have to work until the timer beeps so it’s easier to get started.  Once I get started though, I usually end up working quickly and trying to see how much I can get done before the timer sounds.  Sometimes I even work after the allotted time.

3)  Make it fun.  Turn up the music and dance or sing.  If the kids are helping out, set the timer and make it a race.  Have a good time. 

What is the chore that you hate to complete?

image sxc.hu

Post from: Keeping the Castle

I remember the year we purchased our first home.  I decided that I should host Christmas dinner.  We had my parents and my husband’s parents over.  I didn’t realize all the work that would go into hosting the meal, opening presents, and family time. 

I learned a lot that day and now I certainly don’t take it for granted when I visit someone else’s house.  When I go to someone else’s house for a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, I try to offer to make something such as sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, or whatever they request.

If you are hosting this year’s dinner, here are some tips to help you not to stress.  Plan ahead so that you can enjoy being with your family.

Two weeks prior to Thanksgiving:

• Plan your menu. 
• Decide if anything can be made ahead and frozen.
• Get a final count of who’s coming.
• Assign menu items to those who want to help.  Never turn down help from anyone who offers.  If you don’t know right then what they can do then say, “I would love for you to help.  I don’t know right now exactly what I need help with.  Can I call you back in a couple of days and left you know?”
• Make your shopping list.
• Make your to-do list.  Prioritize your list, schedule, and delegate.

One week prior to Thanksgiving:

• Gather any recipes that you need.
• Go over your shopping list again and compare it with your recipes to insure that you don’t forget anything.
• Shop early for groceries and avoid the rush.
• Get your children to help with decorations.  They can even make place mats with turkeys or turkeys from pinecones.  You can insert place cards in the pine cones.
• Cook and freeze any menu items that you can.
• Clean bathrooms, living and dining rooms.  Clean house of clutter.

A few days before Thanksgiving:

• Put your turkey in the refrigerator to thaw.  Most birds usually take a few days to thaw.  Make sure you put a dish under it to catch any drippings.
• Buy any last minute perishables you might need.

Day before Thanksgiving:

• If possible, set the table.
• Make whatever dishes you can.  I like to make my sweet potato casserole the day before and refrigerate it.  The day of the dinner I heat up the casserole and add the marshmallows during the last 10 minutes of cooking. 
• Straighten up the house.

Thanksgiving Day:

• Finish any last minute cooking:  turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc.
• Enjoy yourself.
• Be thankful!

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

image sxc.hu

Post from: Keeping the Castle