Checklist: Preparing Your Home for the Holidays

Nothing brings people together like the holiday season. Start preparing now with some easy home improvement projects to welcome your guests in style. 

Whether your guests are staying just for the day or will be overnight visitors, this holiday checklist will help make your home as inviting and comfortable as possible.

Entrance

• Make sure all walkways and porches are free of ice and snow.  Taking someone to the emergency room because of a fall is not the way you want to start the holidays.
• Make sure all outdoor lighting is functioning properly and is turned on when it is dark.  Another important precaution to ensure your guest's safety.
• Establish a place to collect all warm weather apparel, including boots.  Add extra hangers to your coat closet or designate a room to collect these.  You should also consider adding an extra doormat for those wet boots.  If you plan for this ahead of time your entrance won't become a cluttered mess.

Living Area

• If the carpet isn't looking its best, schedule a professional carpet cleaning.
• Clean the windows so that guests can clearly see your outside decorations.
• Add some color to the walls by freshing up your space with a new coat of paint.
• Bring holiday scents to your living space with candles, potpourri, fresh garland or pine cones.

Bathrooms

• If the tile looks dingy, replacing it or even new grout can give a fresh look to a bathroom.
• Make sure the bathroom fan and window are in operating condition.  Ventilation is an important part of keeping your bathroom clean and mildew-free.
• Make sure you have enough guest bath and/or hand towels.  Consider special towels with holiday themes to keep with the spirit of the season.

Kitchen

• The kitchen has become an essential room for entertaining with the popularity and ease of serving food buffet style.  To provide more space, try installing applicances under countertops or consider investing in a kitchen island.
• Check the condition of the countertops, cabinets, and appliances.  Replacing the applicances can make a huge difference when you're preparing meals for large groups.
• Declutter your counter space by removing unsed appliances and other items and store in a place unseen to your guests.

Guest Rooms

• Make sure the guest beds have fresh linens.  Add a nice holiday decoration or treat to the bed welcoming your guests.
• Clear some closet space or a drawer to make your guests feel more at home.  No one likes to live out of a suitcase.
• Provide your guests with a bedside clock and reading lamp.  Not everyone goes to sleep or wakes up at the same time.

Color Trends for Home + Interior 2013

Pantone View Home + Interiors 2013 Trend Forecast

Earlier this year, Pantone released the Pantone View Home + Interiors 2013 Trend Forecast, a guide containing the nine most directional color palettes for home furnishings and interior design in 2013.

"To create the 'magic' that ultimately leads to sales in the marketplace, colors for 2013 will need to coax and cajole, soothe or astonish, renew and replenish," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "At the same time, there will be the consumer's expectation of practicality - what colors will have staying power and can be relied upon as a steadying influence in unsteady times. Skillfully balanced color palettes that play to their practical side, while satisfying their aspirations, hopes and needs for something novel will remain key to enticing the would-be consumer or client."

Pantone View Home + Interiors 2013 is a forecasting book that provides color and trend direction, enabling designers to select the right shades and combinations for home furnishings or interior spaces. The book contains visual inspiration, suggested color harmonies, individual tear-out palette cards for each of the nine forecasted palettes, swatches of the 75 forecasted colors, and images from the forecast for use in presentations and storyboards. Highlighting additional insight and directions, a summary page concludes the forecast with a comprehensive color overview and a look at other factors influencing the world of home furnishings and interior environments.

To enable digital design, Pantone View Home + Interiors 2013 also includes Pantone Color Manager for direct download of all Pantone Color Libraries into design software.

The nine palettes for 2013 are: Connoisseur, Glamour, New Old School, Rugged Individuals, Extracts, Footprints, Sojourn, Surface Treatments and Out of the Ordinary.

The palette called Connoisseur takes a fresh approach to celebrating the finer things in life while displaying a sense of history and elegance. Whether it is the perfect plate or the smooth finish of a simple table linen, these fine sensibilities are often reflected in a choice of colors that are both sophisticated and refined, yet not without a touch of understated drama. The colors are a compilation of monochromatic violets and orchids, liquid pink, deep mahogany, alyssum white and beechnut green, all reflected against champagne beige and silver.

The very word Glamour expresses what this palette is all about. Sleek and sensuous, it is very much reminiscent of the Art Deco era interpreted with contemporary influences. There is something very personalized and unique in the beguiling styling that involves both confidence and flair. Colors adequately reflect the mood of a bygone era: Rio red, and Monaco blue, deepest tap shoe black and chinchilla, ethereal gray moonmist and jasper teal. To add more glimmer to the glamour, there is both silver and champagne beige.

Another palette emphatically connected to heritage and history is New Old School. Adding a twist to a somewhat "preppy," collegiate and classic palette, it celebrates the hues typically found in iconic flags and banners. The styles are also reminders of the past, yet some sport a new contemporized look. There is ribbon red, bright white and sodalite blue, while nautical blue salutes breen and ultramarine green. Gargoyle and microchip grays draw a visible link to the contrast between the old world and the new.

Ranging from out West to the Outback, picking up the "ole" of the gaucho along the way, cowboy and cowgirl styles ride firmly into interiors. These are the Rugged Individuals who encourage and inspire the natural shadings of the prairie, polished leather, weathered wood and animal hide, while the earthiness of raw sienna tones blend with the inevitable classics of both vintage indigo and stonewashed blue jeans.

Taking orangey and spice tones to a new level, Extracts employs flavorful notes of color along with suggestions of appealing scents to create combinations that are zestful, pleasing, piquant and often unexpected. There is a subtle taste implied in this palette that evokes a somewhat exotic top note in spiced coral, brandied melon and apple cinnamon. The quiet presence of dusty pink and baked clay is refreshingly balanced by a tart, green banana.

Footprints is a palette that leads us down a path to vibrant tribal colors. These are steps that are not taken lightly, but instead are bold, forthright and very directional. Following the seductive rhythm of tangerine tango are peacock blue, a fiery pink flambe and solar-powered yellow. A verdant yellow green called oasis provides respite from the heat of Sudan brown.

The Sojourn palette takes us on a journey, one that is a bit more magical and intricate, as reflected in the compelling mixtures of a heady Syrah wine hue, the purpled intensities of a blackish plum, and the rosy glow of foxglove and Baton Rouge fuchsia against pampas and the green winter moss. All are nestled comfortably within the grounded organic hues of cobblestone and shitake.

Surface Treatments is a highly textural palette that adeptly utilizes smooth and nubby - polar opposites in a tactile world. It likewise embraces the liquid colors of ocean, sea and air such as Maui blue, vapor blue, and a more tempestuous tornado gray, along with the land-locked colors of fallen rock and birch, combined with a vegetal agave green. Medal bronze adds yet another dimension and patina to this diverse yet compatible grouping.

Quirky, odd, whimsical and even a bit obtuse, Out of the Ordinary products immediately capture the imagination of the beholder. It can be styling, texture, shape or design that reaches out to tempt the eye, but most frequently it is the color that captures instant attention and awareness. Colors like bonnie blue, pureed pumpkin and chocolate truffle are deliberately enticing, while amber green, linden green, golden rod, bright violet and rosebud round out this creative array.

Resource: Dexigner.com  

Holiday shopping online? 3 tips to avoid common scams

(BPT) - Sometimes the best way to find that perfect holiday gift is to search and shop online; it's quick, easy and convenient. And more and more people are doing it: It's anticipated that sales for November and December will grow to $54.5 billion in 2012, a 16.8 percent increase over 2011, according to eMarketer.

As you venture into unknown online territory in your quest for that perfect gift, it's important to shop with a heightened sense of security. 

There are undoubtedly countless honest and hardworking sellers who peddle goods over the Internet, but there are also scammers looking to take advantage of unwitting victims.

Help protect yourself from scammers by following three simple rules:

1. Never use a money transfer service to pay for something online.

"Money transfer services are convenient and simple ways to send cash to people you personally know, but you're better off paying by credit card or using an escrow service when you're buying goods online from someone you don't know or you haven't met in-person," says Shelley Bernhardt, director of consumer protection at Western Union.

Western Union is not an escrow service provider and does not guarantee the delivery or suitability of goods or services.  Once you send a money transfer, it can be paid out to the receiver within a short time.  After the money is paid, it's gone and the odds of getting it back if the gift you thought you purchased never finds your doorstep are slim.

If an individual seller or online retail website only accepts money transfers as payment, be wary and look elsewhere. And don't be fooled, even if the seller appears friendly and offers a reasonable explanation as to why he or she only accepts money transfers - fraudsters are well-trained in gaining your trust.

2. Never email any financial information.

It's a red flag if a seller asks you to email a credit card number or checking account number. And remember: Never give out your Social Security number when shopping online; retailers don't need this information to complete a transaction. If you're paying for something online, use a secure money exchange service like Paypal or use the secure payment portal on the seller's website.

3. Read product descriptions carefully, including the fine print, and determine exchange and return policies before you purchase.

If the seller or website you bought from doesn't have an exchange policy and the product you buy ends up being something different than what you expected, you're likely out of luck if you try to return it.

You can shop online safely and securely during the holidays or anytime of the year. But make sure you're a savvy shopper and protect yourself from scammers by approaching your purchases with the required amount of scrutiny.

For more information on avoiding common scams, visit www.westernunion.com/stopfraud or www.ftc.gov/moneymatters and click on "Scam Watch".

10 Easy Green Household Habits from Top Eco-friendly Bloggers

Environmentally friendly habits don't have to be expensive. In many cases, protecting your bank balance and protecting the planet go hand in hand! Here we've rounded up ten easy habits that save can save families money and help the environment at the same time, all suggested by Circle of Moms' Eco-friendly Mom Bloggers.


1. Buy Secondhand

"One second-hand big ticket purchase alone can save your household thousands of dollars and reduce environmental impact." Gretchen Covine, EdenFeed

2. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

"An easy, eco-friendly and FUN habit that helps save money is to make your own household cleaning products. With pantry items like baking soda and white vinegar, Castile soap, and essential oils you can make inexpensive cleaners that are safe for you, your family, and the planet." –Mindy McLaren, Sweet & Woodsy Blog

3. Reduce Food Waste

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 30 cents of every dollar we spend on food we end up throwing away because what we've bought spoils, or expires, or because we've just bought too much. The solution? Put leftovers in the front of the fridge, not the back where you might forget about them. Try to plan menus in advance, then grocery shop with an ingredients list so you buy what you really will use. Go to the grocery store just once a week - after 'leftovers' night, if possible, and when the fridge is almost empty." Diane MacEachern, Big Green Purse

4. Save Water and Energy on Laundry

“Avoid using the permanent press cycle, which uses an added 20 liters (5 gallons) for the extra rinse. New Energy Star-rated washers use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load. Wash your laundry in cold water — 80-90 percent of the washing machine's energy is used to heat the water. Your clothes will be just as clean — honest!" -Lori Popkewitz Alper, Groovy Green Livin'

5. Drive Less

"Drive less and walk/ride/roll more…Adopting a more active-lifestyle approach to transportation saves money on gas and car repairs, provides an "excuse" for families to exercise together, and reduces natural resource depletion." -Kimberly Danek Pinkson, ecomom blog

6. Reuse Containers

"One of the best ways to save money AND be eco-friendly is to reuse/recycle what you already have! Save tons of money on storage containers by reusing glass and plastic food containers when they are empty." Jennifer Nitzky, Sprout's Green Family

7. Start a Garden

"The taste of homegrown produce is AMAZING, and it's a great family project. When local produce is in season, you can also preserve the bounty for pennies on the dollar compared to store products. We can, dry, freeze, lacto-ferment, root cellar, and use cold frames and a greenhouse for season extension. The kids are so proud of themselves when they share ‘their’ fruits and vegetables with family and friends.” -Laurie Neverman, Common Sense Homesteading

8. DIY Gift Wrap

“Wrapping paper, tissue and gift bags are insanely expensive for something that ends up in the trash before the party is even over. Instead, use what you have to wrap gifts — a basket or a beach bucket can be two gifts in one. Or use your child's artwork to make an extra special presentation. -Amity Hook-Sopko, Green Gifts Guide

9. Cloth Diapers

"You can significantly reduce the cost of diapering by using cloth. After the initial start up cost to purchase the materials you need (in our case, it was around $150), you can save several hundred dollars each year by committing to cloth. If you plan to have more children and reuse your cloth diapers, you will have saved a serious amount of money!" -Charise Rohm Nulsen, I Thought I Knew Mama

10. Turn Off Lights & Unplug Electronics

"I know this sounds incredibly easy and almost silly, but turning off the lights when you are not using them, as well as putting your computers, TV's, etc. on a power strip and turning them off nightly [saves money]. ... Computers, TV's, DVD players, and other electronics that are plugged in 24/7 are considered 'energy vampires.' They use energy even when we are not using them." Amy Todisco, Green Living Now


Resource: The Circle of Moms Editors

Cheap Home Security Tricks

Here are some valuable tips to prevent burglars from making themselves at home in your house.

In the security of your own home, it’s easy to avoid thinking about how comfortable a burglar could get while you’re away or even fast asleep. According to the FBI, the number of home burglaries ticked down a bit last year, but they’re still frequent enough that the Bureau’s one-burglary-every-15-seconds estimate holds. That means every home is at risk for a burglary or break-in, especially those offering easy entry to thieves through the neglected details that lead to big losses.

If installing a top-of-the-line home security system is beyond your budget, fear not--there are many cheap home security tips and tricks you can use to keep your family and property secure.

Light It Up

• A well-lit home is much less likely to be broken into, so make sure your home's exterior is fully illuminated with motion-detector spotlights and other strategic outdoor lighting fixtures.
• When you’re away, use timers on interior lights to give the impression of home life as usual. Manual and digital timers can be found at your local hardware store or home center for a few dollars a pop. 

Keep the Landscape in Shape

• Tall trees can be accessories to crime when dense branches come close to your home and create pockets of darkness where burglars can hide. Keep trees well-trimmed to avoid giving thugs a place to hang out.
• Dense shrubs can also create a hideout, so keep hedges low and plantings near doors and windows neat and transparent. 

Door Stops

• A door with only a handle lock is an easy mark for a crook armed with finesse, a plastic credit card and the desire to break your home security. Instead, add a good-quality deadbolt at each entry. The best deadbolts require a key on the outside and incorporate a thumb latch on the inside. Further strengthen every installation by substituting long, heavy-duty screws for those provided by the manufacturer so that entry doors can be secured to the wood-framed door opening in the wall.
• No matter which lock you choose, it’s only as strong as the door itself, which is generally weakest around the lock. Add a decorative door reinforcement plate (about $10) to make this zone more secure. For more entry door security tips, check out our Front Door Entryways tips.
• Improve home security at the patio door by adding a patio bar, which can stop the inside door from sliding open or being pried off if the lock is broken. A sturdy piece of wood strategically placed in the open track can also improve door security.
• When leaving home for day trips or longer, keep your garage closed to intruders by inserting a large stove bolt through one of the side track holes to prevent the door from being slid open.
• Install a wide-angle (200-degree) peephole in your front door so that you can easily see who’s come knocking. 

Secure Your Keys

• Never hide spare keys in “secret” places outside your home, because smart burglars know which flowerpots to look under.
• Be smart about issuing spare keys. Even though you may be careful about who they’re issued to, you can’t control the paths they may cross or situations in which your key may be exposed to duplication.

Weak Windows

• Windows can be the weakest link in home security, especially if left open and unattended. Make sure all units are closed and locked before you leave home for even the shortest errand, and add window dressings and shades to discourage prying eyes.
• Modern windows include sash locks, but you can improve security by drilling a hole from front to back where the top and bottom windows overlap and installing a long nail in the hole. If the integrated window lock breaks, the nail will stop the window from sliding open. Security bars on ground-level windows are also an option, but make sure they’re fitted with quick-release mechanisms that allow them to be opened from the inside in an emergency. 

Self-Service Security Systems

• Low-cost, high-technology home security systems incorporating infrared motion detection, remote controls and easy-to-install door and window break-in sensors are available for application in apartments and small homes. If you have pets, you can prevent false alarms by looking for systems incorporating “pet alley” settings that keep detection just above their usual paths.
• For more security with doors and windows, purchase individual alarms to supplement existing security measures. 

Make a Thorough Inventory

• Perhaps the most important home security measure of all is to document your home’s contents, particularly the valuables. Get out the video camera and take a thorough tour of your home, then deliver a copy of the resulting tape and any other helpful documentation to your safe deposit box. If your home security is ever really threatened by a burglary, you’ll have the proof you need to supply to the police and to your homeowners insurance company.

Resource: moneypit.com


Another option of protecting your home and family is with a Tomboy Tools Home Security System.  Our easy-to-install, state-of-the-art GE Wireless Home Security System has five flexible packages to meet your needs, budget, and lifestyle.  Contact your local Tomboy Tools Consultant for more information.

Tips for a Waste-Less School Year

Here are some great tips that you can incorporate as the kids head back to school this year.

Choose and use a wide assortment of products made from recycled products, such as pencils made from old blue jeans; binders made from old shipping boxes; and many types of recycled paper products. You can also reuse items like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, and scrap paper for notes. Using recycled-content and reusing supplies prevents waste and saves you money.

Before starting a new school year, sort through your materials. Many supplies can be reused or recycled. Notebooks, folders, and binders can be reused. Recycle unwanted papers and reuse your old folders and binders. Share your used books with friends, relatives, or younger schoolchildren.

Waste from packaging accounts for more than 30 percent of all the waste generated each year. Use school supplies wrapped with minimal packaging; use compact or concentrated products; or buy products that come in bulk sizes. Save packaging, colored paper, egg cartons and other items for arts and crafts projects. Look for other ways you can reduce the amount of packaging you throw away!

Many schools reuse text books to save money and reduce waste. Covering your textbooks with cut-up grocery or shopping bags helps reduce waste and keeps your books in good condition. Be creative—use markers or colored pencils to give your covers unique and fun designs. Paper grocery bags are also great for wrapping packages.

Use nontoxic products, inks and art supplies, such as batteries with less mercury, vegetable-based inks, and water-based paints.

Use and maintain durable products. Sturdy backpacks and notebooks can be reused for many years, which helps reduce the amount of broken items tossed away each year. Put long-lasting, high-quality tires on your car and bicycle. Be sure to keep your tires properly inflated.

If you bring your lunch to school, package it in reusable containers instead of disposable ones, and carry them in a reusable plastic or cloth bag, or lunch box. Bring drinks in a thermos instead of disposable bottles or cartons.

If you buy lunch, take and use only what you need: One napkin, one ketchup packet, one salt packet, one pepper packet, one set of flatware. And, remember to recycle your cans and bottles. 

If you drive to school, try carpooling or take public transportation. Get your parents' permission to try walking, biking, or skating. You can prevent wasted fuel, reduce air pollution, and decrease traffic in your community.

Borrow or rent your decorations and supplies for parties, dances, and proms. If you buy these supplies, try adopting a theme that can be used from year-to-year, so that you can reuse your decorations and supplies.

Pass it on. Share the message with your friends and schoolmates. Waste less by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Volunteer for, or start , an environmental club or recycling project in your school.

Work with your teachers and friends to find ways to encourage everyone in your community to make waste reduction a part of their everyday lives. You can also look for unique ways to make your school more waste-free, such as starting a school composting project.

Resource:  EPA.gov

Vinegar: The Magic Cleaning Product

If you have any sense of smell, you know the pungent scent of vinegar. Think of it as the smell of clean.  This mild, organic acidic can clean and sanitize a coffeepot, keep drains running clear and smelling fresh, and among other uses too numerous to mention, it can even repel insects. And if that’s not enough, it’s safe and inexpensive to use.

But first, a few cleaning tips:

- Removing lipstick from carpet can be tedious. Use a mild solution of liquid dish soap and warm water. Work in gently with a soft cloth and flush with club soda or water. A carpet spotter may also work on the stain.

- To clean solid brass, mix lemon juice and salt together, dip a cloth into the mixture and clean the brass. Rinse and dry. An application of car wax on the clean brass will help repel future tarnish.

- Keep white wine handy to neutralize the color in red wine if a tile grout stain occurs. Clean the stain with a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar, or use hydrogen peroxide. The process may have to be repeated to remove the stain completely.

Vinegar and Its Applications:

- Cleaning eyeglasses: Rub with vinegar and dry with a soft cloth. Don’t worry about any odor from vinegar remaining on the glasses -- it will quickly dissipate.

- Repelling Bugs: Dab vinegar on skin when working outdoors; bugs will hate the taste of the skin and leave.

- Getting rid of musty odor in trunks, drawers and closets: Place a slice of white bread (it must be white bread) in a bowl and cover with vinegar. Leave the bowl in the musty area for 24 hours. The yeast action in the bread combines with the acid values of the vinegar to absorb the odor. Close doors and drawers for the best result.

- Eliminating fish frying odors: Place a shallow dish of vinegar by the pan while frying fish.

- Eliminating onion odors: Spray vinegar on hands, knife and cutting board while chopping onions.

Resource:  DIY Network