Nothing says Christmas like brilliant red poinsettias. Also available in other colors, these tropical plants can spread cheer throughout the holidays and beyond if you care for them properly. Here’s how to keep these festive plants merry and bright. Buying poinsettias To keep poinsettias blooming into the new year, be sure to choose healthy plants…. Read more »
Christmas and other winter holidays bring excitement and good cheer, but they also create waste: lots of it. It’s estimated that more than 1 million extra tons of trash go to landfills each Christmas. And many celebrations increase the country’s carbon footprint. If you’re concerned about the environment, take a look at our guide to… Read more »
December is a busy month — with holiday decorating, food prep and celebrations taking over the schedule. So go ahead and give yourself the gift of a lighter load of chores around the house. Here’s a suggested to-do list that will get you ready for family festivities and the potential for harsh winter weather but… Read more »
Decorative lights bring magic to the winter holiday season, but putting them in place is hard work. Hiring a professional to handle your holiday light installation saves you time and labor. Read on to learn how much that convenience costs. Cost factors The cost for professional holiday light installation depends on how many strands of… Read more »
Outdoor Christmas lights can transform your home into an enchanting place. New choices in lighting allow you to create a memorably beautiful display while also saving money. Here’s how. The revolution in holiday lighting Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights are the latest trend in residential holiday lighting. These new lights cost more upfront than incandescents,… Read more »
When residents know each other and spend time together, the entire neighborhood benefits. You could almost say a close-knit neighborhood raises everyone’s property values in an intangible way. Christmas block parties are a great idea for strengthening ties between neighbors and getting to know newcomers. Let’s look at some ideas for building neighborly bonds while… Read more »
The legend of Santa Claus originated with Saint Nicholas in the 4th century. Nicholas was perhaps best known for having secretly supplied a poor man with three purses of gold coins to pay for his three daughters’ weddings. In one version of the story, he dropped the purses down the chimney and one purse landed… Read more »
Pesky strings of Christmas lights and broken ornaments are a tradition we’d rather trash than treasure. Here’s how to avoid getting tangled up in knots when decorating for the season. Handy plastic light reels, about ten inches in diameter, are available in stores where you buy lights. At the end of the season, wrap strands… Read more »
It’s time to decorate for Christmas but do you really want to struggle with that twisted and tangled mess of incandescent lights? Or is it time to invest in the newer LED types for your Christmas tree? LEDs vs. incandescents. We all grew up with strings of incandescent Christmas lights, but they are quickly being… Read more »
The Christmas season is here and it’s time to decorate. Should you pull those tangled old strings of incandescent lights from the attic for another year, or opt for the newer LED types. Let’s explore cool trends in outdoor holiday decorations that will earn you the Clark Griswald seal of approval. Incandescent versus LED. Old-school… Read more »
