Eggs-travagant Eggs
September 22, 2007
Wonderfully simple to do and oh so impressive!
You don’t need a $40 Easter egg decorating kit with pages of instructions to impress your family and guests this Easter ? achieve sophisticated elegance with colors taken directly from nature. Simply decorated from a myriad of plants and flowers, you can create a beautiful range of natural colors and textures. Try this technique ? it’s simple enough to do with young children.
Ingredients
Gather together eggs, an enamel or stainless steel pot, vinegar, cheesecloth, a rubber band, and plant materials such as onionskins, blueberries, pecan hulls, parsley, beets or dandelions.
Directions
1. To prepare the dye bath, fill a pot with two or three cups of plant material. Barely cover it with water (more plant material produces stronger colors.) Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add water and stir as needed. The dyes can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Strain and heat the dye before using it.
2. Use hard-boiled or blown out eggs. Carefully wash the eggs with soap and water. Allow them to dry. Wipe the eggs with vinegar.
The Inn at Woodstock Hill: Classic New England Atmosphere in Beautiful Northeastern Connecticut
September 21, 2007
Many vacation spots purport to offer true relaxation, but upon closer inspection impede the promise with myriad outlet stores, souvenir shops, heavy traffic akin to the kind you were trying to ecsape, and trendy restaurants offering lots of attitude and very little food.
The Inn at Woodstock Hill, in Northeastern Connecticut’s pristine town of Woodstock, avoids these modern day tourist trappings by just being itself. And, in turn, you can be yourself. Beautifuly situated in the gentle rolling hills of a town center with no traffic, gas stations and few stores, The Inn at Woodstock Hill is like meeting that special, once-in-a-lifetime love–once you meet this romantic vacation destiny, you’re sure to return again and again.
Around the corner from the bustling downtown complete with a produce stand, a church and colonial homes (the town’s idea of a strip mall are rows of apple orchards), the placid Inn at Woodstock Hill could convince the most hardcore business executive to slow down, breathe in the untouched air, and marvel at the old and wise tall trees. First, consider the nice, warm people who make the Inn at Woodstock Hill such a special place. They just don’t tell you to have a nice time, but actually are part of that experience with nice conversation and a graciousness only known in a previous New England era. They make you feel like a part of their lives, and that is truly rare in this one-hour, fast food, drive-through society in which we live.
Halloween Safety Tips
September 20, 2007
Halloween is an exciting night for children and a busy time for their parents. With such excitement, it’s easy for children to forget basic safety rules.
When emotions are running high, it’s a good time to remember to "use your head." Plan ahead and plan to have a safe Halloween. Raise safety awareness with your family before the festivities begin. We do the right thing, but we don’t always explain it to children. As you place a saucer under each tea light, or "stop, look and listen" at street corners and in parking lots, tell your child why. They don’t always connect the dots unless you point it out.
Here are some Halloween Safety Tips to keep in mind:
1. Stay sober and alert.
It’s amazing how many family Halloween celebrations involve adults drinking. It’s impossible to monitor children’s safety or your own when you’ve had too much to drink, so don’t.
2. Avoid cuts and burns when decorating.
Carving the pumpkin, placing luminaria in the driveway, and hanging spooky skeletons all present opportunities for injury. If you’re decorating with candles, observe fires safety. Have a good fire extinguisher handy and make sure everyone knows where it is.
Secrets to a Stress Free Holiday
September 19, 2007
December and all the excitement that comes with it can either be one of the most pleasant times of year or one of the most stressful. Even though the holidays are a couple of months away, there are things you can do to make it an extremely pleasant season.
For the ten plus years I have owned and operated Just Bears and Stuff, I have been witness to those people who plan ahead when it comes to buying gifts. Then there are those who wait until the last minute. Although we love both types of customers, experience tells me those who plan ahead are the ones who seem to most enjoy the festivities that await them.
If you are planning on buying gifts this year, start with making a list of everyone you will be giving something to. You can write the list for both personal gift giving and those people who are more of a professional type relationship.
Once you write the list, organize it into two groups. One would be the easiest to buy for and the other the most difficult. Some people prefer to search out the most difficult gifts first in order to reduce the pressure associated with finding things.
An Overview of the Gatlinburg Cabins
September 18, 2007
Originally founded in the early 1800s as White Oaks, Gatlinburg was just a sleepy residential town until the growth of its lumber industry in the early 1900s. The creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1934 added to the demand for visitor services. Gatlinburg was officially incorporated in 1945 and has since become a premier four-season vacation destination.
In recent years Gatlinburg has become even more popular as both a vacation spot for families and a romantic getaway for lovers. Ideally located, Gatlinburg is within a day’s drive for fifty percent of American citizens. Vacation options include single and double occupancies, larger family-oriented plans, and exclusive wedding and honeymoon packages.
With thousands of cabins to choose from E-GatlinburgCabins.com provides extensive information on cabins, vacations, rentals and properties in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The new site is designed to give visitors the most complete reference tool for planning a vacation, purchasing a property, or even getting married and enjoying a honeymoon in the charming eastern Tennessee tourist destination.
As a comprehensive online reference tool, E-GatlinburgCabins.com satisfies all of the informational requirements of potential visitors and real estate owners in Gatlinburg. E-GatlinburgCabins.com will be constantly updated with information to help our visitors make informed choices about what type of Gatlinburg vacation or property would best suit them.
Gift Giving During Thanksgiving Adds That Special Touch
September 17, 2007
Many of us believe Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays, right? Actually, one of the most notable occasions is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is surprisingly a widely celebrated holiday that crosses over many nationalities and religions.
Actually, harvest festivals were celebrated by ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese and the Egyptians. In America, it wasn’t until 1621 when the Pilgrims had their first successful harvest, did they celebrate their first annual thanksgiving celebration. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving and since then, each new president issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation.
So for hundreds of years, Thanksgiving has held a special meaning across many cultures in many corners of the world. Although giving gifts at Thanksgiving is not as popular as Christmas, gift giving at this time could actually be appreciated more since it is more likely to be unexpected. Since Thanksgiving is traditionally a family celebration, gift giving to friends and business associates could offer a very special meaning of thanks. A card, gift or thank you note has a more personal touch at Thanksgiving than it might at other times of the year.
Birthday Gift Baskets ? The Ideal Gift For Everyone!
September 17, 2007
No matter how old we are, we enjoy being remembered on that special day of the year that celebrates the day we were born! Birthdays are a time to recognize special people in our lives with joyous celebration. It is a time-honored tradition to pay tribute the birthday gal or guy with a mouth-watering cake decorated with sugar-laden frosting sculptures and a candle representing every year of their life on earth! We bestow on them gifts and cards filled with birthday verses and best wishes for many more birthdays to come. Birthdays are just plain fun!
Typically, the most difficult part of the birthday celebration is deciding what to buy the recipient. After all, what do you buy for someone who has it all? Admit it ? every year it becomes more difficult to find the "perfect" gift for your mom, dad, sibling, husband, and even the kids in your family. How much time do you spend thinking about it and ultimately browsing through department stores without a clue?
Cottage Holidays
September 16, 2007
Holiday time is around the corner and its time to plan where to go and what sort of holiday you prefer.
If you dislike the hustle and bustle of busy hotels or living in a selfcatering apartment what are your options!
You can rent a caravan or hire a tent, or you could decide to take a cottage holiday.
Holiday cottages come in all shapes and sizes tiny ones for two people or large ones for ten to twelve people or more.
They can be quaint and crooked or up to date with all the mod cons.
You can find one with a thatched roof which is every ones picture of a real country cottage, or many of them have a swimming pool or tennis courts !
They can be in the depth of the country away from it all, where woodland and wild flowers are in abundance, or in a small village where the local shop sells anything and everything.
If you like the idea of farming life where the children can see the animals and feed the hens, your in luck because many farms rent out the little cottages on their land some even have a horse to ride.
Successful Holiday Gift Giving Starts with a Plan
September 15, 2007
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and the clock is ticking down as we grow closer to the holiday festivities. By now, many have either started thinking about what they are going to purchase for those on their gift list ? others are in full holiday shopping mode. The holiday season proves to be a stressful time for some, adding to their already tension-filled lives. Buying gifts is only half of the dilemma ? deciding what to buy makes up the other half.
Gift buying can actually be fun and stress-free. I recommend a fool-proof method of ensuring you get the right thing for each recipient the first time around. The key to successful holiday gift giving starts with a plan. Begin by making a list of names you will be purchasing holiday gifts for. Leave two or three blank spaces between each name where you will jot down information about each recipient. Once your list of names is complete, your holiday gift giving plan will start to take shape one recipient at a time.
The Magic Of Gift Giving At Christmas
September 14, 2007
Regardless of age, almost everyone can remember at least a few magic moments of their past at Christmas time. Even in our fifties and sixties, we can still very precisely recall how our parents celebrated Christmas. Those moments will never be forgotten because to all of us, Christmas is a very special time for our immediate families to be together. It is also human nature for us to pass along our family traditions to the next generation. It is without question, the most popular time of the year to show our appreciation for one another.
It is also a time to celebrate with our extended families - our relatives and close friends. It is also the perfect time to recognize the people and customers we work with, to show our appreciation for their support. We also must remember that our associates at work also have the same appreciation for Christmas, making it the ideal opportunity to show them we are thankful for their efforts.
Our customers are often the lifeline of existence. They are precisely the reason for your company’s health and its ability to prosper. Christmas is a great time to show your thanks with a simple corporate gift. The more personal the better, because your close working relationship with that individual is why your companies continue to prosper together.
