The holidays are on the way whether you like it or not. You may have made your annual appointment for the holiday themed family photo and you may have started thinking about what you want to write about in your holiday letter.  Below are a few tips if you want your letter to be entertaining for all of your friends and family instead of just a list of everything you did in 2013.

Be real: Write about what really happened in the past year without sugar coating every event.  It’s much more relatable and interesting for everyone reading it.

Be conversational and funny: Write in first person. Family and friends who receive your holiday letter want to hear from the real you. Forget the big, fancy words; write as you speak.  Remember, this isn’t a formal essay that’s going to be harshly critiqued for a grade. This will bring a breath of fresh air to your readers. Telling a funny story about your youngest is better than bragging about their excellent grades and extracurricular activities.

Know your audience: Know who you are sending your letter to and if it’s personal then send it to your close friends, family, distant relatives, etc.  Your work colleagues may not be the best, especially if they already know about your daily life.  Remember, the whole purpose of writing a holiday letter is to update your readers on what has happened the past year.  Business associates won’t be interested in a chatty, family newsletter, and vice versa, distant cousins won’t care too much about the ins and outs of your workplace politics.

Keep it short and sweet: Hit the highlights of your year and save the ins and outs of summer vacation for personal phone calls or lunches with relatives.

Don’t “photo-bomb”: Sure you want to share your many photos that were taken throughout the year, that’s what Facebook is for, right? Send one or two shots instead of a page filled with tile size pictures.

Personalize: Take a few minutes to personally sign and write a short note at the bottom of your letter.

Overall, have fun with your letter!  If you didn’t want to tackle the entire letter and you have family members, then have each of them write a small paragraph in their own words about their year.  Happy writing!

Happy Holidays to you and all of your loved ones!

Need help cleaning up after all of the holiday celebrating and don’t know where to start?  Here’s some tips that might make the cleanup go smoother this year:

Make a list: Yes, even though Santa has all ready come and gone doesn’t mean you can’t make a list, too.  Decide what tasks need to be accomplished.  After to make your to-do list, you can pick out easier tasks to delegate to the kids.

Family help: Everyone participated in the holiday celebrations, so have everyone pitch in and help with the cleaning.  Assign a couple of chores to each person that way you’re not stuck doing it all.

Dishes:  We know there’s always a lot of cooking and eating during this time of the year.  If you’re doing all of the cooking this year, have others roll up their sleeves and do the dishes.

Paper cleanup: Do you have wrapping paper all over the house now? Make a game out of it and have everyone gather as much paper pieces as possible during a certain time limit.  Whoever has the most pieces of wrapping paper, gets an extra holiday treat.

Easter Sunday is just a few days away!  We thought this would be the opportune time to share some cleaning tips on how to remove Easter egg dye from carpet!  We hope you don’t have to use this advice, but it’s here just in case.  Happy Easter!

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. CRI – 1-800-882-8846.

Easter Sunday is just a few days away!  We thought this would be the opportune time to share some cleaning tips on how to remove Easter egg dye from carpet!  We hope you don’t have to use this advice, but it’s here just in case.  Happy Easter!

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. CRI – 1-800-882-8846.

We hope you had an eventful Valentine’s Day this year!  One of our favorite things about this holiday is chocolate!  We also know that a chocolate stain in carpet can be somewhat nerve racking; therefore, we thought we’d share some tips with you on how to remove a chocolate stain from carpet.

Solvent – A non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent, is preferred. Exercise caution when using a solvent. Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together.  Acceptable solvents include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.)  Care should be used in selecting a detergent.  Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Vinegar Solution – Mix one (1) cup of white vinegar per two (2) cups of water. White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid solution.  It is used most often to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.

Warm Water – Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change.  Be sure to test a hidden area.

Call a Professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills.  Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question.  Carpet & Rug Institute – 1-800-882-8846

Would you like to take a break from the everyday priorities of life and plan for a bit of romance? Valentine’s Day is around the corner, but on a birthday, anniversary or just for the fun of it, it’s nice to let your honey know that he or she is still special to you.

To begin, take a look around your house to choose a location to create a romantic indoor picnic. If you have a fireplace, that’s a great choice. Other possibilities would be a window with a view, a corner of the family room, or the center of a den.

If the flooring is tile or wood, grab some area rugs from other parts of the house. If the room is carpeted, you can still put at least one rug down to anchor your romantic space. You may want to pile two or three on top of each other to create a cushioned spot that resembles the feel of a Moroccan or gypsy tent. Don’t be afraid to mix colors.  Add some pillows and position a small tablecloth or scarf in the middle for serving the food.

Complete your décor with the fresh flowers of your choice and candles. For the cushioned area, using the new LED lights that resemble votives such as the ones in the photo are much safer and worry free.

Choose favorite foods for your lunch or dinner. Finger foods are easier to manage when sitting on the floor. While it’s fun to make this event a surprise, you may want to ask your sweetie to bring some wine, just to provide a hint that a fun evening is planned.

Once you’re finished, take a step back and make sure everything looks inviting. Turn off the room’s lights, creating an island of warmth in the room. For a final touch, pull apart one of the flowers and sprinkle the petals around the area. Now you’ve created the right atmosphere for romance!

Have you already purchased your calendar for 2011? Or possibly you use Outlook or another computer-based calendar system. Whatever choice you make, now is a good time to set up your plans for next year. Listing birthdays, anniversaries and family holidays can help ensure that you will be ready for each event as it comes along.

When people put their calendars together, there is one part of the family that is often left out – the family home. While we need annual physicals, our homes need annual maintenance also. To make sure that you take good care of your home this coming year, how about listing your home’s maintenance schedule on your calendar?

Should your stone floors be sealed this year? What about your granite countertops? How often do you have your carpets cleaned? Do any rooms need repainting? Don’t forget the annual checkup for your heating and air conditioning system. From cleaning out your gutters to checking the lint trap in your dryer, keeping track with your calendar will enable you to make sure your home is properly maintained.

Like remembering Aunt Miranda’s birthday with a card, paying attention to your home takes a burden off your memory and ensures that you remember every important maintenance event. To make your life easier, you may want to include contact information for any outside help you may need.

Use your calendar to plan the next year for you, your family, and your home, and you will be ready for a very good 2011.

Have you already purchased your calendar for 2011? Or possibly you use Outlook or another computer-based calendar system. Whatever choice you make, now is a good time to set up your plans for next year. Listing birthdays, anniversaries and family holidays can help ensure that you will be ready for each event as it comes along.

When people put their calendars together, there is one part of the family that is often left out – the family home. While we need annual physicals, our homes need annual maintenance also. To make sure that you take good care of your home this coming year, how about listing your home’s maintenance schedule on your calendar?

Should your stone floors be sealed this year? What about your granite countertops? How often do you have your carpets cleaned? Do any rooms need repainting? Don’t forget the annual checkup for your heating and air conditioning system. From cleaning out your gutters to checking the lint trap in your dryer, keeping track with your calendar will enable you to make sure your home is properly maintained.

Like remembering Aunt Miranda’s birthday with a card, paying attention to your home takes a burden off your memory and ensures that you remember every important maintenance event. To make your life easier, you may want to include contact information for any outside help you may need.

Use your calendar to plan the next year for you, your family, and your home, and you will be ready for a very good 2011.

If you took a chance with color in your decorating, are you now concerned that holiday decorations will clash with your home? Don’t be – you can make any color décor complement the season.

Do you have color in accessories rather than in permanent elements? If so, you can just put those pieces away for the holidays and choose any colors you want.

If your throw pillows don’t work with your plans, do a quick change-up by picking up some yardage in your holiday tones. Cut the fabric into large squares. Set the squares on the diagonal and place your pillow in the center. Tie opposite corners together in the back, and when you turn it over you have a new cover on your old pillow for the rest of the holidays.

Even if you have permanent room elements such as flooring or furniture in a color, you can incorporate those shades into your holiday look. Blue works well with silver and white, orange with gold and white. Holiday greenery works with any color combination.

If you love color, consider using the holidays to bring in hues you normally don’t have in your home. In this photo, pink and purple create a festive yet modern holiday look, and the more traditional red and green elements still work.

Why not take a chance with color in your home this season? Bring in an unexpected favorite tone to make your home’s holiday décor special and unique.