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.

As parents age, eventually you may have to help them re-design their lives. Health issues can make it hard for a parent to continue to live independently, but personality, emotional and financial factors may eliminate the possibility of assisted living or other institutional options.

If you’re considering bringing one or both parents into your home, making a few plans first can help this transition work well for everyone involved.

To start, make sure your family member or members have a realistic understanding of the situation. If possible show them the space they would have, and get measurements to keep their furniture expectations realistic. Let them redecorate the space to make it their own.

Be sure to do a safety check on your home before your parent or parents move in. Look for tripping hazards such as rugs without non-slip pads. If possible, carpet their space. Carpeting is the safest flooring for the elderly because it cushions falls. You may also want to add safety bars to showers or bathtubs.

If you can, provide a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting room to ensure enough privacy. It’s generally a good idea to include a television in their personal space so that there will be no program debates among the generations.

Plan to provide additional storage space for valued possessions. Remember that something that may not seem valuable to you may hold special memories for a parent. If you need to, rent storage space to hold their things until they’re ready to let them go.

Above all, work to keep the lines of communication open. There will be challenges, but with effort you will all find the time together to be rewarding.

Antique Roadshow on PBS allows people to share various items they either collected or inherited. Sometimes something that was only marginally valued becomes more important once people find out its value.

Do you have items tucked away in boxes and attics that are an important part of your heritage? Maybe it’s time to bring them into your life. One way to do that is by creating a vignette of pieces and photos from your family’s past. You can focus on one person or one theme, and end up actually telling a story.

This table display shows the history of a great grandfather who spent his life studying butterflies. Some of his old reference books stacked in one corner hold his hand-written notebooks and the magnifying glass he used for field study. A shadowbox with some of the butterflies he collected leans against a panel. The pride of his tools – the brass microscope – stands in the center of the display. If the family added a few photos, the vignette could be a complete story of one relative’s life.

When planning, choose a theme or person to focus on to make a story rather than an unconnected display. Did your grandmother quilt? How about one of her quilts under her old sewing basket with some unfinished quilt squares lying on top? Add in a photo of grandma in her spare room with one of her quilts on the bed and you’re on your way to another story.

Whatever your heritage, bring it into your own present by creating a vignette. Your family’s past is waiting for you to share it with others.

Thanksgiving is finally here!  We’d like to share our stain removal techniques with you and your family, just in case a dish gets dropped on the carpet.  It’s our goal to keep you and your family happy on this special day.  Don’t let a little gravy stain spoil your holiday!

Nail Polish Remover – Two types of nail polish removers are available. One type contains acetone, a dry cleaning solvent. Use the same precautions as with other dry cleaning solutions. The second type contains amyl acetate, which is used in many paint, oil, and grease (POG) removers. Many POG removers leave residues that may cause rapid soiling. When using a POG remover, always rinse the area thoroughly with a dry solvent.

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 (flourescent 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.

When in doubt, 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 and Rug Institute – 1-800-882-8846.

Here at Carpets N More, it is our goal to make you and your family happy in your home.  Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we thought we’d share one of our holiday recipes with you.  Now, close your eyes and imagine the deep, warm scent of apple pie baking in the oven.  It’s almost like you can taste it!  Below is one of our favorite apple pie recipes of all time.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 to 7 tablespoons applejack
• 12 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the filling:

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds apples, mixture of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious, about 6 large apples
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons apple jelly
• 1 tablespoon apple cider
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher slat
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

For the filling: