20 Holiday Essentials to Get You to New Year's

No matter how much we prepare for the holidays, something usually slips through the cracks. And without fail, it goes unnoticed until the exact moment we need it. Avoid last-minute scrambles this year by stocking up on these essentials.

Photo: Houzz.com

1). Brown kraft paper can be used for wrapping gifts, covering up the kids' (or adults') table, making place settings, as a table runner or for gift tags.

2). Colorful tape makes any wrapping job more fun. Stock up for birthdays while you're at it.

3). Twine in cheerful colors can be used for wrapping pretty presents and packages, tying tags, hanging decor and more.

4). A gold pen can be used to dress up brown kraft paper and colored gift tags or make a thank-you note look extra special.

5). Scissors. Consider buying a colorful pair for extra holiday cheer.

6). A hole punch and colored paper to make gift tags and confetti (at the same time!).

7). White twinkle lights can make any room look festive. Keep these on hand for quick decor.

8). Candles in all all shapes and sizes should be on hand. Stock up on scented candles for the bathrooms, decorative candles and votives for table settings, and Hanukkah candles for those eight special nights.

9). Matches should be ready for all those candles, a cozy fire and maybe a New Year's Eve sparkler or two.

10). Cloth napkins make even impromptu meals feel formal, and can take the wear and tear that comes with heavy holiday meals.

11). A serving tray will present your annual holiday cheese ball in style.

12). Tide pens will take care of those inevitable red wine and gravy spills.

13). A bottle opener. Don't be the host who has to run to the store 15 minutes before the midnight toast!

14). Coasters strategically placed on every table will encourage guests to protect your furniture. 

15). DIY drink tags in holiday colors help your guest keep track of their glasses. Just trace the bottom of a wineglass on a piece of paper and trace a dime in the center. Cut both circles out with a slit between and use your gold pen to label each one.

16). A doormat in a bright color can help remind guests to wipe their shoes before coming in.

17). Thank-you cards. A handwritten note is a great way to show family and friends your appreciation.

18). Holiday stamps announce the arrival of a special invitation or note before the envelope has even been opened.

19). Cleaning supplies will take care of any pre- and post party messes.

20). Whether you're sore from late-night dancing or have a headache from too many Christmas carols, you'll want to keep a big bottle of ibuprofen around this holiday season.

20 Holiday Essentials to Get You to New Year's

Creative DIY Halloween Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner, are you ready? Here are a few creative "do-it-yourself" spooktacular ideas found on Pinterest to get you ready for this year's Halloween.

  

1). Better Homes & Gardens | Ghoulish Glaring Eyes

Using Plastic foam balls of varying sizes, draw eyes with black permanent marker and then stick a toothpick to hold the eyes together.

Attach the eyes to a dark colored bench or fence to make them pop.

2). Delia Creates | Magnetic Spiders

Take plastic spider rings from a dollar store, cut off the ring part, stick on magnets with hot glue and put them on your front door.

3). The Girl Who Ate Everything | Dracula's Teeth

Cut cookie in half, frost bottom with red frosting, place marshmallow teeth around curved perimeter, and top with remaining half. Insert two almond slivers in between teeth for fangs.

4). Martha Stewart | Glowing Ghosts

Snap a green glowstick and insert it into a white balloon and tie it. Using a black marker, draw a spooky face. Stick to a wall with transparent tape and turn down the lights.

5). Parents Magazine | Bewitching Welcome Mat

Take some old striped stockings and stuff them with cotton. Glue them underneath a welcome mat and add some witchlike shoes.

6). Simply Stated | Screaming Red Punch with a Hand

Rinse a glove several times an then fill it with water. Tie and freeze solid. Cut the glove off the hand and fingers, and float the molded hand in punch.

7). Country Living | Ghouls' Night Out

Take white tissue wedding bells and glue on construction paper eyes and mouths. Drape with tulle.

8). Squidoo | Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Fog

Fill a large glass half full with hot water. Mix in one cup of salt. Put the glass inside the pumpkin. Then, wearing gloves, drop in 2-3 large pieces of dry ice onto the glass. Put the lid of the pumpkin back on top for a tight fit.

9). Disney Family Fun | Bat-o'-Lanters

Paint mini pumpkins with black acrylic paint. Cut out eyes from white craft foam and hole punch pupils. Glue on eyes. Cut out ears and wings from black craft foam and attach ears by taping a toothpick to the back of each one, inserting the other end into the pumpkin. Tape wooden skewers to the back of each wing and, leaving a 2-inch point exposed, push it into the pumpkin.

Rocky Mountain Gardener's October Checklist

Photo: Bev's Colorado GardenOctober is the beautiful bridge month between autumn and winter. The days are noticeably shorter, bright and cool. October is a busy month in the garden, the time to prepare for the harsh cold and snow of winter while enjoying every moment you can spend outdoors.

Winterize Water Features

The freeze-and-thaw cycle of winter weather can wreak havoc on these valuable garden assets. To minimize the damage:

1. Drain, clean and store or cover freestanding fountains and water pots.
2. Remove plant debris from ponds and set up a bubbler (a submersible pump with a short piece of pipe attached to the outlet) to keep some of the water surface free of ice.
3. Disconnect pumps to recirculating waterfalls, especially if the water volume is fairly low. Ice buildup can divert water and cause problems. Moving water will also make your pond colder, which may be an issue if you have fish.

Prepare for Snow

If you haven't had frost or snow yet, you will soon. Early snow tends to be heavy and wet, and can damage plant - especially those that haven't shed their leaves yet. Keep a broom handy and be ready to sweep snow away to lighten the load on tree and shrub branches.

Winterize Your Watering System

Frozen pipes or components can be costly and inconvenient to repair. To prevent this:

1. Drain your irrigation system and insulate the backflow preventer.
2. Remove hoses from faucets and drain them. Store hoses and sprinklers in a handy location for winter watering.

Remove Leaves From Lawn Areas

Leaves left on lawn areas will compact under the snow, smothering the lawn and contributing to disease problems like snow mold.

• Use leaves whole or shred them with your lawnmower or a commercial shredder.
• Add them to your compost pile now or stockpile them for future use.
• Use leaves as mulch, 4 to 6 inches deep. Apply now to new planting areas to maintain soil warmth and permit better root growth, apply to bare soil areas to prevent erosion, or apply after the ground has frozen to prevent frost heave and premature soil warming in spring.
• Keep leaf mulch 6 inches away from the bases of trees and shrubs to prevent damage from rodents.

It's important to remove any diseased foliage from the garden completely - don't compost it.

Amend the Soil

Planning to install a new vegetable or flower garden next spring? Now is a great time to prepare the soil. Use organic amendments to increase water-and nutrient-holding capacity and to improve aeration and water flow. Adding amendments now allows you to work in the garden while the soil is relatively dry, thus preventing the potential for soil compaction that can occur if you try to do it during the wet months of early spring. Come springtime the soil will be ready to plant:

• Amendments must be mixed well into the soil - spade or rototill to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
• Composts and aged manures work best for sandy soils; sphagnum peat or wood chips are ideal for clay.
• Incorporate 3 cubic yards of amendment per 1,000 square feet of soil. That's about 8 cubic feet of amendment for a 10-foot by 10-foot area of soil.
• Mulch the bed with a couple of inches of leaves or shredded wood to help prevent soil erosion during the winter.

Enjoy Puttering

Pull weeds and spent annuals, plant bulbs and harvest herbs and cool-season veggie for hearty meals. Most of all, spend time with family and friends surrounds by nature's October glow!

October 2012 Newsletter

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American Cabinet & Flooring, Inc. - October 2012 - Newsletter      It's Carnival! Wilsonart launches two new Wilsonart® HD® designs that feature a large-scale structure, dramatic movement with mixed coloration, and AEON™ Enhanced Performance Technology.   Winter Carnival has movement that carries a rich red-brown with accents in cool grey Summer Carnival has movement in golden ambers and browns with accents in greys These new designs are inspired by the luxurious, exotic, natural granite out of Brazil that includes large-scale elements called "Carnival". These designs strategically focus on premium, exotic stones that are typically unavailable to the consumer due to cost, rarity and/or transportation. The new Carnival designs will be front and center at this year's Remodeling Show being held October 10th-12th in Baltimore, MD. American Cabinet & Flooring is a proud carrier of Wilsonart laminate countertops. Come visit our design center and meet with one of our talented Design Specialists to get your remodel project started today! How to Carve a Halloween Pumpkin Whether you are working from a pattern or free-handing it, having the right tools for carving pumpkins makes all the difference. Photo & Article Source: DIY Network Materials and Tools: Pumpkin(s) Halloween Patterns HGTV's  Beginner Pumpkin Carving Templates HGTV's Advanced Pumpkin Carving Templates Carbon Paper Tape Pencil Carving kit Serrated knives Wood carving tools or pottery tools Metal Halloween shaped cookie cutters Light-duty hammer Pliers Steps: 1. Place your template/pattern over the carbon paper and tape onto the pumpkin. Trace around and the image will be left on the pumpkin for easy lines to follow when carving. 2. The tools that work best for carving are the small carving tools that come in those inexpensive Halloween pumpkin carving kits. They're manageable for all ages. Other tools that work well are serrated steak knives and grapefruit knives. For additional detail, carving and pottery tools work great. TIP: the best trick of all is to use metal Halloween shaped cookie cutters. 3. Place your metal cookie cutter onto the pumpkin. (Some plastic cookie cutters will also work, but they're generally not as flexible). NOTE: Don't cut the lid off or clean out yet! Make all your impressions first. 4. Use a light duty hammer to get the cookie cutter into the pumpkin. Work the cutter side to side while hammering. Hammer the cookie cutter in until it's almost all the way in. Pull the cookie cutter out with a pair of pliers. Continue to hammer all of the shapes where you want them in the pumpkin. 6. Once you have your designs traced or stamped in place, you're ready to cut off the top of the pumpkin and clean it out. 7. Once cleaned, finish cutting out the shapes with small serrated blades and pop them out from the inside. Have a safe & happy Halloween! We want to hear from you! We value feedback from our customers and want to hear how we did on your project. You can easily submit a review as well as see what others are saying about American Cabinet & Flooring by clicking on the following links: Angie's List Facebook Google Local CitySearch Yahoo Local Yellow Pages DexKnows Houzz Forward to a Friend GE Capital Fast. Smart. Simple. Quick Credit Decisions Simple & fast application process Low minimum monthly payments Come in & see a Sales Associate for program details and apply today!

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Ready Your Home for Fall to Savor the Season More

Fall is a glorious season. With blazing leave and roaring fires, apple picking, harvest festivals and sweater weather, there is so much to look forward to. And with that studious, back-to-business mood permeating the air, we feel invigorated to take on new projects and work a bit harder. Kick off this busy season by taking the time now to prepare your home, incorporating both important tasks (like cleaning the chimney) and pure pleasures (like treating yourself to a luxury bath product).

Photo: Handyman Matters

These 14 tasks will help you seamlessly transition your home from summer to fall.

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#1 Inspect the roof, gutters and drainpipes

Depending on your climate, you may want to hold off until later in the fall (when most leaves have dropped) before cleaning the gutters, but doing a visual inspection now is a good idea. If any branches and leaves fell during summer storms, remove them so they don't cause blockages during autumn rains. Inspecting your roof now will leave ample time to have repairs or a replacement made before the winter.

#2 Edit your crafting stash

If you knit, sew or practice any other craft that comes with lots of supplies, it's time to begin sorting and purging that mountainous stash. Fall and winter will beckon with cold afternoons that are perfect for engaging in making something with your own two hands - be ready!

#3 Move firewood to a covered area

Be sure to check for insects before bringing any wood indoors. Don't store wood with bugs, especially termites, indoors (or against the outside of your house).

#4 Have chimneys cleaned before you light the first autumn fire

Residue buildup and blockages in chimneys are a common cause of house fires, so be sure to have a pro take a look before sparking that first flame.

#5 Organize the entry

Fall brings with it loads of jackets, mucky boots and bundles of paper. Think ahead and give every type of item a home. That means baskets and bins for accessories, hooks for jackets and bags, and shelves or metal trays for shoes and boots. Add a pin board or a magnet board with a calendar, a place to drop keys and mail, and a bin for recycling, and you should have all your bases covered.

#6 Clear your desk

If you do any work from home (or have a student in the house), now is the ideal time to tackle those piles of paper and start this busy season with a clean and clear workspace. Have drawers, cabinets or shelving within arm's reach so you can easily put things away and not clutter up that desk again.

#7 Sort the pantry

Set the stage for healthy dinners by creating a neat and orderly pantry with healthful choices front and center. Toss expired foods and consolidate packages that have just a little left. If you like, pick up a flat of canning jars and a packet of labels to create your own organizing system for bulk-bin goods.

#8 Deep clean the tub and treat yourself to something new

We may not be heading to the beach as often these days, but the time is just right for a relaxing soak. Give your tub a thorough cleaning and pick up something that will make your soak extra special, whether that is an essential oil you love, a beautiful brush or a luxuriously soft towel.

#9 Tidy the porch

After a season's worth of sandy feet tramping back and forth, your porch deserves a good cleaning. Sweep away sand, clean the front window and door, check porch lights and add a few extras like hurricane lanterns or autumnal potted plants.

#10 Stock up on cold and flu remedies

Make a list of everything from your favorite preventative measures to the medicines and other items your family relies on while sick, and pick up these items now. You will fee good knowing you have everything you need if and when someone in the house feels under the weather.

#11 Check lighting throughout your home

As the autumn sun dips lower in the sky, you may find you crave a little extra light in your rooms. A few small table lamps or even a strand of twinkle lights can make all the difference in creating a cozy ambience.

#12 Refresh cleaning supplies

Take a few minutes to pull everything out from beneath the kitchen sink (yes, wads of plastic bags and all), sort it and put back only what you need. If this is where you reach when you need supplies for daily cleaning tasks, move everything not related to these tasks elsewhere.

#13 Swap out bedding

Bring cozy quilts and duvets out of storage so they will be within reach on that first chilly night. Check now if anything needs to be laundered and you'll have time to wash it before you really need it.

#14 Savor you hard work

Sit back and enjoy a well-deserved rest. Brew a pot of tea, pour yourself a glass of wine, crack open a new novel or do whatever puts the icing on your cake.