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Clothing Hacks to Refresh, Renew, and Fix Your Clothes

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How many times have you tossed clothes or shoes because of a minor issue, like a stain or a problem with the way it fits? This neat infographic posted by Alight Fashion Blog gives clothing hacks that range from how to fix sweater pulls in about 3 minutes (I can’t remember how many times I’ve given a sweater away just because it had a few snags) to how to fix that annoying problem when your bra underwire comes out and starts poking you in the underarm.

I also liked the clothing hack for stretching out shoes that are too tight using either a blow dryer or a bag of water. When the weather gets warm, your feet expand and most of your high heels start to feel tighter, so this tip will come in handy.

[Tweet “Learn how to stretch out too-tight shoes using a blow dryer or… #LOH (courtesy of @alightcom)”]

The clothing hacks also include tips for men who want to keep their shoes and sneakers looking “fresh and clean.” View the entire infographic below, posted courtesy of Alight, and share it with your friends!

Courtesy of: Alight
 

Posted by Jade

How to Fix Your Leaning Floor Lamp

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Many of us have discarded a floor lamp that screws together to form a pole and with a light fixture on top. The number one reason is because the pole fails to maintain a tight grip and begins to lean to one side. The lamp leans because the threading has become worn and stripped.

I myself have personally thrown out several floor lamps because of this issue. I was frustrated at how much money I was spending on replacing floor lamps. So early one evening I dismantled my leaning floor lamp and forced myself to think of a solution. After a couple of hours, I figured out the best way to fix this issue and have my floor lamp looking straight again.

1- unplug the floor lamp

2- unscrew the section that is loose

3- take a small piece of duct tape and wrap it around the inner grooves of the pole

4- reattach pole and screw on until tight

Pic of Leaning Floor Lamp

Pic Of Lamp Unscrewed

Pic of Lamp With Duct Tape Added to the Inside

Pic of Straight Lamp

Problem solved!

Posted by Lorraine

Tips for Decorating with Contact Paper

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If you want a new look in your home, try adding subtle pops of color to your home decor. If you don’t want the extra fuss of painting and all that goes with it, have you ever tried contact paper? Contact paper is easy to use and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. It’s as easy as peeling off the back and applying it wherever you want. Best of all, it’s not permanent. You can always just peel it off and try something new. Here are some fun and easy tips for decorating with contact paper.

41z1nfxabBL– In the living room, create one “faux wallpaper” accent wall with contact paper. Measure the wall’s length and width to ensure that you purchase enough contact paper.

– For the kitchen, apply contact paper to reface your kitchen cabinets. This is a quick and simple way to make your kitchen look more modern and colorful. Carefully use a box cutter to make straight cuts when removing excess paper.

– Add contact paper to the backsplash behind your sink in the bathroom to make it more appealing and colorful.

– In the bedroom use contact paper to give a pop of color to your night stands. Apply an attractive pattern to the top of each stand. Make sure to remove any dust so that the paper adheres properly.

Have fun decorating with contact paper this weekend!

Posted by Eve

The Ache for Home… #HomeQuotes

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The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

Maya Angelou

Tips for Mingling at a Holiday Party

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We all find it easy to talk to people we already know, but what about the ones you don’t. Here are a few tips for mingling at a holiday party that will help you have a pleasant conversation with a stranger.

First, enter the home with a smile, wipe your feet (shows courtesy) and openly state season greetings to all that can hear you. You should graciously bring the host a gift, showing appreciation for the invitation. When you are introduced, by the host, let’s say to the person’s brother, for the first time, say his name in every other sentence said. This helps you to remember his name.

When mingling at your holiday party, stick to light topics of discussion such as sports, kids, weather and such. Keep it simple. Leading in with a simple “it was a surprisingly a warm winter’s day wasn’t it?” gets the other person to respond and maybe inspire him to tell you a story related to the weather. Compliments are always good — you might also say ” your sister has a beautiful spirit.” That should get the conversation off to a good start.

Remember to not just talk about yourself. People can’t stand that and will quickly try to get away if you take it too far. Always avoid politics and religion at a holiday party with people you don’t know that well because you can easily insult or offend others when speaking of these topics.

Lastly, always remember to be polite and excuse yourself from another person’s presence. Don’t just walk away to refill your glass. When you excuse yourself you’ll feel more comfortable inviting yourself back into the conversation later.

If you follow these tips for mingling at a holiday party, you should have a pleasant conversation with a stranger who just might possibly become a friend.

Posted by Eve

Holiday Tip: Giving Your Home a Holiday Aroma

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I believe it’s true to say, most people, love the smells and aromas that are accompanied with the holiday season. Whether it be the aroma of pies or food cooking in the kitchen. My problem was that I soon missed the fragrant aromas after the Christmas dinner and dessert was had. The lovely fragrances always makes me think of great past holiday memories.

One year I hosted a party at my home, after Christmas and was only serving appetizers. Therefore, there was no pleasant holiday aroma present. So here is what I did to create a holiday aroma:

I filled a large pot 1/2 way with water and simply added certain spices that I already had in my pantry. Such spices like 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of nutmeg were added to the water. I stirred the mixture vigorously using a whisk. I then let it simmer on my stove on the lowest possible setting, hours before the party. I made sure to add water as the water evaporates as it steams. As I greeted my guests, all of them gave me compliments at the aroma emanating in my home. Now, I even use that recipe to create a holiday aroma in different combinations anytime during the year, whether I have company or not.

Happy Holidays!!!

Posted by Eve