Happy new year!

I wish you all a happy new year.
May you be able
to create a home in your heart for many people.

.

identification

In some countries people need to have their passport or another kind of identification with them all the time.

Other countries only require identification when you're invited for a visit to the policestation.

At days like tomorrow and the day after - the change of years - many countries prepare for problems with fireworks and even riots.
Some countries have special laws that enable police to stop people and search them on the streets.

It's good to have your identification papers with you, in case of...

close your mailbox

Kids with fireworks isn't the best combination.
Many of them are not able to oversee all the consequences of their acts, and even if they're capable of doing so, most of them are so caught up in the acts of mischief that they're not thinking straight.

Putting ignited fireworks in mailboxes made the neational mailcompanies take away or close their mailboxes and at home you should take the same action after the mailman has visited for the last time.

Take tape and if possible, tape the opening from the inner site.
When you're handy, cut a piece at exactly the size of the opening of the mailbox and glue it with the glueside to the glueside of a larger strip of tape.

Then glue the large strip against the opening.
That way the opening is closed without something what's put in it sticking against it.

Putting a strip of tape at the outside is something to think about.
It might even attract the bullies.
So if it's possible, block the inside and be sure to take all paperwork away.

free calendar and/or agenda

This is the right time to hunt for a free calendar.

Here you'll get one when you buy a meal at the chinese take-away, but it's also possible to find free calendars or agendas with 2 packages of detergent.

Keep a close look at the discount bookshops where they sell calendars and agendas too.
Go there just before closing time at the last day of the year.
Do they still have many calendars and/or agendas?

Go back after the new year and they might be decorated with a salesprice.


Good luck!

Collect your coins

Do you want to do something special for yourself or someone else once in a while?

Collect your coins, or a few of them each day, in a special box, vase or container, and forget about them.

Well, not forever, but until you want to do something special.

You won't miss the coins, but when you add them up they make a nice sum once or twice a year.

To the movies

The time between christmas and the new year is for movie theatres in most cities a far too quiet time.

That's not the matter at the cinema here.
For 5 euros you can see good movies at times no one would otherwise go to the movies.
Parents love to send their children off in the morning to see a movie at 10 or 10.30, or have a quiet lunch while their kids enter the cinema at 12.30.

Make your own cinema aware of this and maybe they'll give you a year free entrance when they see the movies are sold out during these dark days.

Merry Christmas

I want to wish all my visitors a merry christmas!

I hope you're able to spend the christmasdays the way you wish, and you're able to make this world a little bit better.

Merry Christmas!!

hang your ornaments

We used to have christmashooks (as they were called), s-bowed metal wire which was easy to use to hang ornaments in trees.

The last years I haven't seen them as often in the shop as the years before and this year we couldn't find any.

So I took the strips which are used to close sandwhich bags, stripped the paper from them and used the thin wire to hang the ornaments.

Haha. It's a cheaper solution after all, so I thought I had to give you this tip.

wine and salt

Don't panic when a glass of wine tumbles over.

Ofcourse... it can ruin your beautiful tablecloth, your clothes, your carpet,
but rubbing with a cloth only spreads the problem.

Immediate action is important, so when you serve red (and white) wine, keep salt ready.


Take salt and pour it on the stain abundantly.
When a whole glass is creating a small lake, you might take up the redded salt with a spoon and repeat pouring salt on the stain.
Don't ever rub the stain!!

As long as the stain is wet, salt will uptake the liquid and dry the stain.

Clothes can be washed with water and salt.

take care of leather

During the wintermonths leather in your house and leather at your feet can get too dry.

Take a bit of Vaseline and rub it in.

(I'm not talking about the stuff that gives you relief breathing. LOL!)

Vasiline keeps the leather souple and as an added extra it also gives some protection against stains.

When you use it on a couch or chair, be careful it doesn't get into the clothes of your guests.

Phone calls during the holidays

Some years it's almost impossible to call someone at christmasevening and at the evening of the old year. Let alone that you can call everyone in your book.

Either call earlier, let someone hand a gift at the time you would have liked to call, telling that it was not possible for you to reach that person, bur you didn't want that person to feel neglected, or sit together with family members and share the calls between you all.

Good luck!

Hypothermia

Now the temperatures are below zero and the festive days are approaching it's good to educate yourself about hypothermia.

Being exposed too long to low temperatures can cause hypothermia.
There's no fixed time or temperature to be given, so be aware of the fact that some people are told they're drunk and because of that help is delayed.

Hypothermia can result in unconsciousness and death, so it's good to know the symptoms.

• shivering
• irritability
• extreme uncontrollable shivering
• complaining about the cold, itchy fingers
• slurred speech
• impaired vision
• clumsy movements/uncoordinated movements or strange repetitive movements.
• stiffness of the muscles

More severe is it when stiffness of the muscles is accompanied by:

• swollen skin, becoming dark
• irregular heartbeating and dizzy spells
• irregular breathing
  

Unconsciousness will follow when no help is given.

Helping the person involves:

• move the person out of the wind
• to a dry place
• remove all wet clothing
• moderate warmth

Warn the emergency service.

Never rub the skin, use hot water or put the person in front of a fire.

When there's no warm environment available, lie against the person and wrap a blanket around you both.

cutting cake

Don't you like these wonderful christmascakes?
Decorated so wonderful that you almost refrain from eating them, makes you want to create an artwork on each plate.

Slice the cake with a hot knife, so you'll get nice and clean slices.

Put something on the plate that directs the eyes to the best parts by putting a small chocolate on the plate, powdering cocoa through a form of a star or christmastree, or putting a little bit of whipped cream at the side.

Enjoy!

As much as possible in your fridge and freezer

Getting all your special fooditems in your fridge and freezer might be a challenge during christmastime.

It calls for a creative solution.

Ofcourse you can go shopping with a measuring band, choosing the right sizes of the packages, but you can refrain from that when you buy plastic sandwich bags or even better: microwave bags.

Get rid of the round freezerboxes and foamboxes.
Unwrap the items and put them in the plastic bags.
You can fill the gaps between items with for instance meat and vegetables which aren't frozen yet. They take the form of the space.

Don't freeze new items all at once, because the already frozen items will defrost and can be kept not as long as you think.

salt or sand on ice?

Now we're surprised with such a wonderful layer of snow it's important to know that cleaning the pavement is not simply removing the snow, but that it's also about other ways of preventing people to fall.

We're inclined to use salt to inhibit ice to form, but it's not always wise to use salt.
Not only does it interfere with plant life, but it also doesn't work below certain temperatures.

Using sand in that case is a good option.

Don't forget to throw more sand when a new layer of snow has formed.

Goodies from the library

Many libraries take books, cd's and other items out of their collection at the end of the year.

Here, the library sells them for 1 or 2 euros, regardless of their condition.

That means I sometimes can buy the best and most expensive books for almost nothing.

They're wrapped in plastic and have a stamp of the library on it, and sometimes a magnetic strip, but when you're someone who loves to read that doesn't matter.

Because they're not suitable for birthday gifts those books are a present for myself.

Last year I've found someone with the same addiction, and we decided to exchange our bought library books.
Already we're in a circle of 7, and we enjoy each other's choices.

Beware of CD's and tapes and such.
They can be damaged and you can't see that from the outside.

But books: books are great!

Photo's

Earning some extra money during the holidays is always an option when you're creative.

When you possess a digital camera and some photoshop programs you can advertise to go and make photos from people.
Either for their chrsitmaswishes, or for their photo-album.

It's always nice for people to have everyone who is seated at the christmasdinner on the photo.

So make people aware you're able to visit them and create something nice.

Decorating a small room for christmas

Today I got a question from a student who has only limited living space.
In one room he has to study, eat and sleep and there's no room for a christmastree.
As far as he's concerned he can't so anything else than hang some cards on the wall.

Well, you can do far more.

Buy a red bedcover and buy a few pillowcovers with a christmasdecoration.
That'll make the corner with your bed quite christmassy.

When you're able to buy a sheet and pillowcover in the same color red, just do.

Fold the sheet to the size of your table and use it there.

Put an old pillow in the cover and throw it on your chair.

Cut some snowdecorations out of white paper for on your window, maybe you can hang some fake ice on top of the window.

Well, I think you're getting the idea!

earning some extra money

Christmastime is just the time to earn some extra money when you're not afraid to put in some energy.

When it's freezing outside older people will welcome you fetching their groceries.
Maybe there's an old peoples home near your house.
Go there to the man or woman who organizes daily activities and ask if you can be of help that way.

When you can't get the groceries, maybe you can help them out pouring an extra cup of coffee, riding people in wheelchairs to the christmasservice or visiting someone who will stay without visitors.

When you won't earn money, you'll earn smiles.

You can also offer to get the christmastree, or remove it when people want you to, decorate it, cook, or even clean the attic.

Be creative and you'll find something.

emergency box

Suddenly the lights went out this evening and I realised how much we take it for granted that I have candles and matches on the livingroom table.
We had lights in seconds.

Many people have a first aid kit available, but it's also important to have an emergency box for other unexpected situations.

Many countries have a site online where you can find what's needed in your area.

A flashlight, batteries, matches, candles, water, etc etc.

Also keep in mind that you should have a bag somewhere in your house with things you need when you're rushed to hospital.
Sleepwear, tootbrush, a list with the meds you take, your insurance number...

Just a few suggestions.

I'm sure you'll know what you need most.

wooden spoons

It's important to use in the kitchen the right tools, so you won't damage your pans and pots.

It's best to use wooden spoons.

They're a lot kinder to your baking pans, but they also leave the vegetables, potatoes and other food unharmed.

When you've used them don't throw them in water, but rinse them clean and dry them.

That way they'll have a long life

Time for your insurances

It's time now to have a good and critical look through your insurance policies.

Maybe you use certain meds that are better insured at another company, maybe you have added furniture or equipment to your house, so you need another fire and burglary insurance.

It's also good to put some money aside for next year.
January often comes with financial surprises and it's better to be prepared.
Electricity and water bills might be higher, health insurance will be more expensive, etc etc.

Make a list of what kind of insurances you have and at which companies. Include the names and phone numbers of the contact persons.
Tell your family and a friend where you keep your papers. In case of.

Better be well prepared.


Decoration made from collab kit from Rena and Marta

Best Layouts

Creating a new look for your site shouldn't be a problem when you're a bit romantic.

When I saw the beautiful layouts from Ingrid of Cute Blog Layouts I had made my choice, I thought.
Until I had a good look at her site and saw so many beauties, that it took me quite a while to find out which one I wanted for my blog.

She uses materials from scrapkits of the best scrappers on internet, and the result is as you can see.

All you have to do is leave the number of the set you like, and your mailaddress and she'll get in contact.
No need to change the HTML or CSS of your site, as you can put a code in your page elements and that's it.

For those who only speak and read Dutch: She's Dutch and her site is bilangual.

Christmas rings

1 dl eggwhites
300 gr brown sugar (basterdsuiker)
1 small bag vanilla sugar

Put the eggwhites in a bowl and stir them untill firm, but not dry.
Add half of the sugar and stir until firm again.
Then carefully add the rest of the sugar with a spoon. Try to keep the firm consistency.

Take a plastic bag and cut off a corner to get a diameter of about 7 mm.
Take baking- or fatfree paper or put butter on a bakingplate.
Put the mixture in the bag and carefully make rings with a diameter of about 5 cm.
Put them in an over for about 2 to 3 hours at a temperature of 130 degrees celcius.
When they're ready they won't glue on the bottom again.

Let them dry a bit more and keep them well in a tin.

You can wrap them up in a plastic christmasbag, a nice mug, or on a christmasplate and give them as a present.

Or you can put them on a ribbon and hang them somewhere.

Christmastree for free

No, I don't want you to engage in illegal activities.
But have you ever realized that you can get a christmastree for free when you keep your eyes open?

Some offices close not only during the christmasdays, but they stay closed until after new year. (So do schools.)

After the new year, they throw out the christmastree as old junk.

Well, contact those offices and offer to remove the christmastree just before closingtime, before christmas.

Take it home and enjoy!!

They've probably spend quite a lot of money to get a wonderful tree, so you surely will enjoy it until january 6, the day that the christmastime officially ends with the arrival of the three kings.

Good luck!!

Saving during christmastime

Christmastime used to be here in The Netherlands a very quiet, spiritual and somewhat mysterious event.

When walking on the dark streets it was a joy to look into the houses and see the light and warmth pouring out.
Going to church on christmas evening was literally going from the dark into the light.

Some people now like the more exuberant way the americans celebrate christmas and christmastime.
Not only do they forget that we have the tradition of Sinterklaas who brings the presents here, but they also forget the way christmas is celebrated according to the traditions.

So even before Sinterklaas they have decorated their homes. Not only on the inside, but also with lots of lights on the outside.

We're living in one of the most crowded countries in the world and pollution is a huge problem, as is the waste of energy.

Why do people leave their christmaslights on during the night, when no one enjoys them? Even worse: some children can't sleep as good as when they're out.

When you want to save some money during christmastime, use less lights, and only switch them on when you can enjoy them.

Free magazines

It's great to accept an offer for free magazines and papers, but first read the little letters.

It's not always as free as it's said to be, because accept free magazines or papers means you'll get the subscription rolling afterwards and you have to pay the full bill.

But there are magazines and papers who offer a week or two weeks for free without any ties attached.

Keep a close watch on what's in the shops to accept the free time wisely.

Before christmas you'll get them with recipes and beautiful photos,
just after the new year with tax advice and all sorts of financial information, and
in months like february or march, or even june with coupons for vacations.

Making a good choice means more for free. ;)

You dropped an egg?

Oh my dear! You dropped an egg?

Don't touch it.

You can put washing up liquid over it and leave it for a while. After that wiping up is easier.

But when you pour salt over it after you dropped the egg and leave it for a wile, the salt will absorp the egg and you can wipe it up as easy as can be.

clean milk glasses

Milk tastes best when cold and from a glass.
Others like it hot and in a mug.

Anyway, when the glass is empty there's a haze in the glass of milk that sticks to the sides and bottom.

When you wash it with hot water it'll only get worse.

So put cold water in the glass and wash the glass with cold water.
When you feel the need to wash it with hot water, do it afterwards.

It's best to store glasses upside down to prevent dust coming in, but please clean the place where they have to stay first, otherwise storing glasses upside down will be a great way to infect yourself and the people around you.

Against coloured and smelly hands

When peeling carrots you can get orange hands.

And after slicing unions, baking fish, for example, you can get smelly hands.

Take some salt and rub your hands with it.
When you need a firm approach, take a bit of water and salt and use it as a peeling.

Then wash your hands the normal way and smell and colour are gone.

topdroppers november

Topdroppers of november were:


The Sweet Life
Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
Funky Town Disco Music
Laane on the World
A Little Boy's Blog
Secondary Roads
BeadedTail
My Life's Perception and Inspiration
Paperkraft.net
My Library

Thank you all very much for visiting so soon after this blog was opened.

I hope to see you often!