Now Here’s a Tip – Dec. 25, 2018

#Middlebury

• Do yourself a favor and pick up red and green festive party items, like plates and cups, plain cloth napkins and foil-wrapped candies, at after-holiday discounts. You can use the red items for Valentine’s Day and the green for St. Patrick’s Day with none the wiser.
• DIY shower spray: Add 1 part vodka to 2 parts water, plus a few drops of essential oil (peppermint or tea tree) to a spray bottle. Mist your shower walls to keep mildew at bay.
• Resolutions are meant to help us focus on improvement, not to be a source of stress. Take some time to think about the times and situations that negatively impacted you in the past year. Instead of making a blanket resolution (lose weight, travel, watch less TV) come up with a few things that will have a specific positive effect on your life (go to the gym or take a walk three mornings per week, prep cook for the week ahead on Sunday afternoons).
• “We purchased a large, weatherproof storage bin that we keep out front. It has balls and bats, plus other toys that the kids like to play with outside. They put the toys back in the bin when done playing, and then we don’t have to worry about what’s under that surprise layer of snow.” – U.D. in Wisconsin
• Now’s the time to reset your clothing hangers. Turn the hangers in your closet facing out toward the room. As you wear items and they go through the laundry, put them in the closet facing in as normal. It won’t take long for you to see what you’re NOT wearing, and you can donate or get rid of the excess.
• “Put car manuals into a zipper-top bag and stick it in the trunk or the seat-back pocket. This will free up space in your glove box for personal items you might need to access.” – T.F. in Georgia

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