Thrifty and Fun Holiday Table Decorating

For the holidays, each member of the family is given an assignment (or assignments). Tasks include pre-dinner games and crafts, cooking their signature Thanksgiving dish, a post-dinner activity along with caper chart activities that include setting and decorating the table. Typically an adult is paired with younger members of the family to assist with their assignment.

This year in addition to cooking, I am working with my nieces and nephew to set and decorate our Thanksgiving table. As the holidays approached my mother collected and dried autumn leaves in various sizes and colors to use as table decorations and place cards.

View at Picasa 24-Nov-2009 08:18, Canon Canon PowerShot SD78, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 24-Nov-2009 08:36, Canon Canon PowerShot SD78, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 23-Nov-2009 06:45, Canon Canon PowerShot SD78, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 23-Nov-2009 06:45, Canon Canon PowerShot SD78, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 500

Inspired by an article in Real Simple to use found items for table decoration, I took my youngest niece (5) for walk in the neighborhood to collect additional items. We found and gathered a variety of pinecones, small branches and moss, which had fallen in the recent wind and rainstorms. The real find was a young crabapple tree that had snapped in the high winds. The many branches, remnant leaves, tiny apples and sturdy stem will give us plenty of material to create a tablescape and other decorations for the holiday season.

View at Picasa 24-Nov-2009 08:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SD78, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

This afternoon my older niece and nephew will come over to set the table and create the tablescape from these founds items. Then we’ll make a pot of Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Soup) for a pre-holiday supper. Can’t wait to spend time with them in the kitchen.

Each Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on the original intent of the first thanksgiving celebrations as we gather with family and friends to share a meal and companionship. May your holiday table reflect all that you are grateful for and be filled with warmth.

Don’t even buy them!  You can use these really great re-usable ones instead.  From ivillage’s Stuff We Love:

No More Plastic These reusable pouches are perfect for carrying snacks or sandwiches on the go. They’re also an eco-friendly alternative to regular plastic bags that are usually thrown out after one use. Available in several different colors and patterns, they’re easily cleaned in the dishwasher. Know someone who hates to waste? Forward this. More • Lunch box picks • What’s the perfect PB&J? • Fresh ideas for packed school lunches iVillage Shopping Get tote bags Shop for lunch boxes Find backpacks

I’ve been thinking alot lately about putting a container garden on my deck.  I’ve got a beautiful sunny spot that already has water (a drip line attached to my irrigation system for an existing container of beautiful ornamental plants), and all I need to do over the next few months is to stop thinking and start doing.

So Step 1 – plan the design.  I love using old, reclaimed stuff for new uses, so I’ll be visiting Scott’s Antique Market this weekend to see what I can dig up (ha, ha) and use for planters.   I’ll continue to research what grows well in the Southeast, and when I can start planting.

Step 2 – start composting.  I live in a lovely suburban neighborhood, on the Chattahoochee River.  Lots of nice neighbors, and lost woodland creatures – deer wander through, a family of foxes lives by the river, raccoons and possums and squirrels.  So I can’t just start dumping my family’s refuse out on a tarp and wait to see what happens.  I needed a 21st century solution.  So I bought a Nature’s Mill Composter.

View at Picasa 01-Sep-2009 18:27, 4.5, 10.550999mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

View at Picasa 02-Sep-2009 13:06, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 250

This is what it looks like when our refuse has been composted.  Pretty neat!

View at Picasa 01-Sep-2009 18:27, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

I love this composter.  It doesn’t smell.  It doesn’t make noise.  And it processes our biodegradable refuse within a few days, turning it into rich, smelly dirt, just ripe for my garden-to-be.   I push a button when it’s full, the processed peat goes into a removable container, and I empty it into my 55 lb compost storage can (it’s really just a big trash can).

Next step = waiting for Spring.  Patience, patience, patience.

It’s always easier (and quicker) to get a job done if you’ve got the right tools.   I’m not a professional chef, and I never really learned how to slice properly.  I do love using that great big chef’s knife, though!  And last week, I sliced a chunk of my finger while I was cooking.  Which reminded me (after an entire box of bandaids) that I DO have a great tool already in my  kitchen that will help me save time and money if I only remembered to use it.

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10 Cleaning Tips Re-purposing Common Items

As the kids go back-to-school and our schedules return to ‘normal’ I’ve had a moment to look around the house only to find things that need sprucing up.  Rather than running to  the store for special cleaners, I remembered saving a Real Simple article with a list of cleaning tips using around-the-house staples.

Most of these suggestions use common household items which can be put to work as dirt-busters. Give them a try for a thrifty approach to summer-clean-up. Personally, it felt great to re-purpose and re-use items that were already in my pantry and first aide shelf.

Oatmeal:

Use it to scrub dirty hands.  Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well. Perfect after gardening –especially in the Georgia clay.

Rice:

Use it to clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigorously, and rinse. A wonderful way to give your favorite vase, water pitcher and glass storage container a deep clean and renewed shine.

Glycerin:

Use it to remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean.

Hydrogen Peroxide:

Use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect a keyboard. Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide to get into those nooks and crannies. I’ll be doing this often during the fall to prevent to spread of germs!

Rubbing Alcohol:

Use it to erase permanent-marker stains from finished wood floors or solid-surface countertops. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and apply.

Looking for more ideas? Check out the Real Simple article ‘10 Unexpected Natural Cleaners.’ Do you have a thrifty tip? Please share by leaving a comment below.