Charlotte’s Tips

Candles are pretty and can make your home smell good but sometimes cleaning out the Votive candle holders can be a real pain in the neck. There are a couple different ways to clean the wax residue of them.

One way is to put the holder in the freezer for a little bit then you should be able to pop that bit of candle right out of the holder. Some say to put about an eighth inch of water into the holder before inserting the candle and that will make removal easier. (I haven’t tried this one, so I don’t know if it really works or not). Another way is to put the holder into a pan of very hot water, if it’s a washable holder, and wait a little bit and you should be able to scrape the wax out with a spoon or butter knife.

My preferred method is the freezer method. It takes about an hour and the leftover wax pops right out with a spoon or butter knife.

Speaking of cleaning…. In our office we have our own room in which to eat our lunch, throw parties, etc. Every will bring in little things that they bought and didn’t like or just have extra of and we have baskets of things “donated” by co-workers.

We have quite a Tea Collection going on in one basket. We have Earl Grey, mint, lemon and quite a few other kinds. We also have cookies that one girl brought in because her son doesn’t like them. We have little packets of stuff from Chinese takeout. If you need something to munch or drink… we probably have what you’re looking for!

I just put a poll up in my left sidebar. I want to know when you do your “seasonal” or “heavy duty” cleaning. You know, when you go through all the stuff you’ve collected for a long time and throw stuff out or get it together for yard sales or to give away.

A lot of people do “spring cleaning” but I do it whenever the urge strikes me. I don’t have a set schedule for this kind of thing.

What do you do? I’m looking forward to seeing your answers. Please vote in the poll and leave an comment on this post.

When you got married did you go all out on your wedding or was yours done on a budget? Did you buy expensive, fancy, engraved wedding invitations? They can get quite pricey. You could have made your own and here is one way to do that:

1. Decide on how formal your wedding will be. This has an effect on the design and wording of your invitations.

2. Look for do it yourself wedding invitation ideas by searching the web. You can find sites that offer free templates with or without designs and word samples. You can download templates to use as is or you can adapt them to suit your needs. Some sites will only allow you to download free templates if you purchase your wedding stationary from them.

3. Decide on your design or image and the wording that you will use.

4. Pick a font that goes best with the theme and style of your invitations.

5. Buy your stationery, including cards for any enclosures, such as RSVPs, Thank You cards and programs. You can use stationery blanks that are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Be sure to buy a few extra in case of a printing mishap.

6. Make sure you have plenty of extra ink cartridges so that you don’t run out in the middle of printing your invitations.

7. Set aside the time to create your invitations and then print them. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete them.

8. Before printing all of the invitations, print one copy of each piece on plain paper cut to the sizes of your stationery. Doing this you can make sure that everything is lined up correctly and check for typing errors.

9. Make sure your printer can adjust to the different sizes of your stationary.

10. Get family and friends who have great handwriting to help you address your invitations.

I posted on my main blog that I did a lot of cleaning this past weekend. Some of the things I did was to go through some boxes and clean out some drawers. While doing that I came across some promotional products from another company I used to work for. I promptly threw them in the trash. There was a sticker, a can cozy and a few other things.

My place looks so nice and clean now. I scrubbed floors, counters and removed spots from my carpet. I did laundry, filed a bunch of papers and cleaned bathrooms. It always feels so good to get things accomplished!

This blog has been around for 618 days now and I’ve made 251 posts (including this one). I’m surprised that I’ve been able to come up with that many hints, tips and recipes. There have been a few other posts, like this one, thrown in from time to time.

This blog has been through a lot of visual changes since I first started it. I think I used between 10 and 15 different themes since the beginning. That’s just something I do. I get tired of looking at one thing for so long then it’s time for a change. I do really like the theme I have now so maybe there won’t be any changes in the theme for awhile.

Well… not really all that cold, but it’s time to start thinking about getting out the cold weather clothing. I already have my sweatshirts out and my heavier jeans. I’ve been thinking about getting a pair of UGG Australia boots. I see a lot of people wearing them and they tell me that they keep their feet nice and warm.

I have a feeling this winter is going to be a long and cold one. We’re due for one. If that’s going to be the case then I need to find some kind of weather stripping to keep the cold air from coming in around the sliding glass door which is right next to my desk. I really don’t feel like wearing gloves while I’m at the computer!

The time of year is coming. I’m talking about the holiday season when people dig out their old family egg nog recipes and start thinking about Christmas.

I don’t have old family recipes for egg nog, but I do have a recipe. It’s a non-alcoholic version so it’s safe for the kiddies.

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
2 egg whites
3 tbsp. sugar
Brandy or rum flavoring to taste
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
Ground nutmeg

Beat 1/3 cup sugar into the egg yolks. Add the salt then stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat.. stirring constantly until the mixture coats a spoon. Cool. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the 3 tbsp. sugar, beating until they form soft peaks. Add to the custard and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and flavoring. Chill for 3 or 4 hours. Pour into a punch bowl or cups. Dot with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Serves 6 to 8.