The Riser Visor Nozzle Cover

One of Eureka Hand-Held Vacuum, 71B innovations is the Riser Visor, a clear plastic cover that stays down for cleaning horizontal surfaces and flips up so the revolving brush can reach the vertical carpet on stair risers. There’s no bag to change, just a filter and clear plastic dust cup to shake out when necessary.

The Riser Visor nozzle features a rotating cover over the brush roll. When the cover is in the normal position, the brush roll action is toward the bottom side of the nozzle to clean flat areas such as stair steps or upholstery. Twist the cover downward to rotate the cover down exposing the front of the brush roll for cleaning vertical surfaces, e.g. stair risers, furniture backs.

The Eureka Hand-held vacuum even removes the deeply embedded dirt from anywhere in your home or car. It is Ideal for cleaning stairs and auto upholstery. This hand vacuum cleans with the help of a revolving brush roll with Riser Visor, a stretch hose and attachments for getting into hard to reach spaces. The on-board crevice tool gets into those places that are too small for the brush roll to reach.

Eureka Hand-Held Vacuum, 71B

Price: $38.54

(1 customer reviews)

42 used & new available from $31.48

Ideal for quick pick-ups or cleaning smaller spaces.

Clean your cars, stairs as well as quick messes easily with this light weight hand vacuum by Eureka. The Riser Visor nozzle flips to easily clean upholstery and stairs vertically or horizontally. On or off, brush roll picks up dirt from bare floors and area rugs. With its ability to provide a quick yet comprehensive clean, it has formally been named ‘Quick-Up.’

Getting the Best Results

• Moving brush roll, power switch should be in suction only position when using hose.
• Do not use the cleaner without the dust cup filter properly installed. This can damage the cleaner.
• Some fine particles can restrict airflow very quickly and will decrease performance even before the dust container appears full. For that reason, when vacuuming carpet fresheners or cleaners, powder, plaster dust or similar fine substances, the dust cup and filter may need cleaning more often.
• Use the cleaner to pick up dirt and dust particles. Avoid picking up hard or sharp objects that could damage the vacuum cleaner.
• To avoid unnecessary service calls, check the hose, dust cup and motor filter often. Clear a clogged hose, empty the dust cup if it is full, and clean the motor filter when it is dirty.

Easy Cleaning Steps

1. Pull the crevice tool out of the base of the cleaner.
2. Place the crevice tool on the end of the hose.
3. When cleaning is completed, store crevice tool back in the base of the cleaner and replace the hose in the hose adapter on the cleaner.
4. Pull back on the power switch to the “open cup” position and lift dust cup away from cleaner.
5. Remove dust cup filter and dump dust cup in a waste container.
6. The filter can be cleaned by brushing off over a waste container.
7. The dust cup can be rinsed under running water and should be completely dried before replacing on cleaner.

Eureka Hand-Held Vacuum, 71B

Price: $38.54

(1 customer reviews)

42 used & new available from $31.48

Light Keeper PRO 01201 The Complete Tool for Fixing Miniature Light Sets

Price: $23.79

(311 customer reviews)

14 used & new available from $16.49

This item is more expensive than others in its category, but it works great! I was able to fix multiple strings of lights in a matter of minutes instead of getting frustrated and throwing them out like I used to. I liked it so much I bought one for 2 of my family members as well. Just take one of the lights out of the dead string, and plug the empty socket into a receptacle on the front of the device. Pull the trigger about 10-15 times and all of the working lights light up making it easy to identify and replace the dead ones. After trying 2 other similar devices that did not work at all, this was a great find and I highly recommend it.

Simply plug your Light Keeper PRO into the light set, pull the trigger and a pulse goes to the bulb, fixes the shunt and allows the light set to work correctly. The light keeper pro is not intended with led, rope or light set/sets with control boxes.

The Light Keeper PRO 01201 is one product that you’ll wish you bought it earlier. It will save your lights, your time and mostly save your money. This is why we recommend this tools to bought to prepare the decorations right before the Christmas arrive and it was worth also as a Christmas gift.

Light Keeper PRO 01201 The Complete Tool for Fixing Miniature Light Sets

Price: $23.79

(311 customer reviews)

14 used & new available from $16.49

The History of Christmas Lights

As early as the 17th century people begin to use candles to light their trees. It was first starts in Germany by the wealthy. People would use melted wax to adhere the candle to the tree. Then candle holders were designed. In 1882 Thomas Edison’s assistant came up with the idea of electric Christmas lights. His first endeavor was a huge hit, and soon companies were selling them. The safety light was invented in 1917 by Albert Sadacca in response to a tragic fire caused by lights. Today, safety lights are sold very inexpensively, and are widely used in homes all over the world.

The Types of Christmas Lights

The type of Christmas lights that can be purchased depends largely on the purpose for them. When looking for indoor lights, one must determine how many lights that are needed before shopping. It is easier to buy the same lights because they look much more uniform. This is especially true if one chooses lights that blink or run in a sequence. Buying the same lights at the same time will allow synchronization of the pattern.

Outdoor lights should be designated specifically for outdoor use. These bulbs are usually larger than indoor lights and are designed to withstand inclement weather. Many people enjoy the look of icicle lights hanging on the eaves of their home. Net Christmas lights are designed to make decorating small plants, shrubbery, and trees simple and quick. Outdoor lights also come in a variety of colors so one can choose just what will suit the home.

Tips for Buying Christmas Lights

Determine the color scheme before going shopping. One must think about the design and layout of the lighting.. A tree decorated in clear lights lends an elegant glow and compliments any ornaments. The use of garlands and ornaments combined with white lights can help a tree seem less overwhelming. If there is a theme in mind, one can choose to use only one color such as red or blue. Multi-colored lights lend a more festive air and are a favorite with children. Multi-colored lights are also available that play music and pulse to the music. Some simply run in a blinking pattern that is adjustable.

It is a good idea to buy Christmas tree lights that have a parallel wiring system, so that if one light is not working it does not affect the entire strand. If one chooses to run more than one strand of lights, dual ended plugs must be used so that all of the strands can be connected together.

The Benefits of Christmas Tree Lights

Christmas tree lights are one of the most distinctive Christmas decorations, reflecting the essence and the joy of the holiday season.. They are very cheerful and announce to one and all that Christmas time is here again. They provide subtle lighting and can be used to enhance the mood of your home. Outdoor Christmas lights are a time honored tradition that will make your home look beautiful. There are so many benefits to Christmas lights, but the greatest benefit of all is the warm glow they bring to the heart of all who see them.

Source : Tips for Christmas Lighting

Hanging outdoor Christmas lights is not necessarily a difficult task. Take a look at our tips to simplify the job and make it a fun filled activity.

Tip # 1

Plan early. Before Christmas is knocking on the door, you should know what exactly you want to do with your outdoor Christmas lights. If it snows and gets really cold where you live, start thinking about it right from the end of August, when the weather is still comfortable. A good idea is to hang icicle lights around the top of your house. For this, you have to screw in hooks under the roof. If you do that, you can put up the lights in a few minutes and there’s no way you can make a mess of things. This is also applicable if you want lights around your porch or deck.

Tip # 2

You would do well to put up the lights as early as October or November when it’s not that cold. When the holiday season is around the corner, you can fit in a timer and turn them on.

Tip # 3

You can teach your kids how to hang outdoor Christmas lights. They can do all the untangling while you do the actual job of putting the lights up. If the hooks are in place, putting up the outdoor Christmas lights is a piece of cake. Put the wires over the hook and they will stay in position; there will be no risk of damaging the lights.

Tip # 4

From time to time, you will need to change the hooks (they are prone to rusting). But you surely don’t have to do that every year. Let the hooks be after the holiday season too. You can use them again the year coming.

Tip # 5

Measurements are important. You need to have at least a rough idea about the measurements of your home so you have enough lights to decorate the space.

Tip #6

Make sure to test your lights before hanging them.

Tip # 7

Get all the tools you need. These include a tape measure, pliers, a hammer and a ladder to complete the job.

Tip # 8

Your ladder needs to be planted on flat ground. It is better and safer to have someone hold it when you are up on it.

Tip # 9

Hang the lights along eaves. Take your time and be careful not to damage your home walls. If you want lights attached to your gutter, use plastic clips. These will stick with the gutter and hold the lights and extension cord.

So because now you know which ideas came across for your Christmas lights here are some Recommended products for you to buy and  start the Christmas Decorations. Have fun guys.

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In this article we’re going to have a look at the top 10 Christmas decorating tips that might just get you looking forward to putting up yours this Christmas.

Christmas Decorating Tip 1 : be yourself

This may seem like an odd tip, considering the others will be giving you some direction, but the number one tip is to just be yourself.

When choosing the decorations to use, or the places that you’re going to put them, go with what you like, after all, unless it’s on the outside of your house where the neighbours will see them more than you will, you’re the one who’s going to be living with them – so don’t go with anything you couldn’t live with for those few weeks over the Christmas holidays.

Christmas Decorating Tip 2 : left in the dark

There are few things worse than having a long line of Christmas lights and discovering that one bulb is stopping all of the rest from working. There are two things you can do about this or three if you just chuck them out and buy some new lights.

The first thing is to do is to get a light tester. This handy little device will check all of the lights individually and tell you which one is causing the problems.

The second thing to do is to start replacing ‘serial’ strings of lights with ‘parallel’ strings of lights. No matter where they are in the row, all of lights in a serial string will stop working if any of the bulbs blow. This means having to check each of them so as to fix the problem. When they’re in parallel only the faulty bulb will stop working – making it much easier to fix.

Christmas Decorating Tip 3 : showing the Angel within

To give you that additional feeling of peace and serenity you should include add some angels in with your other decorations. They will also link in with the true religious meaning of Christmas, and cost a lot less than buying a nativity scene.

Christmas Decorating Tip 4 : having a fruity centre

For many people the smell of fruit goes hand in hand with Christmas, so why not create a dining table centerpiece with oranges and other fruit; it’s also handy to have if Christmas dinner is a little slow in getting to the table.

Christmas Decorating Tip 5 : adding those personal touches

If you have visitors over for Christmas then a nice personal touch is to create place names for the table. It’s easy enough to do and you can give it a bit of a party feel by writing the names using brightly coloured pens.

Do you hang stockings out at Christmas? If you do then you can add a few personal touches to those, too. If you have a bit of time, as well as some sewing skills, you can create individual stockings and add things that the person you’ve made it for likes i.e. a boy’s stocking could have a fabric train sown on to it.

Christmas Decorating Tip 6 : mistletoe and other plant life

What Christmas decorations would be complete without mistletoe hung tactically around the house? To accompany that you could also think about decking your halls with holly, and prudently placing poinsettia.

Christmas Decorating Tip 7 : wreaths

There’s no reason why you can’t have an artificial wreath that you use each year, but, if you have the time, and can locate a class, then creating your own wreath makes the decoration that little bit more special.

When hanging it you can either use a ‘fixed’ wreath hanger or, you could use one of the many magnetic wreath hangers that are on the market today. The magnetic hangers mean you don’t have to attach a hook each year because they work through your door by attracting the hook part on the outside to a metal plate on the inside.

Christmas Decorating Tip 8 : measure twice, buy once

You probably already have the perfect spot picked out for your Christmas tree, but do you know what the clearance is?
If you have an artificial tree then you may not have this problem, after all you can quite easily leave a section out of them, but, if you’re out buying a real tree then you need to know the maximum height and width it can be.

Again, chopping a bit off the top isn’t difficult, but you may have paid a premium to get one as tall as you have, but if it’s too wide then having to reshape it is going to cause you nightmares. Size does matter.

Christmas Decorating Tip 9 : starting and keeping a tradition

It’s nice to have family traditions at Christmas time, and one of those traditions could be getting the family involved in the decorating.

If you’re particular about where everything should go, and probably already have a floor plan, then why not assign each member an area that they can be responsible for? If that doesn’t sound like a good idea then why not have a certain amount of decorations that are created by members of the family each year?

Not only does making new decorations get the family involved; it also means that you have a fresh new look to some areas of the house each Christmas.

Christmas Decorating Tip 10 : cheap and not so cheerful

Ever year there’s a nice new range of cheap decorations on the market, and that’s fine if they don’t have any moving parts or electronics, but if they do you should makes sure that they have all of the required safety standards certificates.

If you have anything that isn’t fully tested, and something happens to cause damage to your home then the chances are that the insurance companies aren’t going to pay out anything on your claim. As bad as that may be when it comes to the damage of property, it’s even worse if it causes you any personal injuries.

There we have it, the top 10 Christmas decorating tips.

You may not completely agree with this top ten run down, but if you try them out for yourself then there’s no doubt that they will start to creep up your list when it comes to the best ideas for Christmas decorating.

Source : Top 10 Christmas Decorating Tips

When choosing bulbs, whether for their color or their brightness, always keep in mind that no matter how beautiful your holiday decorations look, if the safety of your house and its occupants are compromised, it might not be a good idea to fill your setting with lights, no matter how stunning they might appear. Safety first and image second should be the main rules.

A lot of wattage, shapes and hues, not to mention brands of light bulbs abound in stores this season, so choose wisely, the holidays only come once a year, so we better make sure we do it right.

The perfect combination of holiday lights is different, depending on who is decorating. The classic red and gold motif has always been a perennial favorite among Christmas decor. Other color combinations are silver and blue, red and green, and red, white and blue for those who want a patriotic spread for their holidays. The combinations are infinite and the only limitation the person’s imagination.

The yuletide season of giving and sharing, of course, has a mainstay that does not change year after year: The Christmas tree. We all remember our childhoods where we decorated the tree in our own little way. Flinging colored strands here and there, hanging different ornaments and trinkets and lastly, wanting to be the one to sit the shining star atop the tree. Of course, also important would be the tree lights that would define the entire tree, enveloping it with a halo of brilliance, enough to inspire worship with all who witness it.

Christmas Lights Clearance : So Many Colors and Styles to Choose From, so Little Time.

Numerous online shops carry an infinite number of Christmas lights of all kinds and colors. one only needs to log on to any online shopping network and be amazed at the sheer number of choices that await him. eBay alone has about 30000 entries, all related to holiday lights and decor. Log in, choose and check out your purchases.

Another site that specializes in whatever item one can think of, not only this yuletide season, but year round, would be the online-bookstore-turned-retail demigod Amazon.com. Its site boasts of roughly 40000 entries pertaining to holiday or Christmas decorations. With all those choices, no wonder consumers and stores refer to the holidays as the busiest time of the year!

Still cannot find what you are looking for? Try Amazon.com, where you might find holiday items like Christmas and holiday lights, tree decorations and ornaments, and most especially gifts to shower your loved ones this season!

In looking for relevant holiday decorations, one simply cannot forget the mainstays in shopping and bargain hunting. Bargain superstores Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Home Depot are always there to give you bang for the buck purchases of all your holiday lights, decorations, and gift-giving needs! They might have on stock that item you have been searching far and wide for.

Take advantage of this season’s Christmas lights clearance in all your favorite online or friendly neighborhood retail store today.

While there are many choices for various kinds of string lighting on the market many people these days are switching to LED Christmas lights. With the most popular brands including GE and Philips these bulbs come in a variety of colors with the most popular being blue and green. Here you can learn about a wide variety of online shops for these lights including Costco, eBay and Amazon.

When shopping for Christmas lights you will have several options. While some people like traditional electric lights many people around the country are now switching to solar Christmas lights. In addition to being more friendly for the environment they are of a higher quality and can last for many years. With the leading brands including Phillips and Westinghouse you will find many great discounts at wholesale prices on eBay & Amazon.

With Christmas 2011 just around the corner it is now time to start thinking about how to decorate the yard. One item which you will have to consider is outdoor Christmas lights. Browse the online shopping sites such as eBay & Amazon and you will find a wide variety of unique lights both LED and battery operated.

Christmas string lights

With the holidays almost here it is time to start taking a look at some of the online sales for Xmas decorations and lights. On the leading shopping sites including eBay and Amazon you will find some great deals on string lighting. While you may be tempted to decorate the outside of your home on your own this year it can still be a good idea to have a consultation with an interior decorator. This person can offer professional advice for how to decorate your home in the most beautiful way for the least amount of money.

Decorating the house and yard with Christmas lights can be good fun. However, the issue of safety can come into play when you have too many extension cords on the floor. Both kids and pets can get tangled in the cords and this can be an issue. One way around this is to use battery Christmas lights. Whether you are looking for indoor lights, Christmas tree, outdoor, mini, LED or white lights, you’ll find that battery operated bulbs of a lot more convenience during the holiday season.

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These 6 simple home care tips for your Christmas tree will ensure that your tree stands tall and full right through the Yuletide season.

1. First things first. If you are going for a cut tree, make sure it is freshly cut as close as possible to your delivery date to ensure good quality. This takes care of the pesky needle drop problem, which is inevitable even with a good tree, but considerably less in intensity in a freshly cut tree.

2. Plan the delivery date of your Christmas tree. One of the greatest enemies of the Christmas tree is heat. When your tree arrives, make sure you keep it away from all sources of heat so that it remains fresh for a longer period of time. This includes central heating, radiators, and electric lights. Heat makes the tree lose a lot of moisture rapidly, setting the stage for the inevitable and unsightly needle drop by the time you decide to cart it inside the house.

3. What happens after the tree arrives is equally important. Obviously, you won’t be bringing it inside till you are ready to put up the decorations. So that might mean the tree goes through a waiting period of a few days. During this time, it is imperative that you keep it covered and hydrated (and, of course, away from any direct source of heat). Trim off an inch or so from the base of the tree so that all the pores open up and enable a better seepage of moisture. Mount your tree on some sort of a support and stand it in a bucket of water, till it is ready to be taken inside.

4. When the tree is outside, it is also a good idea to bang the base of the tree on the ground to dislodge any about-to-fall needles (avoids a mess inside). It is normal for a tree to shed needles in the course of time so that should not be a cause of worry.

5. Select a good spot for the tree one you get it inside. It needs to be stressed again – do not keep it exposed to any source of heat.

6. Water it daily. Once the tree has been set up, don’t forget to water it daily. Every tree needs moisture to keep them going, even the low needle-drop ones. For the first week, the tree would need to be watered twice a day and then once a day. It would be prudent to set the tree in a stand so that there is no mess created while watering.

Source : Simple Home Care Tips For Your Christmas Tree

Lawn Lights Illuminated Outdoor Decoration, LED – Blue

Price: —

(69 customer reviews)

0 used & new available from

The Christmas season is a time for giving, selflessness, hope, beauty, fun, and love. With the carols around the air, people extensively decorate their homes to celebrate the Christmas spirit. To add more beauty and colors, people all over the world put up Christmas trees, decorations, and Christmas lights in their own homes. Christmas gifts pile up under the tree to make the children happier and more excited for the arrival of the holidays.

To make the season livelier and lovelier, people use a set of Christmas decoration, mostly with a chosen theme. Traditionally, stars, garlands, and wreaths are common in a home. Today, there are more innovative decorations that can be used like musical decors, ornaments with fancy lights, collectible figurines like snowman, Santa, angel and other figurines. Online shopping also provides a wider variety of decoration ideas. However, people can decorate their homes with handmade crafts, or they can personalize some home decorations to give a more personal touch with the fast-approaching Christmas season.

Furthermore, people tend to exert more effort and spend extra cost on Christmas gifts. Since it is the season of giving, gifts convey the ideas of sharing and caring. Certainly, there are different gifts ideas to choose from. Department stores always offer special discounts and promotions on gift items during Christmas. Also, handmade gifts are great options for Christmas gifts-giving and exchanging gifts. Some unique gifts include books, candle holders, jewelries, snowman gifts, stocking stuffers, picture frames, home and collectible decors, angel gifts, and garden decors. However, it is best to narrow down the selection of gifts to categories like gifts for girls, boys, babies, for him or her, and others. This will provide you an easier and faster way to select an appropriate Christmas gift for each of your loved ones.

Finally, the grand and most magical of all is the Christmas tree decorations. To make an impressive Christmas tree, numerous decorations are used like stars, angels, glittered balls or any shapes, fruits, ribbons, wreaths, and fanciful Christmas lights. Decorating a tree is surely an overwhelming task, but the most-awaited of all is the lighting of the Christmas especially during nighttime; thus, children get more excited to see the pile of gifts under it. Indeed, Christmas is the season for everything nice.

Lawn Lights Illuminated Outdoor Decoration, LED – Blue

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First, put into storage and reuse later this year.

Of course, this is the first thing that our common sense will dictate. After all, holiday decoration styles seldom change and if they actually do, they do not really change a lot. Thus, it is a good idea to store these decorations in a convenient or far-flung place, so that you can reuse them in the future.

Most holiday decorations are made of durable material like plastic and fibreglass, so you will not have to worry about decomposition issues. However, take note that some of them may feature some intricate work (like those cute angels), which serve as the prime attractor of dust and other particulate matter. Wrap these decorations using old newspapers so that they will stay looking new.

Second, put into storage and sell next year.

Well, if you are the kind who does not like using a set of holiday decorations more than once in your life, it still does not just justify throwing them away. Instead, keep them safely tucked in your storage cabinets and put them on a yard sale come October or November. Of course, selling them right now is unlikely to do you any good, but selling them later on can get you extra cash to purchase better-looking decorations next time.

Do not forget to perform the same precautionary measures that I suggested in the first bullet. Used stuff that looks new does not only sell at a higher price, but are also more likely to sell in the first place. Holiday décor that looks too old and worn-out will be nothing but an eyesore not only for you but also for other people that will see it.

Third, put into storage and give them away next year.

Okay, so you don’t like using stuff again and you’re not the business-minded kind of person. Nevertheless, you still must not throw it all away. Instead, keep them in storage and them give them away to less fortunate families next Christmas, so that they can save money for home décor, which they can use for more important expenses like food and clothing.

Source : Post-Holiday Cleanup – 3 Great Ways on How to Get Rid of Christmas Home Decor

If so, then you’ll want to read this article. The Christmas season is the most festive of the year, with so many homes, offices, and buildings donning the holiday decorations that we enjoy so much. And your enjoyment level will be even better when you decorate your own home. The following paragraphs are submitted as a reference to help in identifying and applying holiday decorating ideas that your whole family can enjoy.

Christmas Home Decorating Idea #1 : How About a Nativity Scene ?

Even though it has become as much a secular holiday as a religious one, Christmas just doesn’t seem the same without a nativity scene. However, if your family is not Christian oriented, you may feel more comfortable in skipping this option. For the rest of us, there are a multitude of interesting options available for a manger scene. Our scene has colorful statues of wise men, bearing armfuls of gifts for the Christ child, as well as many animals standing around in reverent poses. I’ve seen other scenes that have angels and chubby cherubs flying about the manger, and perhaps even Joseph (the father who is usually forgotten) lurking nearby.

Christmas Home Decorating Idea #2 : Home Made Decorations

Some of our fondest Christmas memories are ones where we made homemade decorations. If you have young ones in your family, you should consider getting them personally involved in the process. How much fun can they have with scissors, glue, paint, and paper? My guess is they’ll create memories that’ll be cherished throughout their life, and you get free (or nearly free) decorations in the process. In addition you can make edible creations such as gingerbread men. These little creations are quite popular with the kiddies as they can be enjoyed during the season, and eaten afterwards! What a deal!

Christmas Home Decorating Idea #3 : Finding Your Personal Theme

Sometimes a decision becomes harder when there are so many available options. If you find it difficult to decide on a decorating strategy, then maybe you should just step back for a moment. Try a little reflection on what you find truly inspiring and beautiful, and then adjust your plan accordingly. We’ve already mentioned a nativity scene and home-made decorations. Some other ideas that work well are adding greenery among blinking lights. How about adding a Santa Clause or two, or perhaps including candles (both the real and the electric variety) along with birds, snowmen, and the like? The possibilities are only limited by your creativity (and perhaps your budget).

Source : Christmas Home Decorating, Here’s What You Need To Know

You can begin filling your house with Christmas cheer by putting up joyful and wonderful decors using lights, mantel decorations, trees, wreaths… And now here are several amazing decorating ideas :

Christmas Centerpiece

Almost always dining room is the centerpiece for the whole holiday. That’s why you have to think how to decorate it beforehand. Decorate your dinner table with Christmas tablecloths. Fill your room with red and white colors. Add small silver and crystal things. Make your room shine and sparkle.

Christmas Candles

You can never get enough of candles.

They must be everywhere during the whole holiday. These small lights can create a very special, cozy and cheerful atmosphere in your house.

Mantel Christmas Decorations

Probably one of the first things to come to mind when you think of Christmas is family. And where do you usually meet holiday with your family ? If you have a fireplace with a mantel then definitely it’s the most favorite place in the house for the whole family. This place makes everybody fill very comfortable and special during the holiday. And that’s why it must be decorated.

Christmas Tree Decorating

And here is one more wonderful tradition that already lives for years.

That is decorating Christmas trees. Nowadays you can find plenty of different types of trees: different sizes, colors and textures. And of course there are millions of different small awesome things to put on the tree. You can choose from a wide variety of lights, balls, bells, flowers and so on.

Christmas Toys

I’m sure you have much more Christmas toys then your tree can hold. But who told you that these toys can be used only for the tree? Find other places in your house where these Christmas decorations will look fabulous.

Christmas Lights

Ok, you already have lots of candles all around.

But you shouldn’t stop on it. Don’t forget about lighting. Unlike candles, Christmas lights is a safe way to make your tree shine and sparkle. Use different combination of colors, forms and sizes. Install the strings of lights on every edge or surface. They will make your house really festive.

Christmas Table

Christmas dinner…A lot of light, delicious food, the whole family has gathered in the dining room…Christmas table must match the holiday mood. Use bright red and white tablecloths. And of course don’t forget about silver kitchen appliances and glass bowls. Find cheerful colorful napkins, basket covers and tea towels. The combination of red and white, blue and silver colors always looks very attractive for this holiday.

Holidays Greens

Start creating holiday mood for your guests even before they come into your house – decorate your yard. Use pine cones, cedar twigs and other holiday greens.

Don’t stop on this. Try to find other great ideas how to make your holiday bright, cheerful and memorable.

Avoid turning your holidays into a disaster by following these simple holiday lighting tips :

• Always check for cracked or loose sockets and connections. Be sure to replaced broken bulbs, exposed and frayed wires or scorched insulation before plugging in lights. Even new ones should be checked for safety defaults.
• Once you’ve plugged in your lights, lay them on a non flammable surface for at least 15 minutes and watch for shorts, sparking, melting or other signs of overheating.
• Make sure that your lights are UL Listed, which means that they have been inspected and approved for all U.S. safety recommendations.
• Keep your tree watered daily. Dry needles can spark easily when heated by lights, causing a fire.
• Keep tree lights away from direct contact with needles and branches.
• Make sure all artificial trees are fire retardant
• Never use indoor lights, decorations or extension cords out of doors, even if they will be protected by the weather. Be sure they are rated for outside use. Lights intended for indoor use feature green UL markings and tags, while those safe for outdoor use feature red UL markings and tags. Those that can be used either indoors or outdoors will bear the red UL markings and tags.
• Always plug outdoor lighting and decorations into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for outdoor lighting use. Check to make sure if they contain any weather or temperature restrictions, especially if you live in a harsher climate.
• Never leave either indoor or outdoor lighting or decorations on while asleep or away from home. Use a timer to ensure that aren’t accidentally forgotten.
• Never plug more than three strings of lights into a single extension cord, and never plug multiple extension cords together on one circuit.
• Never use metal staples or nails to hang light strings. They can damage the protective insulation around the wires and cause an electrical short. Opt for plastic fasteners instead.
• Never run extension cords across sidewalks or driveways.
• Never use a metal ladder when hanging lights.

Holiday lighting and decorative displays both inside and outside your home can be a beautiful way to celebrate the holidays – if you take the time to ensure that they are safe.

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You may want to change the whole look of the house, changing your rugs and even doing some refurbishment or just clean it up from top to bottom. To change the whole look, work should be started a month before Christmas otherwise a nice paint job should do the trick. A little creativity, planning before hand and color co-ordination with furniture and accessories should make your home attractive. Discard clutter or unwanted things from the house to show more open space. Furniture should be re-arranged to enhance the look of the place.

If your sofa appears too bland and you don’t want to spend money on buying one then you can buy beautiful sofa covers or get them made and still get the look you want. Some lace or showy curtains and a grand rug that covers the sitting area would gel well with the decor of the room. There are rugs especially designed for this occasion so you may want to want to get one of those for the Christmas period. Even if you do not want to get an area rug with a distinctly Christmas scene, you can still get one that features the colors of Christmas either in a monotone or an eclectic blend of red, green and white.

Since the living room and the dining room are the two places where guests will be entertained mostly during Christmas, these are the rooms that should be decorated the most though if you do have children they would surely insist on having their room decorated too for Christmas. The Christmas tree is the first thing I would recommend, to decorate your home, as it is the main thing that a child looks forward to on Christmas day. Decorations made in the shape of mistletoes and bells, snowmen and Santa are lovely to hang around in the house. Try your hands at making them and later they can be proudly shown off. Poinsettia’s, Christmas candles and stockings placed or hanging from the mantel, at this time of the year, would add a touch of glamour to the room. A big Christmas wreath with hollies, bows and ribbons would be a welcome sight at the door.

The dining room is another place where the family meets and so would be the next place to decorate. A beautiful centerpiece on the dining table would be the highlight of this room, arranged with fresh or artificial poinsettias and greens making it attractive. Christmas candles decorated with flowers placed on the table along with little Christmas sweets or chocolates in different shapes like stars, Christmas trees, snowmen, Santa’s, fruits, flowers, etc delicately placed in small baskets would look excellent, these come handy as ‘give-away’ to adult guests especially since Christmas is the time for giving. Not forgetting your children and all the small guests who come by, at this time of the year, by placing fancy gifts near the Christmas tree.

Source : Home Decoration Tips For Christmas

One of the most appropriate materials for doing projects yourself is wood. It’s affordable, relatively easy to use, friendly to the environment and long lasting. If you are an enthusiast or even just a beginner, here are seven great ideas for woodworking projects that you can do yourself and be proud of the result.

A stool
Building a wooden stool is probably the simplest project you can do. If this will be your first woodworking project, it’s great idea to start with making a stool.

There are all kind of stools, but a very simple one can consist of just three boards – one for sitting and two for “legs”. For more stability one perpendicular lath can be added between the legs. You can also build a stool that has four legs, but that’s a bit more complicated.

A bench
The benches are pretty simple too, depending on the design of course. I consider them slightly more complex woodworking projects than the stools because they are longer and more than one body can sit on them.

A simple bench can be made by six pieces – one long and wide plank for sitting on it (can be a compilation of several boards if you don’t have a wide enough one); three vertical planks for legs – one on each side and one in the middle; and two horizontal ones that will connect the legs and ensure more stability. Of course I would recommend you downloading a bench plan with somehow better design than what I described.

A table

The projects are getting slightly more complicated, but not much. The first three projects has a lot in common, because they consists of a plank and several legs. One of the reasons tables are slightly more complex is that they need longer legs – which requires the legs to have some additional support if you want a stable table. Tables also can be rounded, folding or have all king of extravagant designs – there is more room for experimentation and creative work here.

A toy
There’s nothing better for your kids than a wooden toy. The warmth, nature feeling and simplicity of the wooden toys can’t be replaced by today’s plastic or remote controlled toys. Making a wooden toy can be very simple or quite complex depending on the toy, the number of details and level of preciseness it requires. One great idea for a woodworking project is to make a wooden horse riding toy.

When making toys, special attention should be paid to finishing works as you don’t want the child to cut itself on some chop.

A swing set
We are moving onto a more complex project. Building even a simple outdoor swing set requires connecting many parts, some basic level of engineering and a good amount of work.

Of course you can pick a simple swing plan to start with – just one long transom attached to a low tower on the middle. Such a swing, often called a “saw swing” can be used only by two kids at the same time.

An outdoor shed
If you are ready for a more serious project, you can consider building an outdoor wooden shed. The sheds consist of large parts like walls, door and roof and include not only woodworking – you may need to use concrete or gravel for the foundations, to learn how to dig holes, how to install lagging and so on.

Building an outdoor shed is not a project for absolute beginners – you need intermediate experience. So if you are looking for a first DIY project, start with tables or benches.

A treehouse
Here’s one even more exciting but fairly involved project. A tree house is a great gift for your kids and not only for them. But it really requires a very serious planning and good quality of materials and work. If your treehouse is unstable, your kids can be impaired in case the house get broken and fall down.

Making a tree house combines woodworking, engineering, landscaping and even gardening knowledge.

Remember :

• don’t start an intermediate or advanced project before you’ve done something simple. Even a stool can be exciting if you like the design and love to work with wood.
• Choose something that you like. The wooden swing sets are probably my most favorite do it yourself projects because they are moderately complex, offer a lot of options for creativity and at the end bring a lot of fun. And even if you are a total beginner, you can still build the simplest possible outdoor swing.

Source : Woodworking Projects for Enthusiasts

That’s usually where this gets to be a little problematic. If you’ve searched around, you’ve come across many complex playhouses plans on the market. A good number of plans are generally produced by professional craftsmen, who actually deal with the job as just a scaled-down edition of the proper homes they’re accustomed to building. Absolutely nothing wrong in having a playhouse or treehouse designed with this sort of robustness and stability. However, is the typical DIY enthusiast capable of taking on a job of such a magnitude? In the event that you fully understand the way in which to construct a home, or perhaps have a friend that can, these types of playhouses plans are fine. Otherwise, take a little care to get yourself a project style and design which is within your range of expertise.

The great thing is that playhouses don’t require the exact same architectural specifics which you’ll see in a proper home. Below are a few areas within the fundamental design where one can cut some corners, and still have a fabulous playhouse for your children.

Floor

A number of the more complex playhouses plans require 2×6 wood in all of the floor joist members. That is great for homes and also outside storage sheds, but the truth is a tiny playhouse can do alright making use of more affordable 2×4. Just do it with all the common spacing of floor joists (16″ on center) and I’d likewise keep with installing ply board on the top.

Walls

Many playhouses plans get overly enthusiastic when it comes to the assembly of walls, adopting the exact same methods used when building a proper home. This means plenty of intricate cripple studs, window headers, and also door frames. Many of these characteristics may be simplified. For instance, it’s certainly not essential to always keep wall studs 16″ on center. A ply board wall requires just a few boards to keep it up, one on either side and then one or two in the center. And also a basic window may be easily be cut in the middle of your ply board, and then framed using wooden trim.

Roof

It’s generally an excellent idea to have any playhouse water-tight, so the roofing is actually the place you must pay the most attention. The majority of playhouses plans require regular roofing construction, which means ply board sheathing, tar paper, and asphalt shingles. Having such a tiny roof to deal with, this really is cash wisely spent, irrespective of how basic the design is that you decide on. The best way to save your time and also money here is actually to bypass the normal gable-roof design and make a basic one-piece roof which has a downward slope. It will do a superb job at always keeping rain and snow diverted, and also saves you the hassle associated with cutting plenty of rafter angles.

Source : Playhouses Plans – Save a Ton of Money by Building Your Own

Placing the treehouse :

Obvious key to a good and safe treehouse is the tree or trees it is built in. Some things to think about when choosing a sturdy healthy tree that you are building the treehouse in.

• First choose a tree that is strong and big enough to support the treehouse. A good guide is that the tree should be at least a foot in diameter but then you need to be sure of any tree branches that are going to offer the supporting foundation.
• Check the tree for disease.
• Check and remove any dead limbs.
• Think about privacy – you don’t want your neighbour complaining your child is staring in their bedroom window all the time.
• Cut away any vegetation or obstructions at the base of the tree and make sure the area is cleared and prepared to begin construction.
• Important to consider the treehouse should not be placed too high in the tree because if a child should fall it reduces the seriousness of the injury they will receive. Also important make sure the tree you select is not close to any power lines or anything else that puts them in danger.

Plans to build a treehouse :

Obviously with the safety of your child at stake it is important you use plans of excellent quality. You need something that recognizes that trees grow and change and makes sure there is enough structural support. In most cases you may have to make slight modifications to the plans to suit your tree and conditions. Good plans have detailed, clear stages and steps, have illustrations or diagrams and list the materials and tools you need. Measurements should be clear. You can look for and find plans in books, and online.

Personalizing the treehouse :

There are many things you can do when building a treehouse to personalize it and make it suit your child. You can build some child size furniture, have ladder options, add a swing, have a secret entrance or compartments. A treehouse will encourage your child to engage in imaginative play, develop their creativity as well as get them moving physically and have them outside in the fresh air. It offers them somewhere to play out of direct sunlight either on their own or with friends.

Though building a treehouse may seem like a daunting task it can be done even by those with less experience as long as you have a good plan to follow. Take your time and be prepared for some hard work but remember it will be worth it when it is completed.

Source : Building a Treehouse – Things to Check Out and Plan For

What you will require :

A ladder, A hammer and/or electric drill, A saw, At least seven 2x6x8 boards, galvanized nails or rope, exterior plywood sheets, 2x2x8 boards, a waterproof tarp, a staple gun, wood waterproofing treatment.

1. Prior to doing anything else you need to choose the tree for your treehouse.

An ideal tree is one that is mature and healthy with a minimum 16″ diameter. Ideally the tree-house should not be higher than about 10-14 feet off the ground which means that the branches at that height need to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the tree-house deck. The tree needs to be of a hardwood variety such as maple or oak. Soft wood trees like pines are not suitable.

2. Using four 2×6 beams you will need to build the platform.

This is a very important part of any successful tree-house construction. It should be building close to the trunk itself and should ideally make use of any available branches. Using diagonal bracing for additional support is always advisable and essential if there are no available branches. The purpose of this is to minimize movement of the branches as well as keeping the platform both balanced and level. Try not to cause too much damage to the tree when fixing the platform in place. Using rope or galvanized nails is a good idea. Un-galvanized nails will corrode and speed up rot in the tree which can and does lead to its demise.

3. Once the platform is securely in place the floor can be added and exterior plywood should be used for this purpose.

The remaining 2×6 boards need to be placed 16″ apart and parallel to the frame. Nail them in place from without to form your floor joists. Cut the boards to the desired length and lay them perpendicular to the joists. Cut the curves necessary in the floorboards for the tree limbs to come through.

4. Next is the roof of the treehouse.

Using 2×2 boards attach them vertically to each corner. Join with 4 horizontal 2×2 boards to form a frame that is rectangular. A gable is formed at each end by attaching 2 more 2×2 boards at an angle to each other. The 2 gables can be joined by attaching a vertical 2×2 board between them. The frame should then be covered with the waterproof tarp and stapled in place.

5. Once that is done it is time to add the doors, walls, and windows.

Use your imagination in this regard but think “light”. Opt for Plexiglass, plastic, or mesh screening rather than glass. You also need to consider how the tree-house should be accessed. Ladders are good provided they cannot be removed or knocked over by the wind.

6. Once the project is done it is time to waterproof the wood.

Useful Tips and Advice

• Prior to beginning make certain that there aren’t any restrictions where you live when it comes to building tree-houses.
• Always ensure that the ladder is securely fixed to the tree while you are working on the tree-house and that you have a first-aid kit on hand in the event of injury.

Source : How to Build a Simple TreeHouse

To begin with you will need a tree, obviously, preferably your own tree and away from the liability lawsuit hunters. Find a big one, bigger is better, make sure it’s healthy and try and chose one with several large branches within reach. If you can find two or more trees close together you can build between them, reducing the amount of struts you will need to use.

You will obviously need the materials but make sure you have some decent tools, either invest in some or borrow some from a willing friend/relative. Judge the lengths of material you need based on the tree and how big you really want to build it. Consider the maximum dimensions and have at least four pieces of wood at this length (depending on your design). This will form a base and other materials can be mounted on top.

You will need to mount supports by nailing a horizontal length of wood at the height you want the treehouse, then two supports running from the end of the wood down to a triangular base point lower down on the tree. This will give the structure strength and rigidity, repeat as many times as you see necessary for the amount of weight you want to bear.

Design and construct a platform in whatever shape you want as long as it can fit around the tree and mount onto the supports. You’re not expected to be an architectural guru but use common sense when it comes to the size of the platform, if it is too large, the supports may not be able to deal with the stresses of someone standing on the very limit. Make sure your supports reach the furthest parts of the platform and that they attach to the tree at no greater than 45 degrees. Its basic treehouse physics 101.

Make sure the platform is supported to the trees and supports with galvanized nails, feel free to go overboard on this, the more secure the better. The platform will not be secure and will wobble unless diagonally braced; this can be attached on the underside of the platform and is pretty straightforward. Once the platform is in place and completely secured, deck it out so it can actually be stood on. Feel free to add a safety rail, walls, roof, ladder or any other accessories you feel like. But be conscious that the more weight you add to the structure the more supports you will need. Finally test it with a couple of adults, if it can hold adults it can hold children, preferably chose close friends that wont sue you if it all goes wrong.

When buying wood, your local hardwood suppliers or softwood timber suppliers should be able to advise you on the best wood to use for your design and the tree you are using.

Source : How to Build an Awesome Treehouse

The major detail to remember with this design is that branches move in different directions in the wind. So while fixing your platform down to your tree, you will need to identify any branches that you’ll be fixing to that move in different directions. You can still fix to these branches but you need a flexible fixing position to allow it to move without ripping your treehouse apart.

If your tree is not big enough or strong enough to build and support the treehouse, you will need to look at a different tree house design that will allow you to build your treehouse around or beside your tree. Building a treehouse in this way is much easier to construct mostly because you are not using simply the tree to support your treehouse. It’s also supported on posts that are concreted in the ground which allows you much more freedom when designing your treehouse floor plans. With this type of design you can build more than a single platform; you can have one platform to build a treehouse on and an additional platform to create a balcony or viewing point. By coming off the tree in different directions with two platforms, you can add a few real creative shapes to your treehouse plan.

Things to remember while building your platform on posts and against the tree :

• Once you have decided what type of deck you’re going to build, you can then design your treehouse plan to go on top of it. Provided you make the deck right, you can lay in the least type of design on the platform, from a building with a walk out deck or simply a treehouse with windows. You can even build a treefort with sides and no roof, the choices are endless so you can let your imagination go wild.
• Always use flexible fixing points against the tree to allow your tree to move independently from the concreted posts in the ground. If you’re not fixing to the tree but building your platform around your tree, at all times leave a gap between the tree and the deck to allow for movement and growth.
• But on that note, remember whatever you build constantly think safety while you’re designing. It has to be fun and exciting for your children but it as well has to be safe.

Source : Treehouse Designs

The tools that you will need to do this type of project are:

• One rubber mallet
• A handy laminate flooring pull bar
• One tape measure
• A Coping Saw
• A Good utility knife
• A hammer
• Some extra nails

Before you start take the measurements of the room or rooms to a store that sells flooring materials and buy enough materials for the size of the room or rooms you want to install the flooring in. You will need to select the style of either planks or tiles that you want to install as well as an underlayment pad. Whatever you buy will come in square footing and so measure in that size and then add 5% to that size for scraps.

4 Easy Steps to Laminate Floor Installation:

1. Prepare the floor – That can mean you rip up the previous material like the carpet and you will need to remove all the old baseboards.
2. Put the underlayment pad down- You will attach strips of the pad to other strips with clear plastic tape.
3. Put the tiling down or planks. They should snap together and you will use the hammer, mallet and pull bar to make a nice snug fit.
4. Then you will take your baseboards that you removed and use your hammer to put them back on the wall.

Source : 4 Simple Steps to Installing a Laminate Floor