Alliance Life November 2022

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make your

once LIST

&

Check It

by Brook Ezzo

Santa isn’t the only one making a list this year. Thanks to the programming folks in the tech world, holiday shopping has become a lot easier. Whether you shop online or shop around the mall (is that still a thing?), you may want to take your first step by downloading an app that can end gift anxiety.

With the help of these apps you will be able to create gift lists, stay within budget, organize lists according to each person, and keep track of your purchases. Throw out the Post-Its and scrap paper, and no need to check the list twice. These apps are customizable and allow you to have everything you need in one secure location.

TOP GIFT LIST TRACKERSthis season

GIFTSTER Free IOS | ANDROID

This simple and easy-to-use app is a private gift registry that allows you to organize lists for groups of people. Get your family and friends to join Giftster; each person creates a list of their wants and you are able to see it and buy it with just one click. The “reserve” feature is great because it eliminates duplicate gifts and the hassle of finding receipts.

THE CHRISTMAS LIST $2.99

IOS | ANDROID

No idea what to get? This app has a curated list of all the top gift ideas for this year; you can browse through and add to your wishlist. With only four main parts to the app, it is easy to get started. Create a list, share with your friends and family, claim the items you want to purchase, and then set a budget for each person on your “Nice-List.” Stay organized and don’t lose track of time with this app’s fun Christmas countdown feature.

SANTA’S BAG Free IOS

Have you ever found a gift in the closet after Christmas? Unwrapped, no name, and no idea why you bought it? Santa’s Bag relieves the holiday brain fog with its simple to use category feature. After you’ve created your lists, added each person, and picked out their gifts, you can then categorize each gift as an idea, purchased, wrapped, or given. Do you hide gifts? In the app, add a location next to each item and the app will remind you where you hid it!

GIFTED $2.99

IOS

Re-gifting. It’s a thing. Not only does Gifted allow you to make lists and budgets like the other tracker apps, it goes one step further by keeping inventory of gifts from previous occasions. With the gift closet, you are able to track all your spare gifts: homemade gifts, items you bought on sale, the ones you want to re-gift, or the over-sized sweater Grandma Betty made you last year. And it is all noted in the app so you don’t re-gift to the wrong person!

CHRISTMAS GIFT LIST Free

ANDROID

Christmas gifts are personal. At least they can be with the Christmas Gift List personal profile features. For every family member or friend you enter in the app, you can create an on-going list of likes, dislikes, and interests. The app archives the information so each year you can remember the non-drinkers, the ones with food allergies, or that Billy doesn’t watch Sesame Street anymore. This app also supports multiple currencies and languages!

A good gift-list app should be able to handle the fast-paced, multi-tasking race that is the Christmas season. We’ve found the best of the best for you! Put down the pencil, pick up your smart phone and choose an app, and let’s end gift anxiety once and for all!

AN Outdoor

CHOOSING WREATH

Wreaths are a popular decorating option indoors. The great variety of wreaths and their wondrous beauty make them popular with designers and decorators. The use of wreaths outdoors also provides an excellent opportunity to increase the aesthetic appeal of one’s home. Often found on doors or lamp posts, outdoor wreaths are popular outdoor decorating items.

Of course, the most famous type of outdoor wreath is the door wreath that is so often used at Christmas. Usually made from evergreen branches and decorated with sturdy touches that can withstand the elements, the Christmas wreath annually adorns millions of outside doors. There are, of course, many other outdoor wreath options. The Christmas wreath, however, offers a wonderful standard against which other alternatives should measure up. Christmas door wreaths are sturdy. The balsam fir or other evergreen branches tolerate the weather well without significant degradation. All other outdoor wreaths should share this quality. An outdoor wreath will be constantly exposed to the elements. Any outdoor wreath under consideration must be able to handle the probable climate of the region in which it will be used. It makes little sense, for instance, to use a delicately assembled floral wreath when it is exposed to high winds. Likewise, a wreath resplendent in cloth bows is poorly suited for a rainy environment.

Any wreath chosen for outdoor use must be sufficiently sturdy. Not only should the wreath itself be sturdy. It is also important that the strong base of the wreath be decorated in a manner that allows it to survive the weather. Delicate decorations should be avoided. Items fastened to a wreath should be affixed with wire or a similarly strong method.

A small dab of glue from a hot glue gun or a thin piece of thread will never sufficiently attach decorations for an outdoor wreath. Decorating with outdoor wreaths can improve the look of a home and make it an inviting place for guests. However, appropriate care must be taken to choose wreaths that possess great sturdiness and longevity.

Cleaning Tips

by Debbie Sardone, Buckets & Bows Maid Service

Prepping your home for holiday guests and parties can be hectic this time of year. Get a jump on the chaos with these pro-cleaning tips from Buckets & Bows Maid Service. Your home will be sparkling by turkey day and you’ll enjoy a stress-free season.

TIP 1:

Don’t try to clean the entire house in one day.

Give yourself a full week and tackle the job in room-sized bites. Divide your house up by easy and hard rooms and designate enough rooms per day to finish the whole house in 7 days. Plan a reward at the end of the 7th day like a spa treatment, pedicure, or massage, and make it worth it to stay on schedule.

TIP 2:

Plan your work and work your plan. Walk through each room of the house and note the things you want to get cleaned by the end of the week. Make sure you have the right equipment and supplies so you don’t lose momentum running to the store. You’ll need to have a long ceiling fan brush, vacuum hose with attachments, 2-step ladder for high dusting, plenty of cleaning towels, cleaners, and polishes.

TIP 3:

The family that works together plays together.

Get the whole family involved. Assign tidying tasks to make sure everyone is helping to pick up, put up, hang up, and de-clutter. You can’t clean before the picking up is done. Family members can get their areas neat and tidy and ready for the actual cleaning to begin.

TIP 4:

Clean like a pro: follow the Speed Cleaning Rules.

Speed Cleaning™ is how the professionals get the job done faster, safer, and better than mere mortals. There are 13 rules. A few of the most important rules are:

1. Clean from top to bottom and left to right.

2. Make one trip around the room, never back-tracking.

3. You have two hands. Keep them both busy.

4. Organize all of your tools and cleaners in one large caddy and carry everything you need from room to room.

TIP 5:

Dress for success.

To get into the right frame of mind for cleaning, get dressed for the job. Wear light comfortable clothing and tennis shoes. Add a utility apron to keep your small tools and towels close, and put your hair up with a clip. Crank up the music with fast-paced upbeat tunes. Next, strike a Super-Woman pose, take a deep breath and go! Time yourself in every room, never losing track of time. Refuse to get side-tracked with photos, memorabilia, or special projects. Stay focused—the mission is cleaning.

A job well done is its own reward, but a therapeutic massage, mani-pedi, or long soak in a bubble bath with some aroma-therapy candles is even better. Make sure you treat yourself when you’ve done the hard work. If deep cleaning is not an option in your busy life, call a professional maid service to get the hard stuff done and then follow these five tips to make maintaining the house throughout the holidays a breeze.