Storing Christmas Lights

It is almost time for us to get out the Christmas decorations!  I love having the decor out, but the getting out (and then the putting away) can be super-duper stressful for me.  Especially when it comes to the lovely, but can-get-extremely-tangled-strings of Christmas lights.  

However, one of my friends showed me a way to wrap them up so the tangles can be decreased.  

(Thanks, Kim!)  

Because of her fabulous advice, the only thing I have to untangle every year (besides the kids around my feet) are the ornament hooks (grrrrrrr!). 

I promised my sister these photos on how to wrap up and store Christmas lights.  It is over a year in coming, but I have (finally) kept my word!  

yay!  

And, 

BONUS

though your lights may be tangled this year,

maybe next year you will find this part of the decorating less hair-pulling-out-ish!

What you will need:  

string, cut into 8 inch strips (give or take)

or

wire twist ties

lights

~~~~~

string

lights

 Starting at one end, preferably the end of the light strand, 

bend the wire-strands at the first bulb (see above photo).  

Then, fold the strand, again, at the next bulb: 

Repeat this approximately 6 to 10 times.

please note: not all the lights are folded up at this time

Now that you have this first "batch" of your light-strand bunched, 

take your cut string (or your wire ties) and tie this bunch together, 

placing the string (or wire tie) in the middle, between the light bulbs:

~or~

I find that wire ties do not hold as many lights as a section of yarn does.  I also have found that bending the strand too many times will result in tangles.  It is why I suggested the small amount of bends in the beginning.

Repeat this process until 

all lights are wrapped in small "bunches"

If you started at the end of the light strand and worked your way to the plug side, you will find there is a long wire from the light to the plug.  LEAVE THIS UNWRAPPED FOR NOW.  

Gather the bunched lights and, using the long wire, "tie" the bunches together and store in your desired container:

When you open your storage boxes the next year, just unwrap that long wire, plug it into an outlet to check how well the lights are working.   As you hang the lights, unwrap one (or two) small bundle(s) at a time.

Life, Pigs, and the pursuit of....Snuggies?

I received an email from an aunt of mine encouraging me to watch this video about seat-belts   I almost ignored it, afraid it could have some visual pictures I would not want floating around in my mind.  Then I remembered the sweetness of my aunt and thought that I should go ahead and watch the short commercial, still wary about what I could possibly see.  Sweet relief, I saw something quite beautiful….and, for me, it was breathtaking in its simplicity.  There is no gore, these people in the video never once leave the comfort of their home.  No where on the video does it have flashbacks or flash-forwards to any gruesome scenes.  I believe it is one of my new favorite commercials.  I hope its symbolism and imagery strikes you, as well:

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I just saw this video clip of a comedian today.  He translated most of the Fairy Tale, “The Three Little Pigs” into a Shakespearean story.  I was really laughing out LOUD, especially when the 3^rd pig came into the scene.  What a crazy funny guy!  This is brilliantly done and I hope you enjoy it! 

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This last funny~share is simply a link to a blog.  I think many have read it already, since it is going all over Pinterest and Facebook.  Some poor woman sent a text message to this guy, intending for the message to go to someone else.  The conversation between these two is hilarious.  Below is the link to read it.  Very funny!

http://itjustgetsstranger.blogspot.com/2011/12/snuggie-texts.html

Birthdays (and ugly cakes)

It is the birthday marathon.  I have really enjoyed doing cakes in the past (here and here and here and here...to look at more, just look in the blog archive under August or October), and though they are far from professional, I have certainly liked the look of them.  THIS YEAR, however, I have been lazy in my cake making and decorating.  I have not even attempted any cake-pops this go 'round.  I bought E's cake back in August, totally skipped making Z boy a cake when it was his turn a week and a half after E, and then threw together D-D's cake the afternoon of her birthday.  I tell you, these are not stellar mom moments.....or stellar cakes.  D-D's is quite laughable.  But, since she loved it and could totally tell what I was going for, I guess it does not matter too much that proportions were slightly skewed (as in way, way, way, way off).  

E's cake

(ugh!  store bought, but who can wrinkle your nose at an ice cream cake

...and a Reese's one at that?)

D-D's cake:

I honestly knew it wasn't the best decorating job I had ever done, but did not realize it was THAT poorly done until a friend said, "Cute duck."  Duck!!!!!  DUCK?!!?!!?!!?!!?  wow.  this is cry worthy....sniff, sniff...

Her cake is supposed to look like Rainbow Dash from the new and improved My Little Pony cartoon.  I tried to model it after this drawing:

Another honest confession.....I do laugh over her cake.  I laughed over it as I was decorating it....and as soon as I finished it.  

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And, since I was making D-D a cake, I decided to make Z-boy one, too....almost 2 whole months later!  I guess it is better to be late than never, right?  Again, I just slapped icing on, and got his done quickly.  It is sad, sad, sad.  I think it (as well as the ducky-pony cake) could possibly show up on a blog about terrible cake decorating (I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me,they are that shoddy).  

  

Can you guess what/who it is?

NOOOOO!!!!  It is NOT Frankenstein's monster.  I'm not even sure my little man knows who that 

character is!  

Think 4 year old turning 5

(Fine, fine!  He's already five, but play along with me, OK?).....

Oh, good grief!  I'll tell you, for pity's sake!

It is the Incredible Hulk!

A different friend than the duck-commenting friend

(yes, we have more than one friend.  Don't be jealous, now!)

said, "What a great LEGO head"

Oh!

Yes.  

Ummmm.

right.  Right!!!

That's right!  Lego Hulk.  It is what I 

was DEFINITELY going for!

yes, yes, yes! 

Well....at least this little guy knew what it was!  And judging by the smile on his face, he liked it.