3 Tips for Keeping Up a Cut Tree

There are few Christmas traditions more exciting than going out and selecting the ideal tree for your home. Christmas cheer can be found in everything from the scent of pine in the air to the contagious excitement of fellow tree-shoppers. While it is sometimes a challenge to get the tree wrapped and strapped to the car, there’s no feeling like watching the boughs unfurl in the hopes of being adorned with lights and baubles. Because it is such an iconic element of the holiday season, it’s important to keep your freshly-cut tree looking as good all month as it did when you spotted it in the tree stand. We’ve compiled the 3 best tips for keeping up with your cut tree this year.

1. Water, water, water. The National Christmas Tree Association advises tree stands that provide 1 quart of water for every inch of the tree’s trunk diameter. If you have a 4” tree, your stand should be able to hold a gallon of water at a time. Most importantly, you should maintain that water level the best you can. This is the single best way to keep your tree hydrated.

Some of the worst things you can do to your freshly-cut tree are to drill a hole in the base of the tree or chip away at the bark before putting the tree in the stand. Both practices are detrimental to your tree and neither will improve its water uptake. Instead, cut a level, 1/2″ disc off the base of the trunk before inserting the tree in the stand. Exposing the fresh wood in this fashion is the only measure that will improve water uptake.

2. Avoid heat. While the temperature of water you use to fill your tree stand does not matter, the temperature of the room does! Warmer rooms will speed the drying process and result in you having to fill the tree stand more frequently. While we’re not recommending you cut the heat altogether, room temperature is something to be mindful of. Make sure your tree isn’t positioned too near major sources of heat, like a fireplace, heater vents, or direct sunlight. When selecting lights for your tree, be sure to choose low heat options, such as miniature lights. These small, low-heat lights will be less drying than larger, hotter options.

3. Be safe. As inviting as it is to head to bed while the tree keeps glowing in the front window, avoid leaving the lights on when you go to bed or leave the house. Not only will this practice save on electrical costs, it also reduces the risk of drying your tree with lights no one is awake or around to appreciate. Make sure you don’t overload electrical outlets near the tree, and be sure the lights you use are in excellent condition. Also, monitor the tree for freshness throughout the season; if it ever appears dry or if the needles begin dropping, consider replacing the tree or removing it altogether. Inconvenient though it may be to remove and replace all the trappings, having a dry tree in the home is a major fire hazard.

In addition to being beautiful and smelling great, freshly-cut trees are biodegradable and can be used for a variety of other purposes once they’ve left your living room. For these reasons, make sure you recycle (rather than burn) your tree when you’re finished enjoying it.

If you need somewhere safe to keep your ornaments after you’ve removed them from the tree, consider one of our convenient and high-quality ornament keepers.

The Story Behind the Christmas Cookie

The first day of December brings with it a variety of seasonal favorites. Houses along the street shimmer with newly-hanged lights, radio stations begin their 24-hour seasonal soundtracks, and people all over the country scour the internet for delicious and different Christmas cookie recipes. While we have found a couple unique cookie lists that we’ll share with you in a minute, we thought it would be fun to first share a little history of the Christmas cookie.

There’s some debate about whether the story begins by accident or on purpose, so we’ll present both theories and let you be the judge. Some historians believe cookies were the likely result of early (we’re talking Neolithic Era) humans spilling grain paste on the rocks around a cooking fire. Talk about a happy accident. Others believe cookies originated as small, tester cakes, put into a hot oven to determine if it was the correct temperature to bake a full-sized cake.

No matter the original origin story, there’s no debate that sweet baked goods have been found at winter solstice festivals and celebrations for thousands of years, predating the holiday we know as Christmas. As with many modern holidays, Christmas formed as a convenient melding of pagan and Christian traditions that occurred around the same time of year. People naturally acknowledged the arrival of winter with the killing of animals that would be a burden on the grain supply through the famine of winter. With an abundance of fresh meat and the flowing of mead that had been set to ferment in the spring, the only thing missing from the party was dessert!

The traditional flavors of Christmas cookies are spicy, nutty, and fruity. These types of ingredients were used in the Middle Ages when cooks prepared celebratory cakes of cinnamon, ginger, pepper, almonds, and dried fruit. It wasn’t until lebkuchen, or gingerbread, made its way from Germany to Queen Elizabeth I that the Christmas cookie began to take shape. At this point in time, Christmas had already eclipsed the solstice as the most popular winter celebration, so it was no surprise when Elizabeth I wished to honor her courtiers with the gift of having her cooks fashion ginger cookies in their likeness. This is how gingerbread men became a Christmas staple.

Soon recipes for cookies were cropping up in cookbooks all over Europe. The Dutch brought the tradition of Christmas cookies with them to America in the early 1600s. While most recipes from the sixteen and seventeen hundreds produce rudimentary, super-crunchy biscuits sprinkled with savory spices, Americans gave them delightfully whimsical names, like plunkets, jumbles, and cry-babies. The recipes for these crunchy confections often warn bakers that the cookies are best enjoyed up to a week after baking, only after the humidity of a cellar has made them more palatable.

It wasn’t until cookie cutters were imported from Germany in the late 1800s that people were able to create cookies in elaborate shapes. The cutters were originally intended to make Christmas ornaments using inedible dough. However, it didn’t take long for people to start pressing them into cookie dough, and the cut-out cookie was formed.

Just as the origin of cookies has more than one possible story, the tradition of putting out cookies for Santa also has more than one starting point. Norse tradition has had people putting out food for Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipner, for thousands of years. Some believe the act of leaving cookies for St. Nick is in homage to the generosity of the actual Saint Nicholas, who spent his life helping people and feeding children in need. Still others state that the tradition gained traction during the Great Depression in the United States, when parents sought to teach children the importance of showing gratitude for their gifts, no matter how simple or small.

Christmas cookie swaps have origins dating as far back as WWI, but historians believe the swaps mentioned in literature from that time were more like bake sales today. The true holiday cookie exchange is often attributed to the Erwin Group, a division of the Syracuse Home Bureau, dating back to Syracuse, New York in 1936. If you plan on mixing up your own batch of dough and participating in one of these iconic Christmas cookie traditions, consider bringing your treats in one of our cookie carriers, so they’ll stay safe and presentable on the way. If you’re making bars, we have the perfect bake-and-take solution.

Whether you get together with friends to trade recipes and share humorous stories of your baking mishaps, or if you low-key leave a plate of Oreos for Santa on Christmas Eve, there’s no denying Christmas cookies have become a tasty staple of the holiday season.

To see cookies inspired by (almost) every state in America, click here.

To see a holiday Cookie Calendar featuring 25 unique recipes, click here.

A Helping Hand for Holiday Decorating

Do you hear that? The Christmas music is starting to play. It’s only a matter of time before the snow is flying, the cookies and cocoa are being passed around the hearth, and the streets are twinkling with lights. Whether you’re feeling like a bit of a Scrooge this year or if you’re ready to don your gay apparel and sing like Buddy the Elf, decorating your home for the holidays is one of the most effective ways to get into the spirit of the season.

The Lights

Longwood Gardens

Many of us have memories (both real-life and supplied by campy holiday comedies) of the family patriarch standing on a snowy roof, stapling his glove between the string of lights and the shingles. If anyone you know is still using a staple gun, it’s time to inform him there’s a better alternative. In fact, with adhesive light clips, the only hardware you’ll need to hang your lights is a ladder. Whether you plan to hang LED or incandescent, icicle style or great big bulbs, Christmas Lights Etc. has compiled a convenient chart of what clips work best with what lights in which location on your home.

The Tree

Some people love the natural scent of pine that fills their home with the arrival of a live or freshly cut tree. Other people prefer the convenience and cleanliness of a pre-lighted plastic tree. Since most artificial trees come with everything you need to know on the packaging, we got some tips from About.com on which cut trees work best for decorating and how to make sure your tree fits in the space you have designated for it.

Ornaments

Godfather Style

When it comes to ornaments, people have a variety of different ideas of what configuration looks best. Some families opt for a hodgepodge of handmade ornaments bursting with sentimentality. Others stick to a strict theme of beauty and elegance year after year. No matter what type of ornaments you have, you’ll need to keep them safe before and after their brief stint among the boughs. Our Snapware ornament keepers are the perfect solution. Capable of holding 27-48 ornaments, our 3-tiered keeper is a fantastic choice for safely stowing all your valuable glass.

If you aren’t settled on what kind of ornaments you’ll hang this year, check out this list compiled by BuzzFeed. It contains 39 different ways to decorate bare glass ornament bulbs. Consider laying down masking paper before you get started for easy clean-up, then let your imagination run wild with festive creativity!

Stockings

Design Mom

While these sweets-filled Santa socks have traditionally been hung by the chimney (with care), many homes no longer contain fireplaces nor mantles. Babble offers a list of 10 Festive Ways to Hang Christmas Stockings on their blog. Take a peek at what alternatives they suggest instead of using wall-damaging nails or the sometimes-unreliable weighted stocking hangers we see this time of year.

Holiday Deals from HeltonTool

Whatever style you choose to decorate your home for the holidays, we hope you are able to do it safely and affordably. The new Holiday Deals section on our website offers more tools and housewares that will make your holiday prep a little easier, so you can sit back and delight in the twinkling lights, the scent of frosted pine, and the assurance that Santa will be here soon.

An Unconventional Gift Guide for Veterans

 

(InAndAround.com)

When we at HeltonTool sat down to compile a holiday gift guide for the veterans in your life, it quickly became apparent that the wish lists of our United States veterans are just as varied as the wish lists of all American citizens. While all servicemembers may be used to wearing fatigues and eating MREs, or putting their civilian lives on hold and taking orders, the similarities stop there.

One veteran close to the HeltonTool family explained to us how overwhelmed he is by a simple, “Thank you for your service.” Such words are a welcome expression of gratitude for many military personnel. However, other servicemembers have shared their feelings of awkwardness or discomfort upon hearing those words repeated so often that they may seem to lack authenticity. For that reason, our Veteran’s Gift Guide is instead a list of truly heartfelt “gifts” you can “give” to show your support and gratitude for our veterans this Veteran’s Day weekend, during the holidays, and all year ’round.

Gifts You Can Give to Veterans Directly

• Ask a veteran about their service. Some questions to get you started: What was your job in the military? How long did you serve? What was your favorite moment during your time in the service? Has anyone else in your family served in the military? What made you choose the branch of the military that you chose? (Do not ask a veteran if he or she has killed anyone. If you’re speaking with a combat veteran who is either unwilling to share or speaks openly about the difficult scenarios they have experienced, try to be supportive as possible without being intrusive.)
• Ask a veteran what song reminds them of their time in the service.
• Visit a homebound veteran. Talk with them, thank them, and consider providing a meal.
• Shake a veteran’s hand.
• Write and send a letter to someone currently serving in the military.
• Call a veteran relative, no matter how distant or out of touch you may be.
• Wear your favorite pro-veteran T-shirt. If you don’t have one, consider having one made. (Examples: Free Hugs for Vets; Remember Veterans; Freedom is NOT Free; Thank a Veteran; I Heart Veterans!)
• Make a sincere post on social media acknowledging veterans. Sharing a personal encounter or experience you have had will make your post more meaningful to your friends and servicemembers who may read it.
• Share a picture of a veteran on social media or in person. If a picture is worth a thousand words, hopefully your image will open a dialogue about the importance of recognizing our active servicemembers and veterans.
• Help young children or grandchildren make thank you cards. Display them in the window or post them on the grocery store bulletin board, library board, or some other public place. Teaching children the importance of Veteran’s Day is a wonderful way to keep the tradition of honoring veterans going strong.
• Stand out in front of the VA to greet veterans as they are dropped off. Offer help to older folks getting out of the car. (This activity is a wonderful gesture any day of the year!)
• Buy a homeless veteran a cup of coffee. Or better yet, buy two cups of coffee and give the gift of your company for the 10-20 minutes it takes to drink your beverage.
• Donate time, money, or supplies to local Veteran’s Day drives.
• Show up at your local Veteran’s Day parade and celebrations. Not only will showing up give you the opportunity to act on some of these suggestions, but you shouldn’t underestimate what your smiling face in a crowd of people might do to brighten someone else’s day.

Gifts You Can Give Indirectly

• Say a silent prayer for those who are serving.
• Learn about a current or past war or conflict, as this will make you a better helper and listener. Veterans who served in Vietnam had a vastly different experience from those who served in the World Wars or from active servicemembers today. Being well-read on various wars and conflicts may help you avoid making generalized statements about all veterans.
• Observe a moment of silence with family and friends.
• Read something written by a veteran about their experience.
• Do a project about veterans with young children. One idea is to let them make their own veteran flag and plant it in front of the house. Other ideas can be found here.
• Write in your journal how thankful you are for the service of veterans.
• Take a quiet moment and listen to “Taps.” Think about the implications of this song in your life and the lives of veterans.
• Send an email to your contact list that shares a veteran’s story.
• Teach children the words to patriotic songs like “The Star-Spangled Banner” or “America the Beautiful,” then sing them together and discuss their meaning and significance. If you have an opportunity to perform a patriotic song, that’s even better!
• Pick one or two of these activities and resolve to do them at least once a month, all year.

(Jorge Villalba/Getty Images)

Since this is meant to be a gift guide, after all, we decided to include a handful of ideas for interesting, veteran-specific gifts. Follow the links below for truly unique gifts for the military personnel in your life. Keep in mind that the heartfelt sentiment you share with your gift may mean more to your veteran than any tangible item, so choose your words thoughtfully and speak from a place of empathy and gratitude.

Campaign Medal Rings

(AZCoinArt)

These rings have been crafted by a veteran from military campaign medals. Each one is hand-made from the medal of a specific campaign, making it an especially rare item for the veteran in your life.

.50 Cal Bullet Bottle Opener

(Bullets2Bandages)

Bullets2Bandages turns .50 cal bullets into everything from bottle openers to jewelry, thus “upcycling” the spent ammunition. These bullet-based items can be personalized to make an truly one-of-a-kind gift.

550 Cord Survival Bracelet

(SurvivalLife.com)

Due to its use in parachute construction and performance, paracord (or 550 cord) has long been linked to airborne units. However, paracord is used in all branches of the military. While many companies sell 550 cord bracelets, a handmade bracelet offers more opportunities for customization to suit the veteran in your life. Learn how to make your own paracord bracelet.

Tactical Gear Beer Koozie

(Empire Tactical)

Empire Tactical is an American-made company that constructs many different products—such as beer koozies and baseball caps—from tactical gear. They also have t-shirts and morale patches available on their website.

Engraved Whiskey Stones

(TheUltimateManShop)

Whether your veteran is a whiskey-loving Marine or not, these engraved whiskey stones can be personalized to appeal to any veteran with a taste for cold, strong drinks.

Personalized Signs, Shirts, Mugs, and More

(CafePress)

CafePress specializes in customization, so they are a reliable outpost for any veteran-specific signs, shirts, coffee mugs, or bags. You can start from scratch, or you can follow this link to begin customizing a gift for the veteran in your life.

Holiday Must-Haves for a Welcoming Home

Image via Thinkstock

You know they’re coming. It’s only a matter of days before grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and countless nieces and nephews arrive on your doorstep, filled with the hope and excitement of being guests in your home for the holidays. As Aunt Marjorie hands you her famous liver pie to put in the fridge, you ask yourself, What did I forget?

With the help of HeltonTool this holiday season, your answer to that silent question will undoubtedly be, Nothing at all. By furnishing your home with the following holiday must-haves ahead of time, you will be able to relax and enjoy precious time with your visitors.

• A Full Pantry – When you extend the invitation to your guests to, “Make yourselves at home,” you can count on people peering into your pantry and fridge in search of sustenance. Make sure your guests feel welcome (and full) after visiting your kitchen. HeltonTool offers a vast variety of kitchenware to make holiday meal prep, cooking, and leftover storage a breeze. Our Pyrex and Snapware storage containers close tightly and are easy to open, so Aunt Marge can get into those liver pie leftovers without our lids slowing her down.
• Clean Appliances – Nobody likes opening the oven to find it coated in charred food from meals past, least of all a guest. A microwave covered in food splatters is no better. From pressure washers to Clorox spray, HeltonTool has everything you need to ensure your home and appliances are in pristine condition for your company.
• Extra Pillows, Blankets, and Socks – Your company will feel the warmth of your welcome when they find extra pillows, blankets, and fuzzy socks stashed in every room of your home. Since the holidays are an ideal time for snuggling up in front of a fire or gathering the family for games, it is an excellent idea to keep something soft at hand for optimal relaxation. When blankets aren’t enough, you can rely on World’s Softest socks from HeltonTool to keep your guests’ tootsies warm for the duration of their stay. These awesome socks also make a great gift, so your guests can dance home on happy feet after their visit.
• A Fully-Stocked Bathroom – With more people than usual taking turns in the commode, don’t add to their discomfort of having to wait in line. Make sure when your guests get to the throne, they have access to everything they need for a comfortable visit. Toilet paper, feminine products, air fresheners, soap, hand towels, and reading materials are just a few of the bathroom items that could get overlooked when preparing your home for the holidays.
• Soft, Silky Water – One aspect of hosting visitors that you may not anticipate is their expectations for your water. If you’re used to hard water in your home, you may not realize how unappealing it can feel to someone who isn’t. Hard water is the culprit to blame for buildup on many appliances: dishwashers, washing machines, faucets, showerheads, sinks, toilets, and coffee makers to name a few. Hard water also makes soaps less effective, increasing the opportunity for bacteria to grow in and around your home. Check out ScaleBlaster from HeltonTool for an affordable, one-time investment that will keep your water silky soft for 20-25 years. *All our ScaleBlaster products are on sale for 20% off this holiday season!*
• Lots of Storage Space – While we’ve already addressed storing leftovers, it’s important to remember guests bring baggage, and it is always nice for them to have a safe, dry place to keep it. Consider having a few large plastic totes on hand, as these work wonderfully for transporting all the goodies your guests collect during the holidays.
• Safety Devices – Nothing gives guests (and their hosts) peace of mind at the holidays quite like functioning fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and extra light bulbs. No matter what familial fiasco may unfold, you can be sure your home is equipped to deal with it.

By thoroughly preparing your home for company well before they arrive, you ensure a safe and happy visit for everyone. Being prepared ahead of time allows you, the host or hostess, to relax when friends and family arrive. Visit HeltonTool.com now to see all the ways we can help you prepare, then pour yourself a warm drink—we recommend a mug of herbal tea—and put your feet up until the doorbell rings.

Image via fireplaces-niko.com

Top 10 Best DIY Children Costumes

Halloween is a time for kids to dress up as their favorite character, super hero, movie star, food, etc. If you think it, you can be it. Nowadays, children’s costumes range from $20-$60 and even more if you’re going to the extreme!! As a parent, you want your child to LOVE their costume and remember it forever. The best way to do this is to create a fabulous DIY Halloween costume!

DIY Halloween costumes are fun, less expensive than store bought costumes, more creative, and you get to decide every aspect of it! We gathered the top 10 best children costumes that you can re-create at a fraction of the price of a store bought costume.

Elsa 

Image & Tutorial By: Eighteen 25

Was Frozen a favorite in your household for months on end? Send your child trick-or-treating as the prettiest snow queen with this easy and creative Elsa costume!

Peter Pan

Image & Tutorial By: Babble

If your child is free spirited and loves to be adventurous, create this simple, yet adorable Peter Pan costume!

Minnie Mouse 

Image & Tutorial By: Sugar Bee Crafts

Minnie Mouse is a classic Disney character and you can re-create this look with items you have at home and a few pieces from your local hobby store!

Woody 

Image & Tutorial By: Googie Momma

Don’t settle on a costume  with a vest that fits awkwardly, a hat that’s too big or a belt that hangs off your child’s waist! Make the perfect Woody costume with some fabric and foam pieces!

Cinderella 

Image & Tutorial By: Kiki & Company

Getting ready for the ball is a serious task… Don’t let your beautiful girl walk out of the house without this unique DIY Cinderella dress!

Olaf 

Image & Tutorial By: Catching up With Kate

Olaf is the goofiest, cutest, most loving snowman there is and you can make your child this costume with a quick trip to your local hobby store. It takes time but the outcome is totally worth it!

Rapunzel

Image & Tutorial By: Make it & Love it

Re-create the look of the beautiful princess with the magic, healing hair!

Buzz Lightyear 

Image & Tutorial By: Fun at Home with Kids

Does your child want to be the toughest space ranger? Send him to infinity AND beyond with this awesome Buzz Lightyear costume that will win the vote for best homemade costume!

Snow White

Image & Tutorial By: Candice Ayala

Minus the poisonous apple, your child can feel like Snow White with this easy to replicate DIY tutorial!

Minion

Image & Tutorial By: Playing With Scissors

They may work for an evil scientist, but Minions are both silly and stylish! Dress your child in this adorable costume.

What’s your favorite DIY costume idea? Are you going to make your own costume, or are you headed for the store-bought route? We want to hear your thoughts!!

How to Safely Hang Holiday Lights

Photo via Flickr User Kirt Edblom

Christmas is right around the corner, and this weekend is the perfect time to put up your holiday light display. However, before you dive right in, there are some things to keep in mind. Just blindly stumbling into your yard with lights in hand is the wrong way to go about things. For starters, it can lead to haphazard-looking displays. Secondly, it’s just not safe. Without the proper equipment and prep, accidents have an increased chance of happening.

So before you head outside, go over our handy checklist. It will help to keep you safe, and ensure your display turns out bright and beautiful.

What Not to Give Holiday Gift Guide

Getting the right gift for the various members of your family during the Holiday season can be tough. Everyone has specific likes and needs, and unfortunately, they’re not always immediate to the gift giver. This year, if you don’t know what to get for your loved ones, don’t just guess! Sometimes, getting a gift that the recipient doesn’t want or need is worse.

We at HeltonTool want to help, which is why we’ve compiled this handy guide to give you an idea of what types of gifts should be avoided for the four main people in most people’s lives: dad, mom, son, and daughter! Once this is all over, you’ll not only be an expert at what types of gifts you should avoid, you’ll have ideas for several gifts that should be given.

Top 5 Gift Ideas For Mom

Next up on our Holiday gift giving guide series, it’s mom! It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for your mother, wife, grandmother, or step mom, HeltonTool has a lot of great gift ideas to make the Holidays fantastic for that special woman in your life.

Top 6 Gift Ideas For Dad

The Holidays are upon us and now is the ideal time to start mulling over what gifts to get those special people in your life (if you haven’t already started thinking about it, that is). To help make the process easier, we will be publishing a series of guides through Black Friday and Cyber Monday to help you decide what’s best to get for your family without having to spend an arm and a leg.

First up, it’s dad! Whether you’re looking for a gift for your father, husband, grandad, or even uncle, HeltonTool has the best selection of goods to ensure the man in your life gets exactly what he needs.