Waukesha County Home

NOVEMBER 2017 HOME 7 4820 W. Loomis Rd. 414.744.9400 Greenfield 2142 E. Moreland Blvd. 262.524.1455 Waukesha Lifetime Installation Warranty! FREE Financing w/approved credit. www.stusflooring.com 257845058 on order out material. Residential Only Not valid with any other offer, sale or prior purchase. See store for details. Expires Dec. 31, 2017 Up to15 % OFF Stu's Flooring Holiday Flooring Sale Stu's Flooring Holiday Flooring Sale Hardwood l Carpet l Laminate l Vinyl l Ceramic (StatePoint) — Nearly 70 percent of Americans say their favorite part about the holidays is spending time with family and friends, according to the Pew Research Cen- ter. So, during the hectic holiday crunch, you may be looking for ways to simplify the many tasks on your to-do list. When it comes to decorating, consider these time-saving strategies for turning your home into a fuss-free winter wonder- land. Get organized early If your seasonal décor is stowed away in the garage or attic, dust it off and get it untangled before the day you plan to do your actual decorating. Locating these items and getting them prepped to be strung and hung may be a job in and of itself, so don't get overwhelmed by trying to make it all happen in one day. Make it a group effort There are plenty of responsibilities you can dole out to different members of the family to make decorating more fun for everyone involved. While certain tasks may not be for everybody, such as those that require getting on a ladder, kid-friendly tasks include creating googly-eyed reindeer ornaments for the tree and stringing gar- lands to the banister. Use new tools New tools are available that can help sim- plify holiday decorating. For example, Treemote, a wireless, user-friendly Christ- mas-tree shaped remote, can control holi- day lights up to 80 feet away — so you can skip crawling under or behind your tree to turn lights on and off in the morning and at night. While this tool is ideal around the holidays, it can also be used year-round on hard-to-reach lights and appliances, mak- ing it a great stocking stuffer for your deco- rator-in-residence. To learn more, visit Treemote.com. Make it fun Make decorating fun by creating a festive atmosphere. Create a playlist of all your favorite holiday tracks to enjoy as you deco- rate. Pop a tray of cookies into the oven. When the decorating is over, reward your- self by curling up and watching a favorite holiday movie. There's no reason why decorating needs to feel like a chore. Simple strategies can make decking the halls not only easy, but fun. (StatePoint) — Now and then, every home gets to the point at which a quick tidy-up here and there just isn't cutting it anymore. You take a look around, notice all of the surfaces that have gone untouched for far too long, then sigh as you pick a day dedicated to cleaning from top to bottom. Lifestyle and parenting blogger Ari Adams of Love, Peace and Tiny Feet is sharing some of her top rules to follow to keep both a clean house and your sanity. Do ■ Make a plan. Clear your schedule and know exactly how much time you are going to have. Then, prioritize. What proj- ects need the most attention? What are the tasks that need to be tackled to get that project done? Make a checklist and stick to it. The more organized and detailed you are going into it, the less distracted you will become. Plus, you'll benefit from the confidence boost you get from putting a big check across an item on your to-do list. ■ Get comfortable. Choose an outfit that is comfortable and functional for a day of hard work. Put on your favorite music and get settled. You're not going anywhere today, so you may as well enjoy it. ■ Use the right product for the job. Armed with the proper cleaning tools, chores get done faster. Choose products that do the hard work for you. For example, using Mean Green, a cleaner that's both all-purpose and heavy duty, means you can use one product on all kinds of messes, whether it's a sticky spill in the microwave or mold on the patio furniture. Don't ■ Take unnecessary breaks. Stick to your schedule. Maintaining motivation is key, and it will become more difficult with every minute you stop to relax. ■ Distract yourself. Plan scheduled breaks but avoid other temptations. If your phone is the root of most of your unwanted breaks, leave it in another room. While some enjoy the television for back- ground noise, others may find themselves getting pulled in for a binge session. If that's you, leave the television off. Learn more about products that can help you power through your chores by visiting www.meangreen.com. StatePoint New tools can help you avoid crawling to turn holiday lights on and off. Make your holiday decorating merry Home cleaning do's and don'ts

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