Image zoom Credit: Maskot / Getty Images If there s one thing we learned in 2020, it s that we all need to help better serve our communities. One simple way to do just that is to support small local businesses. For nearly a year, restaurants, salons, retail stores, and other small establishments remained shuttered. Many of these businesses rely on regular shopping foot traffic, and the volume of shoppers dropped when businesses were forced to close as a means to control the spread of the virus. While you likely took part in Small Business Saturday this past holiday season, it s only one out of many days to purchase goods from these retailers. It s important to find ways to support these businesses all year long.
Credit: Angela Buser Photo / Getty Images Painted vases, vintage dinner plates, antique tea sets, dolls, and figurines all of these coveted items provide timeless beauty. But unless your collectibles are behind glass, they are likely to accumulate dirt and grime from dust particles in the atmosphere. How you clean your pottery and porcelain collectibles depends on several factors, explains Stuart Slavid, the senior vice president of European decorative arts and silver at Skinner, Inc. Is the item glazed or unglazed? Glazed tends to be easier to clean, he says. You also want to consider if it s been previously restored. It will be treated differently if it s been restored. Cleaning could remove the restoration if not done the right way.
Image zoom What Is Helix Knitting? Helix knitting is a technique that creates single-row stripes when knitting in the round when you have at least two different colors of yarn. What makes this unique from the traditional way is that instead of doing one color, one round at a time, you knit each round using all of the yarn colors at the same time in succession. In order to determine your pattern, you will divide the cast-on number by the number of colors, and you will knit that number of stitches for each color in each round. So, let s say that your pattern calls for 98 stitches and you plan to use six colors, then you would be making 13 stitches for each color per round.
Image zoom Fiber Material and Care Demers says that you will want to consider the size of the blanket and how it will need to be cleaned. If you plan to toss your blanket into the washer, you ll need either a synthetic yarn (like an acrylic) or a superwash yarn, which is a natural fiber that has been treated to allow washing without shrinking, he says. If you don t mind hand-washing (and I don t at all) then you can use any fiber. Woolen spun or lofty yarns are best for warmer blankets. This is because the fibers trap air better and the blanket will be able to hold in heat. For example, Barrett Wool Co. s Wisconsin Woolen Spun Yarn (
Image zoom Review your budget. For many of us who are not able to begin saving right away, we can make the following moves to position ourselves better in the near future. Wybar suggests reviewing your budget as the first move. If you don t have one already in place, create one. Start by developing an itemized list of all of your expenses, she says. I recommend bucketing expenses into categories, such as housing and entertainment, to ensure you understand where your money is going. Determine if these expenses are necessary or discretionary. Consider reducing or eliminating discretionary expenses until you return to work.
Image zoom Credit: Cavan Images / Getty Images No matter the time of year, a vigorous hike makes for wonderful, scenic exercise for both you and your dog. However, it is important to be prepared for any dangers that you could encounter on the hike as well as additional safety measures that you need to keep in mind when hiking with a dog. Most of us are aware of the abundance of ticks but what about other concerns, like drinking out of streams or running into wild animals? We talked to Jennifer Freeman, DVM, PetSmart resident veterinarian and pet care expert, to get tips on how to hike safely with our dogs.
Image zoom It harkens back to their ancestors. Modern cats are not introduced to water. The only experience that domestic cats in the city may have with water would be related to the weather a rainy season. Unlike some of the big cats in the wild today that live near bodies of water and will occasionally swim across a river or go fishing in a lake, domestic cats are not forced to contend with water in a human-occupied environment. There is not much in their ancestors past to prepare the modern cat for the bath tub, which helps explain why their first reaction is to escape the arms of an owner trying to get them in it, says Dr. Greco. However, it is possible to train a cat to tolerate bath time if you are able to start with them when they are kittens, or with lots of coaxing and treats for more grown-up cats. It just takes some patience.
Credit: James Brokensha Photography / Getty Images Does it seem as if your pet is always begging for another portion of food, even after mealtime? It s a familiar sight to see cats and dogs looking disdainfully at their owners and back at their halfway full bowl. But if it seems like your pet is never satisfied with the amount of food they re offered, then you may wonder what is going on. We always recommend checking with your veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical issues, says Lambert Wang, co-founder of Cat Person. However, if your pet receives a clean bill of health, environmental factors may be at play.
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Credit: Johnny Miller Real Christmas trees make for a beautiful and traditional holiday decoration. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 25.9 million real trees at a value of $1.32 billion were purchased by people for Christmas in 2015, which is more than double the number of fake trees (12.5 million) purchased. However, keeping your real tree fresh during the holiday season does require providing your tree with some persistent care and a good solid base. Put the tree in water as soon as possible. Remember: You re bringing home a live plant. If you want to keep it fresh, it needs to have adequate water. Water is the absolute most important thing you can do to preserve your tree for Christmas, says Jane Neubauer, co-owner of Sugar Pines Farm in Chesterland, Ohio. Get a tree stand with a built-in reservoir and check it regularly. People don t always realize how much water their Christmas trees will drink up. You ll need to replenish the water regularly. You can buy additives to help water absorption and kill bacteria, but they aren t as necessary as keeping the tree well-watered.