Photo Credit to Joost J. Bakker

During the winter season, it is easy to push housework to the bottom of the to-do list.  From the middle of the October to the middle of January, you are preparing (then recuperating) from back-to-back holidays.

Now is finally the time to refresh your home, but you don’t have to set aside countless hours of cleaning.  Spring clean the fast and easy way by hitting all of the larger tasks.

• Pack away those winter clothes

As the weather continues to warm up, you won’t be needing those heavy sweatshirts and jackets.  Put those cold weather clothes in a moisture-resistant tote or airtight bag.  Keep them smelling fresh by adding a few dryer sheets.  If you don’t have room for another box, just do a little rearranging in your closet.  Move those warm clothes to the back.

• Carpet cleaning

As any homeowner knows, winter can take a major toll on carpet appearance.  It is recommended that you get your carpet professionally cleaned twice a year, but if you already own a shampooer, why not do it yourself?  This task may be the most time-consuming, but you will not be sorry.  Rather than using an expensive cleaning solution, you can use steaming hot water as a substitute.  In doing so, you will deep clean your carpet without leaving a sticky residue.  Be sure to wait until your floor is completely dry before walking on it again.

• Give your yard a seasonal makeover

Get out and enjoy the sunshine!  Warm spring weather gives you an extra opportunity to clean up your yard.  Get all that leftover winter mess raked up and fertilize your grass.  Avoid an extra nitrogen-rich fertilizer to keep the weeds away.

No one enjoys cleaning (we think), but it’s something that definitely needs to be done.  How do you get through spring cleaning?

Photo Credit to Nina Matthews Photography

Are you having trouble concentrating?  Are you feeling impatient?  Do you have an uncontrollable itch to get outside?  If so, you are likely experiencing the symptoms of Cabin Fever.

During the winter months – especially in areas like Wisconsin where snow is on the ground for several months – many people become distressed after spending lots of time cooped up indoors.    Although not a serious medical condition, Cabin Fever can take a major toll on a person’s well-being.

Although our winter has been unusually mild this year, we are also anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring.  Fortunately, there are ways for all of us to survive the rest of the winter season.

• Brighten up your home

Just because it’s dark outside doesn’t mean it has to be dark inside your home.  Colors can be extremely mood altering.  Decorate rooms with exciting home accents such as pillows, table cloths or fresh flowers.  Choose energizing colors like yellow, orange or red.

• Grow your own paradise

Did you know having green plants in your home provides you and your family with amazing health benefits?  In addition to providing you with oxygen and fighting illness, house plants can make you happy.

Don’t have a green thumb?  There are plenty of plants available that require very little work.  Look for spider plants, snake plants or rubber plants.

• Get together with friends

The cold, dreary weather becomes a common excuse not to spend time with friends.  Make it a point to get together.  Go to a movie, make a dinner date or plan a “Cabin Fever” party.  The socialization will ease your stress and lift your spirit.

• Enjoy winter activities

Throw on some long johns and make the most of winter by trying something new outdoors.  Cross country skiing and figure skating can be great exercise and fun for the whole family.  Just remember to bundle up!

And remember – spring will be here before you know it!

How do you beat the Winter Blues?

Photo Credit to Figi's Gifts in Good Taste

Some may say that Super Bowl Sunday is the easiest “holiday” of the year.  You don’t need to buy presents for loved ones or decorate your home with seasonal trimmings.  All you need to do is provide enough comfortable seating and tasty snacks.

When it comes to snacks, Buffalo wings and 7-layer dip may be the first munchies to come to mind, but both require a lot of work to prepare.  Cheese is one of the easiest appetizers you can serve at your Super Bowl party.  Use the following tips to create a victorious game day cheese assortment.

Choose Your Cheese Selection

The best cheese platters have variety.  When deciding which cheese to use, choose blocks from different categories.

• Semi-hard: Cheddar, Colby, Gouda and Swiss
• Semi-soft: Brick, Monterey Jack and Ricotta
• Soft-ripened: Brie and Camembert

Broaden Your Pairings

Here at Figi’s, we love cheese and sausage, but we also know that there are many more excellent pairings.  The most popular cheese partners are fruit, vegetables and nuts.  To discover winning cheese combinations, check out the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Cheese Pairing Guide.

Make Your Cheese Platter Unique

Who says cookie cutters are just for cookies?  Break away from typical sliced cheese tray by adding different shapes.  If you are really in the Super Bowl spirit, take a look at these football-shaped cookie cutters.

Remove Tray From Refrigerator Before Serving

Take your platter out of the refrigerator about an hour before your hungry guests arrive.  Cheese tastes outstanding at room temperature.

Cheese may be the MVP of Super Bowl appetizers, but when you serve it, you will be the MVP of Super Bowl party hosting.  What else will you be serving your family and friends on Game Day?

Photo Credit to Iwan Gabovitch

Resolution?

If you are having trouble getting motivated, you are definitely not the first and you will most certainly not be the last.  As a matter of fact, a 2007 study states that nearly 88 percent of all New Year Resolutions fail.

Don’t let this unsettling statistic discourage you!  We have tips to help you succeed:

• Focus on only one resolution

Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to make several resolutions.  While this is very ambitious, it may actually deter you from achieving your goals.  By setting multiple resolutions, you very well maybe spreading yourself too thin.  Rather than making two or three resolutions, just make and focus on one.

• Set realistic, straight forward goals

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to lose weight; again, very ambitious, but not very specific.  Rather than giving yourself a generic goal, be more definite.  Your new New Year Resolution could be to lose 1 pound a week or 5 pounds in a month.  By setting specific goals, you will set yourself up for success.

• Don’t give up

Did you know recent studies show that it takes at least 66 days to form a habit?  This means that if your New Year’s Resolution is to exercise more, don’t be surprised if you struggle to get started.  Just keep reminding yourself of your goal and be patient.  If you can make it until March 6, you can rest assured that your habit will stick with you.

No one said keeping a New Year’s Resolutions was going to be easy.  How do you plan on keeping your New Year’s Resolution in 2012?

Photo Credit to Nigel Howe

Where did the year go?  It seems like it was only yesterday that we were celebrating the coming of 2011; now the year has already come and gone within the blink of an eye.  It’s true what they say; each year goes faster than the last.  And now it’s time for everyone’s most dreaded annual decision: the New Year Resolution.  As you know New Year Resolutions are certainly not new; however, you may not realize just how old they really are.

Let’s travel back in time about 4,000 years to ancient Babylon.  In those days, calendars had not yet been developed so residents used late March (the beginning of spring) as the unofficial start of the New Year.  The Babylonians were firm believers that the first intentions of the year would be reflected in the days to follow.

To make their good intentions clear, the Babylonian people created New Year Resolutions.  The most popular resolution at that time was to remember to return borrowed farm equipment.

You could say times have changed since 2000 BC.  In the past two years, the top New Year Resolutions have been to:

1. Lose weight and/or exercise daily
2. Spend more time with family and friends
3. Improve financial situation by getting out of debt

Will you be making a New Year Resolution this year?  If so, what do you hope to accomplish in 2012?  We will be checking in with you in the middle of January.  Good luck!

Photo Credit to Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig

After our last post, Fun Facts About the Top Christmas Songs of All Time, we learned from our readers that we missed quite a few popular Christmas songs.  So we have decided to write a sequel.  Here are more fun facts about popular Christmas songs.

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Although “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was first released by Brenda Lee in 1958, it did not hit the charts that year or the following year.  By 1960, Lee became well known for other hits such as “I’m Sorry” and “Sweet Nothin’s” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” finally caught on to become a Christmas classic.

Frosty the Snowman

“Frosty the Snowman” was first recorded by Gene Autry as a follow-up to his successful recording of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”  It is considered to be a Christmas song; however, Christmas is not mentioned once in the song.

Jingle Bells

The words and music for “Jingle Bells” were written by American Composer James S. Pierpont in 1857.  The original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh.”  The song contains a third verse which is rarely sung

Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls to night
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get bob-tailed bay
Two forty as his speed.
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack, you’ll take the lead

All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)

Donald Gardner wrote the story in 1944 while substitute teaching for a second grade class.  His inspiration for the song came after asking his students what they wanted for Christmas.  He couldn’t help but notice that nearly all of his students were missing at least one front tooth.  He wrote the song in only 30 minutes.

Silent Night

The story of “Silent Night” began in modern-day Austria in December 1818.  A parish priest named Josef Mohr was upset that his church organ broke and would not be fixed by Christmas.  He told his friend, Franz Gruber who just so happened to be a headmaster and amateur composer.  He took a Christmas poem that Josef had written him nearly two years prior and set it to music.  That Christmas Eve, the church had music after all.  Josef played his guitar and the pair sang the first “Silent Night.”

Did we miss any more popular Christmas songs?  What are your favorites?

Photo Credit to Mykl Roventine

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

In the late 1930s, department stores bought and distributed coloring books each holiday season.  In 1939, Montgomery Ward thought they could save money by writing their own; copywriter Robert L. May was given the assignment.  “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” came from May’s own childhood difficulties as the smallest boy in his class.   The story was made into a song when May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, developed the music and melody.

White Christmas

Written by Irving Berlin, “White Christmas” is thought to be the most popular Christmas song ever.  According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Bing Crosby’s version is the best-selling single of all time.  The song was originally written to capture holiday nostalgia.  It was a story about a New Yorker stuck in California at Christmas.  The song has been re-recorded over 50 times since its first release in the early 1940s.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Jimmy Boyd recorded the Christmas classic when he was only 13 years old.  Many people thought the song was too risqué and was banned from play in multiple radio stations.  Columbia Records had to appeal to the Council of Churches to clear the ban.  The appeal worked and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” became a Christmas favorite.

The Christmas Song

Song writing partners Mel Torme and Bob Wells took turns going over to each other’s houses to write songs.  One smoldering hot day in July, Mel drove to Bob’s home.  When he arrived, he could not find Bob, but found words written on an open spiral note pad.  It said “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, Yuletide Carols being sung by a choir, folks dressed up like Eskimos.”  Mel asked Bob what these words were and he said he was trying to mentally cool himself down by writing about a totally different season.  The duo wrote the rest of the song in 35 minutes.

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)

David Seville was inspired to write “The Chipmunk Song” in 1958 when his son kept asking him if it was Christmas yet; he assumed he was not the only parent with a child overly excited about the upcoming holiday.  “The Chipmunk Song” was the last Christmas song to hit #1 on the US Billboard Pop 100 Chart.

Who knew the Christmas classics had such history?  What are your favorite classic Christmas songs?

Photo Credit to Erik Abderhalden

Tonight, children all around the world will hang their stockings or set their shoes by the back door before bed.  They will then have to try and contain their excitement until the morning to see what goodies St. Nick has brought.  St. Nicholas sounds astonishingly similar to Santa Claus, so why exactly do we celebrate St. Nick Day two and a half weeks prior to Christmas?

St. Nicholas was born during the 3^rd Century in the village of Patara, land now known as Turkey.  Nicholas was taught, at an early age, the value of helping the less fortunate.  He inherited his parents’ wealth after they died in a tragic epidemic.  Nicholas then gave it all away to help the sick, the needy and the suffering.

He wanted to help people in secret.  Nicholas’ signature gesture was to leave small bags of gold in stockings and shoes.  He became known all around the land for his generosity.

St. Nicholas died on December 6, 343 AD.  The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration to honor his life.  The Feast of St. Nicholas has been celebrated since that time in Europe; however, the tradition followed the first American immigrants.

Throughout the years, the custom has been changed.  In the United States, St. Nicholas has become the model for the modern day Santa Claus.  Although St. Nicholas Day is celebrated by a few, Christmas remains the primary gift-giving holiday.

Do you celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas?  If so, how do you observe the holiday?

Photo Credit to Gardener's Supply Company

December is here and by now children and adults alike are beginning to count down the days until Christmas.  There are several different accessories used to count down to Christmas including ornaments, signs and even screensavers, but by far the oldest and most popular form of holiday countdown is with Advent calendars.

The Advent calendar tradition began in Germany in the late 19^th Century and was not a calendar at all.  Families would count down the days by drawing a chalk line above the door every day until Christmas.

The first printed calendar was produced by Gerhard Lang in the early 1900s, the exact date remains unknown.  He came up with the idea after his mother gave him a piece of cardboard with small candies attached.

Lang’s first calendar contained 24 small pictures that would be added to a piece of cardboard each day closer to Christmas.  The calendars were sold up until World War II when production stopped due to shortages caused by the war.

Photo Credit to Richard Sellmer Verlag

Richard Sellmer resumed producing calendars after the war.  Many say this is when the Advent calendar custom truly began.  Sellmer, himself, credited the Eisenhower family for the growth of the tradition after a newspaper article showed the First Grandchildren with the Little House Advent calendar.

The Advent calendar has undergone multiple modifications throughout the past one hundred years.  You can now find calendars fit for anyone: wooden calendars, felt calendars, everyone’s favorite chocolate calendars and our very own, Christmas Traditions Advent Calendar.

Are you counting down the days until Christmas?  What is your family’s holiday countdown tradition?

Photo Credit to Figi's Gifts in Good Taste

Now that Thanksgiving is over, what is there to do with all the leftovers?  If your families are anything like ours, there are always plenty of unfinished dishes after the big meal and there is always plenty of turkey left for what seems like a week’s worth of lunches and dinners. Here are 18 ideas to help you get you started with your meal planning!

Soups/Stews

1. After- Thanksgiving Turkey Soup – via Taste of Home
2. Turkey Chili – via Epicurious
3. Turkey Vegetable Soup with Stuffing Dumplings – via Food Network

Appetizers

1. Turkey Meatballs – via Rachel Ray
2. Teriyaki Turkey Kabobs – via Butterball

Pastas

1. Turkey Primavera – via Butterball
2. Turkey Tetrazzini – via Taste of Home
3. Pesto Turkey and Paste – via Betty Crocker

Sandwiches/Burgers

1. Barbecue Pulled-Turkey Sandwich – via Epicurious
2. Bistro Turkey Sandwich – via Taste of Home
3. Crunchy Turkey Salad Sandwich- via Food Network
4. Chipotle Turkey Salad Sandwich – via Simply Recipes
5. Turkey Burgers – via Epicurious

Main Courses

1. Autumn Acorn Squash – via Taste of Home
2. Turkey Tortilla Lasagna – via Butterball
3. Turkey Pot Pie – via Food Network
4. Turkey Noodle Casserole – via Food Network
5. Turkey Enchiladas – via Simply Recipes

There must be more creative uses for leftover turkey, how do you use your Thanksgiving leftovers?