The holiday season is long gone. Your decorations are packed into the closet, greenery is tucked into a Christmas tree storage bag, and life is returning to normal after the rush and bustle of the holidays. Suddenly it’s spring cleaning time, but… there’s so much to do! Where do you start?
Here are a few tips and tricks to make this year’s spring cleaning easier–and more time-efficient–than ever. Continue reading
Spring is here, and it’s almost time to get the lawn and garden furniture out for warm weather! This article features tips for organizing a stylish backyard and storage tips for keeping items in the shed for when you need them throughout summer! It won’t be long before your yard will be the backdrop for fun and friends. Try these tips to beautify your backyard space and organize essentials. Continue reading
Organization is a big market–it seems like people are always coming up with new and improved ways to control the clutter and get things in order.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
From organizing holiday decorations (where on earth to store the artificial Christmas tree and boatload of ornaments you never use?) to organizing kids’ closets (how long has that lunchbox been down there?!), there are tips and tricks to getting your home in order. Here are a few easy tips for basic, everyday changes that make a big difference in the overall organization of your home.
Spring is here! The warmer temperatures have you dreaming of walks in the park and gardening. Before you start running through a field of flowers, remember that task that you put on the back burner until the sun came out: cleaning the shed. The cold weather has kept you from tackling the clutter in your garage or shed, but now – alas – you have no excuse.
These quick tips for organizing your shed or garage will get you back into the spring sunshine in no time! Continue reading
Christmas isn’t Christmas until you have the perfect tree. From the top to the bottom branch, your holiday tree should be as magical as you imagined. The Arctic White Pine Tree from Tree Classics manifests the holiday postcard in your head into a beautiful centerpiece for your home. Christmas perfection – realized.
Because it’s white, you get the full snowy forest effect. Added bonus: the faux snow hue adds even more luster to your Christmas tree lights. In addition to being postcard pretty, the tree is sturdy enough to showcase your favorite ornaments. And you can put them front and center, thanks to the PVC needle tips and spacing that helps keep the décor in place. Continue reading
So the holidays are over, and you’re ready to retire your old artificial Christmas tree. What are your options? Here are a few alternatives to just throwing the whole thing in the dump.
1. Around Christmastime, most communities offer curbside pick-up of both real and artificial Christmas trees. These programs vary from city to city, so the best bet is to check with the waste management authority in your area to find out what options are available.
2. Take your tree to a drop-off recycling center. Almost every city or town has a recycling center where you can drop off your plastic, glass, aluminum, scrap metal, paper or artificial Christmas tree.
3. Sometimes, non-profit organizations conduct recycling campaigns to raise money or sustainability awareness. Often, Boy and Girl Scout troops organize these types of campaigns. You could do a quick Google search or call similar non-profits in your area to see what recycling efforts they have in progress–they might come pick up your tree for you.
No matter where your artificial Christmas tree ends up, there are a few general guidelines to follow before hauling it off or setting it out for recycling. Follow these steps to make sure your tree is as recyclable as possible:
If you’re more interested in repurposing your artificial tree than recycling it, try cutting the limbs apart to create wreaths or garland you can use to ornament your front door, mantle or banisters in years to come. Depending on the shape of the limbs on your artificial tree, you should be able to use wire cutters to snip them to the length you want and re-use them around your home to add a touch of greenery and freshness.
Coupled with festive ribbons, lights and ornaments, last year’s Christmas tree could add a lovely, magical touch to the rest of your seasonal decorations. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
You and Christmas haven’t always gotten along. Your memories of the holiday include your mother’s gigantic yard ornaments and gaudy reindeer sweaters. You may be surprised to know that Christmas can be quite chic. Before you raise your eyebrows and flashback to a 10-foot inflatable Frosty, check out these innovative ideas for year-round decorating with Christmas lights.
Christmas Lights in the Bedroom
The soft glow of Christmas lights in the bedroom creates a mellow, romantic vibe. Use white lights for the best result. Festoon your bed canopy with Christmas lights by draping them on top of the canopy and over the sides. Another great bedroom lighting idea is to secure lights to the wall in heart shapes or trail lights from bottom corner to top corner for a light-vine effect.
Mirror Mirror
Festoon the frame of a hallway mirror with soft white Christmas lights. The lights reflected in the mirror creates a cozy glow.
Writing on the Wall
Use double-sided tape to create words on the wall. Then track the tape with Christmas lights for a truly captivating look.
A Tree Grows…On Your Wall
For this one you’ll needs lights and discarded branches. To find the branches, take a walk in your local park or check for sticks in your backyard. Use a handsaw or other tool to stagger the size of the branches. Drill a hole in the middle of each branch, string them together with twine and then hang the “tree” on your wall. Once it’s up, simple weave white Christmas lights in and out of the branches. Check out Turtles and Tails for detailed instructions.
Light Balls
This one is super easy. Simply wrap white lights around grapevine balls. You can find the materials at your local craft store.
Check Christmas tree clearance after the holiday season to find lights at a great price. The rest of the materials you need for these fun decorating ideas are probably sitting around your house. Who knew that those twinkling lights could lend charm way beyond your artificial Christmas tree? Now, block those memories of your Mom’s yard ornaments out of your mind and start creating completely chic Christmas light images of your own.
The warmth of spring usually inspires kids to come out of their homes and enjoy the great outdoors. Days are spent playing at the park, biking along breathtaking trails, taking cool dips in the pool or lake, and camping out underneath the stars. These activities can be tiring, and children will need to get their energy back up with snacks that are both delicious and healthy. Here are several wonderful recipes that will not only make them strong, but also give them the pep they need to play more.
Photo by anthimera via Flickr.com. CC BY-NC 2.0.
This delicious snack combines the classic soda fountain and good old fruit salad. Here’s what you need to make this refreshing delight:
1. Place a thin layer of crushed ice at the bottom of your bowls.
2. Layer the grapefruit, pineapple, and strawberry slices in each bowl.
3. Pour generous amounts of sparkling cider. Make sure it covers all of the fruits.
4. Add several mint leaves on top of the fruits. You can also add fresh milk if you want to give your version of the Bubble Berries and Grapefruit a dairy twist.
Photo by The Purple Foodie via Flickr.com. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Appetizing and addictive, this is a healthy and sweet take on another classic American staple. The best thing about this recipe is that you can pack it in small brown paper bags or plastic containers for your kids to enjoy anywhere. Here’s what you need to make this tasty snack:
1. Cook the popcorn in a large saucepan or in the microwave. Once all the kernels have popped, pour popcorn into a large bowl.
2. Combine cinnamon and butter in a separate and larger bowl. Whisk the mixture for two minutes.
3. Pour popcorn and apple into the mixture. Toss repeatedly to make sure that the sauce coats each popped kernel.
Photo by Bookchen via Flickr.com. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
This vegan dish retains the flavors of the classic recipe. This is guaranteed to keep your kids running on full tank. Here’s the recipe for this delectable pastry:
1. Preheat your oven to 175⁰ C. Take out your muffin cups and place your muffin liners into the mold.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix the ingredients until the batter is smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine water and egg replacer. Pour this blend into the banana mixture and add the blueberries. Mix the ingredients for a few minutes.
4. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin mold.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Fill your kids’ tummies with these delicious spring treats.
Before you put away your Christmas décor and store your beloved tree back into the box this spring, take one more look back at the holiday’s most memorable trees from the winners of our Tree Classics Joy to the Tree Photo Contest.
On our Facebook page, Tree Classics proudly shared with everyone the Christmas tree masterpieces that showcased family tradition as well as cherished memories of the past season. The winners of the contest captured on camera the delight that only a Tree Classics Christmas tree can bring.
“The tree surpassed my expectations,” says Christine Young, this year’s top winner. The photo of her 12-foot fir garnered 39 votes from Facebook fans.
Christine was amazed at how her holiday centerpiece turned out. “I absolutely love our new tree this year.” The stunner was “the fullest, [most] beautiful, most lifelike tree” she had ever seen.
But Christine wasn’t the only one expressing love for her evergreen. Mindy Johnston, whose entry garnered 20 votes, shared her passion for decorating this classic work of art.
Mindy dedicated her Michigan Pine masterpiece to “Marine” who was home for Christmas for the first time in three years. A classic example of how a Tree Classics Christmas tree brings the family together.
Tree Classics Christmas trees have sturdy branches that can easily hold your Christmas tree decorations firmly in place. Diane Auger, whose entry bagged 13 votes, says her Scarlet Fir was “just the right size.”
Diane needed an evergreen that could house about 340 of her ornaments. Each detail added to the uniqueness of her Christmas tree, thus every ornament had to be tucked safely between the branches in order to bring out the vibrancy of the evergreen. Diane’s Tree Classics stunner delivered on its promise.
While traditional holiday trimmings may add character to a tree, a different kind of ornament took center stage in Lori Magelky’s entry.
“Just lights, no ornaments,” Lori says of Our Christmas tree, whose photo garnered eight votes. “We learned last year, after our cat climbed the tree, that we shouldn’t put ornaments,” Lori adds.
What makes this winning entry extra special?
The only ornament it did have: “The cat who likes to sleep in the branches.”
Each winner will receive a Sedona Fir Christmas Wreath. Tree Classics thanks everyone who participated in the Joy to the Tree Photo Contest.
© Grant Cochrane / 123RF.COM
Do the corners of your rooms look bare without your artificial Christmas trees? Are you missing the aroma of freshly baked cookies and bayberry candles? If you miss the fun holiday spirit and just can’t wait for Christmas to roll around again, take advantage of all the fun holidays that roll around the rest of the year.
Whether you want to keep the kids entertained with timely tidbits or just brighten up your little corner in the office, these fun facts about our most popular holidays will put you in the mood to decorate and maybe even bake a batch of homemade cookies!
Valentine’s Day
Heart-shaped sugar cookies with white icing and pink sprinkles are edibles hugs—delicious!
Be careful if you eat an apple on Valentine’s Day. There’s an old myth that says if you eat an apple on Valentine’s Day, you will have as many children as the number of seeds you find inside. The average is about three, but some varieties have up to 12 seeds.
Built from the ground-up, Tree Classics World's Finest pre lit artificial Christmas trees has been the leader in our industry serving the globe since its inception in 1976. From Christmas gift ideas, unique Home Décor, Christmas Holiday accessories like Christmas tree storage bags, and pre lit wreaths and garlands; to topiary and slim Christmas trees, unlit artificial Christmas trees and Christmas trees of different needle styles; Tree Classics has a variety of style and class to satisfy even the most discriminating buyers. We are in our 14th consecutive year of being the number one seller of pre lit artificial Christmas Trees online.
The reason for our success is our dedication to quality and the personal service we give our customers. Our wide selection and exclusive designs cannot be matched anywhere else and are a staple of our ongoing commitment to innovation and beauty, year after year. We welcome you to our family and we appreciate the opportunity to show you the difference a Tree Classics Artificial Christmas tree can make.
Our pre lit artificial Christmas trees are custom designed by Tree Classics and have been world renowned for their quality, beauty, and long-lasting strength. Our pre-lit artificial Christmas trees come highly recommended and praised by the tens of thousands of customers we have served from all over the world. Thank you from all of us for coming to see the World's Finest pre-lit Artificial Christmas trees at Tree Classics!
"The tree is awesome, excellent quality and the most realistic tree I've ever had. Everyone that has seen it could not believe how beautiful it was.
Thanks again!"
Tree Classic Trees are everywhere!
