If You Have 20 Minutes
11. Create a centerpiece. Instead of paying a princely sum on Christmas Eve for the florist’s last scraggly bouquet, shop for a centerpiece at the supermarket. “Fill a simple glass jar or bowl with multiples of the same fruit, nut, or monochromatic ornament,” suggests David Tutera, author of
America Entertains: A Year of Imaginative Parties (
www.amazon.com, $35). Fill Crate & Barrel's Miranda Trifle Bowls ($25 each,
www.crateandbarrel.com), with apples, baby artichokes, and walnuts.
12. Make a kid-taming car kit. To preempt the proverbial cries of “Are we there yet?” during the trip to the grandparents’, put together a bag of smart but simple essentials that will keep your kids (quietly) entertained. Novelty—meaning bribery—is the best distraction: Get something new for each child, such as a book, a comic book, or a video game; put it in the bag; and save it to break out in a clutch moment, like after you’ve taken a wrong turn that will tack an extra hour on to the drive. Also pack a pad of drawing paper and a box of pencils or crayons you can tuck into the pockets behind the front seats. Throw in snacks that store well—juice boxes, bottled water, pretzels, granola bars, Fruit Roll-Ups, nuts, Cheerios, maybe even a bit of…candy. If you have a little one who’s still in diapers or newly potty trained, add a change of clothes and some diapers. And what family car is complete without wipes for those inevitable spills and accidents?
13. Prepare to fight stains. It’s a family affair, so be prepared for wildly gesticulating hands and spilled glasses of wine. Tuck some stain removers in a dining-room or kitchen drawer (travel-size containers fit nicely) so you’ll be able to strike fast, before the damage is permanent. Two things to remember: The quicker a stained item makes it into the washer, the better your chances of spotless results, and always test stain removers on a small, unobtrusive area first to be sure the dye is colorfast. Ready? Here’s what you need to make it all go away: a sponge, Woolite, talcum powder or cornstarch, rubbing alcohol, Shout spray, a small bottle (preferably with an eyedropper) filled with one part vinegar and two parts water, and white paper towels.
Next, you might want to bone up on what to do when disaster strikes. Blot red-wine stains with a sponge dampened with a teaspoon of Woolite. Sprinkle olive-oil stains with cornstarch or talcum, scrape, then rinse with room-temperature water; apply Shout and let sit for 15 minutes before washing. For coffee stains, apply the vinegar-water solution with an eyedropper or sponge, and rinse with room-temperature water right away. For chocolate, apply rubbing alcohol with a sponge or a paper towel, let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse; blot the residue with a sponge dampened with a dab of Woolite mixed with water.
14. Run a light check.Untangle and plug in
all your holiday lights, and toss any bulbs or strands that don’t work. Buy replacements plus some extra strings of lights
and spare bulbs, just to
be on the safe side.
15. Get the hooks. Pick up a box of ornament hooks. You’ll need them to offset the annual 50 percent hook casualty rate and to accommodate the handful of ornaments you’ll receive as gifts.
