Your Christmas Home Decor and Security Package

Opinions on Friday, December 4, 2020

Columnist: Cyril Tetteh

2020-12-04

It has been a curious year. Yes, curious is the best way to describe it, it made us dig deep to find the strength, the courage to navigate the challenges, but despite everything, we are grateful for life and we will be sure that we will celebrate Christmas on December 25, even if it is grayed out version.

As always, we will want to do some touch-ups and cleanings after the celebration. To guide you, here are some tips we’ve put together. Chew them and you are sure to have a great time, this yuletide. Ready? Let’s go!

Tips for DIY home painting (do it yourself)

So if there are any reminders that it is Christmas, you need to repaint the houses. If you plan to repaint your house but cash is a limitation, here are some DIY tips:

Prepare the surface

Proper preparation is required for new paint to adhere safely to walls or surfaces. Before painting, be sure to clean surfaces to remove cobwebs, dirt, mold, and chalky residue.

Start in the shade

When you paint in direct sunlight, the paint dries too quickly, adheres poorly, and becomes flaky. Therefore, your best option is to start painting on the shady side of the house.

Paint from above

Start painting from the top of the house and work your way down. This ensures a neat finish and fewer overlaps. When you’re done, wait at least 24 hours for the paint to dry completely before readjusting furniture and fixtures that were moved.

Now your house is looking for the place for the celebration!

Tips to protect children

So many times, we get caught up in our Christmas festivities and we forget to keep an eye on the kids. In order not to spoil your celebrations, here are some childproof tips to consider.

Never leave drawers open as they can serve as ladders for children to climb.

Pool areas should also be enclosed and well fenced to help make them safer.

Cook on the back burners as much as possible to avoid close proximity to hot baby pots and pans.

Coffee tables and other furniture with sharp corners should also be kept out of the way or covered with padded corner and edge protectors.

Empty baths and buckets of water as soon as you are done using them to help prevent drowning, as babies can drown in about an inch of water.

If you don’t remember any of these at all, stick to the best childproof tip that is; Always supervise and be on guard with children and do not leave them unattended.

Get rid of stains

There is nothing as annoying or frustrating as trying to get rid of that stubborn stain on your napkins and tablecloths. But there is a trick, in one, two steps.

Add four to five black tea bags to a bucket of hot water and steep for 10 minutes.

Remove the tea bags, add the cloth (shake it to absorb the water) and let it steep until it reaches the desired shade. Let it dry and then wash it off with cold water.

“Agbenaaa !!” Your napkins and tablecloths are like new!

Home safety tips

Over the course of the holiday celebration, many of us get involved in cooking, decorating, and partying and fail to take safety precautions. Here are some reminders to keep the yuletide incident and fire rampant.

Since you will be using the stove more than usual, check the gas tank hose for cracks or rodent bites, as gas leaks could cause a fire.

Ideally, avoid using firecrackers or, but if you must, make sure you are in an open area and there is only one source of fire for everyone.

If you are using an old set of lights to decorate your Christmas tree, be sure to check for faulty bulbs and possible damage or broken wires and replace them before wrapping the lights around the tree.

Tips for decorating the Christmas tree

Choose a white or green tree depending on the color of your room. The general rule of thumb is to choose a white tree on a darker background and green on a lighter background.

Ornaments such as small balls and balloon lights should be placed with the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom.

Now my favorite part, the lights! Starting at the bottom, string the lights without an obvious pattern, working your way up and into the branches. This creates a subtle, natural glow.