Friday, December 28, 2012

Getting back to normal........

little by little.

After blowing out the driveway on Thursday I set about putting away some of the Christmas decorations.  I now only have the tree up and the cards up.  I hope to take the tree down this weekend and I'll leave the cards up until the 12th night.  I enjoy having all the Christmas things in the house, but like to have the house back to normal right after Christmas.

We got this from dd best friend "K" for Christmas.

Inside was this; a lovely Crabtree and Evelyn gift set for Gardeners Hands.  I told dh he could use the case as a new lunch box, he said he would pass!!  I am going to use it to store some sewing supplies in.

I saw this great idea over at Cindy's blog.  If you dry out your potato peelings for 24 to 48 hours, you can put them on your fire to help clean off the creosote and build up on your chimney.  So on Christmas Eve this was what was sitting on the hearth:

You still have to clean your chimney, but thought this would help.  The peelings burn at a high heat when dry.

Took a photo of across the way on Thursday afternoon.  Winter bloody Wonderland, for those who don't have to shovel!!!


Yep, I still hate Winter!

16 comments:

Boopnut said...

Would love to have a fire. I plan on keeping my tree up a bit longer!

Boopnut said...

Would love to have a fireplace. I do plan on keeping my Christmas tree up a while.

Debby said...

what a cute lunch box!! I too am ready to start getting the house back in order. Maybe over the weekend

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

I was thinking maybe to put it all away New Year's day if not sooner.. I anxious to start the Declutter process soon I hope. Your hearth looks way less cleaner then mine ever does, Gill.

Jane and Chris said...

Sick to death of the snow and it's only December...I hate winter too.
Jane x

Em Parkinson said...

The potato pealing will be out drying tonight! I wish my eight year old would allow the tree to come down....I completely agree about wanting to get back to normality.

Scarlet said...

I took all my decorations down today. They're all back up in the attic and the house has been cleaned. I may have left them a couple of days longer but K and A are bringing Bold with them when they come to visit tomorrow, and last year he kept launching himself at all the decorations! It is nice to have things back to normal though. I'm sick of rain.

Linda said...

Very nice gardener gift. I've started taking down the decorations too, little by little.
I'm still wondering what normal is though?

onesimplefarmgirl2 said...

Hate winter. Its all in your head! You have to find ways to enjoy it. I don't know what i would do if I didn't have the seasons to enjoy. Your Evelyn & Crabtree box is very nice. I love their products but find them hard to find anymore, but then I'm not the worlds greatest shopper either!

Connie said...

Thought so! LOL! But very pretty winter pic. Do you have something to look forward to... besides spring.... to make the winter more bearable?

Piece by Piece said...

A couple of years ago I was given some of the C&E garden products, they are nice on the hands.
On Sunday I am having more family here for the day, so decorations up 'till then, Monday, down they come, and decluttering started.
Snow.. we have had one storm, which is one too many, I hate Winter.
Patricia

EG CameraGirl said...

I have never heard of the potato peel way to clean a chimney of creosote. Fascinating!

I'm anxious to declutter too. ;)

gill said...

Season's greeting from the UK, I've enjoyed catching up with your news today, been so busy entertaining over Christmas I didn't get on the PC once. I used to love the Game of Life, I remember playing it when the kids were young, but you're right it's a little complicated!
You picked up a few bargains, I don't go shopping on boxing day but I will have a browse around the shops tomorrow to see if I can pick up any pressies for next year. Decorations coming down on Sunday, they just look sad now......

DeniseinVA said...

A lovely gift, great tip about the potato peelings, never heard that one before, and the picture is lovely, beautiful scenery! Happy New Year Gill!

j udy said...

We keep all our decorations up till little Christmas and then take them down. I know my sister uses potato peels to clean out her wood stove but not sure how.....wish we had one

~Carla~ said...

Lovely gift! :) I'm sure it'll be wonderful on your hands! All of our decorations are still up... until everyone is better, they're staying put. That's ok though... our tree makes me happy. :)

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