money
Pretty presents for less. Gift wrapping is one area to cut back on holiday spending, according to corporate gift expert and Bowdabra creator Sandy Sandler. These are her tips for wrapping gifts frugally and creatively.
Use scraps of fabric. Apply puffy fabric paint to give the present a rich, three-dimensional look.
Purchase plain white or brown wrapping paper and decorate it yourself. Helpful hint: Instead of wrapping paper, recycle brown paper bags.
Use an old calendar to wrap packages.
Don’t have enough of one wrapping paper for an entire present? Make a mosaic of wrapping paper. Embellish the seams with ribbon, beads or colored tape.
Make your own gift tags from last year’s Christmas cards.
For a very large present, use a vinyl tablecloth.
Wrap presents in comics.
Use a glue stick or hot-glue gun instead of expensive tapes.
time
Seasonal oven love. Between family feasts, cookie exchanges, office potlucks and various other holiday cooking commitments, the oven gets a real workout. A few minutes spent checking it can prevent an inconvenient breakdown. Follow these tips from the repair experts with Mr. Appliance, or visit for a detailed repair and maintenance manual.
Keep your oven clean with non-abrasive cleaners. Check for old food spills, which can make the oven heat unevenly.
Don’t run the self-cleaning cycle before a big dinner. Ovens have a tendency to fail during or soon after a self-cleaning cycle. If you can’t wait to get rid of baked-on spills, spot-clean them.
Check the temperature. One of the most common oven problems involves the temperature on the dial not matching the actual temperature inside the oven. The easiest solution is to check the oven with a digital oven thermometer. (Keep in mind that oven temperatures fluctuate throughout the heating cycle.)
You can also buy a basic white cake mix and follow the directions exactly. If the cake is dry or undercooked, your oven temperature isn’t set correctly.
Does your oven sweat? If moisture appears on the outside of your oven, it probably means you have a faulty gasket. Gaskets maintain proper cooking temperatures and should be replaced at the first sign of a leak.
Does the door shut tight? This could be a sign of bent or broken door hinges. Or, a loose seal allows heat to escape and leads to meals improperly cooked and a higher utility bill.
Is the light on? It may not seem important, but your oven light can save cooking time and energy. Use the oven light to look inside rather than opening the door.
If your light is out, replace the bulb or check the connection.
