How To Throw an Inexpensive New Year's Eve Party

Five easy steps to throw an easy and inexpensive New Year's Eve party at home.

Want to avoid the hectic crowds this New Years? Invite a few close friends over and throw your own party at home. Here are five simple steps to having your own New Year's Eve party: 1. Food. Start your party at 7 p.m. or later so your guests will eat dinner before they come over. That way, all you have to provide is snacks. Pick up a vegetable platter and some sweet treats for dessert. Want to make something yourself? Here is a quick an easy recipe for a snack everyone will love: Ingredients you'll need for salsa dip: Spread the whole package of cream cheese on the bottom of a deep plate. Pour a little more than half of the jar of salsa over the top and spread. Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese on top of the salsa. Heat in the microwave …

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How To Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Five tips to help you keep your resolution.

Did you make a resolution this year? Want to lose weight, gain a new skill or organize your house? Whatever your resolution is, here are some tips to help you keep it throughout the year. 1. Make it attainable. Be sure that your resolution is attainable. Sticking to your monthly budget is attainable, making a million dollars may not be. 2. Tell everyone. If you tell everyone about your resolution, you are more likely to keep it. If you want to quit smoking, you can even go as far as telling your friends that if they see you smoking, you'll give them $50. 3. Be specific. If you want to get fit in the new year, set a specific goal. For example, instead of saying you want to get fit, say you want to lose 10 pounds and tone your arms and legs…

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How To Celebrate Pancake Day

Eat breakfast for dinner on Pancake Day.

Celebrate Pancake Day by eating pancakes for dinner. Pancake Day is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent.  Pancake Day is more widely celebrated in England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. People eat pancakes because they are made out of foods that are often restricted during Lent: sugar, flour and eggs.  Try making English pancakes, which are similar to French crepes and easy to make. Grab some ingredients from Stop and Shop and get cooking! Here's what you'll need: *Makes four small pancakes To serve: 1. Mix the flour, milk and egg until well blended.  2. Melt butter in a hot pan. Spoon a few tablespoons of batter into the pan. Once it has cooked for a minute or so, flip the pancake. The other side will need …

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How To Make Cake Pops

Make cake pops for your next party, or just to enjoy a delicious dessert.

Have you tried to make cake pops before? It's fun, but not easy, so try to buy a baking kit that has all the ingredients you'll need and set aside about an hour to make these tasty treats.  A cake pops baking kit typically includes: If you don't want to buy the kit, just pick up those five ingredients along with: 1. First make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you have a regular cake mix, follow the directions on the box. If you have a baking kit, heat three tablespoons of butter and let cool. Mix the cake mix from the kit with the butter, a quarter of a cup of water and one egg. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and cook for 25 minutes, or until tooth-pick inserted to the center comes out clean. After the cake is …

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How To Make Unique Party Snacks

Delight party guests with these delicious snacks.

Going to a Superbowl party next weekend? Hosting a birthday party or game night and want to serve unique and delicious snacks? Here are some ideas: 1. Party cupcake. Buy colorful cupcake cups and something decorative for a topping to add flair to ordinary cupcakes. Use candy to cover the frosting, or put stickers on top of toothpicks to add something extra. 2. More than salsa. Instead of just chips and dip, bring a three-cheese and salsa dip to your next party. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a deep dish until the bottom is completely covered. Cover the cream cheese with a layer of salsa and then a layer of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted, and serve immediately with nacho chips…

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How To Keep Your Pets Safe This Winter

Five tips to keep your pet safe during the cold winter months.

Winter is here, and it seems like it's getting colder every day. Here are five tips to keep your pet safe throughout the next few months: 1. Temperatures drop quickly. Winter temperatures can decrease hourly. Even if it feels warm enough to let your pet outside, it may not be. If you do let your dog out or take him for a walk, make sure it is in short intervals. If you have a shorthaired dog such as a Chihuahua, be sure to put him in protective clothing. Cats should be kept indoors at all times. 2. Small spaces. Animals find small, warm spots for shelter when it is cold. Hit your hood a few times before starting you car to ensure cats or other small animals are not still sleeping in your car wheel wells or under your hood. 3. Antifreeze …

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Francine (DiChiara) Coughlin

1:30 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012

Salt/sand can dry out and irritate your pet's paws! It's important to clean them off gently with warm water after a walk on treated roads and sidewalks. ~Francine www.bark-n-roll.com   more ›

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How To Improve Your Living Room

Five ways to recreate your living room.

Do you spend a lot of time in your living room? Are you sick of the design, furniture, wall art? Here are some ideas to spruce up the room: 1. Wall art. Switch out your wall art. You don't have to throw anything away, just store it in your basement or garage. You may find that when you take it out later, it seems new! Pick up some new wall art or use framed photos or one of your favorite landscape prints to decorate your walls.  2. Area rugs. Whether you have wall-to-wall carpet or hardwood floors, area rugs will change the look of your room. Pick up some area rugs at Carpet Crafts or Walmart and add some spice to your living room. If you don't want to buy area rugs, have your rugs cleaned. They will look and feel new. 3. Lighting. Buy new…

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How To Make A Sugar Cookie Christmas Tree

Make your own Christmas tree out of sugar cookies.

Going to a holiday party this year and tired of bringing the same desserts? Instead of cake or pie, bring your own sugar cookie Christmas tree. What you'll need: 1. Preheat your oven according to the directions on the sugar cookie dough package. 2. Use the star shaped cookie cutters to cut out different sized sugar cookies. You should have three large stars, three medium stars and three small stars for each tree you plan to make. 3. Bake the star shaped cookies and let them cool. 4. Once the cookies are cool, place one large star on a plate. 5. Put a small amount of frosting on the top of the star in the center. Place another large star on top, so the points of the star do not line up.  6. Repeat step number five with the last large star, …

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How To Stay Fit Throughout the Holidays

Five ways to keep off those extra holiday pounds.

The holiday season is here. That means holiday parties, holiday snacks and baked goods! Here are five ways to stay fit this holiday season, even if you don't have a lot of time.  1. Oatmeal. Pledge to eat oatmeal for breakfast for the entire holiday season. Oatmeal for breakfast will help you feel fuller for longer, and prevent mid-morning snacking. It's also high in fiber and protein. Mix in some fruit if it's too bland for you. If you don't think you can stand oatmeal everyday, give yourself a break on the weekend.  2. TV crunches. When you are watching your favorite Christmas movie or special this year, do some crunches during the commercials. It will only take a few minutes, and who doesn't have time to spare while commercials are on? …

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How To Make Your Own Christmas Wreath

Want a unique and inexpensive Christmas wreath? Have fun making your own!

Have you decorated for the holiday season yet? Tired of buying expensive wreaths that need to be replaced every year? Here are some instructions to make your own wreath for less than $15 dollars in under 15 minutes. Buy the supplies at Walmart and the Dollar Tree. What you’ll need: The cost for materials at the Dollar Store should be $4.25 and $8.75 at Walmart making the total cost for this project $13. Did you make your own wreath this year? Add your photo to this article!

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