Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year to you and your family.  If you are making a resolution this year, you might find it difficult to keep as the year progresses.  Here are some great tips to keep you on the straight and narrow path all year long:

1. Create a Plan
Setting a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, (as the word "resolution" implies), it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. A good plan will tell you A) What to do next and B) What are all of the steps required to complete the goal.

2. Create Your Plan IMMEDIATELY
If you're like most people, then you'll have a limited window of opportunity during the first few days of January to harness your motivation. After that, most people forget their resolutions completely.

3. Write Down Your Resolution and Plan
… commit your resolution and plan to writing someplace, such as a notebook or journal.

4. Think "Year Round," Not Just New Year's
Nothing big gets accomplished in one day. Resolutions are set in one day, but accomplished with a hundred tiny steps that happen throughout the year. New Year's resolutions should be nothing more than a starting point. You must develop a ritual or habit for revisiting your plan.

Check out the full article with even more tips here: http://www.mygoals.com/about/NewYearsTips.html

Christmas Lights Are Not Just for the Holidays

Do you decorate your apartment with Christmas lights?  If not, now might be the time to buy some.  Lights can be a surprisingly versatile way to add some decorative charm to your home all year round!

• Tube lighting in your bathroom will certainly keep the festive cheer going throughout your house (and it has an artistic vibe that can hang around once the holidays are done).
• Pinning a white sheet on the ceiling where white Christmas lights are hiding behind will give the room an ethereal glow.
• Try placing an entire string of lights into a loosely woven basket and placing it up high on a shelf. You'll get tiny specks of light peeking through which will make the basket glitter.
• This is a great way to cover up the lighting eyesore (in this case, a chandelier). Try putting the strand on a dimmer to regulate the output of light.
• Try tacking a strand of Christmas lights or tube lighting underneath kitchen cabinets or on the underside of your bed frame for a nice ambient light source.

Read the whole list of ideas from Apartment Therapy here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/inspiration/inspiration-alternative-uses-for-christmas-lights--070811

Fire Safety During the Holidays

 

We want to make sure everyone has a safe holiday!  Here are a few things you can do to help keep yourself, your family and you home safe this holiday season:

Caring for your freshly cut tree

• Select the freshest looking tree available. Very few needles should fall from the tree when you either shake or bounce the tree on its stump or gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you.

• Water the tree daily, keeping the stand full of water at all times. Make a fresh cut off the bottom of the trunk approximately ½” from the bottom just before putting it in the stand. The stand should hold at least one quart of water for every inch diameter of the trunk.

Protect your tree from fire hazards

• Place the tree well away from heat sources including space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, televisions and computers. These items will speed up moisture loss of the tree.

• Always use lights designed for indoor use. Larger tree lights should also have some type of reflector rather than a bare bulb and all lights should be UL listed.

• Make sure any artificial trees are labeled as fire-retardant. Never use electric lights on a metal tree.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string of lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulb connections should not be used.

• Always unplug tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree.

• Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house or garage or placed against the house.

Read the whole article here: http://sandyspringsga.org/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2009/Improperly-Cared-for-Christmas-Trees-Can-Lead--(1)

Holiday Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange at Dawson Forest!

 

Join your neighbors at Dawson Forest  for our holiday party December 16th from 6pm to 8:30.  We are going to have a “White Elephant Gift Exchange.”  What is that, you say?  It’s simple!

Bring a funny, pre-owned gift to exchange (make sure it’s wrapped and don’t put who it is from). We will draw numbers and each person will receive a gift, if you like someone else’s gift you can steal their gift or pick from the gift pile. We will be bringing flyers around to our residents, appetizers, drinks and other goodies too!

If you are attending, please R.S.V.P. to jill@dawsonforestapts.com  Hope to see you there!

Holiday Decoration Ideas

Excited to start decorating for the holidays but keen on saving space?  Here are some tips that might help you out:

1) Put lights around your windows. Lights around your windows you will take up very minimal space, and it's also a nice way for others to see your decorations, since living in an apartment almost guarantees that you don't have a front yard to decorate.

2) Place small decorations directly on your windows. These could be peel-and-stick snowflake decals or ornaments hung from window sucker hooks. This will keep the decorations out of your way for the most part and make them visible to those outside of your apartment, as well.

3) Choose a small or tabletop Christmas tree. Don't let living in a small apartment stop you from getting a Christmas tree, just use a smaller tree, maybe even a potted rosemary "tree," and decorate it with fewer lights and ornaments so as not to overwhelm the tree.

4) Hang mistletoe in the doorways. This is another way to utilize the empty spaces in your apartment, such as windows, doors and doorways. Besides, a smaller apartment just means more opportunities for two people to be under the mistletoe at the same time.

5) Light Christmas-themed candles. Simply replace any candles you already have with candles in holiday colors and/or scents. They will give your apartment a festive smell and feel. You can even create the ambiance of a fireplace by grouping several candles together on your coffee table.

 

Check out the whole article for more ideas here:  How to Decorate a Small Apartment at Christmas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2127323_decorate-small-apartment-christmas.html#ixzz1fOO66QvH

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you and your family and friends are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  If you are looking for a way to make your Thanksgiving Day run like clockwork, here are a few ideas: 

 

So you've just agreed to host a major holiday dinner! Now let's sit down and think about some of the Big Questions.

1) How many people will attend?
This is the big one. If you've got more attendees than tables, chairs, plates, silverware, etc then you'll have to devise work-arounds. Tables/chairs can be rented, borrowed from friends and neighbors, or improvised from milk crates and pieces of plywood or spare doors. If you're short plates and silverware you can decide to use disposable or ask guests to bring their own, picnic style. Make your own cloth napkins to be extra-cool.

2) Who's making/bringing food?
Identify what you'd like to make, and what (if anything) you'd like your guests to bring. Make sure your guests are on the same page with this.

3) Buffet or table service?
If you've got more than one table a buffet is pretty much required. It also reduces the need for small, passable bowls which would otherwise require refills. You can put the whole dish on the buffet and be done with it.

4) Storage space
How much space do you have in your refrigerator and freezer? This determines what you can make ahead. If you live in a cold area an enclosed porch or deck can supplement your fridge/freezer space; if it's too warm out you can use an ice-filled cooler to bulk up your refrigerated space.
How many ovens/racks do you have? You'll need to block out time accordingly, and choose oven vs. stovetop preparations as necessary.

5) Time
What time do you plan to serve dinner? This one is under your control; pick a time that will allow you to wake up at a normal time and still be able to run everything through the oven with time to spare. Schedule this one for your convenience.

For the full article click here:  http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Organize-and-Cook-Holiday-Dinner-for-a-Crow/ 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving Tips

 

Can you believe Thanksgiving is in less than a week.  If you are playing host or hostess this year, here are a few holiday hosting tips for you courtesy of freshome.com:

 

1.) Accept help from others: While this seems like a simple concept, the misconception that the host/hostess has to do everything is not true. If you are hosting the big meal at your home, ask for help in an area that you feel weak in. If you are good at cooking, but not planning the details of the meal, ask for help from a neighbor or friend.

2.) Search now for deals: To save money and avoid the rush, start looking for holiday sales on holiday foods. Most stores will have displays already up and if you buy a few key ingredients each time you visit the store, you run less risk of the store running out of key ingredients, like cranberries!

3.) Plan your holiday table: The night before Thanksgiving is too late to plan what your table will look like. If you prefer a formal table, assure table linen, napkins, and dinnerware is clean and polished. For a casual table, assure you have the appropriate number of settings for everyone.

4.) Invite guests early: Start making your guest lists now and inviting them. This will help you plan a menu and will give time for your guests to check their calendars. Often time’s people wait until the last minute for Thanksgiving invites, and then are disappointed when guests have made prior plans.

5.) Ask guests to bring a dish: If the thought of preparing the Thanksgiving meal is a little menacing, why not ask your guests to bring a dish? Plan how many people you will have and ask each member to bring a certain item. Keep a running list so you don’t have 20 turkeys and no side dishes!

Check out the full list of tips here:  http://freshome.com/2010/11/15/10-easy-thanksgiving-tips-for-entertaining/

Happy Holidays!

Happy Veterans Day!

 

Happy Veterans Day to you and to any of your friends and families that have served.  Why not take today to learn a little bit more about the history of this holiday:

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.

…

In the United States, an official wreath-laying ceremony is held each Veterans Day at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, while parades and other celebrations are held in states around the country. Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day--a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans--living or dead--but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

Learn more here: http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-veterans-day

The Mountain Music & Medicine Show!

Take in some truly original local theater this weekend:

Originating in Dahlonega, Georgia, the Mountain Music & Medicine Show has won three GABBY awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters for the best locally produced radio program in the State of Georgia. Amazing, especially considering that the MMMS is an al-volunteer effort! The setting is Dahlonega from the Gold Rush days to the early 1800's to the modern times of the early 1950's. The Mountain Music & Medicine show is presented in an live, old-time radio broadcast; sort of like going back in time without leaving your living room!

The show starts this Saturday at 8pm and tickets are only $15! Learn more here: http://www.hollytheater.com/live_on_stage.html

Last Minute Costume Ideas

 

What are going to be for Halloween?  Don’t know?  Here are some last minute costume ideas to help you out:

• * Carry a quarter and a hammer. What are you? A Quarter-pounder.
• * Dress in pink and carry a feather. What are you? Tickled pink.
• * Dress all in black, tie a shot glass around your neck. What are you? A shot in the dark!
• * Wear all black and put a postage stamp (enlarged if possible) on your chest. What are you? Black mail.
• * Wrap yourself in wrapping paper with a tag: "From: God, To: Women". What are you? God's gift to women.
• * Draw the letter C seven times on face and arms (use safe ink!). What is it? The Seven Seas.
• * Get a small weight (e.g. dumbbell) and stare at it intently. What are you? Watching your weight.
• * Quarter (or preferably enlarged photocopy of one) taped to your back. What are you? A quarter-back.
• * Black clothes and white face paint? A mime (you can even skip the paint if it is not available).
• * Wrap yourself in some (or all) aluminum foil. What are you? A baked potato!
• * Put a piece of Styrofoam beneath an old t-shirt. Stab a fork through it (careful!!!!). You are 'done'.
• * Wear all white. Attach (or paint) yellow circle to your stomach. You are an egg. Add horns and a pitchfork and you are a deviled egg.
• * Bridal gown and sneakers? What are you? Runaway bride.
• * Paint one finger gold. What are you? Gold finger.
• * Dress normally. Pin some socks, dryer sheets, hand towels to your shirt. Static cling.
• * Catcher's glove, loaf of rye bread. Attach the bread to you, wear the glove. Catcher in the rye.
• * Wear a t-shirt with a large ? (question mark) on it. Tape popcorn to it. What are you? A pop quiz.
• * Get some cat and dog stuffed animals. Use double sided tape or string to attach to an umbrella. Its raining cats and dogs.
• * Wear normal clothes. Attach a dollar to each ear. What are you? A Bucaneer. (Buck-an-ear).
• * Dress in a nice suit. Attach legal documents to yourself. What are you? A law suit.
• * An empty box of cereal. A toy knife. Instant "Cereal Killer."

Still stuck for a costume?  Read more bright ideas here: http://www.halloween.com/halloween-costume-quick-ideas.php

Pumpkins!

 

What are your pumpkin carving secrets?  What are your favorite designs?  Share your pumpkin creations with us!  And here is some Halloween history to get you in the mood:

Without a doubt the most recognizable symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin carved into a jack-o-lantern. To understand the origins of how pumpkin carving began and what it really means we must first take a look at the holiday itself. How long has Halloween been around? Have there always been pumpkins carved? Here are some answers!

It was the end of the Celtic year, starting at sundown on October 31st and going through to sundown November 1st. It was a night to honor loved ones that had passed on since the veil between their realm and ours is at it's thinnest on that night…

On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.

When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in American they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on big in this country until the late 1800's and has been celebrated in so many ways ever since!

Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and were completely unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus. In 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported from the St. Lawrence region that he had found "gros melons", which was translated into English as "ponpions," or pumpkins.  In fact, pumpkins have been grown in America for over 5,000 years. Native Americans called pumpkins "isquotersquash."

 

Check out the whole story here:  http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_carving_history.html

Columbus Day is Monday!

 

Columbus Day is this Monday.  While everyone know Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, there are a lot of misconceptions about him  Here are some facts any myths about the man:

• Many historians believe Columbus was born in the Italian port city of Genoa -- but others think he was born on the island of Corsica -- as was Napoleon!
• Columbus was a fervent Catholic who believed God had chosen him for a great destiny -- but his folks may have been "conversos" -- converted Spanish Jews!
• Columbus wrote in Spanish -- not Italian! -- his entire life!
• Other experts believe Columbus's family tree included Vikings -- which goes a long way to explaining the gutsy explorer's skill with a mast!
• At age 14, while many American kids are thrilling to Treasure Island, Columbus was a real-life pirate! -- yo-ho-hoing to Greece and Iceland!
• Columbus never wanted to prove the Earth was round! -- because everyone already knew it!  His goal was to find an overseas trade route to India and China -- because Arab bandits made land travel risky!
• In 1484, Columbus gave Portugal -- not Spain! -- first crack at his plan to sail West to China -- but Portugal's King John II rejected Columbus's plans as too vague!
• King John was right!  Portugal's own Vasco da Gama discovered an easier sea route to India -- by sailing around Africa -- six years after Columbus found the New World!
• Contrary to popular myth, Spain's svelte but thrifty Queen Isabella never sold her jewelry to pay for Columbus's voyage!  She and hubby Ferdinand financed the trip partly through investors -- Italian investors!

 

Read more fun facts here.

Kangaroo Conservation in Our Own Backyard

If you haven’t heard The Kangaroo Conservation Center will be closing their doors to visitors indefinitely as they turn their attention to saving this precious species.  Read their press release here:

We continue to work "behind the scenes" with other zoological organizations worldwide in the crucial work of providing kangaroos and other species for exhibition and conservation programs. Like many wildlife species, kangaroos are in a precarious situation in their native Australia; Some rare species continue to decrease in number, while other populations are vastly exploited by humans as if they were part of a never ending quantity. No population is guaranteed a future. History has taught us that natural and man-made disasters can and do strike anywhere in the world; Man's destructive actions, such as engaging in war and poaching of critically endangered species, continue. Tornadoes and floods can destroy animals' native habitats in minutes. Establishing populations of as many species as possible in captive collections or naturalized areas, in different areas of the world, will help to increase the chances of survival for those species. Therefore, we have sent some of our kangaroos to other facilities around the world. While we miss every animal that leaves our Center, we hope that each animal will become an important contributing member of another kangaroo population. Our priority here at our Center is, and has always been, to provide the best animal husbandry that we can. Opening our doors to the public would require us to use precious time and labor taken away from animal care. It would vastly increase our expenses at a time when we, like many businesses, have to make tough choices. We understand that many potential visitors will be disappointed and we are sorry for that. We also believe that our many supporters and visitors over the years will understand and continue to appreciate our efforts. Thank you.

To learn more about the conservation efforts going on locally, click here. 

Happy Fall “Egg”-uinox

 

Today is the first official day of Fall!  Have you heard about the myth that on the fall and spring equinox, you can balance an egg on its end? The Chinese are thought to have originated this practice, and modern superstition because of a more “equalized” gravitational pull on this day. 

It turns out this is not true according to snopes.com, the internet rumor buster.  You can balance and egg on any day if you are skilled enough!  Why not put your skills to the test today!

Check out some real-time myth busting here: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-busting-the-egguinox-myth.html

Happy Autumn, everyone!

Get Your Apartment Home Decked Out for Fall!

Looking for a way to decorate your home for Autumn on a budget?  Take a look at these great decorating ideas!

Autumn provides a bounty of decorating ideas. No need to decorate

for fall with cheap, plastic, fake items when the real thing is

inexpensive, more tasteful, and easily creates a beautiful fall

ambiance in your home. Here are 13 ideas that you can easily do.

 

1. Use a taller pumpkin as a vase for fresh flowers. Clean out

the guts and seeds and use the pumpkin to arrange your flowers.

Taller ones work well, but so will squatty pumpkins if you cut

your flower stems short.

 

2. Make topiary out of a foam form (conical shapes always work

well) and hot glue a variety of large seeds  acorns, walnuts,

pinecones  to the form. Completely cover the foam. Easy and

makes a wonderful piece for any table or countertop.

 

3. Pick brightly colored fallen leaves. Rub a good moisturizer

onto the front and back of the leaves and let dry. This helps the

leaves keep their color and avoid curling. Once dry, scatter the

leaves on a table, around a centerpiece, or on a fireplace

mantle.

 

4. Fill a tall vase or extra-large brandy snifter with a variety

of colorful miniature pumpkins and gourds.

 

Check out the full list of tips here courtesy of TheBudgetDecorator.com!

Welcome to Our New Social Media Sites!

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Thanks for checking out our profiles.  We are excited to be able to stay in touch with everyone so easily in the future!

Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum

Have you checked out the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum?  Immerse yourself in the history of on and off-road racing right in our own back yard!

Fasten your seatbelt! Imagine how it felt to be a moon tripper, outrunning the sheriff while speeding along a snaking white line in the moonlit hills of north Georgia. At the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum, visitors can become prohibition outlaws without going to jail!

The museum, recognized by the Georgia state legislature as the official home of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame—in addition to housing Dawsonville’s City Hall—features an entertaining multi-media presentation of the history of stock car racing in Dawson County Georgia.

After the historic town of Dawsonville purchased the foreclosed museum building from a tourist attraction, formerly known as Thunder Road, they reopened the museum and building in 2007, and they are now utilizing the back offices for administrative purposes.

But, before visitors even enter the large glass front of the spacious 40,000 square foot museum with its giant checked flag veranda, there is plenty to see outside where there is an array of vintage racing cars, and the Garden of Bricks and Winner’s Circle—both bearing plaques with the names of contributors to the museum’s creation.

Inside the museum, visitors will discover memorials to NASCAR racing greats, and several exhibits featuring the history and the machines of the prohibition moonshine runners that became racers and mechanics, and then NASCAR’s first drivers and team owners.

Additional attractions include the museum’s interactive games, racing simulators, Georgia racing artifacts, license plates, and street signs. There are also many old newspaper clips, video presentations, and numerous famous racecars that belonged to the prominent members of Georgia’s racing heritage who ran the blockades to deliver their illegal cargo from Dawson County south to Atlanta and north to Knoxville. There is even an old trailer-bound moonshine still.

 

Speed into the past.  Check out more information  and complete list of exhibits here or purchase tickets here!