Holiday Craft Ideas!

Do you want to decorate your apartment for the holidays?  Everyone wants to be festive, but you do not want to spend a lot of money if you are leaving for the holidays.  Here are some great inexpensive tips on how to make your apartment a holiday wonderland.

• Personalize and hang stockings for your family. – this can be a fun project and very inexpensive. Purchase plain stockings and paint, glitter, felt, etc. and create your own designs for your stockings.
• Remember in Elementary School when you used to make paper snow flakes in art class.  Flashback to those times and make your apartment a winter wonderland with this easy art trick.
• Hang ornaments from the stairs and or ceiling.  Just make sure you do not damage the walls or ceiling while doing this.
• Use some ribbon and ties to put around chairs and lamps.  This adds some festive spirit to even the smallest furniture.
• Make a giant present out of your door by using some wrapping paper and a bow.  It instantly looks festive and adds so much holiday spirit to your apartment.
• Use holiday cards that you receive to decorate the walls in your apartment.
• Play Christmas music on your ipod or on Pandora!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

Be Safe Traveling This Holiday

You just have to make it through this week of classes, and then you get to go home for Thanksgiving.  No matter how long your drive is, you need to make sure you are prepared for holiday travel.  Keep reading to find out how to prepare for your road trip.

Planning to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday to visit with family and friend? You won’t be alone. The AAA forecasts 42.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, marking a 4-percent increase over last year. Before you embark, consider these tips to help prepare you and your car for whatever challenges might be faced on the road.

1. Fuel up. Don’t head out on a long trip without a full tank of gas. In addition to topping off the tank, also check fluids and tire pressures before you leave.

2. Be prepared. Bring supplies in the event of an accident or medical issue. Stock your car with an emergency kit—especially a flashlight, blanket, first-aid kit, and some basic tools. Also, bring water and extra snacks, just in case.

3. Pack smart. Check your vehicle’s load capacity to make sure you aren’t putting too much weight in the car. On most new cars, the total weight you can carry is printed on a placard (sticker) inside the driver’s door jamb. This load rating includes all the passengers and cargo. Also, make sure your gear is packed properly and will not be a hazard if you stop short.

4. Track it. A portable GPS navigation system will help you get where you’re going, making it easy to find gas stations or restaurants along the way. Traffic-enabled devices can warn of roadway congestion, and all units can assist in finding an alternate route. Also, a navigator can help direct emergency services to your location, should something happen. (See "Video: Don't let a GPS navigator steer you wrong.")

5. Kid prep. If you’re driving with kids, make sure you pack enough snacks, water, games, videos/DVDs, and music to keep them occupied during your journey. (See our "10 tips for a stress-free road trip with kids" for more advice.)

6. Traveling with pets. Be sure to secure your pets, either with harnesses and seat belts or by placing them in a crate. Animals can be a dangerous distraction when driving and physical threat in an accident, should they travel about the cabin or escape onto a busy motorway. Bring water, food, toys, leash, and clean-up supplies—you never know.

7. Be patient. During busy travel times, expect to hit traffic. It may make sense to drive late at night or early in the morning to avoid the rush and ensure you get to your destination on time and with minimal stress. A GPS device with traffic information and an exit guide can help you navigate around congestion and help find desired pit stop locations.

8. Don’t be distracted. Cell phones and driving don’t mix, so if you need to send a message or make a call, hand your phone to a passenger or pull over. It’s not worth risking your life or others on the road.

9. Buckle up. Always use your seat belt, make sure children are properly secured in a car seat and are seated in the rear seats if they are under 13.

10. Watch for weather. If you’re driving in wintry weather, make sure you clear off the snow and ice for better visibility, allow for longer braking distances, and reduce your speed. (Check out our winter driving guide if you are headed to a snowy location.)

11. Keep control. There could be a variety of scenarios on the road, but if you stay calm and be prepared you can get through any challenge. Check out our story “Surviving the worst-case scenarios” for more on driving in fog, snow, or if you car has brake failure, overheats, or your tire blows out.

For more information see Consumer Reports.

Relax After a Stressful Week

Now that the Election is over, it is time for everyone to relax.  Here is a great delicious recipe for an apple tart that everyone should try.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:

• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
• 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. 

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. 

Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature. 

For more information see Food Network.
ULofts

It is Time to Change Your Clocks

Do not show up an hour early for class on Monday.  This Saturday night to Sunday make sure to set your clocks back an hour for fall back time.  Enjoy your extra hour of sleep this weekend.

It's time once again for the annual ritual of resetting our clocks for a return to standard time. In fall, we turn daylight saving* time off, which means moving clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, November 4, 2012. This return to "normal" time (Pacific Standard Time) moves sunset back an hour with the corresponding effect of an earlier sunrise.

Unless you plan on being awake and functional at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, set your clocks back one hour before retiring on Saturday night. You'll then be on time for Sunday activities and refreshed from getting an extra hour of sleep. 

For more information see About.com
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