2019-12-01_Good_Housekeeping

100

LIGHTS

That’s about how many you’ll

need for every foot and a half

of tree height. For a super-

bright look, double or

triple this.

Get your house looking (and smelling) homey

for the holidays with these quick tricks

FESTIVE DECOR

Smarter + Easier

Make a natural

centerpiece.

Buy a supermarket potted

plant, like mini mums or a

succulent, and place it (pot

and all) in a large bowl. Fill

the space around the pot with

whole nuts, mini pinecones,

ornaments or fresh fruit.

Hang a wreath

with no nails!

To avoid front-door damage,

pair your favorite wreath with

ribbon and a Command hook.

Place the hook upside down on

the inside of your door, then tie

the ribbon around your wreath,

lay it over the top of the door

and loop it over the hook.

Whip up a DIY

home fragrance.

Look to your spice rack or herb

garden to mask cooking smells

without irritating sensitive

1

2

noses. Simmer citrus peels

and cinnamon on the stove

or arrange fresh herbs (mint,

rosemary, lavender) in vases.

Make your

tree shine.

If your prelit tree doesn’t light

up fully, use sneaky styling tricks

to hide dark sections: Redirect

branches with working lights,

hang sparkly ornaments to

reflect the light and go extra

heavy on garland.

4

3

FROM THE EXPERTS AT THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE

USE WINE BOTTLES FOR BAKING. Can’t find your rolling

pin halfway through making cookies? In a pinch, do the job

with a wine bottle — just make sure it’s unopened, and use a

light touch as you roll the dough. Wipe it clean afterward.

Tired of taking the

same group picture

on five different

phones? Create a

digital album that

lets everyone add

their shots from

the party. You won’t

have to hold the

same pose for five

minutes, and you

might be surprised by

the moments others

capture. Our Media &

Tech Lab pros like the

easy-to-use Google

Photos app.

CREATE AN

INSTANT

FAMILY PHOTO

ALBUM

62 GH DECEMBER 2019

HOW-TO

TACKLE STAINS LIKE

A GH CLEANING PRO

Get a top-tested wine eraser.

Cleaning Lab favorite Wine Away (from $7) worked

wonders on red wine stains in our experts’ evaluations

and was easier to rinse from carpet than others.

Create a pre-spill barrier.

Spritz your dining room seat cushions with a fabric

protectant like Scotchgard ($10), and iron cloth napkins

with spray starch to help the fabric repel accidental

spills — and make them easier to remove if they happen.

Always have the essentials.

Keep a spray bottle of cold water and clean cloths

on hand to blot carpet to dissolve spots. And get an

instant stain remover like Tide to Go ($4) — a GH Seal

star! — for clothing. The faster you tackle stains,

the better your chance of removing them. S

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