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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1991)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon December 13, 1991 PAGE 7 Lower heating costs by using electric bedding at night Electric bedding provides uniform heating comfort regardless of tem perature changes in room. It helps prou save energy because you heat lOnly your bed rather than the entire joom. Lowering your heating system's thermostat 10 degrees for eight hours each night will save on lour heating bill. f An electric blanket will allow you Jo turn down the thermostat to 60 Agrees F or as low as 45 degrees F. People with concerns about exposure Jo electricity may want to use electric bedding to warm the bed, then turn off the electricity, points out Ardis Xoester, Oregon State University textiles and clothing specialist. t. Think about the features you really want and don't pay for extras you won't use. If you're thinking about buying an electric blanket or mattress pad, Kocstcr suggests keeping these tips in mind. Look for the UL Seal (Undcr , writers' Laboratories). The seal as sures proper wiring and maximum jSafcty. Read the warranty carefully. Warranties are usually for two to five years. What kind of control docs the bedding have? Dual controls provide separate settings for each side of the bed. A separate onoff switch allows you to turn the blanket on and off without disturbing the heat setting. Mechanical controls usually have up to nine sellings. Solid state control may have as many as 27 settings. Solid slate controls are more expen sive, butproduce an even temperature Make your childs Children face mixed emotions switching homes between divorced parents. They may feel both excite ment and anxiety about visiting the other parent. The parent being visited also may experience mixed emotions. Jan Hare, Oregon State University Extension family life specialist, sug gests some ways to make the visit more pleasant. Provide some unscheduled time after your child's arrival. Rather than ask children to jump into a flurry of activities, let them relax, help fix a meal, or wash the car. Provide them with an assortment of postcards and stamps. School-age children and teens generally are very attached to their friends. Postcards and occasional phone calls can help them keep in touch, v Establish some basic rules at the beginning and outline the expected schedule. Accommodate the child's regular schedule and routine as much as possible, but help your child un derstand that rules and routines will differ somewhat. Focus on your relationship with Know which toys Of all the gifts children will re ceive this Christmas, bicycles, tri cycles, and skateboards will account for the most accidents. According the Consumer Product Safety Com mission (CPSQ, these vehicles will cause more than 400,000 childhood injuries. And more than 100,000 children are treated each year for injuries caused by other toys. Choking on small toys, such as marbles, kit pieces, and crayons causes the most toy-related deaths in Give a gift from your heart this Christmas Even if you are retired and on a fixed income, you can give meaning ful gifts to your children and grand children. Get out those boxes of family photos and make a family album. Look around the house for items that would be treasured by younger family members, perhaps silver, crystal, or jewelry. You get the plea sure of seeing these items used and enjoyed, you cut down the number of things you have to store or dust, and it is a gift from your heart, not from your checkbook. The gift of time is perhaps the Determine the moisture content of your Christmas tree Fresh Christmas trees are safe in door decorations says Ray McNeilan, Oregon State University (OSU) Ex tension home gardening agent A freshly cut tree is best because it keeps its color longer and is less of a fire hazard in the home. . "Buy a tree with a high moisture content if possible," says McNeilan. "Try these methods to determine the moisture content of a tree." -Break a small branch between your fingers; if the branch breaks easily, the tree or that part of the tree is to dry. A dry tree is a high fire risk in the home. Tapping the tree trunk on the ground can indicate the tree's vital ity. If an abundance of needles drop from the tree, a good part of the tree may be dangerously dry. Needles that bend and cannot be easily pulled from the tree's branches are a good indication that the tree is fresh. After bringing the tree home, im mediately saw two inches of trunk from the base of the tree, McNeilan says. This exposes fresh tissue that will readily absorb water. If the tree is to be stored for some time before being moved indoors. and don't click on and off, which may be important if you're a light sleeper. If you're sensitive to tem peratures, these controls may be a good choice. Be sure controls are easy to read in the dark and are large enough to see without your glasses. Check all tags and labels for information on flamc-rctardant fin ishes. Blanket costs vary with fiber content, weight and types of trim. Polyester and nylon are the most durable fibers. Acrylics added to blends help blankets retain shape, wrinkle resistance, and a fluffy feel. Check the size of the blanket. Drycleaning may Electric blankets and mattress pads should be laundered, not dryclcancd. Dryclcaning solvent may damage the wiring insulation. Most electric blanket use and care in structions explain appropriate care methods, points out Ardis Kocstcr, Oregon State University Extension textiles and clothing specialist. Blankets can be laundered in the washing machine with a gentle cycle using an 8 to 10 minutes warm soak wash cycle, cold rinse, and minimum Caution children and elderly Neither children nor the elderly should use electric bedding. Both groups tend to be less able to sense temperature changes and individuals visit pleasant yotir child rather than ask about your ex-spouse's activities. Make a com mitment to enjoy your time together and learn more about each other. Make a holiday We look forward to holiday ac tivities such as special dinners with family and friends, travel, parties, and exchanging gifts. To enjoy the holidays, with a minimum of finan cial stress, make a spending plan. Start by making a list of estimated holiday expenses-estimated costs of travel, special foods, parties, chari table gifts, greeting cards, postage, phone calls, and gifts. Make a list of people for whom you usually buy gifts, gift ideas for this year, and the approximate costs. Estimate the amount of money you can spend on the holidays. How much is available from November and December incomes? How much, if any, are you willing to withdraw from savings? How much, if any, can you put on credit cards or charge are safe gifts for your children before infants. Balloons can be particularly dangerous: Children can easily choke on uninfiated balloons or pieces of those that have been popped. Here are a few safety tips recom mended by the CPSC: If you give your child a bicycle, tricycle, or skateboard, be sure the vehicle fits the child's age and matu rity level. Also buy approved safety devices, such as helmets and arm and knee pads. Explain the safety rules and enforce them. most precious gift for an older loved one. Place under the tree a handmade card offering: An IOU for running errands. A gift certificate for Sunday breakfast at your home. An offer for plant sitting or pet sitting during vacation. Fast-foods contain too many calories Most fast-food hamburgers that are loaded with toppings contain too many calories for one meal. Why? Because the beef, cheese and sauce are high in fat. A gram of fathas more stand the tree trunk in a container filled with water. If the tree will be displayed immediately, set the trunk in a tree-stand designed to hold wa ter. After putting the tree indoors, fill the stand with water and keep it filled for as long as the tree remains in the home. Some tree-stands hold only a small amount of water, so be certain to fill these stands every day. McNeilan suggests the following precautions to keep the tree fresh and safe while in the home: Consider practical gifts for gardners Holiday shopping for a home gar dener? If so, you're in luck. There are lots of gardening things on the mar ket that would make ideal gifts. "If you want to give a practical gift consider a garden tool or sprin kler," says Ray McNeilan, Oregon State University (OSU) Extension home gardening agent. Irrigation gift ideas include water wands, drip irrigation kits and deco rative garden faucets. In the tool de partment, consider sets that consist of interchangeable tool extensions, For example, a double bed size blan ket may be 72 inches by 84 inches, or 80 inches by 84 inches. If your mat tress is thicker than the standard, look for the larger size blanket. Some electric blankets have convertible corners that may be used flat or snapped together at the bottom comers to fit the contour of the bed for extra warmth. Do not tuck in the portion with the wire in it under the mattress. Electric blankets should not be covered with other bedding while in use so that the sensors can respond accurately to room temperature. If the blanket is left on and gets bunched cause damage to electric blanket wiring agitation. Regular laundering deter gents may be used. Dissolve pow dered non-phosphate detergents in hot water be fore adj usting to the warm water setting. Most blankets in structions include warnings not to use chlorine bleach. Blankets can be hand washed in a large tub or bathtub using similar times and water temperatures. Squeeze water out, but avoid twist ing or vigorous wringing. Dry blankets by draping them over might not wake up if controls mal function and the blanket overheats. Also, both children and older adults may suffer from bladder con trol problems. Electric bedding should not be used when there is any chance that it could get wet, and m ust not be used when it is damp, warns Ardis Kocstcr, Oregon State Uni versity Extension textiles and cloth ing specialist. spending plan accounts? If your spending estimates are greater than income estimates, think of ways to increase income or de crease expenses. Alice Mills Mor row, OSU Extension family eco nomics specialist, suggests discuss ing this as a family. Before deciding to reduce ex penses, think about the activities that are most special. Think about ways to maintain and even expand the most meaningful events and eliminate those with less meaning or those which have become a burden. As you spend for the holidays, keep track of the expenses whether they were paid for with cash, check, or credit card. If you find some ex penses are higher than your estimates, make adjustments in your plan, Mor row advises. Read recommendations, but don't buy toys not suitable for your child's age. Soft toys' eyes, noses, and other small parts should be tightly secured, so that such items cannot be pulled off and swallowed. For infants and toddlers, avoid toys with long strings or cords; be very cautious about having cords of any length in cribs. Remove crib gyms as soon as the child can get up on hands and knees. Older babies can IOU's for house cleaning, snow shovelling, or lawn cutting. One caution, do not promise more than you can cheerfully deliver. Bet ter an IOU for a once-a-month service that you both anticipate with pleasure, than a once-a-week visit that becomes a burden for both. than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate. So that Big Mac or Whopper is bad news for people who are on diets or who gain weight easily. -Locate the tree away from heat sources, such as heat registers and radiators. -Be certain to place trees away from doors. In the event of a fire, the tree could block escape from the room. -The cooler the room temperature, the longer the tree will stay fresh in the house.Consider lowering the thermostat a few degrees until after the holidays. -Consider stabilizing tall trees with guy wires to the ceiling and such as a rake, hoe, vegetable seeder, soil crumbier and cultivator, that all fit one handle. Gardening books are always popular. Hundreds can be found in gardening and book stores. Try to match the information in the book to the climate region the gift recipient lives in, says McNeilan. And don't forget garden calendars. Many kinds are available. Tree seedlings are another gift possibility. During the holidays, ev ergreen tree seedlings are sold as up or covered with clothes or heavy spreads, it can overheat, which will damage its operation. Electric blankets must be ma chine washed in warm witn a gentle cycle. Follow thecarc label to tumble or line dry. Do not dry clean electric blankets or mattress pads. Dryclcaning solvents may damage the wiring insulation. An electric blanket is an appliance and requires proper care and use to provide the expected service. Read and follow the manufacturer'! in structions to extend the blanket's usefulness. two parallel clothes lines or a dry ing rack. Electric blankets may be tumble dried to the "damp" stage (no more than 10 minutes in a home dryer), but full drying will damage the thermo stat. Complete drying over clothes lines or a shower curtain rod. Use these tips for a safe Christmas in your home The holiday season is a lime for celebrating, a time to enjoy the spirit of the season and the people who make it special. This is also a tragic time for individualsand families who are affected by accidents or fires. Here are some suggestions for a safe and enjoyable holiday. Choose a fresh cut tree. Look for a deep green color and a strong pine scent. The needles should feel firm and fresh. The butt end should be sticky with sap. Cut off about two inches of the trunk. Mount tree in a sturdy, water holding stand with widespread legs. Be sure the trccls stable. Keep the tree stand filled with water. The tree might need several quarts of water during the first few days. Place the tree in a safe location. Fireplaces, radiators, television sets, or other sources of heat should not be near your tree. Do not rely on chemical coatings or sprays to make your live tree flame-resistant. If young children, playful pets or un steady adults are in the home, it will be especially important to arrange a safe out-of-the-way location. Tree lights and other lighted decorations set the theme for the holidays and cheer up the dark win ter nights. Use them carefully to avoid Buy small energy-saving lights If you plan to buy new decorative holiday lights this year, think about buying energy-saving miniature lights. You can make tiny lights seem larger by enhancing them with foil you buy them get their necks caught in cords, or clothing can get caught in gyms or mobiles. For children younger than 8 years, don'tbuy electric toysor those with heating elements. Don't buy toys that shoot or propel objects that can injure eyes or become lodged in throats. For older children, make sure arrows or darts have protective tops securely attached to their shafts. Toy boxes should have a sup port device to hold the lid up; children have been killed by lids slamming down on their necks. If you need specific information, call the Consumer Products Safety Commission Hotline at 1-800-638-2772. Sending cookies by mail? Baking cookies for far-off friends and family is a wonderful idea, but too often that's the way the cookie crumbles. The best advice: First, go for sturdy cookies ginger snaps, for instance. Chewy bar cookies, like blondies, and chunky drop cookies, such as oatmeal-raisin, are also mail box friendly. Don't pack crisp and chewy cookies together the crisp ones will absorb moisture and be come limp. Arrange cookies in fluted paper baking cups inside airtight decora tive tins. Line the tins with gold or silver Mylar wrapping paper to lock in freshness. Use a shipping box made of corrugated cardboard, with extra room for padding (newspaper, bubble wrap orpopped corn). Before sealing, shake the box. If it rattles, add more padding. living indoor Christmas decorations that can later be transplanted out doors in the home landscape. Many of these tree seedling decorations are Douglas-fir, Alberta spruce or coast pine. You can also give outdoor land scape plants. Sasanqua camellia and either English holly or willow leaf holly can be planted outdoors in December in western Oregon. Gift packs that include bulbs and bulb planters are another possibility. 4-H volunteers The partnership of volunteers working with Oregon State Univer sity specialists and agents make Ex tension what it is. Although it's the Extension Ser vice mission to extend information from OSU to the people of Oregon, "We couldn't give all the individuals and families the information they need each year without volunteers. An estimated 310 volunteers help with County Extension programs electrical fires. Use only lights that have been tested for safety. Look for the UL Label. Electric lights should not be used on a metallic tree. Outdoor lights must be labeled for outdoor use. Fasten these lights securely to trees, walls, or other firm support to protect them from wind damage. Check each set of lights for bro ken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Do not use damaged light sets. Avoid using extension cords. If necessary, use no. more than three light sets per extension cord. Do not hide cords under rugs as they might overheat. Too many lights on Die same electric circuit will trip fuses. Avoid an overload by moving elec trical equipment rather than adding extension cords to accommodate the holiday lighting. Always turn off lights when you go to bed or leave home. A short circuit in any of the equipment could cause a fire. Put child proof caps on unused outlets or sections on an extension cord. If your preschool child is ex tremely curious about the lights, try to plug the lights into an outlet that is controlled by a wall switch. Open flames are especially haz- and tinsel for more sparkle, while using less electricity. For safety's sake, as well as to save electricity, W.S. "Gus" Baker, OSU Extension lighting specialist, reminds you always to unplug holi day lights when you go to bed or when you leave the house unattended. Other safety tips: Use only UL approved" lights. Check each string carefully for frayed wires and broken sockets. Discard any that are damaged. Use only lights approved for outdoor use in any location exposed to the weatherormoisture.even under the eaves. Try cranberry tea for the holidays Combine the following: 1 quart of waterand 1 quart of cranberries. Cook until skins burst and strain. Add 2 12 cups sugar, 34 -1 cup cinnamon red hots, 1 stick cinna mon, 4 whole cloves. Cook until red hots and sugar dissolve, remove cin namon and cloves. Add 2 cups orange juice, 3 lemons (juiced), 3 quarts of hot water. Serve hot or cold. Helpful ideas given Constantly cutting too much or too little wrapping paper? Loop string around the gift, then stretch the string out on the wrapping paper to calcu late exactly how much paper you need. Save old egg cartons for storing your small Christmas lights. Put the bulbs inside the carton and wrap the Buy your teacher a gift Teachers play a special part of your children s life. What to get them for the holidays shouldn't be too difficult Nothing very expensive, but just enough to convey your appre ciation of their difficult task. A good rule is to ask your youngster to select the gift He or she has a better knowledge of the teacher Need a last-minute gift idea? For wrapping an extra-large gift, try a Christmas tablecloth made of paper. It's easy to handle and less expensive than several sheets of wrapping paper. For a last-minute gift, keep a best-selling cookbook available and quickly add an inscription. Wrapacurrentissucofapopular magazine and add a tag saying that a subscription is on the way. Information provided by: Warm Springs OSU Extension Office 1131 Paiute Street 553-3233 make program each year, giving about 7,600 hours. At the rate of $8 an hour, the donated time is valued at more than $60,000. Although $8 may seem high, volun teers are filling more responsible roles through the increasing number of master volunteer programs. We see increased training efforts for volunteers as a trend in Extension to make the partnership more effec tive. ardous during this festive season when the house is filled with wrap- Eiing paper, ribbons, bees and trims, t is very important to keep the tree and trimmings away from heat sources. By using tinsel or artificial icicles made of non-leaded material, you can avoid harm to children or pets if eaten. Mistletoe and holly berries as well as other plants are poisonous so must be kept out of children's reach. Keep trimmings that are small,,, sharp, break easily or ha ve removable parts outofyourchild's reach. Avoid use of ornaments that resemble candy or foods since a small childmight try to eat tncm. Small children can be curious, consider alternatives to the large tree that a child mightpull over. Preschool children would enjoy a little tree that they could decorate and redecorate throughout the holiday season. Do not use electric lights or ornaments on "their" tree. Some families let the children decorate and play with or naments near the bottom of the tree. Consider ornament size and dura bility if the children or pets can reach it. Keep matches, lighters & candles out of children's reach. Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out. Know at least two escape routes. Avoid wearing loose flowing clothes, especially long, open sleeves, near open flames or candles. Never burn candles near ever greens on a mantle or table. Do not burn wrapping paper M produces carbon monoxide. Chocolate upside down cake 1 cup flour 2 Tbsp. cocoa 34 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 14 tsp. salt Mix together & add: 12 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla 2 Tbsp. melted butter 12 cup nuts (optional) Pour in an 8 x 8 baking dish. 12 cup sugar 12 cup brown sugar 12 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. cocoa Mix and spread on top of batter. Then mix 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 " cup cold water and pour over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Best if served warm with whipped cream. for holidays cord around the outside bulbs won't break and the cord won't get tangled. Another table-top treat that will make holiday meals more fun: Buy ice cube trays with compartment shaped like stars, trees, and hearts (found in houseware stores), fill with cranberry juice (or any brightly col ored beverage) and then freeze. than you do. Of course, your child may come up with some inappropriate choices, but here are some selections to help you along: -Plants. A small plant for the desk or windowsill. A small cactus or other low-maintenance selection might be right -Stationery. Who writes more notes than a teacher? Several person alized pads or cubes could be help ful. -Gift certificates. Nothing fancy. Either to a nearby restaurant where he or she can have a nice midweek lunch or to a book or record store. Kits. A small tool or sewing kits for that classroom emergency. -Organizers. They come in all shapes and sizes these days and could be just the thing to help organize their busy schedules. -Chocolates. Check first, but a soothing chocolate is always a plea sure after a long day. i