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