Hot Drinks to keep You Warm This Winter

Share the wonders of winter, and Christmas cheer with your family and friends with a mug of hot beverages, infused with aromatic herbs and spices that will not only lift your spirits, and lend a heartwarming welcome to the holidays but also keep you feeling warm and toasty for hours.

Spicy Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of honey

Instructions

Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate saucepan, add in water with the cocoa mixture with the honey. Put the flame on medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture turns velvety and smooth in texture. For garnishing, place a large cinnamon stick in each mug before serving the warm beverage. This will make 1-2 servings. 

Lavender-Lemon Hot Toddy

Ingredients

Fresh juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons of lavender flower buds

1 teaspoon ginger

2 regular green tea bags OR 2 tablespoons of loose green tea

1-2 raw and crushed cloves of garlic (optional)

Instructions

This non-alcoholic variation of the hot toddy combines the calming effects of lavender, with the healing properties of honey and lemon. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then remove from heat. Let it steep for 5 minutes, strain the brew and pour into teacups or mugs.  This will make 1-2 servings.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

1 cup water

¼ cup dried peppermint

2 tablespoons honey

½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 cup unsweetened soymilk OR water

Instructions

Winters without hot chocolate are no fun, and this peppermint hot chocolate concoction is an all time favorite, which can be made for the summers as well. Boil water in a small saucepan, adding in the dried peppermint and honey. Remove the pan from heat, and let the mixture steep for 5 or more minutes. 

In another saucepan, combine cocoa, soymilk or water with the mint mixture and place over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly, until the texture turns smooth and velvety. You can also use fresh peppermint leaves in place of dried peppermint, and use chocolate chips for a chocolatier flavor.

Elderberry-Ginger Tea

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 regular teabags (either green or black)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons dried elderberries

Instruction

Why bring berry flavored green tea from the store when you can make an equally, if not more delicious one right at home. This tea infused with elderberries contains many medicinal properties to boot which makes it a perfect winter drink. In a medium sized saucepan, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. 

Remove the pan from heat, and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the warm tea into mugs or teacups and serve. 

Do try these warm and soothing winter drinks and let us how much your guests or loved ones like them.

Try These Skin Care Tips To Beat The Dry Season Away!

It’s that time of the year again, which isn’t at all easy; for our skin, hair and nails that is. The cold, and harsh weather paired with extreme levels of dryness can really affect and leave us a little worse for wear. Add indoor heating to the mix, and your skin will be left even more starved of moisture, as the protective layers crack and dry, making repair work impossible. That doesn’t mean you can’t prevent the inevitable from happening, or at least aid in the treatment by following these easy winter care tips that cover head to toe!

Our Number One Enemy, Dry Skin

To cure dry skin, add a few drops of grape seed or olive oil in your bathwater before taking a soak. The other alternative is to apply a thin layer of the same oil, onto your body after the bath or shower. 

Red and irritated skin can feel better from oatmeal infused bath, as strange as it may sound. For extremely damaged skin, opt for Vaseline instead of any other regular lotion and apply a thick layer within three minutes from stepping out of the bath.

Red Noses Are Embarrassing

The reason why our noses turn red like a tomato in winters is because when in the cold weather outside, blood circulation is stopped to the nose. The vessels dilate fast, when we come back in the warmth, which causes a rush of blood to the nose. 

There is no reason to look like Rudolph, the reindeer anymore. To brink a normal hue to your nose apply a warm water compress to it for a few minutes. If suffering from a winter cold, opt for extra soft tissues and make sure not to rub the nose for that will only irritate the skin further. Throughout the day keep applying a thin layer of ointment to keep the sensitive area moisturized.

Deal With Itchy And Dry Scalp

Once every week or specifically before taking a cool shower,massage in some vitamin E, coconut or olive oil and wash the hair with an anti dandruff shampoo. Tea tree oil is also a good substitute for replenishing the oils naturally present in the scalp. 

Brittle Nails Are Unhealthy

In winters, you may have noticed that the nails on your hands and feet are more susceptible to breaking. This is because; the dry air sponges the moisture, leaving nails delicate and brittle. Brittle nails are easy to treat; all you have to do before going to bed is apply olive oil or any lotion containing lanolin on your nails. For more effectiveness, put on gloves and socks to trap the moisture.

What To Do With Static-Y Hair

Come winter and your hair starts to resemble a haystack, that won’t stay neatly inside a hat however hard you try! The long standing tip to battle static in hair is conditioner and loads of it. 

If static is still a problem, consider purchasing brushes with natural bristles which produce less static than its plastic counterpart. Change your head gear to cotton hats.

With these winter skin tips in mind, you’ll be sure to breeze through the cold season without any problem!

 

Cyber Monday – the Aftermath

 

Cyber Monday as we all are very well aware of is the Monday that comes after the Thanksgiving holiday. The term itself was created by marketing companies in a bid to promote online shopping, and like every year, much hype and expectation was placed on the day this year too.

The deals offered on Cyber Monday are online only, by those retailers who cannot possibly compete with the giants, but have an amazing playing field in cyber world. The day as opposed to Black Friday generally offers majority of deals in fashion retail.

The Day After Cyber Monday For Online Shoppers

This year, Cyber Monday proved to be a game changer, and attracted shoppers far more than was expected particularly after a weekend prior that saw very few people shopping in stores. One of the reasons for this might be because shoppers have had more chances to get deals throughout the week, making this a weeklong online shopping fiesta. 

The holiday season is not yet over, and it has been predictedwhat with promotions and deals spread out across the whole of December that shoppers will continue to spend long after the initial sugar rush. To entice shoppers, Wal-Mart doubled the number of promotions for Cyber Monday, and the number will continue to grow throughout the rest of the holiday season. 

Shoppers Have The Luxury To Wait And See

The best thing about deals is yet to come! Now, shoppers can postpone their Christmas shopping, and still end up with amazing, and money saving deals and promotions online. At the rate this season has been going, people are more willing to wait out for the best deals and promotions, because they can!

This is largely due to the stellar performance of some retail stores, which came out on top of their class from Sunday, and throughout the day after cyber Monday. The retail stores listed here are the ones to look out for closely as the time for Christmas rolls around the corner.

The Top Online Stores To Put Up A Show Come Christmas

Since these stores showcased a bucket load of popular offers and sales this cyber week, there is a very good chance that they’ll want to extend them for Christmas! Fingers crossed.

Google Play: Is best for landing on the best freebie deals, for those who have over stretched and exhausted their wallets on Black Friday madness. 

Home Depot:  Ideal for the do it yourself aficionados, who don’t mind a trip to the local home depot store to collect the spoils of your endeavors. 

Ralph Lauren: Is best for the high flyers of fashion that are looking to get the best deals on high quality inner and outer wear. 

Boscov’s: Ideal for the hard savers who are looking to land on kitchen items, offers of discounted dishes to cheap cookware and other items. 

So, keep your eyes open for yet more online shopping madness!

5 Must Have Kitchen Tools

By: May Gayle Mengert, AMS

The kitchen is an essential part of every household and you have to admit, regular upgrading of this area in the house is not only fun, but practical as well. With a number of new tools and appliances coming into the market regularly, it becomes hard to decide what to get. 

       May Gayle Mengert

I have compiled a list of five must-have appliances and devices for your kitchen:

1. The Trio Peeler

What else could a peeler do except peel? This is the thought that comes to mind when one first reads this term. However, you must have noticed that your single purpose peeler may be good with peeling potatoes and apples, but is not that efficient when it comes to peeling tomatoes. 

The Trio peeler is the perfect solution for peeling all sorts of fruits and vegetables whether they are hard or soft. The third function of this special peeler is that it juliennes as well! Now wouldn’t you want to have this in your kitchen? 

2. The Rotating Potato Masher

Potatoes the that type of food that is commonly used in every house. You may be a vegetarian or not, but potatoes will still be part of the menu at home. Doesn’t it get tiring to keep pounding potatoes to get them mashed?

Of course it does, which is why the rotating potato masher is a must-have! This essential tool simply requires you to use the palm of your hand to rotate a plastic/rubber or silicone based fan like head. It not only creates a wonderful mash in less time, but it requires minimum effort!

3. The Zyliss Five Way Opener

Why have a separate can opener and a bottle cap opener? The five way opener allows you to perform five “opening” functions in one, simple device. 

• Soda Can Pop Top Pull Up

• Bottle Cap Opener

• Unsealing of Machine-tightened bottle caps

• Pull Tabs Opener

• Unseals food cans or jars

4. The Tea Swizzle

Don’t you enjoy the flavor of tea made by teabags as much as open tea? This is the solution for you! Some of the best tea leaves are homegrown and come in loose packs. 

No need to worry anymore, as the tea swizzle will let you enjoy a perfect cup of loose tea! Or even if you want to mix two different types of tea leaves, this is the best way to do it!

5. The Perfect Paring Knife

This knife is perfect for both simple cutting tasks, thanks to the easy to use handle, and difficult chopping duties. This single paring knife performs the functions of three different knives depending on your needs and requirements. Mincing, chopping, peeling, coring, shaping and trimming! You name it and this single device will do it for you! 

Adding these tools to your kitchen will not only make your daily tasks easier to perform, but these tools actually look good in your kitchen as well!

Paul Mengert, President of AMG on Living in Smaller Spaces

Downsizing Your Living Space

Moving from a large place to a small place for living can be both tiring and saddening. This kind of move makes you realize that you have to let go of a number of things that you had and used in your large house or apartment.

This is definitely not an easy task, as most of us are left in a quandary when it comes to deciding what you need in your new space. Here are few strategies you could use when it comes to downsizing your living space. 

Can You Live Without It?

Ask yourself if you can manage a life without that mountain terrain bicycle you bought while you were living in your open, large space. Now that you have moved to a small apartment in the city, do you really need that bicycle? Why not go to the gym close to your home to burn the extra calories, instead?

Go through all the items and furniture you own and ask yourself one question, how many times have you used it? Be honest with yourself. This way, you will end up with a number of things that you realize you don’t really need. 

Keeping Your New Space Clutter Free

Clutter is something that tends to accumulate with time and sometimes, tags along when you are moving to a smaller living space. Before moving, make sure you get rid of all the unnecessary clutter lying around the house. Free samples of the perfume you got at a promotion in the mall, kits from your hotels while you were travelling, unnecessary paperwork and mail, you need to get rid of all these things! 

Avoid taking freebies from fairs or promotions or make a habit of donating these things to those in need instead of taking themhome. Do not leave it for “later”!

Hybrid Furniture

Hybrid furniture is the type of furniture that serves more than one purpose. This is a sound investment when it comes to downsizing your living space. If you do not have a guest room, try buying a sofa cum bed as it will not only serve the purpose of a comfortable couch but will also attribute to an extra bed when the need arises. 

If you have enough space for a single table, get one that can double up as an office table, coffee table or meal table. Depending on the storage spaces, use multipurpose organizer drawers keys, bags, ties, etc. 

Sell The Unnecessary 

If you have a large number of items that you do not need when you move out, consider having a small yard sale. These days, instead of having a physical sale, you can easily upload the items you want on websites like eBay and Craiglist to generate a better sale. A number of people will pay a good amount of money for collectible items and antique furniture that you have to get rid of. However, make sure you have a good description and a reliable payment option once you post your advertisement online!

 

 

Protect Pets—and Common Areas—from Parasites

Dogs and cats can be great companions, but they also can carry fleas, ticks and parasites into your home and our community. Infestations can spread quickly through a community when flea-infested carpeting or pet bedding is disposed of improperly, when a flea-infested pet plays with your pet and when pet waste is left uncollected on common areas. 

Help avoid harmful pests in your home and community with the following tips, and follow up with your veterinarian to learn more about other ways to prevent and treat outbreaks.

 

· Apply a topical flea and tick pesticide. Fleas lay 40 to 50 eggs a day. Unless a pesticide kills 95 percent of the fleas, you won’t eliminate the problem. To do this, you need to use the products sold by your veterinarian. Over-the-counter products just aren’t strong or effective enough. Monthly applications will help keep pets healthy even when they’re exposed to parasites—including mosquitos and mites.

 

· Always leash your pet. Although you may trust your pets to obey commands, keeping them leashed lessens the likelihood they’ll be infected by other pets and wildlife.

 

· Keep your pet clean. Even indoor pets should be inspected for ticks and flea “dirt,” which looks like pepper at the base of the coat on the skin. An occasional bath with flea shampoo is a good idea as well. Visit your local pet store or grooming facility or check online for information on bathing routines and options that are best for your pet.

 

· Monitor your pet’s behavior. Scratching is your first indication that fleas have discovered your dog or cat. Apply a topical pesticide immediately. Fleas, ticks and mosquitos carry potentially life threatening pathogens, so pets can experience a wide range of symptoms if infected; be suspicious of changes in behavior and discuss them promptly with your veterinarian.

 

· Keep the situation contained. Once you’ve treated your pet and your home (and possibly your yard or outdoor surroundings depending on how severe the infestation), keep the pet close to home until the problem is resolved. Wash bedding and toys that may harbor eggs or larvae in hot water. Infested bedding or carpeting should be tightly sealed in plastic bags before disposing to reduce risk of spreading to others.

Paul Mengert, President

Association Management Group, Inc. (AMG)

See You Later, Summer!

It’s that time of year—you’re exchanged your swimsuit for sweaters and scarves just in time to roll up your sleeves and prepare you home for cooler weather. As we watch summer fade into the sunset, consider adding the following items to your winterization checklist, and ensure your home is in tip-top shape for the fall and winter seasons.

    Paul K. Mengert, Association Manager & Trainer    

    Association Management Group, Inc.

    Greensboro, NC

 

◾️ Update your window treatments. Summer’s venetian blinds and sheer curtain panels won’t keep the frigid air from creeping in on a cold night. Consider switching to a denser curtain fabric for the winter months to keep your home feeling cozy and keep heating bills low.

 

◾️ Schedule appliance check-ups. Your HVAC system, air ducts and hot water heater should be checked by a licensed professional to ensure all elements are in good shape for the change in weather—especially if any appliances worked overtime during summer months.

 

◾️ Don’t forget the attic. Check for leaks in the roof, possible cracks in attic windows and insufficient insulation. With the help of a licensed professional or advice from your local home improvement store staff, you can shield your attic from harsh weather. We recommend checking with the BBB (BBB.org).

 

◾️ Replace weather stripping. Doors and windows need extra help to hold heat inside your home. Inspect all door and window perimeters for cracks or tears in your current weather stripping. You also can add a second layer of protection with temporary weather stripping applied overtop your existing seals.

 

◾️ Deep clean and declutter. Thoroughly clean your home’s nooks and crannies inside and out. Ensure electrical cords, outlets and air vents are dust- and clutter-free; tidy up garages and storage areas; and clear any debris from your home’s exterior, especially around vents and drains.