Prep The Walls Before Decking The Halls (NAPSA)—Between shopping, decorating, and hosting get- togethers, the holidays can be stressful. This year, jump-start your holiday plans by getting your home in tip-top shape. You'll have less stress anda home that you’ll be proud to entertain in. Touch Up Marks or scratches on your walls or wood can detract from your beautifully decorated home. However, that doesn’t mean repainting your entire room—quick touch-ups can do thetrick. Caulk around baseboards, windows and doorframes with an easyto-use latex caulk, such as Polyseamseal All-Purpose Adhesive Caulk (www.polyseamseal.com) to seal any unsightly gaps or to cre- ate a straight, clean line between the paint and trim boards. Not only does the caulking make the room look cleaner, it will help to keep drafts out. Finally, for scratches or holes on wood surfaces, try PL FI:X Touch Up Stiks (www.stickwithPL.com). Choose a matching color and then rub the crayon-like Stik into the scratch or hole. It will fill the cavity and look brand new. Tidy Up Tree Trimmings No matter how carefully holiday decorations are packed, some- thing gets broken—especially deli- cate ornaments. To be sure that your tree trimming is a joyous affair, check and repair your tree decorations aheadof time. Be prepared with products, such as Loc- tite Super Glue Control Gel (www.loctiteproducts.com) to fix any cracks, nicks and chips that may have occurred in storage. Also, be sure to have extra ornament hangers to replace any that gotlost. Y LP a Make minor household repairs before the holiday season heats up. Clean and Prepare Guest Rooms Before visitors arrive, make sure your guest room is in top shape to make them feel welcome. To start, change the linens and make sure to have extra towels available. Next, check that all light bulbs are working. When replacing bulbs, you may want to swap incandescent bulbs for more energy-efficient compactfluorescent bulbs (www.tcpi.com). Finally, make sure that you clean closet or drawer space so that your guests have a place to keep their things. Create a Polished Image Whenthe holiday parties finally arrive and your homeis in tip-top shape, be sure that you continue your polished image with your serving ware. After a year in storage, your silver platters or teakettles may be tarnished. Cleaning the unsightly tarnish is simple with easy-to-use metal cleaners, but they often have a very potent smell. So, be sure to clean yoursilver well before the guests arrive. The holidays can be a busy and stressful time, but with a bit of preparation your holiday will be a bit merrier!
