Why didn't I think of that

Keeping ribbon spools tidy

My sister was helping me move and was watching me try to tape the ends of the spools of ribbon. She asked me why I was taping the ends that way, and I explained I was trying to keep them from unraveling and tangling.

She whipped out her scissor and made a small slit in the ribbon spool. She then tucked the loose end of ribbon in the slit. It works just like the slit in a spool of sewing thread to prevent unraveling.

This works great. Now why didn't I ever think of that?

A small snip in the edge of a ribbon spool keeps the ribbon from unwinding. It works just like the notch on a spool of thread. 

May Products We Love

In the ongoing product review this month has one that I'm very impressed with.

Silver and metal polish
MAAS metal polish is one of my new best friends. This stuff is truly amazing. I polished some vintage silver spoons and they look almost brand new. The polish does its magic with little elbow grease. I've also tried it on a stainless steel sink. There's more work to polishing stainless (compared to the silver), but the results were very good. I also used it on a vintage Chuck E. Cheese token, and it looks brand new (my son says it's his "Lucky" token). You can buy it in many groceries and also online. I works on all types of metals, but silver is really its strength.

May Baskets are a Sweet Treat!

May Baskets can be simple. These baskets we made use a plastic cup with two holes paper punched for the pipe cleaner handle. We used self-adhesive foam cutouts for decorations and filled them to the brim with caramel corn and prepackaged candy. A notecard tells whom the gift is from.

Happy May Day!

Drag out the Maypole, pick a few flowers, hang a May basket on a neighbor's door--Spring is here!

May Day celebrations date back over 2000 years ago. Giving out May baskets on May 1 was a lot of fun when I was a child. The tradition seems to have mostly passed away. We try to keep the spirit alive at our house. Since the kids beg for candy from the neighbors at Halloween, why not return the sweet favor at May Day?

Over the years, we've given May baskets to our co-workers, nursing home residents, and our next door neighbors and friends. This year, we're giving baskets to teachers, and our neighbors in our apartment building. We're also distributing some on our new cul-de-sac as a way to introduce ourselves to the new neighbors.

Making your May Baskets
Making May baskets is an easy task. We usually use pretty plastic or paper cups. A paper punch makes holes through which we thread a pipe cleaner handle. We've also used plastic strawberry baskets and construction paper and doilies. Almost any simple container is fine. We've decorated them with silk or live flowers.

Filling Your May Baskets
Here are some suggestions for filling the baskets:
Caramel corn (see recipe from yesterday's post)
Mini candy bars
M&M's
Pretzels
Popcorn
Candy Kisses
Cookies
Nuts
Raisins
Fudge
Candy Corn

Delivering Your May Baskets
May baskets are supposed to be delivered anonymously. Traditionally, the giver hangs or places the basket on the front door. He or she then rings the doorbell or knocks and runs away and hides. Should the recipient see or catch the giver, they give the basket giver a kiss. If the recipient is cute, you can always linger and barely jog away (hoping they know the tradition).

Unfortunately, we live in a post 9-11 world. While we still "ring and hang" at our house, we put a custom printed card (I make the note on a business card in Print Shop) on ours baskets wishing the recipient a "Happy May Day" and letting them know the basket is from our family. That way they don't have to worry about anthrax, cyanide or some other terrorist attack on their front porches.

You're never too old to give a May basket. It's a great way to brighten someone's day, and they don't have to be elaborate or time-consuming. Revive the tradition and share a random act of kindness today!