Crazed Christmas
It seems like the Christmas season started before Halloween. And the craziness just continued to get crazier. This year I did my best to avoid the craziness of this season. I decided I was going to do what I wanted and not what everyone else expected me to do.
What I wanted this year was to stay in California for Christmas instead of flying back to the Midwest to be with most of my family. While I love to travel, I don't love to travel during the holidays. The weather often conspires against me and being in cold and snow just makes me cranky. So I stayed home, decorated my house with two live trees and baked like there was no tomorrow. I hosted a white elephant party for a group of friends. I collected supplies for the homeless and made some decorations for my own home.
I will miss my family but this has been one of the most peaceful holiday seasons I have had in some time. I think I will make this "doing what I want" a new holiday tradition.
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Fully Leaded Lights?
According to a recent article in Mother Jones, it appears that many of our Christmas lights may have lead in them. Not the lights themselves but the cords may be coated in lead or the flame retardant applied may contain lead. This news took a little of the joyous light right out of my Christmas.
I bought some new lights this year and carefully read the label. I did not see any Prop 65 warning on them that they may contain lead however that does not mean that they don't. The product has to have enough lead to cause cancer in a certain percentage of people. Makes me want to chuck all my lights and search for those that are labeled lead free. But for now I suggest that you don't let your pets or children play with the lights. After touching the lights be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
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Keep the Fires Burning - In the Fireplace
A recent fire in my town has driven me to talk about Christmas tree and fireplace safety. There are an average of 230 Christmas tree fires per year. Some are due to dried out trees, sparks, and electrical fires. Some fires result in the loss of life, a far sadder result than losing all the presents.
Keep your fresh tree watered so that it doesn't dry out. If it does get dry, be very careful about how long you leave the lights on, particularly if they are the older type that "heat" up. The risk of fire with LED lights may be lessened since the bulbs are supposed to stay "cool." However, any light string can short out and ignite a dry tree. Most artificial trees are likely treated with flame retardant but that may not be absolute protection against a tree fire.
While it might look beautiful to have your tree near your fireplace, it may also create a dangerous situation. Make sure that your wood burning fireplace has a screen so that sparks will be minimized. Never leave a fire unattended even for a few minutes especially if your tree and presents all wrapped up in flammable paper are nearby.
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These Cookies Take the Cake
While I have a lot of favorite recipes that I grew up with, the 7 layer magic cookie bars seems to be the favorite of all my friends and family. If you have never made these you need to try them, unless of course you or your loved ones have an allergy to any of the ingredients. The 7 layer cookie is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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May all your holidays be bright!
Marie L. Brown, LEED AP ID + C
Eco-Chic Design 
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