Archive for the 'SEASONAL & GIFTS' Category

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Start the Holidays off in Good Spirits

Published on November 9, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Although I love to entertain and sit down dinners, I also enjoy having a few informal or more casual parties.  For many of you, the thought of throwing a formal party may be cumbersome so perhaps a more casual party is your speed.  What kind of host/hostess are you?

One of the things that I highly recommend when throwing a more casual party is dividing your home into stations and using as many areas in your home as possible.  For example, since you won’t be using your dining room table for traditional seating, use it as the primary place to serve all of your savories, whether it is snacks, appetizers or main dishes.

Home Bar

If you already have a bar, turn it into a hangout spot and decorate it in the style you love. Use your bar as the primary place to serve all of your beverages and be sure that you provide everything your guests need to serve themselves.  Pull your bar stools away from your bar to allow for easy access, but don’t forget to use your barstools to create other conversation areas.  You may want to consider purchasing extra barstools if casual entertaining is more your style.

If you don’t have a built in bar, consider purchasing a home bar to establish your theme. Home bars range in style, from classic to ultra-modern. Use the home bar as a space to display your personal accessories or photos.  You can even add a simple vase with fresh flowers on the serving area to add fragrance and a pop of color. Also, don’t forget to buy matching bar stools to complete the look of your entertaining area.

If you don’t desire to have a bar in your home, a good alternative might be to buy a wine and beverage cooler that you can keep in the kitchen. You can place your new beverage cooler by the kitchen sink and make that space your beverage area.  Remember to keep plenty of towels handy.

Use a different part of your kitchen counters as a dessert station and have an espresso machine handy for your guests to make themselves various coffee drinks.  This is also a good place to have dessert liquors available for some after dinner cordials.

Having multiple stations around the house allows for you to space your spread out from food to beverages. It also gives your guest ample room to mill around and enjoy one another’s company.
-Cheers-

Canning- Can You?

Published on July 26, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

We’re thrilled to have Marisa McClellan from Food in Jars write a guest post on the Hayneedle Blog. She is an accomplished canner and has some great insights to share with us. She will contribute with three posts over the next few weeks. We hope this helps anyone in need of canning advice… it is that time of year!

If you were lucky enough to have a parent or grandparent who canned, you probably have memories of long, hot days in the kitchen, counters groaning under the weight of canning jars and tomatoes. For those of you who didn’t grow up in a canning family, you might just have romantic visions of a farmhouse kitchen, complete with a sturdy enamel worktable centered in the space. Whatever your understanding of canning, it couldn’t probably isn’t something you’d do in your own, 21st century home.

Happily, canning is most definitely something that people are still doing and actually, it’s one of the hottest food trends around right now.

Most people think that in order to get started canning, they’ve got to invest a ton of money in specialty equipment. The good news is that as long as you have a nice, big stock pot, a small rack that can fit in the bottom of the pot, and some tongs, you’re well on your way to your first jar of homemade jam or pickles.

Things to know before you get started canning:

  • First of all, set your fears aside. You won’t kill anyone with jam or pickles. They are both high-acid foods, which are perfectly safe for boiling water canning.
  • Always keep a stack of kitchen towels around when taking on a canning product. They can mop up spilled water, prevent sticky drips of jam from spreading everywhere and double as hot pads in a pinch.
  • Though you don’t need to buy much in the way of specialty equipment, getting yourself an inexpensive canning kits that includes a jar lifter and wide mouth funnel is a good way to make things far easier in the kitchen.

The basics of boiling water bath canning:

  1. Remove lids and rings from jars.
  2. Place the number of jars you’ll need on top of the rack in your stock pot.
  3. Fill pot (and jars) with water to cover and bring to a boil.
  4. Put your lids in a small saucepan and bring them to the barest simmer on the back of the stove.
  5. While the canning pot comes to a boil, prepare your product.
  6. When your recipe is complete, remove the jars from the canning pot (pouring the water back into the pot as you remove the jars) and lay them out on a clean towel on your counter top.
  7. Carefully fill your jars with your product. Depending on the recipe, you’ll need to leave between ¼ and ½ an inch of headspace (that’s the room between the surface of the product and the top of the jar).
  8. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel or the edge of a kitchen towel.
  9. Apply lids and screw the bands on the jars to hold the lids down during processing.
  10. Carefully lower the filled jars into the canning pot. You may need to remove some water as you put the jars in the pot. A Pyrex measuring cup is the best tool for this job.
  11. Once the pot has returned to a boil, start your timer. The length of the processing time will vary from recipe to recipe.
  12. When your timer goes off, remove the jars from the water bath promptly. Place them back on the towel-lined countertop and let them cool.
  13. The jar lids should begin to “ping” into place soon after they’ve been removed from the pot. The pinging is the sound of the seals being formed and the center of the lids will become concave as the vacuum seal takes hold.
  14. After the jars have cooled for 24 hours, remove the bands and check the seals. You do this by grasping the jar by the edge of the lid and gently lifting it an inch or two off the countertop. The lid should hold fast.
  15. Once you’ve determined that your seals are good, you can store your jars in a cool, dark place (with the rings off, please) for up to a year.

Happy Canning!

Marisa McClellan

* To see an extensive list of Hayneedle’s canners go to PressureCookersandCanners.com

Mother’s Day Report Card

Published on May 7, 2010 in BABY & KIDS, HAYNEEDLE and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Hi!  I’m Cate. I’m part of the team at Hayneedle and the mom of 3 funny kids – “Itchy” (12), “Scratchy” (10), and “Trouble” (6.).  I am also the author of the blog “Real Life with Kids.” I’m really excited about being a guest blogger here on the Hayneedle Blog!  My first post is a subject close to my heart, Mother’s Day.

I thought it would be fun to take a look over my most recent year of motherhood and grade some of the highlights.  One thing a year in the life of a mom never lacks is variety…

First Day of School: A+

Cons: I didn’t take pictures of them on the first day with their new teachers or old friends.  I didn’t send them with sack lunches with “I love you” written on a napkin.

Pros: I got all three of the kids to their 2 schools before the bell rang and as a bonus – all were completely dressed and had their teeth brushed.  Also – while doing a “pat down” prior to leaving home – I did stop Scratchy from bringing the full size, completely filled water balloon to school as a “gift” for his new teacher.  Probably I should get some extra credit for that one.

Halloween Class Party: B-

Cons: I was late because I was in a meeting that went over.  The kids at my table used frosting extravagantly on the pumpkin sugar cookies I helped them decorate.  They also made a really big mess with glitter.  One of the moms said, “Who’s the amateur who brought glitter?”

Pros: I didn’t use profanity or sprinkle any glitter on the “too smart for glitter” mom (you know I brought the glitter, right?)  I have always been a firm believer that glitter in your underclothes at the end of the day is a sure sign of a day well spent.  I encouraged the extravagant use of frosting.  My son and his friends had an awesome time – as evidenced by the orange and black frosting all over their hands and faces with sparkly glitter stuck in it.

Christmas Teacher Gifts: B+

Cons: The last day of school before Christmas break snuck up on me and I had no gifts for the teachers.

Pros: I got my fabu hubby to stop and get donuts for all the teachers on the first day back after break – because seriously – that is when teachers really need some love.

Band Practice: D

Cons: I lacked any motivation to encourage my son to practice his trumpet regularly.  I thought he should take up the dog whistle but I was informed that this was not an option in elementary school.  (does that mean it might be an option in middle school?).  With varying practice days at school each week we probably got Scratchy and his trumpet to school on the same day as practice about 62.5% of the time.

Pros: I got Scratchy and his trumpet to school on the same day as practice about 62.5% of the time.  Not one of those times did I bring the trumpet and forget Trouble or Itchy.  Sometimes I amaze myself.

Talent Show: A+

Cons: Scratchy wanted to participate in the talent show with two of his friends playing drums, trumpet, and I can’t remember the third instrument.

Pros: Scratchy wanted the $5 I offered him more than he wanted to participate in the talent show.

The beautiful thing about being a mom is that kids are funny, forgiving, and fortunately forgetful.  I asked Trouble yesterday, “Do you know you’re my Sweetie?”  He came up and gave me a sloppy kiss and a big hug and said, “Yes, Momma, I know I’m your Sweetie.”  At the end of the day I think that averages out to a 4.0.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere!

Planetary Alignment

Published on April 16, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE, PATIO & GARDEN and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

While our planet does its part to sustain life no matter what the calendar says, April is the month when we take a little time to consider our role as environmental stewards. For most, the reflection and celebration is encapsulated in Earth Day, which falls on April 22. An increasing number of cities around the world have decided to extend their observance to a full week. “Earth Week,” as its known runs from April 16 to April 22.

Since 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we at Hayneedle have decided to extend the celebration even further. Welcome to Earth Month! For 40 days, we’ll be posting tips for on how to tread a little more lightly.

We’re not talking about running out and buying a hybrid or installing windmills and solar panels to get off the grid. Nope, just simple things that anyone can do, things that in the long run will conserve our resources and save you money. Like- here comes a shameless plug for one of our less sexy sites- remembering to change your furnace filter! (Plan to change it on the first day of each season, but check it every month just in case.)

Maybe you’ve seen a few of these tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Become a fan or follow us if you haven’t already. Besides staying save-the-planet savvy, fans and followers are usually the first to know about exclusive deals and discounts. So go ahead, hop on the social networking wagon. Just remember to  set your computer to sleep or hibernate when you’re done socializing.

It’s Here

Published on March 19, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE, PATIO & GARDEN, PETS & ANIMALS and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Despite the disorienting weather patterns of late, some folks in the know are insisting that spring is finally here.  After the winter we’ve had, could you blame anyone for falling for such a huckster’s promise?

But here’s the thing: the calendars around our office are suggesting that the rumors are true.

A little Internetting adds final proof: spring is scheduled to spring on March 20, 2010, at precisely 1:32 P.M. EDT (though perhaps in many places without its usual torque). That’s tomorrow, folks!

With no fear of stating the obvious, we love spring. Colors come forth, and the world resumes its beckoning inhabitability. There’s no better time to emerge from our four-walled winter fortresses and spend a little time in the room with the highest ceilings.

Yep, we’re talking about your deck or patio. Remember that little slice of outdoor paradise?

It’s time to take it back.

With specialty stores like PatioFurnitureUSA.com, Hammocks.com, PatioUmbrellas.com, and dozens of other outdoor living specialty sites, Hayneedle is the world’s premier seller of patio furniture and outdoor decor products.

Everything you need to furnish your ultimate room with a view is at Hayneedle.com. Come see what we have in store, and get ready to get out more. Spring is in the air!