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Holiday Tips

Some Labor Day tips and trivia

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Celebrate working with a day of fun.

Celebrate working with a day of fun.

Labor day weekend is upon us and many of us have a 3-day holiday weekend to take full advantage. So here are some random tips and trivia to take into account.

Many of us are driving to a destination so be prepared. Check your tires, fluids, brakes and all of that stuff. In other words, this is the perfect time to get your oil changed and have them check everything for you. You want your car to be safe and ready.

Speaking of being safe, make sure you have a car emergency kit with jumper cables, flashlight, duct tape, large towels that are meant to get dirty and an emergency stop sign or marker. AND, make sure your spare tire is completely full of air and that all of your tire-changing equipment is there. Make sure you have a first aid kit that is full. Then always have a bottle or two of water, some granola or energy bars, blankets that are not meant to get dirty and a roll of paper towels.

Have your phone charged. Don’t forget your phone charger. Map out your route and have it bookmarked on your I phone and printed out. And if you have a portable audio player and/or speakers, do not forget those as well. You want to have music for your holiday.

Make a list of all of these and save it as a permanent list on your computer and phone. This way every road trip you take, you have the master travel check list and use it to make sure you’re good to go each time.

How about your meals? Gotta make them all Amercian. That means getting the grill out for barbecuing hamburgers, steaks, dogs (hotdogs, that is), chicken, sausage, ribs, k-bobs, etc. Whatever needs flame to cook and symbolizes us working Americans. Bust out with some fresh lemonade. Homemade lemonade is really easy. Squeeze a bunch of lemons, throw in some sugar, water, stir, chill then swill.

Check out some Shop RTO meat tips, barbecue and summer party tips. BUT, prepare for the day using the weekend prior so labor day doesn’t become a tiring and laborious day for you. Prepare your meat patties the night before. Grab all the menu items on Saturday. Make sure the beer is deep in the refrigerator the night before and know who’s coming over so you have enough.

Labor day is the tribute to the American worker. Yeah. To all of us working schmucks. Created as a national holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland after a failed attempt to break up a railroad strike. The holiday was a culmination of years of harsh working conditions for the employees who toiled 12 hour days, seven days a week and employing 8-year olds.

Cleveland deemed the first Monday of September as Labor Day that symbolizes the long efforts to give workers their due respect. A century later the holiday still pay tributes to the American worker but also transcends as an American holiday with parades, picnics, celebrations and the beginning of College Football. OK. Maybe not that one but we all know secretly it does.

At any rate, pay tribute to your hard working hours by having a fun and safe Labor Day weekend.

Just another ShopRTO Holiday tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Have a great RTO July 4th party!

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July 4th party tips

Happy Birthday America!

America’s birthday is coming up so it’s time to celebrate! And, if you want to avoid the crowds of festivals then have your July 4th party at home with the family and friends.

For a festive party, the color scheme is fairly obvious, eh? Red, white and blue. And don’t forget flags. There’s those small toothpick flags as well as smaller flags to spread out that are cheap and fun. Then there’s red, white and blue streamers.

To keep costs down, ask for potluck. Guests don’t mind and it gives great variety and helps save time for the host. Make sure your refrigerator is clean and with lots of room. Use an ice chest for all drinks to help create room. Get the barbecue flaring and crank out one of the main dishes.

You can also go creative with some of your dishes. Go get a rectangle cake from the grocery store or make it yourself. Yeah, right. Have the icing be plain white. Place blueberries as the square for the stars then place raspberries as the red lines and you have a flag cake that’s easy and quick. And, you can even call it healthy since it has fresh fruit on it.

If you’re going to have a good ‘ole fashioned all-day July 4th party get together, make sure you have some fun things to do. Keep a deck of cards, dominoes, board games around. Get a horseshoe set. Or, for cheap and easy, play ‘washers’. Create a makeshift set-up by getting a set of 4 washers out of the garage, two cans/cups placed in the ground, level with the dirt, pick teams and toss them. Here’s some basic rules.

Make sure you have music going. Great parties always have 2 things. Good music and good food. If you have to have a TV on, make sure it’s on a baseball game or a campy theme movie like “Independence Day” or “Field of Dreams”.

For the kids, have them play some sort of sports so they’re exercising. If you don’t have much room or want to make sure nothing gets broken, play cup baseball. Crush up a paper cup like a ball and hit the ball with your hand as the bat.

If you do have video games, make sure they’re motion games. Keep the kids active.

Now here’s where all of those seasonal rental items that you got from your local rent to own store come into play. Or, now’s the reason to go get something brand new at the rent to own store that will help the party out –  refrigerators, freezers, barbecue grills, out door furniture, HDTVs, boom boxes, ovens or whatever that makes your home as comfortable and fun as can be.

Just another ShopRTO Holiday tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

July 4th safety tips for the kids

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July 4th safety tips

Make July 4th safe for the kids.

July 4th is one of the few days where fireworks are OK to play. And can be the funnest time for the kids. And the adults who are kids in adult bodies. So if you’re having a July 4th party with some fireworks fun, make sure you play it safe. Use these Shop RTO safety tips for the upcoming July 4th festivities.

Have a talk before the fireworks fun begins. Look the kids in their eyes and lay out the safety tips so they know and will be ready to respond if necessary.

Be ready to put out a fire. July 4th has the highest percentages of fires for the obvious reasons so keep a fire extinguisher available, the water hose nearby and some buckets of water at hand.

Make sure when the fireworks are done to extinguish them thoroughly before throwing them away.

Be prepared for the potential of skin burns. Have some cool, not cold, water at hand and some aloe vera lotion or gel handy. And, if the worst happens, and your clothes light on fire. Do not run. Stop, drop and roll.

Many July 4th parties have adult beverages so make sure they’re away from the kids and they understand they are for adults.

Use the fireworks away from the decorations, paper plates and all other combustible items. Make sure the area is free of leaves, branches, bushes and anything that can set off a fire. Rope off a safe area clear of all of these elements so everyone knows where the potential danger zone is.

Make sure to wear some type of glasses. And may want to consider a long sleeve shirt and gloves just as long as they don’t make you more clumsy with the fireworks.

These are necessary precautions that everyone needs to make sure before having some, good ‘ole fashioned fireworks fun on America’s birthday.

Just another Shop RTO Holiday tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Get your formal dinner linens ready for Easter now

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Tips on how to clean linens

It’s time to dust off the linens

Easter meals can be a special treat for the family so prepare now to wash your formal table dinner linens, table cloths and napkins. If they’ve been in the drawer since last holiday or a special birthday then they’re dusty, wrinkled and probably has that smell that they’ve been in the drawer for too long.

You can always take them out and send them to the dry cleaners. If you do, make sure they specialize in high-end fabrics. Remember, though, dry cleaning for items like these can be expensive. Especially if you have a large table, family and guests sitting down for the meal.

If you’re like most of us, you’ll want to save money and do it yourself. Here are some tips for making your formal dining room table linens ready for the holiday guests.

Take the table cloth off the table or drawer and shake clean. If it’s been on the table, there will be crumbs or even candle wax. Out of the drawer, it’ll be somewhat dusty.

If there is candle wax, peel it off. If you can’t peel it off, use the hottest water the cloth will allow but just on the spot. With linen, warm water is what you use.

Inspect closely for spots. Stretch out the table cloth and napkins to be able to review the entire piece. If you see spots then spot clean with a tooth brush, warm water and a small amount of detergent. One-fourth detergent to a cup of warm water is the formula. If you’re green, use vinegar instead of detergent. Don’t spot clean as it will risk spreading the stain. Gently scrub or wipe just the stain with a toothbrush.

When using the washing machine, the best is to clean the table cloth and corresponding napkins by themselves. Especially if they’re linen. Use warm water and dish soap. Try to dry naturally. If not, be ready as soon as the drying is complete to prevent wrinkling and a potential lengthy ironing chore.

If your table cloth and napkins are not linen. Treat them as regular wash. Make sure you wash with similar colors of other fabric and if they’re white, use a little bleach to brighten them up for the event.

As soon as they’re clean, dried and ironed immediately put on the table or fold nicely. If it’s the table cloth, keep the fold loose. If it’s the napkins, keep the fold tight.

Ultimately, though, the point of this article is to remind you that cleaning your formal tablecloths and napkins need to be done in the next two weeks so you can have that chore done to spend on the dozen of other chores to prepare for the holiday guests.

Just another Shop RTO holiday and lifestyle tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

DIY Easter Baskets

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Decorative Easter baskets

How to build a one-of-a-kind Easter basket.

Easter Sunday is approaching and if you know or have any children who are hyped about the annual Easter egg hunt, consider gifting them an Easter basket this holiday. When I was kid I always looked forward to receiving a basket, going through all the fillers and then eagerly waiting for the green light for the much anticipated Easter egg hunt.

If you plan on gifting an Easter basket you have two options – you can purchase a pre-made basket or you can make one yourself. Creating your very own Easter basket provides you with the opportunity to personalize the gift, making it extra special. Another great part of making your own Easter basket is that it lets you determine how much money you want to spend. So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive gift, this is it.

Here are some tips on how to make a one-of-a-kind Easter basket:

First, you’ll need a basket. You can find a variety of baskets out there and it’s likely that most stores are stocked with baskets this time of year. Try your local craft store for inexpensive finds. If you want to go a different route than the traditional basket with handle, try a canvas tote. Kids might be able to hold a tote better over their shoulder than a basket. Using a tote will allow the recipient to use it for more than just an Easter egg hunt too!

Next you’ll need some fun fillers. Think about what the recipient may be interested in at the moment – a certain Disney princess, cartoon character, snack, movie, etc. You can even go as far as making it a themed basket. This will also give you the chance to introduce something new to the recipient. Maybe there was a movie from your childhood that you adored and want to share it with them, include that DVD so you can it enjoy together.

Easter baskets don’t have to be filled with candy, get creative and maybe toss a toothbrush with their favorite character on it instead. Or instead of chocolate bars try a package of cookie mix with a cookie cutter in the shape of a bunny or chick that allows the child to interact with an adult and have some fun. Fruit can also be a fun and healthy filler.

Once you have all of your fillers, place them in the basket and see how much room you have. Remove items and fill the basket with Easter grass that can also be found at your craft store. Lay it along the bottom and arrange your fillers so they’re well presented. You can go the extra mile and wrap the entire basket with Easter themed cellophane or tie a ribbon bow to the handle.

Whatever you decide to do, any child would be thrilled to receive a basket this year so don’t hold back and get started!

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle and Holiday Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furniture and more.

Some Easter decorating ideas

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Easter egg decorations

Some Easter decorating ideas.

The Easter bunny is hopping down your bunny trail so it’s time for some Easter decorating ideas and to get festive. When it comes to Easter home decorations, you have the themes of rabbits, eggs, flowers, pastels with a fun and lively flare.

Let’s start with eggs. There are so many different ways to decorate them. If you don’t like to dye then go sparkles. Mix the glue with the sparkles then brush on. Some people use permanent markers. Then there’s cloth patterns you can glue on. Use the Japanese Washi tape that have all sorts of designs. Cut them in different angles and stick them on.

Then there’s the traditional dyeing. That means all bets are off in so many different directions. Go the reliable and old fashioned way of 8 drops of food coloring in 1 cup of hot water and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Make sure the eggs are fully dry after dyeing before you try the next dye for that egg.

With the left over dye, dye some pages from an old book you’re never going to use and create homemade Easter wreaths. Use the equivalent of a 1/2 page and wrap into cones then paste together to create a ring on a paper plate then elaborate however you see fit. Or cut the pages into vertical strips and glue around the paper plate in whatever design you can imagine. Make sure you cut a hole in the middle of the paper plate or color it or put glitter on it. You can always take those strips of dyed paper and glue or tape them into rings and create an Easter paper chain to hang over the windows, doors or where ever inside. All of these tips are great for the kids to do.

How about an Easter door decoration using an umbrella turned upside down then filling with flowers? Never would have thought of that one. Got that one from Better Homes and Garden. On that note, outside door decorations can be used in so many ways. Use an Easter basket filled with flowers is the most festive and cost effective. Colored yarn is also good to add to Easter decorations.

These are just some ideas to get you started and make sure to check out our DIY Easter Basket tips. Just remember to color it up through dyed eggs, flowers, home crafty designs, bunny rabbits and don’t forget the chocolate!

Just another ShopRTO Holiday Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furniture and more.

Simple tips on a great Super Bowl party

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Make your super bowl party special

Easy party planning tips!

Having friends over for the Brady vs Ryan Super Bowl slugfest? Well we hope it’s a slug fest. And we hope you’re ready. Here are some really simple tips to help feed and drink your guests for the evening spectacle.

Ask friends to bring dishes. That’s real easy. And make sure they’re all heavy appetizers. Make’s it easy, fun and with lots to choose if you have guests with varying tastes.

Another good and easy tip is use a crockpot! They’re great for all kinds of meatballs, chill and thick soups. Have your friends bring their crockpots as well. Throw the ingredients in there at noon and by the game they’re ready for the taking. Here’s a good site for all sorts of crockpot recipes.

Get a big plate of cold cuts, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, fixing with slider rolls. Small, bite-size sandwiches are easy to maneuver, easy to eat and allow room for all of the other nibbles. And, they’re easy to make or have guests make.

Use pillsbury crescent dough to wrap around sausages, bacon, cheese, shrimp, etc. Hey, this article didn’t say healthy tips for a great super bowl party. Here’s a good site for quick appetizers for the party.

Get large disposable cups for drinks. People will be walking around so smaller cups offer more opportunities for those drinks to spill. Larger cups contain much better. And use the cups for those crockpot soups but they have to be thick cups designed for hot liquids. There are bio-degradable cups out there so you get the proper cups but do not hurt the environment.

Have ice chests or buckets to put canned or bottled drinks. If you’re up north, you probably won’t need ice. Just put them outside.

Always have plenty of trash cans and bags ready and monitor them. You’d be amazed how quickly they fill up and how little guests will help or alert you that your trashcan is full. Designate bags or cans for recyclables. Have plenty of to-go bags or containers for guests to take home any left-overs.

Have established games and prizes. The best are wagers. Whoever can predict the final scores or scores by each quarter. Who can predict total points. Have a football squares game going on. Those are the best ways to get those non-football fans to enjoy the game.

To make a really great Super Bowl party rent a really big screen at a rent to own store. They also have furniture and refrigerators if you need any extra of those.

Make sure there are designated drivers or be ready to call cabs for those guests who need them.

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle and Holiday tip. Yes, we are designating Superbowl Sunday as a holiday. So shoot us, Okay!

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and when rent to own makes your Superbowl party, the party.

USDA advises food safety on Super Bowl Sunday

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USDA issues super bowl food safety

Practice safe cooking this weekend

The United Sates Department of Agriculture issued a press release highlighting the importance of food safety this Sunday. Nothing goes better with the big game than food so take a look and keep your guests in mind this weekend.

Avoid a Food Safety Penalty This Super Bowl Sunday

En Español

Congressional and Public Affairs
Media Inquiries (202) 720-9113
Consumer Inquiries 1-888-674-6854

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2016 – The Super Bowl is already the most-watched television program in the United States, and this year’s 50th game is sure to take the experience to a whole new level. The game (or the ads) may be the main event, but the food usually steals the show. With more than 1.3 billon chicken wings and 4 million pizzas expected to be eaten during the big game, there are plenty of opportunities for a food safety penalty to occur.

“This Super Bowl Sunday, sports fans across the U.S. will have a great time watching the game with friends and family, while sharing some of our favorite foods that we are fortunate in this country to enjoy,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Al Almanza. “A long game and a big crowd means more opportunities for food poisoning, but some easy precautions can go far in preventing illness.”

To keep you and your guests’ food safe this Super Bowl, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has pulled together the following key food safety plays.

  • To escape a delay of game, use effective clock management with your food. Perishable foods should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours. Switch out these items during half time to prevent the same foods from sitting out the whole game.
  • Avoid a holding call by keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. Food should remain at a safe temperature and out of the “Danger Zone.” The Danger Zone is the temperature range between 40 °F and 140 °F where bacteria multiply rapidly.
  • Avoid a false start by using a food thermometer to ensure that meat and poultry are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
    • Raw beef, pork, lamb and veal should be cooked to 145°F with a three minute rest time.
    • Raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal should be cooked to 160 °F.
    • All cuts of poultry should reach at least 165 °F.
  • Many cooks think they can finish their cooking play in the kitchen by checking the color and texture of meat or poultry. The only way to safely know if cooking is over and food is ready to eat is by using a food thermometer.
  • Prevent an illegal use of the hands by making sure to thoroughly wash your hands before starting to prepare food, after handling any raw meat or poultry and trash, and after finishing cooking. Thoroughly wash hands by using hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds. “Splashing and dashing” doesn’t count.

Don’t let foodborne illness intercept your plans for the biggest Super Bowl ever celebrated.

Learn more about key food safety practices at foodsafety.gov and on Twitter @USDAFoodSafety. Consumers with questions about food safety, can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov, available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish.

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle and Holiday tip. Yes, we are designating Superbowl Sunday as a holiday.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and when rent to own makes your Superbowl party, the party.

DIY this Valentine’s Day

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DIY Valentines Day gift ideas

Simple and thoughtful gifts for your Valentine.

Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, are you ready? If not, no worries! We have got you covered with some very easy and thoughtful D.I.Y ideas. Trust us, even if you’re not the craftiest person we’re sure you’ll find something suitable for your skills and your valentine.

Put it in a mason jar.
By now we have all witnessed the mason jar trend – water glasses at dinner, the salad-in-a-jar your coworker brought for lunch and now a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day gift! We love the four different takes Paper + Craft Pantry take with providing a mason jar gift for your bestie, your guy, your furbaby and yourself. We also love that the mason jar gift can be applied to any occasion and might even inspire the receiver to create one themselves.

Handwritten Valentines.
This takes me back to kindergarten where we’d sit around with scissors, construction paper, markers and glitter to design our very own valentine but really, when was the last time you made one? Don’t worry, I did preface this list with saying the ideas were “easy” so if creating your own valentine is intimidating to you, head over to Better Homes and Gardens for some free printable valentines. They have a wonderful selection from the classic accordion-style valentines to witty illustrations.

A Pill box.
Yes, a Monday through Friday pill box. The type that flips up and has space for vitamins, pills or in this case candy! The Dating Divas came up with a really cute idea for a Valentine’s Day gift with their “Seven Days of Love” pillbox. Each day is filled with candy and a message. The Dating Divas also provide you with a free printable download of the messages so all you have to do is print, snip and place.

Put a ring on it.
Not that kind of ring, a binder ring! The Thinking Closet and Everything Sunny Always created two different styles of affectionate mini-books. The Thinking Closet has a “12 Months of Pre-planned Dates” that also comes along with a free printable template while Everything Sunny Always uses a deck of cards for a mini-book to illustrate “52 Reasons I love You”. Both mini-books are fastened by binder rings you can pick up at any craft store, online or you can also use ribbon or twine as an alternative.

The Beatles were right, we do get by with a little help from our friends… our crafty, blog friends.

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle and Holiday Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furniture and more.

Untraditional Valentine’s Day ideas

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Untraditional Valentine's Day ideas

Do something nice for someone this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year and what better way to enjoy it than sharing love with those around you. Albeit, the holiday boasts romantic sentiments for couples but who says you can’t dedicate the day to simply exuding love and compassion to everyone or everything around you?

Here are some untraditional ways to spend this Valentine’s Day.

Volunteer your time.
Whether it’s at a homeless shelter, serving up lunch or dinner plates at a soup kitchen, nursing home or at an animal shelter volunteers are always needed. Drop into a local nonprofit and lend a hand and a warm smile. Not only will those being helped that day appreciate it but the full-time staff as well.

Thank volunteers.
If you’re not able to volunteer your time, thank those who do. Send a “thank you” valentine or flowers to a local shelter or fire department. Get creative and make a Valentine’s Day donation in lieu of volunteer time and express your gratitude that way.

Be a friend.
 Valentine’s Day isn’t dubbed “Singles Awareness Day” for nothing. There might be a few people going through hardships and experiencing a heavier heart than usual this time of year. Reach out and propose an outing or at the very least let them know they are on your mind. When is the last time you visited with your grandparents? Give them a call, help them run an errand or just have a sweet visit. Einstein said, “The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up.” He was a smart guy.

Exercise.
Take some time to bring that love back to yourself. Go for a run, a hike or take a yoga class. Spreading any kind of love starts with you so treat your body to a good workout and get those endorphins on the rise.

Make extras.
If you’re preparing baked goods, treat bags or valentines for the office, your son’s and/or daughter’s classmates or your friends – make extra. Have them on hand and give them to strangers throughout the day. Although you might feel crazy, the smallest of acts such as these can bring the biggest smile to their faces.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about sharing love to one person. Everyone deserves to feel special so give back in any way you can. At the end of the day you’ll be surprised on how much cheer you really gained.

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle and untraditional Holiday Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furniture and more.

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