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ME LV I N ’ S MON T H LY MOMENT S
DECEMBER 2022
205-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM
‘YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS!’ SPOILER — THIS IS NOT FOR LITTLE KIDS
Some of you might remember the following line fondly: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” If you don’t know what I’m talking about and you’re unfamiliar with the delightful story behind that opening line, it really is worth looking up. It was written 125 years ago, but I honestly think it’s timeless. Jill and I both grew up believing in Santa Claus. We each have treasured memories of the magical world of Santa, the North Pole, and elves. So, it’s easy to see why we wanted Bram to have those same happy memories — in fact, that’s exactly why we continued the cherished tradition. However, I am reminded of the year that Bram discovered the truth. He asked his mom about Santa, and the conversation went something like this:
Bram looked at the ground and had a sudden thought, “So, the Easter Bunny is real?” Jill grunted and responded, “No. But I promise those are the only two things your father and I have ever lied to you about.”
Bram had one final idea, “The tooth fairy?”
Out of the blue, Bram asked, “Mom, is there really a Santa Claus?”
After a long pause, Jill responded with, “Okay. I forgot about that. Yes, we lied about the tooth fairy.” Then with some hesitation Jill added, “But that is all.” Then Bram said, “Well, at least I know ‘The Elf on the Shelf’ is real; I see him every year.”
Jill hesitated before looking Bram in the eye and saying, “Bram, I am so sorry … there is no Santa Claus.” After some thought, Bram asked, “Then who brought the presents?” Jill responded, “Your father and I.”
To which Jill replied, “Well, that is true … You do see him.”
“What about Santa’s cookies?” he asked.
When I got home from work, Jill told me the whole story. I looked at her and asked, “You didn’t tell him about the elf?” Jill looked at me unflinchingly. “There are some things he should hear about from his father.” We’d like to wish you a very merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful season filled with joy! (PS: This year’s Melvie Award winners will receive their Melvie the first week in December!! Stay tuned for info on this year’s lucky winners!!)
“Your dad ate them.”
“Reindeer food?” he asked.
“Your dad.”
“The stockings?” he asked.
She hesitated only momentarily. “That was me.”
So, Bram — with hurt feelings — asked, “You lied to me?”
Then Jill answered quickly and clearly without much thought, “Yes, but your father and I have never, ever lied to you about anything else. I promise.”
–Melvin Upchurch
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IMPRESS THE GUESTS With These Holiday Hosting Tips
Keep Your Smoke Detector Clean Your Life Depends on It!
The holidays are rapidly approaching, and soon, we’ll share laughs while enjoying the festivities with our loved ones. Before the celebrations begin, you must prepare your home for visitors, especially if they stay overnight. It can be stressful whether it’s your in-laws, best friends, or distant cousins coming to stay with you. You want to leave a good impression, but how do you ensure everyone’s needs are met, including yours? Here are three tips for setting yourself up for a successful holiday, regardless of who stays with you. Stock up on your guests’ favorites. Have you ever stayed with someone who didn’t have extra food for their guests? Don’t put your guests in this situation. Load up your pantry, refrigerator, and cupboards with your guests’ favorite foods and drinks. If you don’t know what they are, ask ahead of their visit! Your guests will appreciate your conscientious gesture and have a much more enjoyable time if they can eat their favorites while visiting. Prepare a guest room. If your guests are staying with you, you need to prepare somewhere for them to sleep. Make sure you make up the bed, have plenty of pillows and blankets on hand, and provide adequate closet space for their clothes. Even if they aren’t staying in a traditional bedroom, their sleeping area should still be ready when they arrive. Clear off a table for them to use as a nightstand and put sheets on the couch or mattress where they’ll sleep. Use real dishes. When we have company over for a meal, especially a large gathering, it’s usually easier to use plastic or paper options — saves on cleanup, too! The holidays are not necessarily the time for this shortcut. Break out the fine china if you have it, or use regular dishes for your guests. It’s okay for the kids to have paper plates, but if you want to make a good impression on visiting adults, nicer dishes will dress up the table setting and meal.
We all know a smoke detector protects us from a fire in our home. They stay on constant alert, sniffing out any sign of smoke. But are you maintaining yours properly? Many homeowners only touch their smoke alarms when they chirp for new batteries, ignoring them every other day of the year. You should be cleaning (yes, cleaning , not just pressing that button!) every six months. Cleaning your smoke detector is essential to your safety. Here’s a step-by-step guide on doing it correctly. Cleaning your smoke detector is important. Your house is filled with pollutants, even if you clean it regularly. Things like dust, pollen, pet dander, cooking vapors, and smoke linger in your house even if you can’t see them. These tiny fibers and particles love to find small spaces to settle into, like your smoke alarm. As these tiny particles build up, they cover the smoke-sniffing sensors in the detector and insulate it from the outside. This is a problem when a fire breaks out because it will take longer for the smoke to make its way to that sensor through the gunk. The more time the smoke takes to filter through the buildup, the longer your family is in danger. There are two critical parts to cleaning your smoke detector; each is equally vital to keeping your family safe. Vacuum the inside of the unit. Take the outer face of your smoke detector off, and use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum to gently dislodge and remove the pollutants inside the device. If you don’t have a brush attachment, use any soft cleaning brush to break up that gunk before vacuuming it away. Wipe the outside vents. In a bowl, mix a bit of water and mild detergent (we recommend Dawn dish soap or equivalent) and saturate a paper towel or microfiber cloth in the mixture. Use this to wipe the outside of your smoke detector, particularly the vent openings. These will likely become clogged with dust and dander, so focus your scrubbing efforts there to ensure air can pass through. We want you to always be safe in the case of an emergency. Add these two steps to your cleaning routine to protect your home and family from fire.
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OPEN SHELVING IS HERE TO STAY!
4 Reasons to Ditch Closed-Off Cabinetry
If you’re not glued to home-makeover shows or constantly thumbing a housekeeping magazine, you might find it tricky to stay on top of the latest trends. And, with the ever-changing design fads, few things stand the test of time. However, one trend seems to have beaten the odds: open shelving! Having exposed shelves in kitchens is nothing new, but it’s a trend that keeps popping up in even the chicest and most modern kitchens. Using floating shelves is an easy way to upgrade your space to feel modern yet classic, all at once. Here are the benefits of ditching that closed-off cabinetry for open shelving. It’s cost-effective. If you’re looking to spruce up your space without blowing your budget, open shelving might be your kitchen design. Open shelving uses fewer materials, so it naturally costs less than an enclosed cabinet. While new cabinetry can cost anywhere from $4,000–$13,000, according to Home Advisors, open shelving might only run you a few hundred dollars. You can see it all. Gone are the days when you had to throw open several cabinets looking for that serving platter. Each dish, bowl, cup, mug, and piece of cookware is easy to find when you can see it all. Open shelving also makes it easier for your guests to find things when they stop over for dinner or stay for the weekend.
The space is flexible . Since there are no set boundaries like cabinet walls or dividers, you can arrange your space however you see fit. That giant bowl that never fits inside your cabinet can rest easy on its floating shelf. You could even stack other bowls inside it or pop a few plates underneath. Cleaning becomes easy. Open shelving takes the win when it’s time to clean the kitchen after a meal or deep clean in the spring. Not only are clean dishes easier to put back in their places, but cleaning the shelves themselves is a breeze. To clean your shelves, you only need to lift the dishware, spray with your favorite cleaning solution, and wipe! If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to make your life easier in the kitchen, floating shelves are for you. Stay ahead of the home trends with this timeless design!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Snowballs Inspired by TheFoodieAffair.com
TAKE A BREAK
Ingredients
• 1 cup powdered sugar • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp softened butter • 1 lb white chocolate candy coating
Directions
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, and softened butter. Mix until evenly combined. 3. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm. 4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate candy coating in increments of 30 seconds, stirring occasionally until smooth. 5. In the same bowl, use skewers to dip peanut butter balls into the chocolate before placing them on a lined cookie sheet so they can harden. 6. Chill until ready, then serve!
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205-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM 300 UNION HILL DR., STE. 200 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
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INSIDE
1
‘Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus!’
2
Why You Need to Clean Your Smoke Detector
How to Impress Visitors This Holiday Season
3
The Benefits of Switching to Open Shelves
No-Bake Peanut Butter Snowballs
4
3 Tips to Make Your Living Room a Cozy Wonderland The Coziest Winter Wonder-Living Room
Mix it up! Combine cool and warm colors to make your living room more inviting, like blues, creams, and shades of brown. Different textures like fur add depth, while patterns can help the space come together. Pull it together. Boost the comfort factor by pulling your furniture away from the walls. This makes the room feel like a cozier place to gather.
Setting a few elves on shelves or Santas on sofas is easy, but creating a living room that feels cozy past Christmas is hard. Here are three tips to make your living room a winter wonderland and impress your guests and family all season long!
Change the lighting. Days are darker in the winter, so move your fixtures to maximize the natural light as it changes throughout the day. If you want a dimmer feel, change your lights to warm bulbs.
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