December 2004 Issue
In this months Issue:
Great Gift Ideas
Velvet
Home Laundry Tip - Medicine Stains
Looking for some great holiday gift ideas? You may be able to find some last-minute bargains in mid-December, but the stores may be quite crowded. Shopping online is a good bet, but shipping on time may be an issue this late in the season.
How about gift certificates? Theyre a great alternative for those hard to buy for folks on your list. Best of all, you dont have to worry about size or color. Here are a few innovative ideas:
Mall or store gift certificates. The skys the limit&movies, books, lingerie, candy, new towels. Your gift recipient will welcome the chance to pick out something special that he or she REALLY wants.
Movie or video rental certificates. If you want to dress it up you can package the certificates with some microwave popcorn or a couple of boxes of supersize candy. Theyll think of you every time they snuggle up together, either at home or in front of the big screen.
Health club or spa certificates. The perfect gift to get rid of those after-the-holiday extra pounds! Package these with a cute gym bag or some body lotion.
Hotel or motel getaway night or weekend certificates. This is a gift that will especially be appreciated by parents with young children. If youre really feeling generous, throw in free babysitting. Your gift will really be appreciated.
Restaurant gift certificates. Everyone loves to eat. Try a different cuisine or an unusual theme restaurant that will provide a special ambiance.
Pressed4Time gift certificate. You KNOW this is a certificate that will truly be appreciated!
Make a donation in the persons name. There are many wonderful organizations and causes out there that need assistance. Donate money in that persons name and they will receive a lovely note or holiday card telling them of your gift. Two great organizations to consider: Make a Wish, (www.wish.org) which grants wishes to terminally ill children, and Alternative Gifts International (www.altgifts.org), an interfaith organization that sends non-commercial, life-saving gifts to people in need in the U.S. and around the world.
Velvet
When you think of velvet, you might think of little girls in holiday dresses, but velvet can be for grownups, too!
At this time of year, velvet is quite popular for party clothing. Produced from a variety of fabrics, silk and acetate velvets should always be dry cleaned. Cotton or polyester velvets can usually be washed. Always check the care label. Professional cleaners like us never iron velvet, but steam out wrinkles.
Velvet garments can last for years if you take good care of them. Store them on a padded hanger to avoid creasing or marking the fabric. Keep in mind that acetate velvets will become shiny as the nap flattens, while cotton and silk velvets generally wear longer.
Home Laundry Tip - Medicine Stains
It seems like colds, coughs and the flu become more frequent during the winter months. If you spill any of these medicines on your clothes, its important to know what to do.
First, blot as much of the stain as possible with an absorbent cloth or paper towel. If the garment is washable, simply use a laundry pretreatment product and wash as usual; it may just rinse right out. Of course, check the stained area before drying. For creams and other topical ointments, the garment should be pretreated and then washed in the hottest water temperature that is safe for the fabric, according to the International Fabricare Institute.
If the items label says dry clean only, please bring it into us as soon as possible. We will do our best, but in some cases, the dyes and fibers used may make it impossible to get out certain medicine stains.