Main Street Decked out for the Holidays. |
Storefront with Merchandise Displayed on Sidewalk |
The photo above shows one of the creative ways the storeowner uses his merchandise to add to the festive decorations.
Main Street Decked out for the Holidays. |
Storefront with Merchandise Displayed on Sidewalk |
One of my favorite gifts to give or receive is genuine wax flameless candles with a lovely, flickering "flame," a timer, and a remote control that lets me "light" them or "blow them out" from across the room at the touch of a button.
When flameless wax candles first came out, the quality of the "flame" from most manufacturers was pretty poor. Fortunately, the technology has improved and prices have come down a bit over the years. Now you can buy nice ones that are suitable for both gift-giving and home decor at moderate as well as premium prices.
Whether you buy a single flameless pillar candle, a pair of tapers, or a set of votives, they're sure to add beauty and timeless elegance to your home and be a gift that keeps on giving.
Flameless wax candles are elegant and safe to leave unattended. My favorites also include a timer and remote control that let you "light" and "blow them out" from across the room. |
Here are some of the qualities that make flameless candles appealing for both gifts and home decor, during the holidays and year-round.
These flameless candles let you enjoy the timeless beauty of genuine wax candles that never burn down. We have used ours frequently for many years with no end to our enjoyment in sight (unless we run out of batteries).
The flame on these LED flameless candles moves randomly to simulate the flicker of an open flame on a traditional wax candle. Close-up, of course, no one will mistake it for a real flame. However, from farther away, the "dancing flame" effect can be quite realistic.
Unlike traditional candles with wicks, the wax body of these flameless candles remains at room temperature and won't melt or drip (unless you subject them to excessive heat). A grouping of pillars or some tapers make a lovely centerpiece that can't set your tablecloth on fire if they're accidentally knocked over while passing a serving dish. You could even use them on a finely finished antique wood table without fear of marring the surface.
Another advantage is that flameless candles are smoke-free. You can "burn" as many of these beautiful candles as your heart desires without worrying about setting off the smoke alarm! I love the look of candles everywhere, especially during the holidays.
Since there isn't an open flame, these flameless candles can be left unattended, unlike traditional wax candles. They're safe to leave on in your windows during the holidays. They provide a romantic glow in the bedroom, with no worries if you happen to fall asleep before turning them off.
They're also safe to use around children and pets.
Here in New England, the winter months can be brutally cold and the sun sets quite early. We have flameless LED candles in nearly every room of our house, and during the winter we set them to turn on at dusk, so we never have to walk into a completely dark room. The LEDs draw very little power, so a set of batteries usually lasts us the whole winter and beyond.
Two of our Luminara flameless pillar candles with our set of three color-changing flameless pillars |
There are many brands of flameless candles, and the quality can vary significantly. We've tried a few inexpensive brands and have mostly been disappointed. The brand we count on for consistently high quality is Luminara.
Luminara makes top-of-the-line flameless candles made of hand-poured paraffin wax. Most styles have a timer and a remote, and all are boxed for easy gift-giving.
The company offers a wide range of styles, from everyday essentials to specialty items like real birch flameless candles filled with paraffin wax (gorgeous for country or rustic home decor) and Christmas-themed styles.
Here are some of my favorites.
This set of three Luminara melted edge wax pillar candles is one of the company's best sellers. The graduated-height, 3-inch wide pillars are 4.5", 5.5" and 6.5" tall, respectively.
The included remote control operates all three candles. Even if you split them up and place them in three different locations, you can control each one with the same remote, which is very convenient.
These are unscented (although Luminara does make some scented styles), so they're ideal for someone who is sensitive to scents, has allergies, or prefers to use other home fragrance products such as potpourri or sprays.
These also come in a choice of colors. I think the burgundy is very festive for the holidays and would be great as an accent color in a mostly neutral decor palette, while ivory or white are more subtle and very elegant any time of year.
We own this set of three pillars in ivory as well as a tall pillar in a discontinued color (blue sage) that coordinates with our living room color scheme.
Another choice that will grace your or your gift recipient's dining table for years to come is this set of Luminara ivory flameless wax tapers.
Elegant wax tapers are a classic, timeless style for good reason. Classic elegance with the safety and convenience of a flameless "flame" is a win-win!
Measuring 1" wide by 9.75" high, these flameless tapers can be used in any standard taper candle holder. Even reheated leftovers can become a festive meal with these flickering beauties on the dining table.
Although these do not come with a remote control, they do have a timer function that allows them to turn on for 5 hours and then shut off automatically for 19 hours.
These flameless taper candles come in classic ivory as well as a variety of colors for a more contemporary style.
As with all Luminara candles, they come nicely boxed for easy gift-giving.
Another of my favorite flameless candle styles is this hand-poured Luminara wax pillar wrapped in genuine birch bark.
Every time I see one in a store I am tempted to add one to our collection. We bought one as a gift for my mother-in-law this Christmas and she loves it!
This is available in a selection of sizes including 3.5" x 4.5", 3.5" x 6.5", 4" x 5" and 4" x 7".
Just one of these is striking enough to make a statement in any room. Investing in a group of them in different sizes would make a real conversation-piece display!
The on/off switch on the bottom also has a timer setting.
Although this beautiful birch pillar doesn't come with a remote, it is compatible with Luminara's on/off remote, sold separately, which is well worth the extra money, in my opinion. We use our Luminara remotes all the time.
One of the best gifts I ever gave my husband was a set of three color-changing wax flameless candles. I prefer white Christmas lights and he prefers colored ones, and it was a big concession for him to go with white icicle lights along our roof and on our Christmas tree. So, one year I decided to give him a form of colored lights we both could enjoy: color-changing flameless candles.
These turned out to be an even bigger hit than I had hoped. I took a video of ours to show the color-changing effect, which was hard to capture on video and is MUCH prettier in person. (If you can't see the YouTube video below, you can access it via this link to my color-changing flameless candles video.)
In real life, the color changes are smooth and seamless, and the unsightly flickering of the image caused by the low-resolution video doesn't exist. I wish I could show just how beautiful these are in person!
The candles have an on/off switch and a remote control that allows you not only to turn the candles on and off but also to choose from a wide range of different colors or rotate through the colors, as shown in the video.
There is also a timer feature, which we use to automatically turn on the candles in our bedroom at dusk and turn off either 4 or 8 hours later, depending on the time of year (and how late dusk arrives).
The brand I purchased a couple of years ago is no longer available. However, I found a similar set with a subtle, elegant, tone-on-tone damask pattern in the wax shell that makes them even prettier, in my opinion.
If you want to splurge, Luminara also makes lovely color-changing pillars.
Whether you're buying these for yourself or as a gift, make sure to also buy the appropriate batteries for your candles and, if applicable, the remote control.
The set of three Luminara pillar candles, the smaller Luminara birch pillars, and the Luminara tapers take AA batteries. The larger Luminara birch pillars take D batteries. The remote takes a CR2025 button battery.
The three candles in the set of color-changing pillars I featured all run on AA batteries.
Beauty, long life, safety, and convenience — just some of the reasons to treat yourself and those on your gift list to some genuine wax flameless candles!
Making white bean (Great Northern Beans) soup is a holiday tradition in our home. I don't just make white bean soup during the holidays, but it is a part of the holiday week menu of recipes that I look forward to making and eating.
Every holiday, whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, I bake a big ham for the family. I can hardly wait for the ham to be devoured so I can use the bone in a big pot of white bean soup. The ham, itself, is usually served at least twice over the course of a few days. I admit, sometimes (like this past Thanksgiving) I don't wait for all of the ham to be gone before I claim the ham bone for soup.
I love the holidays and cooking for the holidays, but after several days of heavy feasting, I am always ready for a lighter fare of soup for a few days. For some, white beans are exclusively a side dish. For me, they make a fabulous soup! And, just so your know, I do make white beans as a side throughout the year. I make the side dish exactly the same way as I make the soup, but with less water.
I use the entire package of beans in one pot of soup. I start by inspecting the beans as I rinse them in small batches in my colander. I toss any shriveled, dark or broken beans, as well as any bean loose or floating "skin".
All whole, white beans that pass inspection are placed in a large dutch oven size cooking pot, covered with water, and left sitting out on the kitchen counter to soak for 8 hours, or overnight.
*Note: I normally check the cooking beans a few times to add water as
needed to keep the water from boiling down too low
Pampered Chef Boil-Over No More Pot Cover Splatter Guard
Bacon Grease
I mentioned bacon grease in the recipe above because I season white beans with bacon grease if a ham bone is not available. Bacon grease is exactly what it sounds like. It is the grease that is rendered when cooking bacon. I cook bacon in the microwave on a bacon tray or rack that allows the grease to settle below the bacon. I literally pour the bacon grease from the tray into a bacon grease jar to use as needed, whenever needed. You will find a partly filled jar of bacon grease in my kitchen at all times.
Candle Day is held each year on the first Saturday in December. For 2023, that day is December 2.
The retail company “Bath and Body Works” started 'Candle Day' to promote their annual candle sale. The sale gives candle lovers time to stock up on world-famous candles at special low prices. Since candles are great for gifting, especially during the holiday season, this annual 'sale' day in early December is perfectly timed.
Candles have been around for more than 5,000 years. Early civilizations used wax made from available plants and beeswax. They were used to provide light in the many years before electricity was invented.
Today, candles are mainly a symbol of celebration and for religious ceremonies. They come in many shapes, sizes and scents.
In addition to the Bath and Body Works sales day on December 2, we also celebrate World Candle Day on March 1. That International candle day was begun by two associations, the Latin American Candle Manufacturers Association and the European Candle Manufacturers Association.
Champagne Candle
Ocean Air
Shopping on a handmade site like Etsy, you can choose any scent you want, from favorite kitchen odors like apple pie baking in the oven to holiday and seasonal scents. These candles come in standard jars or pretty glassware, in pretty tins and wood, in fancy & novelty shapes and sizes, and with delightful scents, including aromatherapy.
Knot Candle
Knot Candle on Etsy |
Being a yarn crafter, I fell in love with this Knot Candle, as it reminded me of the Knot Knit Stitch. The twisted knot shape would look so pretty in my craft room.
It's a homemade soy wax candle handmade by Urban Craft Style on Etsy.
Cat Candle
Chubby Cat Candle on Etsy |
Round or square candles, stand-alone or in a glass jar, often appear to be the standard type of candles. But a novelty type candle in a cute shape is also popular.
Cat lovers like me would love this adorable chubby cat candle. It comes in a variety of colors and scents from the Etsy Store of Melou Candles of Toronto, Canada. Lara also makes her candles in the shape of owls, elephants and teddy bears, among many others. I think they would make darling gifts.
Candles can give you magical mood moments. Depending upon the scent, they can transport you to a garden of roses or a sunny day on a tropical beach. Light the wick, take a deep breath, and let a favorite scent transport you where you want to be for a few quiet moments.
So choose your favorite brand, or a fun handmade candle, and enjoy.
Link to a Related Candle Review:
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