2015 Fall Home Improvement and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM SEPT. 29, 2015 Page 19
each time going a little
deeper into the wall of
the pumpkin.
Delay decay - Once
the pumpkin is cut, the
decay process speeds
up. There are a couple
of things you can do to
slow it down. Lighting
your pumpkin using
battery operated tea
lights reduces the heat
inside the pumpkin and
helps keep it from drying
out. Rub petroleum jelly
around all the cut edges
of the carving. The jelly
will serve as a water
seal, again, helping to
slow down the drying out and decaying process.
Carving a pumpkin can be very exciting for
kids, but it can also be dangerous. Instead of
leaving your child to watch the grown-up process,
consider a second pumpkin and a box of magic
markers. Let the kids do their own art on a
pumpkin while you do the carving.
Be aware of your budget
It is very easy to get caught up in the moment
when you visit a farm stand all decked out with
pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn. So, before
you go, decide how much money you have to
spend, and stick to it. One good way to do this is
use cash. Have in your
wallet or billfold only
what you intend to spend
and resist the urge to pull
out the debit or credit
card instead. Having
cash is good idea even if
you aren’t on a budget.
While some established
businesses will take debit
and credit, vendors at
farmer’s markets and
roadside stands probably
don’t.
Add one thing that
will last forever
Whether it be an indoor
or outdoor display you’re
working on, it can be a
little frustrating to realize that while you are on a
budget, most of what you are buying is going to
be thrown away at the end of its usefulness.
For families on a budget, the best thing to do
might be to add one forever piece each year to
your collection of holiday decorations. There
are simply hundreds of options out there for
what to buy and where to buy it. So pick and
choose carefully, and before you buy, think about
where you’re going to put the decoration after
the season. It’s easy to get caught up in buying
something large and lovely only to find that when
Thanksgiving is over and it’s time to think about
Christmas, you have nowhere big enough to store
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