Auction Your Possessions Today Blog

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Guide to Easy Holiday Entertaining

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Hosting your own Holiday party can be stressful! There’s so much to remember, but here at AYPtoday.com, we’ve taken some of the stress out; we’re here to help! With this simple festive guide, you can pull off the party and even impress your in-laws without cooking or cleaning for days ahead of time! (Who has the time for that? Let the days off really be DAYS OFF!) So, here’s to a safe and fun Holiday season with this helpful guide. Now, let’s put on our aprons (item 160) and cover the basics:

Some Holiday Favorite Foods:

Turkey or Ham (to save time, you can buy an already cooked and sliced ham--no one will know the difference and it’s impossible to mess up! Walmart/Sam’s Club sells a great sliced pre-cooked ham in a purple wrapper; it comes with its own sauce packet). If you use the sauce bag, you’ll want to cook it in a pan like in item 167.
Turkey Gravy (dry mix) if you’re having turkey
Mashed Potatoes (click here for an easy recipe) or sweet potatoes or yams (yep, you can buy yams in cans)(But be wary of Mashed Potatoes from a box--they have a distinctive taste which reveals your secret--that you didn’t make them fresh)
Stuffing (also known as “Dressing” in the South) (Stove-Top is a real time-saver and if you need some pans, you’ll find cooking essentials in items 160, 169, 174, 178).
Cranberry sauce (just mash up the canned Cranberry sauce so it doesn’t look like it came in a can)
Corn, peas, green beans (if you buy them frozen, they’re fresher, taste better, and have less sodium). They can be easily cooked, served and stored in Corning Ware (item 170).
Dinner Rolls (King’s Hawaiian rolls are soft, sweet, and ready to serve)
Pumpkin Pie (or apple pie). After buying a ready-made crust and a can of Libby’s, use this Pumpkin Pie recipe to make your own pie--super easy and you can say, “Oh, yes, I made it myself!” Or if the oven is already full, make a Jello No-Bake Cheesecake. Once you’re done making the desserts, display them nicely in cake pans (item 26).

Remember to follow basic food safety. For example, if something (a cutting board, knife, pan, etc.) has touched raw meat, don’t let the item touch anything else until the item gets washed in hot water and soap. Also, make sure to cook raw meat thoroughly and to a high enough internal temperature. A thermometer (item 167) takes the guess-work out. Finally, here’s the disappointer: if you’ve used raw egg in a recipe (like cookie dough), resist the urge to lick the mixing spoon or bowl, as there is a small chance of getting Salmonella since the egg has not been cooked yet.

Make It Sparkle

While your items are baking, pull out the vacuum cleaner (items 34, 73, 103, 147) and give it that just-vacuumed look. Then, clean surfaces (item 83, 162) which are most-likely-to-be-seen at close range (like the sinks, toilet, mirrors, and glass at kid-levels (I’m thinking hand-prints)). Also, wiping a disinfectant cloth on handles and light switches should keep guests healthy.

Prepare the Table and House

Then, prepare the table. A tablecloth (items 112, 114) is a great way to hide a scratched table or to help protect a table (items 1 , 19, 33, 40 , 66) from getting this way. When setting out each place setting, put out your place mats (items 112, 114) and then your plates (items 22, 154, 166, 164) in the middle in front of each chair, drinking glasses (items 30, 154, 166, 175) on the top right, and bread plate on the top left. The fork (item 23, 177, 182) goes on the left of the plate (remember this by the F: Fork goes on the leFt), and the napkin on the far left. The spoon (items 23, 177, 182, 183) goes on the far right of the plate, and the knife’s blade (items 23, 177, 165) is right next to the plate. Dessert utensils get placed above (but not on) the plate. Remember that when eating with utensils, you work from the outside in; this means that the utensils further from your plate in the place setting get used first, and then you work inwards as the meal and courses progress.

Don’t have enough space for everyone to sit at a table (items 1 , 19, 33, 40 , 66)? T.V. trays (item 32) and lap trays (item 175) are the answer! Need some more seating (item 68, 90)? How about folding chairs that look like fancy dining room chairs (I love these!) (item 33)! What about an air mattress, a bed (items 92, 132), or extra bedding (items 101) for the guests who need to stay over? You don’t want guests leaving who are still inebriated or who will be driving on ice.

Decorations

The Decor (item 75, 105, 152) is sure to impress! Putting out decorations puts everyone in the festive spirit, too! I always like to cover my Christmas tree in garbage bags before I bring it in the house; this keeps the trail of pine needles to a minimum. And don’t forget safety: a handy step ladder (item 73) and/or regular ladders (item 143) which are well-grounded will help.

Don’t even want to get on the ladder? Buy a small Christmas tree (which is cheaper than buying a large tree), put lights on it, and then set it on top of a coffee table in front of your front window. This tree will serve as inside and outside Christmas decorations with minimal effort.

Some Holiday Drinks:

Don’t ruin your good mood: Serving white wine or sparkling apple cider can mean a less obvious stain than spilled red grape juice or red wine--in case a glass breaks or tips over. (I remember accidentally dropping a mug, and my mom replied that people were more important than things--which is so important to remember at the Holidays). Besides, turkey pairs well with white wines anyway. White Zinfandel (sweet), Sauvignon Blanc (dry), and White Burgundy (dry) go well with turkey, and ham goes well with Moscato. My sister-in-law loves sweet Cupcake Moscato. Designated drivers and kids can drink delicious chilled Sparkling Apple Cider. Just keep your corkscrew (item 177) and bottle openers handy.

Also, some people love coffee with dessert or a warm drink during the cold holidays.

Make sure you have a coffee or tea pots (items 20, 36, 153) and mugs (item 168) just in case. Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate or hot Apple Cider is also a great option.

Holiday Fun

No holiday get-together is complete without games (items 61 and 80) to bring the family together! This also keeps the Fam distracted from bringing up those embarassing questions (like, “What do you want to do with your life?” and “When can we expect wedding bells and/or the Stork to visit?”).

During the meal (and even during the tedious cleaning and prep), I like to have some music playing to help lighten the mood. If Grandparents or in-laws are coming, a sure way to win them over is with timeless Christmas music from their era that we still enjoy today:

Elvis (think “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” or “Blue Christmas”)
Bing Crosby (“White Christmas”)
Frank Sinatra (“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”)
Johnny Cash (“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” or “The Little Drummer Boy”)
Nat King Cole (“Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire”)
Gene Autry (“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”)
Andy Williams (“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” or “Let It Snow”)
The Ronettes (“Frosty the Snowman” or “Sleigh Ride”)
Bobby Helms (“Jingle Bell Rock”)
Dean Martin (“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”)
Louis Armstrong (“Winter Wonderland”)

After dinner, an extra T.V. (item 95) to entertain the kiddies while the parents watch what they want is also helpful (item 5)! Of course, some movies are so good that kids of all ages can agree they’re great: A Charlie Brown Christmas (from 1965--an oldie but a goodie), Frozen and A Christmas Story.

Want more Thanksgiving-themed entertainment? How about A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (from 1973) or Miracle on 34th Street from 1947 (movie begins at Thanksgiving), and click here for some background to play during Thanksgiving dinner.

These simple ideas are sure to lay the groundwork for a wonderful Holiday--a Holiday that you’re not too tired to enjoy. From our family here at AYPtoday.com to yours, enjoy your Holidays, and thank you for your patronage!

Happy Bidding!

Adrienne

www.ayptoday.com

Monday, October 27, 2014

Charles Dickens Inspires!

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It’s been 202 years since the birth of Charles Dickens, possibly the greatest writer of the Victorian era, and this week’s auction at aypToday.com has the fan gear and some of his works in item 146 to show his art lives on! Which is your favorite of his works?

Is it A Christmas Carol? Thanks to this work, English dictionaries now have the noun, “Scrooge,” to describe a miserly person. In the story, when the Ghost of Christmas Past (see item 115) meets with Scrooge (item 82), the Ghost reminds Scrooge of the good times he spent as a youth with the Fezziwegs (item 81) in their Warehouse (item 69). With the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (item 116), Scrooge looks into the Cratchits’ cottage (item 69) and sees Tiny Tim (item 82)’s place at the table is vacant. This moves Scrooge to buy the large Christmas goose (item 82) for the family and pronounce that famous line, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

But my favorite Dickens’ hero is the dashing Nicholas Nickleby! Maybe you’ve seen a movie adaptation? If you’re a huge fan like I am, item 85 has you covered--from Nicholas’ time at Wackford Squeers Boarding School, to representations of the characters, to his final triumph of having his own cottage!

Before publishing Nicholas Nickleby, Dickens created Oliver Twist (see item 146 for your own copy) and its villain--Fagin (whose hide-a-way is featured in item 80). If you start your own village scene, be sure to distribute the three Constables (also in item 80) throughout your village to keep it safe from Dickens’ villains and pickpockets like Oliver Twist!

Sadly, Charles Dickens’ own life resembled that of many of his disadvantaged protagonists. At the age of 12, when his family moved into debtors’ prison, he left school and worked in poor conditions. Fortunately, later in life, his writing allowed him to buy the home he longed to have as a child, Gad’s Hill Place (item 70), and gave him an opportunity to travel. In fact, he did a great deal of traveling, as fans paid to hear him read his works. When traveling in Britain, he might have stayed in inns like the Pied Bull Inn (item 94), Dedlock Arms (items 70, 71, 101), Sir John Falstaff Inn (items 81, 94), or The Crown & Cricket Inn (item 71).

Dickens’ home, Gad’s Hill Place on the far Right

Perhaps, when he traveled north from London, he took the Flying Scotsman train (like item 100) which has been running since 1862. One train ride he took almost cost him his life; in 1865, all the first class carriages of his train went off a bridge--except his. During this tragedy, he rescued some and comforted others in their last minutes of life. However, the exhaustion he experienced from intense traveling and working during the last years of his life probably cut his life short; he died at age 58, in 1870. With his memories of a simple beginning, he had asked to be buried in a private, inexpensive manner (I’m thinking churches like those in the Dickens’ Series: Knottinghill Church (item 101) and Old Michael Church (item 82)); however, he was buried in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.

“Flying Scot Train”

He is remembered as having written such excellent works as Great Expectations (with beloved Pip and cold Estella), David Copperfield (which was quite autobiographical), and A Tale of Two Cities (the best selling novel of all time), among others (see item 146). So what’s your favorite novel of his?

Happy Bidding!

Adrienne

www.ayptoday.com

Friday, October 24, 2014

JFK "A Man For The 60s" Campaign Button Memories

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Do you remember where you were fifty years ago--on Nov. 22, 1963?

For some of us like me--too young to have witnessed the chill of the Cold War or the thrill of the Space Race, we ask our parents and or grandparents, “What was it like when JFK was president?” and “Do you remember the day he died, November 22, 1963?” So, Dear Reader, I ask you, “What did John F. Kennedy’s presidency mean to you?” and “On the fiftieth anniversary of his death, what does his legacy mean?”

At AYPToday, we have an original Presidential campaign button of his run in 1960 (see Item 36).

Since last November was the 50th anniversary of his passing, I think it’s fitting to pause and remember him.

From a large Irish family already in politics, “Jack” was born in Massachusetts to businessman and politician Joe Kennedy, Sr. and philanthropist Rose Fitzgerald. In his high school yearbook, he had been chosen, “Most Likely To Succeed” in spite of (or maybe because of shenanigans and pranks at school. Despite bouts of hospitalization, he traveled widely with his family--including listening in the British House of Commons in September 3, 1939 to speeches concerning their declaration of war on Germany. His Harvard undergraduate honors thesis submitted the next year eventually became a bestseller, Why England Slept. In fact, JFK is the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize.

After being disqualified for the Army due to his health, he joined the Navy, served in WWII, and earned several medals for heroism (I did not know this; maybe, you did). Soon elected a congressman and then a senator, he set his sights on the presidency and ran in 1960. At the Democratic Convention of 1960, he gave his “New Frontier” speech saying, “we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier. [...] But the New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises—it is a set of challenges.” In the Democratic Primary, he defeated Hubert Humphrey (who later became Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson). Agreeing to be on JFK’s ticket, Lyndon B. Johnson ran as Vice President.

After JFK displayed his cool confidence during the first televised U.S. presidential debates in U.S. history, he defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections in U.S. history in terms of percentage of votes (49.7% to 49.5%).

At the time of his presidential election, JFK, at age 43, was the youngest president to be elected, and he is still the only Catholic to be elected president. At his inauguration, he uttered the words which still make us reflect today, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Made by VariVue, this button’s hologram shows "The Man for the 60's" in white lettering on a black ground as well as his picture.

VariVue buttons were used in many political campaigns in the United States during this time. Below is a picture of how their factory looked in 1962, just two years after this button was introduced in the 1960 presidential election.

It is amazing what a mark John F. Kennedy made on the American psyche during his short life. Because of my love of science (see item 79), my favorite quote from his presidency is, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” What’s your favorite quote of his?

Happy Bidding!

Adrienne

www.ayptoday.com