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How to host a cookie exchange

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
How to host a cookie exchange

Have you ever been to a cookie exchange? It’s a gathering organized to exchange cookies, primarily around the holidays.  For those of us who love to bake and have a sweet tooth, these parties are heaven. Hosting a cookie exchange seems like a great idea in theory, but planning it might be overwhelming. These tips will help you plan a successful cookie exchange without losing too much of your most precious resource: time.

Planning is Key

Create a plan for your cookie exchange well ahead of the date. You’ll need to consider a number of things before settling all the details. First, the guest list – which of your friends like to bake? Inviting friends who have no interest in baking probably won’t result in a successful cookie exchange. Choose the majority of friends who are seasoned bakers, and consider adding a few newbies who are developing an interest. 

Give your guests at least … Read Full Post »

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How To Decorate Your Home For Christmas [INFOGRAPHIC]

. Posted by in • Houston
How to decorate your home for Christmas

The holidays are a truly magical time of year.

That said, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make Christmas special. Before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, the box with the Christmas ornaments needs to come down from the attic, the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations need to be put away, and the house needs to be ready for all your holiday gatherings and guests.

We here at ABC Home & Commercial Services want to help you get ready for the holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of Smart Christmas Decorating Tips so you can spend your precious time doing the things that matter most.

If you need a helping hand this holiday season, know that you can count on us.

From all of us here at ABC, we wish you a Christmas full of special memories.

 

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Your Holiday Playlist

. Posted by in • Houston
Holiday playlist

Nothing screams holiday cheer like warm chocolate chip cookies, decorative lights, and, of course, festive music. And while the radio constantly plays beloved classics like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and one of the many popular renditions of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”, we wanted to think outside the box this year. That’s why we put together our first-ever holiday playlist and included a few Texas-themed tunes to set it apart from the rest.

Grab a cup of warm cocoa, pull up a seat by the fire, and listen to our playlist below. This is a holiday treat you won’t want to miss!

ABC Home & Commercial Services Holiday Playlist

 

Here’s what’s in our holiday playlist:

  • “White Christmas” – Bing Crosby
  • “Big Ole Texas Christmas” – Phil Vassar with Ray Benson
  • “Christmas Day” – Beach Boys
  • “Christmas Time in Texas” – Dale Watson
  • “Blue Christmas” – Elvis
  • “When It’s Christmas Time in Texas” – George … Read Full Post »

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Holiday Safety Tips [INFOGRAPHIC]

. Posted by in • Austin
Holiday safety tips

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 15,000 people are injured each year while decorating for the holidays. Whether it’s because of a fall from a ladder, a fire linked to your Christmas tree, or a mishap experienced while putting up your Christmas lights, an injury is the last thing you want to spend time having to deal with during this busy time of year.

Holiday Safety Tips

ABC Home & Commercial Services wants to help you get ready for the holidays. Make sure that you stay safe this holiday season by following our list of dos and don’ts for using ladders, decorating with Christmas lights, and keeping your pets and children safe.

From all of us at ABC, we wish you a joyous – and safe – holiday season.

 

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How To Showcase Your Home This Holiday Season

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Selecting Holiday Lights That Are Right For Your Home

We love all the beautifully decorated homes in this city—especially during the holiday season. Don’t you? Whether they’re varied in color or snowy white, these arrangements put a smile on our faces.

There are many trends and options currently available to showcase your home before your holiday gatherings begin and your out of town guests arrive. Are you considering laser lights, or curious about what’s involved in setting your lights to music? We’ve compiled a list of outdoor Christmas decorating ideas to help you decide what options are the best for your home.

LED Lights

There are many benefits to LED lighting, so it’s no surprise more people are reaching for them instead of traditional string lighting.

For starters, they’re more energy efficient, using up to 90% less energy than traditional lighting options; one traditional bulb uses the same amount of energy as 140 LEDs. They also … Read Full Post »

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Best Holiday Lights in Houston

. Posted by in • Houston
Christmas lights in Houston

School has just started, and Halloween is still around the corner.

Savvy homeowners know that the first signs of autumn mean it’s time to start thinking about holiday light displays. To properly deck your home with lights and festive decorations takes time and planning.

To get you in the proper holiday spirit, let’s look at some of the best Christmas lights in Houston and the surrounding areas.

Public Holiday Light Displays in Houston

First of all, let’s explore a few noteworthy public displays in the area (some of these have an entry fee).

Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo (Hermann Park, begins in November): Each year the Houston Zoo hosts a dazzling light display with animal sculptures, lights in the trees and colorful projections. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

Dickinson Festival of Lights (Dickinson, from Nov. 26 – 30, 2016): A free holiday light display you can walk through, with free parking … Read Full Post »

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Backyard Beauty – Landscaping Ideas for Austinites

. Posted by in , • Austin
austin landscaping

Here at ABC Austin, we love the summer time. We’re suckers for a good backyard BBQ, weekend swims at Barton Springs, and of course, spotting the weird bugs that make their presence known around the city when the mercury is high.

But with the kids heading back to school and cooler temperatures (and evidently this year, lots of rain?) around the corner now is the perfect time to focus on a backyard redesign.

We’re ready to roll up our sleeves, be creative, and—finally—start working on a new backyard we’ve been dreaming of all summer long.

So whether you have a large yard or just a small space to work with, we have a list of ideas that are sure to get your green thumb moving. Here are a few of our favorites ideas.

Plant Local Varieties

Shopping local has become quite the fad in recent years—and why shouldn’t it be? Choosing local products is an excellent … Read Full Post »

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Add Some Seasonal Glow With Holiday Lighting

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Make your home sparkle this season with creative light displays

The holidays are coming up fast. Are you ready to hang your seasonal lighting? Get started with these tips for creating a display that adds a little flair to your San Antonio neighborhood.

Pick a Theme

Start by deciding what you want to convey with your display. Do you prefer simple and elegant, or would you rather go all out with every holiday decoration you can think of? Are you aiming for a colorful look or basic white accented with accessories such as wreaths? What you choose will determine the type and quantity of lights you’ll need as well as any additional pieces such as frames or stakes.

Draw Up a Plan

Once you’ve decided on a theme, sit down and sketch it out. Decide where you want to hang lights and how you want them to look. Generally, lights are used to outline the … Read Full Post »

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Deck Out Your Landscaping for the Holidays

. Posted by in • Austin

Let your great outdoors celebrate the season

Austin knows how to turn Christmas into a dazzling season, so why not put a special glow in your landscape this holiday season? Think beyond inflatable snowmen this year and turn your front yard into a holiday fantasy land.

Wrap the Trees

Threading lights through the trees always adds seasonal cheer to the front yard, but why stop at a few strings? Simple silhouettes of trunks and branches come alive when you wrap trees with brilliant strands of LED lights. Bottom-to-top trimming takes a little time, so you might opt for the easier effect of glittering icicles created from drapes of fairy lights. These tiny LED cousins are the size of rice grains, and their sway on an evening breeze brings magical life to the smallest saplings. Give tall evergreens and pines the full treatment with big, beautiful bulbs.

Trim the Shrubs

Shrubs might be short, but don’t … Read Full Post »

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Celebrate the Season with Festive Outdoor Christmas Lights

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Nothing makes your home quite as spectacular during the holidays as a dazzling outdoor lighting display. Whether you go with brightly colored rope lights or classic white icicles, lights always add that extra touch of cheer. If you love having a decorated home but aren’t looking forward to the hard work of hanging your holiday lights this year, consider hiring professionals to do the decorating for you.

What’s New in Holiday Lighting Trends?

Holiday lighting trends tend to change every few years. The blow-up lawn ornaments and tangled icicles of last year are giving way to new, sleeker lighting displays that make the most of sound and motion. You’ve probably seen spectacular timed displays on the local news or online. Professional lighting installers can easily create one of these stunning light, music and motion displays for your yard.

Bright colors are also in for outdoor displays. Don’t be afraid to go bold with … Read Full Post »

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