The Fun of Wind Chimes

I love wind chimes. My kids love them too. There is nothing like the sound of wind chimes tinkling on your front porch to make your home seem like a real home. 

The best place to hang wind chimes indoors is where you think there will be a bit of a breeze. This is the best way to enjoy them, as wind chimes that just hang there and never have the opportunity to jangle are half as much fun as though that do. If there is not any bit of breeze or air where you intend to hang these chimes then you can be sure to hang them just low enough so that people can touch them with their fingers every now and then to make them tinkle. 

I love to hold my babies up to the wind chimes so they can play with them with their fingers. Hanging them outside a baby's window can also help them fall asleep as it gives the infant something to focus on them. 

Although it is nice to hang the wind chimes in a way that makes them accessible to people (so they can brush their fingers across them and make them ring) it is also important not to hang them too low. You don't want the tops of people's heads hitting the wind chimes or obstructing their view in any way. A unique place to hang wind chimes is from the bottom of a light fixture or chandelier. This can add a new and musical dimension to your décor. 

Hanging wind chimes in the kitchen is a good idea especially if you get the cast iron kind that consists of many bells. This way you can also use them as a ringer for letting people know that dinner is ready. No matter what size or what material the wind chimes are made of you need to hang them in a way so that they have room to move. This means not hanging them in a corner or too close to a wall.

Wind chimes look very nice hanging from ceiling rafters and in front of windows. If you are planning to hang the wind chimes outside then one of the nicest places to hang them is from an eave or a beam on the front porch. They also look nice hanging in a tree as long as you don't mind scaring away squirrels or birds.

If your kids are old enough you can make nice wind chimes out of old bottles, shells or even paper origami. It is a good crafts project that teaches them about sound as well as balance. 

Where you hang your wind chimes might also depend on how valuable they are. It is probably not a good idea to hang and expensive set of wind chimes made of jade, crystal and copper outside where it can be stolen.

You can get them at the Wind Chimes Store

Parenting Tips
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Buying a Comforter for Winter

Winter's coming so it's time to think about keeping your kids (and you and your partner) cozy. The first thing to do is check to see if the ones from last year are still in good shape. If they are not ripped or losing their fill then they are fine.  

You can sometimes restuff a comforter that is getting flat, especially an expensive one that is filled with duck fluff. Expensive comforter stores specialize in this fine art. 

Sometimes you can't avoid buying a new comforter. Often this is necessary if a dry cleaner can't get things clean. Perhaps the most crucial thing to pay attention to when buying a comforter is the fill type. These filling usually include duck down, duck feather-down, goose feather-down, and goose down. Feather blends are usually less expensive, and less warm, than pure down.  

You should also look for comforters with box stitching which adds durability to the comforter. Look specifically for this stitch pattern if buying for the kids. If buying for your own bed this is not such an issue. The best places to find high quality pure down comforters in the latest popular colors such as sage, crimson and taupe are online.

You can sometimes get linen or comforters with 800 thread counts a lot cheaper than you can ordinarily. When you buy a comforter be sure to look at the thread count.  The higher the number, the fluffier and higher quality the comforter will be. A really high quality comforter with a really high thread count can sell for between $400 to $600.

simple one that is appropriate for the kids can go as low as thirty bucks if you are shopping somewhere like Zellers or Wal-Mart.  JC Penney is also a good place to buy comforters, especially during December and January when they offer up to 50% off on selected stock.  They also have a monogramming service so you can personalize your comforter. 

A monogrammed comforter actually makes a great gift for a teenage girl.  It's a good Sweet Sixteen gift or gift to give if a kid is going away to college. For the ultimate gift indulge in a 100% silk comforter.  This of course is strictly for you and your partner to enjoy. The kids will ruin them. These silk comforters sell for as low as $264 for a full set on auction sites and discount sites online. 

These comforters come in every shade of the rainbow.  Comforters also are sold in a heavier silk called Winter silk that incorporates a cotton shell to give the comforter more heft. If you do decide to buy a silk comforter for your child's bed make sure it is a color or a pattern that will help disguise spills, dirt or stains. In some ways silk is ideal because it is so strong. It is hard for a child to ruin it because it is one of the strongest fabrics in existence. It is also cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Here is a good online store for comforters

Parenting Tips
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