Spring Cleaning
To mop up a spill on a rug, take a cloth and do this
What is blot the spill? Blotting the spill absorbs the liquid. Then use cold water, soda water, or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to remove any remaining stains. By blotting the spill before scrubbing the remnants, you prevent the stain from being scrubbed into the rug.
This color is associated with Ireland
What is green? The color represents the lush greenery that is characteristic of Ireland.
In 2010, a handmade set of this popular real estate game sold for $146,500 to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York
What is Monopoly? The set was made in 1933 by Charles Darrow, the game’s creator.
You don’t want to miss this museum founded by Pope Julius II
What is the Vatican Museum? If you visit every room in the museum, you will walk nine miles, and you will see an extraordinary variety of art. The Bramante Staircase is one of the most photographed features of the museum, and its spiral is dizzying
This is the term for using long stitches to hold material together temporarily
What is baste? You want to use the fewest number of stitches to hold the material in place, minimizing needle holes in the fabric
“In like a lion and out like a lamb” refers to this
What is March weather? The weather transition in March is significant, often marking the shift from ice and snow at the beginning of the month to milder days by the end of the month
Test these mandatory lifesaving home features to see if you need to replace the battery.
What are smoke alarms? Smoke alarms with sealed lithium batteries have a 10-year lifespan, so there’s no need to change batteries. If your smoke alarm uses regular batteries, it is recommended that you test them monthly. All smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years.
On March 17, we all have a touch of this nationality in our blood
What is Irish? March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. An old tradition is to pinch people who are not wearing green on this day
This machine, with its peculiar odor, was found in every school office
What is a mimeograph? You could smell the transfer solution for days after receiving handouts in class. You probably remember the purple print as well as the scent
This is Italy’s largest island
What is Sicily? The island’s capital city is Palermo. Sicily has its own language, not a dialect of Italian. Sicily is home to the best-preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece and to Syracuse, the second-most important ancient Greek city.
In the store, it’s a length of fabric wound around a cardboard tube; in nature, it’s a unit of lightning
What is a bolt? Lengths of bolts vary widely based on manufacturer and fabric type, but many bolts contain between 30 and 100 yards of fabric.
In the United States, the clocks “spring” this way on the second Sunday in March
What is forward? An easy way to remember the daylight saving time changes is to think “spring forward” in the spring and “fall back” in the fall
When the warmer weather of spring arrives, you want your ceiling fans to move air in this direction.
What is down/counterclockwise? When warmer weather comes, the fan blades should move counterclockwise to push the air down toward the floor to make the room feel cooler.
A shamrock has this number of leaves.
What is three? To the Irish, the three-leaf clover is associated with Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity. A four-leaf clover symbolizes good luck.
The 1943 penny was not made of copper; it was made of this alternate metal
What is steel? The wartime penny was coated with zinc
This Italian city is the city of canals.
What is Venice? The city is comprised of 118 islands, all linked by the canals. When the high tide, known as acqua alta, comes in, the streets flood. Venice is built on approximately 120,000 wooden piles. Don’t miss out on a gondola ride while you’re there.
When you purchase a mercerized sewing necessity, you are buying this.
What is a thread? Mercerized thread is a chemically treated cotton thread with enhanced strength and color durability
Among the first sounds of spring in many parts of the world are those of these migrating animals resting in the trees.
What are birds? Their migration can start as early as mid-February, depending on the weather and location
If you’re drowning in bric-a-brac, this is the very first thing on your spring cleaning task list.
What is decluttering? If you have clutter throughout the house, it makes deep cleaning a difficult task. This also provides an opportunity to clear out items and either donate them or dispose of them
Keep a close eye on this mischievous little man dressed in green, and he might reveal where he keeps his treasure.
What is a leprechaun? The lucky leprechauns are part of Irish folklore. They are also referred to as “wee folk” or “little people,” and stand between two and three feet tall. You’ll often see them standing beside a pot of gold.
These large stores served as anchors in malls
What are department stores? Most of the old department stores have either consolidated or gone out of business. Malls of the past are rare today, and many of them have been reconfigured into office space, residential buildings, and medical centers.
This city is the birthplace of the Renaissance
What is Florence? In addition to its many museums, the city itself serves as an outdoor art gallery. You can see paintings, sculptures, and magnificent architecture. It was the home of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli
You’d be correct if you knew this term for the pretty side of the fabric that is seen when you wear the garment
What is the right side? The wrong side does not include the features of the right side and faces inward.
The first day of astronomical spring, on which the sun is directly over the equator, is called this.
What is the spring equinox? On or around this date, daytime and nighttime are equal in length.
Martha Stewart’s trick for cleaning coffee grinders is to run this food item through them.
What is bread? Just add a few pieces of bread to the grinder and grind as you would coffee. It will soak up the coffee grinds and the oil
St. Patrick was born here.
What is (Roman) Britain? Though he is the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain, in what is now Scotland, around the year 385. March 17 is the day of his death as well as his Catholic feast day
These stand-up collars were popular in the 1970s
What are Nehru collars? They were named after India’s Prime Minister Nehru. Today they are making an updated comeback in men’s shirts.
This lake area is a celebrity magnet, with George Clooney owning a vacation home there, and it has 100 miles (160 kilometers) of coastline.
What is Lake Como? The Romans built the first villas (what we call mansions) on the lake. You can travel between the lakeside cities by ferry to see the splendid architecture. You’ll spot artists along the streets, as the coastline has drawn writers, painters, musicians, and filmmakers for centuries. Ocean’s Twelve was filmed there.
These structured folds are named after a box-shaped German musical instrument.
What are accordion pleats? This is an advanced technique, not suitable for those without patience. Some fabrics, such as polyester and satin, enable you to create permanent pleats.
If you live in New England, the maple trees give you this sign that spring has arrived
What is sap? Maple trees release their sap in the spring. Watch for squirrels poking around maple trees; they’re hunting for their sugar fix.
This natural abrasive can help clean a cast-iron skillet
What is salt? Rub coarse salt into the pan with a paper towel or cloth, rinse, and dry thoroughly
At 1,553 miles (2,500 km), Ireland is home to this scenic drive, the longest uninterrupted coastal route in the world.
What is the Wild Atlantic Way? The road stretches down the entire western coast of Ireland, from the border of Northern Ireland to Kinsale in the south.
Car dashboards made of this material have all but disappeared
What is wood? Like most things, wooden dashboards have been replaced with plastic. However, aftermarket wooden kits are available
This 50-kilometer coastline, stretching from Sorrento to Salerno, is breathtaking and is often photographed and painted
What is the Amalfi Coast? Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello are three of the 17 towns that dot the coastline with their watercolor facades overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
A gusset is either a diamond or this shape of fabric.
What is a triangle? A gusset is sewn into a tight-fitting area of clothing to relieve stress placed on the fabric; for example, into the upper arm area of some fitted dresses. The technique is rarely used today
This alternate name for the spring equinox comes from the Latin word meaning “of the spring.
What is vernal? There are only two times per year that one of Earth’s poles is not tilted toward the sun: the spring and fall equinoxes
This Arthur Conan Doyle book is where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson make their first appearance
What is A Study in Scarlet? It was published in 1887 in Britain and in 1890 in the United States. Before delving into the plot, we learn about the background of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes and how they became roommates