The Little Things
Don’t Forget The Extras

By Ellen Thompson

Fold and tuck, fold and tuck; now to apply the tape and the gift will be wrapped. Now to apply the tape… where is the tape?! Of course, this happens every holiday season – without fail. It’s either on the afternoon of the first evening of Hanukkah or the night before Christmas and all you know is that your Scotch tape roll is spinning bare in the plastic holder.

Before it happens again this year, we have a good idea for you: write up that checklist you seem to avoid every year around this time. Now let’s see, what to put on it? What are we forgetting, but know we’ll need when it comes time for every convenient store in the neighborhood to lock up for the holiday evenings?

Cooking wise, you’re going to want to make sure you have a working oven thermometer and baster, that is, if you’re cooking poultry for Hanukkah or Christmas dinner. Nobody really likes their bird dry or undercooked, now do they? The other necessity you may need in the kitchen would be baking soda, for cakes and cookies… and not to mention, the odor that could linger as that seven-fish feast sits in the fridge. Ice would be helpful as well, along with those condiments most people seem to enjoy, you know, salt and pepper.

All right, what else is important? Ah ha, yes, keeping with the holiday spirit throughout your house. This is going to call for a ladder, so make sure you have one in your garage – and not that you think you have it, but make sure you put it back after you used it last month to dredge the leaves out of the gutters. You would hate to need the ladder and then find out that your neighbor who skipped town for the season has it safely stored in his garage after failing to return it.

Thumbtacks and extension cords would be most crucial in stringing the holiday spirit throughout your home as well. You also want to make sure you have the candles for the menorah and batteries for the animated decorations and gifts that will be unwrapped.

Finally, you don’t want to forget the little things that will help when the holiday takes a slight turn for the worse. Check through the medicine cabinet and make sure you have enough soap, Tylenol, and a first aid kit. Oh yeah, and toilet paper.