I used to like monograms. I remember the serviettes we used at home when my mom was still alive. Every single one of them were monogrammed. To be honest I didn’t know what they really were for. I mean, we don’t even bring those serviettes out of the house. LOL. I just missed the point back then. Still, I found them cute

Then came personalized items.

There was a time during my third grade, when even hand towels were personalized. I had my first name sewn on my towels, the ones which I bring to school, just so I wouldn’t lose them. I was terrible with my stuff then. I almost always lose my towels and handkerchief. So see, having my name on some of my things had been quite a good idea then.

Personalized items make great gifts, too. However, the item really has to be something unique. An item that is special to the receiver would be more appreciated. For example, a sports fan may be given personalized footballs, an item collector may be given something to add to his or her collection.

Serviettes, hand towels, folding fans, pens and stationery. I’m pretty sure you have come across some personalized or even monogrammed ones. Do you think monogramming is passe? What about personalized items? Do you think they still make cool gifts?

Re-potting plants need not be a hassle. I successfully re-potted two houseplants yesterday in no more than 15 minutes.

It doesn’t take a genius to be able to re-pot plants. Knowing what to do and doing it with gentle hands will help a lot.

To those of you who would like to re-pot your plants, but are afraid of doing it wrong or damaging or harming the plant, here’s a video for you.

Good luck with re-potting! Take pictures when you’re done, ok?.

Collecting gold coins is a very rewarding hobby. Every piece is interesting, each one has a story. Best of all, gold coins never lose their value. For the die-hard coin collector, it’s not all about a coin’s monetary value.

Commemorative coins are even more valuable. They have both historical and cultural significance, therefore are meticulously designed and produced. Commemorative coins are works of art that collectors surely enjoy.

Any coin collection is an investment. And, to protect this investment, proper handling, care and storage is a must. After all, each piece of coin in a collection has time and money invested on it.

Proper Storage of Coin Collection

• To keep your most valuable coins from being scratched, store them in hard plastic cases or slabs.
• Coins that belong to a series maybe stored in folders or albums. However, this kind of storage is not recommended for valuable coins.
• Coin tubes is a common storage for coins that are currently in circulation.
• For coins that are of less value, acid-free paper sleeves can be used as storage.

Serious coin collectors not only invest on the collection itself, but on storage as well. Felt-lined drawers and boxes are great for very valuable coins. Remember, proper handling of coins is important. Dirt and grime from one’s hands may transfer on to the coins, and so the use of cotton gloves when handling valuable coins is highly recommended. Make sure that the table or the surface over which the coins are being handled is lined with a felt or cotton cloth, just in case a coin is accidentally dropped. No one wants a scratched coin.

The most important thing to remember, keep all coins clean. Here are some tips on how to clean coins.

Are you a coin collector? Then I am sure you have come across old, sometimes even “dirty” coins, the ones that sometimes have hardened soil on their surfaces. To some of you, that certainly wouldn’t do for your collection.

A note of caution, My Coin Collecting reminds us of the first rule of coin cleaning:

The first rule of coin cleaning is: If you don’t know its value, don’t clean it, or if you think it is valuable, don’t clean it, or if you know it is valuable, don’t clean it. In other words, do not clean your discovered coins; leave them untouched and stored in proper holders. The reason for this is that coin dealers and collectors are interested in purchasing coins in their original condition and natural state of preservation.

Cleaning Coins, My Coin Collecting

But! If you are still decided on cleaning the dirt off your coins, I have some very easy tricks.

Get the Dirt Off Your Old Coins

Mix together some baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice until the mixture reaches a pasty consistency. Rub this paste vigorously on the surface of the coin.

If the dirt is stubborn and still stuck on the coin, get half a cup of vinegar and pour it in an aluminum-lined bowl. Soak the coin in the vinegar overnight. The next day, repeat the process of rubbing the paste on the coin. This time, it would be much easier to remove the dirt as it had already been softened when the coin was soaked in vinegar.

Happy coin-collecting!

What about you? Do you have other tips on cleaning old coins? Let the community know by commenting on this post or by emailing me at blog@mommymakeitbetter.com. I’d be so happy to hear from you.