There was a link about a month ago about the same thing. I had seen these a few years ago... They were call Waxz or something. They are definitely treating them as disposable. Look for the bulb butchery thread... These were discussed there. K Here is a link that might be useful: Same type of wax-dipped bulbs....sad...

I love this blog on the Christmas tree debate. Well, I will be 80 this September and I never put up a Christmas tree last year because my beloved Westie passed away around last Thanksgiving, then this year there was a family issue which has not been resolved and also lost our beloved Scottie; therefore, I feel like Christmas has never really happened yet. I have a beautiful tree in my dining room with children's vintage toys under it and a beautiful flocked tree, more formal, in my living room, both decorated with 60 years of collectible beautiful ornaments. I don't light them unless for a special occasion, but they give me inner peace, comfort, and helps me de-stress. I know that some people think this is strange, but I remember reading when Carrie Fisher passed away, she always had a tree up year round. At my age, I think everyone should do what makes them happy!

A Craftsman house in my area in the 1920's or so would have had a treasured item or three displayed on the dining table. Curtains would have been opened all the way to make the sunlight brighten the room. Try picking three new items per month to rotate on display. Another Craftsman display feature was a plate rail. And of course, there are many wall mounted curio shelves with glass doors that can be installed at eye level for your LLadro and Beleek. Add battery operated LED lights that are motion activated if you have a dark room. Some people use their Beleek to hold flowers or as catch-alls on the kitchen window sill. It works for some people who don't have rambunctious sink users. A bit of museum putty may help the stability.

Hello! I keep most of my plants in their planter pots and set them into decorative pots around my apartment. After I water them, I take the planter pots out to discard of any standing water in the decorative pots and their saucers. I keep noticing these tiny pests crawling around in the saucers and decorative pots and underneath the planter pots when I do so (see picture below). The insects are very small and range from black, to silver, to almost beige in color. They don’t jump when I disturb them, just carry on with their crawling around. Any thoughts on what they are and what I can do to get rid of them permanently? My temporary fix has been to squish them with a paper towel and discard of them that way, but I’d like a more sustainable suggestion! thank you! Aya