How to Get Great Guests!

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I’m making my list and checking it twice.

This next week I’m hosting 4 different social get-togethers at our home. I know, I know. Can’t I say no? Truthfully, I didn’t want to and am looking forward to it all. Life is about balance, and I have a dear friend in palliative care at home for her last few weeks, whom I’m hoping to help out. The celebrations of the season is a nice balance to all that. In actuality, it’s more of a coinciding partnership. It’s all about the love and light of the season, whether I’m with my friend, who’s the light of so many people’s lives, or whether I’m with my family and friends and the light shining from everyone here.

How am I going to make this as stress free, as flowing, as easy as possible? We certainly can try. Today, we’re vegging here at home, and like I started out, making my list. It’s a little downtime before for the up time during the downtime.

The only way to make it flow is to make sure your guests are great! How can you control that? Some of it comes from pre-paration. Delegating jobs and encouraging contribution.

Never say no to guests asking what they can bring. I always ask them what their specialty is. This is usually something they like making and is easy for them because they’ve done it many times before. Effortless as possible. They are already happy guests and the party hasn’t begun.

Always make the party BYOB and have some extra on hand, like a non-alcoholic punch, some homemade irish cream, and some rum and eggnog.

Provide Ambience: Lights of the season. Candle lights, soft lamps, strings of lights, lit up cabinetry, all of it! I have coloured lights hanging from my clothesline. We have a hot tub, and I play Caribbean Christmas songs on the outside speakers at this time of year. Add a fire-starter to the chimnea and voila! Pure delight.

Make the menu malleable. We are fortunate enough to have a freezer full of food that we bought when it was on sale. I see the bag of shrimp. I’m going to fry them up and serve them with a jar of thai dipping sauce I bought from the local farmers market for our Christmas eve party. Guests are bringing snack foods. I created an event on facebook and specified that snack foods would be welcome. Do you like my little ‘Santa Hats’?

Leftover turkey will be used to make casserole for the gluten free types on the guest list on boxing day. With some brown and wild rice, a nice salad, and a dessert contribution from a happy guest. Of course another guest or two has brought some hors deuvres types, and I’ve laid out some cheeses, grapes etc. I can get a guest to make up that tray while they’re here.Perhaps a spicy soup, like pepper squash, or toasted red pepper and tomato? Yes, red is needed.

Provide provisions: Meaning bedding, an air mattress, when needed, or even a nap spot for that hung over Gen Xer, or the senior citizen to revive. Fresh water in a glass pitcher only $2 from the local thrift store will be waiting in the room. :)

Sometimes your guests overlap to two or more events, and that gives YOU the opportunity to let them help out from one event to the next. But don’t forget, you’re going to impress someone new with each festivity. Add music, lights, then ACTION! Open the door, let’em in!

Bling Bling Bling!

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Tis the Season of light! What that means to your home is reflection, brightness, shiny bling, candle light, glitter.

“Sprinkle with Twinkle”

Why are we so attracted to sparkles, shine, dazzle and light? Because they’re beautiful and eye-catching. I believe in adding lights to plants, adding garland to balconies, adding tea light candles to wine glasses. Anything to bring pizazz to the space by just small doses of “sprinkle” to make your house “twinkle”.

Lights, silver, action! Holiday parties, dinners, gift exchanges, tree trimming, wrapping, baking, shopping. Away we go!

Decorating your space in the spirit of the season helps you get into the mood. If you haven’t done anything yet, book your time slot! Get it done. Believe me, it will be worth the effort. You will feel caught up to your friends, family and neighbours by that mere task.

Add bling with silver and gold on your tree, and lots and lots of white lights. Glass ornaments abound this year. Reflection is bling. This season the combination of silver and gold is seen with designers everywhere. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

Add bling to your dining room with white candles in glass candlesticks, perhaps a trifle bowl full of silver or gold ornaments. Re-pour your rye and rum into glass or crystal decanters. I buy them from the thrift stores.

Add bling by putting out your glassware, stemware, on your dining sideboard as if you’re ready for the party! I bought some silver chargers from the dollar store today. $2 a piece!

Here’s my Christmas tree. It warms the spirit to put your tree up, believe me, if you haven’t done it already, book the time and play your favourite holiday tunes, and voila!

There are tons of great silver and gold ornaments and holiday items at the dollar store. I’ve got to get out there again today.

Ok, I’m back. I love the dollar store! I will show you my kitchen for the next post.

Have you added any bling yet?

A-B-C’s of Kids De-Cluttering for the Season

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Well, Christmas is just around the corner now, and how are YOU going to get the kids on board in your preparations?  This is the best time of year to motivate them to action:

A: Abbreviate some of their toys. Use this time of year to your advantage. They are aware if they are school aged kids, that there are kids less fortunate who might not have a Christmas as abundant as their own. Pull at their heartstrings by encouraging them to donate some of their toys, and make room for the toys they will receive on Christmas day.

B: Be on top of  their chores. Bribery works at this time of year, especially with the toddlers who want to be good for Santa Claus!  Create a chore list, and sell it just as a new holiday chore list. Then, for the new year, motivate them with the adult tradition of New Years Resolutions for their chores.

There are lots of ideas for chore lists on www.Pinterest.com..

Set the timer for 4  to 20 minutes according to age. A rule of thumb for children’s attention span is their age + 2 minutes. Even adults should only be expected to work 20 minutes of focused time. The timer works because the ticking keeps them on track. Make it a race, or contest.

C. Cooperate with a parent. If you are vacuuming, baking, doing dishes, de-cluttering, or shining the taps for company coming over, Delegate a chore for everyone an hour ahead of time with the incentive of enjoying the company together. “Aunt Patti and Uncle Jim aren’t coming over until we have the place tidy for them” might work.

This season is one for family, joy, light and laughter. Play play play, no matter what you’re doing. Turn everything into a game. My mom always seemed to be in a bad mood when doing housework for a family of 8. I got a real paradigm shift one day, when I paid a friend to do some housework. She looked up from vacuuming and smiled! That was the first time I ever saw that in my life, I realized. Involve your kids and everyone will win.

Cozy Fires in My Home

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This chimnea is sitting beside my hottub. Talk about a little romantic getaway right in my very own backyard after dark! For a couple of years I didn’t even use it, but I found chunks of firestarter at Dollarama, and broke it up into 4 peices. Yes, that means only 25 cents for a fire that lasts 20 minutes. That’s as long as I sit in the hottub at one time. We have outdoor speakers also, so if you hear the music on in my neighbourhood at night, don’t go looking for it! I may be having a private romantic moment with my sweet man of happiness!

Another ‘romantic fire’ we have in our home is on the TV in our bedroom…tucked away on the top shelf of a custom closet made just for it. The fireplace DVD is always handy. My husband never has to guess if I’m in the mood when I start THAT movie! There is a crackling sound, and ladies, the lighting is perfect for our skin!

 


5 Small Steps to Start your Holiday Season

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I just can’t help it! I have to start writing about the season. The blanket of snow outside my front porch is so beautiful at the moment, while I’m cozy in my robe. I’m allowed, today, because I just finished my 2 12 hour night shifts at the hospital. This 5 day-off segment is going to be packed full of both business and social activities.

I’ve been surfing and reading about the trends in holiday decorating for 2011, and none of it really surprises me.

This year you will see a blend of both silver and gold together in the same setting.

Bling, bling, bling! I love both, although I’ve been using silver the past few years.

This early in the season, there are a few things that you can do to get a head start on your holiday decor. Remember, think of the small steps, the tasks, rather than the whole project at hand.

1. A simple wreath in either natural green or pure white will show your neighbours that you’re in the spirit already.

2. The next time you’re in any store that has Christmas decor,  take a stroll down the aisle,  just for a look at what’s happening.

3. Have a peek at your boxes of last year’s decorations.  Are there things that you’ve tired of? If they don’t represent the holiday that you want this year, take a box over to your donation store. Someone else will surely enjoy them.

4. Personally, I wait for Dec 1 to put up my tree, but now is the time to start de-cluttering that space. Don’t add to the decor, replace instead. Simplify, simplify!

5. If you choose to send greeting cards this year, get out your address book, update it by checking the white pages on your computer for postal codes, addresses, etc. New friends this year? Business contacts? You may want to add them to your list. Just sayin’!

White bottles

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Found this pic on www.pinterest.com, which is, at this time, one of my favourite sites to visit. It’s like shopping for ideas, as  my niece Jessica puts it. My sisters are hooked, and now I got some of the girls at work hooked. These bottles have been painted on the inside by pouring the paint inside the bottles, shaking them all around. I know, I know. This is looking like the season is among us already, and it’s balmy out there! Yikes!

Open Concept Layout

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An open concept home proved to be a challenge for the target buyer to imagine their furniture placement. The white  kitchen cupboards dictated the look of the dining area. The sofa faces a fireplace and the whole area is lit by the wall of windows to the south. Even in this view, you can see 3 zones, or sitting areas. Enjoy!