Tag: Family

Entertaining
Make Your Holiday Party A Resounding Success

Parties are a staple of the holiday season. Everyone from co-workers to friends and families are getting together to celebrate another year gone by. If you plan to throw a holiday party, there are some simple tips you can follow to make your party a success. Your party doesn’t even have to be expensive or fancy or formal, it just has to be fun. 

Set The Date Early

People’s calendars fill up fast, especially during the holiday season. The earlier you can set your party date, the better. And once you pick a date, stick with it. Get those invitations out so potential guests can RSVP as early as possible. While the weekends are the most popular days for parties, a Friday night will also work. 

Who Are You Inviting?

There’s a huge difference between a party with just family and a party with co-workers and a larger group of friends. The former is going to be much more intimate because you know your family well and can make a pretty good guess about what they’ll expect. On the other hand, a party for co-workers and/or large groups of friends is much broader. 

Do The Cooking Ahead Of Time

You don’t want to miss your own party. Get all the cooking out of the way before your guests arrive so you can enjoy their company instead of being tied to the kitchen all night. The food will involve a lot of planning on your part, but good food can make a great party even better. Also, don’t forget about guests with food allergies. There’s nothing worse than showing up for a holiday party and realizing you can’t eat anything. Have a variety of snacks and drinks on hand for everyone to enjoy. 

If your party is for your co-workers, be mindful of the alcohol you serve. This is always a touchy subject so it’s worth mentioning. Nothing will be more awkward than going back to work after one or more of your co-workers got drunk and ruined the party. Don’t be afraid to cut someone off if they’re getting a little too tipsy. And keep a large variety of non-alcoholic drinks available for those who choose not to imbibe. 

Party Games

You’re never too old to play games. Plan some games your guests can play while waiting for dinner, as an icebreaker at the beginning of the party, or just as a way to keep everyone engaged. Games will also keep your guests interacting with one another, ensuring no one feels left out. Try to think of games that are easy to play and won’t require a lot of instruction. Classic games such as holiday-themed Pictionary or trivia games like Scene It are always popular. But feel free to get creative with your games and come up with your own. And remember, it’s okay to be silly. 

Relax!

Throwing a party can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Do you really think anyone will notice if you forgot a decoration or two? Will the party be ruined if you have plain white napkins instead of holiday-themed napkins? Probably not. Keep things in perspective. Guests will remember the fun they had, not all the little details you spent so much time stressing out over. 

Also, make sure to enlist the help of others. For example, if cooking is not your thing, then have the party catered. Or make it a potluck, where all the guests bring a dish for everyone to enjoy. If you know someone who is good with games, make them in charge of picking and running the games for the night. 

Finally, the holidays only come around once a year. Throw the kind of party that you would want to attend.

Dining
How To Design A Modern And Stylish Dining Room For Your Family

Designing a modern and stylish dining room is one of the most improtant things that you can do for your family. Setting up the dining room to be a fun plac eto eat makes every meal just a little bit more special, and you will feel as though you have taken control of the design of your home. The dining room is not the most valuable room in the house, but it could be the most stylish if you try these steps.

1. Bring All The Furniture Into The Room

You need to bring in the buffet where you can serve people, the China cabinet, the corner cabinet with all the nice accessories, and even a place to set your silver tea service. These items should populate the room to make it look much more welcoming and homely. A stark dining room looks like it never feeds anyone, but a room with all the furniture clearly feeds large groups of people on a regular basis.

2. Change The Drapes

Most dining rooms have windows, but they likely do not have very flattering drapes. You need to change the drapes so that you can control light that comes in and out of the room. You also need to use drapes that will add to the color of the room. You have likely chosen a color to paint the walls, and you need to use drapes that will pay along with the colors.

3. Paint The Walls

You must paint the walls a color that you believe is indicative of your style. You can paint opposing walls the same color while choosing a different or accent color for the other walls. You also need to use paint that you know will give you good coverage. You might even go so far as painting the ceiling. This is important because it is the only way to create an atmosphere in the space.

4. Add Recessed Lighting

You need to have soft lights in the space that will be easy to use, and you should put them on a dimmer so that you can pick the exact level of light that you need. You could use recessed lighting to help keep the space as comfortable as possible, and you can use softer bulbs in the chandelier so that you are not making the lights the center of attention.

5. The Table And Chairs

You must use a table and chairs that are your style. You could get something very modern, or you could choose something that is very traditional. You can get a table and chairs in any color you like, and you could choose colors that will accent the room perfectly. You might want to a table that will easily accept a tablecloth, and you must choose a table that you can fold out or use a leaf to expand. A table that expands helps bring everyone together for a big meal.

6. Conclusion

There are many people who will want to make a much nicer and more modern dining room. However, they often do not know where to start. The dining room is something that you must take great care to decorate in the right way. You will find that you can change the walls, the lighting, the furniture, and the styling to your liking.