Decorating for Family and Friends
Keeping an attractive home while raising a family and holding a job outside the home can be a challenge – it’s easy to get pulled in many different directions and feel as if you keep coming up short. Sometimes it takes the approaching holidays or a long-planned family event to force you to focus on pulling the house together; shopping for home fashions on a deadline can make even the most dedicated home décor enthusiast feel pressured.
The best way to decorate for family and friends is with a plan – if the bathroom needs updating, begin by listing what needs replacement (bathroom and shower faucets, shower curtain rod, shower curtain, etc.) because with a list in hand you can develop a timeline and a plan. Experts know that when grocery shopping without a list you often come home with things you didn’t want or need and even manage to forget to buy what you did need. It isn’t any different when it comes to home décor.
With a list in hand you can take the time that you need to browse and compare features and benefits of any home décor item you might need; this is easily done when you shop online where you can review thousands of items from all over the world with the click of a mouse. Shopping online is painless since you need never leave the house plus you can squeeze in a few moments here and there and tackle big projects in small steps.
Perhaps your child is ready to make the big move from a crib to a real bed. Research everything you need to know about toddler beds, bed rails , toddler bedding and how to migrate your child from a crib to a “grown-up” bed online and the entire experience will be much less traumatic when it’s time to actually make the move.
Party Finger Food Ideas
Party finger food ideas can be anything from a tasty little appetizer to really anything delicious that can be cut down to size. Veggies and dip, chicken fingers, nachos, finger sandwiches, meatballs, cheese, crackers and an assortment of cold sausage meats are easy to prepare and always appreciated.
Crab dip that contains salsa and cream cheese, salmon dip made from cream cheese, fruit and nut logs also contain cream cheese. Any of these can be made mild or spicy.
Cocktail wieners, shrimp, scallops wrapped with bacon, pot stickers, mini tuna melts and crescent rolls with cheese and ham are just some of the things that can be served.
If you are planning to serve an informal meal, think of things that are easy to place in a buffet style table. Casseroles, buns and deli meats, cheeses, salads of at least three different kinds such as vegetable, potato, and fruit to add color, texture and something for everyone.
Party food ideas vary widely depending on nationality and traditional foods of the place that you reside in, as well as who your guests are and where they come from. Birthday party food can be finger foods, buffet style foods, picnic or barbeque foods depending on the age group, the time of year and where you have the birthday party.
Traditionally, birthday food always comes to the climax with the entry of the birthday cake glowing with candles. People more often these days are tired of cake and want something different. Strawberries and cream, mud pie, fruit cocktails and banana splits made in a huge bowl, to name a few ideas, will support sparklers or candles. The important thing is to have fun and use your imagination.
Oktoberfest Party Games – Raise Your Glasses, Everyone!
Oktoberfest is known internationally for its beer, food and frivolity. To get into the spirit, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t bring a little bit of Germany to your abode and host an Oktoberfest party. Games like those below will be sure to raise a few laughs and liven up the occasion.
“Beer Jug Relay” Oktoberfest Party Game
This Oktoberfest party game is a great one for when everyone has partaken in a few ales! It needs to be played outside, as it could involve getting wet if you’re not careful. All that’s needed for this game is 4 large buckets, 2 beer jugs and a fairly long area in which to play the game. Before the game, fill 2 of the buckets and place them side by side at the starting line, and place the 2 empty buckets side by side at the finish line. Players split into two even teams and line up, with the person at the head of each line receiving a beer jug. The object of the game is for players to fill their team’s bucket at the finish line, by taking turns to transfer the “beer” from one bucket to the other. The trick is, each player must do this by filling the jug and balancing it on the palm of their hand as they walk down. The first team to transfer all their “beer” is the winner of this Oktoberfest party game.
“A what?” Oktoberfest Party Game
This is also a great game for when festivities are well underway. After a couple of beers, guests won’t know their “whits” from their “whats”. All that’s needed for this game is 2 small objects, for example a knife and a fork. Guests sit in a circle, and the two objects are given out randomly. The game starts by one of the players holding an object passing it to the person on their right, saying “This is a whit”. The person on the right replies “A what?” to which the first player responds “A whit”. This question-and-answer routine continues halfway around the circle, at which point the second object – a “watt” – is added to the circle and sent around in the opposite direction. Anyone who confuses their “whits” with their “watts” or their “whats” must leave the circle. The last 2 players left are the winners of this hilarious Oktoberfest party game.