Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Do's and Don't of a Great Party Guest

How many holiday parties do you have this year?  Make sure you know what is appropriate for what kind of party with the blog below.  We have gathered seven tips that will get you through this holiday party season. You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.








DON'T:

1. Show up right on time.
For most people it's second nature to show up at least 15 minutes late to a big gathering, but the perpetually punctual may have trouble with this. If you find yourself arriving at party within 15 minutes of the stated start time, nip around the corner for a coffee, or hang out at a bookstore for a bit, or just sit in your car. This will give your host a little breathing room and ensure that you don't walk in on them doing frantic last minute preparations.

A few exceptions to the rule: dinner parties, where it's rude to show up more than 15 minutes late. And any party where you know the hostess very well and feel comfortable offering to help out — in that case your punctuality (or even earliness) will probably be welcomed.

2. Bring something that requires a lot of prep.
If you're bringing something to the party, good on you. But don't bring something that will require a ton of prep space or kitchen time on the party end. Chances are your host has been cooking all day and counter space in the kitchen is at a premium. If you're in there chopping things and looking for bowls and knives and whatnot, things can get chaotic.

3. ''Ghost' without saying goodbye to your host.
You don't have to make a big deal of announcing your exit to every guest at the party, but you should at least find your host and let them know that you had a lovely time but unfortunately you have to leave. This will keep them from fielding questions about what happened to so-and-so all night long.
DO:

1. RSVP.
The art of the RSVP is dead, y'all. The number one gripe I hear from friends who host parties is that people don't RSVP, or they do and then don't show up, so it's almost impossible to tell who is coming to your party and how much food you need. So if you get an invite to a party, and you think you'd like to go, click 'yes'. Really, it's not that hard.

2. Offer to bring something.
Chances are good that your host will say you don't need to bring anything at all, just yourself, but offering anyway is standard party etiquette. It's also a way to help your hostess defray the cost of the party, which sometimes can run pretty high. And if you are asked to bring something, for gosh sakes, don't take it home with you at the end of the night (unless your host specifically asks you to).

3. Talk to people you don't know.
Sure, all your friends are at the party. But these are all people you'll see again — how are you gonna meet new people if you just stick with your group all the time? Go by yourself to get food or drink — this is a pretty natural time to chat up people you don't know. Talking to new people is also a HUGE favor to your hostess, who will have to worry less about guests who don't know a lot of people at the party.

4. Say thanks.
Throwing parties is lots of fun, but it's also hard work. And when you work hard at something, it's nice to have somebody else say: hey, thanks. Good job. Traditional etiquette dictates that you send a mailed thank-you note to your host: in modern times, this might seem a little over the top, but thanking your hostess when you leave (and maybe even in an email or text message the next day) will always be appreciated.

Gifts That Won't Break The Bank

The holiday season means there are many parties and gift giving events we all have to attend. However, these prices can add up after attending all of your holiday functions. We have found a few gift options that will not break the bank. Your friends and family will also appreciate these thoughtful gifts. You can learn more atApartment Therapy.





Give Your Time

Be it babysitting, dog walking or heck, even watering your neighbor's plants, your time is a valuable commodity and spending it for someone else, especially for something they need, is a great gift idea that will always be appreciated.



Give an Experience

Some experiences will cost you (like a trip or a show) but they don't have to. Surprising a loved one with a visit to a special place, to see a sorely-missed person or just with a unique, new experience that you can do together will probably be the best gift of the season and one they're likely remember for years to come.


Use Your Skills

Are you really good at doing something? We bet you are. We bet it's a valuable skill that other people would love to get a piece of. Why not use your baking, sewing, photography, graphic design or DIY skills to help someone you know who needs help in your area of expertise? You will feel so much more satisfied sharing something you love with someone you love than you would by charging something on your credit card.

5 Ways to Use Spent Coffee Grounds

Do you know those coffee grounds that you thought you could not use? There are five ways that you can re-purpose spent coffee grounds. Keep reading this blog to learn how you can use them for cleaning, compost, and other various home solutions. You can learn more at The Kitchn.





1. Compost

The great thing about sticking to simple brew methods that use only a paper filter and coffee grounds is that both are compostable. Used coffee grounds happen to be rich in nitrogen, which makes them great for composting. (Worms love coffee almost as much as you do!) In a compost pile, aim for a ratio of one part leaves to one part fresh grass clippings to one part coffee grounds. Keep in mind that freshly brewed coffee grounds won't have the same effect on your garden; you need to be sure that they have broken down and composted first.

2. Clean dishes

Because of the rough texture of coffee grounds, they work great as an abrasive, which means you can use them to clean tough-to-wash dishes. Simply place some grounds into a cleaning rag and twist the ends with a rubber band to secure them in place. Then you have an excellent DIY coffee sponge to clean with.

3. Exfoliate

Just like coffee grounds are a good abrasive for cleaning your dishes and kitchenware, they can also serve as an exfoliant for your skin. Simply mix with equal parts olive oil and massage into your skin. The coffee grounds exfoliate, while the olive oil serves as a moisturizer.

4. Fix furniture scratches

Have a kitchen table that needs a little love? Mixed with warm water and vinegar, coffee can be rubbed into scratches to keep your furniture looking good as new.

5. Keep your refrigerator fresh

Similar to baking soda, coffee grounds can serve as a deodorizer. Simply place a bowl of grounds in your refrigerator to suck up all the bad smells.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving break!

Holiday Travel Tips

Are you traveling home for your holiday breaks?  If you have to go close or far, these tips will help you survive the traveling season.  Keep reading and you can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Air travel anytime can be a hassle, but during holiday rush times, it can really get stressful. The crowds, delays, winter weather, a packed schedule once you arrive at your destination; it all adds up. But, there are things you can do to make the whole process easier. Start planning now to avoid headaches later:

1. Get smart about carry-on policies:

While most common airlines in the U.S. are still offering free carry-ons, Spirit and Frontier no longer offer free carry-ons, ONLY personal items. Think anything small enough to fit under the seat in front of you. Rumor has it that many airlines in the U.S. are going to be switching their policies soon, so watch for potential mark-ups. Spirit charges $100 for a carry-on at the gate and Frontier charges $50.

2. Pre-pay for checked bags:

If you are going to use checked bags or you are flying on Spirit or Frontier, pay for your bags when you buy your flight to get the best price. This will require you to buy through the airlines' respective websites, but it's worth it to save the money.

3. Use a bag that fits under the seat, but maximizes space:

The average space under the seat of an airplane is about 20 inches tall and about the same width. This isn't much space, but it often goes unused. With all the changes in flight policies, I guarantee you'll be using it a lot more. I've been test driving a few bags that maximize space and offer enough room for one laptop, a small purse and three days worth of clothing and have landed on one that is 18.5 inches wide and 13.5 inches high - just the right amount of real estate to actually be useful. In fact, I found it holds just as much as my traditional carry-on roller held.

4. Ship presents directly to your family and friends:

There are two ways to be smart about this: plan ahead and shop online only and then ship items directly to recipients. Or shop small items and use flat rate shipping at the Post Office to send your items in bulk. Both options prevent huge total spending increases and guarantee quick delivery.

5. Pre-order gifts from local retailers and pick up when you arrive at your destination:

Searching for the best local shops at your holiday destination is a great way to support local communities. If they don't have online ordering, simply call. Most shops are happy to hold items for you if you are willing to pre-pay over the phone. Even most big box stores will let you place an order online and pick up the item at your destination of choice as long as they have a local store there.

6. Print your boarding passes at home:

Holiday travel ultimately means lines. Lots of lines. Avoid one of them entirely by checking in for your flight before you leave the house and printing your boarding pass at home too.
7. Be smarter with your smartphone:

Did you know you can Google any flight number in the United States and get instant flight status? This is a simple life saver that can keep you in the loop when airlines aren't doing a great job of giving you updates. Additionally, apps likeTripIt keep track of multi-leg travel plans with even more ease by setting up the trips like a calendar.
8: Pack external battery power in your carry-on:

Power charging stations are becoming more and more common at airports, but there are never enough. Get a backup charger with an Anker External Battery or something similar.

9. Avoid Uber Surge Pricing:

Uber is a great way to get to the airport, but I would bet that won't be the case during the holidays. Surge pricing could mean your ride to the airport is more expensive than the trip itself. Consider a service like Lyft instead or, better yet, take public transit. If those aren't options, ask around— lots of people at your workplace or in your neighborhood are probably also traveling for the holidays and splitting parking may be the cheapest route.

10. Travel on the holiday itself:

The day before a major holiday is always a headache at the airport and can often be the most expensive flights. Check flights on the holiday itself and just try to get in early. You'll not only save money, you'll save a ton of time.


What are your tried and true travel tips?

Get Your Laundry Done

Do you find yourself at the end of the month or week with piles of laundry. The "laundry monster" is something that no one wants to see. However, there are ways to prevent this giant pile up of dirty clothes. Here are some great tips on how to keep away the laundry beast from showing up in your home. You can learn more atApartment Therapy.







Anyone else at war with piles upon piles of laundry? It never occurred to me how much motherhood and laundry go together, but here we are! While it's still an uphill battle, I have learned that some things (when I actually do them) help keep the relentless laundry situation under control.
FIVE STEPS TO TAMING THE LAUNDRY BEAST:


A load a day.Obviously, this will be way too excessive for some people, but for anyone with a couple kids or more, this amount of laundry is just about right —and will save you from a day or more that's consumed by catching up with laundry. Early on in my homekeeping life, I came across Flylady. Her mantra of "A load a day keeps CHAOS away" has been burned into my memory, in large part because I've found it to be true in my experience. (Note: "CHAOS" stands for "can't have anyone over syndrome.")

Follow through with each load.Load goes in the wash, then the dryer (or hung to dry), then gets folded or hung and then gets put away. My laundry troubles come when I linger too long between steps and loads begin to pile up at the clean end. I like to "save" folding for when my kids are in bed and I watch a TV show, but if I'm behind at all, then this means piles that I probably won't get through will be waiting for me... and grow and multiply. If I really mean business with keeping up, I'd fold right after the load is dry and then put it away. Honestly, this never happens. I'm still learning.

Address your sticking point.Usually there's a part of laundry that's a bit more of a mental block and this is what makes the piles grow and multiply. For me, it's putting the clothes away. I like putting the clothes in to wash and dry. And I even enjoy folding. But putting the clothes away is just not my favorite thing to do, and, alas, I often end up with several baskets of clean, folded laundry waiting to be put away.

Set up strategically.For me, this means that I have to think about putting clothes away before I start folding them; I have to make putting them away as painless as possible. I set out separate empty laundry baskets per room or person and put folded clothes in piles according to which drawer they go into. I also have hangers at the ready for clothes that need to be hung.

Make it fun.As with many chores in life that just have to get done, take a page out of Mary Poppins's book and make it fun. Turn on some music, make a party out of it, or reward yourself with a treat (chocolate, 15 minutes of pleasure reading, staring at the miraculously empty laundry baskets, whatever) when you accomplish either the laundry task as a whole (is anyone out there ever caught up with laundry???) or the part you dread most.
I'm going to go take my own advice and put away the piles of folded kids' clothes so my son doesn't have to dig for clean Ninja Turtle undies after bathtime tonight.