Living Well Etc.

  Eat Well, Spend Less, and Engage Children This Holiday Season As a young mother, many years later a small business owner, now retired, I've always found ways to save money.   The holidays often bring budget-busting challenges, especially when hosting the extended-family Thanksgiving dinner.  However, after 30+ years of hosting, I've come up with some great money-saving tips.  Follow along as I share mine with you.    Decorate with found objects or real fruit and vegetables. Feeding a large group of people doesn't leave much room in the budget for decorations.  This doesn't have to be an issue as most of us have just the right table centerpiece in our own homes.   I often dress a large oval plate with leaves, pine needles, or herbs from my garden.  On top of this, I arrange fruit, vegetables, nuts, pinecones...whatever I can find that looks appealing.  One year, I filled the plate with bright orange persimmons accented with vibrant yellow Euryops flowers—b

  Holiday dinners with the Italian side of my family are some of my best memories.  With Thanksgiving coming up very soon, those memories are playing with my sense of reality, as fond memories tend to do.  I just want to jump into those visions and be that little girl watching my grandpa, as head of the family, command everyone to "mangiare" (eat).  These events were full of playful banter and the occasional heated discussion that always ended in laughter and wine.  Nevertheless, for the most part, they were centered around dining—cooking, drinking good wine, sharing, and eating.  One really can't just sit at the table and chow down though.  This is especially true at the Italian table.  I noticed this on our latest trip to Italy as well.  Our interactions with one another are very important.  And we weave our interactions around the meal.  It's like an intricate dance of interaction and precise utensil usage, all the while complimenting the abundance of d

  All Treats and No Tricks for Those Who Go Green As an avid recycler, composter, and green gardener, I use every opportunity to be green .  Halloween can be a bit tricky but offers us a chance to be inventive with our eco-friendly efforts.  Let's explore some of my favorite green and eco-friendly ways to celebrate this ghoulish holiday. Trick or Treat Goodies Treats don't always have to be food .   In fact, most candy packaging is excessive with a tiny treat packaged inside paper, packaged inside plastic, making most a non-green option.      As a retired teacher and gardener, my favorite choices are recycled bookmarks, stickers, and seed packets.   Ghostly Parties Halloween parties are a much better green option for serving organic, home-baked goodies in a safe environment.   Involving children in the planning, baking and hosting makes this an even more memorable event.   Compostable Invitations Begin by hand-delivering handmade invitations for those who don

A party is a perfect time to teach children the importance of hosting.   After all, a host is attending to the needs of others.   This type of selfless giving may assist in the child learning empathy, which is difficult to teach at times.   However, a child is not hired help and shouldn’t be treated as such.   So, she/he as an assistant host should be elective.   Plus, consider what type of party you are hosting.  A loud drink-fest is not an appropriate setting for children.   Teachable Moment  Pro-Tip Parent and plan your party well.   Set expectations and practice with your child well ahead of the party. Suggestions for the Child As a door monitor, smile, maintain good eye contact, and introduce yourself to the arriving guest. When answering the door, you would initiate the introduction and handshake.  Offer to take the guest’s coat and purse and put them away. Lead guests into the home to greet the parents or to introduce them to other guests. Offer the gues

  The Hostess Gift An invitation to another’s home is a privilege and honor, so the good guest would behave as such.   Guests should bring some type of gift such as a bottle of wine, flowers, or even a single rose as a token of appreciation.   Note : It’s much easier for the host if flowers are already in a vase.   Dollar stores usually have nice ones in stock.   One dollar and done! Must-Follow Rules Guests should avoid picking up or reading notes laying around, entering rooms uninvited, putting feet up on the furniture, or indulging in anything unoffered.   After the gathering, guests should also write a thank-you note thanking the host for including him/her. More by Rebecca How to Avoid the Biggest Party Planning Mistakes How to Create a Great Guest List Party Hosting Reluctance: Why and How to Overcome it?

  Dear Rebecca, What are the biggest party mistakes people typically make?   Is there a magic formula to planning correctly? Just Asking Dear Just Asking , No one wants to sit next to a bore or attend a party and not know anyone but the host.   These two mistakes are preventable.   Always create a guest list with ultimate care.   And don’t sit two shy, quiet people next to each other; neither will initiate a conversation.   I also find it especially offensive when a host expects his guests to cater his party or if it is to be held in a restaurant , expecting the guests to pay for their owns meals.   Very poor manners. Always consider who your guests are, what they prefer, and provide it.  This is your magic formula.   Most sincerely, Rebecca More by Rebecca The ABCs of Party Planning How to Create a Great Guest List Party Hosting Reluctance: Why and How to Overcome it?