Category Archives: Entertaining Ideas
Delightful DĂ©cor and Food Displays for Baby Showers
Nothing is quite as exciting as welcoming a new baby into the world! Before the little one arrives, friends and family members often shower the mom and dad with gifts. But a baby shower is not only about making sure mom and dad are equipped with all the items they’ll need as new parents, it’s a special celebration! If you are hosting or helping throw a baby shower this spring, here is some fantastic inspiration for making this occasion extra special! Hostess With The Mostess has tons of cute ideas for decoration that you couldn’t find at your typical party store. We love this baby shower dĂ©cor with its trendy chevron stripes and adorable elephants in a pretty turquoise color scheme. The tiered baskets would also be a great way to serve snacks like gourmet nuts and mints. Instead of baby elephants, you can incorporate small birdies and make it a “Welcome to the Nest” baby shower! Here are some wonderful ideas for invitations and dĂ©cor for this whimsical theme. Will the gender of the baby be a surprise? Take a look at this boy-girl baby shower with a gorgeous teal and red theme, from the decorations down to the food. Here’s …
Wine & Cheese Pairing 101
Making wine is an art, but enjoying wine can be an art as well. And while wine pairing requires a little know-how, anyone can dabble in the art of enjoying wine with cheese. Here are a few basic guidelines to get you started. You can’t go wrong with white wine and cheese. Many white wines go nicely with cheese because of their lively acidity and lack of tannins. When it comes to reds, choose wines that are low-tannin, high in acidity, fruity in flavor, or lower in alcohol. Darker, tannin red wines are best with cheddar or jack cheese and other harder, saltier cow’s milk cheeses. Just remember that “tannins need fat,” as Honest Cooking magazine puts it. Don’t forget that cheese is food, so you can always fall back on the most basic rule of wine and food pairing. We like how Eatocracy words it: “Just as lighter wines tend to go better with lighter foods and heavier wines with heavier foods, lighter cheeses are better with lighter wines.” If all else fails, just have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment! You can’t really make mistakes when it comes to wine pairing, you’ll just notice that certain pairings …
How to Keep a Surprise Birthday Party a Surprise
Who doesn’t love surprises? If you’ve been lucky enough to have one thrown in your honor, then you know that a surprise party is one of the most exciting gifts you can receive on your birthday! Not only do they make you feel special, but they let you really enjoy your birthday celebration because all the planning and coordinating is done for you! If you’re thinking about hosting a surprise birthday party for a friend or loved one, we have some tips and ideas to make the process go as smoothly as possible. The Guest List This one is easiest when the guest of honor is a kid. Parents undoubtedly know their children’s closest friends. If your honoree is an adult or even a teen, putting together the guest list can be a little bit trickier. Remember, you have to coordinate all the guests’ arrival without the birthday boy or girl finding out! A great way to keep the number of invitations manageable is to decide early on if you want to host a family or friend-focused event. Most folks have a few close friends who also count as family, but otherwise try to stick to your decision and invite one or …