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Archive for the ‘Success Tips’ Category

Ideas for an Unforgettable Proposal

Posted in Entertaining Ideas, Musings, Success Tips, tagged , , , , , on January 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

If you couldn’t quite work up the courage at Christmas to pop the question, you’ve got another opportunity coming up that is very popular as a get-engaged holiday.

Valentine’s Day is all about love and romance – what better time to ask your sweetheart to be yours forever?

There is plenty of time to get creative with your proposal and make it uniquely special and memorable. Here are a few ideas:

• Food – you can spell out “Will You Marry Me” in any number of ways on food such as sliced olives on pizza, M&Ms on giant sugar cookie of blueberries on a pancake. You get the idea

• Toys – an Etch-a-Sketch or a Lite-Brite are perfect for spelling out those special words.

• Puzzle – order a custom puzzle with a photo of you two and the words “Will You Marry Me”. Do the puzzle together and be prepared for her stunned and excited expression.

• Treasure Hunt – make a map and hide “clues.” The treasure she will find in each location is an envelope with a card inside containing one word. Once she gathers all the envelopes, it should spell out, “Will You Marry Me?”

• Find Your Inner Poet – and write her a poem, a song or even make a video proposing to her.

• Use Nature – If you are on the beach, write it in the sand. Camping? Spell it out with rocks. Use flower petals to compose your proposal (best done on a not-windy day!).

• Get crafty – if you can cut and paste, you can make her a card using glitter, hearts, lace, asking her to marry you (she will keep this forever, I promise!). Go to  a craft store and gather up some cardstock, glue and Valentine-themed sparkles.

Dress in your best when you are doing this. If you have a shirt she loves to see you wear, put it on.

Also, most women do not want a huge audience when you pop the question so keep that in mind. Flashing it across a scoreboard at a game sounds great in theory, but think about how you’d feel if she said no in front of those thousands of sports fans.

Use your heart and your head and you’ll do just fine in coming up with a proposal you’ll  both remember for a lifetime!

She Who Loves Romance

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Holiday Baking Tips

Posted in Christmas, Entertaining at Home, Holidays, Success Tips, tagged , , , on December 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I’ve been up since way too early this morning working on my holiday baking. So far, I’ve turned four pounds of butter into chocolate peppermint kisses, gingerbread brownies, Russian teacakes, sugar cookies and seven layer bars.

As I’ve hustled through the baking, I thought of a few tips I wanted to share with you that make the process go so much easier.

• Invest in some good quality baking sheets. It honest-to-goodness makes a big difference.

• Make baking parchment and Pam your friend (as in non-stick cooking spray.) Spray your baking sheets with a light coating of Pam, line with a piece of parchment cut to fit and then give it a quick coating of Pam. Words don’t describe how much easier this makes my life. Just try it, you’ll see what I mean.

• Use Pam on your measuring cups if you will be measuring out something sticky, like molasses. A quick spray and the molasses just rolled right out of the cup like nobody’s business.

• Invest in a cooling rack or two. If you’ve got pans and pans of hot cookies coming out of the oven, cooling racks can be worth their weight in gold. They give your cookies a chance to cool down appropriately and that really does effect the finished product. Also, if you can find stands that stack, they free up tons of counter space while still providing circulation around those sweet treats.

• Clean as you go. If you are doing a marathon day of baking (like your truly) clean up as you go. At the end of the your baking spree you’ll be glad you did when you have just a few things to wash instead of a huge sink full of sticky, dirty dishes.

• Measure accurately. Seriously, measure accurately. This can make or break your baked goods. Don’t eyeball it. If the recipe says 1 1/4 cups then measure out exactly 1 1/4 cups.

• Follow directions. If you want your baked goods to turn out like the recipe intended, follow the directions carefully and completely.

•Gather your ingredients before you start. Before I start making a recipe, I read through it, gather all the ingredients and have in mind the order of the recipe. If I try and bake by grabbing the ingredients as I go, I will guaranteed forget to put something in. If you’ve got all the necessary ingredients laid out in front of you, it is harder to miss something.

• Use the right ingredients. If a recipe calls for butter and sour cream, don’t substitute margarine and applesauce and think you’ll wind up with a recipe that turns out correctly.

• Enlist help! Put your significant other, the kids or any warm body who happens into your home during a baking frenzy to work. They can cut out sugar cookies, cream butter and sugars, wash dishes, frost cookies. Turn it into a fun activity that you all can enjoy!

She Who Better Get Back To Her Baking

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Savvy Holiday Entertaining

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Success Tips, tagged , , , on November 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

With the approaching holiday season, are you starting to think about how to make this holiday season less stressful and more fun? Have you ever wished you could find a guide that offered you all the basic tips you needed to be a savvy and successful hostess with still maintaining your sanity?

Well, wish no more! I’ve compiled all my best tips, shortcuts, ideas and helpful hints for the holidays into a new e-book called Savvy Holiday Entertaining! You’ll find everything from ideas on getting organized, good enough housekeeping and party planning to some of my favorite holiday recipes.

Discover the seven secrets to successful entertaining.

Learn how to set a holiday buffet table.

Make the best chocolate candy in about five minutes with your microwave.

It’s all in there!

And here is the best part – I’m giving the book away for free! That’s right  – FREE! Get your download from Smashwords or my website. If you download from Smashwords, you can choose your format- everything from Kindle and Nook to basic computer-screen-readable options.

Smashwords

My Website

It is also available on Amazon for 99 cents and I hope to have it priced there for free in a few weeks.

You will also find a little bonus at the back of the book…. the first chapter of my holiday romance novel!

Check it out, share it with your friends. If you enjoy it, please post reviews on Amazon, B&N or Smashwords. I’d love to hear your feedback!

Happy Holiday Entertaining

She Who Is Pretty Excited About This Book

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Thanksgiving Count-down

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, Success Tips, tagged , , , on November 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

Countdown To Thanksgiving Tips

Before we know it, Turkey Day will be here. Get ahead of the game by getting organized now. Below you’ll find tips for the following weeks, leading right up to Thanksgiving Day! Hope they give you some good ideas!


First Week of November

• Plan your menu in detail.

• Finalize your guest list and issue invitations.

• Prepare and bake freezable cakes, pies, cookies, and/or rolls. Tightly wrap all unfrosted baked goods in plastic wrap and freezer bags, then store in the freezer. Think about what a great idea this is. You will have your desserts prepared well in advance and, should you have guests drop by unexpectedly, you’ll have something you can thaw out on a moment’s notice.

Two Weeks Out
• Get an accurate head count from those planning to attend. This helps you know how many seats you need, if you need to set up an extra table (or borrow an extra table).

• Finalize menu details including everything from beverages and appetizers, right on through salads, entrées and side dishes, as well as  desserts, and any after-dinner drinks. Choose a good mix of dishes and make sure some of them may be made somewhere besides in the oven (stovetop, microwave, slow-cooker). If you are buying large pieces of frozen meat (like your turkey) purchase now and store in the freezer.

• If any of your guests offer to bring a dish, let them. Find out exactly what they are bringing and adjust your menu accordingly.

• Make your first run to the grocery store for items that are non-perishable (stock up on paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, resealable bags, chicken stock, canned goods, flour, sugar, etc.)
One Week  To Go
• Anything that can be prepared a week in advance, take care of it now.

• Make a second trip to the store to get items that you’ll be using in the next week (think eggs, cranberries, etc.)

• Decide if you will b e serving the meal buffet or family style, where everyone will sit, what table linens you will use, what decorations and centerpieces you need, what serving pieces you need, if you have enough plates, glasses, eating utensils. If not, figure out what you are going to do to make things work (borrow, rent, purchase pieces).
Three Days Ahead of Time
• Remove meat (such as turkey) from the freezer and begin thawing  in the refrigerator (follow package directions).

• Clean all your serving pieces and place them on the table with sticky notes marking what will be served in each dish.

• Clean out the refrigerator so there is plenty of room for all the groceries and all dishes you will need to store on the big day.

• Start cleaning outside the house near the front door area. Make sure your welcome starts there with a clean and inviting entry.
Two Days Ahead of Time
• Prepare any dishes that can be made a few days ahead of time.

• Gather all plates, silverware, glasses, pitchers, that you will need and make sure it is all washed, polished and ready to go.

• Make a final run to the grocery store. Get your fresh produce, dairy products, extra eggs and bread and anything else you are going to need.

 

The Day Before
• Remove all baked goods from the freezer. If they need garnished or frosted, do that now..
• Prepare any baked goods you couldn’t make ahead. Any dishes that can be assembled and left overnight in the fridge (like casseroles) can be taken care of now.
• Do whatever prep work you can now like washing and peeling carrots, prepping celery, etc.

• Make your game plan for the following day. Decide what needs done first in the morning, what tasks family members can assist with,what time you want the food on the table, etc.

• Finish cleaning the house. Make sure the entry, the guest bath, kitchen and the area where you will be eating are extra clean. Empty all the garbage cans. Place candles in strategic areas (use all the same scent family) and ready to be lit. Set the table, place the centerpieces and go soak your feet!

Turkey Day
• Make sure the meat is in the oven with time to spare. You want to factor in time for the meat to “rest” before it is carved.

• Do as much prep work as possible on side dishes, such as assembling salads and relish trays, before guests begin arriving. Many dishes, such as mashed potatoes, can be completed a little early and kept warm until you’re ready to serve dinner.

• Assign family members duties for the day. Younger children can be door greeters and coat takers. Make sure you have a dedicated area for coats and handbags. Older children can pass appetizers and beverages to guests as they arrive. Give someone the duty of quickly running the broom down the front walk, lighting candles and making sure the guest bathroom is spotless.

• Take a deep breath, smile, relax and enjoy this day of giving thanks and blessings!

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