The Cheap Diva

Ugly Holiday Sweaters are the Life of the Party

The ugly holiday Christmas sweater is kind of like traditional fruit cake.  It's a holiday tradition not associated with good taste.   This season celebrate traditional bad taste with an Ugly Christmas Sweater party.  The Ugly Christmas Sweater party is growing in popularity, probably because the dress code is good for a laugh and and an ugly sweater doesn't cost nearly as much as a fancy cocktail dress.  On your invitation encourage guests to don their tackiest holiday themed sweaters complete with Santas, snowmen or any other holiday design that looks like it belongs on someone young enough to sit on Santa's lap.  To see some of the ugliest holiday sweaters around, visit http://weloveholidaysweaters.wehatesheep.com/.

Some people turn Ugly Holiday Sweater parties into charitable events.  For guests may have rid their closet of any evidence that they ever owned an ugly holiday sweater, you can offer to lend them an ugly sweater for the evening and charge them a small fee, such as a few canned goods to be donated to a local food shelter, or small cash donation towards your favorite charity.   You may have to scour local thrift stores to stock up on different sizes of ugly holiday sweaters before the party.  Be sure to take lots of pictures of guests in their tacky attire.  After the party you can email the pictures to guests and

Sweet Treats for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, and for those of us with a sweet tooth their is nothing more joyous than biting into sweet confections that delight the taste buds and make us forget our diets.  Here are a few sweet treats to share with others or simply indulge yourself.

What's more decadent and indulgent that real diamonds?  Large diamonds made out of chocolate!  At promisemechocolate.com they sell gem shaped chocolates dusted with a lustrous edible coating.  Sets start at $8.95 for a box of 4 chocolates.

Unless Martha Stewart was your camp scout leader, the s'mores you enjoyed around the campfire as a kid were probably nothing like this set of 8 Gingerbread S'Mores for $24.95.  These hand made sweets consist of fresh marshmallow centers sandwiched between chocolate covered graham crackers with dots of icing down the front.

Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, peppermint treats make a strong showing during the holiday season.  Peppermint isn't my favorite treat, but dipping them in chocolate dramatically increases their appeal.  A set of approximately 60 Peppermint North Poles for $16.50 make wonderful party snacks as well as a tasteful gift. 

Confessions of a Shopaholic Movie Review

The main character in Confessions of a Shopaholic Rebecca Bloomwood is a shallow fashionista obsessed with shopping.  You will either love or hate this movie depending on your expectations.  If you expect it to be similar to the book it's based on you will be disappointed.  The movie differs from the book in many areas, including plot points, location and characters.  If you expect the main character to be a role model, again you will be disappointed.  The Rebecca Bloomwood character engages in such ditzy bahavior as using an electric pencil sharpener during a business meeting, getting into debt to support her shopping addictiona and lying about her debt to others.

That said, I loved the movie.  All I wanted from this movie was a few laughs, lots of great fashion and a lighthearted plot that ultimately results in a happy ending.  The plot revolves around Rebecca Bloomwood taking a job at a finance magazine (ironic considering her shopping addiction) as a stepping stone towards working for a fashion magazine owned by the same company.  Some of the humor is over the top, like Rebecca getting into a fist fight at a sample sale over a pair of boots, but it's the kind of chic flick humor I could relate to.  

Factory Tours offer Frugal Fun

When I think of fun and exciting things to do taking a tour of a factory that cranks out widgets is not the first thing that comes to mind.  A brief tour of a web site called factorytoursusa.com had me thinking a factory tour just might be the perfect entertainment to occupy visiting relative for the holidays or for staycations (vacations you take within your home state as a cheap alternative to a long distance vacation).  Factory tours are generally very cheap or free.

Factorytoursusa.com conveniently lists factory tours by state.  Among the tours for factories that produce things like recreational vehicles, I found factory tours for a candy factory and a muffin factory in my state.  I would definitely consider broadening my understanding of factory methods  if the factory in question happens to give out free samples of sweets.

It Feels Good to Give

I am so tired of hearing about the high unemployment rate.  Yes high unemployment is a serious issue, but is it an issue we need to be reminded about from negative news mongers morning noon and night?  A more positive and rarely reported fact is that when unemployment went up so did the number of volunteers for charitable causes.  Instead of sitting at home and having a pity party, people lacking a job and money are using the resources they do have, time and energy, to help with a variety of worthwhile causes.

Whether you are currently employed or not, the bottom line is that it feels good to give.  It gives you an opportunity to do something positive and productive.  When volunteering you are generally surrounded by people who want to be their as opposed to a work environment where many people are there for the paycheck.  Volunteering can also be a fun social outlet.  You can volunteer to be the support staff for a of variety charity benefits, gather a group of friends and family to participate in a public charity walk or find some other fun way to support worthy causes without writing a huge check.  To see what volunteer opportunities are available in your area check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/ . 

Get the Party Started with Easy Entertaining Ideas

Pottery Barn provides just about everything you need to host a posh party including party themes.  Their Party Planner feature has 6 different themes to choose from including movie night and a Tequila Party for adventurous hosts looking for an unexpected alternative to the traditional wine and cheese party.   The party planner offers everything from entertaining ideas to suggestions on what foods and drinks to serve.  It would have been nice if they featured more than 6 themes, but I'll take 6 useful party ideas over a 100 ridicously complicated incredibly time consuming ideas (yes I'm talking to you Martha Stewart!).

Galvanized Metal Serving Piece $69.00.

Shark Tank TV Series Has Bite

The premise of the new ABC reality series called Shark Tank is pretty simple.  Aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of successful well established businesspeople in the hopes of getting one of the wealth businesspeople to invest in their company.  What sounds like a boring company board meeting is actually pretty engaging entertainment filled with more drama than a soap opera.  The hopeful entrepreneurs range from the arrogant pair on entrepreneurs who are blatantly disrespectful in their interaction with the business panel to the calm rational entrepreneur who presents the insane idea of surgically implanting small blue tooth telephone device behind the ear as a viable product.  It was sad to watch one of the hopeful entrepreneurs present his product only to be told by the panel that it was not marketable and he should give up on it.  He had made tremendous sacrifices and was clearly motivated by a strong desire to provide for his family. 

Part of what makes Shark Tank so engaging is the personality of the successful businesspeople who ask insightful questions about the product being presented, verbally spar with the aspiring entrepreneurs when appropriate, and are pretty blunt in their opinions of the products and the people presenting them.  Just like the real world of business, Shark Tank isn't big on second chances.  Every week a new set of aspiring entrepreneurs has a chance of plugging their products to the business panel, and if they don't make a deal during their brief presentation they go home empty handed.  I don't watch a lot of reality shows because watching the calculated back stabbing, meltdowns and self absorbed personalities usually involved gets old fast.  With Shark Tank there is the element of the unexpected.  I don't know if the apiring extrepreneur walking onto the set has a brilliant idea that I wish I had thought of first, an idea so bad it's scary, or a good idea that they won't get financing for because they got greedy. 

Go Behind the Scenes at Vogue with The September Issue

I always assumed The Devil Wears Prada movie was just a delightful bit of entertainment that had little to do with the real fashion world.  After watching previews for The September Issue movie/documentary I'm not so sure.  Some unscripted scenes from The September Issue were so similar to the scripted scenes in The Devil Wears Prada I almost expected Meryl Streep (playing her famous role as a fashion editor) to walk into Vogue editor Anna Wintour's office and start ordering fashion assistants around. 

The name of the movie comes from the fact that the movie is a behind the scenes look at Anna Wintour and her associates putting together the September issue of Vogue magazine.  From the previews it's clear she hasn't maintained her position of power in the fashion industry by being a pushover.  She has definite opinions about fashion and she is very direct in expressing those opinions.  

I haven't seen the movie yet but it's in theaters now so I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it.  To see previews of The September Issue click here.     

Project Runway Season 5 DVD

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.  Unlike previous seasons, the hype and publicity surrounding Project Runway Season 5 has been so scarce I have no idea who actually won the competition.  I refuse to pay for monthly cable so I always look forward to the release of the newest Project Runway  DVD.

Every season of Project Runway is survival of the most stylish.  The challenges range from the outrageous to the nearly impossible.  The contestants will engage in more drama than a soap opera and when it comes time to eliminate a designer, drama queen tendencies will keep designers in the competition longer than design talent.  This "reality" program has very little to do with the reality of surviving in the fashion businesss, but all the contrived situations and made for TV personalities are ultimately what make it so entertaining.  

Time to Save Some Cash

An essential ingredient to saving money when entertaining is timing. Inviting people over to your place during the dinner hour and preparing an entire meal complete with appetizers and an meat course is more expensive than an afternoon brunch with some sort of egg dish, like frittatas, as the main dish with some muffins and fruit for side dishes. Where a superb evening meal calls for a fine wine, an afternoon brunch calls for fruit juice and maybe iced tea or coffee. If you are in a celebratory mood, you can include Mimosas with your brunch. Mimosas consist of orange juice and champagne. So you can go ahead and splurge a little on the champagne knowing that the orange juice will increase the number of glasses it fills.

An evening cocktail party with a variety of appetizers and decent alcohol can leave you with a hangover of debt. If you are in the mood for a few cocktails and lots of company, contact your local bars or restaurants and see if they have a room where you and your guests can party. When you invite guests make it clear that you are simply arranging a get together for cocktails. You aren’t treating everyone to appetizers and appletinis.

Inviting people over for coffee and dessert in between meal times is an affordable way to play hostess. Slicing a pie or cake is a time consuming process because you have to stop and ask everyone how big of a piece they want. Either cut the dessert into different sized slices ahead of time, or offer a selection of cookies, muffins, pastries or another dessert that doesn’t require any slicing. Even if you serve gourmet coffee, this type of social is still a pretty sweet deal.

Volunteering is Always in Style

Pick any decent size metropolitan area in the US and you will find plenty of high style social events and attractions.  Typically some of the most fabulous local events, the ones that involve a dazzling fashion show, a delectable dining experience and decor to die for, are also some of the most expensive to attend.  The good news is that many of these events are for a charity and by volunteering for certain charities you can attend fancy fundraisers without going broke buying tickets. 

Many charities host fancy dinners and events as part of their fundraising efforts.  Stuffing envelopes and calling for donations are great ways to support a charity, but they might not get you in the door of some of the more swankier events.  If you want to participate in these upscale events be sure part of your volunteer responsibilities require you to be physically present at the event.  Whether it's a designer show house or charity fashion show, volunteering for positions such as guest greeter or ticket taker allow you to experience the event up close and personal.

I am not suggesting attendance at fabulous events should be your only motivation for supporting a charity.  What I am saying is that by giving of your time and efforts to a worthwhile charity and enjoying the occasional social outing for free as a result, you are creating a win win situation for everyone.

Volunteering doesn't have to be limited to charitable events.  Volunteering to be an usher at a local theatre is a terrific way to experience a variety of wonderful performances without having to buy season tickets.  No matter where you donate your time and efforts, volunteering can be your ticket to a truly enriching social life.

Getting to Know You Games

For a party game where everyone wins try a "getting to know you" game where the emphasis is on getting everyone more comfortable with other guests by getting to know them better.  One great getting to know you game is called two truths and a lie.  Each guest takes turns making three statements about themselves.  Two of those statements are true and one is a lie.  The other guests take a guess at which one of the statements was the lie.  The guests are free to share whatever personal information they want, like their major in college, their favorite food, a hobby or one odd job they used to have that might be completely different from the career they have now. 

There are other games getting to know you games where guests have to answer questions off a deck of question cards for example, but some of those games include questions that are very personal and potentially embarrassing.  Call me a party pooper, but people talking about their sexual experiences or illegal behavior they would indulge in if they could get away with it falls under the category of too much information!  In a social situation, like a bridal shower for example, where guests don't know each other very well, if at all, games like two truths and a lie allow guests to pick and choose only the information they are comfortable sharing.  

These games also gives guests who don't know each other well an easy way to start a one on one conversation later on.  Even if I don't know anything about a fact someone mentioned about themselves, I can still express an interest in the that topic and ask the person about how they got interested in their hobby or some other personal truth they mentioned.  Getting to know you games are great ice breakers.  When I can't think of anything particularly brilliant to say, I can still come across as a great conversationalist by talking to someone about their interests, and that's no lie!    

Picnic Perfect Eco Friendy Dinnerware

For years plastic picnic plates and utensils were thought of as simply cheap and tacky.  Now days we know that all that plastic picnic wear is not only in bad taste, it's bad for the environment.  Resourceful retailers are answering the demand for environmentally friendly dishes by producing durable picnic wear that does your famous potato salad justice. 

With the 30 pack of Earthshell Biodegradable Bowls for $4.50 you can serve up everything from hot chili to ice cream without taking a bite out of your budget.

 The color and texture of these organic Disposable Bambu Veneerware Utensils for $7.99 is as natural as fresh organic food, only cheaper.   

You can take it with you, just about anywhere as a matter of fact.  With a 10 pack of these biodegradable Medium Takeout Containers for $9.00 can attend any event and lighten your load by being able to dispose of containers.  Imagine a post picnic walk in the park where you can pick up the pace because you aren't weighed down like a pack mule or a free outdoor music/theatrical event where you can conveniently  dispose of your now empty containers during intermission leaving your hands free for enthusiastic applause.

A Cool Idea from Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart, the queen of complicated recipes that take ten times as long to prepare as they do to eat, has a shockingly simple idea for a cool granita dessert in the June issue of Martha Stewart Living.  The traditional recipe for granita, involves mixing sugar, flavorings such as fresh fruit, and water then freezing the mix and shaving off bits of ice, for an effect similar to a frozen Snow Cone.  The Martha Stewart version involves simply freezing fruit juice in an ice cube tray, placing the frozen cubes in a food processor/blender and then scooping out the frozen treat and placing it in a nice bowl to serve to guests as a dessert. 

To create a more interesting dessert, use a blended juice drink that combines different juices, like a mango, peach, banana juice.  Look for interesting juice blends at your local supermarket next to the refrigerated orange juice or in the juice aisle.

Experience Kimora's Life in the Fab Lane

She's a former supermodel and super successful fashion mogul with an over the top personality and lifestyle to go with it.  Kimora Lee Simmons believes in herself, the power of fabulousity and the importance of going after what you want no matter how unrealistic those goals may seem.   Between her lifestyle and her personality it was only a matter of time before she got her own reality show.

For less than the cost of one of her perfumes you can take an inside peek into the super glamorous world of Kimora Lee Simmons, and not all of it is pretty.  The Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane for $9.49 DVD has only 7 rather short episodes but that's enough to give you an idea of who Kimora is and what it takes to maintain the level of success she has.  

One of the keys to her success is her unwillingness to compromise.  She repeatedly demands the impossible from her staff and her business associates creating lots of drama but ultimately coming out victorious in the end.  When it comes to staff she is relentless, unforgiving of weakness and blunt in her willingness to fire them if they fall down on the job.   After just a few episodes my less than glamorous office job started to look like a dream job compared to working for her.

While Kimora won't win any world's greatest boss awards she reveals a much softer side when it comes to her children.  She is a doting mom who seems to have infinite patience when it comes to her kids.  If you love kids you will enjoy all the screen time they get, and they do get there share.  If cute kids aren't your idea of entertainment you might be hitting the fast forward button a lot.

On the other hand, Kimora lives eats and breathes glamour.  From her houses, to the fashion she creates to the blinding amount of diamond jewelry she wears, Kimora knows how to do glam.  Each episode seems to focus on  some glamourous aspect of her work and life, fabulous parties, launching faboulous fashions in Paris, starring in her own glamorous ad campaign etc.  The bottom line is that Kimora has a larger than life personality that is far more entertaining than most of the scripted shows out there.

Shall We Dance?

Looking for a cheap way to enjoy some music, some socializing, and a whole lot of dancing?  Try taking a dance class at your local dance studio.  For less that the cost of a couple overpriced drinks at a local bar you can get into the swing of things by learning some of the most popular dances around.  Some of the dance classes like the tango or waltz may be more suitable for couples lessons,but many classes teach a whole group at a time in a way that makes partnering up unnecessary.  If the thought of waltzing into a dance class alone isn't appealing and you don't have a willing partner handy, grab a couple of gal pals and turn the dance class into a girls night out.  

Before you hit the dance floor there a a few questions you might want to ask the dance organizers before the class if you can't find the information on their web site.  Questions like is it a couples or more a a group class?  Is the class beginner or intermediate?  Can you pay for one class at a time or do you have to sign up for a block of classes?  What is appropriate attire?  Of course you know to wear comfortable shoes and clothes in breathable fabrics that allow for plenty of movement, but for most of the people in the class does that translate into jeans and a T-shirt or simple flowing dresses that make the wearer look like they are  ready to dance the night away at some fabulous party?

After an hour or two of waltzing, shimmying, swinging and getting your groove on with a bunch of people who are probably more interested in having a good time than preparing for a career in ballroom dance the class is over, but that doesn't mean the evening is over.  Some dance studios have a social hour after their evening classes.  If they don't have a social hour you can create your own by inviting a few of your favorite dancing devotees to your place for some light snacks and refreshing beverages after the class.  

Chic Calendars for Fashionable Women

In an age where managing your schedule often includes advanced electronics that can be programmed to organize you down to the second, there is something quaint and appealing about simply glancing at an attractive calendar to look at the date.  Some decorative calendars are more than eye candy.  The are designed to provide you with useful style tips so you can look your best every day of the week.

If you ever wanted to own an Andy Warhol here is your chance.  The Taming of the Shoe calendar features illustrations of shoes and clever fashionable quotes by the famous artist. 

.

The problem with a fashion book is that you can easily forget most what you read by the time you are done with it.  The Tim Gunn:A Guide to Quality,Taste and Style Boxed Calendar for $10.39 , based on his book of the same name includes 365 style related tips.  What I love about boxed calendars like this one is that you can remove the pages that are of interest to you after you read them and assemble your own abbreviated style guide as the year progresses. 

.

.

Just because Santa isn't dropping a diamond necklace in my stocking anytime soon doesn't mean I can't enjoy the beauty of expensive baubles.  The Jewels: 2009 Mini Wall calendar for $7.99 packs some seriously glamorous rocks into its mini size.   Every month you will be treated to a stunning photograph of major bling worthy of a true (and truly well financed) diva. 

My Favorite Things Party

I sometimes read articles on entertaining just for laughs. I am amused by glossy pictures of attractive guests standing around like well dressed mannequins admiring the elaborate table décor while munching on appetizers that took longer to make than the party will actually last. I often imagine the hostess of this entertaining fantasy is not in the picture because she is passed out on the couch from exhaustion.

Partini board game for $24.99

How about having a party where the overworked hostess is not forced to use psychic like abilities to try to predict what her guests would enjoy food and entertainment wise? Let your guests feed and entertain themselves by having a “My Favorite Things Party”. On the invitation make it clear that the guest is expected to be responsible for bringing three things including a favorite food, one of their favorite things, and a few brochures from their favorite destination.

Where the invitation requests bringing a favorite food be clear as to whether you are requesting appetizers or heavier main course type dishes and mention how many people are expected at the party. If the dishes people offer to bring tend to be convenience store cuisine like Twinkies and Coke it will be up to you as the hostess to balance out the menu. A balanced menu includes both sweet and salty dishes, some healthy dishes and some downright decadent dishes complemented by a variety of drinks.

A favorite thing can be just about anything portable as long as it’s not a pet. If you wanted Rover at your party you would have invited the little yapper. Some ideas for favorites things would be a favorite book, wear a favorite piece of clothing or bring a favorite game. A small portable game that can be played in a reasonably short period of time and is easy for guests to learn quickly would be ideal. This is not the time to break out the chess set.

Music also counts as a favorite thing. Encourage guests to bring a CD of their favorite music if it enhances the upbeat mood you are trying to create. Upbeat instrumental tunes yes, screaming heavy metal music, no.

Favorite places might include favorite restaurants, shopping destinations, or vacation spots. If the guest doesn’t have brochure from their favorite place handy they can always print off information from the website for their favorite place.

After most or all of the guests have arrived and had a chance to eat and chat a little, gather everyone around to sit in a circle for the “My Favorite Things” group discussion. Everyone takes turns briefly talking about the favorite thing they brought and their favorite destination. After the group discussion is over serve another round of drinks, set up a game table (set up your own favorite games if no one else brought one) and put the destination brochures on another table . It’s now a little easier for guests to mingle now that they know a little more about each other. By having guests bring things that give them pleasure it directs the conversation toward pleasant topics instead of conversations that deteriorate into group therapy mode with guest recounting their latest personal crisis or describing the gory details of their most recent medical procedure in detail.

This is one party everyone should enjoy because it’s all about them and what makes them happy. The guest are doing most of the entertaining related work so this in turn allows the hostess to do one of her favorite things, have fun!

The Soundtrack of Your Life

After staring at a computer screen for hours on end all week their is nothing I like more on weekends that to immerse myself in a light cozy mystery book.  I was about to curl up with a mystery I had been looking forward to spending some quality time with when I was faced with a dilemma.  What background music should I play?  It's important to me to have music in the background when I read not only to set a mood but also to filter out disruptive and distracting noises from neighbors, their pets and those annoying tornado warning sirens etc.   O.K. maybe that last one I should pay attention to, the point is that the more you filter out distractions the easier it is to enjoy your reading experience. 

I was tired of the music CDs I already owned and have played to death and I was too cheap and lazy to go online and buy a bunch of new music to act as a soundtrack for my reading experience.  In a flash of brilliance, some would say cheapness but I'm going with brilliance, I decided to play the soundtrack from one of my Hercule Poirot DVDs.  Hercule Poirot is a detective made famous by a series of Agatha Cristie books that were later turned into movies.  I already had the Poirot DVD so I didn't have to spend anything.  The music soundtrack was just what I was looking for.  An instrumental piece that was subtle enough to make great background music but intriguing enough not to put me to sleep.  Buy just playing the beginning part of the DVD that shows the menu the musical piece played in a constant loop so I didn't have to do anything to keep the music going.

For those of you who barely have time to read a magazine article much less an entire book, there are plenty of ways to incorporate movie soundtracks into your life.  You can use movie soundtracks to liven up housework for example.  Why not play the theme from Mission Impossible or Raiders of the Lost Ark while cleaning through piles of mysterious and treacherous clutter from the basement?  Think of how much more stimulating cleaning out the fish tank would be with the theme from Jaws playing in the background!   

Movie soundtracks, are designed to create a mood and enhance the action going on in a particular scene.  To find a soundtrack the creates a desired mood, try borrowing different movies from the library if you don't already have a movie soundtrack that moves you.

   

Cheap Snacks for Casual Get Togethers

Serving food at any type of social get together in your home is part of being a gracious host.  But it doesn't have to be an expensive part.  You can satisfy your guest's appetites and you desire to be a good host inexpensively by mixing cheap foods with slightly more expensive ones. 

Dips are a great example of this.  Buy a bag or two of blue corn chips,  which are not only fairly cheap but one of the healthier chips out there.  Now splurge a little and buy some tasty fresh salsa made right in the store.  Target, Walmart or any respectable grocery store should have some fresh salsas made in store that haven't been sitting on the shelf for a month.  If you are feeling adventurous you set out different kinds of salsas, like mango salsa.

Bread is a wonderfully cheap snack that is filling enough to satisfy the appetite.  A long loaf of decent quality French bread sliced into small pieces is a chic way to can satisfy a hungry crowd.  Cut the loaf into 3/4 inch slices.  Now slice the loaf down the middle, parallel to the sides of the loaf.  There are many different kinds of dipping sauces an oils on the market.  For the gourmet touch you can buy specially flavored olive oils for dipping.  For a dipping sauce that's as cheap or even cheap than a loaf of French bread, check out your grocery store's selection of oil based salad dressings.

Take a step up from your standard Chex mix and make your own easy mix instead.  Buy a can of premium quality mixed nuts and a bag of those small stick pretzels.  Mix equal parts nuts and pretzels in a bowl.  How easy is that?  Some people are allergic to nuts so be sure to have some non nutty snacks on hand as well.

This high low approach to hostessing works when adding in the cost of beverages to the mix.  For example, you can offer different cheap desserts like cookies made from a can, brownies from a mix or homemade baked apples, and then serve premium coffee to wash all those cheap goodies down.  These are just a few of the tasty ways you can save on entertaining.  By keeping your eyes open to interesting possibilities when food shopping you are sure to come up with even more great ideas.

Make Halloween a Movie Night

Halloween should be just as much fun for adults as it is for kids.  I believe one of the things preventing adults from having grown up Halloween parties is the idea that it has to be some sort of big production.  People look at the pages of Martha Stewart magazine filled with perfectly handcrafted items and homes decorated like  elaborate stage sets and they think "I don't have time for that!"  Don't let your fear of falling short of perfection scare you away from having a great time on Halloween.

Have fun on Halloween by hosting something simple like a movie night.  Pick a Halloween themed movie, preferably something PG, that is fun and light in tone.  I once attended a Halloween party where the main entertainment was a graphic slasher flick that killed my enthusiasm for the party almost as fast as the bad guy was killing off second rate actors.  A party is supposed to make guests loosen up, not lose their appetite.

It's pretty easy to build a general theme around a Halloween themed movie like Ghostbusters.  Since the theme of the movie revolves around ghosts, you can ask guests on the invitation to come as the ghost of their favorite dead person.  The dead person can be someone famous, or an eccentric deceased relative that provides plenty of irreverent inspiration.  Many people don't like to bother dressing up in costumes for Halloween.   To make  everyone feel welcome with our without a costume while still sticking to the spirit of the party you can encourage guests to dress like mourners and wear a lot of black to the party or wear all white for a ghostly effect if they aren't interested in wearing a costume.  

If you feel the need to decorate, throw solid white colored sheets over the couch and chairs that guests will be sitting on.  Turn the lights down a little if you have dimmers.  If you happen to have a solid red tablecloth, maybe left over from Christmas, that would be perfect for decorating whatever you are using as a buffet table.

For snacks set up a popcorn buffet.  Mix a large batch of plain or lightly salted popcorn with a sweet candy like M&Ms in one larg bowl.  Mix another large batch of plain popcorn with chex mix or some sort of trail mix for a saltier take on popcorn and then mix up a third batch in a third bown of popcorn and another type of candy, maybe gummy worms.  Even if you mix candy and popcorn equally, it's still a lot cheaper than serving popcorn by itself.  For drinks you can serve soda pop and regular tea.  You don't want an overly flavorful tea that is going to clash with the popcorn. 

If you are concerned about the party dying when the movie isn't on, buy a few halloween themed games, like Halloween bingo, at your local toy store to bring your party back from the dead.

Books for Better Living Book Club

While I enjoy a good piece of light fiction, chances are the wacky characters in today’s chic lit aren’t going to provide much guidance when it comes to planning a quick and easy party or figuring out the best way to invest my money. Not unless designer shoes are considered an investment. What is needed in these situations are books that address the realities of everyday living while still qualifying as an entertaining read.

Colin Cowie Chic $19.80

Introducing the Books for Better Living Book Club. Book club members read and review a book of their choice on a specific subject for each month. Each month will focus on a different topic such as organizing, wardrobe building, handling your finances, home maintenance, quick and easy meals etc.. In theory, because members get to chose any book they want as long as it relates to the a specific subject, there shouldn’t be any disagreement over book choices. In reality someone will probably complain about the selected subjects because they don’t cook or their spouse takes care of the home maintenance. You can placate the whiners by suggesting they pay attention for book ideas that would make great gifts for their loved ones or have them come up with a subject that fit’s the criteria of a useful lifestyle book. Topics for the first several months can be chosen at an initial meeting. Club members are encourage to email the book club group leader throughout the year with relevant book suggestions well in advance of when that book topic will be discussed. The group leader can then organize all of these suggestions and send out a mass email to all the members who are looking for ideas. At each meeting members can take turns describing their books with a brief book reviews. The review may cover things like was the book useful, easy to understand, entertaining, realistic in its advice, and would the reviewer recommend the book to others?

An easy way to decide what books to review when is to look at what is going on in member’s lives throughout the year. November or October would be a great time to review books on quick and easy entertaining with the holidays around the corner. In December each member can discuss a favorite children’s book and bring a copy to donate to a local women’s shelter. January is a time to think about money, because members probably have a lot less of it thanks to holiday spending and taxes. This is a good time to focus on books about money management. Spring cleaning practically demands an organizing book to make the process a success. Not all the book topics have to be purely practical. Better living includes books that inspire or make you laugh, scrapbooks that record special memories and victory journals that track the progress of your individual goals. The purpose of the Better Living Book Club is to expose members to books that will enhance their lives with practical advice as well as providing an entertaining read.

Girlfriend Getaways

If you want to take a vacation that's all about you, try a girlfriend getaway.  Unlike family vacations where frazzled moms are expected to play the role of caretaker, planning, organizing, keeping everyone occupied and pacified throughout the entire vacation, girlfriend getaways are actually relaxing!  As much as I am sure you love your family, if you really want to relax on vacation my advice is that you should take a vacation from your family not with them. 

Picking compatible gal pals is just as important as picking a destination.  Someone who enjoys the same kind of activities and is willing to work within the budget you have in mind (a five star hotel isn't cheap even if you share a room and split the cost).  Another important point is attitude.  For some women lying around doing little or nothing is a welcome change of pace, the ultimate bliss for overworked overbooked women.  Other women adopt the attitude of "I didn't travel all this way to do nothing".  Those women are doers whose idea of making the most of a vacation is seeing and doing new things.  Have an in depth chat with potential travel mates about what their idea of an ideal vacation is before proposing any kind of trip together.

Girlfriend getaways have become so popular in recent years that entire web sites are now devoted to them.  One site that understands traveling women and their needs is girlgetaways.com.  Unlike other travel websites that focus more on tourist traps than anything else girlgetaways.com include such female friendly articles as beauty and style, girls nights, and spas and pampering.  There are plenty of articles that do not involve travel that requires a passport.

For even more travel inspiration check out holidaygolightly.com.  Travel categories are convenienly broken down by interest or type of travel desired.  Categories like active, food and wine, local culture tour, and shopping make it easy to quickly identify where to start your search for destinations.  Some of the categories, like nightlife, are clearly geared towards the "girls just wanna have fun" mentality.  Hey, it's your vacation have fun! 

Feel Free to Act Like a Tourist

I had an out of town guest to entertain this weekend.  Not only did we have a lot of fun, we had a lot of fun for free!  Our first stop was the Hallmark Visitors Center in Kansas City.  The Visitors center is a free museum dedicated to the history of Hallmark.  Unlike other museums, which can be a bit stuffy, in this one we read musical cards that featured such fun ditties as "It's Raining Men", saw how cards were imprinted by a friendly printer who gave us cardboard gold crown to wear and watched sappy Hallmark commercials on TV monitors.  There were plenty of interesting things on display but thankfully the museum is intimate enough to get through in less than two hours. 

This was followed by a visit to an outdoor antiques and craft show, also free, that we wandered around for entertainment, buying nothing, just looking at all the interesting things on display and taking pleasure in being outdoors on such a beautiful day.  After all that walking we went to lunch to refuel and do some people watching at an restaurant with outdoor seating on the Plaza (an outdoor shopping area).  It was like a free fashion show with a mix of high style, serious fashion don'ts and some outfits too boring to fit in either category.  Lunch was followed by some window shopping, I love to see the wonderful fashion and home decor displays. 

Having refueled and with plenty of the day left we went to the Nelson Atkins museum, which is apparently free on Saturdays.  My guest had visited the museum before and was only interested in seeing the new wing of the Nelson Atkins and a few paintings by a certain artist in the original part of the museum.  We asked one of the employees where these paintings would be and we spent our time enjoying those paintings instead of dragging ourselves through the whole museum.  I am all for exposing yourself to art, but if you have a preference and a limited time you want to spend at a museum, focus on what you like.  After enjoying the artwork inside, we walked around the sculpture garden outside the museum.

We still had plenty of time before the sun went down so we visited a local park and leisurely walked around for a while.  Having walked more in one day than I normally do in a week, it was time to take it easy.  I entertained my guest at home with episode from a cable TV show that we both enjoyed.  I had the entire season of the show on DVD because I am too cheap to pay for cable.  What's great about watching a TV show is that the episodes are a lot shorter than a movie so if you don't want to sit there for two hours you don't have to.

Since cooking is not one of my talents, when dinner time rolled around we hit a local restaurant and enjoyed a perfect ending to a great day. My more mature companion paid for the meal, partly as a thank you for acting as chauffer and partly to take advantage of the senior citizens discount the restaurant offered. The point of this long winded story is that if you are willing to be resourceful and do some walking, you can act like a typical tourist without spending like typical tourist!

 

Restaurant Style Entertaining

Dining out is such a relaxing experience.  Between the great food and pleasant conversation with my dining companions, I will often end up asking myself "Gee, why don't I do this more often?" at some point during the meal.  Then the bill comes and I suddenly remember why I don't dine out more often.  Between the tips and the basic drinks like soda or iced tea that cost several times what it would cost to buy in a supermarket, even a basic meal without a lot of extras really adds up.

Thanks to the internet you and your guests can enjoy restaurant style dining without the restaurant style prices.  Popular recipes from well known restaurant are available online for free.  When I say popular restaurants I am not talking about the latest over hyped trendy eatery, I am talking about the Olive Garden with their recipe page and the carb lovers perennial favorite, Panera Bread also has their own recipes page.  If your favorite restaurant isn't generous enough to list their recipes on thier web site, check out copycat recipes frem web sites such as All Restaurant Recipes or CopyKat for listings of popular recipes.  For home cooks who love great food but lack the five star cooking talent, CopyKat thoughtfully rates recipes by degree of difficulty.

Now that you have cleverly selected time tested crowd pleasing recipes, it's time to start cooking for an appreciative crowd.  Invite a handful of friends over for a meal or schedule a gathering between mealtimes and serve smaller budget friendly dishes such as appetizers or desserts.  To set the mood, give your home style restaurant a name like "The Copycat Cafe".  On a portable chalk board like this Pottery Barn Kids Parisian Chalkboard for $24.00, near the eating area list the menu items under "Todays Specials".  Approach guests with the phrase "Hello, my name is Mary and I will be your hostess tonight".  For added effect you can write down drink orders for the guest on a small pad of paper.  A small simple floral centerpiece, like one found in nice restaurants, topping an elegant tablecloth is really all you need, besides pleasant background music, to set the mood.  After the empty meal dishes are taken away and before dessert is served, pass around a tip jar with a pen and small slips of paper.  Instruct each guest to write a short cooking or entertaining tip and puts it in the jar.  After everyone has added a tip to the jar, serve dessert.  While everyone is enjoying dessert, take a tip out of the jar one by one to read out loud.  Just for fun see if guests can match the tip to the person who wrote it down.   

Picnic Perfect Pics

For me the only thing more exciting that finding stylish stuff is finding stylish stuff that works in real life.   Take this Picnic Living Leesport 2 in 1 Insulated Cooler Tote for $19.98 for example.  If the pretty colors aren't enough to give you a sunny disposition, the practical design is divided it into two sections, an insulated section for food and a water resistant section for wet bathing suits, towels or anything else you want to throw in there and they threw in the dishes you see here at no extra cost.

.

.  .

The perfect traveling companion for outdoor picnics, concerts or the beach is this Picnic Cushion and Blanket Set for $20.28.  The polyester fabric covering the four cushions is mildew and water repellant.  The blanket has straps sewn into it so it can be folded into a sort of tote for carrying the cusions.

Unless you are Martha Stewart, outdoor gatherings are not an excuse to break out the fine china.  This Cynthia Rowley Salad Set with Cutleries for $4.99 (available at Target stores, not online) keeps things fun and practical with bright colored utensils that fit into the lid of the container.  It's the perfect container any kind of salad.

Is Your Ipod Ready for Summer?

  For a stylish alternative to those plastic ear phones that are often paired with Ipods, try the Palmetto Speaker Neck Pillow for $39.00 from Pottery Barn.  This neck pillow has hidden speakers that can be plugged into an Ipod.  Perfect for those lazy days of summer when you want to tune into your music while tuning out the rest of the world.

.

.

For anyone who would rather spend $34.99 than spend their time trying to salvage a water logged iPod,  there is the Drypod Waterproof iPod Case.  This handy little case is perfect for the beach or the pool.  Water proof ear phones are sold separately.

Looking for a few summer tunes to add to your play list?  Check out Vacation by the Go Go's,  Holiday by Madonna and Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield for a little mental vacation.

Will Work for Food Party

Sometimes it seems like a to do list is nothing more than an endless stream of thankless tasks that just get replaced by more thankless tasks when one task is accomplished.  Instead of whining your way through a time consuming task, why not turn that task into a social occassion?  Pick a task, like organizing the basement , planting flowers or painting a room, that can be done with simple instructions and without a lot of heavy labor.  Get organized, plan an easy to fix meal and invite a small group of friends over for a "Will work for food party".  Explain what the purpose of the party is and how much time will be spent on the task on the invitation.  For example,  you can say on the invitation that organizing of your closets will be from 10:00-12:00 followed by a lunch of salads and sandwiches.  Pick a task that can be completed within a few hours or get as much done within a set time period and finish up later after the party is over.    Thank everyone for their time and efforts, and if you want to be a truly gracious host volunteer your time when one of your guests decides to have their own "Will work for food" party.    

Join the Club!

Over the years I have joined a variety of clubs in a never ending effort to acquire something resembling a social life.  I keep joining clubs for several reasons.  While one on one friendships require two people to coordinated their schedule on a fairly regular basis to get together,  which is near impossible for many over committed women, clubs only require a certain amount of people who joined the club be present at any given gathering.  In other words, going out and having fun is not dependent on one other person being available.

Joining a club often means not having to nod politely when someone is talking about things of no interest to you while secretly plotting your escape from the conversation.  Clubs are usually based on some sort of common interest so you get to focus on and talk about something that is of interest to you.

I get to meet new people and learn new things.  Not only do I learn about whatever the club is focused on, I also find out where to eat, shop and find a decent mechanic from people who will give me an honest opinion.

One of the best places to find a club to join is meetup.com.  They list clubs of every type for countries around the world.  If you don't find a club that interests you, you can promote your own club on meetup.com for a small monthly fee.  Another place to find local clubs is local publications, library bulletin boards, and retail stores. If you are interested in knitting for example,  ask the cashiers at the local yarn store if they are aware of any clubs in your area.  There are plenty of clubs out there, so keep looking until you find one that you enjoy being a part of.

Where to Go When You Want to Get Out of the House

It's April and there are rumors that there might be snow in the weekend forecast where I live!  I have avoided going completely stir crazy while waiting for better weather by plotting things to do to get out and have some fun.

One of the best places to find out what is going on locally is the library.  They often have local free publications that spotlight local attractions and events.  A local newspaper usually has some sort of entertainment feature covering everything from restaurants to theater to craft shows.  Read the online version of the newspaper if you want to save a few cents.

Community centers feature classes of all kinds at bargain prices.  Also check out the local community college for fun classes, student art shows, student fashion shows and theatrical productions.

To find out if anything related to your particular interest is going on just Google it.  Inside the Google search box type in "garden tours" and the name of the state you live in for example.  Another phrase to type in would be "visitor" followed by the name of your state.  This should bring up links to the official tourist page for your state that lists local attractions.  Type in "parks and recreation" again followed by your state name for even more resources.

I have never found one web site or publication that lists everything I would consider an entertaining diversion.   Finding things to do requires a certain resourcefulness, but it sure beats being bored.