Tips to avoid stress and impress guests at the same time!!

Entertaining friends and family in your home is a much bigger responsibility than many people realize. There are a lot of things that go into a successful dinner party or a get-together.

Don`t let stress get you down. Pace yourself and enjoy hosting. A good goal to have is to make your event a reflection of you. You want your guests to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves, don't worry about impressing them by going overboard and straining yourself.

So here i come with some interesting tips to avoid stress and impress guests at the same time!!

AVOIDING STRESS

Plan ahead: Get shopping done as early as you can, to avoid the stress later. Make a list of what you need and set out to shop with that list. Purchase only the items that you set out to buy. Nothing is more stressful than running out of money before you have finished shopping.

Lower your expectations: Try not to place high expectations on how events will unfold. Always expect the unexpected . Just have a "what will be will be" attitude. Avoiding high expectations means you won't become stressed out or upset should things not turn out the way you wanted.

Set Spending Limits on Gift Exchanges: Speak with all friends and extended family members that you will be exchanging gifts with and set a spending limit. Keep in mind the overall cost and not the gifts individually. If it is unrealistic for your budget, don`t be afraid to suggest a lower amount. Be sure not to go over the agreed upon price.

Don`t Be Afraid To Ask for help: When you organize a get together at your home, don`t try to be the hero and do it all by yourself. When your guests ask if there is anything that they can do, don`t be afraid to tell them yes. And don`t be shy when it comes to clean up after the party is over either. Delegate by sharing chores. The idea of a get together is for everyone to have a good time and that includes the host/hostess. It's true - many hands make work light - and they also reduce stress in doing so.

Two words: Pot luck. Another great way to limit the stress of planning and orchestrating a party is to unload some of the responsibility. Consider asking guests to pitch in by bringing an appetizer, dessert or beverage to share. It's a good idea to coordinate who is bringing what so you don't end up with an unbalanced table, but it will save you a lot of work.

Stick To Your Routine: Don`t allow yourself to be totally consumed by preparations. Take the time to do some of your regular day to day activities. Go to the gym, take a nap, read a book or go for a walk.

IMPRESSING GUESTS

A little forward planning and attention to detail, and you cannot fail to put together an event that will be talked about for months - even years - afterwards. There are many surprisingly simple ways to impress your guests, and to have them coming back to enjoy more of your dazzling hospitality.

Stock Your Fridge and Cupboards: It is important to be ready always. Expect the unexpected. Stock your fridge with different veggies, fruits, Juices, spreads and dips. Stock your cupboards too.Keep a supply of mixed nuts, cookies, crackers, potato chips and other munchies in the cupboards.

Have Small Gifts and Cards Ready: While doing your shopping, pick up an extra package of greeting cards, a few small boxes of chocolates or cookies. Wrap them up so that they are ready for when unexpected guests drop by. A big smile on their faces will make ur effort less stressful.

Music: Make sure to have a good selection of music on hand. The right music can only add to the festive mood of the get together. Too loud of a music will ruin the environment. So always make sure to keep it soft and low.

Food and drinks: This is the detail that can make or break any event, but it need not be complicated or intimidating. If you're a great cook, now is the time to showcase your skills and dazzle your guests. But if you are not so much into cooking , this is definetely not the occasion to try a challenging new recipe. Instead, keep the food simple and present beautiful. End the show with a good dessert and drink.

I gathered these tips from here and there and some out of experience.If you think these tips are worth implementing, you should definetely give it a try. Will come again with yet another interesting post. Till then stay tuned. This is me signing off for the month.

Food Presentation Tips!!

The way food is presented affects a person’s perception of how it will taste.The perfect dish includes food that tastes as good as it looks. Much of the artistry of cooking comes after the food has been cooked and it is time to transfer it from pot to plate.

Since most of us eat our main meals at home, attractive food presentation is just as important at home as it is in a restaurant. A dish that looks good is more likely to be eaten. Even picky kids will eat food if it looks appealing and properly arranged.

Whether you’re entertaining, preparing a special meal or jazzing up an old favorite, these food presentation tips that i gathered from here n there will set your dishes apart from the crowd.

Balance: Select foods and garnishes that offer variety and contrast, while at the same time avoiding combinations that are awkward or jarring. Two or three colors on a plate are usually more interesting than just one.

Portion size: Portion sizes are another important food presentation tip.Match portion sizes and plates. Too small a plate makes an overcrowded, jumbled, messy appearance. Too large a plate may make the portions look skimpy. Balance the portion sizes of the various items on the plate , size does matter a lot.

Plating the Food: Plating is the act of arranging the meal on the individual plate immediately before it’s served. Presentation should look natural. It should feel as though everything that is on the plate is meant to be exactly where it is. Try to strike a balance between having enough food on the plate to convey hospitality without overcrowding the plate. After you have put the food on the plate, check to see that the plate is clean. Clean spills or sauces away with a moistened clean sponge or paper towel.

Decorate the Frame: If the food is the masterpiece, plate is its frame. Buy beautiful bowls and plates in a variety of shapes and colors. For small appetizers, part of the presentation is making the display platter look beautiful. If you’re decorating a plate that will hold hot food, be aware that by the time you’re finished garnishing the plate, the food may not be hot. Therefore In some cases, you can garnish the plate before you plate the food.

Temperature: It goes without saying that hot food should be served hot and cold foods should be served cold; always check the temperature of your food before you serve it to a guest.
Your arrangement of beautiful food will not make much of a final impression if you forget this important food presentation tip.

Mix Shapes, Colors and Textures:Food is naturally beautiful. Combine foods with different shapes, colors and textures on the same plate. Try to integrate a variety of shapes in each dish. It will have a lot of impact.

Dining table: Not only the food and the plate has an imp role to play in the presentation, a proper place for dining is equally important. Make sure the table where the food is served is neatly arranged much before the guests arrive. You can make a simple yet elegant arrangement. Keep everything in place.

The more beautiful the presentation is, the more anxious a diner gets to dig into the food , and the more anxious a diner is, the more likely he/she is to love it. So making an event special n memorable is purely in your hands. These tips r worth implementing. Hope you find them useful.

Tips to host a healthy Ice-Cream Party!!!

Are you looking for a unique family friendly party idea? How about throwing an ice cream party? It doesn’t have to be only for the kids. What a perfect way to spend a noon or an evening during any time of year. The secret ingredient to throwing a successful party is giving your guests as many choices as possible and who doesn't have a craving for an ice cream!!

The Goal: To try and taste as many different combinations of ice cream, dessert sauces and toppings as possible but make sure to keep it healthy.

Basic flavors of Ice Cream to have on hand for your Party: Vanilla or FrenchVanilla, Plain chocolate, Maplenut and Strawberry ofcourse.

Sprinkles and Toppings: An ice-cream looks more beautiful with sprinkles and toppings. Colored sugars, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans , shredded coconut, peanut butter chips, mini M&M’s, crumbled brownie bits and caramel topping are all great choices.
Pick the best: Buy good ice cream if you can. Try to stay away from too many artificial flavorings in the ice cream. You don’t have to necessarily buy top shelf gourmet stuff, but stay away from the really cheap ice creams as well.

Time of the party: If the party were held in place of a regular meal, your guests will eat more ice cream. If you are serving other desserts too, decrease serving portions.

If you are doing a children’s party, you may want to limit the serving sizes accordingly.Keep the serving sizes in check and they will have plenty of fun just helping to add toppings to their creations.

Tips on healthy ways to eat ice-cream:
Though we all enjoy eating ice cream from time to time, the idea of doing so probably sounds pretty impossible . Here are some tips i gathered from here n there if you are interested in eating ice cream but staying on a diet at the same time.
Cut Down On How Many Scoops You Eat: If you regularly eat three scoops of that Cookie Dough ice cream, you may want to think about cutting it down to two. This is definitely one of the best ways to cut down on your total calorie intake, as well as the overall amount of fat that you eating.

Don't Use Many Toppings On Your Ice Cream: The amount of calories that comes from additional toppings finally adds to your ice cream. Whether you use whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, or walnuts.. maybe cutting down from five toppings to one or two, is a great way to make your ice cream healthier. Using fruit toppings rather than sugary toppings is also a great way to reduce calories.

• Eat Ice Cream That is Pre-Packaged: An ice cream bar, cup or cone that comes out of a box pre-packaged is one of the best ways to cut down on the amount of calories that you are eating. It is also a great way to actually be aware of how many calories you are eating, rather than having to add up the calories of all the different toppings that you may use.

Try Low Fat or Fat Free Ice Cream: Ice cream that is low fat or fat free is a great way to eat ice cream the healthy way. You will feel as though you are eating regular ice cream, though it tends to have reduced calories or fat. Pretty much every brand offers low fat or fat free ice cream in a variety of flavors nowadays, which means that you should be able to find one that you will be sure to enjoy. Keep in mind that you should not give yourself permission to eat any more than one or two servings just because the ice cream brand is a diet brand.

Don't Eat Ice Cream Everyday: Although you might want to indulge in ice cream from time to time, it is important to keep in mind that you should not eat ice cream every single day. The main key is to remember that anything in moderation is okay - and eating ice cream daily is not eating it in moderation!

I know these are the temptations but the trick is to just EAT HEALTHY n STAY HEALTHY!

Tips to decorate a rented house!!

70% of us including me live in rented houses. Renting a home does not mean that you must leave your personal style behind. There are many ways to bring your own personal flare into your rent house without violating rental contract. No matter how strict the home owner is you can easily make your rent house feel like home. Here are a few tips that i got from here and there and i myself follow most of them:

• The easiest way to bring your personal taste into a drab rent house is to choose furniture that reflects your personal taste. Bold or colourful furniture will help to brighten up a bland room and attract attention away from the features of the interior that you are contractually not able to change such as floors and wall colour.

• It is important to choose your furniture based on the size of house you expect to be in. A small, low sofa will look out of place and lost in a large room while a big comfy couch will make a smaller room seem minute.

• Art is a powerful accessory if used and hung properly in the home. It adds style, color, personality, charm, wit, elegance, beauty and just about any other adjective you can imagine. A colourful tapestry or an art will hide stark white walls and warm up any living space. You could hang paintings or framed pictures to achieve the same effect.

• If there is no view from your living room windows, create your own view by hanging plants both inside and outside of your windows. Bring the outside in by filling the room with live plants.

• The floor is probably the simplest part of the home to decorate. A nice rug will create a space that you will enjoy being in. It will also protect the rental's carpet which can be expensive to fix if you stain it. If there is wall to wall carpet in the apartment, add an area rug on top anyway.

• It is time to choose your window treatments. Curtains are a great way to add texture to the room while complementing the existing colours. Nice heavy curtain can be very functional as well. They can be pulled back to let the sunshine help warm the house in the spring and fall or they can be closed to keep out the heat of the summer and the bitter cold of the winter.
• Hide the glaring white walls while adding romance to your bedroom using fabric. You can use a bed with canopy rails and hang beautiful curtain panels around the bed, or you can install curtain rods all the way around the room covering every square inch of the walls with fabric. If that is too over the top for you, add vibrant colors on your bed and windows to take the emphasis away from the walls.
• Proper lighting provides illumination, creates interest, improves safety, and establishes mood and ambiance. Good lighting is both functional and decorative, and careful planning will give you the best results for both attributes.

• kitchen can be the hardest room to add color to, without the use of paint. This is also the last room where people think of adding art. To spruce up your kitchen, you will want to add a removable wallpaper border in a theme to match your kitchen canisters and other counter décor. In addition, display bowls of fruit and flowers on your tables and counters. Also for a traditional look, you can decorate your kitchen wall tiles with the vessels itself.

Hope you find these tips useful.

Beauty Tips!!

Mastering the art of makeup has never been so easy. It was the Roman Dramatist Plautus who wrote, "A woman without makeup is like food without salt".
Makeup is a way to celebrate features we love and want to draw attention. From an unusual shade of eyeliner and long, flirty eyelashes, to a brighter lipstick and a bit of sparkle across the cheekbones - make up is the grown-up equivalent of dressing-up.
Some are lucky to be born beautiful, while others can equip themselves with this vast treasure of beauty and makeup tips that i picked from here and there:

Natural beauty tips:

• Eat a proper, well-balanced diet. The trick is to read the labels carefully and eat healthy foods with minimal preservatives. Good nutrition is key to your outward appearance and longevity.


• Water plays a crucial role. For radiant skin, stay hydrated to keep your skin soft and supple. Moisturize your skin every time after taking a shower.


• During the winter the humidity is very low and as a result the skin may easily become dehydrated, so the best way to keep your skin soft and smooth during the winter months is to keep your whole body hydrated.


• Citrus fruits are, without a doubt, one of the healthiest foods. Consuming several citrus fruits a day prevents flu and colds during the winter months.


• Lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by reducing exposure to the sun's dangerous rays. When enjoying outdoor activities, apply a sunscreen with SPF of atleast 15 and re-applying when necessary.


• Stress is an unfortunate fact in today's fast-paced lifestyle and often reflects in your skin and eyes. Make it routine to relax and pamper yourself, daily if possible. This will give you time to slow down and plan the following day.

Beautiful skin:

• If you have blemishes, don’t pick or squeeze them as this might cause infection or scarring. Cleanse the skin with a soft cotton pad, dipped in herbal infusion or ethereal oils. Touch your skin only if your hands are clean.


• If you wish to wear makeup, utilize only the best cosmetics brushes and beauty tools to enhance your finest features and cover flaws.


• Apply a tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation with a damp sponge. Either one will allow your natural skin tone to show through while covering minor imperfections.


• Creme or liquid blush blends more naturally than powder. Apply to the apple of your cheeks, outwards, into your hairline to prevent makeup lines.

Younger looking eyes:

• People look directly into your eyes. Enhance them and you will attract attention. This is looking good made easy.The first step is to reduce fine lines. So apply a little eye cream on the brow bone and under the eye.


• Next dab on a concealer that matches your skin tones.


• Then line the eye with a white pencil just beneath the lash line. This will give the impression of larger and brighter eyes. :-)


• Last step is to Apply mascara to separate your lashes and give them luster and shine.

• If you need to have smoky eyes, check out this cool video...it is sooo in detail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrsb2eFVOF0&NR=1

Beautiful Lips:

• Some of us have less perfect lips than others. There are plenty of tricks of the trade to help make your lips more balanced and beautiful. Some of the most effective solutions:


• The best lip color fixative - A thin layer of Chapstick. The formula holds lip color like crazy as it heals and protects.


• For longer wear, blot lips after applying lipstick to set color and remove excess. Add a thin layer of loose or pressed powder, then apply color again.


• For evening special-effects, apply a sheer lip gloss in silver, gold or an iridescent shade over the lip color.

Healthy hair:

• Hair attracts people's attention. One of the best tips for healthy hair is to ensure your hair looks great by getting regular haircuts.


• When choosing a hair-style one should always consider whether or not the hair style will suit your face shape. Go for an expert advice on this.


• If you apply gel to your hair, rather than fill the palms of your hands with the product, use a small, dime-size portion. The same would be true with hairspray.


• Make sure your hair is washed with a quality shampoo and conditioner. Then when you dry your hair, bend over at the waist and blow your hair upside down.


• In addition to having a great cut, last tip for healthy hair is to keep up with regular trims. This makes a lot of difference.

Hope you found my beauty tips useful.

Kitchen Tips

We spend most of our time in kitchen. Here are a few tips on "Get Easy with Cooking"

• Put some neem and turmeric pieces or garlic flakes in the container where you store rice or grains, in order to keep away insects.
• To adjust salt in curries add roasted rice powder.
• If the curd is too sour, add 4 cups of water to it. After half an hour, remove the water collected on top.
• Add some vinegar in the boiling water before steaming potato.
• Put some bits of lemon peels in the pressure cooker while cooking, the cooker will remain white inside.
• While chopping raw bananas and potatoes, put the pieces in a bowl of water to avoid it from turning black.
• A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture.
• To peel garlic flakes easily, wash and soak them in cold water for about an hour.
• Green peas will retain their original colour, if you add a pinch of sugar while boiling.
• Leafy vegetables will remain fresh longer, if wrapped in news papers when you are storing.
• Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach, it will retain its green colour.
• If you don't have any cream to add in the soup or gravy, add a mixture of butter and milk.
• Apply some oil on the sides of the vessel in which you boil milk, in order to avoid it from overflowing.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda while mixing the dough for 'chappathi' to make it soft.
• Keep boiled eggs in cold water for 5 minutes, this will make removal of the shell easier.
• Cut boiled eggs with a knife dipped in hot water to avoid breaking.
• If the bread is too soft to cut into pieces, hold the knife close to a flame and then slice the bread with it.
• If you want to make crispy potatoes or banana chips, sprinkle salt water over them while frying.
• If a curry turns out too salty, garnish it with some grated coconut mixed with cumin powder.
• To remove stains from vessels, rub it with a wet cloth dipped in baking soda.
• To clean non stick pans easily, pour some warm water into it and keep it for some time and then wash it with any detergent.
• To remove the smell of masala form mixi, put few pieces of dry bread and powder it.

Home Tips!!

Keeping a house clean and beautiful is one of the most challenging job for a woman especially. I would love to keep my house neat and decorative but sometimes we just fail to do it becoz of varied reasons like lack of time, lack of energy, lack of support or lack of ideas. So here i come with a few Home Tips i gathered from here and there. It helped me, it will help you too.

• The furniture(wooden) becomes more bright and shiny if it is cleaned with the cloth dipped in strong tea.
• Dust the furniture (non-wood) regularly with a dry cloth.
• For healthy look of a house, have more plants inside.
• Water and sunlight exposure at regular intervals are the tips for healthy plants.
• To Keep the water in your flower vase odourless for a long time put a piece of charcoal in it.
• Taking a few minutes a day to run the broom, vacuum, or microfiber mop over the hardwood or other type of will keep it looking newer for a longer time.
• While mopping the floor add two teaspoons of salt to the water to keep flies at bay.
• Use a very dry damp mop when mopping wooden floors, since excess water can ruin the floor.
• Regularly clean the tubs, shower stalls, Toilets, Sinks and Faucets.
• To remove the stain of hair-dye or henna from the cloth, dip the cloth in warm milk for half an hour and wash with soap.
• To remove ink stain from clothes, rub the area with a cotton bud soaked in eau-de-cologne.
• Vinegar is an excellent cleanser for glassware.
• Soak your silver articles in tamarind water for 30 minutes and wash off with fresh water, if you want them to shine like new.
• In order to keep away the termites and insects from your bookshelves, keep few pieces of sandalwood.
• Use a few drops of after shave lotion to get rid of a stubborn dirt from shoes.
• Add a little water to used tea leaves and use them to clean glass and window panes for sparkling results.