Thursday, December 25, 2014

Are You Making These Hosting Mistakes?

"Holiday Cookies" by Whitney is licensed under CC BY 2.0
‘Tis the season for holiday gatherings! If you’re inviting friends and loved ones over to your apartment this season, or have in the past, you understand that hosting is hard work and can be stressful! While your friends and family don’t expect every single detail to go perfectly, there are some main areas you can focus on to make sure your guests have an enjoyable experience! These are mistakes you’ll want to avoid at your holiday party, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.


1. Expecting guests to help themselves to food and drink.
Don't expect that your guests will know to help themselves to the beer in the fridge, or that they'll be able to find those cookies tucked away in the back of the kitchen. Guests may not be comfortable enough in your house to go hunting around, so make sure everything is in plain sight.


2. Not thinking about flow.
When you're arranging furniture and thinking about where to locate food and drinks, consider how people will move through the house. Generally everyone is going to walk in the door and then go straight for the food and drink, so make sure there's a clear path to the goodies. Think about places where bottlenecks will form and try to eliminate them by creatively moving furniture — if, for example, you have a small kitchen, putting out food in a different room will keep everyone from winding up uncomfortably jammed into a tiny space.


3. Thinking you have to provide seating for everyone.
Unless you're hosting a dinner party, your guests will probably spend most of the party on their feet, chatting. Usually people will only sit down at the very end of the party, when most guests have already left, so provide one or two conversational groupings of chairs, but don't feel like you have to have a seat for every single person. You don't want to wind up with a whole roomful of people, awkwardly standing around a bunch of unused chairs.


4. Serving food and drink that take a ton of prep on the day of.
If you have your heart set on on serving handcrafted cocktails at your party, hire a bartender (or enlist a friend to do the honors) — otherwise you'll spend your whole party mixing and shaking, secretly resenting your guests for having such a good time. Pitcher drinks will make your guests just as happy, and allow you to enjoy yourself too. The same goes for food that requires elaborate preparation — opt for something simpler, or even better, supplement with some appetizers from the frozen food section. With some creative plating, your guests will never know the difference.


5. Not having a plan for music.
You don't have to hire a band or come up with the World's Most Creative Playlist — but you do need something playing when guests arrive. Music provides a little background noise to make people comfortable during those awkward introduction stages, and it also helps set the tone for the entertainment to come.


6. Forgetting to check the thermostat.
A bunch of people all together in a little room = lots and lots of body heat. If you're having a large gathering, you'll probably want to do something — turn of the heater, open up windows, maybe even turn on the A/C for a little while — to cool down the room before people arrive, so you don't wind up with a sweltering apartment two hours later when it's too late to do anything about it.


7. Leaving your guests to introduce themselves.
Especially if you've invited friends who don't know anyone else at the party, don't just welcome them and put a cocktail in their hand and then leave them on their own. Make sure to introduce them to one or two other folks at the party so they're not floating around on their own.


8. Trying to do everything on your own.
Hosting a party is more than a one-person job. No matter how much you prepare ahead of time, you'll probably find yourself scrambling to get things ready at the last minute. If you enlist help — a spouse, a family member, a close friend — you'll be able to spend the first few minutes of your party greeting your guests, and not running around in the kitchen while they awkwardly stand about. (And chances are your friends will be happy to help.)


9. Forgetting to relax and enjoy yourself.
Which party would you rather go to — an event with perfect decorations, food, and drink, with a stressed-out, frazzled host, or a less closeup-worthy event where the hostess is relaxed and having a good time with her guests? Your guests feel the same way. You're the host, and your mood will set the tone for the rest of the party — so relax, have a drink, and let the little things work themselves out.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

5 Things to Take Care of Before Your Holiday Travels

"Stuttgart Airport at dusk" by Andrei Dimofte is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The time is almost here for those long-awaited days off and heading out of town for the holidays! Of course you’ll remember to pack and wrap all of the presents, but there are some things to take care of before you leave that are probably at the bottom of your list, if they’re even on there at all. Don’t forget to take care of these quick tasks, courtesy of Apartment Therapy, before you leave town!


1. Clean out stinky spots
The trash cans (not just the kitchen one — think about cans in your bathrooms, office or bedrooms), dishwasher, fridge and coffee maker can all be nightmares to come home to if they've been left full of stuff to rot and get stinky while you're away. Empty them all out before you go, but also give them a quick swipe to clean them.


2. Security check
Doors, windows, garage door — are they all closed and locked? Are blinds and curtains closed? Are you leaving a car at your place? Make sure you don't have any valuables in sight. Leave a light on or check your light timer. Can you go a step farther and lock gates to your home and other entrances, too? Make a quick sketch of your floor plan and all the things that need locking, and make check marks as you walk around the house. You can keep that sheet with you as you get on the road in case you get any of those "did I lock that?" feelings.


3. Save energy and protect from damage
Unplug all your electronics. Check the heating system and your water heater — are they turned down low to save energy? Even consider shutting off the water lines to your washing machines to avoid leaks or accidents while you're away. Make sure all your appliances are turned off like the stove, oven, coffee maker and others.


4. Water plants
Give all your green lovelies a nice long drink before you go, and move them to the optimal spot in your home — where the best light is and a spot where they won't get cold drafts (if that's something they wouldn't like).


5. Make sure your neighbors have the info they need
If your neighbors are watching your home for you while you're away, make sure they have keys to everything, phone numbers (and alternative numbers) to reach you if there's ever a problem. If they're watering plants, make sure they know how much and when to do it. Let them know if you'll need the garbage cans brought in or to the curb. Typing up a quick FAQ sheet to leave for them is often helpful.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Last Minute Apartment Cleaning

"clutter" by Alex is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The holidays are a hectic time of year for anyone, but add the stress of hosting people at your apartment, and a whole other layer unfolds - you need to decorate your place, order or cook food, send out the information and more. All this in addition to buying and wrapping gifts. Let’s say your stretch your time too thin - what can you save for last? Cleaning your apartment. Doing a quick clean is actually not as bad as it sounds. Just follow these easy tips from Apartment Therapy:

1. Clean the Three T's: Toilets, Tabletops, the Television. What? The television? Yup! Most living rooms are centered around your tv and the amount of dust that hangs on it, your Netflix stack and dvd box set pile that's off to one side could be tell tale signs of why the rest of your house isn't exactly spotless. Plus if you sit chatting in the living room, you'll be staring at it wishing you would have moved it. Toilets and tabletops are a bit more self explanatory, but important none the less.

2. Stash with Efficiency: When company drops in we've all been in a situation once or twice where things get tossed in a basket and shoved in the spare bedroom or closet. It's a quick solution, but it can be done with more efficiency so you can find your stuff later on. Add things to your basket according to the room they go in. That way when company leaves, you can remove the items easily without making 100 trips across your house or apartment to put things where they belong.

3. Pet Hair: Even if you have a sparkling clean house, if your sofa is covered with a layer of dog or cat fur, it suddenly looks less tidy. Keep a rubber glove or your favorite pet hair busting product on hand to knock it all down in a few sweeps.

4. Dishes Be Gone in Seconds Flat: Please don't judge me for this tip. Admitting that I've done it more than once is punishment enough alright? So here goes. Put your dishes in your oven. Wait, what? If you pile your dishes in the sink then it looks like you threw them all in there at the last minute as everyone knows you can't really wash dishes in that manner and you'll still look like a slight slob, even though you have clean counters. Instead, grab a baking sheet and stack like items together and slide them in the oven. They'll slide right back out, be prestacked and ready to be washed so you can recover from the guilt you just gave yourself for following through with this tip. Side note: don't preheat your oven... even by accident... until they're removed.

5. Spend 5 Furious Minutes on Your House Everyday: Isn't that cheating? We're talking about last minute company here, not preparing all week long for them to come! True, but think about how much you can clean in those few minutes before they arrive. 10 blocks isn't much. With traffic and parking and walking up your stairs, 5 minutes is a safe estimate. Bring that panic to your life every day and clean with the same intensity for just 5 minutes and your house will always look better for it. Plus, you still have time to watch Raising Hope without telling yourself you'll pick up on commercials.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Calculate Your Holiday Gift Budget

"Christmas presents" by Mike_fleming is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Each year it seems like the holiday gift list grows longer and longer - from big gifts, like close friends and family members, to smaller ones for neighbors and co-workers. With a shorter shopping season this year (only three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas), time is of the essence! If you haven’t started shopping yet, the first step is to determine your budget. If you need some help, follow these tips from Apartment Guide:

A Little Preparation Goes A Long Way
By being a smart shopper every day, you will have more to spend when the holidays come around. Here are some easy steps to more savings.

When it’s time to go grocery shopping, make a list. Get into the habit of only shopping for the items on your list and leave impulse purchases at the door.
Do your online research in advance of a big shopping trip. When you know where the bargains are, you will save yourself a whole heap of time, effort and frustration.
Make shopping rewarding. Use store coupons and rewards cards and sign up for email campaigns that will send advance details of sales.
Pay yourself first! Grant yourself a weekly allowance and shop for necessary items guilt free. By paying yourself a weekly or monthly allowance you will avoid the very real temptation of a retail therapy blowout.

Basic Steps To Big Savings
There are many small measures you can take to reduce your bills and help you save for the holidays. When you leave your apartment for the day, remember to unplug all electrical items making sure that you don’t spend anymore on your electrical bill than you have to. This tiny step goes a long way to reducing your electric bill over the course of a year.

When you go to work, adopt a “cash free” day where you go about your day-to-day business without spending a single penny. This is easier than it sounds with a modicum of forward planning: plan your lunches around what’s already in the pantry or the fridge, and take a (reusable) bottle of water with you. Then make sure to put away the equivalent money you would have spent into a savings account.

Now that you have adopted basic budget saving tips into your day-to-day life, you will have a clearer idea of how much you have to spend on your holiday gift budget.

Holiday Shopping Tips
When it’s time to go shopping for your chosen gifts, take cash only. This important step will prevent you from being tempted to use credit to make your purchases. Adopt a stealth-like approach to your shopping trip, planning in advance the stores you intend to visit. Don’t be distracted from your mission; instead, make the purchases you have decided upon in advance. If necessary, you can always go back later and buy that impulse present if there is enough left over in your budget.

Use the envelope system for shopping trips. Make out a new envelope for each person on your list and place in the exact amount needed for their chosen present. Then if the product is further discounted at the cash register, you can put the extra money into a contingency fund.

If you choose to do your holiday shopping online from the comfort of your own apartment, keep an eye open for useful promotions such as free shipping codes or buy-one-get-one-free offers.

Finally, if you are forced to put your holiday shopping onto a credit card, it’s always a good idea to put it on one that will benefit you and your wallet. Use cards that offer cash back with every purchase.
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