New Years Eve Party for a Domestic Diva
It’s the last day of the year and everyone is looking for ways to celebrate. Those on night shifts, like newspaper personnel, tele-sales agents and friends working Computer Operator Jobs are off work so this may be the only time they can attend a party. If you have kids, you probably hire a sitter so that you can attend the party.
This year, help yourself and your friends with a family party where everyone can have fun. After all, ringing in the New Year with your entire family (kids included) can be just as, if not more, fun than without them.
The most important part of any party is the planning.
You want this party to be family-oriented so that adults and kids can both have a good time. First of all, that may mean no alcohol except the celebratory glass of champagne at midnight. But, you can keep the alcoholic drinks to a minimum by serving beer or having brandy service (you go around with the bottle).
Have a separate buffet for kids. Try some sparkling cider or grape juice so they can join in the glass tinking at midnight as well. With kids involved, you will want them to have their own space. That means at least two rooms for the party. Kids aren’t very picky but they like their space. You can set them up in the garage, the den or the family room. Any activities that you have planned for them will take place here. Include sleeping bags and pillows in case someone crashes before the ball-dropping hour.
The centrally located space can be for the adults. You can set up for party games, socializing and the food area here.
Dream Proposal: Do You Have One?
Every girl dreams of someday being visited by a prince and being proposed to under a tree during sunset. But that may just be my proposal dream. What’s yours?
Maybe it’s in a French restaurant with your fiance kneeling (and holding out one of the diamond rings in the magazine you told him about a year ago) and trying to say “allez faire vous vous marier avec moi”.
Maybe it’s while you’re waking up and your fiance is asking you to marry him even before you noticed that he slipped a diamond ring in your finger during your sleep.
Maybe it’s while you’re being served dessert in a fancy restaurant and you discover that the cake has a diamond ring mixed in. This actually happened to my best friend, and she thinks it’s the most romantic gesture in the world. I had to ask her though, “what would you have done if you were so hungry that you swallowed the ring along with the first chunk of cake?” She had no answer to that.
Frugal Shopping Tips for the Retail Diva
Retail therapy can mean as many different things as there are items in a Walmart aisle. Whether you’re in the grocery store or elsewhere, you may find it difficult to stick to a budget. So, before you actually begin looking for the things you need plus the extras that you just gotta have, you have to define what great value means to you.
Frugal shopping is possible even if you’re used to buying more expensive items because the economy used to be better for you and your family. But you don’t have to feel like you’re suffering, even if you’re buying things that are priced way lower than the items you used to buy before.
Here are some tips:
Design Over Brand – If you define great quality as the way an item appears, you can learn a few techniques for getting new items without spending a lot of money. Brand name items cost more, but what they really do is set a trend on the “in” designs nowadays. Whether it’s a cell phone or the newest notebook, there is bound to be a more frugal counterpart that features a similar design. If your car is a new model, you can use cheap wheels and no one would notice that they aren’t the expensive type.
Value Uniqueness - Not all items that are unique are expensive. Use your good taste to find really beautiful pieces in places where no one would ever guess they existed. Flea market bargains and yard sales are excellent places to go shopping if you’re after furniture pieces that are really beautiful albeit under-appreciated.
Be Open to Staying Frugal
Shopping for anything on a budget isn’t always about scrimping and sacrificing. Sometimes, just by accepting the frugal lifestyle, you can find things that are truly good to have regardless of their price. Frugality is more than something that you need to do while times are hard. Now that you know that the tables could turn at any moment as far as finances are concerned, you should be more frugal.
Resolve Your Closet Storage Problem
Divas all over the world have to deal with storage problems. Those beautiful bags are not being taken out on a daily basis, and in the meantime, they need a home. Here are some solutions to storage problems for retail pack rats.
Let Go
Letting go of the things you don’t want anymore can be difficult if you consider how much you loved that piece in the past. But it has to be done. If you don’t limit the stuff you keep, you will soon run out of closet space, as you already know.
Garage sales are usual for those who want to send off their items to new owners. A garage sale can be exclusive to friends and family members who have been waiting for you to do this. Think of this as letting go of items that will in turn bring joy to the people you love. What to do with the earnings? Build more closet space, even if you have to erect metal buildings in your backyard to accommodate all your stuff.
Limit the Spending
Instead of buying several inexpensive knick knacks, find the self-discipline to stick with expensive pieces that take longer to buy. After all, the more you save for a particular piece, the more you will treasure it. Have a particular place in your closet for your expensive stuff. Make sure this spot is easily accessible so that you don’t ever forget about your most treasured bags, shoes and clothes.
Essential Items for Telecommuters
When you bring your work with you, you need to set up a mobile office. Your gadgets and work stuff need protection. When you’re a travelling photographer, you are exposed to the weather. If you’re making a living out of reviewing restaurants, you’re bound to spend most of your time in hotels. It’s easier to manage all that you have to do as a working traveler if your mobile work is in great condition.
Select telecommuting items according to your needs. Quality and convenience are some of the things that matter. Here are the three important items if you bring work with you all the time.
1. Netbook Protector Bag
Laptop bags materials are usually leather or nylon. Trust your instincts when it comes to the materials. It pays to have a plastic bag that can protect your items from moisture, but leather is more appropriate if you want to go with your fashion sense. Your bag must also have a lot of pockets to accommodate other items.
2. Organizer
Some organizers are now digital, but most of us still love our paper organizers where there’s a calendar and we can make all sorts of doodles to indicate which day it is. Leather quality should also be considered when buying an organizer. Sometimes, you only bring this thing with you, which means you need to have a case for your organizer that can accommodate pens, loose leaf notepads and a small camera or cell phone.
3. Cell Phone Accessories
Acell phone hard case is recommended, but you also need hands-free items for your cell phone so that you’re not always fiddling with it. Find a way to hold your phone even when your hands are wet, like getting a plastic case besides your hard case. SMS is very popular right now as a mode of communication, so you can bet that people would want to send text to you instead of calling you.
