Be A Host The Most...

.... leave the rest to me!

But I understand, sometimes you want to it all by yourself. In which keep in mind:

Plenty of food +Plenty of favours = Plenty of fun tells us Gina

1) Plan Early 

So many of us pile 200 things on our daily to-do list that we are still working on tasks from 2010. Work through what could be an otherwise very stressful situation by sitting down in a calm and quiet place (away from the kids, of course!) and figuring out what needs to be done and when. Things you will want to tackle first include: choosing colors and a theme for the event, putting together a guest list (try to keep it small and intimate-the more folks that attend your event, the more work you will have keeping everything in order), deciding on decorations, creating a menu, and sending out invitations. If your party is going to be somewhere other than your house, venue selection is something else you want to take care of sooner than later.

By planning ahead you will allow yourself plenty of time to handle unforeseen situations and get some of the work out of the way long before the event is scheduled to take place. By doing as much pre-party work as possible, you are making it possible to relax and enjoy interacting with your guests the day of the event.

2) Be Present

Sounds easy, right? Well it is harder than it may seem. I cannot tell you how many times I have attended parties for my son’s friends where the hostess of the party did not make more than a five minute appearance throughout the entire party. This is especially a problem for moms hosting a party for smaller children (say under 7).

Everyone knows that a child’s party is just as much for the parents as it is for the children. Adults want to have a good time too! So being present requires party hostesses to have things prepared ahead of time so when it comes party time, they are free to 1) Plan Early 

So many of us pile 200 things on our daily to-do list that we are still working on tasks from 2010. Work through what could be an otherwise very stressful situation by sitting down in a calm and quiet place (away from the kids, of course!) and figuring out what needs to be done and when. Things you will want to tackle first include: choosing colors and a theme for the event, putting together a guest list (try to keep it small and intimate-the more folks that attend your event, the more work you will have keeping everything in order), deciding on decorations, creating a menu, and sending out invitations. If your party is going to be somewhere other than your house, venue selection is something else you want to take care of sooner than later.

By planning ahead you will allow yourself plenty of time to handle unforeseen situations and get some of the work out of the way long before the event is scheduled to take place. By doing as much pre-party work as possible, you are making it possible to relax and enjoy interacting with your guests the day of the event.

3) Be Plentiful

Make sure you have more than enough food, drinks, favors, and games and activities scheduled for the party day. Shorting some children party favors or not having enough food is a recipe for disaster! If you are unsure, plan for extra attendees. My rule of thumb is: take the confirmed guest count and add enough for 5-10 more for everything. That means more favor bags, more soda, more snacks, more cake and more prizes. You may have to spend a little more but you can always give out extra and you can never compensate for not having enough. Besides, everyone loves party leftovers. Besides everyone loves party leftovers.

I will tell you this though, throwing a party is not easy on your own, help is definitely advised, especially from a professional, that way you don't need to worry about warm drinks and cold food, all you have to do is focus on smiling. 

Table Setting and Sitting Etiquettes

Recently I organized a formal dinner for a family friend and came to realize how little people know about place setting. The hosts usually face the predicament of how many plates to make available, and the guest often don't know why there are two forks when one can do the trick just fine. 


frankly, even when one is eating at home with family, the tablescape should be paid attention to notwithstanding; consider it makeup for the table. Just putting the glass on the correct side matters much on a subconscious level. Truly. Haven't we seen enough movies where even when the person is eating alone (s)he makes it a point to arrange the table before sitting in their own company - I don't know about you, but I have always found that classy!



So, to make it easier for all of you I did a quick research to tip you on table setting and sitting etiquettes.









(via The Washington Post)


If you are planning to serve soup then follow this setting:











If you are the guest, here are a few tips for you: 


Rules on flatware:
Start from the outside and work your way in toward the plate as the meal progresses. Usually, the big fork is for the entree; the big spoon for the soup. Any utensils placed horizontally above your plate are for dessert.

Which drink is yours:

Here's an easy tip to help you remember. Make a circle with your thumb and forefinger. Your left hand will form a "b" and your right hand will form a "d."Bread (b) is on your left; drink (d) is on your right.

Once the utensils are used:

It never goes back on the table. When you're taking a break, rest your fork and knife entirely on the plate. When you are finished, place them diagonally on the plate, side by side, with the handles at 4 o'clock. The knife blade should face the center of the plate, not point out toward another guest (an ancient sign of aggression).

Miscellaneous 

If bread rolls are served, break the bread between your fingersrather than cut it.


When eating soup, always move the soup spoon away from you to the other side of the dish and "sip" the soup (quietly!) from it.


In some circumstances it may be appropriate for a finger bowl to be served, for example where ribs have been served. In which case, one should gently clean the fingers in the warm scented water and dry them on one's napkin.





Remember, tablescaping always gives the room a grand aesthetic feel; translating into a genuine way of welcoming the guests and impressing them all-in-one!

Quick tip for wrinkle-less clothes

Karachi is becoming just like New York where people's fast paced life is concerned, and like Thailand where traffic is concerned. We all have too many places to go and too much traffic to cross, that by the time we reach our destination we look like used tissue papers (for the lack of a better analogy. Go with it). I too face the same dilemma - although I'm already at the destination/event, working all day long makes me look like a crumpled paper (stay with me, this is going somewhere) by the time guests arrive. 

So, as I was procrastinating today (la de da) I came upon this lifesaving tip that removes wrinkles from your clothes in a jiffy, no matter where you are! 

I

had

to

share

! 

As lifehacker says and I quote:

DIY blog Stylelist Home suggests you can fix those wrinkles no matter where you are by wiping down the shirt with a damp towel.

The nice thing about the damp towel trick is that it's possible to do in the restroom at work. If you don't have a cloth towel, paper towels can work in a pinch. Lay the shirt on a counter, press down with the damp towel, and you're done. If you have an hand dryer, stretch the shirt out under the dryer so it dries quick and continue on with your day. Of course, if you notice the wrinkles before you leave the house."

*Throwing my arms into air in Laurie from CougarTown style 'wut wut'*

Henceforth we all shall look like those Beverly Hill real housewives who, bytheway, even have skins with zero wrinkles!

Faucetwards, all you with Mary Poppin bags!

(There are more tips on how to remove wrinkles without an iron here >  Stylist Home)