About.com Entertaining

Thanksgiving Doesn't Need to Be Perfect

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:11:31 +0000

There's a certain charm to imperfection. It makes the rest of us feel better when those we hold in high esteem are caught in a mistake. Just take Martha Stewart's misfortunes a few years back. I know more than a few people who were not so secretly tickled when her human errors were revealed in public. Anyway, that's my roundabout way of saying that if you decide to take this approach to charming guests this week, here are my top suggestions for a less than perfect Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Doesn't Need to Be Perfect originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 20:11:31.

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Wordless Wednesday - It's a Girl!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:51:48 +0000

If you're a frequent visitor on the internet, you may have discovered a new tradition that has cropped up called "Wordless Wednesday." This tradition captures the spirit of the sentiment that a picture can speak a thousand words. That's why I thought I'd give it a try on this site. I'll feature reader cake photo submissions. And if you have a beautiful centerpiece you've created, or lovely tablescape, I'd be happy to showcase those photos too. Just use this simple submission form to send those photos my way.

_{Photo ©Mary Ann}

Wordless Wednesday - It's a Girl! originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 17:51:48.

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A Time for Appreciation

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:40:27 +0000

Everyone I meet seems to be talking turkey this week. How big a bird should they get? Do they stuff it? Will there be leftovers? But, Thanksgiving is about more than the turkey, it's about pausing to appreciate the blessings in our lives. Some families recite a traditional mealtime blessing from their religion or culture. Others have their own special way of expressing gratitude before the big meal. I invite my readers to share any unique traditions their family has for mealtimes prayers of thanks and blessing on Thanksgiving or any other time of the year.

A Time for Appreciation originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 12:40:27.

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Make Your Own Taco Party

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:19:00 +0000

Everyone I know seems to be looking for ways to continue doing things as they've always done, but less expensively. So that's why I've decided to share a few tricks I know for entertaining a bit more frugally. The first party in this occasional series is a Make Your Own Taco Party
. The most important thing to remember while hosting a party like this is to pat yourself on the back for your fun, frugal party, in private!

_{Photo © Donna Pilato}

Make Your Own Taco Party originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 09:19:00.

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Lower Your Thanksgiving Stress Beginning Today

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:48:12 +0000

I was speaking with a friend today about her Thanksgiving plans and I could tell there was stress in her voice. She was worrying about how everything would get done. She was worrying about whether the usual family sniping would crop up. And, of course, she was worrying about whether all the recipes would turn out right. That's why I suggested that she should immediately follow my 12 Best Strategies for a Lower Stress Thanksgiving. I know she's going to thank me someday.

Lower Your Thanksgiving Stress Beginning Today originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 15:48:12.

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A Different Perspective on RSVPs

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:36:57 +0000

There is always a lot of discussion on this site about the frustration in getting guests to respond to an RSVP request. Today I'm sharing a reader tip about the way he sees the RSVP challenge. He's a professional in the hospitality industry and, therefore, he has a different perspective than the rest of us. But it did make me wonder if adapting his attitude might make all of our lives a little bit easier. What do you think?

A Different Perspective on RSVPs originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 21:36:57.

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Host a Party to Try a Very New Wine

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:48:25 +0000

We were away last weekend, and one of the highlights of the trip was discovering a wine and cheese shop that we hadn't explored before. After sampling the wines in the shop we picked up a bottle of local wine to enjoy when we returned back home. That wine will be new for us even though the locals are probably familiar with it. But there's wine on the horizon that will be new to everyone - the upcoming release of the French Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of this month. That sounds to me like a good excuse for a wine and cheese party.

Host a Party to Try a Very New Wine originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 13:48:25.

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Plan a Mall Scavenger Hunt for Your Teen or Tween

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:00:04 +0000

A few weeks ago we co-hosted a mall scavenger hunt birthday party for our 11-year-old daughter and her friend who was also celebrating her 11th birthday. Since the girls were on the younger side, we divided them into teams and assigned a parent to travel around the mall with each group. I believe this was one of their favorite birthday parties and it would have been one of the least expensive ones too, except that we took the group to see a movie at the end. But truly, that was unnecessary. Their favorite part was the mall scavenger hunt.

Plan a Mall Scavenger Hunt for Your Teen or Tween originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 10:00:04.

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Was There Any Excuse for My Behavior?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:09:01 +0000

Last week was a very busy week for me. I was in charge of my daughter's Halloween party at school on Friday, it was my husband's birthday on Saturday, we went trick-or-treating on Saturday evening, and ended the night with a Halloween party back at our house. On top of all that, my dishwasher was broken all week, so I was washing pots and dishes by hand. That's why I decided to make an exception to my usual style of entertaining, and purchased a pre-cut veggie tray at the supermarket and, even worse, I served it in the plastic tray from the store. I'm still feeling guilty about this. So I'd love to know how you feel about what I did.

_{Photo © Donna Pilato}

Was There Any Excuse for My Behavior? originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 13:09:01.

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Holiday Traditions

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:44:31 +0000

Thanksgiving is all about tradition. Mom's traditional stuffing, cousin's traditional pumpkin pie, the traditional carving of the turkey by the family gnome - oh, wait, that only happened one year. But a tradition is something that we look forward to every year. What are some of your favorite family traditions relating to Thanksgiving? We'd love to hear about them in our Reader Responses for Holiday Traditions. Maybe we'll learn something new to pass on to our own families, even if the gnomes don't visit this year.

Holiday Traditions originally appeared on About.com Entertaining on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 18:44:31.

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