Happy First Day of May!
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Pay bills, rent, mortgage
- Do you need to update the list of Emergency Numbers you keep by the phone? Have any family or friends changed their phone numbers since you wrote that list up? Has anybody taken a more active role in your children’s life and should be added as an emergency contact?
- Look over birthday list for this month. Plan gift purchases, order flowers to be sent, write and mail cards tonight for at least people born in the first two weeks of this month.
- Do you need to make any appointments for yourself, pets or family members for this month? Dermatologist, dentist, checkup, vet, hair salon, eye doctor?
TODAY’S PROJECT: Getting Ready for Parties
This upcoming week, I’m planning to host two dinner parties. They’re weeknight dinners, so I will have been working all day before hosting them. So the more preparation I can do this weekend, and the simpler the menus I select, the easier my parties will be.
I strive to keep my house in party-ready condition at all times. I don’t always succeed, but luckily this weekend I’m on track. I had the carpets cleaned yesterday (optimistically believing my puppies to be mostly potty trained at this point). My kitchen is clean (though it will get messed up this afternoon when I experiment with recipes). The bathrooms are clean, and my living rooms are decluttered.
So now mostly I just have to dust, select the tablecloths and linens I’ll use during my parties, select the CDs I will play as background music, clean out my fridge and go grocery shopping.
That way, all I will have to do the night of the party is a quick vacuuming, a quick wipedown of the bathrooms, a changing out of hand towels, light candles, and start cooking.
LOVELY BLOGS: Stem Parties
This blog is by a professional party planner. It’s not just a long advertisement for her services though. She shares interesting party ideas that she finds, neat products for entertaining, and pretty party photos she’s come across.
http://www.stemparties.blogspot.com/
LOVELY HOLIDAYS: May Day
I forgot last night was Walpurgisnacht, I would have lit a bonfire in my back yard! A small one, confined carefully to my fire pit table, but still, a bonfire!
I don’t have a May Pole to dance around, so I will celebrate Spring just by having extra beautiful flowers around the house. I will squeeze in time for a walk this afternoon, too, in between my cleaning chores.
LOVELY DRINKS: Absolut Berri Acai
I’m excited to try the new Berry Acai flavored Absolut vodka. There are some cocktail recipes over at Notcot and at Intoxicologist.
LOVELY DRINKS: Glow in the Dark Soda Cans
I love these glow-in-the-dark cans from Schweppes. The flavors aren’t ones usually sold in the US (Agrum, Indian Tonic, and Dark Side) so I wonder if I’ll get to try any of these.
LOVELY WEBSITES: Couturious
Have you played around with this virtual dress-up site? You choose your model, then try out a variety of outfits and accessories on her. The idea seems to be to advertise new clothes and jewelry from various designers. It’s a fun way to kill about twenty minutes!
http://www.couturious.com/create
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Bacon, Sushi and Cupcakes: Chewing on the Decade’s Top Foods (Luxury Las Vegas Magazine)
Build Your Own Burrito Bar (CHOW)
Mother’s Day Recipes and Menus (Epicurious)