QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Visit an ATM machine and fill up with gas for the long weekend. Do this early in the day, if you can, as everyone will be gassing up today.
- Tidy house for the weekend. Refresh toilet paper, empty trash cans, wipe sinks and mirrors, vacuum the living room, tidy kitchen.
- Locate your sunscreen and sunglasses. Hopefully you’ll need them!
- Clean pets’ water and food bowls. Clean or mop floor under the bowls.
- Finalize weekend socialization plans, either by phone, Facebook or email.
- Don’t lose sight of the purpose of Memorial Day. It’s not just a three day weekend for partying.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Preparing for the Weekend
Today, do whatever you need to do to get ready for the weekend. If you’re leaving town, you might need to pack, gas up the car, make arrangements for petsitting, purchase a hostess gift, and find your camping gear. If you’re entertaining, you’ll need to cook, shop, clean, plan, and devise entertainments.
I’m staying home this year, attending the Northwest Folklife Festival on Saturday, enjoying my yard with my dogs on Sunday, and going to a friend’s backyard picnic on Monday. I’m hoping to fit in some time to read magazines, snuggle in bed with my cat and a book, catch up on some silly TV watching, and perhaps do a bit of writing.
Because we’ve kept our homes so well maintained throughout Spring Cleaning and the months that followed, I bet very few of you need to do any big cleaning projects this weekend. Let’s relax and enjoy our family, friends, beautiful homes, and continue keeping up with messes as they happen, not spending our long weekend cleaning and organizing!
LOVELY BEVERAGES: Absolut Orient Apple
My ginger allergy is unfortunately going to prevent me from tasting the new Absolut Orient Apple, launched in Frankfurt recently. It’s based on Absolut Brooklyn, with a couple modifications. It sounds tasty, so I might stock it to serve to lucky guests who have no allergies to ginger!
LOVELY BLOGS: Sip, Chat, Chow
“Adventures of a glam foodie.” Sip, Chat, Chow follows Tricia’s dining adventures in NYC and the other cities she travels to on occasion. I so enjoyed living vicariously through her as she visited the En Japanese Brasserie!
LOVELY HOME: Lafco Dream Home Candles
I so adore the concept for this line of candles. “A candle for every home.” Each candle in the line is designed to match a particular style of home or lifestyle.
“Lake House,” for example, is scented with water hyacinth; “Penthouse” features champagne, ginger, raspberry and pink grapefruit; “Carriage House” is a blend of currant, magnolia, mandarin and cypress; “Ski House” is reminiscent of a cedar log fire, crisp mountain air and evergreen.
There are also scents intended for particular rooms of your home. “Bathroom” features a Marine scent; “Kitchen” smells of cilantro and orange; “Office” is scented with rosemary and eucalyptus. A bit pricy, these would be a big investment in the way your home smells every day.
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Em Dashes – Why Writers Should Use Them More Sparingly (Slate)
Fearing the Phase-Out of Incandescent Bulbs (NY Times)
Marinating For Memorial Day (Honest Cooking)
The Secrets to Party Hopping (Yumsugar)
Spring/Summer Pies and Tarts (CHOW)
S’mores on a Stick (The Decorated Cookie Blog)
Traveling the Globe Page by Page: The Best Travel Writing (Newsweek)
Wedding Foods Around the World (Epicurious)
Zucchini Pasta with Almonds and Lemon Zest (Chocolate and Zucchini)