Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: hosting

  • Celebrate Summer with these Festive Party Themes

    Summer is here and it’s time to party! Start the easy living by planning the perfect summertime soiree. Get your guest list together and pick a date. We’ll help you throw the ultimate summer spectacular with a fun and festive theme.

    Family members, new and old friends alike will love spending a laid-back day or night with great food and beautiful décor. Keep it casual or dress it up. Embrace the spirit of the season and enjoy creating a space for relaxation.

    Here are some of our favorite summer party theme ideas:

    Summer beach party

    You don’t have to live at the beach to bring the surf and sand to your summer party. A backyard isn’t even necessary, although a great outdoor space helps establish a beachy mood. If you have a yard or outside area, little sand islands and trails create perfect places for lingering.

    Indoor and outdoor gathering spots get their beach on when you decorate them with sand-filled hurricane lamps holding simple white candles. Keep plenty of beach blankets and towels on hand for lounging, and make sure you have refreshing drinks for the day followed by warm-up beverages throughout the evening.

    A tropical oasis

    Turn your home into a tropical oasis with colorful flowers and lush plants, as well as tiki torches and island-inspired cocktails or mocktails. Create a rainforest atmosphere complete with soothing soundscapes or invite guests into a thatched hut or luau setting.

    Hand out real flower leis made with orchids, jasmine or plumeria. Serve dragon fruit or guava sorbet and consider hiring a hula dance instructor to teach partygoers traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian dance.

    Movie under the stars

    Wait out the intense heat of the day and congregate around a movie screen at night. Don’t have a silver screen or can’t find a place to rent one? Configure a makeshift setup with a sheet or project onto the side of your house. You can “roll” films from an old-school projector or stream them from your laptop.

    Backyard movies under the stars are some of the most fun summertime parties. Hook up theater speakers, line up chairs (or piles of blankets) and treat your guests to freshly popped popcorn and natural cane sugar sodas for a new release or classic. Your event will be one to remember.

  • Ten Tasty Finger Foods for Party People on the Move

    Get the party started with delicious nibbles that will make entertaining fun for every host. Finger foods are easy to grab, reducing the stress of guests who may not have room to sit down for a traditional meal and giving guests a tasty way to start conversations. Explore 10 finger foods that will have loved ones already saving the date for your next event.

    1. Stuffed mushrooms

    Stuffed mushrooms are easy to make and gobble up, making them the ideal choice to serve at a party. They can be made for vegans or meat lovers/carnivores. Combine a black rice, vegetable stock, vegan cheese and crushed walnuts for your veggie-lover friends. For carnivores, add sausage.  This incredibly rich blue cheese and Parmesan option for friends who fall somewhere in the middle will be a hit.

     

     

    2. Pigs in a blanket

    For many decades, pigs in a blanket have been popular. Kids love them just as much as adults, and they are easy to make. Just pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, wrap mini hotdogs in crescent roll squares and bake for about 10-15 until golden brown.

     

     

     

    3. Avocado and pesto tomatoes

    You can thank us for this one later: avocados, tomatoes, and some lemony, cheesy sauce, all secured on the same toothpick. This is one of the easiest finger foods for a party, and all you need is a food processor.

     

     

     

    4. Bacon water chestnut wraps

    Because it’s impossible to eat just one these hors d’oeuvres, you can expect they’ll disappear quickly. Cut some bacon strips in half, heat until almost crispy and wrap each strip around a water chestnut. Secure with a toothpick and glaze with brown sugar and a little mayonnaise. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

    5. Potato salad bites

    Potato salad is a favorite dish at a sit-down BBQ. However, at a party where guests are mingling, it’s not exactly convenient. Thankfully, you can halve small red potatoes, bake them at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes with a little olive oil and then, once soft, scoop out the inside, mash it with some sour cream, chives, salt and pepper. Voila, potato salad bites!

  • 6 Ideas for a Sensational Easter Table Setting

    What do food, fancy plates and flowers have in common? They’re all sensational for an Easter table setting!

    If you’re coming up short on ideas for your Easter table, or need inspiration for that final touch, there are many ways to set a showstopper.

    Create a design that will make loved ones feel welcomed and delighted. Feel free to incorporate appetizers or desserts into your design. Pull out your spring-colored china or hit the vintage shop for new treasures. Display a complete set or pieces that are mismatched and marvelous. Bring some of the season’s best blossoms into the setting as well.

     

     

    1. Design your own garden centerpiece

    Gather a medium-sized wood or metal tray, some wheatgrass (available at many nurseries), a handful of your favorite cut blooms and floral selections filled with water. Trim the wheatgrass with gardening tools or scissors so it fits perfectly on your tray. Place the flower stems inside of the floral selections and then press the picks down into the grass. Arrange a monochromatic garden centerpiece or one that bursts with color.

     

     

    2. Fill perfume bottles with flowers

    Raid your bathroom or your nearest flea market to come up with statement perfume bottles for an Easter table flower display. These vessels, while always beautiful, take on new life when paired with spring’s botanical bounty.

     

  • Ask a Pro: An Outdoor Housewarming Party in Autumn

    A new home is a cause for celebration, but what if you move in during cooler weather months? Interior design expert and Dream Team member Jennifer Adams has the answers to stay warm during an autumn outdoor housewarming party in the latest edition of Ask a Pro!

    Ask a Pro: An Outdoor HouseWarming Party in Autumn - bhgrelife.com

    Q. Hello, Jennifer! I’m about to host a housewarming party in November to celebrate my new home. Can you help me with a theme? I plan to have it in my backyard under white tents. Thanks!

    —Samantha T.

    A. Congratulations on your new home! I love the idea of having your party outdoors. Add festive outdoor lighting and portable heaters if you live some place that will be chilly.

    One of my favorite non-holiday-based November party ideas, depending on the timing of your party and if you like red wine, is to do a “Release of the Beaujolais Nouveau” theme! The French celebrate this on the third Thursday of November when the newest red table wines come out, but you don’t have to wait that long. Find some inexpensive Beaujolais Nouveau, which is on the light, fruity, sweet side. Pair with fruit, cheeses, sliced roast beef, beet salad, or figs with goat cheese, all perfect for party foods!

    If your party is earlier in November, consider a Mexican theme for the Day of the Dead. It’s a little more than just Halloween, and you can go all-out with a Mexican menu, which is always a crowd pleaser.

    Other ideas include an apple or pumpkin theme for your menu. Have a tasting of hard ciders or pumpkin beers! Pair with fruit, cheeses, crackers or bread and other savory snacks. Let me know how it goes! I’d love to see your photos on social.

    —Jennifer A.

  • Chilly and Refreshing Iced Coffee Popsicle Recipe

    When you’re in the mood for a jolt of java without the heat, try a homemade iced coffee popsicle. They’re quick to make and even easier to devour! Feel free to change up the recipe to fit your preferred cup of coffee, and if you want a little more sweetness, top your popsicles with a squirt of whipped cream just before they get served.

    Iced Coffee Popsicles Recipe

    Serves: 8

    Ingredients:

    • 3 cups fresh-brewed coffee
    • ¾ cup half-and-half cream (10% cream)
    • ½ cup sugar

    Steps:

    1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl until everything is completely dissolved.
    2. Carefully pour the coffee mixture into each popsicle mold until full.
    3. Cover with tin foil and insert sticks, or cover with a lid and handle (if provided with your molds).
    4. Freeze until solid, approximately 2 hours.
    5. To unfreeze, add some hot water into your sink and submerge the mold without going over the top of the molds. After 15-30 seconds, your iced coffee popsicles should slide right out.

  • The Five Best Super Bowl Game Day Recipes

    We all know that one of the best parts of the game day outside of the game is the plethora of food that comes with the event. In fact, the Super Bowl is the second highest food consumption event in America, according to the American Institute of Food Distribution—coming in second only to Thanksgiving Day!

    With this in mind, to help celebrate the day, we have compiled five of our favorite recipes from around the blogosphere. Enjoy, and happy eating!

    From the Blogosphere:

    The Five Best Super Bowl Game Day Recipes - bhgrelife.comBaby Bloomin’ Onion from Spoon Fork Bacon

    These little guys not only look amazing, but also taste just as great! What we love about them is that you can prep them in advance of the Super Bowl. Once the big day arrives, just drop them in the fryer, and you’re ready to enjoy these delicious bloomin’ onions!

  • Family-Style Dinner Party Tips and Ideas

    How do you envision a perfect evening of entertaining at home? It’s possible that your experience has taught you that a special get-together has very little to do with fine china, polished silver and perfect decorations. Instead, it’s about sharing time with your guests and making them feel welcome in your home.

    A casual, family-style dinner party is the perfect way to give your friends and family an evening to remember. Here are some tips for creating a cozy atmosphere where your guests can help themselves to delicious food, and feel comfortable laughing, talking and having fun with one another.

    Family-Style Dinner Party Tips and Ideas - bhgrelife.com

    Set the Mood

    Create the tranquil, informal atmosphere with simple decorations. Dot the table with pretty, understated floral arrangements of cut flowers. Instead of tall vases that interfere with your view and conversation, put flowers in short glasses or mugs, or even lay them on glass trays. Set candles around the area to create a dreamy, relaxed ambiance. Again, instead of tall candles, opt for some that are small, like tea lights, which will contribute to the soothing, laid-back ambiance without being obtrusive.

    You don’t have to take out the fine china and crystal if you don’t want to. Set the table with an eclectic, colorful mix of everyday plates and glasses. It’s perfectly fine to use mismatched dinnerware—in fact, doing so adds to the casual feeling you’re trying to create.

  • 3 Easy Dinner Party Serving Styles

    There’s nothing quite as welcoming and comforting as a pleasant meal to encourage a sense of relaxation and closeness among guests at a dinner party. When you open your home to friends and family, you do more than feed hungry people; you celebrate the personal interactions that make life special. Just a little bit of early planning makes it simpler to get the food from the kitchen to the table smoothly, and three easy serving styles you can consider are buffet style, family style and French style.

    3 Easy Dinner Party Serving Styles - bhgrelife.com

    Buffet Style

    Buffet style is perfect for serving a large group of guests in a relatively informal setting. With buffet-style meals, everything is set out on a large area, such as a counter or kitchen island. Guests can then walk through, select the foods that appeal to them and take their seats.

    It’s a relaxed, friendly method of serving that leaves the host or hostess free to mingle with guests. The only disadvantage is that it is nearly impossible to maintain any kind of portion control, so more food gets wasted and the last guests through the line might not get to try everything they want to eat.

  • Five DIY Serving Ideas to Impress Guests

    Dinner parties are a great way to have friends and family members over to your home. If you are looking for more creative ways to serve food than simply putting it on a tray, check out the list below for five DIY serving ideas to create beautiful, innovative DIY table arrangements with items that you probably already have.

    Five DIY Serving Ideas to Impress Guests - bhgrelife.com

    1. Mason Jars

    Rather than piling food on a serving tray, consider single servings of dishes in small, clear mason jars. Mason jars are readily available at most hardware and home goods stores, and they are also affordable. They are excellent for serving a first course, such as soup or a cold salad. Alternatively, use them to serve dessert by putting either single servings or toppings for ice cream in them so that people can create their own sundaes. You can also give guests mason jars filled with candy or baked goods as party favors.