Party Decorating Design on a Dime

The Fajitas & 'Ritas gathering was a big success - we started at 4 and we finally shut it down about midnight.

I received several nice compliments about how I always throw a great party and go "all out."   While the key to a successful party is the company and plenty of food and drink, I do like to add a few little extra touches.  It's really not much extra work and doesn't have to cost very much, either.   When I Google for party decorating ideas, most of the hits are either cheap, plastic decorations or professional-event-planner quality (read:  expensive.)   I thought I'd start chronicling some of the my events to share some easy, inexpensive ideas to give the impression you went the extra mile for your guests.

Okay, I know some of you are going to roll your eyes when I say I did a cactus arrangement for the dining room table.  I normally make flower arrangements (which I'll share in a different post on how I do affordably).  I have to admit that after I got the idea and bought the supplies, I was slightly dreading it.   When I finally got around to re-potting the plants, it was pretty easy and took about 30 minutes.   Materials were ~$25 (cacti from Lowes and Craigslist, clay plots from Michael's Craft store).   Rounding out the tablescape were two table runners from Target and Mexican Prayer Candles from the dollar store.   The table runners happened to be on clearance (2 for $1.97), but regularly priced at $4 each, they're still not a bad deal.  They're reusable, too.   I love Target for accessories since they work with lot of great designers.
 

Since the powder room would be used quite a bit, I added a cactus on the vanity as well as switching out the normal guest towels with fiesta-colored ones ($1.58/package, again on clearance.)

 Since it was a small party, I was just going to set out my regular dinner forks.  At the last minute, I remembered that I had disposable napkins and utensils from when I threw a Cinco de Mayo party for Jim's 30th birthday.  Yes, I still had them after 5 years!  It's just a simple paper napkin wrapped around a fork/knife and tied off with raffia.  If I'm using disposables for a really large event, I like to go with solids for the paper goods and clear or silver for the utensils so extras can be used for other events.

Just my regular everyday dinner plates.  A little confession - I really don't like the look of placemats.   Alas, I'm too lazy and have no desire to iron a tablecloth, but I don't want the table damaged from my pretty heavy dinner plates.  So, I use placemats and try to get ones that don't look so grandma's table.  Since this was a casual buffet, I didn't set the table and just set a pile of the placemats out so that anyone who ate at the table could grab one.

These placemats are from Ikea (another great source for inexpensive accessories).  They're $1.99/each and come in black, red, lime, and purple.  I like the fun lime color because they can work with a variety of different themes - from a fiesta to a casual/elegant summer dinner party.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I like to use glass.  I actually had enough margarita glasses I had been given as gifts over the years, but margarita glasses are something everyone probably has a set of, so if I didn't have enough I would have borrowed them.  I like that they don't all match, too.  It helps people keep track of their drinks, and it looks fun grouped on the table.

I also set out simple bar glasses that can be used for water, cocktails, and sodas.  $9.99/dozen at Marshall's.

If it's a buffet-style party, I like to use chafing dishes to keep food warm.   I bought these disposable chafing trays years ago and have used them over and over again.  I buy the food pans in bulk at Costco.   Costco has a much better price than party supply stores or even the dollar store.

All my everyday dishes are simple white so again, they can be used for everything.  I transfer all condiments, sauces, etc. to simple white bowls.

So that's it for Margaritas & 'Ritas.  So, not much effort and money for good overall effect.  Can't wait for the next party!

Sisters

Some variation of this scene is repeated several times a day, in the car, at dinner, before bed...  it never gets old!

Tennis Match Laughing from mom2reese on Vimeo.

Like a Hamster in a Wheel

I'd been keeping an eye out on Craigslist for a decent elliptical, and one came up this week, a Vision Fitness X6200.  While in an ideal world, I'd get a used gym-quality Precor, I don't have the thousands they go for used.   The X6200 seemed to fit the bill, and I stopped by the seller's house after work yesterday to check it out.  It was in good condition and had a nice, smooth action when I tried it, so we struck a deal.  She even volunteered her husband to deliver it because she's in the neighborhood.  Can't beat that!

I'm excited.  While I hate, hate, hate running on a treadmill, I don't mind the elliptical so much.  I think part of the reason is that when I run on a treadmill, it just feels like something I should be doing outside, not trapped on a machine indoors.   The elliptical is also not as hard on my lower back and knees as the treadmill is, which sadly, has become more of an issue with age.  

My trainer is really big on the idea that if you don't have time for a long cardio session, a hard, 20-minute workout is just as good.  The idea of getting ready and leaving the house just to do a 20 minute workout (oh, the inefficiency!) is just as unappealing as going to go do an hour-long workout.  Having access to get the quick workouts in is going to be nice.   Hopefully it doesn't just become an expensive clothes rack.

I weighed myself this morning, and I'm 1-lb over my pre-Portland weight.  I'm not really suprised since I ate like crap (burgers, fries, pizza, biscuits & gravy, cookies, cake....all things I do allow myself to eat, but not all in one weekend!), but it's still a tad annoying since I'm trying to LOSE weight.   Just not making progress would have been preferable.  Oh well, back on the wagon.  It was worth it!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

I flew up to Portland this weekend to visit Rachele and her family (and their latest adorable addition, Nolan).    Rachele hosted a dinner Saturday night, so I got to see the Smiths and the Lurixes as well.  On the menu was an assortment of pizzas, and it was fun helping out Rachele and Jay in their lovely new kitchen.   What an arm workout -  if I do this at home, it'll definitely be Jim's task to roll out the crust, LOL.

While in Portland, I also met up for breakfast with a friend I met through an online parenting board.  We'd never met in person before, but we fell into easy conversation just like "real" friends that just hadn't seen each other in a while. We actually HAVE known each other for a while - I "met" her when I joined the parents.com parenting board when I was pregnant with Reese, looking for advise on this new phase of my life.   Eventually, a group of women splintered off and started their own board, and for the past five years we've been together through the terrible 2's, pregnancies, the first days of kindergarten, cancer scares, cancer ass-kicking, laughs, and tears.  It's also a really diverse group of women, running the gamut from teachers and lawyers, IT geeks, and SAHMs, and I've really learned a lot from all of them.

While it was great fun and only a short visit, I really missed Jim and the girls.  We were happy before, but something *happened* after Sprinkle was born.  To be cheesy, we feel a completeness now as a family that we didn't know was missing before.   Jim and I talk about this often (we sit on the porch every night before going to bed for 15 minutes just talking and reconnecting), and it's like we are just completely in tune with one another and our goals.  I can honestly say that I've never been happier or more content.  Content is the perfect word to describe it actually - like all is right in the world and how it should be.

Okay, enough sap and back to reality.    I have so much to do this week!  We're throwing a Fajitas and 'ritas party Saturday for our friend Jason and his new bride, Seyi.  Seyi's recently relocated to Houston from North Carolina, and what better way to welcome someone to Texas than Tex-Mex and tequila?    Normally I wouldn't be too stressed about throwing a party, but Jim (aka Vy's Party Bitch, and I say that with love) is going to be out of town Wednesday thru Saturday.  Fortunately, it's being catered, but at some point I got the wild hair that I was going to do cactus arrangements instead of flowers for decoration.  Now I've got a box full of cacti taunting me from the back porch.   Somewhere in between work and taking care of two kids on my own, I have to channel my inner Martha to finish the project.  Seriously, where do I get these dumb ideas?

Entertaining

We're having 11 people over for dinner Friday night, and I'm excited because I get to bust out the leaf on my dining room table!   While we've had many small dinner gatherings and a brunch for over 50, we've never had a sit-down for more than eight.  I do like hosting larger parties/buffets,  but I really love sit-down meals.    I love the party feel of having a large-ish group of people, but the intimacy of everyone sitting down at the table for a couple of hours chatting, eating, and enjoying conversation and wine.   It also makes it easier for me as the hostess since everyone's at the table, and I'm not bouncing around making sure I get a chance to talk to everyone.

Having people over and entertaining is one of my greatest joys about being back in a house.   When we
were in Apartment Purgatory while building, not being able to throw parties was the thing I REALLY missed about not having a house.   Since moving in our house and getting my bearings back after having Sprinkle, we've been making up for lost time and have people over regularly.  I love it!

So how do I manage with two young children and a full-time job outside the home?    Some of the things that make life easier:

•  My key trick is having rescheduled our cleaning service to come every other Thursday.  I plan all gatherings around my cleaning schedule so I don't have to do any extra work to get the house guest-ready.  Even when we don't have anything planned, having a relatively clean house allows me to have impromptu guests.  I know everyone says that they don't care what your house looks like, but I'm kind of nutso about things like that.  I don't want people to know that really, I'm actually a slob.  An anal-retentive slob that likes everything neat, but still a slob at heart.
• I've stockpiled supplies over the years.   I prefer not to use disposables, so I have enough glassware, flatware,  and china to entertain large groups.   Craigslist, Ebay, and discount retailers like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx are great for this.  I recently scored on my "good" china.   I have service for 12 for my daily ware (which I use most for guests), but I had only seven settings of my china.   I was looking on ebay for any deals to get me up to at least eight.    After keeping my eye out for a few months, I found someone selling 8 full sets, NIB, for $300 including.   The retail price is $125 per setting, so I snapped it up.    Thinking forward, I only have to get one more set so that I can pass on a full set of eight to each of the girls.
• I keep food pretty simple - casseroles or one pot entrees that I can make ahead, pretty salads, etc.  From friends, I've gleaned ideas like RHG's crostini with goat cheese/jam.   It's just a little more effort to do than chips and dip, but so much tastier and nicer to present.  I also have a couple of places I can use for catering.  
• I accept offers of help.  While I wouldn't ask a guest to bring something unless it's a potluck, I jump on offers.  I usually tell people to bring their favorite inexpensive wine.   I get to try something new, and it takes the pressure off me to figure out a wine that my guests will like.  Dessert is always helpful, too.
• I host kid-friendly events.  I don't have to worry about getting the kids to a sitter, and since I'm at the age now where most of my friends have children, they don't either.   Reese and Mads have plenty of toys and games, but I also keep on hand craft kits, bubbles, etc.
• I have a Jim.   He's awesome keeping the girls entertained while I prepare for a party.  Even better, he does, unbidden, 99% of the post event cleanup since I'm usually tipsy, LOL.  Everyone needs a Jim :)