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Holiday Entertaining Essentials
Since this month's theme is Home Entertainment, I thought you might be interested in iVillage's list of items that are essential to throwing a good home-based party. I've excerpted part of the list below, and while I don't agree that disposable hand towels are a party essential (setting out several hand towels next to the sink is a more economical and environmental option), most of these tips are definite party musts. Since I have a party coming up this weekend — a traditional German Christmas party called a Feuerzangenbowle that my fiancé throws every year — I know that I'm going to take iVillage's advice and stock up on many of these supplies.
DIY: Button-Backed Chair
My grandmother, who's always had a great waste-not-want-not philosophy, has jars upon jars of buttons. When I was a little girl I used to spend hours going through all of the cool, decade-spanning buttons she'd collected, trying to think of a good use for them. And now, thanks to iVillage, I've found an awesome use for them.
10 Things You Can Quit Cleaning
I had to stop when I saw this headline on iVillage: 10 things you can quit cleaning right now. After all, I love having a clean house, but I wouldn't mind being able to cut a few things out of my routine.
The list offers some great ideas, but I have mixed feelings about it.
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Liquid Soap For Home Entertaining
Last week, I shared with you iVillage's list of items that are essential to throwing a good home-based party. One of them was soaps: According to iVillage, "fancy soaps, whether molded or French milled, will make your guests feel pampered." At my recent Feuerzangenbowle extravaganza party, my fancy bar soaps, I have to admit, were pretty icky by the end of the night.
Planting Perennials For Your Fall Garden
I named autumn perennials one of my must-haves for September. After all, just because summer is fading fast doesn't mean you can't enjoy gazing at a colorful flower garden for a few more months.
In fact, late summer / early fall is the ideal time to plant flowers that will bloom into the cold season.
DIY: Slipcovered Crate Ottoman
I love ottomans for their many functions: They serve as footrests, extra seats, and, in some cases, hidden storage. But pretty, plush ottomans aren't exactly cheap, so I love this idea for making your own slipcovered crate ottoman from iVillage.
Though this DIY project has a lot of steps, don't let that deter you.
Casa Quickie: Mirrored Furniture That Doesn't Shatter the Bank
If you love mirrored furniture as much as I do, but don't have the dolla dolla bills to make it happen in your living room, there is hope. Find a piece of furniture you already own, or thrift one, and have a local glass cutter custom cut you a mirror (or several pieces of mirror) to the measurements of your table, dresser, etc. Sand the surface of your table lightly and adhere the mirror to your table with mirror adhesive like Liquid Nails.
Five Easy Herbs to Start Your Garden
I know that many of you wish you had an herb garden, and luckily, they are very easy to get going. For real beginners, iVillage has rounded up five very easy herbs to grow in your garden.
Not only will these durable plants require very little maintenance, but they're also herbs that show up commonly in recipes.
Casa Verde: Guilt-Free Doggie Doo Bags
There are many ways to deal with the problem of plastic grocery bags. You can carry your groceries in cloth totes instead, recycle the bags, or get crafty with them. But one of the main ways that people reuse plastic bags is as dog-poo scoopers.
Get Your Home Ready for Fall
While we're plotting our smooth transition from Summer into Fall, I wanted to share a few tips from iVillage on how to prep your home for the changing seasons. Some of the back-to-school pointers don't really apply in my case, since I don't have any kids to worry about yet, but as a gardener and advanced planner, I found a lot of this stuff spot-on. Here are some important things to keep in mind.
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