Apartment Blog

Most people during the holidays are trying to find tips on how to NOT over eat. Our society has told us that we shouldn’t eat whatever we want during the holidays. Well, I’m here to say if you want to eat-then eat! In fact, we’re going to provide you with tips on sneaky ways to get food without anyone noticing (or most importantly judging) you!

1. This works well for Holiday parties at work. Ask to take a plate home for your “husband or wife”.

2. Get two plates of food/dessert like you’re taking it back to the table for a friend, at a work party, or for a family member at home. No one will think twice if your friend or family member comes back for seconds (which was really their first plate)!

3. Desperate measures? Ask your family members if you can take their plate in. Grab a bite of Grandma’s left over ham before throwing away the food & putting it in the dishwasher.

4. Get a glass (that you can’t see through) and tell your family your getting water. Quickly fill the glass with the chips/whatever and walk away casually.

5. Find a way to carry the food. If you’re a girl, then carry a big tote bag with you. If you’re a boy, simply have big pockets or a jacket-you can always wear a sweatshirt with a big pocket.

6. The holidays are a great time for pictures! So why not use your camera or video bag to store your food! If you’re carrying the case, no one will think twice about what’s inside-but you’ll know!

7. Zip lock baggies are your friend!! Be sure to have plenty stored in your pockets and purse/bags. To really get the maximum amount of food, switch them out when they get full. Once you have a selection, you can proceed to snack on them throughout the evening without even having to share!

8. Put some food in a napkin when someone’s back is turned and when you get a craving for something, bring the napkin to your mouth. Pretend like you’re wiping your mouth when really you’re stuffing it!  (Literally)

9. Appearances can be deceiving. Lets say you want to get more creative….use a cover. For example, if you are the hostess and don’t want your guests to know you’re sneaking a bit on the side, take a cleaning supplies container (obviously thoroughly cleaned) and store food inside of it. Your guests will just think you’re either going to clean something or putting back the cleaner. This can also work well with a tissue box, etc. Whatever will cause the least suspicion will work best.

10. Have a wing man; a partner in crime to help. He/she can help create a diversion when you go in for the kill. Of course, as partners, you have to return the favor by either hoarding enough food for the both of you, or creating a diversion for him/her.

11. A simple, but useful, tip would be to hide the extra food underneath other food on your plate. For example, you want an extra scoop of mash potatoes? Go ahead and put it on your plate but then minimize visibility by putting a roll on top of them.

12. And finally, something effortless would be to get in line for food first. Go through and get a plate. Run into your secret area (i.e. your room, or closet if you’re at someone else’s house) and put the plate down. Wait and then get into the end of the line and make like this is the first time. Say comments about how yummy the food looks, or how much you’re looking forward to getting some Mac and cheese.

Thinking about throwing a holiday get-together? ‘Tis the season for elusive, ugly and tacky Christmas sweater parties!  Tacky sweater parties are a perfect theme for a fun yet festive party. Follow these tips to throw a successful tacky Christmas sweater party this holiday that is cost effective.

1. Send Invitations: Send out an evite to all of your guests and have the image be a picture of you or your grandparents in their favorite holiday sweater. Be sure to provide all of the details (especially the fun ones like the games and prizes included).

2. Find the Best Tacky Christmas Sweater: The best part of the party is OBVIOUSLY the sweater. Here are some ideas on places to find these fabulous outdated fashion statements: Garage Sales, Family Members (aka. Grandma and Grandpa) and Thrift Stores.

3. Don’t Forget Accessories: Accessories can often times make the tacky sweater that much tackier! Go to your local drug store and look for lighted pins, reindeer antlers, Santa hats, tinsel and more!

4. Make a Centerpiece: Creating a neat centerpiece that can actually be devoured is ideal. Make a ginger bread house with candy and icing to use as a centerpiece for the food table. Something tells me that this will be eaten after tip #9.

5. Provide an Award: Have a trophy personalized that says “Tackiest Sweater Award 2008″. After all of the guests have arrived, simply have them write on a piece of paper who they think should win and then count up the votes.

6. Food: Select a potluck style that will work best for you and your guests. For example: (1) appetizers only, (2) bring your favorite dish, (3) assign each guest to bring an appetizer, main dish, or dessert, or (4) as the host, you will provide the main dish (a turkey, ham, etc.) Try and coordinate this in advance so you don’t have duplicate dishes.

7. Beverages: There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting your beverages for your party. It’s important to have something available for everyone’s likes and dislikes. Be sure to have a variety of mixers on hand as well as non-alcoholic drinks. Having a pre-made themed beverage also saves time and money while still being festive.

8. Keep the Bathroom Line Entertained: All those beverages can certainly call for a long line at the restroom. Decorate your bathroom door with wrapping paper, ribbon and a bow and have people sign the door and write a message on the wrapping paper. The messages are bound to be great conversation starters and ice breakers.

9. Play Games: Set up a scavenger hunt with two teams. Create a checklist of all the items to provide to each team. Each team is then responsible for taking a picture of each checklist item as proof. Here are some checklist ideas: Find a street name that has a Christmas theme, take a picture with your team in your sweaters in a 7-11, sing a Christmas carol to a stranger as team, Find a Santa and sit on his lap, kiss someone under a mistletoe, find something showing one of the 12 days of Christmas etc…) This is absolutely hilarious.

10. Give Prizes: The winning team of the scavenger hunt or games that you play can receive prizes. Some good prize ideas are DVD’s, gift cards, candles, books etc… Wrap them up and put them under your tree. You could always go the gag gift route as well.

Best of luck with planning your next Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. Do you own a festive sweater that makes your friends laugh/cringe? Send it my way, and it may appear on our blog. (Please include your name, city and a brief description of the photo.)  

Impress your family at the dinner table this Thanksgiving by sharing a bit of knowledge from the ‘Did You Know’ category.

For example, did you know that the most popular Thanksgiving dinner includes a menu of turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie? (yum….pumpkin pie is my favorite!) Or, did you know that there are at least three American towns named after Thanksgiving dinner’s main course? There’s Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek, Louisiana; and Turkey, North Carolina.  And finally, did you know that as many as 107 million American homes will celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

And a ‘did you know’ just for all you crazy shoppers out there (kudos for fighting the Day-After Thanksgiving-Day crowds). Did you know that ‘Black Friday’ (which is widely touted as the biggest shopping day in America) is actually not the biggest shopping day!?! In fact, the Saturday before Christmas has historically been the largest volume shopping day. Neat, huh?

So there you go! Some fun facts to share with your family and friends today! For more ‘Did You Know’ facts, check out Holidays.net.

 From all of us at ForRent.com, we wish you a happy & safe Thanksgiving! Gobble, Gobble!

With all the festivities surrounding the planning of your Thanksgiving feast, it’s no wonder you have forgotten one very important detail-the centerpiece! No worries, I’ve complied five easy and quick ways to make your centerpiece perfect for your family gathering.  The best part….most of them can be found at your local grocery store or right in your own home!!

Pumpkin Patch Centerpiece

For this masterpiece you’ll need pumpkins in a variety of sizes; one being large. Place the large pumpkin in the center of the table and arrange the other-sized pumpkins around it. To add a little bit more of décor, also add a few leaves and/or twigs.

Pumpkin Candle Centerpiece

For this Thanksgiving centerpiece, you’ll need a medium sized pumpkin, a 6 inch pillar candle, twigs, berries, and/or leaves. Cut the stem off of the top of the pumpkin. Place the pillar candle on top of the pumpkin and trace around it. Take a sharp knife and cut the circle out with about a 3 inch cut into the pumpkin and discard. Put the pillar candle inside the hole, place the twigs, leaves, and/or berries as an accent next to the candle.

Fall Bowl

With entertaining this Thanksgiving extra bowls will be sparse, as they will most likely be used for the mash potatoes, sweet potatoes and green beans. I would just recommend serving one of the sides in another shape serving ware and use the bowl for the centerpiece. For this creation, you’ll need leaves, twigs, pinecones, a pumpkin and a vibrant color ribbon.  Place the pumpkin in the middle of the bowl, tie the colored ribbon around the pumpkin (recommended colors would be red, orange or yellow). Then arrange the leaves, twigs and pinecones around the pumpkin.

Mini-Pumpkin Place Card Holders

For this table ornament, you won’t be doing one centerpiece as much as you’ll be doing several; in fact, you’ll be doing one for each guest. However many you plan on entertaining is how many little pumpkins you’ll need. Now, if this truly is a last minute project you can substitute some of the mini pumpkins for other fruits, i.e. apples and oranges.  You’ll need paper, a pen and toothpicks. Cut the paper into small square pieces. Write the names of your guests on one piece of paper. Then stick that name, with a toothpick, to the pumpkin, apple or orange. Set in front of a place setting. If you’d rather not designate seating, place these items inside a basket with leaves adorning it.  

Cake Plate Pumpkin

If you haven’t already used your cake plate or (tiered) fruit tray then save it for your beautiful centerpiece. Place the cake/pedestal plate or fruit tray in the center of the table. Arrange mini-pumpkins, a variety of fruits, leaves, twigs, or whatever you can find on top. This really is the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ type of décor.

On our site we’ve provided you some tips for your Thanksgiving feast , décor, and now your centerpiece, we truly hope this Thanksgiving will be a pleasant experience. For more centerpiece ideas check out About.com and Bhg.com.

So this year you want to host a fun green filled St. Patrick’s Day party, huh? Well, follow these tips and you’re sure to not disappoint!

Tip 1: Invitations
As always, we start our hosting parties with letting the guest list know who, what, where, when, etc. These invitations can be hand crafted, store bought or emailed! Chose whichever suits the party you’re throwing or guests attending. Regardless of the medium chosen, have the St. Patrick’s Day theme clear with lots of green, shamrocks, leprechauns, etc. Think of clever phrases or jokes to get a rise out of the receiver, such as: ‘Knock Knock, who’s there, Irish, Irish who?, Irish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!’ Ha ha ha!!

Tip 2: Decorations
Think green and silly when it comes to decorations for your party! Shamrocks and leprechauns are a must on the walls and windows. Take a look at our St. Patrick’s Day Crafts blog for ideas on how to create some of your decorations or go with store bought ones. I always advise using balloons as I think they scream party! But additional decorations would be needed on the buffet table such as green table cloth, napkins, cups, confetti, centerpieces, etc. Also make attire a decorative element by having everyone wear green and leprechaun hats!

Tip 3: Food & Drinks
Keep the green theme going with your food too! You can have green cookies, green M&M’s, chips with guacamole, fruit that’s green, green beverages, etc. Let your imagination run wild! And if you can’t think of enough foods that are green, you can always use food coloring! The obvious drink choice for a St. Patrick’s Day party is beer. Traditional Irish beers, such as Guinness or Murphy’s Irish Red Ale, would be served. If your party does have alcohol please be responsible for all your guests. Have someone as the designated driver for those that drink or offer guests to stay the night.

Tip 4: Entertainment
A must in every party is to have entertainment for your guests. You can have contests such as a limerick contest, St. Patrick’s Day games or just music or videos playing in background for noise. A suggestion would be having the music/movie coordinate with the theme, i.e. St. Patrick’s Day party having Irish music or one of the Top 10 St. Patrick’s Day Movies playing on your T.V. Either way, you’ve got to have something fun and interactive so your guests won’t be bored!

With these four tips your St. Patrick’s Day party should be a blast! Your guests will have a smashing time and you’ll be regarded as the best host! Enjoy!

Source: ehow.com

Are you throwing a Valentine’s theme party this year? Do you need some ideas? Check out our five tips for throwing an awesome bash this year!

Tip 1: Invitations

Depending on the formality of your party, you can choose official invitations, emailed invitations or just verbally announce. Either way you choose, make sure it’s using the holiday colors and verbiage (lots of LOVE) while also setting the tone for the party.

Tip 2: Décor

Obviously you’ll want to stick somewhat to the color scheme of Valentines, like red, white and pink. Incorporate these colors in many of the decorations to give your party a truly lovely look. You might want to think about streamers, plates, napkins, cups, table cloth and of course the party staple balloons! And as I mentioned in our ‘cheap decorations’ blog, you can always make a lot of your decorations by using construction paper, colored plates cut out in the shape of hearts, or print out images on your computer. It’ll add just a bit more flair while not depleting your funds!

Tips 3: Food/Beverages

This is where a lot of your budget is going to be spent. You could do the usual finger foods for the party, i.e. chips, dips, wings, etc. Or you could do a dessert buffet! Give your guests all the treats they can take! J For beverages you can have the normal soda, water, etc. Or you can have a theme drink like ‘lovers punch’ or something of that nature.

Tip 4: Entertainment

You’ll want your guests to be entertained during your party. So make sure there are plenty of fun games for everyone to be involved in, music for the background and/or dancing as well as crafts for any children involved or adults that particularly enjoy it! But if you’re having an informal gathering where everyone knows everyone, then it may not be necessary to do all this. Just let everyone mingle!

Tip 5: Gifts

If you are going to be doing games, make sure there is a prize for each of the winners. You could also do door prizes or a gift exchange. And don’t forget little party favors as a thank you for the guests attending.

Did these ideas help? Will you incorporate them in your Valentine’s Party? I sure hope so!