Wood-burning fireplaces are hardly the way many of us heat our homes now days. Yet many people seek them out for the charm of using them a handful of times a year. If you're one of those people, you might enjoy these ways to get a little more use out of your fireplace and turn on its charm when you're entertaining this winter:

Dine fireside: Even if your dining table isn't always set up next to the fireplace, as it is in the above photo from Perch, it can be fun to clear away the living room furniture, move the table in, and dine fireside for an extra warm dinner party.

Make s'mores: Get out all the fixings for s'mores and roast the marshmallows over the fire. This is especially fun for kids.

Encourage gazing: This might sound like pretty boring entertainment, but the luxury of kicking back next to a fireplace and simply watching the fire is simply wonderful. When you're entertaining, try setting up a seating arrangement that's fireplace-focused if you don't have things arrange that way already. Guests will probably love sitting fireside relaxing and soaking up the warmth.

Use the mantle: Fireplace mantles are generally the perfect height for a mill-around, standup type of party. Protect its surface and maybe have some hors d'oeuvre or drinks spread on the mantle. One Thanksgiving, we served hot apple cider from the fireplace mantle and it was a hit!

Image: Perch