Holidays

I’ve been a houseguest before, and there are plenty of things I have wanted to ask of my host that went unspoken in the spirit of gratefulness and generally trying not to be a pain in the chateau. I do want to get invited back, after all. But I’ve also been on the other side of the coin, and I know that any generous host wants their visitors to be happy and comfortable. Here’s the most important thing your guests won’t tell you. Your home is too cold, or maybe too hot.

We love having an Easter Egg hunt. It’s a tradition my mom kept alive well into my college years. No matter what the weather – even with snow on the ground – my brother, myself, and our parents went outside with our baskets and color-coded eggs. I still remember the year my mom hung a colorful bra – it was Easter-like, apparently – from a tree branch just for me!Continuing that tradition (okay, not the bra, probably) with my daughter is important.

Getting ready for a holiday cocktail party and thinking of putting the ole iPod on shuffle? The convenience may seem tempting, but take an hour and make a playlist instead. Cocktail parties are the time to break out the red lipstick, the fanciest drinks, the funniest stories, and the bounciest music. If you can make a playlist that will have your guests shimmying, singing, and flirting, then you’ve set the stage for a swinging night.