What I learned Hosting a Hanukkah Dinner

Let me start off by saying that I am not Jewish. I do not identify as any religion in particular, in fact, but if you forced me, I would say that around age five my family was asked to stop attending a Christian church because we weren’t donating enough money… so I guess I’m that. However, I recently became quite interested in religion when I started studying the ancient world and how history, politics, art, rhetoric, war and religion are so intertwined. Although I have been more investigative of Western religion, my husband has always been very keen towards Eastern religion and philosophy while my brother has consistently felt that his unique set of morals, beliefs and aspirations most closely coincide with the Jewish faith.

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How to Be a Good Hostess

The sort of part two to How to Plan a Dinner Party.

Hosting a cocktail or dinner party isn’t as easy as inviting your friends over and hoping they serve and entertain themselves. It is a task not for the faint of heart but for the hardened veteran, trained by many nights of sneaking down from bed to steal cheese cubes without being caught by that one weird friend of your parents’. Good intentions do go a long way, but a bad host, the kind who doesn’t take care of their guests, can ruin a party. The best way to become a legendary hostess is to pay attention to what other women do when they are hosting. That way, you can emulate the qualities you appreciated and avoid the things they did that you didn’t like. Continue reading

How to Plan a Dinner Party

Tis’ the season for dinner parties! Oh how I adore throwing a perfect dinner party. The friends, the cooking, the cocktails, the table setting; I was born to throw dinner parties, but they are not as fun, easy and carefree as a good hostess makes them look. Here are my 8 steps to planning a spectacular dinner party, bon appétit and bonne chance! Continue reading

Classically Feminine Stocking Stuffers

We all know that it is the women in our lives that make Christmas happen. They deck the halls, wrap the presents, bake the cookies, get up early to fix the Christmas morning breakfast, remind you to light to Yule log, cook the turkey while you drink the beer, and clean it all up afterwards. Thank the ladies this year by filling their stockings to the brim with feminine treats. All items on this list are under $15.

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