Home Entertainment and Party Tips

The beginning of the year’s festivities begins with Halloween, where spooky tradition takes precedence over the mundane.

Let’s start with “Trick or Treat”. During the Dark Ages once per year, the Catholic Church, deemed it permissible for beggars to beg for food in exchange for prayer. Over the course of time, it evolved into an American tradition where participants playfully threatened to play a trick on anyone who denied requests for treats.

One thing is for sure, the scary movies shown leading up to the holiday bring more excitement to the occasion. The stress that culminates from dealing with witches and goblins all year long, leads to a strong desire for thrills, sweets and parties.

Here are a few quick costume ideas that you can use if you are on the spot and need to think fast. Make use of any household makeup that you have around. Smear mascara under your eyes and mess red lipstick around your lips, put lots of mousse in your hair, wear a ripped tee-shirt, and instantly you are transformed into a punk rocker, mind you, this works for girls or guys. Great props to use are tobacco pipes, hats, flour (for the zombie look), gauze (for the mummy look) and band-aids (for the dull razor look).

 Have a Happy Halloween!  

Written by Delightful Biteful 

According to wikipedia:
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person’s mood or health. Scientific evidence is weak and preliminary but mildly encouraging for a limited number of claims.

I believe that it is good for one’s health and I believe that aroma triggers a natural response, and that a pleasant smelling environment usually indicates a sound and peaceful state of affairs. The effectiveness of aromatherapy may be connected to man’s development, as fragrant flowers, food, and beverages, signaled to the mind that all of the basic needs were being met and so created a feeling of calm. Friends of mine swear by the power of the nostrils and after a few vivid odor experiences, I realize that pleasant smells do have an impact on my psyche.

I myself find my mood improving whenever there is something pleasant in the air. When cooking a fine meal, I perk right up as my nostrils alert my hungry stomach that a nice mouthful is on the way. So, I have found a little trick to improve my health, using aromatherapy. It started after I’d actually gotten full on the smell of a good supper. Sound crazy? Well I’m not the only person that’s had that experience. My mind had become convinced that I had already eaten. I want to add that it was due in part, to thirst. Thirst can trick the stomach into thinking that it is hungry. Try quenching your thirst while cooking and see if it satisfies your hunger at all. I suggest this for folks on a diet, because I have cut down on my food portions with this method, and still get to enjoy the meal, and that has been very therapeutic. By the way, this works for dessert too!

Happy Aromas To All!
Written by Delightful Biteful

If you’re like me, you might have had little luck keeping plants bright and prosperous in the house. I have found after countless “botanistic” deaths that three plants can handle the indoor environment; Spider Plants, Herbaceous Plants, and some Ferns (Ask about them at your plant store).

It is always surprising to me how relaxing plant life can make a room. They are a kind of plant pet and I seem to have developed a relationship of sorts after tending to them over time. I have found that too much watering is an instant killer. Keep a close eye on the moisture in the soil. If you let it build up, they can develop a fungus or they will simply drown. I water my indoor plants every three to four days depending on the heat and humidity.

Having a gathering in the family room can seem a little mundane without some plant life. Strangely enough beverages are more refreshing, it may be due to the carbon dioxide rush since plants actually breath. The party keeps it’s spruce (no pun intended) when adding a few fresh flowers to a spider plant or fern. I place them carefully between the leaves or on the branches and try to keep the shape proportionate.

I would also like to stress, that since so much of the greenery is being chopped down; more plant life anywhere can help the environment. I am not a big environmental junkie or anything, but I have noticed that the air has gotten stuffy, thick and definitely less fresh without the beautiful trees that we used to have here in Fort Lauderdale.

So here’s to more life at home!

Written by Delightful Biteful

Valentine’s Day is here again and it’s time for loved ones and love birds to celebrate. But where did all of this celebrating come from? The History Channel has a few nice theories about this. One is that Valentine was a priest joining men and women in Holy Matrimony in order to save the young men from being forced into the Roman military under Claudius the II. The defiant priest was put to death and into martyrdom. Another school of thought believes that Valentine fell in love with the warden’s daughter while in prison where he sent the very first “Valentine” and so the tradition was born.In any event it is a nice distraction during the gray winter months. Chocolates and various sweets are very popular gifts and are sometimes combined with flowers or other trinkets. The traditional color of red symbolizes enthusiasm and flamboyance and distinguishes the holiday with its heart shaped decorations. 

American children become familiar with the holiday when they make their first Valentine for someone in their class. It is a good day to stop and recognize one another and show our appreciation. Americans love lovers and celebrates relationships between men and women with zeal. I have always loved that quality in my fellow countrymen. No matter what nationality though, love is always encouraged and welcomed.  I think that is the true value here.

So maybe it is more than a distraction from the winter clouds. Okay, I am looking forward to the holiday again. Happy Heart Day Charlie Brown!

Written by Kim LaBarbera at Delightful Biteful

Rule #1: Do not take on the challenge if you are not up to it. I learned that the hard way. Remember that people can sense what you are feeling in any situation, especially if you are apathetic. Your guests pick up on your feelings and it often sets the mood for the event. Now, that is a pretty powerful thing. I was approached by someone I met a long time ago. He became a long time acquaintance after arriving unexpectedly at a party I held.  This nice, shy man told me that my party turned into one of the nicest evenings he could remember. That particular evening was one of my most successful events. It was a night of good food, dancing and games where all of the guests were encouraged to participate. I was in a wonderful mood and it showed.

I used to hate to go to a party “in the third person” (welcomed to come with an invited guest) because it was likely that I would not know too many people and would feel a little bit out of place. This was often the case because the host or hostess did not make it a point to welcome me. I would receive a harried half acknowledgment as he or she rushed by and would think to myself “Alright, I can expect no help from you for comfort ability here; I’d better check for the nearest exit.” Do you know I have actually stepped through a couple of them? Courtesy is a big word and not always easy to spot.

Unexpected guests must be expected for a gathering to come off well. I see it as a compliment. Someone sees my home as a nice place to be and my friends as good people to spend time with. When I take the position of humility, I treat people the way I would like to be treated. It is the responsibility of the host/hostess to be organized and have room to take care of the needs of the guests, beyond the food and beverages. Make sure that they have someone to talk to and someplace to sit. You can build a strong reputation with something as simple as an enjoyable evening. 

Rules that have worked for me over the years are as follows: Smile and look your guests in the eye. Stop what you are doing and put the people first. This is done through careful preparation. Have everything together so that you can take the time to get to know someone well enough to introduce them around and join them with others that share similar interests. For instance I have brought together a music lover and an artist. It was the closest match I could think of and it worked very well. As a matter of fact the two of them are still married. It’s okay to ask for help. Get the brightest personalities among your friends to act as ambassadors, for guests that seem out of place. You may just give someone a night to remember.

Written by Delightful Biteful

Now that the holidays are over and we adjust to the New Year; a strange lull sets in, like a big “happy” balloon slowly deflating. I think that is one of the reasons Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February. The lengthy gray winter months are a little drab in my opinion. Well, I have an idea for the post holiday blues. It’s called “The Arts”.  Have friends or potential friends bring a picture or poster of their favorite piece of art work to a get-together. I have had friends for years that I really didn’t know until we went to museums and concerts together. It’s nice to appreciate the unique characteristics of a person while learning about and enjoying something artistic. 

I am also a believer in sharing cultural customs. I enjoy gatherings where people from different countries bring something from their homeland to share with the other guests. Most Americans have families that originate from another country, so sharing aspects of their nationality gives everyone a chance to appreciate their country and how far their families have come. Full breed Americans are hard to find nowadays and may know of recipes and foods that are uncommon or unknown to many in modern day America.  Meanwhile décor is a wonderful addition to the celebration; works of art from different countries can offer an educational experience as well as new and exciting surroundings.  I hope these ideas help, if in fact you suffer from the post holiday blues like I do.  

Written by Delightful Biteful