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12 Signs it is REALLY Time to Leave Your Job
If you're not thrilled with your present job, you're not alone. In fact, you're in the majority. A survey in Quality Digest magazine of 5,000 U.S. households found that fewer than half of all Americans are satisfied with their jobs.
"The level of...
Are You Making the #1 Job Search Mistake?
This article discusses the #1 mistake job hunters make.
Did you know that only one job in ten is actually ever advertised? I would also venture to say that only about 10% of those advertised jobs are even a good prospect. That means your odds...
Home Theatre
Home Theatre
With all of the technology that is available for people to be able to make their family or living rooms into their own personal home theaters, many people are deciding that a television, no matter how large it is, is simply not...
Operation G.I. Jingle: “Sending Them Home” for the Holidays
This Christmas, there’s a new kind of care package going out to the U.S. Military. Although they can’t eat, wear, or stow the contents of this package in their mess kits, it’s a little reminder of home that our troops can take along with them...
Searching for a Job? Use Your Time to Build Professional Resources
With unemployment figures at 6.1% in August, there is great concern among the jobless about their financial future. Though internet job posting seems convenient and opens up new possibilities, the competition is so fierce, it is not unusual for an...
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You're Having A Party!
Fall - a fantastic season with the Holiday Party Season just nipping at its heels! What makes a good party and how do hosts/hostesses get through the anxiety, worry, and how do they take care of all those details and bring it all to a successful conclusion? A few tips for some really great parties. As a caterer, there are many tips, tricks, and so-called survival techniques. Here are a few: The first thing you do when you would like to have a party is decide on the occasion or theme-is it an anniversary, a birthday, a Halloween costume party, or an After Raking the Leaves get-together for family and neighbors? Then decide on how many guests to invite. This will greatly affect your table arrangements, menu, etc. More importantly, you must take into account the space you have available to comfortably entertain (even small spaces can be used effectively,), and your budget. With regard to theme, once that is chosen your menu becomes easier. The food should directly relate to the event. A Trimming the Tree party could have fantastic cocoa beverages, while your Hawaiian Luau would make this very inappropriate. A buffet is easier than a sit-down dinner, but space becomes critical. If guests are asked to serve themselves, then they must have somewhere to place their plates, sit, converse, and enjoy themselves.
Invitations follow your initial planning. A printed invitation is a more thoughtful way, then a mere telephone call. The written version contains all the essential inforamtion, so there are no mis-dates, time, or destination, especially if the party will not be at your home. A simple schedule for you is next. Write down all the details - the decorations, menu, and amenities. This insures that the "non" immediates are handled in advance and the "immediates" such as fresh flowers, fresh produce, etc. are all last-minute items. Do as much as you comfortably can ahead of time. Make-ahead foods are great and give you a lot more time on the last minute food items. Use foods
you are comfortable with, but with a twist. In other words, an event is not a good time to try a new, never-used recipe. It will only add to the anxiety and stress. Also consider food garnishments and touches. Use food to decorate food! If artificial items are used, they will need to be removed by your guests.
Also, have and utilize a party log. In other words, write down your exact party plans, the guest list, menu, etc. in a notebook. Write down what went very well and what didn't. Which guest did not interact very well with others, etc. This will give you valuable insight into future parties. Also this allows you to invite guests that are compatible so that no one is uncomfortable. Also you avoid duplicating menu plans, decorations, etc. When the day of the party arrives, stay calm. Use your schedule and cross out all items as they get done. Have everything ready (except for hot-from-the-oven items) in place and do a once-over about an hour before the guests begin to arrive. Then dress-up, relax and make sure you enjoy the party as much as you would like your guests to. Nothing is more tense at an event, then a host/hostess that is jittery, upset, and obviously stressed out. Visit and personally greet each and every arrival and look after the extra details that mean so much to your guests. Extra towels, napkins, temperature adjustments for too warm or too cold, name cards on the table (double-faced for comfortable conversations), and easily handled food. If accidents occur, such as spilled beverages or dropped food, discreetly do immediate clean-up, but save the real clean-up for after the guests leave. This will save embarrassment and frustration on the perpetrator. Your reputation will soar as a successful host/hostess with just a few of these tips. ENJOY! ©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 August
About the Author
Articles, books, gift ideas, e-zines: http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com http://www.arleenssite.com http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving
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