hosting

For this week’s blog, I’m getting some help from my friend, Modern Etiquette Coach, Maggie Oldham. My husband and I attended one of Maggie’s dining etiquette classes last year and learned so much. She really has a great knack for making etiquette modern and relevant in today’s world. That’s why I asked for her help when I had some etiquette questions for my cocktail party that I had last month.  We chatted on the phone about some of my questions and I thought it would be a great idea for an upcoming blog post.  So here are the Maggie’s Modern Cocktail Party Etiquette Tips for the Host and Guest:   Cocktail Party Etiquette for the Host: How do you gently ask people to leave? A great way to signal that the party is coming to a close without having to directly and verbally ask guests to leave is to gradually start… Read More

Hosting a dinner (big or small) can be a daunting task, especially if you’re going to cook. Last week I decided to host a small dinner / girls night at my house, with 4 total people to be exact.  I did not have the help of my husband, so I learned a few things along the way to make it easier.  If you’ve seen the recipes on my blog, you know I love to make stuff that I can start beforehand and that makes several servings.  I decided to make one of my favorite dishes, Shrimp and Pea Risotto, which also happens to be quite easy to make too.   I am a fan of one-pot-meals, all your food groups represented in one dish…DONE.  One thing to remember with a small group 4-6 people, is that it should be more intimate and personal, so there is no need to be too… Read More