Picnic Party in the Park
These charming picnic lunch bags are just the sweetest thing since…well… sliced bread, I think. Fun text and forks that clip to the bags take them over the top. Jordan Ferney, over at Oh Happy Day, does it again! Love this.
She has step-by-step instructions for making your own. We see these sweet lunch sacks gracing a picnic blanket, or at a party for an easy-to-serve buffet lunch. They’d also make adorable favor bags for a cooking themed party!
Chow.
While having visitors at your home for a few days should be a joyful experience, hosting overnight guests can be a daunting task for the hostess, and staying away from home has its own set of challenges for the guests. Today, we share with you ideas and tips for making it more comfortable for all.
Photos: BHG.com
The best way to ensure that your guests will be comfortable is to live a day and night in the space where they will be staying. Use the bedroom, the shower and the bathroom. You’ll find out immediately what might not be comfortable for your guests.
Photo: BHG.com
Provide extras! Extra blankets, extra towels, and extra toiletries can go a long way to helping your guests feel at home. If they don’t have to ask you to help with every need, they’ll certainly feel more comfortable, and you won’t be working so hard!
Have breakfast waiting for your guests each morning. Everyone has their own morning routine, and it’s such a personal time of day. Some are up and about early, and some like a few extra zzz’s in the morning. Your guests will be grateful for a tasty breakfast waiting for them the minute they wake… whenever that is. So, how do you cater to a houseful of people that have different routines? A pretty brunch buffet is perfect. It can all be made in advance. Muffins and fruit, cereals, warm oatmeal or French toast casserole in the crockpot, can all be placed out the night before. Just cover it and leave a sweet note for your guests to help themselves. Set the timer on the coffee maker to brew at an early hour. You can always refresh the coffee supply when you wake. Be sure to place cream and sugar nearby. You’ll have happy guests, and you won’t be waking before dawn to prepare Grandma’s breakfast! Lovely.
Give your guests a peaceful retreat. Especially if there are children living in your home, a quiet nook with a few good books and magazines, a comfortable chair or two, and a warm throw blanket is an ideal place for a guest, craving quietness, to hide for a few minutes. Show your guests around the house when they arrive, and invite them to use this quiet nook whenever the mood strikes.
Photo: BHG.com
It’s all in the presentation. A handful of fresh flowers in a vase will add cheer to the guest room, and another in the kitchen makes such a difference. Make the breakfast buffet a pretty presentation with cheerful color and pretty platters. Your attention to the details won’t go unnoticed!
Prepare in advance, and you’ll be able to enjoy your guests rather than laboring every minute of their stay to accommodate their needs.
Oh, yes. It's exactly like that. Photo credit: Howard Berman
And sometimes like this:
And, occasionally like this:
Art by Flapperdoodle.
Keep them all up there!