Pieces of a Mom: Entertaining

Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts

January is the Perfect Time to Throw a Party

Tuesday, January 7, 2020
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Host a party? What? You're partied out from the holidays? The holiday season might be over, but the loooong winter isn’t even close to being done. There are still several months of cold and possibly snow left before the first spring flowers appear and, after having so much to look forward to before, these long nights can feel even longer.

This is why January is the perfect time to throw a party. Sure, the holiday season is over but that’s no reason to subject yourself to social Siberia. A bit of snow and cold temps shouldn’t stand in the way of some good times and neither should your tightened purse strings. There are plenty of fun family party ideas that are cheap to host and fun to attend.
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Easy and Festive Oscar Party Food Ideas

Tuesday, February 19, 2019
This post was written in partnership with Nellie's Free Range Eggs. All opinions are my own.

The Oscars are all about Hollywood glitz and glamour, and your Oscars party should be as well. That doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of money or time pulling it together. A little bit of planning and organization (and some shopping and prepping!) is all it takes to throw a party that, like the Oscars, will be the talk of the town the next day!

The key is to serve quick, easy, and delicious cocktails, appetizers, and sweet treats for a glam Oscars (or any awards ceremony) viewing party!
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Easy At-Home Coffee Dates With Friends

Wednesday, March 7, 2018


Life is busy. Between jobs and families, there is often little time for anything else. But I've learned over the years that if you want something to happen, you need to make it happen. One of the areas in my life that always seems to fall to the wayside is spending time with friends. To have unstructured time with friends, you need to make a concerted effort to make it happen.

One of my favorite ways to connect with friends is a coffee date. While I love meeting up in a café and lingering over coffee and pastries,  I find that hosting a friend in my home for coffee is a much more personal and thoughtful gesture. When you share your home with someone, you share a piece of yourself. It's an experience that you don't get when you meet up in a coffee shop.


A few weeks ago I ran into a friend who was having drinks with a girlfriend while I was having dinner with my husband. We chatted for a bit since we hadn't seen each other in a while, and she told me that she had recently left her job to start her own business. She was working from home and struggling to find her place in her new environment. She asked for advice, and we promised to get together soon. A few days later I called her to come over for coffee. She gladly accepted.

One of my golden rules of entertaining is to serve a signature drink. In this case, it was the coffee, obviously. In preparation I asked her what her favorite brand and favorite roast is. In addition to serving her absolute favorite, I also offered Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers as a tasty addition to our coffee.



To add a delicious blend of flavoring to our coffee, I purchase both varieties of Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers: Strawberry Cheesecake and Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake. The Strawberry Cheesecake flavor is the perfect blend of sweet strawberry goodness and tangy cheesecake,  just what you'd expect from the popular restaurant's cheesecake.

The Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake flavor is a flavorful blend of Dulce de Leche deliciousness and tangy cheesecake. Whether you are just kicking off your day or you need an afternoon pick-me-up, Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers are the perfect complement to your favorite cup of coffee.


You can find Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers at your local Walmart. Learn more about Coffee-mate® creamers and find your nearest Walmart HERE.


I thoroughly enjoyed both flavors. They aren't overly sweet and add a nice, genuine flavoring to my morning coffee. I'll definitely be keeping these stocked in the fridge for coffee dates and my morning cup of java.


Now that spring is almost here, I'm planning to schedule more coffee dates like this one. Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy our coffee and chats outside on the deck when the weather cooperates. Both my girlfriend and I agreed that every coffee date deserves Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers. They add a sweetness to the occasion that other coffee add-ins seem to lack.


Celebrate spring by hosting a coffee date for you and a few friends. Head to Walmart to grab a few bottles of Nestlé® Coffee-mate® The Cheesecake Factory At Home creamers to add a sweet touch to your coffee. After all, don't your friends deserve a special treat every once in a while?
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5 Game Time Party Tips

Friday, January 12, 2018


This shopper has been compensated by SheSpeaks, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company and Mondelez International group. All opinions are mine alone.

Game time is a big deal in our house. We love hosting football parties with friends and family and sharing our favorite game time snacks and game-watching traditions.

Our family is pulled in so many directions during the week that we love coming together on the weekends for game time. Whether we watch college or professional football, it doesn't make a difference. What matters is our special time together and making the most of it. In order to make the most of it, here are 5 game time party tips that ensure that you stay organized and on task and that you'll have just as much fun (maybe more!) than your guests.
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Cocktails To Serve On New Year's Eve

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Every New Year's Eve celebration we host always includes a little bubbly. I mean, it wouldn't be NYE without some sparkling wine. My go to is Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore. This year in addition to serving the prosecco straight from the bottle, I'll be mixing up two delicious cocktails for those who want an added twist to their prosecco. And if you've got some leftover prosecco to use for mimosas the next morning, here's a little trick for re-carbonating it.

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Tips For Hosting A Successful (and Fun!) Party

Wednesday, September 20, 2017
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Whether this is going to be your first official gathering or you’ve had so many you’ve lost count, it’s never too late to try to impress your friends all over again. Over the years we've hosted guests for everything from a small gathering for happy hour to 30+ guests to celebrate a special occasion. I've learned a thing or two about how to entertain so your guests feel special and welcomed in your home. Here are a few tips hat are sure to impress your guests at your next gathering!
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Fun Outdoor Summer Party Ideas For Kids

Sunday, July 16, 2017
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Everybody loves a good summer party, and if your child is lucky enough to be born in the summer, you havw the ideal situation for an outdoor party. Although intended to be a good time with family and friends with great food and lovely gifts, planning and executing birthday parties can be stressful. Particularly for the parent who is responsible for throwing the party as well as making sure all of the guests are safe and entertained.

The more you prepare for the party, the less stress you’ll experience. Here are a few ideas for throwing the perfect outdoor party and feeling confident about it enough to relax with the other parents.
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5 Ways To Make Guests Feel At Home

Friday, July 7, 2017


Whether you live close to a resort town or not, you are likely to have house guests at some point. Because we live at the Jersey Shore, our home is a popular weekend destination for friends and family. Whenever we have out-of-town guests, it is our number one goal to make them feel at home. Our home is their home, no matter who they are and how long they are staying.

Here are the 5 ways I make guests feel at home when they are visiting.
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How To Throw The Ultimate Father's Day BBQ

Wednesday, June 15, 2016
As Father's Day approaches, we often wonder how to celebrate the day for dads. When it comes to Father's Day, I like to think outside the box. A cup of tea won’t cut it. My husband definitely favors something informal with the family, such as a BBQ. It’s fun, includes a lot of meat and a roaring grill, and it’s compulsory to have a beer while cooking, right?


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Here's a simple guide to the ultimate Father's Day BBQ.
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THE BIG REVEAL!! Dining Room Makeover with Raymour & Flanigan

Monday, September 14, 2015
If you are a regular reader here at Pieces of a Mom, you are aware that I partnered with Raymour & Flanigan a few months ago to make over our dining room. I had heard nothing but positive feedback from friends who had previously purchased from Raymour & Flanigan, and I was absolutely thrilled to have an opportunity to collaborate on a room makover.

Our dining room was anything but a dining room. It was a playroom, an office, a TV room, an entertainment area, and a closet of sorts. Last week, I shared a few before pictures of the room so that you can get an idea of just how badly this room needed the ultimate makeover.

We had a lot of ideas for what we wanted the room to look like and the kind of furniture we wanted. Our home is casual chic, so we definitely didn't want a dining set that was too formal. Since the room is not incredibly large, we didn't have space for more than a few pieces of furniture including the table and chairs.

I wanted fabric chairs, but the Hubs thought wood chairs were more practical for a family with 2 young daughters. I wanted the room to look cozy and comfortable not hard. We also really wanted seating in the form of a bench to accommodate more people than chairs could. Raymour & Flanigan offers several sets that met our criteria.

We headed to the showroom to get a look up close and personal. The decision was A LOT harder than I anticipated. I was torn between several sets, but in the end, we went with our first choice: Gray Street 6-piece dining set with a bench. It is the best fit for this room and for our needs. Take a look.


The set came with the bench, but we purchased two extra chairs in the event that we opt to not use the bench.
I loved the nail head accents on the chairs and the concrete tabletop inlay. The concrete inlay is unique, and I had never seen a table like this before. Raymour & Flanigan has an amazing selection of wall art including canvas prints like the rainy day scene from Paris above. Whether you are looking for framed prints, canvas prints, mirrors, or clocks, Raymour & Flanigan can bring your walls to life.

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When we aren't using the bench, we place it along the way in the dining room.

We replaced our curtains to give the room a more beachy, casual feel.

We wanted a buffet server rather than a hutch since it's less formal than a hutch. I don't have a formal china set that I need to display, so a hutch was not a requirement on our list. The Gray Street buffet server fits perfectly in this space and has all the storage capacity that we need.

The Candlestick Lamp almost looks as if it's an extension of the buffet server. It's an ideal match for the furniture and the decor.

The rugs were another labored decision. Raymour & Flanigan has a fabulous selection of area rugs. So many of them would have matched the dining room set perfectly, but in the end we chose the sisal rug and runner.


While I couldn't wait to move everything out of the room, I had a dilemma with my "office". I was using a corner of this space as my office, and now I wasn't sure where to relocate my desk. It wasn't a tough decision. We decided that we'd relocate my office to the nook that had been our eat-in kitchen area. It was the perfect sized room, and since we were no longer going to need our kitchen table, we decided to convert the space to my office area.

Here's how it turned out.
The inspiration for the room was the throw rug, which I had previously owned. I added the Beacon Writing Desk from Raymour & Flanigan. I wanted a white desk that had both a contemporary and a classic flair, and the Beacon Desk had both. I added an office chair with a criss cross back, and two conference chairs which are the Annie dining chair from Raymour & Flanigan.

I've wanted a ghost chair for a long time, and I originally had chosen one for my desk chair, but I didn't think it would be ergonomic. The Annie chairs are surprisingly comfortable although I opted for a traditional office chair for my desk.

Because the office nook is small, I kept the furniture to a minimum. Plus, since it's a home office, I didn't want to clutter it with a lot of unnecessary pieces. It has the essential pieces of furniture, and all of it fits perfectly in the space.

Gorgeous, right?! I am over the moon. I can't stop looking at and walking around in the rooms. Someone pinch me. Seriously. We get so many compliments on both rooms and the quality of the furniture.

We placed our furniture order on a Sunday, and by the following Wednesday the delivery truck was parked in our driveway unloading our furniture. Most Raymour & Flanigan deliveries are guaranteed within three days, but of course, if you need more time, Raymour & Flanigan will certainly accommodate you.

The delivery personnel were very professional and careful. They were mindful of our walls and doorways. They set everything up and removed all the protective covering from the furniture and disposed of it properly.

From the moment we walked into the Brick, New Jersey location to the first moment we sat down at our new dining room table, our furniture buying experience with Raymour & Flanigan was an absolute pleasure.

Raymour & Flanigan generously provided me with a gift card to facilitate my shopping experience and this review. All opinions, as always, are my own and are based on my own experience.
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Summer Fun at Jenkinson's Boardwalk #JenksMemory

Tuesday, August 18, 2015
When you think of summer fun at the Jersey Shore, you think of Jenkinson's Boardwalk and Amusements. Jenkinson's, located in Point Pleasant Beach, is your one-stop shop for family fun and entertainment. Jenkinson's dominates the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk with an amusement and arcade area, an aquarium, miniature golf, several food concessions, and a nightclub.

From the beach to the boardwalk, Jenksinson's offers plenty to put smiles on everyone's face for an entire day or for a few hours.

Come for a day or a week and enjoy the sprawling beach complete with palm trees. Beaches are open daily during the summer season.


A little too hot for the beach? Head indoors where it's cooler and the sharks are behind glass! The Jenkinson's Aquarium features your favorite creatures from sea habitats including sharks, penguins and seals.



On our most recent visit to the aquarium, we were lucky enough to catch a diver cleaning the tank.

Kiddos and adults will get a thrill in the amusement area. Rides for every age abound. If you are seeking a thrill on the tame side, try the train or the carousel. My girls have long abandoned the tame rides in favor of those with more speed and more spins!




Feeling competitive? How about a good, old-fashioned game of miniature golf. Or for a slower pace, a walk through the Fun House is always a good idea.

Jenkinson's is open daily, but hours vary from attraction to attraction. Check the web site for specific hours.

Jenkinson's offers special events throughout the year including Hot Halloween, Boo at the Boardwalk and Christmas in July. Tuesday afternoons and Friday evenings are wristband days where you have access to unlimited rides for one low price. See web site for details.

What are you waiting for? Hope in the car and head to Jenkinson's today!

Disclosure: As a Jenkinson's Ambassador, I have been provided with a voucher for my visits. All opinions expressed are always my own.

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How To Make the Most of Your Back Yard in the Summer

Monday, July 6, 2015
Summer is here and that means we are going to be spending more time outdoors, especially in our back yards. In the summer, we use our back yard for everything from playing to entertaining. We make the most of it by using our back yard as an extension of our living space. Everything from morning coffee to evening dinner is done on our patio. Here are some of the ways you can make the most of your front lawn or back yard.


The Grass Is Always Greener
Or at least, it will be as long as you look after your grass properly. This means more than just mowing your lawn regularly because grass is just like any other plant. It needs water and proper care. This can be a problem particularly if we have a summer without a lot of rainfall.

If you want to make sure you are lying on lush green grass in your garden, consider installing a sprinkler system or purchasing sprinklers that you can place on your lawn. We have a pre-installed system, and it's incredibly convenient. We have it set on timers to turn on a at a certain time and on specific days. It keeps our lawn looking bright green and healthy. If you don't have a local sprinkler service, you can use the services of a website like Proirrigation.com/products-services/services/system-repairs. A sprinkler system is the best and easiest way to keep your lawn green whatever the weather.


Fantastic Outdoor Furniture
If you are going to be spending any amount of time outdoors, you'll need some furniture to relax on. If you are short on space, a bistro table is a great option. If you have more flexibility with space, opt for a set that includes ample seating. This is perfect for settling down with a good book or keeping cool in the shade. If you plan to entertain al fresco, consider buying an outdoor table. You can find one that seats 4 or up to 10-12 people.




Fun In The Sun
There is much more to summer fun than enjoying your beautiful yatd, particularly for kids. You may find them jumping through the sprinklers to cool down or enjoying a dip in the pool. You can also buy a cheap slip and slide online. Setting one of these up is easy to do and it will keep your kids entertained through most of those hot summer days. If you have smaller children, you can buy a medium sized plastic pool for your back yard. Children will delight in playing and floating in the water.


Delicious Evenings
Summer is BBQ season. If you want to cook a proper barbecue you'll need a grill. Whether you prefer a gas grill or a charcoal one or a small one or a large one, a grill is a summer essential. Impress your guests with perfectly grilled specialites...and of course, s'mores!


I hope you enjoy the time you spend in your yard this summer because I definitely plan on enjoying mine!  
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How To Organize a Summer Barbecue

Friday, July 3, 2015
With the warm weather finally here, now is the perfect time to throw a BBQ party. While organizing a BBQ for all your closest friends and family can be a lot of fun, it can also be quite stressful.

From sending out the invites to ensuring that there is enough food to go around, planning a successful BBQ takes a lot of time and effort. However, there are plenty of ways you can make things a little easier for yourself.

To help you plan a fantastic BBQ with the least amount of stress, we have put together this handy guide below:



Ensure you have enough seating
Once you know how many people to expect, the first thing you should do is check whether you have enough seating. If you don’t have enough seats for everyone, don’t panic. You have options.

If there are a lot of people coming to your BBQ, it’s unlikely that you will be able to provide enough seats for everyone. However, it’s a good idea to have an outdoor table that can be used for placing the food.

If you don’t want to invest in a traditional garden table, why not opt for something more modern. There are various outdoor dining settings at Mydeal that are perfect for using at BBQs. They offer a variety of sizes to suit

Decide on the menu
For most people, a good BBQ includes lots of delicious meats, like ribs, chicken, hot dogs, and burgers. However, while it’s a good idea to stock plenty of meats for the party, it’s also important to have some vegetarian alternatives on offer.

Grilled vegetables are delicious and allow your guests to enjoy grilled cooking. Many vegetarians also eat veggie sausages and burgers, so you could consider getting some of these as well.

To cut down on costs, make the sides and salads yourself. These are generally easy to prepare and won't require a large chunk of time. Instead of buying sides like potato salad and coleslaw, make them yourself. Not only will homemade sides be healthier than shop bought ones, they will also be less expensive.

Things like couscous, tomato salad, potato salad, coleslaw, and pasta salad are all easy to make. If, however, you don’t have the time to make all that, you could always ask people to bring a dish each.

Sometimes BBQs can take a while to cook the food, so it’s a good idea to have a few nibbles on hand for your guests to snack on. Things like hummus and carrot sticks, pretzels, potato chips and dips, and tzatziki and cucumber, are all ideal for warding off hunger.

Make it simple
Organizing a BBQ can be stressful, so try to make things as easy for yourself as possible.

You're hosting a backyard barbecue not a formal dinner party. Instead of leaving yourself with plate after plate to wash, use paper plates, plastic cutlery, and plastic cups. That way once the BBQ is over, all you have to do is bag up the trash.

A barbecue is intended to casual and fun, whether you are the host or a guest. Organizing a big BBQ can be stressful, however, if you follow these tips you can make it a lot less stressful for yourself.
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Happy Hour at Home

Thursday, May 14, 2015
On Friday afternoons when the clock strikes 5 o'clock, I imagine I look a lot like Fred Flintstone sliding down a dinosaur's tail at quitting time. Nothing excites me more than the promise of a summer weekend ahead, and that weekend usually starts with happy hour.

However, here at the Jersey shore, the bars become mob scenes on Friday evenings. Nothing puts a damper on my spirits faster than an overcrowded bar with overpriced drinks and over zealous twenty-somethings jockeying for a space at the bar to order the next round. No thanks. I'll pass.

I've managed to do a good job of re-creating happy hour at home, complete with yummy drinks, tasty food, and good music. At my happy hours, you wont fight the crowds for a spot at the bar, and you certainly won't encounter a long wait for the women's restroom!

It's really very simple once you have the key components for a great happy hour at home.

1. Start with a signature cocktail
Whether it's a happy hour or a party I am hosting, I mix up a signature cocktail for my guests to enjoy. It cuts down on chaos in the kitchen and you avoid having to mix customized drinks for guests. Whether you mix a pitcher of gin and tonics, margaritas, sangria, or Champagne cocktails, choose one universally appealing drink for your guests.

2. Serve cocktails with conversation napkins
Allow your cocktail napkins to serve as conversation pieces. When I use the napkins shown in the collage above, I ask my guests what their favorite drink is and how it came to be. There are so many great stories behind my friends' favorite drinks!


3. Use appropriate stemware and glassware
There's no need to buy expensive crystal, but it is important to have the appropriate glasses for serving drinks. You don't want to serve Champagne cocktails in tumbler glasses, for example.



4. Serve light bites
Serve a few carefully selected hors d'oeuvres that pair well with the signature cocktail. For added fun, offer guests fun plates for their fun food. Serve the light fare on serving platters and trays.



5. Set the mood
Place flowers in the center of the table and lanterns throughout your entertaining area for ambience.




And don't forget the most important components of happy hour at home: kick back, relax, and enjoy!
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My Five Favorite Trays

Monday, September 22, 2014
Whether you are entertaining or storing, a tray is the perfect way to corral everything you need. I love the way they look on a coffee table, a nightstand, a dresser, or on a dining table.




I've selected five of my all time favorite multi-use trays that are perfect for any decor and budget.

1. Lucite Tray
This makes the perfect addition to any coffee table. Place small books, a candle, and a conversation piece on it and your guests will have something nice to look at and something to talk about.


2. Marble and Wood Square Tray
Whether you are serving up cheese and crackers, tea sandwiches, or scones, this beautiful platter suits any occasion. I ordered this item today, and I can't wait to use it at the holidays.


3. Plastic Rectangular Serving Tray
This tray from Zak Designs is available in a variety of eye-popping colors, but the kiwi (shown) is my favorite. This tray would work in a playroom to organize cups of crayons, markers, pencils, and other craft supplies. Or it could be put to use in the kitchen for corralling salt and pepper shakers and frequently used spices.


4. Wood and Metal Tray
I love the rustic look of this tray. It's perfect for serving cheese, crackers, and olives to guests before dinner. Or it can just as easily be used to corral bottles of perfume and trinket dishes for jewelry.



5. Faux Crocodile Tray
I love this tray for a nightstand. Whether you have white or natural or dark wood furniture, this tray would be a fabulous contrast to the color. Use it for stacks of magazines or books and a small vase for reading glasses.


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