SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 5C •gwinnettdailypost.com

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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF THE GWINNETT DAILY POST

It is not the holiday sea-son until homes, stores and town centers are

decorated in lights and tinsel. When entire neigh-borhoods are enhanced by bows and animated figu-rines, the celebratory tone is set and decorations can trigger happy feelings asso-ciated with holiday gather-ings.

Some people find holi-day decorating enjoyable and eagerly anticipate tak-ing out storage containers and sorting through all of their memory-laden trin-kets, while others are less enthusiastic about ready-ing their homes for the season. No matter which group you fall into, the fol-lowing are some simple tips to make holiday deco-rating easier.

Plan to decorate on a day when you do not have any other responsibili-ties. Choose to decorate on a day when you can devote your full attention to deco-rating, avoiding a day when you might be distracted by other things. If you pre-fer to decorate alone, ask a friend to watch the kids or have a spouse take them out of the house for a few hours. If decorating is a family event, find a day when everyone’s schedules are clear.

Take out the deco-rations the day prior. Hauling boxes and con-tainers from the attic or basement can take a while. Take some time to move all of the decorat-ing items to a main floor of the house the day or night before your deco-rating marathon. This way you won’t get dis-couraged or tired by the task even before the real decorating has begun.

Put the tree up first. The Christmas tree is the a focal point of holiday decorations, so set up the tree and decorate it before you get started on decorat-ing the rest of the house. If you do not get to all of your other decorating, at least the tree will be ready and your home will still have some holiday appeal. Once the lights are on, decorat-ing the tree is a great ac-tivity for keeping the kids busy while you handle oth-er jobs.

Divide and conquer. Nothing makes holi-day decorating go faster than delegating decorat-ing tasks. Assign specific tasks to your helpers. Put one person in charge of decorating the living room while another handles the outside lights, wreaths and inflatable items.

Turn on the tunes. Working to music fre-quently takes your mind off of the work and will help pass the time more quickly. Have your favorite holiday playlist at the ready and turn up the volume. Sing along to the carols or con-temporary songs while you are elbow-deep in decora-tions.

Take some breaks. Working hungry or tired may lead to sloppy work or frustration. There’s little chance of untangling a knot in the lights with your pa-tience in tact if you haven’t eaten for hours. Plan some time for lunch while you sit and rest. Survey the work you’ve done and make a list of the next steps.

After the hard work of decorating, you’ll likely have a sense of accomplish-ment. Now it’s time to en-joy the holiday scene and prepare for the excitement of the weeks ahead.291098-1

Make holiday decorating easier this year

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The holiday season allows people to transform their homes into won-

derlands of lights, garlands and poinsettias. Each family has its own holiday traditions, and decorations are a part of many of those traditions.

Decorations might be awe-inspiring, but those that in-clude lights often lead to sub-stantially higher energy bills. Fortunately, there are ways for homeowners, whether they prefer subtle displays or more over-the-top arrangements, to save money and still celebrate the holiday season in style.

Switch to more efficient lights. A great way to ensure holiday displays consume less energy is to change the bulbs being strung. Incandescent lights can use 80 to 90 percent more energy than LED lights. Gradually replace older light strands with newer, energy-efficient LEDs. Not only do LEDs require less energy, but

they also can last longer than incandescent bulbs, mean-ing you won’t have to replace them as frequently as more traditional bulbs. Furthermore, lower wattage usage means you can attach more strands of lights together safely.

Use timers. Timers can be set to turn lights on and off at specific times, ensuring lights aren’t turning on during the daytime or being left on into the night by forgetful home-owners. Timers also are a good safety precaution. A dark house that is normally lit up can ad-vertise to thieves that no one is home. When lights turn on with a timer, it will create the illusion that it is business as usual in your residence.

Use homemade decora-tions. You also can save en-ergy and money by recycling materials into holiday decor. Trim branches from trees and use them in vases for an in-stant wintry look. Prune an

evergreen on your property and make your own wreath with some wire and twine. Shop yard sales for gently used decorations that still have years of utility left. Sew ornaments from scraps of fabric or cloth-ing that no longer fits. Each of these ideas reduces reliance on manufactured decorations that consume energy during pro-duction and fuel while being transported from factories to store shelves.

Rely on extension cords. You can extend the length of displays without using more lights by spacing out light strands with extension cords. Intersperse spotlights to add attention to key elements of your display as well.

Turn off interior lights. If a Christmas tree is illuminat-ing a front window, turn off the lights in your home, as the tree may provide enough light to make a living room or den extra cozy.

Save energy with holiday decorations

6C SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 • gwinnettdailypost.com

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Although New Year’s Eve parties tend to be simi-lar from year to year,

hosts can explore the many ways to make their celebrations stand out from those of years past. This handy guide pro-vides ideas to your get creative juices flowing.

Establish a color palette. Many people equate New Year’s Eve with the gold and silver hues of champagne. However, you can use any festive color for your party. Use the same colors on everything from invitations to dinnerware to take-home favors.

Encourage guest input. Guests understand the cost of hosting and the amount of planning necessary to throw a festive party, and many will likely reach out to ask what

they can do or bring. Figure out in advance which aspects of the party you want your guests to take care of so you have a ready answer when the inquiries start rolling in.

Keep musical tastes in mind. A fun party usually includes an array of familiar songs and music that appeals to the masses. When compiling a party playlist, choose songs guests are sure to know and love. Mix these in with a few of your favorites. You can even ask guests to provide the names of three favorite songs when they RSVP.

Dim the lights. Bright lights can make guests feel in-timidated and awkward. Set the mood by turning off over-head lights, opting for ambi-ent lighting instead. For a fun

effect, string holiday lights around the room or use a por-table disco ball to spread spar-kling colors on the floor and ceiling. Candles are another option for intimate affairs, but should be avoided as a safety measure if you’re having a large crowd.

Set out New Year’s fill-in-the-blank cards. Encourage guest participation with an en-tertaining idea. Print out small cards that guests have to com-plete. Phrases like, “The bad habit I want to quit is ____or ____ was the silliest thing I did last year,” can be fun to

do and share. Guests can take turns guessing whose card is being read.

Have the party catered. Unless you want to spend the evening in and out of the kitch-en, invest in catering. Guests of a late party won’t expect a three course meal. However, platters of sandwiches, appetizers and other little munchies will fit the bill. Remember, caterers may book up fast this time of year, so be sure to reserve service well in advance of your party.

Create a specialty drink. In addition to toasting cham-pagne or sparkling wine, serve a specialty drink creation. This can be a beverage that ties into your color scheme or the theme of the party. Dessert drinks, such as chocolate martinis or vanilla cake-flavored vodka

mixers, may be the right flavor for your affair. As the host, you should remember to provide non-alcoholic alternatives as well.

Consider more substan-tial food after midnight. En-courage guests to eat more and drink less once the clock has struck midnight. Casseroles and other baked dishes are easy to make in advance and have on hand. A breakfast buffet of pancakes, toast and omelets also will fill guests up with something more substantial than chips and dips.

New Year’s Eve parties are a great way to reflect on the last year and look forward to a new one, and hosts can take steps to make their parties memorable for all the right reasons.

Ring in the New Year with festive party ideas

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 7C •gwinnettdailypost.com

The holiday season is a joyous time of year dominated by family

reunions and seasonal soirees. And while kindness is a theme of the holiday season, this time of year can be especially unkind to personal budgets, many of which get stretched thin in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Travel and shopping tend to

do the most damage to budgets come the holiday season, when people hit the road to see family and friends, often with numerous gifts in tow. But the holiday season does not have to be so harsh on personal budgets, especially for those men and women who employ a few tricks of the trade to lighten their financial burdens during this festive time of year.

* Set spending limits. * Share hosting duties. * Make your own decorations. * Start shopping early. The holiday season finds

many people stretching their budgets. But men and women can employ several strategies to save money while still enjoying a memorable and festive holiday season.

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Celebrate and stay true to your budget this holiday season

Stress-free holiday hosting tips

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Gatherings with friends and family are a big part of the holiday season.

Many people travel during the holidays to spend time with distant relatives, but those same people often want to gather with those loved ones who live nearby as well. Thus an abundance of gatherings comes in December, when office parties, dinners with family and festivities with friends have a way of dominating the last five weeks of the year.

All of those gatherings translate to a lot of holiday hosting, and hosts can easily feel overwhelmed as they try to juggle hosting duties with everything else that comes along during this time of year. The following are a few steps holiday hosts can take to make hosting a lot less hectic and a lot more fun.

•Enlist help. Just because a holiday party is at your home does not mean others can’t pitch in or will be unwilling to help. If you plan to decorate for the party, invite a friend over to assist. When hosting a holiday dinner party, ask guests to bring certain items to save you some work. Ask one guest to bring some dessert, saving you the time it takes to visit the local bakery or bake your own desserts, and ask others to provide side dishes. This drastically reduces the time it will take you to shop for groceries and cook the meal, leaving you more time

to spend with friends and family, both during the party and in the days leading up to the festivities.

•Plan well in advance. The earlier you begin planning the party, the less stress you’re likely to feel as a host. Certain items for the party, like decorations and certain snacks and beverages, have no expiration dates, so buy such items well in advance of the party. This leads to one less task to tackle in the weeks and days leading up to the party. Planning early also affords you ample time coordinate with guests and decide who will be responsible for certain party tasks. Planning a party at the last minute can be stressful, so if you know you will be handling hosting duties this holiday season, start preparing for the party as soon as possible.

•Hire a cleaning service. One of the more difficult parts of holiday hosting is cleaning the house before guests arrive. A thorough house cleaning can take up a substantial amount of time, which tends to be hard to come by during the holiday season. To avoid a late night cleaning session or the need to spend a valuable weekend afternoon hard at work around the house, hire a cleaning service to come and clean your house in the days before the party. Such services can clean your home in a fraction of the time it might

take you to do so on your own, and this removes one of the more time-consuming and arduous tasks from your to-do list.

•Have a theme for theparty. Holiday hosts may worry about how to entertain their guests throughout the party. A theme party makes it easier to entertain guests, who can show up decked out in holiday pajamas or sweaters or bring along a favorite unique compilation of holiday songs for a sing-along. Such themes set a tone for the party right away and often make it easier for guests to unwind immediately. Seek suggestions for a theme from your guests.

•Pass the buck. Hosting a holiday dinner party? Consider passing the hosting duties on to a local restaurant, especially if your friends and family members are on board with the idea. If your schedule is especially hectic this holiday season, then move the party from your home to a local restaurant, where the staff can worry about accommodating your guests and you can simply relax and have a good time with your loved ones. When choosing a restaurant, look for one with a menu that features something for everyone. Entree selections should include a pasta dish, a beef dish, a seafood dish, a poultry dish, and vegetarian fare.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF THE GWINNETT DAILY POST

8C SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2015 • gwinnettdailypost.com

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Narrowing down holiday dinner optionsShopping for holiday gifts

may be a top priority for many come the holiday

season, but for hosts and host-esses opening their homes to friends and family, several other tasks need to be done as well. One of the more significant de-cisions holiday hosts must make is choosing what to serve when guests arrive for holiday din-ners.

Holiday dinners are often more extravagant than the run-of-the-mill dinners families eat

on ordinary weeknights. Craft-ing a special dinner requires both planning and prep work, and there are some ways to make the experience go more smoothly.

What’s cooking? Culture often dictates which meals are prepared. Many popular main courses involve pork and poul-try, as baked hams and roasted turkeys are especially popu-lar during the holiday season. But regardless of history, hosts should consider which foods

appeal to the greatest number of guests, then plan the din-ner around these items. Also, if you’re known for a particular dish, go ahead and make that, even if it’s a less traditional holi-day meal.

Another savvy move is to choose foods that can be pre-pared in advance. If you’re host-ing a houseful of guests, steer clear of foods that require in-dividualized attention or must be cooked and served promptly, like a risotto. Casseroles, pasta

dishes, roasts, and other simi-lar foods can be prepared and cooked, then reheated in time for the main course.

Keep it simple. Although you may want to impress your guests with your culinary prow-ess, experimenting with exotic dishes or trying intricate plating techniques can backfire if you do not have adequate practice. It’s better to stick to familiar foods and save the experimen-tation for a smaller dinner party.

Meals that have become rou-

tine to you can almost be made on auto-pilot. This way you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with guests.

Delegate some work. Guests are often eager to con-tribute something to holiday meals. When planning a holiday dinner, think about which items you can ask others to bring. A noted early bird may bring ap-petizers, like a crackers-and-cheese platter. Those who tend to make late entrances may be tasked with providing decadent

desserts. Unless the entire meal is potluck, holiday hosts usually handle the main courses and many of the side dishes.

Be prepared for leftovers. In an effort to ensure everyone has enough to eat, you likely will make more food than you and your guests need. Don’t let those leftovers go to waste. Stock up on takeaway storage containers so your guests can bring home some of the food. Promptly wrap up any leftovers and store them in the refrigerator so food

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