Tag: holiday entertaining

Holiday Entertaining Tips

Have you planned a holiday get together or are you thinking about it? Here are some tips to help:

Have you planned a holiday get together or are you thinking about it?  Here are some tips to help:

1.  Timing is everything.  If you’ve waited too long to book your holiday party, most likely everyone is booked up.  Sunday afternoons tend to be good times for a get together because most people are booked on Fridays and Saturdays.  Another option is to go with the week between Christmas and New Years.  Technically it’s still holiday season, but most people are in a post-Christmas lull by that point.

2.  Set a theme.  If you take the time to set a simple theme everything else including music, décor, and food will fall into place much more simply.

3.  Consider the flow.  Be sure to consider the flow of your home when you set up for a party.  For maximum efficiency you should set your buffet in the main room with plenty of space to walk around it.  If possible place drinks in a separate room and set bowls of snacks all around.

4.  Take advantage of nature.  Take advantage of the natural beauty and scent of winter greens and other local flowers.  For an added touch, sprinkle shiny Christmas bulbs throughout.

5.  Soften your lighting.  For a festive glow, switch your normal light bulbs for gold, red, green, blue, and/or silver.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Three Easy Holiday Centerpieces

If holiday entertaining is on your horizon, try one of these simple yet elegant centerpiece ideas to quickly cross one of the items off your to-do list!

If holiday entertaining is on your horizon, try one of these simple yet elegant centerpiece ideas to quickly cross one of the items off your to-do list!

1.  Ornamental Elegance – a centerpiece doesn’t have to be elaborate to be gorgeous.  Try stacking glass ornaments on a cake dish or in a bowl.  You can adhere them to one another with glue dots (which can be found in the scrapbooking section at any craft store).  Fill in the gaps with beautiful ribbon or fresh greenery and to round out the look, consider stacking glass balls on top of candlestick holders as well.

2.  Stack of Gifts – choose a color theme and stack boxes wrapped in varied patterns of that theme on top of a pedestal or cake plate.  Then top the tower with a bow and wrap a thick piece of matching ribbon around each side.  Secure the ends of the ribbon to the underneath of the cake plate for a crisp, clean look.

3.  Fresh flowers with a twist – To dress up the classic centerpiece of fresh flowers, fill a vase with greens and then remove the heads from roses or whatever flower you choose and hot glue them to the outside of the vase.  You will have a gorgeous centerpiece that will wow guests… of course don’t do this too far in advance!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.