Browsing Category: Weekend At Home

WEEKEND AT HOME: How To Stock Your Bar For The Summer

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Summer time is in full swing and filled with countless BBQs, impromptu gatherings, and countless other festivities that might call for you to have a stocked bar of alcohol, wine, and all the accompaniments you need to serve your drinking buds. Well, this weekend, I’m giving you a full list of things you need to keep in your bar and home to ensure that your bar is always ready for an ultimate party or gathering.

Liquor and Wine

  • 4 Bottles of Beer
  • Tequila
  • 2 bottles of Red and White Wine
  • 1 bottle of scotch
  • 1 bottle of whiskey
  • 1 bottle of champagne
  • gin
  • Vermouth (Dry and Sweet)
  • Rum
  • Bourbon
  • Vodka

Garnishes

  • Juices ( Lemon, Lime, Pineapple, Cranberry, and Orange)
  • Marachino Cherries
  • Maragarita Salt
  • Sugar
  • Mint

Glassware

  • Margarita Glasses
  • Champagne Flutes
  • Tall Tumblers
  • Cocktail Glasses
  • Shot Glasses

Tools/Equipment

  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Pitcher
  • Blender
  • Ice Bucket
  • Cork Screw/ Wine Opener
  • Cocktail Napkins
  • Cocktail Toothpicks (for fruit)
  • Stirrers

Stay Stylish!

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Weekend At Home: Flower Power

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Give me any time or occasion to buy flowers for my home, I will do it! Actually, I’m one of those people that will buy flowers just because I’m having a bad day and/or Kroger has a very beautiful and affordable bouquet of bright flowers. I’m supposed to buy them…right? Well, I usually do and I’m totally fine with that. However, keeping “fresh” flowers can become a little to tedious and pricey.

Well, I have some quick tips (some you might already know or don’t) that will help you preserve the your flowers a little longer and stretch your floral budget. I can’t wait until I get to the financial point in my life where I have a “floral budget”! Is that even real? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out. Tip time!

  • Aspirin – This is an old tried and true tip. It is known and practiced of dropping one aspirin in your flower water to help expand the life span of your flowers by even up to 3-5 extra days, because they help kill the bacteria.
  • Prune the leaves – Before you place the stem in the water, remove the leaves. The leaves makes the water dirty and at times, can carry bacteria into the water that cuts the life span of your flowers dramatically.
  • Change The Water – This is kind of carrying on from the previous tip. Just like most living things, flowers need water, to flourish and sustain, and preferably clean water. So every other day or when you notice the water is getting dirty, empty the dirty water, rinse the vase, and add some fresh water (don’t forget the first tip above.)
  • Warm Water – Water is very important and not only does the water need to be clean, but also warm as the room temperature.
  • Trim – Every time you change your water, trim the stem a bit to help the flower to get more water.
  • Chill – Keep your flowers fresh by keep them out of heat and direct sunlight. Also, place them in the fridge overnight to keep them nice and cool.

These were just a few tips that I’ve heard about, tried, and found to be true. So, reference this list next time you have some fresh flowers to spruce up your home.

Stay Stylish!

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WEEKEND AT HOME: Raised Bed Gardens

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The previous renter of the house I live had quite the green thumb and even had an entire garden in the backyard. Unfortunately, my sister and I don’t, but have aspirations to have some kind of garden. However, since it’s just the 2 of us and we both have full-time jobs, we don’t really have the time nor need for a large garden. So, a raised bed garden is the perfect option for us.

A raised bed garden is basically garden beds raised off of the ground… duh. They usually have wooden borders but can be made with brick, stones, or any other material that can traditional garden beds are formed. You can build one, however, I’m looking to buy a pre-made one like the one by EMSCO GROUP above from Lowe’s.

So, if you want a garden, but not sure if you want a traditional garden, then a raised garden might be for you. Here are some reasons to get a raised garden.

  • More Manageable – You can choose the size of your garden, which is perfect for single living and small families. No need for a huge garden for a small amount of people…unless you’re in a giving or selling mood.
  • Portable – If you’re renting a home or apartment, planting a large and traditional garden might not be feasible. So, a raised garden bed is easy to pick up in go, in the case that you move residents occasionally.
  • Easy to Control – Having a raised garden bed allows you to put various barriers to help prevent pest and weeds.
  • Visually Pleasing – Depending on the style you choose, it can add a nice decorative look to your outdoor area, especially if your garden is full of colorful flowers or produce.

 

So, if you are looking for a small project to do this weekend, look into creating or buying a raised garden.

Stay Stylish!

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WEEKEND AT HOME: Holiday Greeting Cards

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Probably one of my guiltiest pleasures in life is receiving greeting cards in the mail. Birthday, Valentine’s Day, and definitely Christmas. I use to send them out every year, even when I was still living at home in college. However, the past couple of years, it has slipped my mind, but that is changing this year.

I’m planning to send out some Christmas cards this year with my chihuahua, Pepe’, as the handsome cover model, but I’m not completely sold on an idea, yet.

Thanks to technology, there are plenty of online sites that allow you to upload your picture and/or design and send it to you within a few days. The two sites that I love for customized cards and printed needs, including greeting cards, are Canva.com,  Minted.com and Tinyprints.com. They have a nice large selection of templates that allow you tweak them in various ways, including colors, text, and formatting.

So, this weekend I will buckle down and come up with a design and selection so I can get them in time to send out. Wish me luck!

Stay Stylish!

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WEEKEND AT HOME: Wreath Wrangling

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YES! Thanksgiving is over and now it’s officially time to deck the halls with all the Christmas music and decorations you can personally tolerate.

Last weekend, my sister and I put up our tree and started decorating it. We haven’t added the final touches of personal ornaments, garland, and candy canes, though. This weekend, we plan to finish up decorating the tree and also start on decorating the outside. Although my sister loves Christmas time, I don’t think we are ready to get super festive with outside decorations. We might just string some light on the deck and hang a wreath.

Wreaths. Aren’t they great and versatile. No matter the season or holiday, there’s a wreath for that. A couple of weeks ago when I was looking and pondering about the type I was pretty set on get a big, lush green traditional wreath with a big red bow in tact. Now….I’m leaning toward a more statement wreath.

I love the red wreath made out of curled wood, plus, thanks to the deep red, it could work in the fall and Valentine’s Day, too. The bright and colorful ornament wreath has all the same colors and textures as the ornaments on my tree. However, the one I’m fixated on is the bell wreath from Williams-Sonoma. Yep, I think this is the one. Sleigh bells!

Stay Stylish!

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