Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Super Bowl Party Ideas


Throwing A Super Bowl Party

This year’s Super Bowl takes place on Feb. 1st in Tampa Bay, Florida where the Pittsburg Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals will face off for Super Bowl 43.

A Super Bowl party is the simplest party to organize and do with minimal cost.

Invites: The fastest and simplest way to get the word out about your party is to send it via evite.com. They offer a wide variety of super bowl invitations. Encourage your guests to wear the colors of the team they want to win (Steelers – black, yellow, white or Cardinals – red and white).

Decoration and Table Setting: Again, keep it simple….. Typically a table setting for a Super Bowl party should be buffet, because your guests will want to graze before, during and after the game, and a full buffet table is the best way to accommodate them. That being said: Create a football field on your table. Purchase a disposable green table cloth and with masking tape, create lines for yardage and end zones, you can also make numbers or purchase numbers (at your local craft store) to mark the yardage on the table cloth.
Purchase paper products for easy clean up. You can keep it neutral with just brown, green and/or white, OR have a combination of the team’s colors.

Food and Beverage: You know by now our favorite thing to do is “Fake the Food, and this party is perfect for doing such a thing. Costco or Trader Joes is the ideal place to purchase the “Fake the Food” from chips/salsa, pizza bites, fried mozzarella sticks, hot wings, chicken tenders, variety of cookies and nuts, a deli platter etc….
However, if you wish to make the food yourself, knock yourself out! You can make a big pot of chili with all the toppings to feed a large group or have a variety of finger foods such as a layered dip with chips, breadsticks with deli meats around them, green salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, cupcakes, brownies shaped as footballs etc…...
The typical choice of beverage for a football game is beer. However, you can also serve nonalcoholic drinks such as soda, sparkling water, or a fun punch.

Games: The football game is the obvious entertainment, but you can offer your guests to participate in a football pool: Click here to see how you can create a football pool.


Visit us at http://www.tableambiance.com/ for all your entertaining needs featuring a variety of themes and occasions. Table Ambiance is the place to go to find all you need to set the table and the mood!


Stay tuned for more Super Bowl Party Tips and Food Ideas.

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Lunar New Year


The Year of the Ox
January 26th marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox on the Lunar New Year.

Here at Table Ambiance we have some suggestions for table settings and entertaining this lunar holiday.

Make an edible invitation: Purchase fortune cookies and replace the fortune with an invite. Place the invite fortune back into the cookie and place it inside a small take-out container and leave it at the guest's doorstep.
This is the perfect time to "Fake The Food" for this occasion. Call up your favorite Asian restaurant and place an order for take out. Place the food onto your own platters or keep it in their original containers, it is entirely up to you.
Set your table: Red is the traditional color for entertaining the beginning of the New Year. So start with a red table cloth. From there, you can use disposable tableware or your own. Place an red envelope (a red envelope with money in it, which symbolizes luck and wealth) at a each place setting for the favor and or place card. Have the option for your guest to use chopsticks or a fork to dine with at each place setting.
Centerpiece:A simple centerpiece can be a variety of paper lantern hung from the ceiling or placed down the center of your table. If you don't have electricity to illuminate the lanterns a good tip is to place a glow stick inside them to add a safe ambiance to your table. Or as shown above, fill a glass bowl with fortune cookies to create a fun and edible centerpiece.
To keep it simple and add more texture to your table add a bamboo or natural placemat at each place setting and/or colored candles to add to the mood of your table.
If you have any ideas for entertaining the Lunar New Year we would love to hear from you.
For other table setting and table top decor, visit us at http://www.tableambiance.com/

Monday, January 5, 2009

2009 Manner Resolutions - Beverly Hills Manners

Manners Resolutions for 2009

1. Make a good impression on yourself, first. Take the time this year to focus on your health and well-being both physically as well as mentally. Strive to be a bit more organized and efficient so that you can be your most effective self both personally and professionally.
2. Smile and be friendly. Resolve to smile and be friendly with everyone you interact with this year. Whether it's a parent you pass in the hallway at school or the checkout attendant at the grocery store, everyone deserves a little acknowledgement. It is not much effort, but makes a huge difference.
3. Choose to be optimistic. We are beginning a new year, a clean slate, an opportunity for total renewal. Why not choose to proceed into these next twelve months with complete and absolute optimism. Remember a positive and optimistic attitude is most mannerly and assures a successful outcome in anything we endeavor to do.
4. Be a good listener. Humans thrive on relationships and connections with others. One way to cultivate and nurture your communications with friends and relatives is to be a good listener. This is the key to all great conversationalists and will convey your sincere interest and attention.
5. Use your table manners. So many of life's pleasures and special moments revolve around the table and dining experience. This year, aspire to be a bit more mindful of your table manners. Begin with the most simple of tasks such as refraining from talking with your mouth full of food or putting your elbows on the table. Make sure to sit up straight for good posture and say please and thank you when being served.
6. Take a breath and think before you act. This is vitally important and can save a lot of heartache and headache. We've all heard the expression "put yourself in someone else's shoes" meaning everything we do has a positive or negative effect on one another, so before you behave in a way that might upset or offend someone, take a moment to think about how they might feel and choose to do the right thing.
7. Be courteous and patient. We live in a 24/7, frenetic, automated world where common courtesy and human decency are threatening extinction. Do your part to change the tide and make 2009 a year where you are more polite and patient. From the people you stand in line with at Starbucks or share the carpool lane with on your way to work, to the caretakers who watch after your children and your families with whom you share a meal, aspire to be more considerate and a little more tolerant.
8. Master the fine art of knowing when to speak and when to hold your tongue. Being well-mannered does not mean you are obligated to be accepting of every situation. In fact, sometimes it is appropriate to stand up for yourself or something you believe in. The important thing is to be sensitive to your surroundings and adjust yourself accordingly. Be aware enough to know if the situation calls for gentle pacification, brutal honesty or something in between.
9. Give thanks and appreciate. We cannot say enough about taking a moment to be thankful and to appreciate. At a time when so many are experiencing job layoffs, personal economic turmoil or major health issues, it is more important than ever to try to find a glimmer of light and to acknowledge what you do have that is positive and encouraging.
10. Don't be stingy with the magic words. The most commonly used magic words are: please, thank you, excuse me, I'm sorry and you're welcome. This year, strive to use these words frequently and without discretion and witness firsthand a transformation from those who hear them. Notice how a few kind words or gestures can help brighten someone's day.

These resolutions are from: Beverly Hills Manners