Holiday Manners

December 1st has arrived and the Holiday Celebrations begin. Thanks to Lisa Gache from Bevery Hills Manners who provides tips on proper manners for the holidays.

Good manners and proper etiquette are appreciated throughout the year, but even more so during the holiday season when expectations are at an all time high. This is a special time to bond with family, share in special activities, help one another, be charitable, and tolerant. To make the holidays nicer for all, here are 9 quick tips to guarantee a stress free and joyous holiday season!

1. Eat, Sleep & Be Merry. A hungry stomach or a tired body is a recipe for holiday party disaster. Schedules tend to be packed during the holiday season leaving little or no downtime to recharge batteries. Avoid any pitfalls by making sure everyone gets plenty of rest and eats a light snack before attending any holiday celebration.

2. Dress for Party Success. Dress appropriately for the occasion. If your family is attending a party at a ski chalet then a pair of clean jeans, a parka and Uggs will suffice. However, if the holiday gathering is a more formal affair then party attire, in the form of a dress or a nice pant suit, is a wise choice.

3. On the Road. On your way to the party, make sure to review any rules such as the type of holiday party you will be celebrating, who will be attending, what kind of food will be served, and any special activities your family may be asked to participate in.

4. Arrive on Time & Bearing Gifts. Your hosts are looking forward to your arrival so avoid being late and make preparations ahead of time. Select your attire beforehand, make sure all gifts are wrapped and a proper note has been written, map out your route and write down a contact phone number in case of an emergency.

5. Essential Holiday Table Manners. (a) Wait to be seated until everyone has arrived at the table. (b) Follow the lead of your host or hostess for everything. (c) Place your napkin on your lap. (d) Pass all trays of food to the right and all condiments in pairs. (e) Make pleasant table conversation with the person on your right and your left. (f) Chew with your mouth closed. (g) Wipe your mouth before taking a drink. (h) At the end of the meal, place your utensils in the finished position on your plate and your napkin loosely on the left side of your plate. (i) Ask to please be excused.

6. Clean-Up & Be Invited Again. If you are attending a sit down dinner celebration with family or with friends, offer to pitch in. This will guarantee future invitations.

7. Gracious Gift Receiving. Graciously accept all gifts whether they already have them or not. Focus on something positive to say. For example, if you do not like a gift, you do not need to say they do. You can simply say "thank you" or "how nice of you to think of me". Being polite always pays in dividends.

8. Departures. Designate an agreed upon beginning and end time with your family to prevent any misunderstandings when it comes time to leave the house or return from a party.

9. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! A phone call or, better yet, a hand-written note of thanks to your holiday party hosts shows your appreciation for all their hard work. If you've thanked someone in person for a gift, a thank-you note isn't obligatory. But, it is never wrong to write a thank-you note. If you receive gifts from family members that you won't see to thank in person, write them a thank-you note-both to let them know their gift arrived and that you liked it.

The best way to alleviate stress from the holidays is to do something charitable. Look into your local organizations to see how you can donate your time to those in need. Offer to serve a holiday meal, hang decorations, bake cookies, read stories or sing holiday songs. Set a good example for your children while doing something fun and inspiring for the whole family. Take a moment to realize how lucky you are and be thankful for all that you have.

For Holiday Table and Home Decor Ideas, visit us at TableAmbiance.com

Easy Thankgiving Centerpieces

Here are a few ideas to add a little ambiance to your table this Thanksgiving!
The pumpkin arrangement is from www.bhg.com. Make a few of these arrangements and place them down the center of your table. To add some height to the center, simpley add two of these great fruit/vegetable taper holder. Stick a pear or pumpkin in the middle and add a 9 inch taper to it and ta da, an easy yet unique table setting for Thanksgiving.
Another idea is to place a worry free pillar candle in a hurricane vase with nuts and add two pumpkin arrangements on either side of the hurricane for this years Thanksgiving table setting. It is that easy. Happy table setting!

Plan Ahead This Thanksgiving

Plan ahead this Thanksgiving will make this holiday virtually stress-free. Susan Westmoreland from Good Housekeeping has created a two week check list to follow to in sure a celebration that even the hostess will enjoy.

For table setting ideas and products for this Thanksgiving, visit us at http://tableambiance.com/home.php?cat=112.

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.

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.

advice@tableambiance.com.

For other table setting and table top decor, visit us at http://www.tableambiance.com/

Holiday Table Setting Ideas. Setting A Festive Table

Holiday Table Setting Ideas. Setting A Festive Table

Don't let Martha intimidate you. Setting a beautiful holiday table may be easier -- and cheaper -- than you think.

You don't have to know what a charger is. You don't have to own separate salad, dinner, fish and dessert forks. And, according to celebrity party planner David Tutera, "you don't have to spend a lot of money, just a little time and effort."

Whether you're hosting a casual or formal affair, the table can instantly set the mood for your dinner guests. Allison Reynolds, an editor and stylist, maintains that "it is about not over-decorating or over-planning the decor." The former home market editor for the defunct Budget Living magazine and current contributor to the Shelterrific design Web site added that "there are so many choices out there. Keep it simple and organic."

If you're limited on space and money, what should be the priority? According to Tutera, a unique centerpiece is the most important element of a striking table design. Although he has worked with the rich and famous -- including the Rolling Stones, former Vice President Al Gore and Elton John -- he has plenty of ideas for low-cost centerpieces.

"For a contemporary look, take a collection of simple glass vases you may already have, fill them with water, and add red food coloring to tint the water. Then add floating candles, place them down the center of your table, and accent with clusters of simple round ornaments," he said.

"For a more traditional and rustic look, take empty soup cans and turn them into unique vases for flowers. Simply wrap the outside of the can with cinnamon sticks around the outside of the cans, affix them with a rubber band along the top and another at the bottom. Then cover the band with raffia or leftover ribbon."

In his book, "The Party Planner," Tutera provides tips for a holiday dessert party inspired by candy canes. Glass vases are filled with alternating layers of rock candy and cranberries. A display is made with a glass bowl, layered with red feathers, and topped with an ornament.

"Candles are a great way to add a festive glow for little expense," Tutera said. But avoid scented ones, he advised. "Keep them in the powder room or living room. Let the aroma of the food entice your guests at the table."

But be careful when shopping at big discount retailers, said San Francisco event planner Alison Hotchkiss: "Ikea can be a great resource, but you know when something looks too Ikea? You don't want that. It's a balance of eclectic old and new."

Last year, Hotchkiss went with an all-white theme for the holidays -- decorating with white mum flower balls and white pillar candles, and even serving (what else?) White Russian cocktails. White faux fur throws over chairs created a cozy yet elegant look. (There's another tip: don't overlook texture as a design element.)

When setting the table, little things can go a long way in making guests more comfortable. "You can use mini-ramekins at each setting with individual salt and pepper so there's less passing and arms flailing across the table," said Reynolds. She also recommends keeping carafes of water within easy reach of guests.

Tutera said that "a great soft background music mix adds so much to any dinner or party." And he warns that "one of the biggest things people overlook is place cards. Whether a small or large, casual or formal party, the host should always take the time to think about where everyone should sit." Simple folded tent cards will suffice.

For a free alternative, turn to nature. "Use fall leaves placed at each setting," suggested Hotchkiss. "Use a colored Sharpie to write the guest's name." With larger leaves, this idea can be applied to the dinner menu.

Reynolds is also a big fan of leaves. "I'm a bit of a connoisseur," she said, "so I find I have a nice collection and can spread them on the table or write little notes for place settings." Pine cones, acorns, twigs and rocks are other good options for table decor. "There is always something outside that is more beautiful than something money can buy."

Tutera has a few nature-inspired tricks up his sleeve as well. "Holly branches look great incorporated into a wreath or laid down flat for a table runner or on a mantel," he said. "Birch logs also look great as the base of pillar candle holders." Cut the birch into 3-inch slices and top with a pillar candle. For tapered candles, drill a 1-inch deep hole in the log but be sure to never leave candles unattended.

Think about objects that can be recycled. For example, Tutera suggested taping together old holiday cards to make placemats. Cardboard paper towel rolls can be cut into segments and, with a bit of creativity, transformed into napkin rings.

Once the table is set, remember to relax and enjoy the evening. The hosts should not appear to be working or stressed out.

"I hate when people are picky about the spillage, so avoid caring too much if the cloth gets messy," Reynolds said. "A sign of a good time is a slightly messy tablecloth."

Source: Anh-Minh Le is a frequent contributor to Home&Garden. E-mail her at home@sfchronicle.com.

Visit Table Ambiance today for all your table setting needs. Great prices and wonderful services. We have the table setting products you need today to make your table settings look great tomorrow. Visit us at http://www.tableambiance.com/

Tablescaping: The Art of Table Setting

Tablescaping: The Art of Table Setting

A few ideas on how to make beautiful table settings for special occasions.

Setting your table for a holiday dinner, or any dinner party, should be more than a practical arrangement of plates and flatware. Your tablescape should be a work of art. It should reflect not only the warm welcome you want to show your guests, but also serve as an artistic venue for the fabulous meal you're about to present.

Here are some ideas for terrific tablescapes:
For the sophisticated Christmastime dinner party, set your table using solid colors and simple ornamentation. Begin with a dark green tablecloth. Linen is an excellent choice of material, or use a cloth with a subtle sheen to it. For your dinnerware use white china, silverware with a simple pattern, etched stemware and white linen napkins. Your serving ware, if being placed on the table, should be white as well. Place a brilliant red linen table runner along the center of your table, lengthwise. Depending on how long your table is, place silver candlesticks with white candles at intervals along the runner. Don't forget to use dripless candles.

Is the dinner more casual? Use a patterned tablecloth in bold holiday colors. Instead of etched stemware, use tumblers. Replace the candlesticks and candles with small decorative bowls filled with wrapped candies.

This simple premise of layering - tablecloth, place setting and serving ware, and ornamentation - described above can be adjusted to accommodate your existing dinnerware. If your holiday china has a pattern, play off the colors with your tablecloth, napkins and runner. Use the runner to set off the centerpiece or ornamentations.

If your celebrating a summer holiday, such as the Fourth of July, it's likely your setting isn't going to be as formal. That doesn't mean your table can't be just as striking.

Using the same concept of layering, set your table to play up the feel of the holiday. If your party is outdoors, you can use a vinyl red checked tablecloth, red, white and blue melamine dinnerware, brightly colored plastic tumblers, and inexpensive flatware. Put paper napkins in oversized plastic cups so guests can help themselves.

Use pinwheels in a small plastic bucket waited with sand or rocks for your ornamentation.

A good tip if your eating outdoors is to weight the corners of your tablecloth. Fill four small plastic bags with colorful stones and tie them with ribbons. Then attach these to the corners of your tablecloth. Use a hole punch to create the hole and thread the ribbon through.

Want to add a little more to your work of art? For each place setting, place a small piece of Styrofoam on a small dish. Stick a small paper flag in the Styrofoam and cover the foam and dish with moss. This creates a little hill with a flag on top.

Obviously, using holiday colors or the holiday itself is the starting point in the examples given so far. If your party doesn't have a central theme, find your inspiration in the season.

For a winter party, create this warm tablescape for your guests.

Begin with a bright white tablecloth. On top of that, place a smaller, dark blue cloth. Use thin, double sided tape at the corners to keep the top cloth from sliding. Now add a deep gold table runner, preferably one with embroidery or damask patterning.

For your place settings, use white dinnerware with a gold accent. Add dark blue napkins in gold napkin rings. If possible, use gold plated flatware, and glassware rimmed in gold. For ornamentation, place an oblong white bowl with gold trim in the center and fill it with silk flowers of various colors, predominately gold. Add a few, low round candles on decorative plates along the table's center.

The examples given demonstrate the basic tenets of tablescaping: theme, layers, and color. They also demonstrate traditional pairings and formats. Once you begin crafting tablescapes, you'll find yourself adding more layers and patterns, and becoming more creative with ornamentation. Tablescaping may become one of your favorite parts of giving a party.

Source:http://www.gomestic.com/Entertaining/Tablescaping-The-Art-of-Table-Setting.52152

Visit Table Ambiance today for all your table setting needs. Great prices and wonderful services. We have the table setting products you need today to make your table settings look great tomorrow. Visit us at http://www.tableambiance.com