Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Holiday Party Rules

How many holiday parties do you have this year? Make sure you know what is appropriate for what kind of party with the blog below. We have gathered seven tips that will get you through this holiday party season. You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.





DON'T:

1. Show up right on time.
For most people it's second nature to show up at least 15 minutes late to a big gathering, but the perpetually punctual may have trouble with this. If you find yourself arriving at party within 15 minutes of the stated start time, nip around the corner for a coffee, or hang out at a bookstore for a bit, or just sit in your car. This will give your host a little breathing room and ensure that you don't walk in on them doing frantic last minute preparations.

A few exceptions to the rule: dinner parties, where it's rude to show up more than 15 minutes late. And any party where you know the hostess very well and feel comfortable offering to help out — in that case your punctuality (or even earliness) will probably be welcomed.

2. Bring something that requires a lot of prep.
If you're bringing something to the party, good on you. But don't bring something that will require a ton of prep space or kitchen time on the party end. Chances are your host has been cooking all day and counter space in the kitchen is at a premium. If you're in there chopping things and looking for bowls and knives and whatnot, things can get chaotic.

3. ''Ghost' without saying goodbye to your host.
You don't have to make a big deal of announcing your exit to every guest at the party, but you should at least find your host and let them know that you had a lovely time but unfortunately you have to leave. This will keep them from fielding questions about what happened to so-and-so all night long.
DO:

1. RSVP.
The art of the RSVP is dead, y'all. The number one gripe I hear from friends who host parties is that people don't RSVP, or they do and then don't show up, so it's almost impossible to tell who is coming to your party and how much food you need. So if you get an invite to a party, and you think you'd like to go, click 'yes'. Really, it's not that hard.

2. Offer to bring something.
Chances are good that your host will say you don't need to bring anything at all, just yourself, but offering anyway is standard party etiquette. It's also a way to help your hostess defray the cost of the party, which sometimes can run pretty high. And if you are asked to bring something, for gosh sakes, don't take it home with you at the end of the night (unless your host specifically asks you to).

3. Talk to people you don't know.
Sure, all your friends are at the party. But these are all people you'll see again — how are you gonna meet new people if you just stick with your group all the time? Go by yourself to get food or drink — this is a pretty natural time to chat up people you don't know. Talking to new people is also a HUGE favor to your hostess, who will have to worry less about guests who don't know a lot of people at the party.

4. Say thanks.
Throwing parties is lots of fun, but it's also hard work. And when you work hard at something, it's nice to have somebody else say: hey, thanks. Good job. Traditional etiquette dictates that you send a mailed thank-you note to your host: in modern times, this might seem a little over the top, but thanking your hostess when you leave (and maybe even in an email or text message the next day) will always be appreciated.

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Make Your Own Vapor Rub

Vapor Rub can be pricey, but it is always a good product to have in the winter. However, there is a way you can make a homemade vapor rub. This all natural vapor rub will help you with your congestion with the chemicals. You can learn more atApartment Therapy.



If you don't already have the assortment of essential oils and coconut oil on hand, this recipe can be a little pricey. If you are the least bit interested in essential oils I highly recommend investing in these particular oils because they can all be used for other home remedies as well as aromatherapy treatments.

What You Need

Materials
30-35 drops eucalyptus essential oil
12 drops peppermint essential oil
12 drops lavender essential oil
12 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
5 TB coconut oil
2 TB cocoa butter
1 1/2 TB beeswax
Tools
Saucepan
Wooden spoon
Glass jar with a lid
Measuring spoons
Instructions

1. In a saucepan (I used my stockpot!) on low heat, melt the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Once melted, add the beeswax.

2. Once the beeswax has melted, remove the pan from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes so the heat won't spoil the essential oils.

3. Add in all the essential oils.

4. Pour the mixture into your glass and let it set up for 15-20 minutes. It might be a bit softer than what you are used to, so proceed with caution. And remember - a little goes a long way! Makes one 4 ounce jar.

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Reuse Leftover Coffee Grounds

Do you know those coffee grounds that you thought you could not use?  There are five ways that you can re-purpose spent coffee grounds.  Keep reading this blog to learn how you can use them for cleaning, compost, and other various home solutions.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.




5 Ways to Use Spent Coffee Grounds
1. Compost

The great thing about sticking to simple brew methods that use only a paper filter and coffee grounds is that both are compostable. Used coffee grounds happen to be rich in nitrogen, which makes them great for composting. (Worms love coffee almost as much as you do!) In a compost pile, aim for a ratio of one part leaves to one part fresh grass clippings to one part coffee grounds. Keep in mind that freshly brewed coffee grounds won't have the same effect on your garden; you need to be sure that they have broken down and composted first.

2. Clean dishes

Because of the rough texture of coffee grounds, they work great as an abrasive, which means you can use them to clean tough-to-wash dishes. Simply place some grounds into a cleaning rag and twist the ends with a rubber band to secure them in place. Then you have an excellent DIY coffee sponge to clean with.

3. Exfoliate

Just like coffee grounds are a good abrasive for cleaning your dishes and kitchenware, they can also serve as an exfoliant for your skin. Simply mix with equal parts olive oil and massage into your skin. The coffee grounds exfoliate, while the olive oil serves as a moisturizer.

4. Fix furniture scratches

Have a kitchen table that needs a little love? Mixed with warm water and vinegar, coffee can be rubbed into scratches to keep your furniture looking good as new.

5. Keep your refrigerator fresh

Similar to baking soda, coffee grounds can serve as a deodorizer. Simply place a bowl of grounds in your refrigerator to suck up all the bad smells.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family!

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Veteran's Day Facts

Make sure to thank a veteran today for their service to our country.  There are millions of veteran's in the United States.  We want to thank them for all of their sacrifices to serve our country.  You can learn more about Veteran's Day at CNN.


There are 19.6 million veterans in the United States.

There are 1.6 million female veterans.

There are 9.3 million U.S. veterans are over the age of 65.

There are 39,890 veterans of World War II, the Korean War and theVietnam War still living.

Timeline:
November 11, 1918 - The armistice ending World War I begins at 11 am.

1919 - President Woodrow Wilson proclaims November 11 as Armistice Day.

November 11, 1921 - The first Unknown Soldier is reburied atArlington National Cemetery. The tomb has the words inscribed, "Here rests in honored glory An American Soldier Known but to God."

May 13, 1938 - Armistice Day becomes a federal holiday.

June 1, 1954 - President Eisenhower signs a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to include all U.S. veterans.

May 30, 1958 - Unknown Soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are reburied next to the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

1968 - Congress changes the date of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October in order to give federal employees a three-day weekend. The change begins in 1971.

September 25, 1975 - President Gerald Ford changes the date of Veterans Day back to November 11. The change begins in 1978.

May 28, 1984 - An unknown soldier from the Vietnam War is reburied in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1998, he is identified through DNA tests as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old pilot shot down in 1972 on the border of Cambodia.

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Have A Great Thanksgiving No Matter What

Travel can be expensive during the holiday season. However, you can still have a great holiday season with friends and family. Apartment Therapy has come up with eight ideas on how to have a great Thanksgiving even if you are apart from friends and family.  Keep reading to learn more!


Phone Tag: Consult with the host on when a good time to call would be— during the cocktail hour? After dinner when everyone's lounging about? Ideally, everyone could pass the phone around for a quick holiday chat, without interrupting the festivities. If your family has Skype capabilities, so much the better.

Send Photos, Low-Tech: Your parents, grandparents, and/or other loved ones would love to see recent (printed) photos of you (and your family and friends), especially if you or they are not on social media. Don't be shy— you look awesome and you're always doing cool stuff. Pro tip: if your grandparents— or any relatives— have vision trouble, consider having your photos printed larger than you normally would.

Send Photos, High-Tech: The day of, text your family photos of yourThanksgiving, so they can imagine where you are and what you're up to. One year I sent my family photos from my morning hike up San Francisco's Twin Peaks and then from our lovely post-dinner stroll around Bernal Heights.

Send a Treat: if you always bring fudge or cookies or peanut brittle to Thanksgiving, look into making some ahead of time and shipping it. You could also send mail-order pie, cinnamon-glazed pecans, or dark chocolate chickpeas, and while this might be a bit pricey, it's nothing compared to the cost of plane tickets.

Send a Soundtrack: Who wouldn't love a custom-made mix CD to play during dinner? If I'm hosting, the last thing I want to worry about is the music.

Send a Game: At every family gathering, we wish that someone had remembered to bring board games. Come to your family's rescue by sendingQwirkle ($20 on Amazon) or Bezzerwizzer ($16 on Amazon), and reap the rewards the next time you do visit.

Gather Family Recipes Ahead of Time: Nobody makes apple pie like your uncle or rolls like your mom, but you can try your damndest. Most cooks would be beyond flattered to be asked for one of their signature recipes, and you'll insure that their dish lives on in the family.

Declare Your Own Thanksgiving: Many of us have to work on Thanksgiving, leaving little-to-no time and energy left for cooking and feasting. Celebrate Thanksgiving on whatever day you do have off, and live it up.

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