Hosting a party? Why not make it a "cooking party!"

Invite a few of your friends over and have them show you how to make one of their favorite recipes.

Your part is to …

• Make a peaceful, welcoming statement.  Capture the spirit of the event by dressing up your table. Use items you have around your home or simple items you have made.

It's a great feeling when you find simple ways to add comfort, joy and fun to a party.

For this event we created a "fall" theme by adding fall colored plates and table linens.  Running down the center of the table is an assortment of felt home made pumpkins.

• We added the "chef" hats for a little fun and to go along with the "cooking" theme.
• Each guest went home with a home made burlap bag filled with goodies.
• and a felt pumpkin from the table.

Hosting a party can be lots of fun, if you keep a few little things in mind.

• simple
• casual
• fun

Go ahead host an unforgettable party….I dare you.

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Because I am your friend, I will be honest with you.  If you are a chick, and you have birthed a child, you most likely need to get yourself some shapewear. Whether you are a size 8 or 18, you've probably got some jiggle that you don't want putting on jell-o show for everyone when you are wearing your pretty new dress to your cousin's wedding,  your best friend's Christmas party, or that blog conference you've been excited about for months.

You can get it away with "letting it all hang out" if you are pregnant, or if you are this guy:

(Ahh, forgive me! Fat cats are funny!)

I've tried a few different types of shapewear over the past year, and ladies, these things are not your grandma's girdle.  Modern shapewear keeps everything tucked in and smooth and makes it as comfortable as possible. I SWA-AIR!  Last year, prior to BlissDom, when people asked me what I was wearing I always mentioned that I'd be wearing "so much under-armor I'll KLINK when you hug me!"  I need shapwear!  I'm not ashamed!  Shapewear will make you feel much more confident about yourself, and will make your clothes look and feel better. GETCHA SOME.  I'll even lay out some options for you!

I like this bottom by n-finishape, it's really comfy and freezes my jiggle as long as I have it on:

And I LOVE all the options for up-top that Slimpressions offers.  I tried three of them last year and loved them all.  And I know several reputable and very fashionable people who are big fans of Yummie Tummie.  (And may I say, that I *adore* the fact that Yummie Tummie has a nursing tank available! Shapewear for the nursing mama? Yes, please!)  OF course, there's also the original that inspired this decade's shapewear craze, Spanx.  Maidenform Shapeez is also a good one that I've tried, and I hear that Dr. Rey's, sold at Sears, is great also but I've never tried it.

So, what I am saying is, you have lots of options!  Invest in some shapewear!  It will become a beloved wardrobe staple and will go a looooong way in helping Fight the Frump!

Now it's your turn!  Tell us how YOU fight the frump!  Link up your fashion and beauty posts from this week, and link back to this post.  Mr. Linky (and the world) is waiting – link up!

________________________

Photos: threefatcats on flickr, n-finishape

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I had never  made it myself,  so I called her for the recipe and with some minor adjustments, was able to create a large, warm pot of the feel-goods.  Try it out on your family! 

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 rotisserie chicken from your grocer's deli
• 1 24 oz. bag frozen egg noodles (I used Reames)
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 3-4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 12 oz. bag baby carrots, sliced (approx. 4 c.)
• 2 tbsp. dried thyme
• 3 tbsp. dried parsley
• 6 c. reduced-sodium chicken stock
• 5 c. water
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add butter.  Saute onions in butter approx. 3 min.
2. In the palm of your hand, rub the dried herbs with your thumb to release the oils.  Add dried herbs, salt and pepper.  Continue sauteing another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add stock and water.  Bring to a boil.
4. Add noodles, carrots and celery and return to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 min.

The soup is pretty much ready once the vegetables and noodles are cooked through.  I find that taking the lid off after the 25 min., turning the heat to low and allowing the soup to continue coming together for about another 20 min (or longer if you have it) makes for a better soup.  It may need added salt & pepper depending on preference.  Also, there are smaller bags of Ream's noodles available.  To make a smaller pot of soup, just scale back on the rest of the ingredients.  If you want your soup more "brothy" you could always add extra water and/or stock.

Variation:
Purchase a raw, whole chicken and allow to boil in 10 C. of water along with the celery, carrots, onion and herbs.  Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out and add the egg noodles to the pot, cover and simmer 20 min.  Meanwhile, shred chicken and add back to the pot.

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It's about that time. It's getting colder. Your belly bump is getting bigger. And you need a coat. I remember I tried my hardest to fit into my "pre-pregnancy" winter coat when I was pregnant with Benjamin… but it just wouldn't button. There are some fabulous looking winter maternity coats out there right now, and this is the best time to shop for them – when every size and color is fully stocked. I (reluctantly) bought a white winter coat when I was pregnant with Benjamin. It was the only color available… and I just knew, I just knew it was going to be dirty – and fast. So I'm a big proponent of buying when styles/colors/sizes are in stock and ready to go!

So where to shop for maternity coats? Easy. Destination Maternity.

After devouring the many gorgeous styles, these are my (5) favorite maternity picks for winter coats (if I were pregnant, which I'm not – I don't want any rumors starting…):

Zip Front Nylon Blend Maternity Coat

Button Front Wool Maternity Coat

Toggle Closure Wool Maternity Coat

Zipper Pocket Boucle Maternity Jacket

Fleece Long Sleeve Maternity Jacket

So, my prego friends, go get yourself a nice maternity coat!  Winter's on it's way and you gotta keep that bump warm!

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A few weeks ago I bought myself a birthday present – a pair of  Audrey Leg cords from Lands' End.  (You can see them here, I couldn't grab a pic from Lands' Ends' website, sorry!)  They are pretty much the most amazingly cute and comfortable casual pants EVER! I loved them so much I decide to follow up that purchase with a pair of Lands' End bootcut cords. More amazing comfort and cuteness!  I love these pants so much I've decided that cords are the new jeans. As a SAHM, I pretty much wear  jeans EVERY DAY – it's nice to have something else in my wardrobe that's comfy, functional, and fashionable!

Since my new love of cords has now become borderline obsessive, and since I sadly, can't afford to order a new pair every week, I hit the local Goodwill last week to see what I could drum up.   And I SCORED!  I got a lovely pair  of chocolate-brown Gap bootcut cords like those pictured above for $3.99. And they are indeed, also super comfortable and cute. I see more thrifting – and more cords – in my future.

So, in my world, cords are the new jeans! What do you think?

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My first Thanksgiving as a married grown-up, I decided to cook the complete dinner for my family. It was a chaotic day of cleaning, cooking and preparing to host a much smaller feast. The next time around, I was a lot better prepared. My mom actually thanked me for creating the most relaxing Thanksgiving she'd ever experienced. I have continued to use the plans and timeline year after year, even as our guest list has grown, to enjoy the day with my family. I hope these tips help you have a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving feast.

Decide on your menu in advance. In fact, start writing it down now! This will allow you to purchase ingredients over the next few weeks, rather than rushing into the crowds the day before and spending too much money. Write each recipe on an index card. Compare your recipes to see which ones will cook well together and which ones will compete for oven time. You want to set up your day so that everything is ready and warm at the same time.

Be sure to consider which items can be prepared in advance. For example, you can cut vegetables for a relish tray the night before or chop ingredients for a casserole. I usually bake pies a day or two before Thanksgiving, and make my noodles a week prior. It is also helpful to start with a clean kitchen. Empty the refrigerator, take out the trash, empty the dishwasher & sink.

Take a look at your cookware and decide which pans & dishes will hold the appropriate recipes to prevent needing a dish twice at the same time. On your recipe/index card, write down the appropriate dish and the cook time. The night before, lay out each dish you will use along with the appropriate recipe. This way if someone wants to pitch in on Thursday, the recipe is at their fingertips. On the big day, you can relax, have fun and enjoy a hot meal!

Last year's Thanksgiving Menu Plan:

• Turkey-foil roasting pan
• Ham-Rival roaster
• Cornbread Stuffing-in bird/bread crock
• Mashed potatoes-6-qt pan/6 Quart Crockpot
• Gravy-2-qt pan
• Egg noodles-4-qt pan
• Green bean casserole-9-inch baker
• Green beans-round crockpot
• Sweet potato casserole-9×13 baker
• Broccoli salad-white dish
• Fruit/Veggie Tray-Chillzanne platter
• Dinner rolls-large bar pan
• pumpkin pies-pie plates

The Thanksgiving Dinner Plan

Sunday:
• Move turkey and ham to refrigerator for thawing
• Make and dry egg noodles

Wednesday:
• Bake pumpkin pies
• Cut fruit & vegetables
• Thaw rolls
• Fill salt & pepper shakers

Thursday:
7:00am make cornbread stuffing
7:30 am stuff turkey
7:45 am turkey into oven
8:00 am ham into roaster
8:15 am green beans into crockpot
8:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am peel & boil potatoes
10:00 am Mash potatoes; transfer to crockpot on warm
10:15 am prepare sweet potato casserole; refrigerate
10:30 am prepare green bean casserole; refrigerate
10:45 am prepare broccoli salad; refrigerate
11:15 am Set out fruit & veggies for snacking
11:30 am Make tea; refrigerate
12:00 pm Remove turkey from oven, transfer broth to stockpot
12:15 pm Casseroles/dressing/rolls into oven
12:30 pm Add noodles to broth
12:45 pm Carve turkey/Make gravy
1:00 pm Dinner!

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With the recent change in seasons and the even colder weather just around the corner, I have been craving some serious soup.  The minute that first chill hits the air, my cravings go from crisp salads and ice cream to hearty soups and pumpkin pie.  You don't have to be a nutritionist to know that the canned soups that are stocked on the shelves at your local grocery are laced with obscene amounts of sodium.  Even when scanning some of the "healthy" varieties, the sodium was astronomical.  So, I decided to try my hand at a homemade soup.  Potato was sounding pretty good that day.

There are so many different types of potato soup that are out there: the cheesy, the creamy, the pureed, and so on.  I tend to favor a creamy, non-cheesy potato soup that has huge hunks of potato in it, so I knew I was going to want to make that style of potato soup. My usual MO when it comes to wanting to make something for the first time is to scour about 10 – 15 recipes and from them, culminate what I want to cook.  I was seriously shocked at how delicious and easy this came out to be!  You have got to give it a try!  There is no blending, pureeing or hours of simmering here, which I saw plenty of while scouring.  Just easy, creamy potato soup.

Ingredients:

• 3 c. diced potatoes (don't bother peeling them)
• 1 c. sliced carrots
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 of a large onion, diced (or one whole medium)
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 4 c. of low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, cut into pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put the potatoes, carrots and chicken stock in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add pepper and salt to taste.  Once boiling, reduce heat and continue to cook until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes).  In a small saute pan, saute onions in the butter for about 3 min. (you only want to sweat out the onions, not caramelize them), stir in flour and continue cooking about a minute.  It will look a little scary.  Slowly whisk in milk.  Lower heat, add cream cheese and continue whisking until the cream cheese is incorporated.  Add cream cheese mixture to the simmering vegetables.  Continue to simmer on medium-low heat until ready to serve.  This recipe makes about 4 good-sized servings.  I usually double it and make a huge batch for work-week lunches.

Extras:
I threw 4 pieces of bacon into the oven at 375 for about 15 min. and crumbled them on top along with shredded cheddar and chives.  You can use any kind of potato.  I have used both Yukon gold and red skin – equally delicious.

Lower Calorie Options:
Swap regular cream cheese for 1/3 less fat cream cheese and use skim or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk.  You could swap olive oil for butter but beware, I did it the second time I made the soup and it did not yield the same creamy consistency.  Also, I would not go for the fat-free cream cheese, as it does not melt well.

image credit

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Start off with your tools.  All you need for a basic pluck job is a pair of awesome tweezers {Tweezerman are legendary} and some cuticle scissors, and for a more advanced grooming, the gathering you see below.

Step 1:

Pluck above your eyebrow.  There are plenty of people who will tell you never, ever to pluck above the eyebrow.  And they are all wrong.  Did you see how many stray hairs there are above my eyebrow in that first photo?  What if I were to just leave them up there for the whole world to see?  That's not called grooming, it's called denial.  Don't go too crazy but clean up the stragglers until you're nice and clean above your brow.

Step 2:

Use some eyeliner to draw in a little stencil for what you'd like your eyebrows to look like.  You probably have a pretty good idea of what they should look like when they're not in their natural caterpillar-like state.  If you don't, get a stencil from a beauty store or print one up online, they're really easy to find.  Once you've got an outline for where you need to pluck, get to work.

Pluck below your brow.  I know, that sounds pretty straight forward.  That's because it is.  You want to create a little bit of an arch straight up from the pupil in your eye, but follow your brow bone for the best curve.  Another thing to remember?  Your eyebrows should not match each other.  Ever.  Your eyes don't look exactly alike do they?  Neither should your eyebrows.  Set them free, let them do what they naturally do best, you're just here to shape them and keep them clean.

Step 3:

Trim off the crazy hairs. Use an eyebrow brush, or even a comb from your bathroom drawer to comb up all the really long hairs and trim them with some cuticle scissors.

Just cut 'em right off.  There's nothing worse than crazy mad professor eyebrows on a woman so do a good job getting those babies trimmed.

After you've trimmed with scissors flip that comb over and brush your eyebrows down to their rightful place, and you're done! Wasn't that easy?  Look at the results:

Ahhhhh,  much better.  You're welcome.

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The silver background reflects the light and bounces light around the room.  As the metallic surface also looks different in different lights, it will look slightly different on each wall, adding to the interest.

The look for next spring will be flowers in abundance: think of bunches of daisies, cottage garden flowers, roses, carnations – any flowers that you would find in an English country garden and Jab Ansteotz has captured this perfectly in their new Four Seasons Volume 7 collection.

Co-ordinate with fresh flowers and plains  in co-ordinating colours for a stunning design scheme.  Placing wallpaper within paneling as shown below ensures that it doesn't overpower the room, and it adds grandeur and panache to your room.

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Need some creative ideas for pumpkins?

Check out My Home Ideas for the upholstery tack pumpkins featured above.

Or Sunset for these pretty party pumpkins! These would make fun party favors or a pretty centerpiece!

Head over to Better Homes & Gardens for instructions on this gourd address topiary! This would be the perfect way to great your guests this fall!

For more inspiring pumpkin decorating ideas, check out this great resource from Better Homes & Gardens.

HAPPY FALL!

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