Get togethers made easy

Summer's here and so is the time to host get togethers and throw parties. My mantra for parties is to take it a little easy. Not to say that you stop paying attention to all detail. I have hosted lots of get togethers in the past where I have generally gone overboard with setting up, preparing food, decor, clean-up, so much so that by the time it was time for people to show up I was exhausted and could not muster enough energy to host as I usually do, like a social and energetic person that I am. I still did sit through the get togethers but didn't enjoy them. So, since a few years, I decided to ease up and let things flow.
You as the host should not just be catering the whole time, you should set some time aside for enjoying yourself. That's the only way you would ever want to throw another one of these get togethers. If it's all work and no play, you will end up not wanting to do these. SO now let's talk about my newly found take it easy mantra...

1. Spontaneous parties are the best - when its spontaneous you will not have enough time to agonize over them, and a bonus will be that you will actually enjoy the fact that you can manage being spontaneous and doing things spur-of-the-moment, still as you used to way back when!

2. Attend to the basics, the rest will take care of itself - yes, keep the house clean, ideally always, but with kids we all know that's as close to impossible as it gets. So clean the house for the get together, make sure all's tidy. Attend to the details especially in the bathrooms and kitchen. This is however, not a time to start spring cleaning all over again.

3. Take it outside - unless the weather is comletely crabby, outdoor is more fun than in. Backyard. Backyard. Backyard! Keep some activities handy, such as lawn badminton, ball games and such for kids to enjoy.

4. Drinks please - Buy lots of drinks, keep them in a cooler with ice and done. Hydrated people are happier in general :)

5. Buy food when you can - buying takes away the work of cooking and cleaning. If you want to cook, make sure you cook things that can be done in advance and kept refrigerated.

6. Do minimal work on the day of the party unless you thought of having the party that morning (no one asked you to be that spontaneous!).

Don't care about the rest and enjoy! Hope you have lots of lovely get togethers this summer. Happy entertaining!

Exercise - yes, but when

So I am struggling to find time to exercise for a long while now. With a full time job, family and having two kids in the ages I have, 6 and 18 mos, it is not easy to stay fit. I mean who has the energy too... since I am so exhausted by the time bedtime for kids rolls around that it is totally impossible to go for a walk or hop up on a tread mill. Yeah, I make plans and schedule time to do so, but energy is missing and I can't go through with the plans I make.
Ok so maybe I should get up early to exercise before the kids are up and about. Well no can't do; as it is I function on half the sleep I should be getting and am still managing to stay sane :)
So what should I do? Hmm this seems like an excuse for not exercising but I seriously need more time in my day. who doesn't?!

Lovely summer days

I grew up in very warm weather and I have grown to love it so much. Summer always seems to bring out the best in me. Must be something to do with all the sunshine. Summer also makes me motivated say, to do new things or make a change. I think most people love summer because of - sunshine, green all around and water fun (come on, who doesn't want to take a dip in an inviting, cool pool!). I love summer for another reason besides those. It's the creativity that it brings out in people. Ever noticed, how people show creativity in dressing, gardening and such in summer.
It's like they are all new people. That's what I don't get to see during those winter months!
So, there's no reason to be gloomy now, it's summer, get with it people and enjoy!

The art of talking

So really, there are people who can get you to do almost anything by just speaking in a certain way and no, there is no hypnosis involved. I commend them for the art that they have mastered. The art of talking, as I like to call it is what you get the knack of through practice. Some people are born with the talent maybe, but not too many. So what does it involve? It needs for the talker to sit back, listen, think and then talk. Is there time to do all this processing all of the time? We talk endlessly all day long (some even in their sleep, j/k), but how many times do you feel that you have achieved the best possible outcome, by talking to others! There are books written on negotiations and conversation skills etc, and I am not here to impart any tips and pointers since i consider myself a novice in this respect. I just want everyone to think about it at one point or another - how well do you talk / communicate?