Hallmarks of a good party

 A good party rises or falls on the people participating in the celebration.

The decor can be bare walls, and it doesn’t matter.

The food can be “meh,” and it doesn’t matter.

Plan the party with a “potluck” theme, and everyone will have at least one dish that they like to eat. Make it a “bring your beverage,” and the party-goers have a beverage they want.

Plan an outdoor venue, and everyone can bring their seats.

The host will need to provide bare minimums such as

• tables for the food presentation
• tablecloths
• beverage containers
• dinnerware and utensils
• napkins or paper towels
• ice and something to keep it from melting
• a groomed yard or awning at which to gather
• a time frame for the party
• coordinating the food
• host supplying the main dish for the party—unless it’s a barbeque and a bring/cook your own steak/chicken event (host should still have some burgers and hotdogs available)

I’ve hosted cookouts (burgers and hotdogs), sandwich parties, banana-split parties, dessert (covered dish) parties, Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas Parties, Rock Soup parties, Hobo Parties, Finger Foods parties.

I keep certain foods in my pantry to host meals if family or friends drop in for a get-together.

The people, laughs, catching up on our lives, and their events are vital. Not the food, not the decor.

Drop on by. I can make a cobbler. Fix some salmon patties and veggies or some rice and chicken. You have a choice of coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade, tea, or water to drink.

The important thing is we’ll get to visit. I miss seeing you in my life.

Got a spare room?

 Unfortunately, that extra room in the home commonly referred to as a storage room becomes a catch-all instead of a real destination.

Depending on your needs, the room’s size, and the room’s location, use it for one of the following purposes and furnish it accordingly. You can even combine uses in a room and zone different areas. Use convertible furniture and built-ins to accommodate multiple goals.

• A guest room for overnight guests
• A home office
• A children’s play or study room
• A craft room
• An overflow dining room for large family or friend gatherings
• A den
• A library
• An entertainment or games room
• A walk-in closet—properly outfitted for hanging and storing clothing
• A pantry
• A mudroom
• A hobby room
• A display room for a collection

The dining room adjacent to the kitchen is set up to host larger dinner parties as it was intended instead of being our computer/office area.

Our second bedroom (once our daughter’s bedroom, once a guest room, and a catch-all room) is now our library, craft, computer, home office, and bird room. There are multiple zones and the areas are organized. This room has been converted from a catch-all room into the room we now use the most.

Our dining room is dedicated to eating and is much easier to maintain.

I have a living and television room greatly suited for company visits.

When we can start having guests again that dining room will also be used as a card and board game room. However, the games are stored in the adjacent room and are easily available.

On the plus side, our bird is much more social. We are sharing his room instead of being in an adjacent one.

Your needs and a room’s usage may change over the years. Go with the flow. Your home should suit your needs now, not the mythical someday! Turn that storage room into something that works for you now. Don’t be afraid to zone it and create dedicated multiple zones.

DIY or hire a decorator?

 I prefer decorating my home to hiring an interior decorator.

Most people know what they prefer in their home. There are multiple free tools the consumer can use to decorate their homes.

Take a piece of fabric you’d like to feature in a room to your local home improvement store. There are numerous paint combinations and cards to pick complementary or contrasting paints to highlight the material.

Take a friend with you—one with a good color sense.

Create a board with pictures of items or a look that you’d love to achieve.

Then shop retail stores online, at flea markets, thrift shops, or yard sales.

High light that heirloom piece of furniture, the painting on a wall, portraits, a decorative piece.

Your style may change over the years. Doing the changes yourself can help you stretch those decorating dollars. 

Empty Nesting?

 I’ve been downsizing things. Here’s what experience has taught us.

• Don’t store items in the attic, basement, or crawl space. Storage should be in environmentally controlled areas.
• Don’t rent storage space unless it is temporary.
• Plan where items you keep will be “homed.”
• Let go of things that no longer fit your lifestyle.
• Digitize photos and craft items and let go of the tangible things.
• Keep digital memories—not stuff.
• Dispute over an auction/sale item—have it appraised, and the “buyer” pays the estate.
• Give the kids, friends, and relatives things that no longer “fit” your style. Let them enjoy things now—you gain free space.
• Collections—reduce them to the “special” pieces. No, everything is not exceptional.
• Here is a fire analogy when downsizing. What five things in a room/area/collection would you want to save if the house catches on fire? Anything else is fair game for going out the door.
• Get rid of trip hazards.
• Make your home crutch, cane, walker, and wheelchair safe—this involves increasing available free floor space.
• Make preplanned home improvements while you are physically fit and able to do them. Paying for labor is expensive.
• Grandmother had furniture up on legs and shelving not too high for a reason. Physical limitations can make reaching or climbing difficult. Squatting down near the floor and getting back up can be difficult also.
• Are you planning electrical work? Add GFIs, extra outlets near the kitchen counters, bathrooms, computer areas (each room), and the entertainment center. Do not forget to add a few outdoor outlets as outdoor electrical tools are becoming more popular.
• Install grab-rails on both sides of steps and stairs.
• I can go on and on; however, I’ll stop here.

Why Clean?

 Practical reasons to clean regularly? Why clean?

The following things find spaces to grow in your home.

• Mold
• Dust
• Dirt
• Mildew

You will get occupants that don’t pay rent.

• Insects
• Rodents

You need to “catch a good cold”—pray that your guests have a cold too.

• Smells and odors develop over time
• Rotten garbage and food scraps stink
• Dirty bed linen stinks
• Wet towels sour and stink
• Sweaty clothing stinks
• Bathroom gunk, mold, and mildew stink

Why make cleaning harder?

• Freshly dirted dishes are easier to clean than those left to sit and dry with the food left on them.
• Sweat and body oils can become embedded and impossible to remove from clothing and bedding.
• Food left in containers can become a science experiment—throw the whole container into the trash.
• Maintaining clean will make preparing for a party a breeze

Cleanliness in the kitchen can contribute to good health

• Food poisoning results from unsafe food and food cleanliness practices

People do judge you by the state of your home—and in this digital age, they tell others.

• You won’t feel ashamed if someone drops into your home unexpectedly

And finally, an unexpected health emergency, accident, or family happening can make it impossible for you to clean as you usually would.

Good news, I hope.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I've sent the beta version of "Creating Your Forever Home" to an editor. 

I know, I've shared the file with all who want it, but hey, I want it to be good.

Writing this blog has kept me plugging on and I hope all who have checked it out came away with at least something that helps in their daily lives.

More later, even if it is Off-topic.

Cleaning up before the cleaner comes?

 I try to keep my house tidy. Please note that cleaners should have a clause in their contract stating that they are not responsible for breakage—your valuable curio things, etc. Most do not move to clean behind stacks of boxes. Some will not clean or dust collectibles. They will work around the mess.

I keep my home “picked up” because I like it that way.

But, if you need help in keeping the home clean, doing the simple things like putting dirty clothes where they belong, dishes in the dishwasher and cabinets, putting up clean clothes, and making the bed. It gives a neat appearance without the house being cleaned.

When you are paying a cleaner, doesn’t it make sense to do the easy things for yourself and let them do the things you cannot or don’t want to do? They budget a certain amount of time to work in your house. If they spend their time picking up after you (i.e., I’m picturing a slob here in my head), how much of the nick picking actual cleaning do they have time to do? You know, under the bed, behind the furniture, in the corners, large surfaces, etcetera!

Discuss what you want the cleaner to clean in the house, office, or building. Some specialize in certain things.

For instance, you might want the carpet cleaner to come after a spring cleaning so that everything is dusted and tidied.

Window washing is usually specialized, too, especially outside the house.

There are cleaners for renovation projects and those that clean after a tenant leaves.

Clean is

• dirty clothing/linen/towels in hampers
• clean clothing in drawers/baskets/closets
• shoes in shoe racks
• fully dusted and polished furniture
• all those curios in the open or behind glass dusted or cleaned
• the floors swept/vacuumed/mopped—under, around, and behind the furniture [including the beds]
• the insides of the windows sparkling and the sills and area above the drapes vacuumed
• vacuum drape and blinds too
• side tables cleared, cleaned/polished
• kitchen table and counters cleared
• dishes in dishwasher or drainer or put away
• surface cleaning of all appliances, including both large and small
• behind the fridge and washer dryer vacuumed
• range hood cleaned-filter too
• cabinet doors, surrounding wood, handles cleaned
• backsplashes cleaned
• counters cleaned
• ceiling corners vacuumed
• fans vacuumed or cleaned
• light fixtures dusted if needed
• sinks cleaned-kitchen and bathroom
• fixtures cleaned
• trash cans emptied, washed, lined
• baseboards cleaned
• tubs and showers cleaned
• commodes cleaned
• all nooks and crannies cleaned
• inside of washer and dryer cleaned
• inside of dishwasher clean
• doorknobs cleaned
• the inside of the fridge and its shelves cleaned and expired food trashed—no science experiments here

Leaving this post with a side note: Date leftover foods when you put them into the fridge with the pull date. Anything not dated gets tossed.

Have a calendar on the fridge door. Dates on a dish don’t matter if the contents are moldy or stink or the container is not sealed. Things will get tossed—including the gross container.