DIY Life

In case you missed the hit movie Julie and Julia this year, you still have time to brush up on your cooking knowledge! Holidash has a Julia Child-inspired Thanksgiving for all of your aspiring chefs! Check it out!:

* Roast Turkey: Most of her technique is pretty classic, but she does add a twist with a slow-simmered giblet gravy.
* Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Regular mashed taters are fine, but Julia knew long ago that a little garlic would make them divine.
* Stuffed Pumpkin: Rather than stuffing your turkey, you could stuff and roast a nice, orange pumpkin.
* Dressing: Julia preferred to keep the dressing out of the turkey, so pull out a casserole dish for this one -- or the pumpkin above.
* Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese: A so-called favorite of Julia & Julia star Amy Adams.
* Apple Tart: When the meal is good and done, wrap it up with a classic apple tart.

And don't forget -- no Child feast is complete without some strong libations to wash it all down!

Enjoy!

Swine flu is top of mind at the moment, but very few of us are willing to give up our wine and spirits over a measly cold. Here's how to enjoy your holiday party (flu-free!) while staying safe, straight from the experts at Holidash:

Common Sense
If you're feeling under the weather, do not host or attend a party. It doesn't matter if you were supposed to bring the Jell-o mold -- everyone will forgive you if you keep your germs to yourself.

Food
Think individual portions rather than large, communal bowls of chips and dips (oh, will somebody think of the double dippers?). This is an opportunity to get creative! Use shot glasses, little glass votive holders, paper sno-cone holders, Chinese takeout containers, small espresso cups and ramekins to serve small snacks and dishes. And, if you're serving dinner, make the plates for your guests rather than doing a buffet. If possible, keep the food covered before serving.

Drinks
Again, personal servings are best, so forget the punch bowl (and definitely forget the beer pong). Help your guests hang on to their glasses by offering wine glass charms or colored rubber bands to go around beer bottles. If you're using plastic cups, offer markers and stickers so people can personalize their own, even if it's just with their initials.

Meeting and Greeting
Some experts recommend greeting guests with an elbow bump rather than a handshake, but I think that if you're that concerned about germs, a party isn't a great idea for you (unless that's just normal for you, in which case, carry on!). Maybe avoid the kissing and long, lingering hugs, and skip the mistletoe this year.

Thanksgiving games are a ritual for some families. My family is immensely sedentary, especially when it comes to the annual tryptophan coma that we so love to indulge in. Yet this year, I'm planning to spice things up with a few exciting games for the whole family, courtesy of our friends at Holidash!:

1. Name That Turkey Tune
Make your guests sing for their supper with this family-friendly game. Each player takes turns singing their favorite songs by replacing the lyrics with the word 'GOBBLE.' The first player to correctly identify the tune is the new 'gobbler' and the fun continues.

2. Thanksgiving Bingo
If you can't pull your family away from the tube, why not make them work while they watch? Family Fun has a few printable bingo cards for Thanksgiving Day's TV watching, so hand out a few sheets and pencils and go to town. Loser has dish duty!

3. Apple Paring Game
In case you didn't quite get enough dessert, bring in the family for a fun, reward-driven game. Each player gets an apple and a peeler or knife (for adults) and has sixty seconds to peel the longest apple strip they can muster. Winner gets to take a fresh-baked apple pie home for Black Friday!

4. Toilet Paper Thanks
Pass around a roll of toilet paper to the entire room and ask them to tear as many sheets off as they'd like (but don't tell them why they're doing so!). After every player has chosen their desired number of sheets, announce that they have to share one thing they're thankful for... per sheet they ripped from the roll. Those greedy folk won't know what hit them!

With a few of these easy-to-implement games, your family will be so energized they won't even need their annual turkey nap!

Decided to host a few friends over this weekend? Holidash shows you how to throw together a Halloween party... in 24 hours or less!:

Queen of procrastination here, and as usual, I'm spreading the gospel of how to handle your habit of last-minute planning (not that I'm encouraging you to postpone your responsibilities, but hey -- we all have to embrace our flaws, right?). If you're not a fan of impromptu party-planning, feel free to roll your capable eyes and ignore everything I write. But -- if you're normal and it's slipped your mind that you've invited the neighborhood moms over for dinner and a trick-or-treating send-off (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...), listen up. This one's for you:

How to Throw a Last-Minute Halloween Party

Decor:
Gather a few items from around your home that could easily double as seasonal decor. I once decorated an entire table setting with items from my garage, so it can be done. Think creatively: a kaleidoscope as a vase, chalkboard as a menu, vintage scarves as placemats. Or, if you have a bit of time on your hands for a quick craft, ShelterPop shows you how to whip up a quick spider web table runner out of some black felt. Don't have felt? Use your husband's sweatpants. Trust me; he won't notice.

Food:
Can you say 'take out?' Order some chow mein and label a place card with the words "monster brains." An egg roll doubles as "troll's fingers" and the fortune cookie? Let's just rename that "message from Hell." Serve some store-bought apple cider and put the coffee pot on --- it's gonna be a late night getting those sugar-infused kiddies to bed...

Games:
Does anyone really enjoy games anymore? I suppose you could bob for the proverbial apples, or celebrate old school with a fun game of Old Maid. The most important form of entertainment is conversation, so put on your hostess hat and have fun!

See how easy that was? Forget changing your ways; procrastination isn't such a bad thing after all!

OK, you officially have two weeks to dream up how you'd like to celebrate your Halloween. Chances are, candy and pumpkins are included, but have you remembered the most important part? That's right --- your furry friends! After all, Halloween is one of the few times it's publicly acceptable to dress up your dog (unless you live on the west coast, that is).

This year, I plan to throw a Howl'O'Ween Party for my pups, and in fact, I detailed the planned experience over on Holidash. Whether you want to throw a bash for your beagle or a party for your pug, I've made a handy little list for all included!:

1. Host your party at a park, or a home with a large, fenced-in yard to give the dogs plenty of space to run around. A happy dog makes a happy guest, and a happy guest makes a happy host!
2. Send out invitations (addressed to the dogs, of course!) to no more than six of your closest pet-toting pals. Too many pets in one place is never a good idea, and do your best to choose dogs that are socially-adapted.
3. Keep a lidded garbage can, pooper scooper and trash bags handy for unexpected "treats."
4. Purchase a few Halloween-themed dog treats (I love these adorable carob dog cookies!) and invite a local dog trainer to come teach your old dogs new tricks!
5. Plan a fun, entertaining game such as a pet costume contest or craft. Award the winners with extra treats (or tricks, if you're feeling naughty!).

Of course, you'll have to start planning wardrobe necessities right away, and we've got you covered in that arena, as well. I love this sweet little bumblebee costume and think it would be just perfect for my Yorkipoo, who, aptly enough, causes my head to buzz.

Moral of the story? You've got two weeks to plan a fun and eventful evening with your four-legged friends. At the end of the night, your dogs will go home exhausted, leaving you to enjoy your Hallow's Eve bark-free. Woo-hoo! I'll howl to that!

With fall comes cooler weather, and with cooler weather comes bigger appetites (I'm not alone in this, right?). With the air turning chilly right before our eyes, it's time to start thinking about those dinner parties we can't wait to host. Whether you plan to invite over a few co-workers or are getting a jump-start on holiday plans, saving money is at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Why not create a few simple table settings with items you already own, or better yet -- items you can find at your own local grocery store? Here are a few fun, seasonal centerpiece ideas to send you well on your way to entertaining in style this fall:

1. Crafty Cinnamon:
Fold cream napkins into simple, chic squares, and lay a mini bundle of 3 cinnamon sticks atop each napkin. Tie a scrapbook tag onto the bundle with deep orange rafia, and use the tag as a place card - or embellish it with an autumn-themed scrapbook rub-ons featuring words and phrases such as "give thanks, ""blessings," and "fall."

2. Lovely Leaves:
Why shop for centerpieces when you can gather them from your own backyard? Arrange a few twigs and leaves in a hurricane glass and accent them with white miniature pumpkins. For visual inspiration, Toast and Tables has a few gorgeous tables you can gawk over!

3. Gorgeous Gourds
Take a cue from Williams-Sonoma and carve out a few gourds to create homemade candleholders. Simply place a miniature votive in the center of the gourd and presto -- instant mood lighting. Scatter a few leaves around your gourd candles and include a dark table runner to accent the look.

4. Amazing Apples
Last, but certainly not least? Place a few green apples in a basket from your home for an instant touch of fall. Or, for a more modern and elegant aesthetic, arrange a few green apples in a hurricane vase and pair them with crystal wine glasses and cloth napkins.

Proof that food can be both the entertainment and decor for your evening dinner parties!

Have a look at this party. You think you know who's designed it, don't you? Could your first guess be Martha, perhaps? WRONG! Looks like Amy of Eat, Drink, Chic is giving Ms. Stewart a run for her money -- buffet style. How lovely is this ice cream party, complete with DIY-inspired tutorials, printables and adorable personal touches? I'd love to throw a similar occasion to welcome in the fall, with a different color scheme but the same chic style! Amazing!

I'd include fall-inspired M&M's with autumn colors like orange, red, brown and yellow, chocolate ice cream, chocolate sprinkles and the like. Wowza. That sounds so good just typing it all out! I doubt it would be as pretty as Amy's party, but at least it would taste luscious!

For more party-inspired ideas, why not check out a few other inspired ideas from DIY Life?:
-How to Host a Progressive Dinner Party
-Daily DIY: Green Your Child's Birthday Party

"What is a progressive dinner party?", you might be asking. It is a party where each successive course is eaten at a different host's house -- the guests progress from house to house. Hence, the name progressive dinner party.

I'll admit here that the first time I heard of a progressive dinner party I thought of the word in terms of being new, innovative, and hip! Which maybe it was in 1950, when these types of parties first made an appearance. Progressive parties declined in popularity during the 80's and 90's, replaced by catered affairs. Oh, those glorious days of disposable income! In recent years casual entertaining has enjoyed a resurgence and the progressive dinner party is making a comeback.

Essentially it is like a potluck dinner, but instead of the food traveling to one location, the guests travel to the location of the food. Everyone begins at the first house with appetizers, they the guests move en masse to the next house for the next course of the meal.

The pressure is off of any one person to be the sole host of the party, both in the entertaining and cost. And in this current economy, this struck us as a great DIY topic.

So, just how do you have a progressive dinner party of your own?

Now that summer is here, most of us long to be outside enjoying the weather before the cold winter forces us to once again retreat into our homes. Since the downturn in the economy many people are now entertaining at home. And where people were once putting additions onto their houses, more and more people are rethinking the way they are using their current space.

One of these spaces is the backyard. No longer relegated to just children's toys and overgrown grass, the backyard is being reclaimed as an extension of the interior of the home. There is a growing trend of moving the indoors outside and creating living spaces such as family rooms and dining rooms in the backyard.

To create your own outdoor living space, read on.

When you think potluck dinner does it conjure images of church basements filled with blue-haired grannies and an assortment of Jello salads? Well, strike that image from your mind. Potluck dinners are making a comeback in neighborhoods all over the country.

With the economy taking a downturn many of us are trying to entertain on a budget. Gone are the expensive dinners out with friends. Gone are the catered dinner parties. More and more of us are turning to casual entertaining, the sort where we can wear our flip flops and bring the children along. What better time than to revive the potluck dinner.

In my neighborhood we have impromptu potluck dinners almost every weekend. The food is completely random, often leftovers we have had from the previous week remade into a new dish. We put all of the food out and let the kids run around and graze whenever they feel like it. The adults kick back with adult drinks and just relax. You, however, might want to be more formal and organized than us and do a bit of advance planning.

• Begin by selecting a seat for your guests ... make sure you've got plenty of comfortable places to sit and an ample table. You can place tables together if needed and hide them under a fitting table cloth. The key is to make everyone feel like you were expecting them -- use place cards for large groups! If children are invited, make a separate table for them and use place cards so that they feel just as important.

With the high price of gasoline, we're all looking for ways to stay home, rather than loading up the car with the kids and heading off to have some summer fun elsewhere. One solution kills two birds with one stone: building a deck will give you a place to hang out and entertain, and add equity to your home.

Of course it's no secret that DIY deck building takes some careful planning, some tools that you probably already have, and lots of elbow grease. What you might not know is the construction details and tricks that the pros use. Read on and you'll be an expert!

My favorite fortune, read after dinner at a Chinese restaurant, says:

You've got a few friends over on a Friday night. There's good stuff grilling on the barbeque, there's a table full of salads and desserts, there's cold beer in the ... Oh, no!

You forgot to put the beer in the fridge. It's sitting on the porch where you set it down to unlock the door. And it's about 87 degrees out there. You can stick them straight in the freezer, but it'll still be half an hour at least before anyone has a cold brew in their hot little hand. Don't you just wish there was a cooling-down version of the speedy heating-up efficiency of a microwave?

There is! The not-so-dumb folks over at Dumb Little Man have the answer. If you have a container large enough to hold a few bottles, enough ice to cover them, some table salt, and enough room in your fridge for it all, you can have icy-cold beer in about three minutes! Follow the Dumb Little Man link for full details.

For those who need to know, the reason is this: salt speeds up the melting. When a substance goes from solid to liquid, it absorbs extra heat, keeping the water extra cold. So there. Your grade ten physics teacher was right: the subject is relevant to your day-to-day life!

[via Matthew Yglesias]

Earlier this week, Debra taught us how to remove seeds from a watermelon. Reading her post made me keen for summers on the patio, enjoying ripe, juicy watermelon.

Of course, as soon as my mind drifts to watermelon and summer evening on the patio, I'm immediately planning the rest of the moonlight treats, which simply must include spiked watermelon. I remember when we thought that spiking watermelon was a matter of setting chunks of it to soak in a bowl of vodka, but there is actually a right way to do this, and you'll really notice the difference.

This technique seems to the the most effective. Basically, you cut a small hole in the top of the watermelon, and pull out the plug. Next, take a skewer and poke it through the hold at various angles. This will help make passages for the alcohol to flow through (but really the watermelon has plenty of those naturally, so you should be ok). Funnel in about one cup of your favorite alcohol. I think vodka is great with watermelon, but over at Sweet Georgia Blue, they recommend bourbon, so you might like to experiment with it and decide for yourself. Once you've poured in the alcohol, replace the plug and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Invite some friends over, slice the booze infused melon, and enjoy!