Party planning tips for a fabulous party you too, can enjoy!

It’s fun to throw a party. Unfortunately, so many hosts end up so frazzled by the time party day arrives, they’re unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This situation is unnecessary! There’s no reason you can’t enjoy your own party every bit as much as your guests. These party planning tips are designed with you, the host, in mind. Take a load off by using these simple party planning tips to organize a great party you’ll enjoy as much as each guest.

At the core of any memorable party is a method. That method can be summarized in two words. Plan ahead. Let’s say you want to throw a late summer party, when temperatures have cooled a bit, the kids are still out of school and you have the time and energy to go all out on a neighborhood bash. If your party is a Labor Day event, begin planning in August.

Here’s our foolproof party planning tips, in sequence. Follow these guidelines to success.

1. Make your guest list, and send out your invitations at least a month prior to your party. Include an RSVP and give a call to non-respondents a couple of weeks before your party to firm up the number of guests to anticipate.

2. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, work on your theme. Your party theme can be as simple as a backyard BBQ or as elaborate as a Medieval sit down dinner. Work out your decorations, entertainment and location. Outdoor parties can be the simplest to plan, with an indoor buffet service which your guests can take outside. A plain old BBQ can stand on its own with balloons and vases of fresh flowers on tables adorned with paper tablecloths and candles, ready to be lit at dusk. Summer calls for citronella candles to keep bugs far away from your feasting.

3. Now for planning your food and beverages. Appetizers are a must-have and make for easy entertaining. An assortment of do-ahead appetizers keep your guests happy and sociable while chatting and waiting for dinner. Look over your recipes and choose several appetizers you can make today and freeze until party day. Some good examples include empanadas, mini crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms and ceviche.

For your main course choices, consider a platter of enchiladas, lasagna, or sauerbraten – any dish which can be prepared ahead of time only contributes to guest enjoyment and a relaxed host, using these party planning tips. If a BBQ is your choice, it takes little time to grill that meat to perfection. Choose beverages that suit your entrees and allow for those who don’t want alcoholic beverages.

4. Make a detailed shopping list. Shop and cook do-aheads first. Shop for any foods that are to be prepared on party day just one day before your party.

You’re ready! Relax and have a great time. Your guests will be happy campers too!

When you shop for a guide to plants, how do you choose? That depends...

Unless you're looking for an encyclopedic plant reference, choosing a guide to plants requires that you narrow your focus, so that the information suits your purpose. Even encyclopedic references rarely cover all of the aspects of plant life and the detail of information won't serve a specialized search for knowledge. Obviously, a planting guide won't have detailed information on rose horticulture, while a plant guide on companion planting won't have much on garden design. Let's take a look at the various types of plant guides and the main purpose each type serves.

The garden design guide to plants is intended to cover information on the elements of layout, soil conditions, walkways, garden walls and landscaping techniques. This best of this type of guide serves as inspiration, while also apprising you of the pros and cons of different designs and regional considerations, such as drought prone areas and landscaping with native plants. Instead of offering pat solutions and layouts, this type of guide introduces you to a variety of styles, such as the formal English and Japanese styles, versus a cottage or wildflower garden.

By contrast, a field manual teaches you how to identify plants, with detailed information on every part of the plant, including color and size of leaves, distinguishing characteristics and seasonal changes, blooms and fruits. There are subsets of this type of guide to plants, which focus on particular types of plants, such as grasses, trees and flowers. This is a great help to the plant buff an nature walker.

If your interest is in growing roses, grafting fruit trees or creating hybrids, look for a horticultural guide to plants. Again, you'll find subsets of specialized horticultural information ranging from raising orchids to cultivating heirloom vegetables. A horticultural guide gets you on your way to expertise in cultivating specific species and plant groups.

Medicinal plant guides make for fascinating reading and education in plants which offer remedies to human and animal conditions. Like a field manual, this type of guide gives detailed information on the physical characteristics, growth habits, flower and fruits, although a bit less extensively. The main focus is on how the plant may be used as a medicine, which parts of the plant are used and how it is prepared.

Books on companion planting teach you how specific plants prosper or fail as neighbors, as well as listing plants which serve to deter predators, or attract beneficial insects, birds and bees. For example, squill as an edging in the vegetable garden deters moles and gophers, while gladiolas planted within 100 feet of your tomatoes spells tomato disaster.

A general planting guide highlights seasonal considerations, usually categorized by growing zones.

Any guide to plants offers a wealth of information to the reader. Start with your subject of fascination. You may end up with a library that grows, along with your gardening interests.

Five great tips for first time home buyers

The housing market is fraught with danger these days. Foreclosures are at a record high. Many people entered into the first time home buyer market a few years ago, with hopes of attaining the American dream, only to have their hopes dashed when those higher interest rates translated into mortgage payments they could not pay.

Unscrupulous lenders approved loans to families that didn't foresee the mortgage ballooning to an untenable amount. Lenders quickly sold the mortgage and the new homeowner was left to deal with the fine print and an income which would not meet the obligation. Today, home prices have fallen by as much as 20%. Here are five solid tips for first time home buyers in today's market.

The number one tip for first time home buyers is to be sure your income is secure. This is challenging indeed. Virtually none of us can be sure that the job we have today will be there tomorrow. If you're buying a first home, make sure your down payment is significant and your mortgage payment can be met for the foreseeable future. Don't buy into an agreement that allows for a higher payment requirement than you can afford within the next three years. Time flies.

Next on the list of tips for first time home buyers is the type of loan you accept. If you're a vet, go for a VA, federally insured loan. VA loans are guaranteed. VA loans require that the home you're purchasing meets a higher standard of construction. Should you become unable to pay the mortgage, the VA guarantees that the mortgage will be paid by the government.

Among the list of tips for first time home buyers: gather all of the insurance policy guarantees applicable to your situation. Read the fine print. Remember what happened to the victims of Katrina. Many of these homeowners are now homeless. Protect yourself with ironclad insurance.

Perhaps the most important tip for first time home buyers is to have a savings account which will cover those situations in which you may be called upon to cough up some cash unexpectedly. In the excitement of owning your first home, it's easy to discount the possibility of a natural disaster, a medical emergency or any number of unexpected repairs. Any of these eventualities can spell disaster in meeting your mortgage.

Last, but not least in our list of tips for first time home buyers: You are setting a precedent for your future credit. Buy your home when the price is right. Don't be tempted by a real estate agent's word that prices have hit rock bottom. You may find that the housing market has not bottomed out, and your mortgage may be overpriced. You'll still be responsible for the monthly payment and end up selling your first home at a loss. Buy smart. Wait for the time that's right for your income.

Choosing careers that suit your personality and offer satisfaction

Whether you're just starting out of high school or already established in the working world and considering a change in career, choosing careers that will be personally satisfying and economically viable is worthy of considerable scrutiny.

If you're just approaching the transition from high school to college, you have a distinct advantage. You haven't yet invested years of your life in jobs that leave you wondering how you might derive more satisfaction and financial security. On the other hand, if you've been in the work world for years, your advantage lies in personal motivation. For you, choosing careers you'll enjoy has substantial meaning. In either case, your career choice provides a chance for you to make the most of your natural gifts, skills and thus, satisfaction in all aspects of your life.

If you simply haven't found a direction in which to wholeheartedly invest your energy, there are a number of avenues you should explore. Look into aptitude tests, available at your community college, Human Resources or online job assessment websites. These aptitude tests are designed to zero in on your natural gifts and skill sets which match up with particular professions. Counselors can provide you with a list of career choices best suited to your personality. Choosing careers based on this criterion prove to be most personally satisfying in the long run.

Now comes the question of financial rewards. When choosing careers, it's wise to balance your natural talents with the economic gains. For example, if your aptitude lies in math, you have a number of options. You might pursue a career in teaching, accounting or as an actuary. Each profession carries a dollar value in the marketplace. If you are highly attracted to teaching others, you may not realize an annual salary equal to an actuary, but the personal reward of teaching may far outweigh the satisfaction you might derive from number crunching. On the other hand, if you enjoy the complex ivory tower world of the actuary combined with the financial rewards this choice offers, go for it. Choosing careers involves what makes you happy in your work.

Let's say that you've been working as a clerk in an office environment for years. This career pays the bills, but you are bored silly. An aptitude test, designed to fit you in a career that brings personal satisfaction, may reveal that you have terrific leadership skills. Leverage on your leadership skills. Take some management classes and get a promotion that will get you more money in a field in which you've already invested years of work.

The bottom line on choosing careers that add to your joy of life and furthers your financial goals is finding that particular niche that satisfies you.

Caring For White Dresses

If you think you look good in white, you may want to have some in your wardrobe. White dresses look really good in the summer, and they are also great when you have a tan to show off. However, white is very hard to care for, and sometimes it is a big waste of money to buy anything in white. If you want to have white, be sure you know how to take care of your dress to keep it looking fresh and clean, and when to avoid wearing your dress altogether.

White dresses are prone to picking up just about anything you can imagine. Because there is no color, every little stain or even a dot is going to show. If you are going somewhere in which a mess could be very possible, you may want to skip wearing your white dress on that day. It might seem that a dress that is white would be perfect for an afternoon picnic with the extended family, but this is just one time when you should skip it. There are just too many foods and outdoor elements that could ruin your white dresses for good.

Besides watching where you go wearing your white dresses, you should know how to care for them when the inevitable stain does occur. You may know to wash your white clothing in bleach, and this is something you should do each time. Never wash white dresses with anything other than white clothing. Dyes from any other color can taint your pure white color. For a stain that seems to be impossible, do a soak in bleach water. If your washing machine has a soak feature, that is a great way to do it. This might be ideal for all white items each time you put them through the wash.

White dresses also need a certain amount of help beyond bleach when a stain happens. Even grease splatters can ruin white clothing rather quickly. It is a great idea to have a good spot treatment on hand. When my wedding dress got a grease stain on it an hour before my wedding, Shout took it right out. It can do the same for your white dress and other clothing items. There are many other spot treatments on the shelves that can give you the same great results. Try a few until you find one that works great and keep it stocked up if you love to wear white dresses, pants, socks, and shirts.

Ten simple ways to save money on gas, without driving yourself crazy!

The price of gasoline today is so ridiculous, it's a topic of discussion in every household. Most of us don't have electric or hybrid cars. We're stuck with the old gas guzzler. However, the cost of driving has become such an issue with our budgets, that we're all looking for ways to save money on gas. Here are ten tips that will help you tame this ferocious budget guzzler.

Drive less. While it sounds obvious, it still saves money and is not as silly as it seems. “How can I drive less? I've got to go to work!” Talk to some of your friends at work and see if you can car pool. The slight inconvenience of waiting to be picked up can significantly cut your gas costs. Public transportation is another option. While less convenient, it's much better than an empty wallet at the end of the week. When you do drive, organize your errands such that there's no backtracking. Do any errand you can on the way home.

I don't know about you, but I'm that woman who knows nothing about the mechanics of a car. Although I was told that proper tire inflation produced better mileage, I never actually did it – until recently. I was shocked to find that I get, on average, a couple of miles extra out of a gallon of gas. Really!

Clean oil, changed every 3000 miles also gives you better mileage. Here again, it's easy and cheap enough to do, but how many of us actually keep up on this mundane task? Each of these tips are legitimate and significant ways to save money on gas. The more of these tips you use, the more you'll save.

Getting tune ups when they're needed gets into more sensitive budget territory. If you can't afford to get the full blown tune up at the shop, here's a little trick that serves as a way to save money on gas, while still leaving you enough cash to fill the darn tank. By changing just the spark plugs, you've effectively had a mini tune up. When the plugs get fouled, your car is working harder to go the same distance. Anything that lightens the load on the engine and increases its efficiency is a way to save money on gas.

Driving at 55 mph, instead of 65 mph, will increase your gas mileage anywhere from 1-3 mpg, depending on your make and model of vehicle! Besides being a safer driving practice, it's one of the best ways to save money on gas consumption.

If you turn on the a/c in summer at the first hint of hot, think again. A car's air conditioner absolutely sucks gas, so before you turn it on, think about how hot it actually is. You may have a comfort zone adjustment when you think of the dollars that a/c unit consumes.

Make a practice of removing unnecessary items from your car. That set of weights you left in the car last summer are eating up your mileage. My particular nemesis is books. If I have a doctor's appointment, I bring a book. Pretty soon, I've accumulated 50 pounds of books and magazines, eating up gas every mile. I've stopped that wasteful habit now!

If you're in the practice of leaving the engine running while you run back inside to retrieve your glasses, stop it. If the engine will be running for more than two minutes, you're better off turning it off. When you're looking for ways to save money on gas, you've got to consider every possible waste of this expensive commodity.

When you're driving on the interstate, over hill and dale, keep your foot off the gas when you're going downhill. Coasting in this way is safe, because the compression of the engine won't allow you to careen down the hill. If your speed falls below 55 mph, then apply the gas.

Our last tip on ways to save money on gas is to shop your gas stations. There are websites dedicated to compiling, by zip code, the cheapest gas price in your area on any given day. Happy driving to you!