Tag: dinner

Tips for Hosting a New Year’s Eve Party at Your Lake House

Posted on Lacey Spear
Fireworks over the lake at night as a crowd of people watch from the dock.
Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock | Danny Iacob

Contributing Author: Holly Dunn

With the new year comes the promise of hope, growth, and prosperity, it’s exciting to celebrate with your loved ones as the clock ticks toward midnight. Whether you’re looking for a laidback evening or an elegant cocktail hour, we’re here to give you the best tips for hosting your New Year’s Eve party. Featuring the picturesque backdrop of the lake, your celebration is sure to be remembered for years to come! 

Setting the Scene

Table setting for a New Year's Eve party, complete with clock décor, gold cups, greenery, and silverware.
Photo Courtesy of Cottages & Bungalows

When you’re hosting a New Year’s party with a background as stunning as the lake, you want to think classy and chic. Although this holiday centers around time, your decor should emanate timelessness. To accomplish this ambiance, incorporate a few key items:

  1. Silver and gold: These two colors rule New Year’s Eve decor. Opt for silver and gold plates, cups, centerpieces, balloons, and more. Plus, you can repurpose suitable Christmas decor. If you like leaving your tree up well into January, remove the red ornaments and integrate silver and gold embellishments.
  2. Bar Cart: Your lake home may already have an at-home bar. But if not—or if you’re looking for an extra wow factor—purchase a bar cart. Make sure to select a cart with wheels so that you can move around the room to serve your guests their beverages.
  3. Doorway Decor: Make an impression on your guests right when they enter your lake home. By adding a New Year’s banner or balloons to your entryway, you can enhance the festive spirit of the night.
  4. Fire Pit and Blankets: A New Year’s Eve party at your lake home is not complete without watching fireworks over the lake. Make sure to have a fire crackling and plenty of warm blankets if you venture outside with your guests. Sparklers can also be a fun activity for the party’s outside portion.
Firepit by lake with a sunset in the background.
Photo Courtesy of Wolf Cove Inn

Cocktails and Mocktails

New Year's Eve cocktails on a festive plate with glittery sugar around the rims.
Photo Courtesy of The Effortless Chic

When you think of New Year’s Eve, you probably imagine fireworks, friends, and of course, drinks to toast the new year. In addition to Champagne, Chocolate Martinis, French 75s, Old-Fashioneds, Cranberry Mimosas, and Moscow Mules pair well with a New Year’s theme. Additionally, you can use unique ice molds to create circular, star, diamond, or large square cubes. If you want to add some extra flavor to these cubes, you can freeze fresh fruit and herbs inside.

Large holiday ice cubes with cranberries and rosemary frozen in them.
Photo Courtesy of KrazyKitchenMom.com

You might also want to have a few mocktails available. Vice President of Market Operations at Bellhop, Nick Valentino, suggests “offering non-alcoholic options for designated drivers and those who don’t drink” to make everyone feel included. Additionally, at events like this, it isn’t uncommon for a few guests to spill their beverage or crack the glassware entirely. To remedy this, we suggest using Govino’s shatterproof wine glasses. Whether you choose to offer these as a party favor or reuse them for celebrations yet to come, you won’t have to clean up the shattered glass at the end of the evening.

Festive Snacks and Hors D’oeuvres

Photo Courtesy of TasteofHome.com

And while everyone is sipping away at your delicious cocktails and mocktails, don’t forget to set out some delectable snacks and hors d’oeuvres. Although some may wish to prepare a formal dinner, many New Year’s Eve hosts prefer concocting an assortment of snacks. Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres grant an air of elegant convenience to your party—especially if your guests are moving between the indoor scene and the lakeside fire pit.

Photo Courtesy of TasteofHome.com

We also recommend preparing a mixture of sweet and savory snacks. Taste of Home‘s list of 40 New Year’s Eve appetizers features Swiss Sweet Potato Puffs, Mini Fruitcakes, Toasted Ravioli, Holiday Meringues, Mini Cheeseballs, and more. These snacks are rich and filling but also easy to grab and take to the patio of your lake home.

Photo Courtesy of Our Love Language is Food

You may also consider combining these snacks to craft a classy charcuterie board for your festive New Year’s evening. To add a special touch, you can even use fruit, cheese, crackers, and other items to spell out the coming year!

Three, Two, One…Happy New Year!

Hands clinking glasses of champagne together with sparklers in the frame.
Photo Courtesy of Living Tours

At Lake Homes Lifestyles, we believe that any celebration can be amplified by the lake lifestyle. With these tips, you can host a New Year’s Eve party that your guests will remember fondly in the years to come. 

From our lake home to yours, Happy New Year!

“Hygge”: Bringing this Cozy Concept into your Lake Home

Posted on Maggie Keith Gerakos
two people in front of fireplace

Soft blankets, hot tea, time spent relaxing around a fire, and scented candles– what do all these things have in common? Besides sounding like wonderful, relaxing ways to spend time (especially in chilly February), a comfy, cozy, state of being can be summed up by one Danish word: “hygge.” In Danish culture, hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is an integral part of thriving and staying happy throughout the winter months. During a time when fewer hours of sunlight can get us all down, take a queue from the Danish. Your lake home is the perfect place to incorporate this Scandinavian art of being cozy, happy, and feeling your best self for the rest of the winter — because all seasons at the lake should be enjoyed. Read on for small ways you can adopt hygge into your lakeside lifestyle this winter.

Create Your Own Nook

hygge nook in Incline Village, Nevada lake home
Photo courtesy of Mountain Living.

Nothing quite says comfort like creating your own cozy lakeside nook – for reading, journaling, knitting – whatever it is that you enjoy doing to relax. Find some throw blankets and extra soft pillows to set an idyllic scene that makes you want to curl up and find your slice of heaven. Create your hygge-inspired space near a window in your home, and enjoy all the natural beauty the lake has to offer. Having a space that makes you appreciate the simple act of getting deep into a good book is what hygge is all about. Make a soothing cup of your favorite herbal tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, and let yourself fall into a happy, healthy rhythm. If you’d like to go the extra mile and keep the cozy energy going all year round, consider installing a window seat near your favorite look-out spot!

Include Some Friends

You can live out your hygge aspirations while being social with your lakeside community, too. In fact, to the Danish, the community is key to keeping spirits high throughout the winter – and seeing as Scandinavian countries are consistently voted the happiest in the world, we’re all ears! Host a game night with friends and family, cook a delicious meal together with locally produced ingredients, or spend time connecting with far-away loved ones over the phone. Conversation and togetherness are valuable tenets of hygge that keep us vibrating at a healthy frequency throughout the cold months. Hosting nights-in during the winter also gives you a great excuse to show off your indoor winter decor, and even start planning for fun activities out on the lake, come spring.

Friends and family toasting at dinner party

The best thing is, hygge is meant to be enjoyed indoors. While outdoor activity plans can be thrown off course due to unpredictable winter weather, you can bet a snow storm will make your plans to journal by candlelight that much more delightful. The joys of having a lake home are season-less, and you should enjoy all your home has to offer you – outside, and inside.

Your lake home is the perfect place to get into the spirit of hygge this winter. By leaning into being cozy and taking a breather, you can allow yourself to appreciate the art of doing less and enjoy your magnificent surroundings all year long. The only thing standing between “cabin fever” and joyful, healthy home life this winter is perspective. So put on some wool socks, bring some aromatherapy to the mix with your most-loved scented candles, and enjoy every minute.

How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part I

Posted on Staff

At first glance, the concept of a dinner party seems exciting: good food and drinks, great friends and even better conversation. However, there’s a lot of behind the scenes work required to make those fabulous evenings a reality.

It isn’t easy determining a budget, figuring out a guest list or designing invitations, all weeks in advance.

Putting together a picture-perfect dinner party at your lake home can be a daunting task for those who aren’t properly prepared. So we’ve created a 3-part series of easy-to-follow guides to help you achieve your most memorable, fun-filled soirée yet.

Here are some pro tips on preparation to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible.

The Preparation

Buy a fancy planner, set reminders in your phone, place sticky notes on every flat surface in your house–however you choose to go about it, planning and organization are the keys to a successful night.

Start early and finish often.

Make small steps toward preparation in the weeks leading up to your event, giving yourself plenty of time for each task. This will not only keep you on track, but save you from feeling overwhelmed at the last minute.

The Budget

This is a big deal. Before you get all excited and tunnel-visioned about what you want, it’s imperative to make sure it’s within the bounds of financial comfort.

Can you afford to feed 30 people steaks, shrimp and champagne? Are you planning on springing for live music, or doing cute little party favors for each guest?

A smart budget is a great place to start the planning process. Whether your cap is $200 or $2,000, knowing exactly how much you feel comfortable spending and planning everything around that number is essential.

The Guest List

Now that you know what you’re working with, determine a guest list.

A dinner party is a great way to acquaint new people and initiate lasting relationships. When figuring out who’ll receive an invitation, there are some things to consider:

  • How many people are you planning to invite, and is there enough room to comfortably seat everyone?
  • Are you able to prepare enough food for eight, 12 or 25 people?
  • Do your work associates have anything in common with your childhood best friends?mature friends enjoying outside dinner party by fire pit

Perhaps more important than “how many”, who you allow to wine and dine with you can make or break the evening.

Is there anyone on your list who is notorious for causing problems? Who’s that one friend who can turn anything into an argument? Think about replacing them with the person who loves to make everyone laugh, and then sit the comedian next to the friend who never runs out of things to talk about.

The company you keep is a key ingredient for an awesome night.

The Invitations

Invitations mark the difference between a regular dinner and a dinner party.

You’ll want to send them out as soon as the guest list is done, so at least one month, but no later than two weeks, in advance of the date. This gives friends and family time to adjust their calendars and increases the chances of a good turnout.

A well-rounded invitation should include the following:

  • the time and date
  • location address
  • party theme or dress code (if there is one)
  • your phone number and/or email
  • the RSVP deadline, which should be at least one week before the event’s date.

It’s also nice to ask guests to include any dietary restrictions with their RSVP.

The invitation design should reflect the aesthetic of the evening (see How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part II here)  and the level of formality you’re hoping to achieve. If the vibe is more relaxed, e-vites, a Facebook event, or a descriptive text message will do just fine. For a formal evening, go for handwritten or printed invites via snail mail.

Taking the time out to send individual invitations is evidence of effort and shows a statement of intent. Your guests will appreciate it.

 

That wraps up the preparation phase.

Now that you know how much to spend and who to invite, we can move on to the fun part: planning the party! In Part II of the series, we will go over how to create your desired atmosphere and plan a stellar menu that guests will love.

 

5 Tips on Hosting for the Holidays

Posted on Staff

Getting ready for the holidays can be fun, but it can also become stressful if you have too much on your mind.

Whether you plan to throw a family party, or just have the house become more festive for sporadic guests who tend to “pop in” to spread a little holiday cheer, there are some things you’ll want to consider when hosting for the holidays.

1. Look ahead and be prepared

If you are hosting the biggest holiday bash or waiting for friends and family to pop in, it’s best to get an idea of what to expect. For the more formal parties, make sure to create a guest list.

holidays;hosting

If you’re only expecting Aunt Peggy and Uncle Bob to make an appearance to your house, and maybe you heard that your long lost sister from the other side of the country is going to be in town, keep a running a list of all your “potentials”.

This will give you a running tally so you are more prepared. It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

2. Take inventory, buy items early, and stock up

Whether you are preparing for the entire family to come to the house or just a few people, begin buying the things you need early, especially specialty items. During the holiday season you’d be surprised how many people are looking for the same items you are. Get it early.

If you know many of your guests drink wine, order the bottles well in advance. There is no better feeling than knowing you have everything you need to enjoy the holidays before they actually happen. This includes buying your turkey early.

If you plan to do any cooking, make sure you have all the necessary pots and cutlery. Nothing worse than having to head to the store in the middle of the night so you can buy the proper size pan to cook that fancy dish.

3. Clear Clutter and Rearrange

Free up coat racks, closets, shoe racks, etc, so guests can have first dibs. It’s fine to keep your winter boots, a coat, hat, and scarf placed by the door but take all the extras that collected there over the past year to another closet. Last thing you want to do is be running around making room for guests to hang their winter stuff.

If you are planning a party, this will become even more important. You may need to designate an area to drape dozens of coats if it becomes a big group.

4. Prepare for seating

Of course this will be more important for hosting large numbers of guests, but even if you are expecting friends to occasionally pop-in, make sure there is enough seating that is comfortable.

Often times this is overlooked and it’s easy to make guests feel like they are intruding by making them stand while you shuffle clutter off the old sofa and shove everything in the back of a closet. If you are hosting a meal, make sure you have enough seats and eating spots.

5. Think safety

Lastly, think about safety issues. Again, hosting a large crowd can become a liability but it’s never a bad time to think about safety even if it’s just a few of you. For instance, keep cleaning products in the bathroom out of reach of children.

Keep glassware and fragile knickknacks safely pushed back from any edges and are away from harming anyone. It’s also pretty to show-off your festive candles but make sure they are situated in safe areas.

But most importantly, leave room to have fun!

For more tips about celebrating the holidays at your lake home, read our “Tips for Celebrating Christmas on the Lake” article.