Tag: holiday

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!

DIY Holiday Lake House Decor

Posted on Lacey Spear
Christmas tree at a lake home in a living room decorated for the holidays.
Photo Courtesy of Styled With Lace

Contributing Author: Madeline May

No matter how fast-paced and automated our world gets, there’s something about the holidays that makes us want to take it slow and go the homemade route. Whether you’re making grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe or creating your own garland, you can’t replace the feeling of doing it from scratch. Of course, you could go buy these items from the store and save some time and effort. But imagine your family and guests visiting for the holidays. You are sharing the joy of the season together—and perhaps cups of apple cider or hot cocoa. Then they look over at your pumpkin centerpiece or handmade wreath and ask, “Wow, where did you get that?” And you respond, “Oh no, I made that.” If this is your idea of an ideal holiday, check out our top picks for DIY holiday decor!

Pretty and Pumpkin

DIY pumpkin centerpiece, made from pine cones and a variety of fall stems.
Photo Courtesy of A Pumpkin & A Princess

Crisp fall leaves, bright berries, soft flowers, textured pine cones, and a smooth pumpkin—this centerpiece is the epitome of the fall season. Plus, you can add variations to it throughout the season to adapt it to any holiday gathering. It’s the ideal finishing touch to your autumn table setting.

Materials

  • Styrofoam block
  • Fall stems
  • Faux pumpkin
  • Hot glue

Instructions

Using a knife, cut the top stem off your pumpkin. Make sure the hole is large enough to fit your styrofoam inside. Glue the styrofoam inside of the pumpkin, then arrange your fall stems inside. For variations and more pumpkin centerpiece ideas, visit A Pumpkin & A Princess.

Thankful and Timeless

DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece with fall stems and a sign that reads "thankful."
Photo Courtesy of Eighteen25

The holidays are a time to set aside our everyday stresses and remember the reasons we have to be thankful. With playful fall stems and an elegant script, this DIY holiday mantelpiece will complement any decor style. Plus, it will remind guests of the real meaning of the season.

Materials

  • 18” x 27” embroidery hoop
  • Mustard spray paint
  • Fall stems
  • Sign
  • Hot glue

Instructions

First, spray paint your embroidery hoop and allow it ample time to dry. Then, glue your stems around the sides near the base. Secure your finished hoop on the mantel, then place your sign in front. Enjoy your new mantelpiece!

Classy and Chic

DIY holiday wreath filled with pine cones, lights, and greenery.
Photo Courtesy of A Piece of Rainbow

Pine cones are a great way to bring the outdoors in and emphasize the winter season while still granting your lake home a timeless aura. This pine cone wreath complements numerous decor styles, from farmhouse to modern. Plus, you can customize it to go with your fall, Thanksgiving, winter, or Christmas decor. Talk about a four-in-one!

Materials

  • A 14″ wire wreath
  • Door wreath hanger (optional)
  • Hot glue and hot glue sticks
  • Battery-powered LED fairy string lights
  • 60-75 pinecones, sorted into 3 even groups of large, medium, and small

Instructions

First, wrap the wreath form with twine until it is completely covered (this will help the glue stick). Next, glue the large pine cones to the outside ring of the wreath form. Then glue the medium pine cones to the next circle, closer to the center. Finally, glue the small pine cones on the most inward ring of the wreath. Creative variations include adding evergreen cuttings, red berries, string lights, and more. For more details, check out A Piece of Rainbow.

Repurposed and Rustic

DIY hanging Christmas tree, made from repurposed wood and rustic ornaments.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest / Julie DIY Darlin’

Do you love putting a twist on an old classic? This DIY holiday tree can serve as a unique alternative to the traditional Christmas tree, and its rustic look wonderfully complements the lake home aesthetic. Plus, you can use sticks and logs from your own backyard to create the tree, making it an eco-friendly option.

Materials

  • 7 Silver Birch logs (30-40 mm diameter)
  • 6 meters of jute rope
  • Ornaments

Instructions

Arrange the logs in a tree shape and keep space between them. Knot the middle of your rope onto the top log. Then, keeping it taut, tie it onto every log at the ends of the log, forming a triangle. Hang your tree onto the wall and add your ornaments and decorations.

Expensive and Elegant

Elegant DIY Christmas garland, filled with gold embellishments and ribbon in front of a living room with a Christmas tree inside.
Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Lane

Calling this garland expensive might seem like a misnomer since you can create it for a low price. However, when your lake home guests take in its sparkle, elegance, and glam, they will hardly think it was crafted on a budget. Although it looks complex, this Christmas garland is quite easy to make and will transform your home into a mini Hallmark movie in no time.

Materials

Instructions

First, spread your garland out on the floor. Secure all your embellishments to the garland by using wired wood picks. Then, wrap the ribbon around the garland. Feel free to wire some loops together and cut shorter pieces to tuck into certain sections. Leave some ribbon hanging on each end. Secure to the wall with two large anchor hooks and some command strips on the side. For more details, visit 11 Magnolia Lane.

We hope these pieces enhance your holiday gatherings with friends and family. Cheers to all things merry and bright—and from our lake home to yours, Happy DIY Holidays!

Happy Halloween: Ghostly Tales from the Lake Part 2

Posted on Lacey Spear
A bright moon rests on a foggy lake.
Photo Courtesy of Vasarae on Pixabay

Halloween is upon us, and spooky season is officially in full swing! It’s time to make that cup of apple cider, sit by the fire at your lake home, and share some ghostly lake tales. In the previous installment of our “Happy Halloween” series, we shared chilling stories from Gardner Lake, White Rock Lake, Lake Erie, and Lake Lanier. In this edition, we are highlighting four more lakes. Brace yourself for tales of soldiers, abandoned towns, haunted waters, and sunken ships. There’s nothing like a lake backdrop for all our favorite ghost legends!

Lake Tholocco, Alabama

Spooky picture of the allegedly haunted Lake Tholocco near Fort Rucker in Alabama.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Haunted Houses

Situated near Fort Rucker, Lake Tholocco features plentiful recreational activities, complete with a beach and children’s water slides. However, the lake has not always been a recreational oasis. During the Civil War, the property that is now Lake Tholocco served as a battlefield, and the cries of the fallen soldiers are still heard today. On dark nights, some visitors have reported hearing peculiar sounds and sighting ghostly figures wandering in the nearby woods. In fact, a Fort Rucker soldier claimed that once he saw three ghostly soldiers marching around the lake. Perhaps the nearby graveyards have failed to lay the Civil War soldiers to rest, and they come to Lake Tholocco to reminisce battles bitter and hard-pressed.

Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia

A map of the abandoned town of Petersburg, now covered by Clarks Hill Lake.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Today Clarks Hill Lake showcases 400 miles of shoreline and bears the title of “Georgia‘s Freshwater Coast.” Yet, its beginnings were not so prosperous. At its construction in 1954, Clarks Hill Lake flooded the abandoned town of Petersburg—formerly the third-largest city in Georgia. At one point, from the 1780s to the 1820s, Petersburg boasted a thriving upper class and a plethora of businesses, taverns, and community events. However, when cotton replaced tobacco as the crop in demand, Petersburg’s tobacco-centric economy quickly crumbled. One by one, the town members left, diminishing Petersburg to the classic ghost town.

Nevertheless, Clarks Hill residents have not forgotten Petersburg. In 2002, when the area experienced a severe drought and water levels dropped, residents discovered foundations, pottery, old roads, and fences—remnants of an old town long-drowned by modern waters.

Veteran’s Lake, Oklahoma

Veteran's Lake in Oklahoma, supposedly one of the most haunted places in the state.
Photo Courtesy of Yall.com

Although Veteran’s Lake offers plenty of recreational fun, Oklahoma residents have consistently placed it on the list of the most haunted places in the state. As the story goes, in the 1950s, a woman was watching her son play in the lake. Despite only being distracted for a moment, when she looked up, she frantically discovered that her son had vanished under the water. She immediately jumped into the lake to rescue him. However, in the process of saving him, she was pulled under. They both drowned that day.

In the years since, Veteran’s Lake visitors have reported seeing two apparitions—the frantic mother and her waning son—searching the lake, seeking their next victims. Additionally, some report witnessing a ghostly woman floating around the lake, asking visitors to save her child from drowning.

Lake Superior, Michigan

The Kamloops, a ship that mysteriously sunk in 1927, with a ghost who still roams its rooms underwater.
Photo Courtesy of Isle Royale National Park

Many mariners say that Lake Superior, the colossal Great Lake, “seldom gives up her dead.” Certainly, this quote proves true in the case of the 1927 disappearance of the SS Kamloops. For fifty years, the ship’s vanishing remained a mystery. However, in 1977, unsuspecting divers stumbled upon the fully intact SS Kamloops, preserved by the frigid depths of Lake Superior. Inside, they found pristine cabins containing drawers filled with folded clothes and leather shoes. They even discovered 1927 Lifesavers that had yet to deteriorate. By all means, it seemed that the ship had been prepared for visitors.

And perhaps it was, considering that the divers reported that a real corpse—colloquially called “Old Whitey”—followed them around the boat. The icy water had acted as a natural refrigerator for the ghostly Old Whitey. Although his body was rigid and his skin was ivory, he had remained unspoiled. Despite feeling initially spooked by Old Whitey’s appearance, the divers soon learned that he was anything but malicious. Wearing an old wedding ring on his finger, he floated by them peacefully. If anything, he seemed happy to have some company.

We hope you stayed close enough to your lakeside campfire to shake off those goosebumps! Happy Halloween from Lake Homes Realty!

Grilling Out this Memorial Day

Posted on Staff

hamburgers cooking on a grill in front of American FlagThis weekend, Americans across the country will celebrate Memorial Day, to honor those who died while serving in the nation’s armed forces.

What better place to celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than on the lake, surrounded by our loved ones and this country’s natural beauty?

If you are hosting a Memorial Day barbecue on the lake, here is a checklist to help you get started with your preparations.

Clean up Your Act!

Spring is the perfect time to give your grill a good scrub-down. This is true even if you haven’t used the grill since last fall. Give it a good cleaning to remove dirt, dust, grime and other things you don’t want on that first burger of the season.

If you can remove the grill grates, soak them in a bucket, or plastic tub, of hot water and dish soap, then give them a good scrub.

Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose before putting them back in.

Scrub the grill hood and inside walls to remove any build-up. If your grill uses propane or natural gas, make sure all the jet ports are clean and free of gunk or debris.

Give me fuel, give me fire…

Take a careful look at that half-empty bag of charcoal in the garage.

Will it REALLY be enough? If you can’t say for sure, better safe than sorry.

Grab a fresh bag of charcoal and make sure there’s plenty to go around. Unless you use self-lighting charcoal, make sure you have lighter fluid, too.

If you use a propane tank, make sure there is enough propane. If you don’t have a gauge attached, here’s an easy trick to find out how much propane is left in your tank.

Still shopping for your grill this season? Click here for tips on finding the grill of your dreams.

Serving Guides

Keep these serving guidelines in mind when you’re planning the menu.

  • For boneless meat, such as hamburgers, most experts recommend between 1/3 and ½ pound of meat per adult.
  • For meat with bones, such as ribs or chicken wings, plan for somewhere between 12 and 16 ounces per person.
    • This breaks down to approximately four to six ribs, depending on the type, and 10 wings.
  • Side dishes vary, depending on how filling they are. For most dishes, experts recommend four to six ounces per person.
  • With a side salad, go for one big handful per person.
  • When in doubt, round up. It’s far better to have leftovers than to run to the store in the middle of your barbecue because you ran out of  something!

Get a Solid Head Count

While this seems like a no-brainer, it goes hand in hand with making sure you have enough food.

If you’re just feeding your immediate family, this isn’t a problem. On the other hand, if you invited all your friends, family and coworkers, you might have more guests than you can handle!

It may seem like overkill, but treating your barbecue like an invitation-only event can save your it.

Don’t be afraid to divvy up the side dish duties, either.

Most guests are happy to bring a dish. If you insist on buying everything, even a modest back yard barbecue can easily run upwards of $300.

Make sure you have plenty of parking for your event, too.

If you can, tell people where to park in your invitation. That way you won’t see their tire tracks in your front lawn through the month of June.

Get the Tools for the Job!

From a first-timer to a veteran grillmaster, everyone needs the tools for the job. Make sure you have each of these before you get started.

  • Basic tools: Metal spatula, metal tongs, basting brush, barbecue fork, butcher knife, barbecue scrub brush
  • Advanced tools: meat thermometer, gloves, bottle opener, meat tenderizer, meat shredder
  • Specialty tools: Shish kabob skewers, corn on the cob skewers, squirt bottle
  • Other equipment: Paper plates, disposable cups and silverware, outdoor garbage can, paper towels, tin foil, serving utensils, cooler

Turn up the Music (to a reasonable level)

Having some patriotic jams can make you the life of the party this Memorial Day.

If you don’t fancy yourself a DJ, online music services like Sirius, I Heart Radio, Spotify, and Pandora typically have all-American stations and playlists for Memorial Day.

When outdoors, remember to keep the volume down to a reasonable level as sound can carry great distances across the lake.

Just because you love rocking out to Lynyrd Skynyrd doesn’t mean the rest of the neighborhood wants to (even if they should.)

Have a “Worst Case Scenario” Plan for the Weather

No matter how much we plan, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with our outdoor party schedule. Have a contingency plan in case it gets rainy, or worse.

If the sky opens up, don’t panic!

Most grilled dishes can be cooked inside, on your stove or in the oven. Make sure you have adequate seating for everyone, and put a movie on.

A little rain is no reason to cancel your celebration!

Remember the Reason for the Season

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the United States.

Don’t forget to honor them during your event. Be sure to thank any veterans or members of the military for their service to our country.