Holiday Entertaining Be A Perfect Host (NAPSA)—When preparing your home for visits from family and friends, it is important to add your own personal touches that will help make your visitors feel special and wanted. Follow these tips to give your party some panache, show off your pride in your home and add holiday spice to your friends’ and family’s lives. Bring the outside in: Fresh flowers or seasonal plants are one of the easiest ways to adorn your home for the holidays and make guests feel that you went out of your way for them. Deep reds and oranges are terrific colors for the holiday season. Add some pine cones and holly berries to your arrangements to bring the cool holiday season inside. Makeit a minibreak: Mom and Dad coming in for the holidays? Give them a little vacation—stock the bookshelf in the guest room with books about the area in which you live or add some fun novels that will let them escape into other worlds. Then, when they’re watching a movie after dinner, slip into the guest room for “turndown service”’— leave a funny quote or a piece of chocolate on the pillows for real personalized pampering! Trendy tastes: Vanilla has become one of the most sophisticated and enticing scents around and is this year’s hottest flavor. Impress your guests and make your home smell great by placing vanilla-scented candles around the guest bathroom or break out of the mint mold and leave a unique toothpaste such as Crest Whitening Expressions Refreshing Vanilla ~ Mint in the medicine cabinet for your guests’ brushing pleasure. Let me entertain you: Entertaining is one oflife’s great pleasures; from decorating the house to waiting for guests to arrive, you hope your event will be the topic of conversation for months to come. Whether you are having a close gathering of friends and family or a big holiday bash, make sure all rooms that your guests will have access to are clean and well stocked with necessities. Have snacks and drinks readily available, leave water by the side of the beds in your guest room, and be sure to put enough guest towels, soap and toilet paper in your guest bathroom. Sounds basic, but many people forget. Makeit personal: Give your guests something to talk about by adding a signature dish or drink to your menu. To make a minty holiday dessert, throw a candy cane into the blender with milk and ice cream or frozen yogurt. Or add some zest to your standard martinis with vanilla-flavored vodka— the cocktail of the moment.
