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be the perfect host/ess
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copyright ©1999-2005 |
We humans are a funny lot. We have this pesky tendency to associate guilt with pleasure. We tell ourselves we're being bad when we enjoy our favorite rich, sweet foods; we chide ourselves for slacking off when we spend a weekend sleeping late and blissfully doing nothing. It's as if there's something indulgent about just plain enjoying life. And so we're constantly looking for excuses to do the things that make us laugh and smile because somehow, the crazy idea that fun equals bad-for-you has gotten lodged into our brains. Maybe that's why so often, despite the fact that we're itching to have our pals over for a great big blow-out, we lame out because we can't seem to come up with a good reason to spend all that time, effort and money on something as frivolous as a party. Quit waiting for the perfect opportunity to fall into your lap. If the only thing that's holding you back is that you're convinced a party needs to have a point, rest assured: there are an endless number of completely fine reasons for having your favorite folks over for a get-together. Here are just a few ideas to get you started… 1 It's your birthday! Or your honey's birthday, or your friend's birthday, or your beloved Chihuahua's birthday, or heck, even Elvis' birthday. As kids, we never could have imagined letting a birthday pass by without some sort of celebration. So why do big birthday bashes become such a rarity once we're all grown up? Seriously, turning 26 is every bit as good a reason to celebrate as reaching 18 or 21 or 30. And yes, it is perfectly acceptable to host your own birthday fete -- although it's a good idea to include a "no presents" clause in your invite, so guests don't get the idea that you're fishing for gifts. 2 It's a holiday! Sure, there are the obvious holidays to celebrate -- Christmas and Thanksgiving, Valentine's and the Fourth of July, New Year's and (my personal fave) Halloween. But chances are good that even if you don't throw a party for one of these, someone else you know will. So why not claim a less popular holiday, and start a unique party tradition of your very own? Initiate an Ides of March Toga Party (March 15th) or a Cinco de Mayo fiesta (May 5th, for those who don't speak Spanish); host a Day of the Dead party (November 1st and 2nd) instead of the usual Halloween shindig, or celebrate Festivus instead of Christmas. Couldn't get your act together in time to put together a New Year's bash? Grab the second chance to celebrate by following the lunar calendar, which places the date sometime in mid-to-late January or February, and invite your friends over for a Chinese New Year fete. There are fabulous holidays happening all the time and the whole world over -- each of which presents an opportunity for some fine celebratin'. ---------------------------> lounge . nourish . host . laze . home . |
