10 tips for hosting Friendsgiving

Image via Better Home & Gardens

Hi everyone! I am so excited for my first post on LOLO Mag. Today I'm sharing 10 bits of advice to consider when hosting Friendsgiving. My boyfriend & I are hosting a Friendsgiving gathering at his farm this coming Sunday for about 35 people. The below tips are all things that I have tried to consider when planning the party, plus bits of wisdom that I am determined to keep in mind as the day gets closer. -Melissa1. Get it on the calendar. This time of year is very hectic, so picking a date ahead of time is so important. It might seem crazy, but planning it in September is really not that unrealistic. Pick a day and mark it on the calendar!2. The more the merrier. Now it's time to make the guest list. If you think there is someone you want to invite, do it! Don't worry about the number, because some people won't be able to come. Also, this time of the year is all about bringing people together and enjoying one another.3. Make the e-vite & send. Paperless post is the way to go! The site makes it so easy to design the cutest card + send it to your guests via email. Then your guests can easily RSVP yes or no. The event page is also a great place for people to post on the comment wall.4. Group effort. For our upcoming Friendsgiving, I asked everyone to bring a dish to share and I am so happy that I did! It is so fun for everyone to bring their favorite dish, and it saves the host so much time, energy, and stress. It is way too much for one person or even two people to make everything. Ask for help and welcome it with open arms.5. Keep it casual... Keeping it casual will make it a stress-free gathering. From food to the seating situation, keep it simple, easy, and laid-back. 6. ..but cozy! Just because it is casual doesn't mean you can't make it cozy. Thanksgiving is the time to feel warm and welcomed, so don't hesitate to make your home seem comfortable and very 'fall'. I'm not encouraging going overboard with the decorating, but fall blooms, candles, table runners, and wreaths can really set the tone.7. Buy ahead. Being prepared & ready-to-go will make the day-of go smoothly and allow you to enjoy yourself more. Make a list of things you need and buy it a few weeks before. Then a few days before and the morning of, allow plenty of time for set-up.8. Disposable plates + glasses. When you are having a lot of guests over your home and it is a casual party, having disposable plates, glasses, utensils, and napkins is essential. No one wants to be doing dishes for hours at the end of the night! For our upcoming party, I ordered products from Posh Party- the plates and everything look great, and now clean-up will be pretty simple. 9. Imperfection is the best. This is quite possibly the most important thing on this list! Do not worry about everything being perfect. In fact, don't even hope that everything is perfect. It is an unrealistic goal, but more importantly imperfection at a house party is one of the things that makes it real, genuine, and home-y. If something is overcooked, who cares! If someone spills wine, it can be cleaned up. And if someone comes in with dirty shoes, well that's life. Enjoy the imperfections, and go with the flow.10. Enjoy. The guests aren't the only ones that are supposed to have fun- the hosts are too! Once the party starts, let the fun begin- be welcoming, enjoy the together time, and have fun!

Piggy Bank Friendly: Saving Money at Whole Foods

An important re-blog: I came across a game changing article recently. The biggest excuse and real life concern I hear in regards to buying organic food is the high costs. So, realistically, how can we eat toxin-free diet when we have to abide by a grocery budget?This is where Danny Seo comes into play. He is an environmental lifestyle expert, who appears frequently on The Today Show. His cool resume: he has created an organic mattress line with Simmons Natural Care, a beauty and skincare line called Wholearth by Danny Seo, and has written a lineup of Simply Green books about gift-giving and party-planning. Oh, and his latest must-read, Upcycling, "features hundreds of innovative, easy and eco-friendly craft projects that turn useless stuff into beautiful new things."See his tips below on saving money at Whole Foods. This equation should no longer be an issue: organic food + grocery budget = an impossibility.Tip #1: Yes, Whole Foods takes coupons. One of the biggest misconceptions about Whole Foods is that because they operate differently than big box supermarkets, they must not take coupons. Wrong. Granted, finding coupons in your Sunday circular for probiotic raw coconut juice or ylang ylang oil is not going to happen, but mainstream organic brands like Kashi and Silk soy milk do advertise. And here's the kicker: Whole Foods itself has downloadable coupons right on their own website. That's about $40 off right there.Tip #2: Can't find a coupon? Ask for it. When you can't find coupons for your favorite products, the simplest thing is to play into the whole social media "trend" all of these consumer brands seem to be obsessed about. Make a list of your Top 10 Always Buy items at Whole Foods. Now spend a minute hitting the LIKE button for all of them on Facebook. Periodically, brands like Morningstar Farms and Honest Tea release money saving coupons to their Facebook fans.Or, tweet that you love a specific product and can't live without it. I found this delicious Siggi Icelandic yogurt and tweeted about it. They wrote right back saying they wanted to send coupons for some free yogurt. And even emailing a company directly and just outright asking for coupons surprisingly works pretty well, too. The folks at Method cleaning products like their fans so much they reward them with coupons for nice emails.Tip #3: Join Recyclebank.com; it's free. Recyclebank.com is an online community that rewards eco-behavior with huge money saving coupons. Sign up for free and learn really helpful tips on going a little bit more green at home, at work and with your family. Each time you pledge to do something, your account is rewarded with points. Then you can shop with those points under "Rewards" for really good deals on things like $2 off any Kashi product, $2 off any two packages of Earthbound Farm organic salad mixes, $1 off Dagoba chocolates, $1 off any (2) Stonyfield Oikos organic greek yogurt and $2 off any Kiss my Face product $5 or more. These aren't rinky dink fifty cent off deals, but actual full dollar increments. The average Recyclebank members saves about $133 off their supermarket bill each year. And, again, it's free. The more you learn, the more points you earn, and the more you save. More than 2 million people so far are on the Recyclebank bandwagon.Tip #4: Pay it Forward. My policy is even if I have a coupon for something, I don't buy it if I don't really use it. Lots of time I'll just leave the coupons on top of the products in Whole Foods so someone who does use it can save. So, if some strange woman leaves behind, say, twenty $2 off Boca Burger coupons at your market and you hoard them all for yourself, pay it forward next time by leaving a stack of Cascadian Farm organic cereal coupons in the breakfast food aisle the following week. Together, we can help each other save.Danny Seo
: Official Site;  Daily Danny: Official BlogSource and Photo

The Art of Tipping: Some Helpful Guidelines!

Giuliana Rancic from E! just came out with a handy dandy Tips for Tipping list on FabFitFun, and we couldn't help but share the wealth of knowledge. Rumors are always flying about how much to tip your fabulous hairdresser or what to leave the food guy who delivered a scrumptious meal to your door. Part of the problem: there are so many variables. The situation is almost never the same. But, if you abide by these guidelines and add a little common sense, you will be well on your way to being tipper savvy. Server: Gone are the days when 15% was standard. 18%-20% is now the norm, even more for exceptional service. Yes, you can leave less for terrible service, but remember that people have bad days and that a tip is actually part of the server’s salary.Bartender: $1-$2 per drink or 15%-20% of the tab. If you order a beer, it’s OK to stay on the lower end. If your bartender is mashing mint for your mojito, tip more.Food Delivery Service: Whether it’s pizza or a fancy night in, the delivery service guy deserves a good tip for braving the streets…not to mention the rain and snow that makes takeout so perfect. Think 10%-15% of the bill and no lower than $2.Food Pickup: 10% is a fair amount for those who pack up your dinner.Hairdresser: 15%-20% of the total is the standard. Yes, this can get expensive if you’re getting a cut, highlights, and a keratin treatment, but that’s the price we pay for beauty. If you have a separate hair washer, make sure to slip them $2-$3 as well.Manicurist: Again, think 15%-20%. If you have separate mani and pedi people, you should split the tip and give half to each person. And remember, cash is key. Many nail salons won’t let you tip on your card.Massage/Facial/Waxing: No surprise here — 15%-20% is the norm.Taxi Driver: 15% of the fare with a $1 minimum. Plus, if he loads your bags, add $2 for the first and $1 for each additional piece of luggage.Thanks Giuliana and FabFitFun!Photo