How would YOU like to come home to a room filled with candlelight?

Image by jason tinder via FlickrI came home last night to the often copied scene from countless movies. It was the end of a long day, I walked into my family room to find a room filled with light from nothing but candles and a tiny Christmas tree. That's right, my husband did that, with no prompting whatsoever. 
Now don't get me wrong, this was not a grand gesture to sweep me off my feet, but it was the perfect end to a very long day.
I felt immediately relaxed, transported and removed from being tired, having a list of things to worry about and work on and simply melted into the couch.
Maybe this doesn't appeal to you. Maybe you don't have long days, and don't come home mentally and physically exhausted.
Maybe at this time of year, the late sunrise and early sunset don't make the days seem 30 hours long.
But I can tell you, I was sure happy that my home has candles to light, that my husband knows where they are, and that even when I'm not home, he thinks to light them up just for himself, because coming home to a room filled with candlelight was the perfect, relaxing end to my day.
Thanks Hubby!

Commuting in the dark

Image by reverses via FlickrImage by jo-h via FlickrGrey skies, late sunrise and early sunset getting you down? 

This time of year, we start to slip into the blahs. You get up in the morning and it's still dark. You drive to work, it's still dark. You drive home from work and it's STILL dark. OK, maybe not still, but it feels like it, doesn't it?


Did you know, there is actually a chemical reason for these "blahs"?

When our eyes detect darkness, a small gland in the brain called the pineal releases melatonin, which establishes sleep cycles. When we detect light, melatonin production subsides and its cheerier hormonal sibling, serotonin, takes over to promote wakefulness and help elevate mood. (The word serotonin is rooted in serum + tonic, so it's like an elixir for happiness. Melatonin is the mel or "black" tonic, for darkness.)

So, in the dark months of winter, you are actually experiencing an increase in melatonin and a decrease in serotonin in your body. Freaky, eh? And you thought it was just in your head!


Whether you are entertaining a group, or just your family, heck even just yourself, light and fragrance are the most effective and easiest way to improve your home's mood and ambiance.  Candles allow you to provide both.  They create elegant subtle lighting, beautifully decorate your home with texture and color, and their fragrances can be tailored to fit any mood or environment.

And, did you know that fragrance is the sense most closely tied to emotion? 

Layering candle fragrances is a great way to make unique scents and create your own ambiance.  Burn a vanilla candle near a strawberry candle to create a, "Strawberry Shortcake aroma."  Or burn a cinnamon candle near an apple candle to create a scrumptious, "Apple Pie" Remember to light your candles ½-hour before your guests arrive to allow the fragrances time to diffuse in your rooms.    

What are your favorite ways to beat the grey winter blues?

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Feeding your family can be fun!

Image by panduh via Flickr

Is your free time limited? Have you ever experienced an ounce of guilt after spending a few quality hours with your girlfriends? You are in luck with this fun girls night idea! Another plan to combine your chores with fun and friendship, and probably wine :) you’ll prepare meals together to freeze and eat at a later date. We all have to eat, so why not find a way to make the prep work more fun? It’s a win-win situation: You get to spend a few hours actively connecting with your friends while saving yourself time in the busy holiday weeks ahead.
Setting and Setup
The nice thing about this party is the only room you have to clean is the kitchen! 
First, pick a simple theme for the recipes you will make, such as casseroles, soups, chilis, or chicken dishes. Consider your friends’ budgets when setting your theme. You may want to limit the meals to 4- or 5-ingredient recipes. A great resource for make ahead recipes is http://onceamonthmom.com/.

If someone is making lasagna, they should bring foil pans or you can provide.
Have plenty of freezer bags, small zip-seal bags and aluminum foil on hand. You will also need labels and/or a Sharpie marker. Single girls: You may want to have small freezer bags or plastic containers so you can freeze individual portions.
On the day of the party, you will want to make sure your kitchen is sparkling and ready for your friends. Clear the counters, wipe down the stovetop and clean out the frig.
Invitations
With preparations made, now it’s time to invite your girlfriends! Because of time and space constraints, limit your guest list to five or fewer.
Try sending your invitations on recipe cards: Recipe for a Great Evening
4 chatty friends
5 different dishes
1 cup of laughter
1 hot stove
A splash of wine
And the key ingredient: You!

We’ll be cooking up freeze-ahead recipes while we enjoy each other’s company. Please bring all the ingredients to make your favorite recipe (times 5!). You’ll leave with 5 different meals to put in your freezer.

Food and Drink
Super simple is the key here. You are going to be cooking up a storm, so you don’t want to be tired out from preparing snacks for your guests. Popcorn, chips, store-bought brownie bites, or other easy nibbles are all you need. Be sure to have sodas, beer, wine, a pitcher of margaritas, or whatever your crew likes to drink at the ready.
Ready, Set, Cook!
Pack the finished dish in as many zip-top bags or foil pans as needed. Wrap securely.
Using a permanent marker (we love Sharpies), write the name of the recipe on the bag as well as any special instructions…e.g. “cook at 350 for 50 minutes,” or “serve over pasta.”
Connecting Activities
Spending time in the kitchen together is a great opportunity to share joys, setbacks and thoughts on life over food. Here are few potential conversation starters:
-Your favorite food related memory
-Who is your favorite chef
-How you learned to cook (or didn’t)
-Your signature recipe

If you want to add something extra special, here are few party favor ideas:
- Find plain aprons at a craft store (sometimes you can even find then at the dollar store) and decorate with fabric paints, or create iron-on transfers using a favorite picture of you and your girlfriends.
- Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend’s Soul
- Ask your girlfriends to send you their recipes ahead of time so you can make copies and have them ready to hand out at the party. You can put them in page protectors, or, if you are feeling ambitious, start a “Girlfriends Cookbook” binder that you can add to each time you get together to cook.

Give this fun party idea a try, you have to cook anyway, and now you get to do it while gabbing with your friends. Try it, and you may discover a new tradition. What a blast to get things done AND have fun. All it takes is a little advance planning and a kitchen full of girlfriends!

Ho Ho Home for the Holidays

Image via Wikipedia

It's the start of the holiday season. What does Thanksgiving mean to you and your family? 

I host Thanksgiving Day with my in-laws and the day after with my sister and her family. It's the family holiday I've claimed :D I LOVE to cook, and I'm pretty good at it. Yeah, I know we're supposed to be all humble and stuff, but hey, I'm a darned good cook and I'm proud of it!

I love to try out subtle twists to the holiday standards. This year, I'm doing a marinade for the turkey before hand to get some additional layers of flavor. I also inject my bird with wine and spices (helps to have a sister in the medical field that gets me these great syringes) and make an herb butter that I lay on under the skin on the breast and thighs. Juicy, flavorful turkey... mmm mmm.

I've gotten better at letting family members bring contributions for the official meal, though it's hard for me to relinquish control.

My mashed potatoes will be standard, but I'm making a mushroom gravy from the turkey drippings as well as a mushroom sourdough stuffing and standard sweet potatoes with apples.

Image via WikipediaI love the family stories from Thanksgivings past. Love that my in-laws don't hold back on giving me "the business". When my husband and I first started dating, I went to Thanksgiving at my in-laws. They have a family rule that you have to eat something 3 times before you're allowed to say you don't like it.

On the 3rd year, I emphatically proclaimed that I did NOT like brussel sprouts and would not be eating them again. My father-in-law was relentless giving me a hard time all through the dinner meal. At the end, Mike's grandmother moved her glass and we all spied that she had hidden her brussel sprouts in a pile behind her glass and did not eat them either. I couldn't believe she had sat there and let me take all the grief through the meal and didn't say a word! We laugh about that year after year.

I also am a food separatist. I do not like my foods to mingle. Thanksgiving is one of those meals where I often leave lines on my plate where the food items ran together which I won't eat. Another opportunity for my father-in-law to give me endless grief.

Love the laughter of family around a full table. That is what Thanksgiving is for me. A table filled with great food and lots of family and loads of laughter. With copious amounts of wine, of course!!

My sister is coming home for Thanksgiving this year from Denver, CO. As she spends Thanksgiving day with her in-laws, we've adopted a new family tradition of a Friday meal. My parents hosted this meal until they moved to Arizona last year. I'm looking forward to spending the day cooking and eating with my sister and my niece. We'll start with brunch and mimosas, then snacks and munchies and then move to a nice non-turkey holiday meal. My father is an amazing gourmet cook and his meals are out of this world 6 course meals complete with some amazing soup. This year I'm doing a cranberry marinated pork roast, pasta carbonara (a family favorite) and green beans almondine with a Pear Frangipane tart for dessert.

I can't wait to hang out all day with my sister and her family, playing games, cooking, munching and of course, drinking lots of wine ;)

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Is it just another day to you or do you look forward to it every year like I do?

Do you host or do you bring a dish? Do you travel or do you stay local?

Wishing the warmest of Holiday greetings to all on this Thanksgiving week. May your table overflow with great food, great wine, love and laughter!

Catch my latest newsletter with more holiday tips and recipes!

http://www.shannonbednowicz.com/lifesaparty.html

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Black Friday Wrap-A-Thon (with wine) Party

I promised you some great ideas for fun Girlfriend get-togethers - so let's get started!

Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving and biggest shopping day of the year, in case you’re not aware) is just around the corner. The wee morning hours, mobs of people, neverending lines, and aching feet: remember those from last year? Who wouldn’t need a drink after the race to that finish line? If you are going to be out and about anyway, why not meet afterward for some girl time? It will give you the opportunity to show off your bargains, get some wrapping done and nourish your body, soul and mind with good food and great company.

Invitations

You might say something like this:

Join the girls Black Friday

after your shopping is done

let’s get the gifts

all wrapped up

and have some fun.

Set-Up

Ask each girlfriend to pick up a few rolls of wrapping paper, tape, boxes or ribbons on their way through the checkout and bring them to the gathering. It is always better to have too many wrapping materials than too few. This will also help to reduce the cost of wrapping for each person. Plus, moms take note: it is always nice to wrap your kids’ gifts in paper that isn’t physically in your own house. Lest your five-year-old say, “Mommy, is Santa real? Because why would he use the same wrapping paper that is under your bed?”

Alternatively, you can get the fixings to make your own wrapping paper. Especially if you or your girlfriends to home-made gifts. Instead of wrapping mall bought gifts, get crafty and make some one of a kind wrapping paper and gift bags.

The house does not have to be spotless; everyone is busy with the holidays. They will just be excited to hang out and put up their feet. Plan to use the room in your house with the biggest area to wrap gifts.

Set up a wrapping station. A large table with wrapping paper, scissors, tape. Have a 2nd area with bows, ribbons, gift tags and pens. At my house, I like to wrap presents in a big open spot on the floor. You'll have to corral any helpful pets, however.

Food and Drink

Make it simple– order out! Just make sure to order from someone who delivers. Pizza is super and easy. Or Chinese—whatever you are in the mood for, just make sure you can call it in. You don’t want to have to stop on your way home; the day is too busy for that. Instead, let your fingers do the walking and you can do the talking—with your girlfriends.

While you’re shopping for Thanksgiving this week, just throw a few extra things in the cart. Some ideal quick munchies might include: Hummus and pita chips, pretzels and spicy mustard, pre-cut cheese and crackers, and carrots and veggie dip. Those are all things you can throw in a bowl and serve without having to think about it.

Some drink ideas to warm the soul: Hot cocoa with a side pour of schnapps, spiced eggnog and of course WINE! Be sure to offer water as well. After all that running around, everyone is sure to need a little shot of H20.

Activities

A lot of wrapping and chatting will be done at this gathering, so the activities will be pretty minimal. But some quick suggestions might include:

Things to talk about. 

1. How did you learn the truth about Santa and at what age? 
2.  What do you enjoy most about the holidays? 
3. Are there any holiday traditions in your family that you feel are important to pass on? 
4. If you could only remember one Christmas, which one would it be and why? 
5. What is the most non-traditional thing you have adopted into your holidays?

Match the Santa list game. Ask everyone to write down some of the things they asked Santa for as a child. The hostess will randomly read off the lists of each girlfriend’s childhood wants. Your gal pals try to match the guests with what they asked for. The one with the most correct answers wins.

Weirdest gift guessing game. Ask everyone to write down the weirdest gift ever received at the holidays. The hostess will read the answers randomly. The guests will try to match the weirdest gift with its receiver. The one with the most correct answers wins.

Prizes and party favors are not necessary for the games or this party. It will be enriching just to learn some things about the girls that you never knew. Learning more about each other enhances our girlfriend relationships. What better prize could a girl ask for?

We hope you take time to turn the race of Black Friday into something special, a winning finale to this busiest of all shopping days. Your girlfriends will be appreciative, even if the invite is last-minute. 

What black-friday activities did you enjoy last year? 

Are you planning to hit the malls or hide-out at home?

Keeping Committments

Image by Lutz-R. Frank via Flickr

The end of 2011 is on the horizon. We're nearing the time when we look back on the year and reflect what we've accomplished and what we haven't. We look at the goals we set and mark our progress on achieving them as we get ready to make our plans for the New Year.

This year was my year to be fit. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, and fit in my family and business life. In some areas, I've done well, and in others I still have a long way to go. There are some things I desperately want to accomplish and breakthrough by the end of the year, mostly in my business and in my finances.

Thankfully, I've come to a place in my life where I am making great choices around honoring and supporting my commitment to my family and friends. Given the choice of spending time with friends and family or doing something else, I've been spending time with friends and family. 

My husband and I don't have children, we have dogs. Well, we currently have a dog, as we lost our older guy last month. Always high on my list of commitments to myself is spend more quality time with the dogs. The loss of Darwin has spurred me into action and I finally enrolled Apex in an agility class, as I've been meaning to do since we took a few lessons last October. We had our first lesson last night and I now have Thursday evenings blocked off as time with Apex at agility. 

It feels SO great to keep that commitment to myself and to my loved one (my dog). 

This is the time of year when we think with warmth and fondness of our friend and our family and all our loved ones. We promise once more to spend more time with one another and to make a point of seeing each other. 

I invite you to keep your commitment to yourself. Honor your intentions and seize every opportunity to enjoy life with your loved ones. 

Life is always shorter than we think. 

The floor doesn't have to be waxed today, the drapes don't need to be ironed. Take a look at your to do list and make sure that on that list is an action item to spend some time with those you love. You never know when that last chance will be.

Stay tuned for some FUN ideas for different holiday get togethers! 

Women light up the world

Image by Jose Betancur via Flickr

I am so lucky that I grew up with a Mom who demonstrated that a woman can be strong, confidant and can do anything. Just by watching who she was, and how she kicked ass and how much respect and love she had, I not only was told the proverbial "you can do or be anything" but I saw it was really possible.

I am so lucky in that I get to meet, work with and befriend amazing women every month, every week, every day in my business. Women who I can call colleagues, fellow business owners and entrepreneurs who I either meet through doing business or who also associate with PartyLite. Women who graciously invite me into their homes for a special evening sharing warmth and friendship. Women who invite me to help them make a change in their life, adding income, adding confidence, adding new life skills or just making new friends of their own. 

I am SO lucky and I know it, I say it each day. Thank you for lighting up my world! I don't take you for granted. You make a difference every day, whether you realize it or not. You make a difference to me every day, whether I thank you or not.

Today, I thank you. Thank you for making my life the wonderful place it is.

I don't normally forward power point presentation videos but this is so in line with my thinking that I felt I needed to share it today. Enjoy. And do take some time to fill your lamp!

http://www.flickspire.com/m/SimpleTruths/OilForYourLamp

Shannon

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Reflections

We lost our dear friend Darwin last week.

It has been extremely difficult for my husband and myself. It's a shame that it takes these things to remind us about what is really important in life. So much seems insignificant in comparison. We feel we often make the wrong choices and let precious time and opportunities pass us by. We've talked much this week, as he got more and more ill about consciously making the decision to spend time with with our friends and family. To take advantage of the opportunities before us to see them and to create more opportunities where and when we can. 

Life is short. Make the most of every day. You never know if you'll get another.

I wanted to share some words from another blogger today that echoed our own but were more eloquent: 

What Matters Most in Life

by Jane Powell on October 25, 2011

“In the long run, it’s your personal relationships that really matter.”

With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s all too easy to put relationships on the backburner and take them for granted. Even though you may have every intention of spending regular time with your partner, hectic schedules get in the way and you end up running in every direction except toward each other.

Yet, you know that your personal relationships are paramount to personal fulfillment. Be sure to set some time aside each week to rediscover the people that mean most to you. Be alone with that person, talk, enjoy your time together and renew your relationship.

After all, in this life, your loved ones are what really matter.

©Jane Powell – Meditations for Women

Today’s Affirmation: Each week I set aside time to be with my loved ones.

I'm just plain happy

Image via WikipediaSometimes I'm reminded that the rest of the world doesn't seem to think the way I do. I'm just plain happy. I mean really, truly, genuinely happy most of the time. Life is just too short, in my opinion, to be any other way.

I am so lucky, have an amazing husband who is my best friend. We have a house, 2 great dogs. Fantastic families, great friends. I have a 9-5 job for a super company and a business I truly love. My husband has his dream job. We've traveled more this year than I have ever in my life.

On any given day, if you pass me and ask how I'm doing, my reply will be "FABULOUS" and it will be genuine. I find that surprises most people. So many people go through life with an "I'm here" response to that question. Why? When people ask me why I'm so good I say why Not?

Don't get me wrong. I'm no Pollyanna. All of this doesn't mean I never get frustrated or angry or sad or disappointed. I do! I just don't stay there. I know I have loads of room for improvement, personally and professionally. My house isn't the biggest or the nicest or heck, even the cleanest. But when I have friends over, it is the warmest :) I have weight to lose, but instead of focusing on that, I focus on the fact that I completed my first triathlon and 2nd marathon, the Chicago Marathon no less, this year.

I think the thing, more than anything else, that keeps me so happy so much of the time is my ability to find the funny. Even the most frustrating person or situation is funny if you look at it from the right angle.

When the day isn't going your way, laugh a little. See what a difference it makes. And think of just 1 thing each day that makes your life great.


Life is awesome! Enjoy it while you're here!

What's that smell?

 I was reading today some interesting research on how scent affect work performance. Some companies are actually finding that scent can improve employee performance and job satisfaction.


It has been well established that scent plays a huge part in mood as it is linked to a specific part of the brain associated with memory. Some fragrances stimulate, others relax. Some promote feelings of well-being while others increase aggression.


Sleep deprivation, multi-tasking and too many demands on our time leave us feeling drained of energy and often cranky. The simple addition of scent can give the boost of energy needed to increase performance and stamina for the multi-tasks at hand and improve your mood while performing the many tasks you have in any day. Put this to work for you!

Lavender not only relieves stress but also prevents work performance deterioration.
Jasmine stimulate alertness, helps focus and increases hand-eye coordination.
Lemon scent increases stamina and lifts mood.

Peppermint increases alertness and performance accuracy.

Cinnamon scent increases concentration.

Vanilla reduces the startle-reflex and relieves stress and anxiety.

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Nighttime chat shows and why I wish I had P. Diddy's life

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeOne of my favorite shows on television is a British late night chat show. Graham Norton. The host absolutely cracks me up and the addition of the crazy stunts they throw in make it a big hit for me.

Watching a great interview with P. Diddy made me think about how I'd love for my life to be. What? I wish for the life of a crazy Rap star? Only a little.
They were talking about parties and celebrations and Diddy says "We have a party for Monday, we have a party for Tuesday"

How awesome would our lives be if we celebrated every day? If we celebrated the littlest things in our lives. I often say life should be a celebration, but we get so busy living life that we completely forget to LIVE LIFE.

My husband and I just came back from our annual week in Atlanta with some of our best friends in the world. We get to see them once a year, and it's the best week of the year every year. Everything is so much better when you share it with great friends.

This week, we spontaneously went to a show for a couple of bands in the city and got the chance to see some friends that are moving out of state this very weekend. I was SO glad that we had one more chance to party with them before they left!


Stop saying "it's been forever since we've gotten together" and "we should plan something soon" and just DO IT! Have a party for Tuesday! 

My wish for myself, and for all of you, is to find more reasons to celebrate and find more ways to share that celebration with some of your amazing friends. 

Burning season is here

I love this time of year, the temperatures are near perfect and it is starting to get dark just a little sooner. One of my favorite smells in the world is the smell of leaves or logs burning outdoors. We're not quite where we smell it every night yet, but we're starting to get whiffs every now and then.
It's not quite cool enough to bring in my outdoor things, and it's so nice to see them all lit up at dusk. Inside the house, with the windows open, it is so warm and cozy to burn my favorite summer fragrances to savor the end of the warm days.
What are you doing to savor the warm days? Are you starting make fall changes yet?

Hello world

This is wine, women and wax's first Blog Post.