Scott Common Sense Community is an online destination where users can exchange tips and advice on life’s everyday challenges. In the month of November, Scott Common Sense Community is all about Holiday Festivities with tips on getting organized for every occasion, decorating on a dime, and Thanksgiving dishes you can make ahead of time. Share your best holiday entertaining tip in the comments section below and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card to put towards you Thanksgiving dinner! And don’t forget to leave your tips at www.scottcsc.com!
Winner MUST be a USA resident. $100 VISA gift card will be mailed to the winner directly from the company. Winner must leave a holiday entertaining tip. Winner will be chosen by random.org on November 19th, 2009 from all valid entries. Winner’s name will be posted on this site on Nov. 20th, 2009. Winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize, or another winner will be chosen. NO EXCEPTIONS! There is an unlimited number of comments each person can make, but all must be different, cannot use same tip more than once (from same entrant). Each comment must be made separately for them to count as more than one.
I am excited and cannot wait to hear your tips!!!
Thank you for entering and Good Luck !!!
The Plus Size Mommy
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We try to make an international meal, a nice turkey, potatoes salad, pork chops, sweet potatoes, green beans, tamales, chop suey and sangria.
We play Rockband, make phone calls to our family and of course say thanks for so many thing. We dress nicely (fall colors)
When using table centerpieces (flowers, candles, etc.), consider height, especially for dinner parties. The decorations should be low so that guests can see each other over them.
Rent glasses and dishes. They look nice, match and save you the hassle of doing dishes the next day. When you rent dishes from a company that supplies them for parties, you don’t have to wash them before returning them.
Each year I try at least one new dish to keep things exciting. I also have 3 small boys and I let them pick one dish each…it is always fun and lets them be included in the preperation.
Holiday entertaining tip: Light cinnamon-scented candles or bake sugar cookies to make your house smell like Christmas.
Holiday entertaining tip: Have Christmas movies on hand to keep the kids entertained.
It’s just me & 5 kids but we try to make each holiday a special day. It started when my 10 yr old was a wild toddler. One thanksgiving we dressed up like characters,,,one child was a pilgrim, one was an Indian & we made my little guy a turkey…taping colorful feathers to his diaper…it was a Thanksgiving to remember & each year we make our own costumes…it is pure fun & really brings a family together
Another fun holiday entertaining tip we have is each of us makes our own placecard for the table & we also make an ornament for the tree
plb8156@aol.com
We like to all dress up in the same color and coordinate with the table decor.
Fun tip: Try adding a little flair to holiday dishes by using different serving containers – like using martini glasses to serve dessert, or shot glasses to serve appetizers like shrimp cocktails.
One way to make the dish more festive is to use garnishes like cranberries, pine cones or holly on the outside of your plates.
Plug in the holiday lights to cheer guests as they arrive.
Have seasonal music playing softly in the background.
Keep a fire burning in the fireplace to add to the cozy holiday mood.
Fill a baking pan halfway with water and cinnamon; then put it in the oven on a low heat, and let the smell of cinnamon fill the house.
Add elegance to your hors d’ourves by lining each tray with colorful holiday foil and doilies.
While turkey and ham are traditional items to serve during the holidays, remember to offer an option for vegetarians, dieters and fussy eaters.
When decorating your tree, hang homemade gingerbread men and hand-strung popcorn to create a sentimental, old-fashioned feel.
If you’re having a holiday party, place a Polaroid camera at each place setting so guests can take photos and have a memento from the party to take home with them.
I like to have as many dishes possible prepared in advance & if I am having people over I like to have all my cooking done when they arrive & the table set & everything. I think it makes people feel uncomfortable if you are fussing & trying to get things done, they don’t know if they should help or what…
plb8156@aol.com
I like to send out formal invitations if possible, but even more importantly I think a little thank you note in the mail means a lot…thank guests for coming & also especially if they brought something
I do the same when people invite us to dinner…a thank you note makes a world of differance 
plb8156@aol.com
I also go over behavior rules with my children before guests arrive…I just give them a little reminder course on please, thank you & excuse me…I am constantly told how my polite my children are….if they only knew
plb8156@aol.com
A big tip for those with kids,,,let your kids help…let them help pick the menu. let them cook, let them set up & clean up…kids take pride in what they do & are more well behaved & responsible
plb8156@aol.com
I like to place a small favor at each dish,such as a foil wrapped chocolate turkey. It adds to the festivity and they can be taken home or eaten later while we play board games.
Its nice to put brown paper on the childens table and supply crayons and let them decorate their tablecloth.
I buy specialdecorative plates according to the holiday to setat the childrens table and to use for desserts
I use special decorative plates for the childrens table and to use for desserts.
before saying the blessing, we join hands and each person takes a turn saying what they are thankful for.This tradition has caused laughter and tears.
Make homemade ornaments every year. The kids look forward to the tradition, and eventually, your tree (if you have one) is uniquely yours, with no store bought decorations at all!
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We do an Advent Calendar. I made a giant wall hanging out of ribbon and tiny brown paper gift bags that I painted. It’s adorable, and each day has a little sweet or message for the kids to take out.
Those last two things, I suppose, could be incorporated into parties or something. Sorry. I didn’t notice the word “entertaining” in there and thought you were asking for Holiday tips. Here’s an entertaining tip: Have a potluck. It saves money, time, and dishes so that you can enjoy your guests more, and you can be sure that everyone will like something on the table, since they brought some of their own food.
Another suggestion I have is use a few special dishes for the holiday to make it stand out, whether it be your grandmas old china or a new piece of crystal…just something to make the day feel special…growing up it was just my parents & the kids for the holidays but my mom always put on a beautiful table cloth & pulled out all the good china…us kids, knew it was a special day & we felt all fancy
plb8156@aol.com
Another tip: For guests with diet restrictions, include some foods to meet their needs. For example, offering fat-free angel cake with a fruit topper as an alternative to pumpkin pie will please anyone on a low-fat diet.
For a holiday table centerpiece, try a simple collection of greenery, pine cones and cranberries.
Decorate your plates with attractive garnishes like orange or lemon wedges or slices, fresh herb sprigs, edible flowers, or radish roses.
Treat guests to small favors that they can take home as mementos of the evening. A small mesh bag of nuts or candies, a colorful ornament, a frame for a wallet-size photo or a small decorative candle are all inexpensive gifts guests will appreciate.
Another tip: Relax and enjoy your guests – don’t spend the entire day in the kitchen.
Get organized, make a prep list and make things in advance so you aren’t stressed out in the kitchen when your guests arrive.
Prep as much food in advance as possible and refrigerate or freeze it until party time.
A dessert party is much easier to plan than a full-scale dinner party. Make or buy a variety of desserts and serve with some gourmet coffees, eggnog, teas or hot chocolates. A dessert party makes a great later evening get together.
Tip: For hors d’ouevres and appetizers figure about 4-6 pieces per person per hour (at least for the first few hours of the party).
No matter the party, don’t try to do it all yourself. Try to delegate some responsibilities. Enlist a few friends to help cook, or at least delegate some of the other duties like making sure there’s enough chairs, ice, soft drinks, etc. to friends.
Ooh! Nice
My tip: Use plenty of paper towels around when working with chicken, never lay your chicken on the counter, place it on top of papertowels.
TIP: Finger foods are perfect for entertaining! Guests love them, they’re easy to make, and less clean-up afterward.
Here goes another entry…I really need to win
A great idea I thought of is using facebook to send out invites to your guests…you could set this up as an event & they can rsvp…keeps you very organized…the kids are using it for all their holiday events
plb8156@aol.com
I have 5 brothers & sisters, 5 kids & more than 20 nephews & nieces…every year there’s more & they are having kids too…anyway my parents still do Christmas dinner for everyone. To keep it simple, my mom does a buffet style..she does a lot of cold foods so they are available all day but she also has hot turkey & mashed potatoes in the crockpots..
plb8156@aol.com
At Thanksgiving, I like to have the kids trace their hands, then cut it out to make turkeys. We make enough for every guest, then have each person write something they’re thankful for on each finger.
.-= Get Plus Size Love =-.
Another tip: make one-meal dishes, such as stews, pot roasts, pastas. This eliminates the need for multiple side dishes.
Bake holiday goodies that will last the season, such as peanut brittle, fudge, toffee, ginger snaps and biscotti.
For overnight guests, set up a ‘breakfast bar’ before you go to bed. Include mugs, plates, bowls, napkins, sugar, tea bags, hot chocolate packets, jellies, cereals and packets of instant cereal. All you have to do in the morning is turn on the coffee pot and put out a selection of breads, such as muffins, bagels, English muffins, etc. and pitchers of milk and juice. Let your guests serve themselves.