This quote, from the late Steve Jobs, rings true on many levels. It is also a little something to think about before our newest series, Women at Work. You can’t be a she who makes cents if you don’t work for it. Just my two cents. Stay tuned….
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You’ve decided to host an event, be it for your girlfriend who is getting married or an impromptu gathering of friends for an intimate dinner. Now what? It’s time to put your womanly skills to work. I remember seeing the 2009 movie “The Joneses” and thought that Demi Moore’s character was an excellent host. In preparing for tomorrow’s Cinco de Derby events (yes, I did combine Kentucky Derby with Cinco de Mayo), it got me thinking about my own skills. I mean really, I am in the events industry so I know a thing or two about planning events, but I wanted to cross check my hosting etiquette with Emily Post. No matter the kind of party you’re throwing, there are some things a host should remember, even before the party starts.
Six Ways to Be a Good Host:
1) Invite clearly. Label the invite specific to who you want to attend. Include necessary information for your guests in the invitation. Is the party a casual get-together or more formal? What about the attire? Maybe a guest would benefit by knowing ahead of time who else will be there, which you might mention when they RSVP.
2) Plan well. Preparing your guest list carefully is key to a successful party. Then do as much as you can ahead of time. (Lower the stress level by serving food and refreshments you know will work.) Get everything ready well before your guests arrive, so you’ll feel relaxed from the very beginning.
3) Remain calm. Giving a party can be enjoyable, especially if you approach it with simplicity. Get help if necessary, and don’t let your guests think you’re huffing and puffing. They’ll feel far more comfortable if they don’t have to wonder whether they’re causing you any trouble.
4) Keep your guests feeling welcome. Make sure guests are warmly greeted, then made to feel welcome throughout the party. Look after each guest as much as you can. If you notice that a guest has an empty glass or if there’s one person standing alone, remedy the situation as quickly and cheerfully as possible.
5) Be flexible and gracious. Your soufflé falls. Or one friend arrives with an unexpected guest. The ruined dessert? Have a fallback. The uninvited guest? As discourteous as it is for someone to spring a surprise on you, be gracious. No polite host would ever send an uninvited guest packing.
6) Be appreciative. Thank people for coming as you bid them good-bye. And don’t forget to thank anyone who brought you a gift.
Info: Emily Post
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Sometimes life gets in the way of fun… and in my case, life has been getting in the way of me making my special announcement that shemakescents.com has hit 20,000 views. Well, we sort of hit it a little while ago, but this is the first opportunity to officially announce it. In honor of this second great milestone, the first was hitting the one year mark, we would like to thank our lovely readers with a giveaway!!! Giveaway rules and regulations will be posted here on May 1, 2012. Check back, for your chance to win!
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I love vintage style and I especially love the Veronica Lake wave look for my hair. Here is another simpler way to recreate the look at home….
{via The Beauty Department}
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New Year’s Resolutions??? That’s so January… Save more money. Eat right. Exercise more. I remember having to try at my goals again after an epic fail the first time around. I think the problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that people set either too many goals or a couple of unrealistic goals. This is why after a couple of days, resolutions seem impossible. Throughout the year, I promised to share my game plan to accomplish some of my goals and resolutions for the year- so here you go!
Check out some of my favs!
Start Putting Money Away for Emergencies
January 24, 2012: Since I’m being honest, I might as well go all in. Currently, my emergency fund looks like the sad little piggy pictured above. That’s right, even She Makes Cents, has to get her own finances together sometimes. I almost depleted my fund when… an emergency came up. I am so glad that I got myself into the habit of saving for the unexpected because life would have been so much harder without one.
April 4, 2012: I have started my emergency fund again and I must say it feels good. I really hope it will be a long time before I have to tap into it since there isn’t much in there and two, no one likes emergencies.
Cook More, Eat Out Less
January 24, 2012:The Mr. and I love trying new restaurant spots; consequently, we have gotten in the habit of going to restaurants multiple times a week. Sometimes, I even eat out multiple times a day. While examining our finances, we both concluded that we can’t save if we are constantly spending on dinners out every night, plus tips for the servers, plus parking. Do you see how quickly it can add up? Not only are we spending too much, but it is counteracting to my bangin’ body goal.
April 4, 2012: Well….we still eat out, but we are now more conscious of it. Using the envelope system has really helped with this one. I set aside a certain amount of money per check for non-grocery food expenses. For example, I stopped at Smoothie King this morning for a Pineapple Surf and used my “restaurant fund” to essentially…fund it. The envelope system, regarding eating out, has also forced me to really think about my motivation. Am I really hungry? Am I going to be social? Now, I need to work on the “cook more” portion of this resolution.
Bangin’ Body 2012
January 24, 2012:I think this one is a little self-explanatory. I will just let these swimsuits be my inspiration. I say show it while you got it…so I have to get mine tight. Get it right, get it tight 2012!!!
April 4 2012: I am pleased to announce that I am actually starting to see a difference in my tummy. I started jogging, stretching, and taking the dog out for longer walks. I am also trying to eat a little better, so once swimsuit season officially begins, I hope to have accomplished my goal of losing 2 to 3 inches. As of yesterday, I’m already down an inch.
Reduce Impulse Shopping
See the World
April 4 2012: So my Dad and I are getting our passports updated this week. This is very necessary since I will be celebrating the Mr.’s 30th birthday in Germany among other places.
Overall, I’d say that I’m not too far off of my goals for 2012. While I could be doing better in some areas, I could also be doing A LOT worse. In fact, as I accomplish my goals, I will start replacing them with new goals.
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inform and inspire ways to use your “cents” to live a fab life
Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses?
How about the Housewives on Bravo? If so, you are probably guilty of spending money on the life you thought you lived, rather than the life you are actually living. The number of adults who try to emulate and even compete with their friends, foes, and even strangers on television is appalling. As a child of the entertainment industry, my parents told me at a rather young age that the majority of things you see on television are not real. What is real, though, is the increasing amount of debt that people are incurring doing this.
I was reading an article last week by author by April Dykman of Get Rich Slowly. The premise of the article was that idea that people spend for the lifestyle they want as opposed to the lifestyle one currently has. Dykman maintains that, “If you’re paying for a life you have only sometimes, you’re stealing from your most-of-the-time life. And breaking that habit can make you a whole lot happier”. This got me thinking… am I doing this? Am I spending for the lifestyle I want versus the lifestyle I have? In being honest, I’m not entirely sure. Dykman continues, “I tend to give too much thought to what I do once in a while and not enough weight to what I do every day. For example, I wear running shoes 29 days out of 30 days a month, yet I have three pairs of black flats and only one pair of running shoes.”
Click here to read Dykman’s Save on The Things You Do Daily .
What do you think ?
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“A man in a suit and tie is to women, what women in lingerie is to men”
I would have to say that I totally agree. My Mr. prides himself on knowing several knots…half and full Windsor, a Pratt knot, and so on (bragging moment). While most men know how to tie at least one knot, others may not know how to tie their ties at all. This is when, as a woman you can step in. After all, being able to tie a man’s tie can be a very intimate experience a woman should not miss out on!
Check out this Cheat Sheet:
Photo Credit: Ties.com
Who Taught You How to Tie a Tie?
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Someone pinned this picture on Pinterest of them dividing their money into different envelops as suggested by financial expert, Dave Ramsey. His explanation of the envelope system was simple and made cents/sense, so I thought I’d share it. My thoughts are in PINK, of course. I hope you enjoy!
~Danielle
The key component to Dave Ramsey’s, “Total Money Makeover” is the envelope system. What is the envelope system, you ask? Well, according to Ramsey, its “way to handle money still works. People used to always use cash envelopes to control their monthly spending, but very few do in today’s card swiping culture”. I will say that it works and the comments to post prove it. Check out Ramsey’s simple basics for starting a cash envelope system.
From Ramsey
When it’s gone, it’s gone. Once you’ve spent all the money in a given envelope, you’re done spending for that category. If you go on a shopping spree and spend the $100 in your clothing envelope, you can’t spend any more on clothes until you budget for that category again. That means no visits to the ATM to withdraw more money!
Don’t be tempted. While debit cards can’t get you directly into debt, if used carelessly, they can cause you to over-spend. There’s something psychological about spending cash that hurts more than swiping a piece of plastic. If spending cash whenever possible can become a habit, you’ll be less likely to over-spend or buy on impulse.
Give it time. It will take a few months to perfect your envelope system. Don’t give up after a month or two if it’s not clicking. You’ll get the hang of it and see how beneficial the envelope system is as you dump debt, build wealth, and achieve financial peace! See … simple! Truth… I sort of fell of the wagon for a while. I actually, couldn’t remember what purse I put the envelopes in until today, when I found them, and I had $20 in my restaurant fund. I started back on the system TODAY!!! It takes work but most great things do….
photo credit: Tales From the Coop Keeper | content: David Ramsey
What are your categories for your envelopes?
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The number of twenty-somethings that did not know how to set a table properly surprised me. I believe that every woman should know how to set a table…point blank and period. That is not to say that men need not learn this skill, it is just to speak to an ability that I believe everyone woman should have in her knowledge base. Whether or not you use this, is up to you, but at least you will know. This knowledge is free…. you should take itJ A friend of my called this a “wifey” skill but I just think this is something every woman should know…
Check out this Table-Setting Cheat Sheet:
Photo Credit: Style Baggage
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