It doesn’t matter how many are on your invitation list, renting your supplies really can be a green and economical way to entertain. You can rent linens, table settings, glassware, food servers, vases, and so much more.  If you actually bought all these items, it could cost you hundreds of dollars. You can rent just a few pieces or the entire set-up for your party.
Renting is also convenient.  Rental companies can deliver to your door and pick up after the party and many times you don’t even need to wash the dishes before you send them back.
Plus when you rent your party supplies you’ll be doing your part to create less trash. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans create 25 percent more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  That adds up to an additional one million tons of trash!
Renewable Resources Rock
If renting isn’t an option there are many other eco-friendly choices. The real key here is to avoid disposable plastic products because plastic is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.  These disposable products are also generally made using #6 and #7 plastics that are not widely accepted in recycling programs so they pile up in our landfills with little hope of every breaking down. It’s smarter to choose non-coated paper plates and napkins made from recycled paper. You can also find plates, cutlery and cups made from other renewable resources like bamboo, sugarcane, and corn or potato starch that are sure to be great conversation starters.
Reusable Wins
The most eco-friendly way to entertain is to borrow what you need from friends and neighbors (assuming you like their taste).  You can also find great deals at thrift and consignment shops. Don’t worry if the tableware doesn’t match, your guests are sure to notice and admire that you are doing your part to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Whatever you choose this holiday – shop smart! Then celebrate that you are entertaining with items that are made from recycled or renewable resources and that your party won’t be adding to that million tons of extra trash this season.

This post was written by Terri Bennett. Terri  Bennett is an Earth Scientist and mom. Terri generates  eco-friendly solutions and practical information to inspire each of us to tread lightly by reducing our eco-footprint on Earth. You can reach her at doyourpart@terribennett.com and check her website: www.TerriBennett.com
© 2009 Terri Bennett Enterprises, LLC.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

But apparently, all drink  taboos are meant to be broken. After all, absinthe isn’t illegal anymore and some boxes do contain decent wine. Also, being a grown-up means that you’re not here to impress anyone, so if you’re hosting a Thanksgiving party, some box wines are good enough to keep your guests happy and entertained.

DadLabs guide us through the world of Box Wines (a world that I had forgotten long time ago, thanks to Gary Vaynerchuck) and show some options that will provide some decent alcohol for a decent price.

Now, if you still don’t feel comfortable drinking this wine, you can also consider the option of making mulled wine, (or the classic  Glögg if you have the mix), which is perfect for the colder season and will make any wine taste good.

So for Thanksgiving, what’s better than pumpkin pie? Well, the answer is obvious: Pumpkin Cheesecake. In order to make the perfect pumpkin cheesecake, you need to master the art of baking a cheesecake before, with all the important tips that you should always consider: preheating the oven, adding the ingredients slowly and one by one, and mixing everything in the right speed.

Just look how they do it at LeGourmet.tv:

And what you need:

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 6-ounce packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
* 5 large eggs
* 3 tbl all purpose flour
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1/2 tsp ground allspice
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 2 tbl vanilla

Enjoy!

Chef Jason Hill follows Child’s steps with a Thanksgiving classic: pumpkin soup. But he shows us how to do it the French way: creamy, with a good amount of “fromage”, and a perfect Gourmet appearance. Now, don’t worry about the sophisticated looks of this pumpkin soup: it’s done in a few simple steps.

So if you want to make this  Thankgiving Dinner “chic”, you should definetely try this recipe. Just remember to choose the right pumpkin (no blemishes, please!), a good quality cheese, and there you go…

Bon appétit!

Ok so now your tummy is tucked and your bum is toned after your Halloween indulgence. Now time to start training for the next big holiday THANKSGIVING! What will you need to train for, you may ask???? Well presents are heavy and you’re going to need to strengthen those arms if you want to carry all those gifts to your loved ones. Or that huge turkey that you have to heave home from the shops and stuff in the oven.  Candy carrying arms won’t cut it you need to beef the arms up to present carrying arms.

So follow these tips and get yourself ready and then pop back to FusionFitnessTV so figure out how to tone up after your turkey madness.

-Quality Over Quantity: If your costume is going to be simple, pick a quality item over a bunch of accessories that have no Halloween value. Don’t go with that cheap wig and a beach shirt dressed up as “the wig dude”. There is no such thing as a wig dude, and people know it. Halloween is like the Oscars of the holidays: if you get a perfect imitation of a famous character, you’ll get an award for sure! Choose an emblematic element, such as Mike Myers original mask (pick a good one, otherwise no one will be scared) and stick to your character.

-Get in the Mood: While some girls prefer to be the sexy vampire, others might want to use that long black hair and whisper “seven days”. For a guy? Wear jeans, a leather jacket, take a (fake) axe, and greet your friends with a creepy “Here’s Johnny!”. If you have the looks, try Baby Firefly. If you have the attitude, the rest will come.

-Get Something That Will Fit Your Body Type: If you don’t have the time to elaborate a concept, choose something that will make you look good. This will make people forget that you were lazy and didn’t work enough for your costume.Now, if your laziness goes beyond any possible effort, try some humor. Laughter is the best medicine:

Now, if you still aren’t sure on what to wear for this Halloween, check what The Style Network has to say. After all, there is a costume for every person.

Now the reason I am excited about dressing this particular boy is because he wears Clark Kent glasses.  what else could I dress him as, than Superman! He may not look exactly like superman but he’s pretty darn close. Now I could go out and spend an arm and a leg on a costume or I could follow a few steps and make myself well make him one.

Now that I have him sorted, what about myself, now the the easiest thing for me would be to go as Lois Lane, but really no-one really liked her especially not me. So how about his arch nemesis Lex Luther? I’m extremely good at being mean and moody…. But hey if I go by the comics (which all we should go by really) I could be wonder woman…  I don’t want to spoil it for you but they get it together and make a baby, with batman as the godfather! In fact I could get a good friend to go as Batman and we’d be one big comic book happy family…. Although with batman’s exoskeleton (you’re going to have to read the comic) playing with little rug rats may be a problem. Wow Comic book fantasy coming to life, Life really does imitate art.. Oh and if superman is reading this, only get scared when I become as strong as wonder woman!

Personally I’ve witnessed a great and usually sensible man, who will remain anonymous,  shave down an entire garden just because he enjoyed using the electric hedge trimmer. Not to mention all the times I dragged home pieces of dirty old furniture for the pure joy of using the electric sander.

In these two amusing DIY Network videos you’ll see why Halloween is the best time to take out your tool box:

Ahmed Hassan shows us that carving a pumpkin is a totally different experience once you do it with a drill and a saw.

And in this video Jason Cameron a.k.a  “Jason the Crazed Carpenter” goes all out and creates a truly gory pumpkin.