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A "Light Buffet"! Havaleena Party Lights in a vase, neon light sculptures and flashing party glasses from Coolites

I'm one of those die-hards who refuses to allow the economy to suck the fun out of my lifestyle! Now that doesn't mean you should be insensitive and throw money around. What I'm going to show you will not cost tons of money and be a lot more fun than hanging out at a nightclub. Just start thinking out of the box. How about getting a movie from Netflix, (or even better, the library), inviting a few friends, family or neighbors over to watch? Another idea is to invite some musically inclined people over to play together. This is otherwise known as a jam session but you can likewise invite someone to perform and have the guests chip in to pay the musician for the evening. Feed him and I'm sure he'll come back. How about a Karaoke Party? Karaoke is great fun and you can invite your friends to bring along their favorite songs to sing. Instant entertainment!

We had studio soiree over the weekend and the picture above is a shot of part of the buffet table. Hot pizza snacks, cheese and summer sausage on crackers, cheddar popcorn and drinks were set out on our light show table. You can also use left over all-white flashing Christmas lights too. Run them around the edge of the table or make interesting light sculptures on the wall behind the buffet. We put three Havaleena Party Lights in a clear glass vase for a real "wow" effect. Havaleena lights are cordless, smokeless and will shine for more than 22 hours on three, AA batteries. No flames so we were able to place them near curtains. Our clear, colored glasses are by Coolites and flash in multi-colored sparkles. The point is, make it glitter. This is the time for tinsel town to revive!

Host a Karaoke Party

A lot of your friends, (if not their children), probably already own a portable Karaoke machine. Ask around. If not, the Singing Machine is the one that I have and can recommend. This unit is a semi-professional model and not portable as it has twin stereo tower speakers and a full color screen. You can even plug in your iPOD and play your uploaded tunes over this karaoke system. DJ's are paid a lot to supply music to bars and clubs. Why not do it yourself at your place?

We decorated our karaoke system with a tube of programmable flashing party lights. This way we can choose a pattern to go with the beat of the music. It adds to the "studio" effect and the evening. We have quite a few dedicated karaoke CD's that show the lyrics right on the screen. Your guests will love it! The main thing is for you to enjoy the evening with them. Keep it simple. Spending hours in the kitchen fussing over gourmet messy foods is out. Finger food like mini quiche is definitely in. Go with a theme. It was Valentine's Day so that night we had a big heart shaped box of chocolates on the buffet for everyone to enjoy. This is not a big ticket, catered affair but you can still infuse classy fun into your evening without going broke. Live music whether it is being sung or played also adds to the special and memorable mystique of your party. None of these ideas take weeks of planning or deep pockets. Keep the numbers small and intimate. You'll find yourself enjoying your home entertaining more, with less. Be sure to read our related article, Entertaining Moments of Spring linked above.

Quickie Quiche

6-8 whole eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup grated cheddar, colby or munster cheese

1/2 tsp Hungarian Paprika

1/2 cup sauteed onion

1 cup chopped spinach or broccoli

2 unbaked deep dish pie shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sautee your onions. Whisk your eggs, Paprika and milk together. Line the bottom of the pie crust with your cheese, onions and vegetables. Pour in the egg and milk mixture and top with extra Paprika. Bake 40-60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Variations: Add bacon, ham or smoked cheese!

Cheers!

Your Winter Get-Away!

Snowshoeing is great winter fun and can be done anywhere there is enough snow. Here I am on location at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Pilot's Hat by Dorfman - Pacific, Goose Down Jacket and hardshell pants by Moonstone, Gloves by Scott, Snowshoes by Tubbs.

Snowshoeing 101

Who says you have to skip that winter ski trip? Did you know that you can cross country ski nearly anywhere there is snow? You can also snowshoe as I am showing in these photos. Snowshoeing is great fun, easy to learn and can take you over virgin, snow covered trails in style. You can even use them for a jog in the snow! No need for a slope or ski lift either. You can go both up and down hills and trails quite easily. Since you actually float over the surface of the snow, your feet don't sink down, leaving them quite warm and dry. It doesn't matter if the trail is "groomed" or not. Snowshoes take you anywhere you want to go, regardless of the conditions. My Traditional Tubbs Snowshoes fit easily over my suede Ugg boots which allow the bindings a little extra grip. Make sure to bring your snow boots when you go to purchase a pair of snowshoes. Test them in the bindings, not your street shoes! You'll want to wear a pair of hardshell snowpants such as the Gore-Tex Paclite's I have on in the picture. The flattened, sealed, full zipper legs allow you to open them up for a bit of ventilation. When closed, they don't allow snow to blow in. Zippers also help with bulkier snow boots. A good goose down jacket is indispensable out in the snow. Unlike polyester fillings, down is highly breathable yet warm. We were out in 21 degree weather with wind gusts up to 10 mph but were completely warm. Since we were enjoying the snow in a state park and brought our own equipment, there were no parking, ski lift or admission fees. A free day out for a perfect winter get-away. Along with our recreational gear, we brought along some energy bars, a bottle of water and a camping chair with a beverage holder. Livin' large folks! Get a few more winter outdoor ideas from this article: Living it Up! http://drmiczak.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcome.html

Snow Skating

How would you like to have all the fun of skiing but without having to maneuver long, bulky equipment on the slopes? Ever hear of Snow Skates? Well, I didn't until a few years ago and they have to be the coolest thing on the planet next to skis. They are called Sled Dogs and look like ski boots without the skis attached. These snow skates are actually quite short but are waxed just as you would your regular skis. They can be used with or without ski poles and work well on downhill runs or cross country courses. Needless to say, you don't need to check into a ski resort to use them. Simply don a pair of hardshell pants, (you'll probably go down a few times at first), and take off! Use ski poles at first to help with balance. After you get comfortable, you can try a few skateboarder moves which are incredibly easy on Sled Dogs. In fact, how I learned snow skating was to employ a skateboarder or surfer's stance, (goofy or regular), with my dominant foot leading a bit. They do behave like skates so you can dig in for hockey stops or even skate backwards going downhill as shown in the photo above but be sure to check over your shoulder!

When people first saw me using my Sled Dogs they yelled, "Hey, you forgot your skis!!!" After coming back up the hill, I showed them I did in fact have skis...mini skis. Once again, choosing gear that works in many terrains and is easy to operate, increases your enjoyment. Nothing is more frustrating than hauling heavy skis and bindings, paying for access to the trail and then spending the entire day falling. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like a fun date to me. Sled Dogs combine what I already know, (that is how to skate), with what I didn't know, (well, that was how to ski). It allowed me to expand my skills and try something new. Challenges are good. Better still, just when you've had about all you can stand of complaints over the bad economy and cabin fever to boot, there is a wonderful, priceless outdoor adventure just waiting for you. Each day is a gift and surely not to be wasted. Blues skies, crisp, clean air, watching the hawks ride the draft. What a gorgeous day out! Once you get home from your winter get away, how about making some delicious blueberry muffins? Here's my favorite recipe:


Best Picks Blueberry Muffins


1 1/2 unbleached flour

1/4 cup of brown and 1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup liquid vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries
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Preheat over to 400 degrees and grease tins or use muffin liners. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk. Combine the oil, egg and milk in another bowl and add to dry ingredients mixing lightly. Fold in blueberries and fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until done. Scrumptious!

When you think about it, with a bit of forward planning and a touch of imagination, you can plan your own Winter Get-Away replete with an itinerary of other places or activities available in the area. This is how you maximize your gas while making it a complete day away. Since it was rather cold, we opted to limit our outdoor time to about 2 hours. After that we went to the mall for a bit of window shopping and were still home in plenty of time to make the blueberry muffins.

Some of the best memories that I still hold dear are those times where my parents did things with us. Fun things. I can remember my Dad taking us sledding at a local park. Just watching him execute a picture perfect belly-flopper on his Flexible-Flyer reminded me that he was once a child too. I think my brother was the one who invented snow boarding because he would fearlessly stand on his sled and ride it downhill like a surfboard. Crazy times but those are the sweet thoughts that get you through the tough ones and we all have them. The trick is to find some space and let go for a while. You'll find yourself renewed and able to keep a positive attitude no matter what the climate.

Spend some quality time with those you love! Check out our gear at the far right.