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Survey: America’s Favorite Modern Christmas Dishes for 2023

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What to Look for in a Home Bar Furniture

Home entertainment means getting a bar where refreshments and delicious food will be served. You don't need to go to a local pub to entertain guests. You can instead give them an aged wine and fruits while catching up with each other.

If you're planning to make a bar that's cozy and inviting, you need to look for a design that will complement the overall décor of your home. It should be comfortable where guests can wander into the kitchen when the food that they are looking for is not available in the bar. Make sure your design is still eye-catching and elegant, possibly with a pop of color from a neon sign or light from a website like Neon Mama to really bring the bar to life. The seats should be high enough, and there should be plenty of shelves for the drinks. 

What to Look For when Designing

1. Cozy and Dark

Dark colors and palettes are ideal for a home bar. You can mimic the ambiance and character of the bar where you frequent. The clubs usually have lights and several comfortable seats from a legitimate home bar furniture website that will give them a great time. Choose recessed lights and install them accordingly. Add some ceiling pendants if you feel like it for a more natural, cozy, and romantic ambiance.

Some of the darker colors may manifest when the room is receiving natural light. This is perfect when the other colors of the surrounding areas are blue, black, or neutral tones. The cozy atmosphere is where you can get into conversations that are meaningful and enjoyable. 


2. Know the Right Appliances to Add

When you're in the process of designing your home bar, it's essential to choose the right furniture and appliance. Decide whether it's ideal for you to get a dry or wet bar. You may want to install a fridge or sink nearby for easier preparation of delicacies. Some add microwaves so they can eat their morning toasts at the bar before they go to work.

Include the costs of electricity, plumbing, and other utilities into the budgeting. Many homeowners may add asymmetrical patterns on the shelves and geometric designs to emphasize their decors. Others may prefer higher stools. The wooden varieties can offer aesthetics and a more chic environment, especially when the bar is near the living area. Know more on how you can throw club parties at home in this link

With endless designs available for the ceiling pendants, you can create unique lightings that are more to your tastes. Some showcase their bars with silver and gold hardware, luxury materials, and many textures with pops of colors for accents. The velvet bar stools will never go out of style, and they are easy to clean as well. Two-tiered islands are also more common so that guests can socialize, drink, and eat simultaneously.

3. Eclectic Designs

With the popularity of these areas nowadays, it's not surprising that other people begin to convert their older carriage house into a modern and chic room. The interiors of an old carriage behind a Victorian mansion have undergone a complete transformation that it's unrecognizable from its old appearance.
Some owners decide that recycled bottles are still in, but this doesn't mean that they have to sacrifice style. They were able to turn the bottles into light fixtures and combined them with ceramic tiles for added patterns. The sleek and casual fixture was warmed up by natural wood seats and walnut walls that the creativity resulted in an excellent organic and glamorous space.

While many think that a home's interior should be formal and more serious than the outside, the impact of laid-back and casual spaces shouldn't be totally discounted. In many homes, the bar's aesthetic gets the guest into a playful mood, and these are usually the beginning of fun conversations in eclectic homes.

The wallpaper should complete the look, but you can also add some light fixtures like sun-shaped lamps if you feel like it. Personalized bars often have blackboards as well where guests can write their notes and quotes, and you'll never go wrong with these.


4. Luxury is Always Welcome

Grand and extravagant bars often feel welcoming if this is within your budget. In many homes, the luxurious setting made these areas a centerpiece of the house where the guests go first to have a drink and relax. 

Ceiling pendants and recessed lights can dim the environment, but you can also get an interior designer's help for other ideas. Read more about the pros and cons of recessed lights here: https://www.thespruce.com/recessed-lighting-pros-and-cons-1821552. You can upgrade to the glasses and silverware so that they can match the room's aesthetic ambiance.

When you're still deciding on the room's layout, you need to position the bar in a way that it's not going to be an obstacle. It should follow the rooms' natural flow, and it should be integrated between the dining and living areas so they can be versatile spaces. This way, both rooms' luxurious ambiance can be incorporated into the bar, and everything will look more seamless.
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Easy Ways To Entertain In The Summertime

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com.

Summertime is in full swing all across the country. Families everywhere are vacationing, road-tripping, relaxing and entertaining. Summer seems to be one of the best times of year to entertain family and friends. It's always fun to hang out at the pool, play cornhole, badminton, volleyball, and of course, have water balloon fights!

It's not really summer unless you have something delicious sizzling away on the grill. We grill out almost daily, and especially love burgers, chops, steaks, and veggies. The scent of char-grilled meat makes everyone's mouth water. You definitely can't live in the South and have a meal without a glass of ice cold sweet tea to wash down all of that good food.
One thing I find important when it comes to summer entertaining is to keep it simple. Don't stress out and think you need to break out the fancy dishes and glasses to enjoy a meal together. We are all about casual dining! Sitting out on the back porch is where you'll find us.
Nothing says back porch sittin' like a cold glass of sweet tea. I know a lot of people who love a good glass of it but complain that they don't know how to make it properly. Well, a great solution to that is by using Southern Breeze Cold Brew sweet tea bags. They are made to where you simply place one bag in a glass and add cold water. In five minutes you will have the perfectly sweetened glass of iced tea, just add ice!
We absolutely love the taste of peach tea in the summer. The Southern Breeze peach tea does not disappoint! I love garnishing with fresh peach slices and a sprig of mint. Doesn't it look refreshing? It has the perfect balance of sweetness with a good hit of peach flavor with zero calories and zero sugar. If you're up for a cocktail, you can add a shot of whiskey. Yum! Right now you can get FREE shipping on your first order of Southern Breeze cold brew tea, available in original, peach, raspberry, and half tea, half lemonade.
Do you love a good steak? We are huge fans of the perfect ribeye on the grill. Of course, quality is everything. We received the most mouth-watering selection of meats for our summer grilling from Fareway Meat Market. Our date night bundle included two 12-ounce beef ribeye steaks, two 10-ounce Iowa pork chops, two 8-ounce America's cut boneless pork chops, 85% Butcher’s Blend Ground Beef (1 lb.) and Premium Steak Burgers (4 patties). We knew immediately that the ribeyes were going to be the first to hit the grill! 
I couldn't believe how thick they were. These beauties had the perfect amount of fat marbling to indicate that you were going to have one tender, juicy steak. Even when I was handling the beef with the tongs, I could feel how soft the meat was.
Look at this gorgeous beef! I cooked it to medium-rare. The flavor of the beef itself was outstanding. If you appreciate the natural taste of beef, you will know that this is the good stuff!
Sometimes in the summer, we like salads with grilled steak on top. It gives the balance of lighter fare with a bit of heartiness. If you hate going inside the store, you can order meat online with Fareway Meat Market. You will not regret using this meat delivery service. They send you only the finest cuts of meat. Enter code “meatlover” to receive $20 off your first order! 

By the way, if you need a tasty pre-dinner snack that won't make you feel guilty, you must try out Popchips in the many varieties they offer. I couldn't wait to dig in to the zesty jalapeñcheddar popchips. This is the first time I have ever eaten chips that actually taste like you cut open a jalapeño, shredded your own cheddar, and combined them into a chip. The flavor explodes in your mouth! You won't have any greasy residue left on your hands either, because popchips are never fried.
You can't beat healthy snacks made with real ingredients. Make sure you grab a few bags from your local grocer. You will want to try them all!

We hope you enjoy the rest of the summer before the craziness of back-to-school takes over. Now that we have shared some of our summer favorites, what are some of yours?
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Holiday Season Prep And Saving Money On Gifts

This is a sponsored post in partnership with CouponDash.com. All opinions are my own. 

It's so crazy to think that in a couple months, the holiday season will begin. We have a tradition every year where we go and hang out on Halloween with close family-friends and we call it our 'kick-off to the holidays'. After that it seems like we all get into go-mode and the holiday hustle and bustle gets real. There is usually so much going on for all families with school events, football season, and family gatherings.

I find myself cooking and baking a whole lot once the weather gets cooler. There is something about that autumn air that gets me in the mood to be in the kitchen even more. Last year I bought an electric pressure cooker from Amazon and it has been my go-to appliance. I have been strongly considering getting a second one since I cook multiple foods for one meal most times. This would be extremely helpful during the holiday entertaining season as well since I can only cook so many dishes at one time on a four-burner stove. I am pretty sure I will be hosting Thanksgiving, so I will have to throw around a little *hint, hint* to my husband to get me another one of these beauties. 😍
I am so happy that I have Amazon Prime so I don't worry about paying for shipping. If you don't have it, be sure to take advantage of this free 30-day trial of Prime. Aside from cooking and baking during the holidays, I stock up on off-season goods. It's amazing how much marked-down merchandise is available in stores, especially one of my favorite places, Kohl's. I love using their shopping passes and getting Kohl's cash throughout the year. I get a thrill out of buying $800 worth of merchandise for as little as $200 and sometimes, even less! Also if you don't feel like weeding through the clearance racks, you can shop online and even get free shipping. This has become my new favorite way to shop! 


The great part about clearance shopping is that some of the items can be given as gifts for the holidays. I am always down for saving money and spending as little as I can for gifts. I also like giving home baked goodies to friends and neighbors each year. They always look forward to what I send over every year. You can say that it has become a tradition! I am already looking at decorative mini loaf pans for some sort of pound cake. I know it seems so early to be thinking about all of this, but it's best to prepare early so you can fit some relaxation time in. After all, you don't want to miss out on quality time with your family and friends because you are making the mad dash at the last minute. Speaking of dash, be sure to stop by CouponDash.com for savings from tons of well-known retailers like K-Mart, Best Buy, Michaels and more. You can find pretty much any brand you are looking for and they have the coupons savings already set up for you.

Do you get ready for the holidays early? Do you have any good shopping techniques that are helpful? Please share below in the comments. Thanks for stopping by today.
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Be Last-Minute Guest Ready With A Bestway Airbed

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Bestway and BraVoMark. All opinions are mine.

I am sure many of you have dealt with last-minute guests or pop-up trips that can stress you out. With the upcoming holiday season approaching in a few short months, many of you might be entertaining guests. Not everyone has an extra room for guests, but you don't want them to have to spend a fortune on a hotel either. One of the smartest items you can invest in is an airbed. It can be stored away in a closet while not in use and easily taken out at the last minute when needed. I'm not talking the $30 air mattress though. Remember that kind? We had one for years and it felt like you were sleeping on the floor because it would lose air throughout your slumber.

There is a great solution for keeping your air mattress inflated and comfortable at all times. The Fortech Queen Airbed with with an AlwayzAire Pump from Bestway is one of the best higher quality airbeds you can find. Here are some details:

What makes this airbed better than others? 

  • This queen size Fortech airbed measures 80in. x 60in. x 17in. (2.03m x 1.52m x 43cm). Includes built-in 110-120V- electric AlwayzAire pump (ETL approved) which continuously monitors and maintains air pressure. It inflates in just 150 seconds. 
  • It is made with strong puncture and scratch resistant material 
  • The pump has an easy, one click operation with 3 options for airbed firmness.
  • Once you choose your preferred firmness, the pump automatically engages to inflate bed silently as you sleep. 
  • Comes with a carrying back for travel and storage
  • It has raised edges to help prevent roll-offs
  • Great for indoor use, with canvas-feel fabric top, sides and bottom. 
  • Costs $139.00 plus tax. This is a small investment for something you will use for years to come.

Right now Bestway is having a big Facebook giveaway:


• Purchase an ALWAYZAIRE bed from Walmart.com or Walmart here 
• Take a photo of yourself using the bed or next to it. (Be fun and Wacky)
• Post your photo under the comment section of @BestwayUs Facebook page contest post to be entered to win a SaluSpa Miami (retailed at $369.99)
• Bestway will be picking 5 Winners September 15th

I want one of these airbeds especially since we travel often. I can see us bringing this along on our family road trips. It's perfect for if you have a larger living space where you can inflate it in no time. It will give you a sense of sleeping in the comfort of your own bed. Man, I wish we had this one years ago! Get all the details about the Bestway airbed here and be sure to enter their Facebook giveaway

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