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8 Quick Entertaining Must-Haves for the Impromptu Guest

Always be prepared for the unexpected guest. Whether it is a friend stopping by after work or neighbors gathering on the front porch for an impromptu drink, here are a few tips so you are always party ready.

15 Items Every

Powder Room

Needs

Whether you are entertaining overnight guests or friends just dropping by, the powder room is the one area all will ask to visit. Have you taken inventory of this part of your home lately? Make your bathroom boutique beautiful by implementing our top points below. 

Gifts Ideas for
the Mom in Your Life

May can be a crazy month with the chaos of end of school activities, home projects, and travel plans. But we need to hit pause for one day to celebrate the special mom in our life. With hearts of gold and putting others before themselves, we have gathered a list of ideas to help you honor the special lady in your life.

Gather Around the Table this Easter

A few years back my husband and I attended a play that was an adaptation of the classical movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which originally starred Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy. It was a beautifully written, and quite comical, story based on the difficulties families faced in the 1960s with inter-racial marriage. The scene that stood out the most to me was when the son was trying to bring both families together for dinner. In the last line of the last act, he turns to his father and says, “Dad, we need you at the table.” With that, the father joined the others, and the audience was left with the understanding that healing had begun.

My 10 Favorite 
Hostess Gifts

Giving a party requires a great deal of work. If you have been fortunate enough to be included in a festive soiree, it is nice to arrive with a gift for the hostess. The typical present will cost anywhere from $15-$100. What you spend will be determined by your relationship and the type of event. Is it a formal dinner? A backyard BBQ? Also, when possible, know the likes and dislikes of your hostess. If she is allergic to flowers, you probably will not arrive with a bouquet in hand.

How to Create
a Tablescape
in 8 Steps

1. Choose the table. Will you use a round that seats four or a rectangle that seats twelve? This decision will determine your centerpiece.

12 Tips on Dog
Etiquette

Warmer weather will be arriving soon, and I am seeing more of our four-legged members making an appearance in the dog parks and on walking trails. With pets taking more prominent roles in our lives, I thought it would be good to brush up on basic dog etiquette and ownership responsibilities.

Let's Celebrate

Meeting friends for dinner after work, grabbing coffee with your girlfriend or just ordering pizza on a Friday night with neighbors. We all have a deep desire to be connected in a world that often forgets the importance of relationships. Many of us have the desire to entertain, but we let our circumstances keep us from extending hospitality. Often it revolves around our lack of confidence in our ability to host events. I get this!

The Art of
Toasting

A toast may be offered in any setting and made to an individual or a group. Increase your confidence at your next social gathering by learning the ins and outs of this ancient tradition.

A Party Idea
for Each
Month of the
Year

A perfect entertaining year for me would be hosting a different themed party each month! Will I do that? No. Will I dream about it? Yes! If I cannot have a party every 4 weeks, I can at least help my Lisa Lou family with ideas so hopefully a few of you can carry the torch of hospitality for the rest of us.

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  • Writer's pictureAlina Gersib
    • Oct 15, 2020
    • 3 min read

6 Ways to Exercise for Mind, Body, and Spirit



Exercise can bring with it a slew of viewpoints from all over the map, providing advice on everything from the best way to run to how “everyone” should do HIIT workouts. In this blog I want to share my experience with exercise and six ideas for how to shift exercise from a practice based upon physical performance to one which incorporates the spiritual and mental aspects of movement.

My relationship with exercise has taken on many different forms over the years. Growing up I was constantly competing in basketball tournaments, performing ballet, or racing at swim meets. As I got a bit older, I put my emphasis on swimming and ended up competing in college for a few years before a shoulder surgery. I viewed practices and weight sessions in a highly competitive mindset, as things to accomplish and mental barriers to break through.

After I stopped swimming in college, I continued to exercise but it was more from a sense of routine. It was towards the end of college that I finally began to look at exercise not as something to simply “get done” but as a crucial piece of my overall wellness. This shift of perspective changed my relationship with working out and also with myself. It made me realize that working out does not always need to be a killer session in the gym. Though I love workouts that push me mentally and physically, some days I do not feel up to an intense workout. With that said here are six ideas for how you can move your body while also cultivating your mind and spirit in a setting outside of a traditional “workout.”

1. Meet a Friend for a Walk – I love catching up with friends during a walk. I am the type of person that can get fidgety sitting for long periods of time, so I prefer going on a walk versus meeting at a coffee shop. Whether you walk around a neighborhood, park, or shopping area, walking with a friend is a great way to bond while also getting a dose of movement.

2. Dance Around Your House – PreCOVID I loved going to salsa clubs to dance all night! Now a days, I enjoy dancing around my apartment to whatever music I am in the mood for. Whether by myself while cooking dinner or with friends around the living room, dance is a great way to connect to your body.

3. Yoga – With a wide variety of approaches and many schools of thought, you can take all sorts of approaches to yoga. From cardio infused flows to more stretching friendly practices. There is something to suit everyone.

4. Go on a Hike – There is nothing quite like going on a hike and enjoying nature. I love hiking as a way to connect to my body and connect to the natural world around me. Not only that but walking on uneven ground is the best place to build our kinesthetic awareness through activating all of the small muscles needed for balance. If you live in Houston here are 10 great parks with trails, and if you need help finding trails in your area, “trailforks” is a great app that shows paths all around the country.


5. Clean Your House – Chores like changing sheets, rearranging furniture, or vacuuming all work your muscles in small ways and have the benefit of making a clean environment. As the adage goes, a clean space = a clean mind.

6. Walk or Bike When Possible – If you live in an area which allows you to walk or bike to work, school, or the grocery store, do it! You will benefit physically from the movement, mentally from time outside, and spiritually from slowing down. Not only that but the less time spent driving, the better.

I hope these six ideas can spur you to view exercise not as simply a task to get done but as a way to add a little more movement into our life whenever we get the chance.

Alina Gersib

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