Ideas & Tips — Celebration

With beer and wine being two of the world's most popular beverages, there isn't a great need to explain why they are both also popular for making at home and sharing amongst friends. Nevertheless, for some, the appeal doesn't come as easily, even when the White House brews it's own beer as well.  For those who are curious, here are a few motivations for brewing your own beer at home: Drink to your health: The healthy properties of a beer often depend on the recipe, but according to an article by Beersmith, a 12 ounce of beer can have fewer calories...

If you've gone out to a brewpub or into the home of a beer aficionado lately, you have probably noticed that there are a whole bunch of different beer glass styles in heavy rotation these days. Each type of glass corresponds to a particular brewing tradition and is meant to bring out the particular qualities associated with that beer style. That's not to say that you can't serve beers in the "wrong" glass, only that serving them in their intended glassware will give you a better idea of which characteristics the brewers were aiming to bring out in the beer....

There's nothing better than a bouquet of fresh flowers to brighten up your home, unless it's a bouquet of fresh flowers that you put together yourself. You don't have to be a professional florist to learn how to make your own beautiful arrangements. Here are some tips for beginners:  Build a foundation: Real Simple magazine recommends creating a "base" for your arrangement using foliage, such as ferns, leaves or baby's breath, that touches the lip of the base. Don't worry about making it perfectly even — a little asymmetry can be pleasing to the eye.  Don't stress: HGTV tells us...

Depending on whom you listen, you either believe that Champagne is only for special occasions or can be consumed whenever the mood strikes. Wherever you stand on the issue, what can be agreed upon is that Champagne is a beverage that usually commands more attention and formality than others.  Originally hailing from the northeast region of France, the country has held onto the name Champagne as legally theirs for more than 100 years through the 1891 Treaty of Madrid. Eventually all of Europe joined protecting the name. Legally speaking, even American companies are only able to use the generic term,...

May is National Moving Month, with the Department of Transportation predicting that more than 35 million Americans will relocate this year. That means you probably know someone who is changing residences in the next month, whether a friend, family member, coworker or significant other. Once they complete their big move, why not help them celebrate with some thoughtful housewarming gifts? Here are five beautiful home gifts available for $10 or less: Fruit Juicer / Squeezer: This handy stainless steel juicer is great to quickly extract juice from lemon, lime, orange and other citrus. Lots of good vitamins in natural juices, so...