Ideas & Tips — Ideas & Tips

If you’re planning to celebrate Oktoberfest this year a party at your home may be exactly what you’re looking for. With just a little planning and surveying among friends in regard to what their interests are, the food, music, beer and more can all work to convey the true spirit of the festivities. Here are a few suggestions on how to make the most of your Oktoberfest: Beer: When laying out the blueprint for your Oktoberfest celebration, one of the first inquiries to come from your guests will likely be about the beer. Clearly, there are several options for you to consider when building...

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....

Summer is a good time to switch up your snacking routine, opting for easy, light and healthy options that don't require you to heat up your kitchen by cooking! Here are some ideas to keep you full and energized throughout the day:  Cranberry slushy: Health Magazine has an easy recipe for a cool cranberry slushy. Just mix a half-cup of cranberry juice cocktail, one cup of ice cubes and one teaspoon of lime juice. Serve from our double-walled stainless steel drinking glasses with matching straws for sipping in style.  Fresh fruit: Many different kinds of fruit are currently in season, so...

Is someone special in your life leaving home to start their new life as a college student? Whether it's your son or daughter, niece or nephew, neighbor or family friend, it's a nice gesture to give them a little gift to commemorate the start of their university career. The ideal present will both be useful to them in the months ahead and be special and memorable years and even decades down the road. That may sound like a tall order, but we have plenty of beautiful stainless steel items that fit the bill! Here are several ideas:  Cereal bowl: You...

In our parent's and grandparent's generation it was common courtesy to bring a hostess gift when you were invited as a guest – either homemade pastry or an original trinket – but this custom seems to be slipping away. There is no reason why this thoughtful tradition should be a thing of the past. In a recent article for The Huffington Post, writer Brie Dyas takes time to reiterate the importance of a hostess (or host) gift. Here are a few reasons why we should keep up with the courteous tradition: Hostess gifts show your appreciation: "Depending on the situation, [your...