Category / ideas

by Kelly Mattei

My Top Ten Reasons (Excuses) To Stay In Bed

I don’t consider myself a low energy person. I like to be busy. I like to have things to do. But sometimes, I like to have nothing to do. In fact, one of my hobbies is doing nothing, and sometimes, I look for any reason (excuse) to stay in bed.

How did I marry a man who hates to sleep in? I love sleeping in! I remember when “sleeping in” meant 10am or 11am, but now it means 8:30am, and it’s rare. My husband is a morning person. Every morning at 6:00, he jumps out of bed, opens all the drapes, and starts his day. He usually asks when I want to get up, and rarely I say, “Now.” And when I’m awake, he  brings me a cup of coffee in bed (yes, he does!). Lots of times, though, I say I’m not ready to get up yet, and I feel the need to give him a reason (excuse) for me to stay in bed. Some of my reasons (excuses) for staying in bed are good, and some are lame, but here they are:

  • “I was up late last night picking up teenagers from friends’ houses while you were sleeping.” I’m really a night owl, so I don’t mind driving kids around at night, but I use it to my advantage the next day, if I can. Sometimes it buys me an extra hour in bed.
  • “It’s raining.” Or snowing…either would apply. Yes, I’ve actually used this lots of times. Who wants to get out of bed when it’s rainy and gloomy outside?!? You can either let that rain ruin your weekend, or you can use it to your advantage…be happy you get to catch some extra  Zzzzzz’s.
  • “We’re out of coffee.” This one is pretty lame. I admit it. But it worked. When I told my husband I didn’t want to get out of bed one Saturday morning, because we were out of coffee, it bought me another 45 minutes of sleep. He actually went to the grocery store and bought more Keurig cups, and on the way home he stopped at Dunkin Donuts and picked up an Iced Coffee for me.
  • “We don’t have anywhere to be.” Fortunately, our daughter gave up club soccer a few years ago, so we don’t have to get up at 5:00am to drive three hours for a soccer game on weekends anymore. There have been lots of Saturdays my husband has jumped out of bed and started to open the drapes, but I’ve interrupted him by saying, “Don’t bring my coffee till 9:00, please. We don’t have anywhere to be.” He sighs, but he hears me.
  • “I’ve gotten up early five days in a row…no more.” Yes, there’s a limit on how many days in a row I’m willing to get out of bed early…five days. I do it because I have to, but don’t ask for more than five early mornings in a row. I might cut you.
  • “It’s cold out there, but it’s warm in bed.” I’ve honestly quoted Wham!’s song, Wake Me Up Before You GoGo, as my reason (excuse) to stay in bed. It’s my favorite line in the song: “It’s cold out there, but it’s warm in bed. They can dance; we’ll stay home instead!” I love sleep, but I don’t do it very well anymore…despite the fact that I used to be a professional sleeper. If it’s really cold outside, for some reason, it’s easier for me to sleep. Thus…the line from the song.
  • “I didn’t sleep well last night.” This one is a good one. Lots of times, it’s legit. I rarely sleep well, since I usually wake up at least three or four times a night. Most people would consider my average sleep night a terrible night’s sleep. For me, waking up several times is normal. A bad night is when I wake up and can’t go back to sleep, or when I am awake more than I’m asleep. A good night is when I wake up two times or fewer. So, I could use, “I didn’t sleep well last night,” as a reason to sleep in on almost any given day…legitimately.
  • “The Barometric pressure is off.” Lol! This means absolutely nothing to my husband, but it totally sounds good. In reality, barometric pressure changes can trigger migraines, but for me to use this line is a total ruse. Yet, I’ve used it on more than one occasion. Like I said, I enjoy a little extra sleep.
  • “I spent the whole weekend at our daughter’s sports tournament.” This one goes a long way, because there is no way he wants to be the parent who has to go to the out-of town sports tournament. He knows if he lets me stay in bed a little longer after a weekend in Rocky Mount, NC, for a lacrosse tournament, he won’t have to go to the next one either.

If you’re like me, and you consider sleep a hobby, you might want to keep this list next to your bed. Or maybe you have your own reasons (excuses) to stay in bed?

Happy sleeping!

by Kelly Mattei

My Favorite Brunch Recipes

Recently, I wrote about my delay in closing my mother’s estate. She passed away in December 2017, and I am just now getting around to closing it. I’ve been delaying it, because it’s depressing to think about the finality of it, but I’ve decided to look at it as a positive. I am going to host a champagne brunch to celebrate the closing…something my mother would love.

I haven’t set the date yet, but as soon as I do, I will invite some friends over for brunch to celebrate with me. I’ve already been planning the menu with some of my favorite recipes. All the recipes listed can be found online; the links are included.

  • Ham-It-Up Egg Cups. hungry-girl.com. Low in calories and high in protein, these yummy egg cups are simple to make and look cute too! Plus, they promote portion control! Your guests will rave. Get the recipe at hungry-girl.com here.

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    Photo from hungry-girl.com

  • Hashbrown Casserole. Betty Crocker. I would go to any party if I knew hashbrown casserole was being served! This recipe is pretty easy and has a lot of flavor, but since it contains potatoes, sausage, and cheese, there is nothing low-calorie about it. Personally, I would count this as my splurge for the day and enjoy it! Get the recipe here.

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    Photo from bettycrocker.com

  •  Biscuits. Lots of southern ladies have their mother’s biscuit recipes, and they don’t share them. I have my mother’s buttermilk biscuit recipe, but it’s a no-share item. But if you want some good southern biscuits without having to start from scratch, Mary B’s Biscuits, from the Florida Panhandle, are delicious. You can find them in the freezer section of your grocery store.

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    Photo from homadefoods.com

  • Fruit. You must have fruit. It’s spring, and it’s nice to have one cold item, I prefer fresh cut fruit, but I think I will make the traditional Southern Fruit Salad for my brunch. It adds a different look, and even though I never ate it when my mother served it, there must be something good about it, because it used to show up on southern tables everywhere. If you’re not from the south, you might balk at it, but try it just once! Get the recipe from Southern Living here.

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    Photo from southernliving.com

  • Dessert. I love pound cake, and my cousin gave me my grandmother’s sour cream pound cake recipe a couple of years ago. I think it’s perfect for a spring brunch, and I will serve it with a macerated-berry topping from Martha Stewart. While I’m not willing to share my grandmother’s recipe, you can make a classic pound cake from the Martha Stewart website. The recipe is here. And the recipe for the macerated-berry topping is here.mld104160_0709_scan_001_horiz
  • Beverages: Coffee, Water, Prosecco, and Aperol Spritzes. Here’s how to make an Aperol Spritz: over ice, combine equal parts Aperol liqueur and Prosecco. Add a splash of club soda and an orange slice. Drink up!aperol

After we’ve dined and enjoyed our Aperol Spritzes, we’ll have some door prizes, because Mother loved to win prizes! I’m not going to divulge those secrets till afterward. We’ll also have some take-home party favors to talk about afterward.

Mama would be proud!

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by Kelly Mattei

Shutterfly Engagement Party Ideas

Planning an engagement party this spring? Shutterfly can make it easier.

Before you plan the party, think about the effort that goes into planning the actual wedding. Then, take a deep breath and thank the Lord the engagement party is easier to plan! Unfortunately, though, we can’t just twinkle our noses or flip our ponytails and make a party happen…it takes thought, time, and planning.

There are lots of details, but one thing’s for sure…millenials love photo opportunities. With the invention of the smart phone, everyone takes photos of everything, and parties are special photo opportunities. They want them to be cute. They want them to be fun. And they want their pictures to be perfectly shareable…with their own hashtag, no less. Shutterfly can help.

In 2003, when I had a baby, I discovered Shutterfly.com was the perfect place to store and print my photos and photo gifts, and I haven’t stopped using them since. Shutterfly was great for my baby pictures, but recently, someone told me about something else they offer: printable engagement photo prop ideas and photo shoot tips. With this, the site offers lots of fun props and lots of fun ideas, as well, to turn your engagement party into the perfect photo op for friends and family. The printable props they offer come in a variety of styles, from vintage to fun to rustic…even fairytale style!

You can see their printable engagement party photo props here.

 

And Shutterfly is great for even more for the engagement party. You’re going to need invitations. The bride and groom will send you the names and addresses of friends and family, but you’ll need to pick an invitation, have it printed, and send it out. Shutterfly offers lots of ideas for that, as well. They offer a wide array of engagement party invitations, some that include photos, but some that don’t, as well, making it easy for you to choose what you want and order them online.

You might even find some personalized party favors for your guests on the site. Shutterfly offers party favors starting at $5.00 for a personalized bottle opener…could be popular with the young couple’s friends!

But one of my favorite things offered by Shutterfly is their page dedicated to Ideas and Inspirations, which is dedicated to helping the consumer with party planning, decorating ideas, and more. You can see that page here. It even offers a wedding hashtag generator! Just enter the bride and groom’s names, and Shutterfly will generate hundreds of hashtag ideas for the wedding! That’s important to millennial when they share all their photos on social media. It’s pretty awesome! See the wedding hashtag generator here.

So, while it can be daunting to start preparing for and planning an engagement party, Shutterfly can make it a little easier. I’ll be using the site for any parties I plan…starting with a spring brunch at my home next month. I’m absolutely amazed at the ideas they offer.

Happy planning!

 

 

 

 

 

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by Kelly Mattei

The Best Party Favor Ever

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” –Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

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Ahhhh….Springtime. Well, it’s not here yet, but it soon will be, so if you’re planning to host a birthday party, brunch, shower, graduation tea, or wedding, it’s time to consider party favors.  A lot of preparation goes into hosting an event, and there are lots of options for party favors out there.

In talking with friends over the years as they planned their weddings, their children’s weddings, and various parties and showers, finding the perfect “takeaway” or favor can be a stressor. You want it to match your theme…possibly customize it…but you don’t want to break the bank, and you don’t want guests to throw it away before they make it home with it. Yes, I’ve done that. I love my friends, but frankly, I have nowhere in my house to keep a handpainted rock bearing their names and wedding date, and the chocolate candy bar in the customized label melted before we got home (but I did lick the wrapper clean). That customized glass with your names and wedding dates on it? It broke in my luggage (sadly).

Originally, when I first started writing about this, I was going to write about my three favorite party favors, but after looking at all the different possibilities, I realized I don’t have three favorites. I have one.

So, stop with the stuff that melts, the stuff that’s useless, the stuff that gets thrown away before it leaves the event, and the stuff that breaks. Here is your perfect party or wedding favor…the party favor that makes everyone happy…the party favor no one wants to throw away…the party favor that is actually useful:

MISS SHELLEY’S SOUTHERN JAMS AND JELLIES

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This is my very favorite favor ever! It’s customizable. It’s pretty. It’s memorable. Most importantly…it’s delicious, and no one will want to throw it away. I want to host parties all spring just so I can give these to all my friends! So, you know in advance that if you come to my house for a shower or brunch, you will be leaving with something from this line. These jams and jellies have been featured in InStyle Magazine, and no joke…delicious!

A friend from my flight attendant training days (a lifetime ago), Michelle, started Miss Shelley’s Southern Jams and Jellies after she retired from United Airlines, and she is having great success. Michelle is a southern girl through and through, so she and her husband moved from sunny California to Lafayette, Georgia, near her family in Chattanooga. I’m proud of her, and I love her products. Not only does she offer jams and jellies, but she also offers flavored honey. The company facebook page says they sell “Rustic Artisan Jams & Jelly Flavors.” They are “small batch, hand stirred, and no preservatives.”  You can see their facebook page here.

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Here are the flavors I, personally, have tried: Peach Lavender Bellini Jam, Mixed Berry Cobbler Jam, Apple Pecan Pie Preserves, Strawberry Earl Grey Jam, Fire Island Peach Jam, and Blueberry Maple Jam…every…one…delicious. Don’t those flavors sound enticing? But that’s just a sampling of what they offer.

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My daughter had a friend over last weekend, and we did a “taste test.” The girls’ favorites were Peach Lavender Bellini Jam and Mixed Cobbler Jam, while my favorites were Apple Pecan Pie Preserves and Fire Island Peach Jam, which has a great peach flavor with a little “kick.” I’m all about the “kick”! The Apple Pecan Pie Preserves have little pieces of pecans in them. I wanted to lick the jar. All the flavors are tasty but not overpowering. Miss Shelley’s knows what they are doing.

We all agreed there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch, and it isn’t easy to please two fourteen-yr-old girls. My fourteen-yr-old is a connoisseur of jellies, and she gave every flavor two thumbs up. But it’s not just about the fabulous taste; the packaging is beautiful too, making it the perfect takeaway for any event.

What makes these jams and jellies even MORE special is that she will customize a label just for your occasion. You think of what you want the label to say and come up with a color scheme and theme, and the folks at Miss Shelley’s Southern Jams and Jellies will make it happen! She can even suggest designs if you give her a little information about your event. She has a magic touch.

For packaging, you can pick from shabby chic, elegant, chevron, pastels, Mason jars , and more, making these favors perfect for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, graduation teas, or any event. Shower for a baby boy? Maybe pick the pastel blue gingham fabric topper. Spring brunch? Maybe yellow gingham fabric topper. Graduation tea? Maybe use some fabric in the school colors for a topper. Miss Shelley’s staff will work with you to provide exactly what you want. She even offers hand-stamped messages for toppers.

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Miss Shelley’s also offers flavored-infused honey, honey jars, and mini honey dippers to use with the honey. Everything is beautiful! Again, with the honey, packaging is customizable just as with the jams and jellies.IMG_0348

 

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I’ve perused her selection of products on her Etsy page a hundred times. Go check it out, and your mouth will water.

My friend, Debe, hosted an event last year and ordered some jams as a favor…before she knew I was friends with the owner, and she was thrilled…her guests were too!

If you have an event coming up (or even if you just like jams, jellies, and honey), do yourself a favor and check out her Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/southernjamsandjelly to see her offerings. She can handle big orders or small orders. I’ve included pictures of the beautiful packaging, and remember, the label can be customized for YOUR event. Tell her Kelly sent you!

This spring, if you’re hosting an event, do your guests a favor…

Kelly

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by Kelly Mattei

My Favorite Hostess Gift Ideas

We’re getting closer to spring…Mother’s Day, graduations, and summer weddings are just around the corner.

That means spring brunches, teas, and bridal showers. When I attend a brunch or tea in someone’s home, I like to take a small token of appreciation to the hostess…a hostess gift. There are times I’ve had to grab something on the way, but other times, I’ve done the smart thing and planned ahead. It’s best to tailor the gift to the recipient.

Wine is often a good hostess gift, but sometimes I like to mix it up. Some of my favorite ideas for hostess gifts are listed below. Some of my friends and I love to drink Champagne and Prosecco, simply because it turns any gathering into a celebration. For any of those friends, I feel like the on-the-go Champagne cocktail kit I included below would be a fabulous hostess gift. Do you have friends who cook? There’s something listed. Friends with a sense of humor? It’s here too. Friends who appreciate art? Yep..it’s there. Friends who wash their hands? Oh yeah…that’s all-encompassing. The prices are right on all of these favorites, and they would delight any hostess.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas for Hostess Gifts:

HAND PAINTED COASTERS BY KAIT WREN ART Everybody needs coasters in their home, and these are custom made by Alyssa Wrensted of Demopolis, Alabama. A friend introduced me to her work during the holidays. I gave some of these as hostess gifts for holiday parties, and every one was well-received. Each of her creations is one of a kind, and she also has custom wall hangings. Tell her what colors and shapes you want, and she can customize coasters or wall hangings at great prices. All her coasters and wall hangings are hand painted and glazed. You can see her work online at her etsy shop by clicking here. Check out her work on Facebook here. Prices start at $25 for a set of four coasters. Tell her Kelly Mattei sent you!

                 

SUGARFINA W&P DESIGN CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL KIT I love this little kit from Sugarfina, the candy store for grownups. This on-the-go champagne cocktail kit includes small batch elderflower syrup, jigger, bar spoon, linen coaster, and Champagne gummy bears and is just $25. Add a split of your favorite Champagne or Prosecco, and it makes a cute gift for any hostess! A friend gave me one, and I love it so much, I want to share the joy of the Champagne cocktail! I discovered Sugarfina a few years ago in Beverly Hills, and one visit to the store sold me on their products. They offer gummies in lots of different flavors, chocolates, gift sets, and they’ve partnered with Tito’s vodka for a special line. Everything about Sugarfina is beautiful, especially their packaging…from their bento boxes to their bags. Sugarfina makes a lovely gift. Right now, the Champagne cocktail kit is sold out on the Sugarfina website, but you can get it at Neiman Marcus by clicking here. Or check out more Sugarfina offerings on Amazon here.

ANNE TAINTOR TEA TOWELS Priced at just $11 each, these tea towels from the hilarious Anne Taintor line are always a hit for a hostess gift. They’re colorful and expressive…and did I mention hilarious? With classic pictures of women from a bygone era doing chores or lounging, they say what we sometimes think. One of my favorites depicts a woman with an oven in the background and says, “You’ll never forget to turn off the oven…if you never turn it on.” If you’re attending a brunch or party at the home of a friend with a good sense of humor, this could be the perfect hostess gift. You can purchase these here.

OLIVE THIS! OLIVE OILS I will admit that when this store first opened in the Piper Glen Shopping Center on Rea Road in South Charlotte, I thought these people must be nuts. How in the world would they sell enough olive oil to stay in business? I’m happy to report I was wrong, because they have been around for a while now. I’ve purchased their oils and received them as gifts, and they are unbelievably good. They have fused oils and infused oils, vinegars, and gift packages. If you don’t know the difference between a fused oil and and infused oil, you’re not alone. It is explained in detail on their website. I’ve had several different ones…the Rosemary one has great flavor. You can purchase in their store, or purchase online here.

CLAUS PORTO GUEST SOAP WHITE BOX These soaps are infused with shea butter, so they soften as they clean. They also are beautifully packaged. Claus Porto has been making handmade soaps for more than 130 years, and they have perfected the art. A friend gave me this box as a gift, and it was so pretty, I almost hated to open it. Of course, I also wanted to use these gorgeous-colored soaps, so I had to open them. Priced at $23, they almost look like gourmet candies lined up in the box! Your hostess will love this gift and likely invite you to more soirees in hopes of getting another box! You can purchase these at Claus Porto online by clicking here.

I’m stocking up now for spring events. I’ve ordered two of each item to use as hostess gifts this spring, and I even ordered an extra of each for myself!

Brunches and showers and parties! Oh my!

Bring on Spring!

Kelly

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