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dinner party

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10 great hostess gifts that aren’t wine

Anyone can run to a nearby liquor store and pick up a bottle of wine, but your hostess will be much more impressed with your thoughtfulness if you opt for something else. Whether it’s something they share that evening with guests, or something they save for themselves, these gifts will be greatly appreciated. Soyil Natural Soy Wax Candles (Starting at $14, everybodyshops.com) Show your smart and savvy hostess you appreciate her hospitality with a dye-free, natural soy wax, small batch candle. Seasonal fragrances can help her warm her home with a welcoming scent, plus, soy won’t mark up walls with that nasty black soot. Wine Glass Mahogany Appetizer plates ($19.99, everybodyshops.com) You can bet your host won’t be able to wait to break these out for guests to use atop their wine glasses as they graze all of the amazing food at the party. Each set includes four plates, and…

Proper dinner party Etiquette tips for our high-tech times

When Emily Post wrote her first book, Etiquette, in 1922, she could have hardly imagined the types of dining-related topics we’d be disputing today. Selfies during dinner? Asking the hostess for wi-fi access? What would Ms. Post think of our table manners in the age of technology? Luckily, Lizzie Post, great-great granddaughter of Emily Post, author, and co-president of the Emily Post Institute, has carried on her famous ancestor’s etiquette empire. Lizzie offers a fresh perspective on whether our modern day dinner party habits are acceptable or faux-pax. Here’s how she recommends handling a few of the high-tech situations you’re likely to find yourself in this holiday season: Facebook RSVPS If you get a Facebook party invitation and either forget to respond or don’t see it until the last minute, don’t fret. Lizzie says that sending Facebook invites is definitely more for casual holiday parties anyway, and it’s common for guests to overlook…

Why you should be burning soy candles instead of your ordinary candles

At any holiday dinner gathering you can usually find smiling faces, delicious food, and a festive table glowing with gorgeous candlelight. But most people are in the dark about what those common paraffin wax candles are made of. Companies are not required to list candle ingredients (comparable to food and drink manufacturers), so most people never consider their contents. But by lighting that wick, you are letting the candle release waste products into your home environment, and ultimately into your body. Soy candles contain vegetable oil (soybeans) and essential oils, while paraffin wax is made with petroleum oil and chemical fragrances. According to a study at South Carolina State University, paraffin wax candles — the most popular kind of candles — emit toxic chemicals like toluene and benzene, while soybean candles did not. Here are 8 reasons why soy candles are a better choice for your holiday dinner party and every day after. Soy…