Holiday Cheer

Happy Weekend, y'all!  At this time of year, it's important to keep our "Belle Hats" on, but it's as difficult as it is important.  There are so many ways this month that we can make people around us feel good, make our homes welcoming, and feel good!
It may seem like it goes without saying, but having a home that smells inviting is probably more important than anything else in entertaining.  If you have a luscious spread of food but your cats litterboxes are out of control,  nobody is going to want to eat, or for that matter, stick around for dessert.  What can you do to keep your home fresh without getting a steam clean every month?
I utilize a few different techniques.  First of all, I do try to steam clean about once a year.  I was thrilled with the results the first time I did it, and I just rented a cleaner from Home Depot.  I recommend that if you do this you also rent the fan to dry the carpets afterwards - It was a lifesaver.  You can rent the equipment by three hour increments, and if you're ready before you pick it up you can get it done very quickly.  Here are a few options for between steam cleans:

• Febreze makes vacuum bags that have baking soda and scent in the bag, so you don't have an overwhelmingly chemical smell in your home, but it does smell fresh and clean.  Be sure to vacuum anything upholstered too, especially if you have pets.
• Glade makes some great scented items, such as plug ins, candles, and oils.  I keep a neutral scent in the plug in (clean linen) in our foyer, so guests are greeted with a rush of "clean."
• This option can be a little more expensive, but if you can splurge I recommend it:  Scentsy is a company that makes burners and waxes to go in them.  They are long lasting, strong but not overwhelming, and there is such a broad variety of scents there will be something for everyone.  Plus they're really pretty.
• Okay, this is a topic that nobody wants to discuss, but with all the holiday travel and heavy food, plus the fact that this product is MIRACULOUS, it warrants mentioning:  Bathroom smells are gross, the end.  Poo Pourri is a product that you use that actually eliminates the problem before it...well...arises.  You put a couple of drops in the toilet before you use it and it makes a shield over the water so everything basically disappears immediately.  Keep a bottle of this on the back of the toilet or somewhere obvious but not overbearing for your holiday soirees.
• Anytime you bake something, it smells like home, so to get that great smell in a  hurry, I keep some ready-to-bake cookies in the fridge - when someone says they're coming over, pop them in and you're set - plus, you'll have a great winter snack fresh out of the oven when they arrive!

What are other issues you find you face more during the holidays than other times of the year?

Southern Hospitality Sunday

Hey y'all!
I hope you've had a wonderful week! Once a month, I'm going to have a guest writer tell you what it is to them to be a belle. This month, my dear friend Lindsey tells us of an experience her mother had while visiting her in school. Enjoy!

I’m a yankee. Well, not really. What I am is a rural midwestern corn kid turned Army brat who accidentally ended up in the south. It’s no matter, though, the idea is all the same. As I got accustomed to being the south and got used to a whole lot of “Where you from, ‘cause you ain’t from ‘round here,” I started to notice something in particular about the supposed “southern belle.” Sure, they’re sweet. They’ll step out on a limb for you sometimes, but you can bet that when they do, EVERYONE is going to hear about it. It left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. My mind has changed, though, so don’t stop reading because you’re mad at me.

My all the way corn fed, rarely left the landlocked state of Illinois, can’t pump gas and hates driving (well, she doesn’t drive, she just rides) on the highway grandmother was always one for doing things right. Or “proper.” “Proper, proper, proper...” There have been times in conversations with my grandmother that I would swear if I heard the word “proper” one more time, I’d scream. Even now, the very uttering of the word makes me shudder. But, the lesson was driven home. Over and over. Just do things right.

Charity asked me to write something about what it meant to be a Belle. First, you don’t have to be southern. And, as the story that I’ll get to (and that she actually asked for) will show, boys can be Belles too, at least in spirit.

I moved to Mississippi for college, and it was there that I, and my impossible to please mother, finally learned what that “southern hospitality” thing that everyone talked about was ACTUALLY about. For me, you can’t have southern hospitality without a Belle, and Belles are at the very heart of it. My mother arrived in Mississippi for a visit some Friday afternoon. I, of course, had to show her around the Sorority House. They made her feel like they’d known her forever. She hardly went more than a few minutes without someone asking her if she needed anything. Hospitality. That’s what that is. Even though we happened to be in the very deep south, this still wasn’t southern hospitality. Though, I will say that every one of those ladies were true Belles.

My mother really got it during a day’s outing in Starkville. We didn’t do anything in particular. Nothing really even stands out, except how incredibly nice everyone was. She mentioned later that she was SURE that she did not walk by a person who didn’t smile and say “hello.” She said that she was looking for something in a store and a young man approached her and asked her if he could help her find something. She, in turn, said something along the lines of “Oh, you work here?” His response is the perfect example of what it means to be a Belle. He said, “No, I just come in here a lot, so I figured I’d be able to help you.” That, THAT, is southern hospitality. Take a quick run to somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, and I’d be willing to bet that will NEVER happen to you. If you’re reading from somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, I challenge you to change that. Because, after all, you don’t have to be southern to be a Belle.

So, you don’t have to step out on a limb to help someone in order to be a Belle. You don’t have to do ANYTHING. All you have to do is smile, say hello and look people in the eye. It’s a glorification of the golden rule, that’s all. And when you do things right, or properly (shudder), you’ll very quickly find that you’ve inadvertently made someone’s day. Sure, they’re probably going to look at you funny. That’s only because they aren’t used to it. They’ll go home and think about you though, and be impressed by your simple kindness. You never ever know what someone’s day has been like before they come across you. And you may not ever get to see how much of a difference you’ve made in someone’s spectacularly bad day. Sure, there are days where you just CAN’T pull out the nice face because it’s just been that bad. But those are the days where you need someone else to.




(Lindsey Curcio is a lawyer living outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her husband of 1 1/2 months, David, have several dogs and a couple of cats, and "get away from it all" as often as they can on camping trips around the southeast.)

Thank You

On this day of thankfulness, I just have a couple of things I want to express: thank you, gorgeous readers, for taking an interest in my blog (or for being a supportive friend - or both!). I get so excited to see that someone has left a comment, or get a sweet text on the day's post.
Second, I want to thank all of the Southern Belles who inspire me, and in doing so have inspired this blog. I am so appreciative of how I was raised by them and how I view the world because of them.
Y'all enjoy this day of family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!


(On another note, we set up our tree today...I do not recommend using kittens as Christmas Tree Ornaments.)

Sassy Seasonal Snack

Hey y'all!
My friend Kristi recently shared this recipe with me, and it is PERFECT for the Belle on a Budget!  This is quick to whip up and will please even the most finicky of tastes.  My recipe is an amalgamation of a few different recipes that I have found, and I did NOT cave to the sugar free versions (If I'm going to eat dessert, I'm not going to feel guilty about it - period!).  In my search for a picture to go with it, I stumbled across i heart food blogs who I highly recommend.  Anyway, without further ado:  Pumpkin Cheesecake Fluff!

1 (16 oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1 (1 1/2 oz) box instant pudding mix, cheesecake flavor

1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip

pumpkin pie spice to taste

Combine all ingredients in order.  Chill for two hours.  Serve.

Isn't that simple?  Serve it up in whatever containers you wish - I would go ahead and separate the mix into 4 servings before refrigerating.  teacups, martini glasses, ramekins - use your imagination!  You can make a lower-cal version if you want, simply use light cool whip and sugar-free instant pudding.

What kind of snacks do you serve hungry guests?



Making your House a Home

I don't know about you, but I don't have the opportunity to show overnight houseguests a huge amount of privacy. My husband and I fold out the couch in our office, make up the bed, and stay out of there for as long as they're visiting - we like to make sure our friends know we respect their space. If we have someone overnight in our living room, we try to stay out of it after we've all retired to bed, and not make noise when they're asleep.
A good rule of thumb when accommodating out of towners is to provide the comforts of home. Whether it is a spacious guest suite or a folded out couch, leaving a personal touch that says "We are so glad you're here" is so important. I like to put a little note with a bottle of water and bag of trail mix on the bed.
I also make sure to have anything a guest might need in the bathroom - here's my "Guest Basket:"




The basket was $5.99 at wal mart, and the little bottles are samples and travel bottles. I keep shampoo, conditioner and body wash as well as little disposable toothbrushes in eyesight of people staying with us. That way, they don't even have to ask where things are.

What are some tips you use to make guests feel at home?

Welcome, y'all!

Admittedly, some guests are harder to please than others.

I have been struggling with many emotions since I got married a little over a year ago. I want to be hip, I want to be trendy and fun; but I want to be the gracious hostess and Southern woman I know I was raised to be. It occurred to me recently that those things aren't mutually exclusive! Lightbulb Moment! I can be trendy and fun while making the people around me comfortable and happy, too! After all, isn't the true meaning of class not a display of your means, but an emphasis on making those around you comfortable?
So many of us (myself included) are working on incredibly tight budgets these days. It seems like there's no way to have a gorgeous home, greet weekend guests, and work full time on such a small budget. I know I would personally benefit from a live-in maid, but I am very aware that is not going to happen anytime soon! I look forward to exploring what makes a belle a Belle, and prying that inner southern gal out of all of us - whether you're in New York, Hong Kong, or the mountains of North Georgia.
I'd love to hear a situation or a conundrum you need help with! We can figure these out together!

Have a great week, y'all!

Charity Caroline