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Have A Holiday Tea Party This Year
Teatime! It's as if it's just part of being a girl ... hats, little teacups, beads and bracelets. Girls of all ages love a fabulous tea party!
There are so many great reasons to join up with our friends across the Atlantic and begin the tradition of afternoon tea EVERY day, but especially at the holidays, creating the tradition of a special holiday tea will provide a fabulous memory for our girls that will last a lifetime! Some of the benefits of planning a holiday tea:
1. It's fun! As I said above, girls of all ages LOVE the ritual of tea. Picture young ladies dressed in their holiday finery ... soft Christmas tunes playing in the background. There is something about pouring the liquid out of the pot into lovely cups... it's just a little slice of heaven.
2. It's peaceful. Be honest! This time of the year can be downright nutty at times and throughout most of the holiday season life is anything but peaceful. Provide a respite from the craziness of the holidays around a cup of tea. You'll see... peaceful.... ahhhhh, this is how the holidays should be!
3. It's memory building. Think of years from now when your girls will be recounting the fond memories of your holiday tea together. Better yet, imagine seeing your girls start the same tradition with their girls.
4. It's enriching. There is really no easier way to teach your young ladies manners than at a lovely tea table. Opportunities abound in teatime to show your little ladies how to be kind, quiet and caring, as well as how to use a fork, sip without slurping, etc.
5. It encourages conversation. What a great time to set aside and reminisce about old family traditions and memories of the holidays. Talk about favorite holidays of the past or memories of your grandparents' visits, etc.
Now the last thing I want to do is create more stress for your holidays by throwing something difficult on you. Relaxing tea parties can be very simple and resources and books abound on the topic. Here are some easy steps to plan your first holiday tea.
1. Keep it small. Invite only your daughter's closest friends and limit it to just a few for this first tea. If you're inviting moms and daughters and can enlarge your dining room table, plan for a comfortable space between guests at the table.
2. Set your date. The typical English teatime is in the afternoon but that doesn't have to be the rule for the holidays. Find a time that works best for you and your guests, and limit the time to about a two-hour slot so the time in itself doesn't create stress for your guests.
3. Plan your menu. Again, simple is best. Scones, cucumber sandwiches, and a nice array of holiday cookies would make for the perfect tea menu. We always have some back up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches too, just in case for the younger ones.
4. Send your invites. Keep them simple as well. Print them out with a fancy font on your computer and stamp with a poinsettia or other holiday image. Or use the wonderful clip art available online. Or, even better, if your girls enjoy drawing and you have time, make handmade invitations.
5. On the day of the tea, set an elegant table. This is the only part of our holiday tea where I'd say go elaborate rather than simple. Use your finest plates and teacups, cloth napkins and napkin rings if you have them. Have your girls make up place cards for each guest so as they come in they can be seated immediately. Turn on the holiday music and start the tea water to boiling as the guest arrive so it will be at it's freshest when you all sit. Most of all relax and enjoy the tea with your guests. This is not an event where you'll want to be getting up and down. Pour out and begin sharing your favorite holiday memories.
Start with a holiday tea this year and you'll see... it will become an annual tradition not to be missed!
BONUS : Having A Heart To Heart With Your Teenagers
Teen years are some of the most turbulent between a parent and a child. Often, you want to impart wisdom to them, but they dont want to hear what you have to say. After all, you dont know what its like to be a kid today. Wouldnt you love to have a book that could help bridge the communication gap?
Bill OReilly, anchor of Foxs The OReilly Factor, has co-authored a book, The OReilly Factor for Kids, that does just that.
Subtitled A Survival Guide for Americas Families, the book is written to teenagers addressing a variety of topics.
The first section addresses people in your life including friends, or so called friends, as the case may be, who should be there when you need them and let you be yourself. Theres getting along with your siblings and the benefits of helping each other out. And, finding out how to disagree with your parents in a responsible way.
Next, OReilly tackles your private life why it really IS uncool to do any kind of drug, why you should wait to have intercourse, why hours upon hours of TV isnt a good idea, and why listening to music with explicit language isnt really enjoyable. He talks about the importance of earning and managing your money and why and how to have fun. All the things youve been trying for the last 5 10 years to say. The difference is that it isnt coming out of your mouth.
The third section focuses on school. Ladies, do you want to dress provocatively at school and if so, what does that say about you? Men, playing a sport in school is stupid, right? Is cheating worth the risk? If you read a book that isnt required, is it a waste of your time? Is it a good idea to make a bad teachers life miserable? Youll be glad to know OReilly answers no to all of these questions and explains why it is NOT so.
Finally, the last section deals with things to think about health, work, helping others, death He even brings up religion and the importance God has played in his life.
OReilly comes out and tells the readers that Life Isnt Fair. Just telling it like it is and in a way they can understand. With a format that intertwines Bills Story with IMings (Instant Messages for those of us less with it .)
When all is said and done, he has covered the important topics in a way that most parents would agree with. Like it or not, teenagers tune us out and we become a talking head. Take advantage of this resource to present another persons point of view.
Teen years are some of the most turbulent between a parent and a child. Often, you want to impart wisdom to them, but they dont want to hear what you have to say. After all, you dont know what its like to be a kid today. Wouldnt you love to have a book that could help bridge the communication gap?
Bill OReilly, anchor of Foxs The OReilly Factor, has co-authored a book, The OReilly Factor for Kids, that does just that.
Subtitled A Survival Guide for Americas Families, the book is written to teenagers addressing a variety of topics.
The first section addresses people in your life including friends, or so called friends, as the case may be, who should be there when you need them and let you be yourself. Theres getting along with your siblings and the benefits of helping each other out. And, finding out how to disagree with your parents in a responsible way.
Next, OReilly tackles your private life why it really IS uncool to do any kind of drug, why you should wait to have intercourse, why hours upon hours of TV isnt a good idea, and why listening to music with explicit language isnt really enjoyable. He talks about the importance of earning and managing your money and why and how to have fun. All the things youve been trying for the last 5 10 years to say. The difference is that it isnt coming out of your mouth.
The third section focuses on school. Ladies, do you want to dress provocatively at school and if so, what does that say about you? Men, playing a sport in school is stupid, right? Is cheating worth the risk? If you read a book that isnt required, is it a waste of your time? Is it a good idea to make a bad teachers life miserable? Youll be glad to know OReilly answers no to all of these questions and explains why it is NOT so.
Finally, the last section deals with things to think about health, work, helping others, death He even brings up religion and the importance God has played in his life.
OReilly comes out and tells the readers that Life Isnt Fair. Just telling it like it is and in a way they can understand. With a format that intertwines Bills Story with IMings (Instant Messages for those of us less with it .)
When all is said and done, he has covered the important topics in a way that most parents would agree with. Like it or not, teenagers tune us out and we become a talking head. Take advantage of this resource to present another persons point of view.
