Summer nights, cool drinks, fun evenings with friends. Winter nights, cozying up while the rain beats on the glass roof – no you can’t beat a Conservatory at any time of the year. It offers you extra space, a place to play, a place to entertain and most of all a perfect place to serve as a gateway to your garden.

It’s imperative to have the very best Conservatory that you can afford and before you make any decisions try to get a few quotations from companies that are recommended to you or that you feel look hopeful after an internet search. I discovered SEHBAC Double Glazing on the internet and would definitely include them on any shortlist.

Under floor heating will trap the heat in winter. Once thing you definitely do NOT want is a hot house in summer and an igloo in winter. The idea is to create something extraordinary in which to put a special dining table, chairs and relaxing sofa. A beautiful dining area with great views of the garden will be a talking point for you and your guests. It will be a comfortable, tranquil area – set apart from the almost “business-like” areas in the rest of the house. Hopefully your blinds will prove perfect for those warmer summer day gatherings when they can offer that extra bit of privacy, when required.

Owning a Conservatory is a joy in itself and can make you feel like you’re permanently on holiday. Perhaps even more importantly, when you eventually decide to sell your property, you’ll find that the investment you’ve made will be reflected in the asking price. A good looking, well built, double glazed Conservatory dining area is definitely a unique selling point!

A friend was throwing a dinner party and so determined that everyone would enjoy themselves he turned the whole affair into a Vegetarian meal in order to pacify the three out of ten who were veggies.  At the last minute the veggies didn’t turn up … annoying.

Desperate to get it right I did some research and was inspired by the headline “easy to make dishes that anyone can eat”.  I was NOT so impressed by the recipe that followed for Lemony Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad – really hard to make!  Mind you, no party should be without healthy options.  Colourful vegetables should be a staple on any buffet table and you might like to include a low fat dressing and some baked pita bread.

It’s important that guests should be able to walk around holding the party food in one hand and their drink in the other.  Allow around six appetisers per person for a drinks party or about ten if the party is lasting all evening.  There should be at least five to six different food choices.  Tasty appetisers could include Ensalata Caprese skewers, Crab wonton cups, warm dates with goat’s cheese and Parma ham, creamy dips and potato wedges.  If you fancy have more of a table centre dish, why not consider fondue or chocolate fountain?  Fondue is not always easy, but very well received and a seafood fondue in particular is always a winner!

If your party evolves and you find yourself desperate to provide food at a moment’s notice, turn to chicken wings, mini hot dogs, mini muffins, cream cheese and tortilla dips, sausages and meatballs.  No one will complain!

Apparently, here in Britain, we spend about £32 billion a year entertaining each other at Dinner Parties!  The average family will host around fourteen full dinner parties per anum.  One thing’s for sure, if you’re going to spend all that money, you better choose the right guests to sit round your table and enjoy!

Apparently most of us prefer to attend a dinner party thrown by a friend rather than fling one ourselves.  I can well believe that!  I mean who doesn’t like a great meal, no work, nice company and all for the price of a bottle of wine?

If you are throwing a party choose your guests wisely.  Don’t invite anyone who might bring one of their children with them to “be put to bed upstairs” or friends who never arrive on time, can’t find anywhere to park then have to leave early.  Try to avoid friends who are “Picky eaters”.  This ranges from gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, veggies, allergic to nuts and shellfish.  Then there are the couples who just aren’t “getting along”.  They’ll break into their own personal verbal warfare at any moment, leaving everyone else feeling awkward.  Friends who love to discuss politics, religion and even soaps can be a bit dull and cause unnecessary disagreements around the table.  Then there are the texters and mobile phone freaks that just can’t let the thing out of their sight.

Given all these reservations it’s amazing we DO throw so many Dinner parties here in Britain.  There must be something we like about each other!

A friend is getting married soon and has asked everyone he knows to bring him old champagne corks.  He’s looking to use them as part of his Wedding Breakfast table decorations – goodness knows how.  It’s always good to come up with great dinner party tableware and decorations.  An Interior Designer I know immediately chirped up with “go into the garden and grab some twigs and leaves” when I asked for tips on table decorations.  Great idea – those lovely, brightly coloured leaves and woody twigs interspersed with candles and an inexpensive table runner look elegant, effortless and minimalist.

Another great idea for a table decoration is to choose a series of medium, slim vases, fill them with water then press whole lemons inside till the whole things are filled.  These look stunning and are also inexpensive.  Another tack might be to fold the evening’s menu into a triangle or circle and place around a lighted candle.  The effect can be stunning.  There’s a move toward using table confetti that I enjoy – it’s available very cheaply at party shops and really can brighten up a white table cloth.

Focussing on the crockery and tableware now, a good, white dinner service is hard to beat, long lasting and can be purchased as a “Seconds” set (slightly imperfect).  If expense is no object it’s good to purchase a dining service for seasonal use (Christmas and winter) and another for summer, but don’t forget you’ll have to store it all somewhere when not in use.

Meanwhile back at the Wedding Breakfast, I can’t wait to find out what my friend does with all those champagne corks …

Themed partyware, special food boxes, themed food, decorations, helium balloons and those all important “Goodie-loot-party bags” don’t come cheap!  When it comes to holding a child’s birthday party at home, you better be inventive or dig deep!

During my son’s early years I began to dread the birthday party.  Everyone else asked everyone in the school class to their parties and I wasn’t going to get away with anything less.  To have up to thirty 6-year-olds marauding through your home on a Saturday afternoon (if it’s too cold for the garden) felt a nightmare in the making.

Just remember, on the whole, no child wants to receive an educational present.  They’re rare if they do.  If they’re received, best to keep them in a cupboard for re-gifting.  Great gifts include a DVD, CD, video game, book, football, sewing kit, voucher for the cinema, doll or action hero figure, depending on their age of course.

On one occasion, I can remember my son requesting a football party with a Barbie doll cake.  I thought it odd at the time, but now I look back I can see he was just running true to form.  Everything had to match – the paper plates, drink cups, napkins and table cloths.

The goodie/loot party bags were stuffed full of items such as fun pens, sweets, piece of cake, hats, blowers, whistles and anything I could get from the local party shop.  These days you’ll find everything you need online and the choice is much better.  Why not do yourself a favour and buy in bulk, you’ll need at least ten year’s worth!