How to Throw a Christmas PartyIn Feburary 2016 28,

In Feburary 2016 28,
Make three key decisions before solidifying Christmas party plans: Whether you’re planning a sit-down dinner party, casual cocktail party or a holiday open house; what day you plan to host the party; and who will be invited. You can also choose a theme, such an ugly Christmas sweater party, if you like. Saturdays in December are ideal for holiday parties, but your guests’ weekend calendars book up quickly. For fewer conflicts, plan a party earlier in the month rather than close to Christmas. Send out invitations at least four weeks in advance. For a formal party, send proper paper invitations featuring holiday themes; for a casual or small party, an email invitation or phone call is probably sufficient.
Planning the Decor
Adorn your home with even more Christmas decorations than you normally would for the season; a thoroughly decked-out home makes a party’s ambiance that much more festive. Aim to have a good number of presents wrapped and under the twinkling Christmas tree; if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet, wrap up some empty boxes in matching paper tied with satin ribbon. For a simple decoration, collect vintage ornaments and place them in glass bowls or pitchers. Don’t forget to hang a large wreath or red bow on the door so guests know where the party is located.
Picking the Menu
The menu can vary drastically based on the type of party you’re planning. For an elegant holiday party, “Gourmet” magazine recommends serving roasted prime rib with a side of potato and porcini mushroom gratin, broccoli and cauliflower and rosemary popovers. This follows the “keep it simple” mantra noted by Style At Home: Keep it simple with a salad, main dish with a starchy side and two vegetables. For cocktail parties, focus on bite-sized appetizers that you can make in advance and freeze. “Bon Apetit” magazine suggests miniature crab cakes, beef sates and pear and cherry and pine nut tartlets as some dessert options. Serve both red and white wine, a seasonal beer and a signature cocktail; something red, such as a cranberry margarita or spiced sangria, is festive and widely appealing. Stock up on nonalcoholic drinks, too, such as coffee, sodas, cocoa, cider and water.
Selecting the Entertainment
For many holiday parties, all the entertainment that guests need is the ability to catch up with other family and friends. Put on seasonal music, but keep the tunes low so guests can hear each other easily. For a cocktail party, choose upbeat jazzy Christmas classics; at a dinner party, low and slow traditional carols might be more appropriate. If many of your guests don’t know each other, a game such as the Christmas-themed “Guess Me” icebreaker might get them talking. Write classic Christmas characters, such as Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol,” Kevin McCallister from “Home Alone” and Ralphie from “A Christmas Story,” on name tags and place them on guests’ backs when they arrive. Guests must ask each other questions to figure out who their character is; the first three to correctly guess win a prize.
In Feburary 2016 28,

How to Put a Website on a CDIn Feburary 2016 04,

In Feburary 2016 04,
Create a new folder and name it 'website'. You can change the name of the folder later, if necessary.
Download and install an FTP client. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and allows for the rapid exchange of files across the Internet. Many free options exist: two of the most popular ones, FileZilla and Classic FTP (see Resources below), work on both Windows and Macintosh computers.
Open the FTP client. There will be a 'Connect' or 'Quick Connect' option at the top through which you can connect to a Web server, a section showing the file directories of your computer, and a section that will show the file directories of any server you connect to. Navigate to the empty 'website' folder on your computer and double-click it.
Access your Web site's files with the connection form. Under 'host', type 'ftp://yoursitename.com' (in general, replace the 'http://' command you would use with a Web browser with the 'ftp://' command). In the 'Username' and 'Password' boxes, type the login information you use to log in to your web host's control panel. If there's a 'Port' option, leave it blank and press Enter. The file directory of your Web site will soon show up in the right boxes.
Highlight everything in the large box on the right by clicking once anywhere inside it and pressing CTRL+A (or Command+A on a Mac), which will 'Select All.' Drag the selection to the box to the left, which should have your 'website' folder open. Your files will queue up and begin to transfer one at a time; wait until everything finishes.
If your Web site uses a database, you also have to copy that information. Log in to your web host's control panel and access the 'Databases' or 'MySQL' option. Select any database that appears, or select an 'edit database' option until a phpMyAdmin window pops up.
Select a database folder on the left, then click the 'Export' tab on the top. Scroll to the bottom. Check off the 'Save as File' box, then press 'Go.' The database will be downloaded to your computer. Repeat this step for every database you have on your site.
Insert a blank CD into your CD drive. Open a 'Computer' or 'My Computer' window on a PC, or a new Finder window on a Mac, and then select your CD drive. Drag your 'website' folder and your database downloads into the window, then select the 'Write' or 'Burn' option.
In Feburary 2016 04,