Easy Entertaining

    Easy Entertaining

    This section is full of ideas for entertaining with style and ease. Party ideas, recipes, great excuses and tips to make getting together even more fun....more

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Sort it out for spring

Sort it out for spring

Don't panic, we're not suggesting you clean all weekend long - there's no fun in that! But a change of season is a nice chance to freshen up your home and de-clutter, then show off your work by having some friends around.

  • Easy ways to pare back are…
  • Have a garage sale - or better still, get together with a few neighbours for a monster sale all on the one day. You'll attract more buyers and make some dosh, all the while getting rid of superfluous junk.
  • Look up your council's website to see when the next household collection is on - check what they will and won't take, but you should be able to turf items like furniture, faulty small appliances, and old carpet scraps. An easy way to create space in the shed or the garage - be ruthless!
  • Contact a charity organisation to see if they're interested in your pre-loved furniture. They'll often pick it up for free, saving you the hassle of disposing of these bulky items yourself. Just remember, nobody wants a torn or stained couch, so ensure that the furniture you're donating is in presentable, workable condition (if not, take it to the tip, where it belongs).
  • Flog gear on eBay - there is no limit to what you can sell, but a few ideas are toys and baby equipment; clothing and accessories you've hardly worn; or that second set of golf clubs. Check out click here/">http://my.freecycle.org/ if you fancy swapping your gear instead.
  • Got dozens of ancient bestsellers cluttering up your shelves? Sort them out - a pile of cherished titles to keep, and a stack to ditch. Ring a second-hand bookstore to receive a small fee for your boxful of books, or simply give them away to a church fete.
  • Now that your place is fit for visitors, host a get-together - we've got an invite to suit any occasion, whether you want to host a casual barbeque, sit-down lunch or too-cool cocktail party.

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