Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy New Year! Today marks the Chinese New Year, heralding the start of the Year of the Dragon.

The symbol of the dragon is the most powerful sign in the Chinese zodiac, being highly revered and associated with power and wisdom.

It appears once every 12 years and is considered to be very lucky.


"This is a water dragon, and that pertains to more calm, basically things calming down after heating up," said CNN's Stan Grant. "What they'll be looking for is economic news, China is going into a bit of a slowdown right now, the GDP is coming off a little."


Although it's commonly called "Chinese New Year", the lunar new year is also celebrated by Koreans and the Vietnamese.

Below are some Chinese New Year events in the GTA:


•CIBC Lunarfest

•Chinese New Year celebration - Scarborough Civic Centre (Jan. 29, 2-4 p.m.)

•Chinatown Foodies Walk - Hosted by Shirley Lum (Jan. 23, 29 & 30; Feb. 5, 6, 12-14; 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.)

•Chinese New Year celebration - Chinese Cultural Centre, Scarborough (Jan. 22, noon-3 p.m.)

•Year of the Dragon banquet - Chinese Cultural Centre (Jan. 29, dinner at 7 p.m.)

•Year of the Dragon events at Pacific Mall - New Year's Eve countdown (Jan. 22, 10:30 p.m.), New Year's Day (Jan. 23, 3 p.m.) and lion dance performances (Jan. 28, 12:30 p.m.)

Consumers don’t know skills of Realtors – survey

Of the more than 120,000 Ontarians who used a Realtor to buy or sell a home last year, many did so without fully understanding the expertise and skills Realtors provide, says a new Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) survey. Conducted by Leger Marketing, the survey says only 10 per cent of Ontarians who have used a Realtor know that Realtors are trained in environmental issues, and even fewer (six per cent) are aware that family law is part of a Realtor’s education.

Barbara Sukkau, president of OREA, says, “Most clients do not realize that Realtors are aware of family law issues when selling a family home during a divorce, or that Realtors can advise about home inspections based on our knowledge of building construction in the province.”

Even though people who have used a Realtor in the past were not aware of specific areas of a Realtor’s education, they do recognize the ethical integrity of the profession as 70 per cent of respondents knew that Realtors must abide by a code of ethics. Also, 50 per cent knew that Realtors must continue their education when they begin practicing to stay informed of changes in the industry.

OREA has produced a video about what a Realtor can do for them, available at http://bit.ly/OREARealtor.

Royal LePage Predicts Further Home Price Appreciation in 2012- Canada

Royal LePage Predicts Further Home Price Appreciation Contrary to Recent Talk of Decline


National real estate price correction not likely until 2013 at the earliest

TORONTO, January, 2012 –The Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast released today showed the average price of a home in Canada increased between 3.6 and 6.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to the previous year. Royal LePage expects average price growth to continue through 2012 and predicts national average prices to increase by 2.8 per cent by the end of the year.



Despite calls in some quarters for Canadian house prices to soften in 2011, the market proved resilient as demand created by low interest rates and a relatively stable national economy created upward pricing pressure for all housing types surveyed. Further, recent high profile reports forecasting significant house price declines in 2012 are not supportable. Nationally, consumer confidence in the housing market was high in the fourth quarter as real estate brokers witnessed an unusually high quantity of multiple offer situations, including over the holiday season, compared to same period in previous years.



In the fourth quarter, standard two-storey homes rose 4.2 per cent year-over-year to $375,427, while detached bungalows increased 6.1 per cent to $344,392. Average prices for standard condominiums increased 3.6 per cent to $234,680.



“In the recovery period following the 2008-2009 recession, I found myself repeatedly speaking of ‘irrational exuberance’ in the Canadian housing market,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “Expectations were too high and the pace of expansion unsupportable. With this report, I find myself in exactly the opposite position. Widespread calls for a major real estate correction in 2012 simply can’t be justified. The industry has significant momentum entering the year, and buoyed by the stimulative effect of very low interest rates, we expect the market to continue to expand – albeit at a slower pace.”



While 2011 was a very strong year for price growth, over the past five years, including the recessionary period, Canada’s average home prices have grown by only 3.5 per cent compounded annually, well below the long term average rate of appreciation. Canada’s GDP has also grown modestly over the same period and the economy is expected to expand by approximately two per cent in 2012. While unemployment remains stubbornly higher then pre-recession levels, sustained employment at today’s levels in a low interest rate environment can be expected to support continued average house price appreciation across the country.



Canadians remain confident in their real estate investments. Throughout 2011, buyers took advantage of low rates to enter the housing market or move-up to homes that better suited their family’s needs or wants. All regions included in the Royal LePage Market Survey Forecast anticipate positive average price growth in 2012. This includes the relatively expensive Toronto and Vancouver regions, where rising home prices have consistently out-paced the other urban centres.



”We believe calls for falling prices and more affordable housing in 2012 are unlikely to materialize,” said Soper. “While this will comfort the seventy per cent of Canadians who are homeowners, there is cause for concern when house price growth outpaces increases in wages and salaries for an extended period of time. Coupled with more restrictive mortgage regulations that have made it more difficult to obtain financing, those who aspire to own a home may find it increasingly difficult to enter the housing market and, in some regions, it may leave people out entirely.”



Regionally, Royal LePage expects to see cities with commodity-based economies, such as Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg, outperform larger urban centres such as Toronto and Vancouver. Royal LePage has forecast Calgary’s average house prices to climb 3.6 per cent in 2012. In 2011, the largest average price increase was seen in Regina, where average prices for standard two-storey homes rose 19.5 per cent year-over-year.

Regional Market Summaries

In Halifax, strong consumer confidence and low interest rates led to healthy year-over-year price appreciation for all three housing types surveyed. Average price gains ranged from 4.5 to 6.7 per cent for the housing types surveyed. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Halifax are forecast to be 3.4 per cent higher than 2011.
First-time buyers and consumer confidence helped push Montreal’s prices up in the fourth quarter of 2011. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Montreal are forecast to be 1.3 per cent higher than 2011.


A strong local economy and low interest rates resulted in healthy year-over-year price appreciation in Ottawa with gains ranging from 5.0 to 6.7 per cent. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Ottawa are forecast to be 3.3 per cent higher than 2011.

Lack of inventory in Toronto produced strong year-over-year price appreciation in 2011. Average price gains ranged from 3.4 to 7.2 per cent for the housing types surveyed. Migration and low interest rates also continue to drive real estate prices. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Toronto are forecast to increase 2.6 per cent over 2011.

Immigration and low interest rates produced healthy year-over-year price appreciation in Winnipeg’s real estate market with average price gains ranging from 3.7 to 5.0 per cent. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Winnipeg are forecast to be 4.2 per cent higher than 2011.


Lack of inventory and strong demand drove average year-over-year price gains in Regina. Price appreciation ranged from standard condominiums posting a 7.9 per cent gain to standard two-storey homes posting a 19.5per cent gain, the largest gain among housing types surveyed across Canada. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Regina are forecast to be 5.0 per cent higher than 2011.

Calgary witnessed modest year-over-year price gains in two housing types – standard two-storey homes and standard condominiums, while the detached bungalow rose 6.2 per cent. Lack of inventory for detached bungalows was cited as the reason for the increase. Edmonton, posted modest gains for all three housing types surveyed, which ranged from 1.3 to 3.2 per cent. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Calgary are forecast to increase 3.6 per cent, while Edmonton house prices are expected to increase by 2.6 per cent compared to 2011.


Vancouver continued to experience some of Canada’s largest year-over-year price increases ranging from the standard condominiums rising 10.7 per cent to detached bungalows rising 14.1 per cent. At the end of 2012, average house prices in Vancouver are forecast to be 2.3 per cent higher than 2011.

About the Royal LePage House Price Survey

The Royal LePage House Price Survey is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind in Canada, with information on seven types of housing in over 250 neighbourhoods from coast to coast. This release references an abbreviated version of the survey, which highlights house price trends for the three most common types of housing in Canada in 80 communities across the country. A complete database of past and present surveys is available on the Royal LePage Web site at www.royallepage.ca. Current figures will be updated following the complete tabulation of the data for the second quarter. A printable version of the fourth quarter 2011 survey will be available online on February 10th, 2011.

Housing values in the Royal LePage House Price Survey are Royal LePage opinions of fair market value in each location, based on local data and market knowledge provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts.

Canadian Housing Trends - Royal LePage 2012 Market Survey Forecast



About Royal LePage

Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country’s leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of 14,000 real estate professionals in over 600 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, dedicated to supporting women's & children’s shelters and educational programs aimed at ending domestic violence. Royal LePage is a Brookfield Real Estate Services Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbol TSX:BRE.

Second-Best Year on Record for Sales (Toronto Real Estate Market)

Second-Best Year on Record for Sales!






January 5, 2012 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,718 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in December 2011. The December result capped off the second-best year on record under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries. Total sales for 2011 amounted to 89,347 – up four per cent in comparison to 2010.






“Low borrowing costs kept Buyers confident in their ability to comfortably cover their mortgage payments along with other major housing costs,” said TREB President Richard Silver. “If Buyers had not been constrained by a shortage of listings over the past 12 months, we would have been flirting with a new sales record in the Greater Toronto Area,” added Silver.






The average selling price in December was $451,436 – up four per cent compared to December 2010. For all of 2011, the average selling price was $465,412, an increase of eight per cent in comparison to the average of $431,276 in 2010.






“Months of inventory remained below the pre-recession norm in 2011. Very tight market conditions meant substantial competition between Buyers and strong upward pressure on selling prices,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.






“TREB’s baseline forecast for 2012 is for an average price of $485,000, representing a more moderate four per cent annual rate of price growth. This baseline view is subject to a heightened degree of risk given the uncertain global economic outlook,” continued Mercer.


If you would like more detailed information. Email me to request a PDF file of Market Watch or my preferred client update can be mailed right to your door.

Whether selling OR buying, the key to taking advantage of current market conditions is working with the right realtor. When you hear of anyone who may want to buy or sell, please contact me at the office. I promise you that I will take care of them, do a great job and provide them with the best customer service. If you would like any more information, I’m here to help.

New Website http://www.lisamovesyou.ca/

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I'm sweet on you-Dedicated to some Athletes at Wilfred Laurier.

Easy Recipe dedicated to some Atheletes at Wilfred Laurier University.

Small oatmeal raisin cookies are loaded with fibre and rank high on the hunger-busting scale.




Ingredients



1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked rolled oats

3/4 cup(s) whole-grain wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup(s) regular butter, softened

1/4 cup(s) sugar

1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar

1 large egg(s)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup(s) raisins, chopped



Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF





In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until incorporated. Add egg and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Add oat mixture and mix until just combined; fold in raisins.





Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto 2 ungreased cookie sheets, about 1-inch apart each. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11 to 12 minutes for crispy cookies. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes; remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

Get out your Grater!!! Low Carb Zucchini Pancakes for Dinner.

My Mom and I are very careful these days with our diet and after we shared a Pizza by Doctor Oetker(the one with the Funghi) , we were still kind of hungry.

Pizza is not really "dinner" when you are Italian and actually, if it were not the fact that I am only half Italian, well, I couldn't really get away with actually serving a baked frozen pizza.

I am sure it is one of the cardinal sins. Pizza is more like a snack. I recently started Weight Watchers because it is the one method of weight loss I had never tried. I had 8 points left, what’s a girl to do?

I made these awesome pancakes that are only 3 points a serving. I have no idea what that is in “Dog Calories” but my Mom (pickiest eater on earth next to my niece) well she LOVED them.

So here is the recipe…..

Ingredients



2 medium uncooked zucchini, coarsely grated

1/2 small uncooked onion(s), coarsely grated

1/3 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp pine nuts, finely chopped

1 large egg(s)

1 large egg white(s)

1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

Stir together all ingredients; mix well.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Spoon batter into skillet to form 3-inch pancakes. Fry on each side until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter. Yields 2 pancakes per serving.


Here are two of my favourite "picky" eaters xoxo

Feng Shui for Newbies and Tonights Hockey game

Earlier this morning, I had a visit from a nice young couple from Thunderbay, they have flown in just to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play Winnepeg tonight. 

When they walked into my home, I could feel the energy "shift". They had good feng shui. 

I was telling them that I need more chi or zen !  I also told them about  watching Steven and Chris the other day, they interviewed an awesome Feng shui consultant Laura Morris.  She made sense. I loved what she did with simple items like art boxes and fluff furry pillows.  

I have decided that I seriously need to Feng Shui and I would like to do this in time for my Moms Birthday, which is January 23rd, it coincides with Chinese New Year.  I think Positive Thoughts create good feng shui, so tonight I am thinking Positive-for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I must take care of the corners in my home and in my office, possibly even my car.(I'm a newbie, so maybe you cannot feng shui a car)

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui can be more personalized when using your Kua Number, make sure you use a Chinese Calendar and not your western birth.  Using the iPhone App is the most accurate way.

My Number is 7.  Feng Shui is based on the 4 corners of your home or office.  So I am arranging some things to see if I can get the Leafs to score 4 goals tonight in 3 periods. Add the 4+3-7(my number) If that works-Then I think I should buy a lotto ticket on Friday.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy and system designed to help you live more harmoniously with your environment. Feng shui literally translates into wind-water and is believed to help improve our lives by bringing us positive qi (chi) or energy. We could all use a little more positive energy in our lives. : )

In my search to find the best (aka easiest + cheapest) ways to add a little feng shui style to my home, I found three basic ways of finding that harmony but I am searching for more, so please if you have info, send me a message. : )

1) De-Clutter. This is the easiest of the three steps, and the one that will provide the most noticeable and immediate effect. Less clutter equals less stress. Get rid of anything you don’t need, use, or love. (Better yet, donate it to a good cause.)

When deciding what to keep in your space, try to avoid excessive use of overhead lighting and anything with sharp corners. The general goal is to create spaces that are balanced, as in the yin and the yang. Your home should make you feel relaxed, stimulated, or energetic without feeling lethargic, depressed, or anxious.

2) Define your spaces – making at least one space a relaxation area. On Zimbio.com, feng shui expert, Ken Lauer, states, “As the threshold between your home and the outside world, you want to bring a bit of the natural world into your living room using Feng Shui colors.”

3) Introduce the five basic elements of feng shui into your home. There are five basic elements in feng shui design – wood, fire, metal, earth, and water. Each element is associated with different benefits, and is represented by corresponding colors, shapes, positions in the home, and symbols. The directions in the chart below indicate a good positioning for the element for general harmony.

When you begin decorating, start small so none of the elements become overwhelming. (Another great way to start is by simply adding A Buddha, which always brings good energy into your home.) The elements you introduce should “get along” with the other aspects of the home, and be represented in every area of your home for the fullest benefits. To make the most impact, focus on color first, shape second and material third.

Placing the elements in different positions of the home will result in different effects. This is actually quite interesting so I plan to learn alot more about this philosophy. I don't think I would hire a home stager for one of my sellers unless they understood the philosophy behind various cultures. To me, it is all a matter of respect.

Feng shui is an ancient art with many interesting aspects, which we will explore further in this blog. Feel free to comment with your own feng shui decorating ideas and experiences. I would love to hear about the effects it has on your life!

The Steve and Chris show which aired January 2nd, 2012 included some additional info.

I am gonna "borrow" some photos,

The Elements
Here's how to make a 5 ELEMENTS ARRANGEMENT for your home:

First, choose a vessel that appeals to you. This could be anything from a glass vase, tabletop mirror or a clay dish.


Then add something from each of the 5 Elements.

1. WOOD

Wood is represented in things like: bamboo, fresh flowers, silk flowers, fruit - lemons and limes work great!

Water items: crystals, mirrored surfaces, glass stones, glass vases and you guessed it, water!

Metal is found in: gold (i.e. gold coins or gold stones) or even simple pennies!
 
 

Earth items can be: stones, sand, a clay bowl or a porcelain plate as your vessel

Fire can be represented with candles or even seashells.




Laura says, "Make it your own. Use things you like and that you find pleasing - this is going to enhance your energy so have fun and be creative."

Colours Associated with the Elements

Wood - greens


Fire - reds, oranges (some purples)

Earth - yellow, ochres, browns

Metal - white, metallics

Water - black, dark blue




•Plants are always growing so they stimulate chi in any room. You should avoid large plants in the bedroom where you need to sleep and rest. They also take oxygen out of the air at night and produce carbon dioxide.

•Keep dried flowers no longer than a few weeks. It's like having a graveyard in your house. It's dying, deteriorating chi.

•Make sure they are always healthy. Get rid of bug infested plants and sick or dead plants right away.

•A thorny cactus plant or any spiky plant like yucca and mother-in-law's tongue, emits loads of cutting chi and symbolically indicates a dry, hostile environment so light, airy plants with rounded leaves are always favoured.

Have a great day everyone! Let me know how this works for you. 

Lisa

Happy New Year- Buyer's Beware

Buyer's Beware


Julie’s story is a great example of what not to do. She and her husband, looking at cottage properties in the Muskoka area, had made appointments with several realtors.



“The agent pushed a form across the desk that said `buyer agreement’ on it. She told us she could not take us to the first showing until we had signed this document,” Julie said.



“We drove in our car, following the agent in her car, to four properties. At most 1.5 hours later, we said goodbye.”



Only when they returned to Toronto did they read what they had agreed to. They were locked into an exclusive relationship for six months, covering any properties in the Muskoka area.



The broker of record at the firm offered to assign a more experienced agent to work with them, but refused to rip up the document.



The couple waited until the agreement expired to look in Muskoka again, not wanting to deal with a firm that abused their trust by filling out forms without consulting them.



“We went on a blind date and turned out to have signed a marriage license,” Julie complained.



Bill Johnston, president of the Toronto Real Estate Board, has heard such stories before. As a lawyer and a realtor, he knows that buyer agreements can cause confusion and stress when not used properly.



“It’s an outrage,” he says about an agreement covering a six-month period when the buyer and agent have just met each other.



“You can have a trial marriage for a week to 10 days to see if it works out. That serves the client’s interests as well as the agent’s.”



He’s also concerned about agreements that cover too wide an area.



“Market knowledge is critical. Residential real estate people are localized in our expertise,” he adds.



Filling out a form that specifies an exclusive relationship for any properties in the province of Ontario — which he’s seen — is also outrageous, he says.



Let’s go back a few decades to see how the relationship between buyers and real estate agents has evolved.



In 1983, the Federal Trade Commission in the United States did a study showing that three out of four buyers believed the agent they worked with represented their interests.



In those days, agents working with buyers were under a legal obligation to get the highest price for the seller. They couldn’t put a buyer’s interests first (though many still did).



The FTC report led to changes on both sides of the border. Starting in 1995, the Canadian Real Estate Association said agents had to disclose in writing how they were acting for buyers.



The disclosure rules were adopted by the Real Estate Council of Ontario, a public agency formed to regulate the industry and protect consumers.



Buyers now have a choice. They can sign a buyer representation agreement, confirming an exclusive relationship for a period of time with a realtor firm committed to make best efforts on the buyer’s behalf.



They can also sign a buyer customer service agreement, acknowledging that a broker has explained agency relationships (such as sub-agency, buyer representation, multiple representation and customer service).



The Toronto Real Estate Board has created YouTube videos and a website, www.BRAfirst.ca, to give the benefits of a buyer representation agreement. Here’s how Johnston sees it.



“I’m investing a lot of time and effort, using my expertise, negotiating on your behalf. I’m obliged to show you any properties that meet your search parameters. I bring a lot of valuable services to the table.



“There needs to be some reciprocity. I need to know you’re serious. Otherwise, it’s like a lottery.”



Here are the best practices he recommends to avoid confusion with buyer representation agreements.



Introduce the agreement at the outset of a relationship. Talk about signing it for a week or 10 days. If that works, go up to a month or two.



Limit the agreement to a specific address or neighbourhood. Don’t write “the city of Toronto.”



Tell buyers they can sign a representation agreement or refuse to sign it. They have a choice.



Provide a written service guarantee, agreeing to release buyers from an agreement if they’re dissatisfied (as long as they pay commissions on any property shown by the agent if purchased later).



Never give buyers a representation agreement to sign — without explaining it — just before they submit an offer on a home.



“That’s unethical behaviour and shouldn’t happen,” Johnston says

Starting a Dinner Party Club for Singles!

I have no idea how to do this. I think this is a great idea to get your favourite people together to socialize while not being forced to go to bars to meet other singles...Please if you have ideas...contribute. Here is what I found out so far.

Ideas for Starting a Dinner Club


If you think about it, a dinner club is not much different than a bridge club, a needlepoint club, or a bowling club. Each of those clubs revolves around a group of people who enjoy a similar pastime, and food is usually involved in some capacity. Dinner clubs simply revolve around people who primarily enjoy food and good company. So all that's really required to start a dinner club is a group of people who are willing to regularly gather for conversation, entertainment, and, of course, dinner (or some variation thereof). If you need some ideas to get your efforts underway for your own dinner club, these five tips are for you:



Set a regular date that's easy to remember. Starting a dinner club means meeting regularly—whether it's monthly, bi-monthly, or even quarterly. Pick a night that works for everyone on your guest list—say the first Thursday of every month—and then set it in stone so it becomes a regular feature on people's calendars. Set your schedule far in advance (for the year if possible), with designated hosts for each event.

When determining your guest list, start small. As you start to assemble your participants for the dinner club, be realistic. It's unlikely that most of the people on your list can host a dinner party for 75. Unless you and your friends live in mansions, your dining rooms, dining room tables, and china sets probably accommodate 12–16 people at the most, so keep your group to that size or smaller when you're getting started. Besides, hosting a grand event for a large number of people may intimidate some of your dinner club members into simply bowing out if it becomes too much of a burden.

Think about how your group will "mix." We all have fabulous friends, but if you're choosing among them for the most logical eight to join your dinner club, think about their backgrounds, how they interact, if they get along, and if they have anything in common to discuss over a lengthy dinner and evening of conversation. Also, be sensitive to those in your group who are married, single, or have children. Just as a single friend may not want to join you, your spouse, and three of your closest couple-friends for dinner each month, a married couple with children may feel out of place among a table full of childless single people.

Set the tone for the dinner club by kicking things off at your house. Offer to start the dinner club by hosting the first event at your home. Plan for an evening that is comprised of much more than just food. Besides an amazing menu of your choice, plan for ambiance. Your dinner plans can be formal or informal—let the only rule be that there are no rules. If you're going formal, set your table with your finest china, silver, and glassware, and create or buy a stunning centerpiece that compliments the formality of your meal. Use menu cards to announce the meal, placecards to seat your guests, and your finest linens at each place setting. Have background music playing when your guests arrive, and plenty of candles scattered throughout the living and dining areas. Finally, send each guest home with a small favor—a chocolate, knick-knack, or small plant to remind them of the evening.

Be creative as your dinner club builds momentum. As things get rolling and your dinner club participants start to get the hang of it, encourage your group to think outside the box. Have your guests choose and focus on a theme for their event—from Asian Fusion or Italian to Hawaiian Luau or Vegetarian. Suggest that your participants share their recipes by having recipe cards printed for each guest to take home at the end of the evening.

And here's one final thought: As you near the holidays, when everyone is busy, plan for a traveling dinner club, where each person plays the host for a portion of the meal. Start with appetizers and cocktails at one home; then travel to the next home for salads; move on to another home for the entrée; and, finally, travel to the last home for dessert and coffee. This makes it less burdensome on any one host to provide an entire meal, and you'll get to see the holiday decorations at each home. Or, if your group just doesn't have it in them to plan and throw yet another holiday gathering, choose that month to meet at a restaurant and let someone else do all the work.