Be the hostess with the mostest!

beourguest

As activities move indoors for game nights, girls’ night and dinner parties, the aim of any good host or hostess is to ensure their guests feel welcome. And there are some chic but super simple and affordable ways to entertain with intention but not break your budget!  Here are our tips for welcoming your guests for short or long-term visits:

  1. First, think about what makes YOU feel like a VIP when you are visiting for an evening or even an extended stay. Then incorporate those touches in your home. If you’re staying out of town at a hotel you get your own KEY, right? And you also generally have free access to WIFI. So perhaps you give your guests their own key so they can come and go without waiting on you, make it easy for them to connect to your home internet.
  2. Next, consider about your bed and bath linen. Who doesn’t like crisp SHEETS and plush BATH TOWELS? Are your towels ratty or discolored? Do your sheet sets still match?  When was the last time you bought new sets? If you need to, upgrade yours with affordable options for TJMaxx and Home Goods. While you’re there, pick up some luxe BATH PRODUCTS and indulge yourself after your guests have head home!
  3. If you can’t spend every minute with weekend guests, make it easy for them to find their way around your city. Be ready with  SUGGESTIONS for local attractions, restaurants and shopping venues. This frees up your time and theirs!
  4. Stressed about what to serve? Consider easy but delish SNACKS that you can leave in your guest room for them to enjoy. Fun, budget-friendly gourmet options can be found at local stores like TJ Maxx and World Market, and these can even be customized for guests with certain dietary sensitivities or those who are health conscious.
  5. RELAX! The object should be enjoying your company, not sweating over the details.

 

Image via Etsy

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Tune in to Talk of Alabama on Monday!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 on Monday  (November 30th): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 A.M. hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo, Alexis

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Thursday!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 this THURSDAY  (September 24th): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 A.M. hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo,

Alexis

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Thursday!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 this THURSDAY  (8/13): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo,

Alexis

ICYMI: Being heart healthy is chic!

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The link to this morning’s appearance on ABC 33/40’s Talk of Alabama is up; you can view it by clicking HERE.

Would you like to try one of the products I featured from Vinia, Carrington Farms or Medifast this morning? Let me know in the comments section!

As always, thank you for supporting Same Chic Different Day!

XO, Alexis

Tune in to Talk of Alabama next Monday!

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Guess who’ll be back on Monday morning?!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 next MONDAY (2/16): I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 hour! Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo,
Alexis

Check out these trends for 2015!

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Thank you so much to ABC 33/40 and the fabulous Ebony Hall for having me on Talk of Alabama this morning! Click HERE to view the video!

I enjoyed sharing these new products, which are great options for reaching or maintaining health goals! (And honestly, they all taste great!)

Fruttata Crisps

  • Fruttata freeze dried fruit provides everyone with a healthy and delicious snack option.
  • Each 1 oz. bag of Fruttata provides a satisfying nutrition that is equivalent to 285 grams of fresh fruit.
  • Fruttata is all natural, gluten free, with no additional sugar added (the only ingredients are fruit!).
  • Available at local Costcos and Amazon.com (prices range from $1.79 -$9.99).

VINIA

  • VINIA red grape powder is a new product and the very first of its kind. It’s a biofood – a new category of superfoods – made from real grapes, chock-full of antioxidants, and actually gives you the benefits that you’d get from drinking red wine, but has no sugars calories or alcohol. In order to consume the same amount of Resveratrol in just 1 packet of VINIA, you’d have to drink an entire bottle of red wine (or 1,000 red grapes)! Sprinkle 1 packet of VINIA into your glass of water, and save yourself from the calories, and headache you get from wine.
  • VINIA is available for purchase at www.BioHarvest.com.

Carrington Farms Flax/Hemp Paks

  • Packed in ready-to-eat, portable and convenient single serve packets with a pre-measured daily dosage
  • Flavorful combination of Organic Milled Flax Seeds and Organic Hulled Hemp Seeds
  • This product is organic-certified, Non-GMO and Gluten-Free and is rich in Omega 3’s and protein.
  • They provide energy and vitality, strengthen the immune system, support cardiovascular health and contribute to an overall healthy metabolism
  • Find them at ShopRite and online at www.CarringtonFarms.com.

Thrive by Medifast products

  • Medifast’s new program, The Healthy Living Program, is designed to help maintain your weight loss goals.
  • With this program you can choose three Thrive by Medifast products per day which includes various bars, shakes and smoothies.
  • All products are free of artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners.
  • For more information about The Healthy Living Program and Thrive by Medifast products, visit www.medifast1.com

Coldeeze

  • NEW for this season is Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy Plus Natural Multi-Symptom Relief Cold & Flu Quick Melts! Quick Melts are clinically proven to reduce the cold by nearly half.
  • They contain elderberry, licorice and peppermint that also helps relieve Cold and Flu symptoms
  • Quick Melts wilt dissolve in your mouth and can be taken without water. They can be taken by anyone 12 and up.

Tune in to Talk of Alabama this Friday!

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Guess who’ll be back on tomorrow?!

Toss some sequins and tune in to ABC 33/40 this FRIDAY: I’ll be sharing some news you can use during the 9:00 hour!  Not in the local viewing area? Try live-streaming it by clicking HERE, or catch the video when it’s posted later by clicking HERE.

Xo,
Alexis

ICYMI: What’s in my beach bag?

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I had a lovely time sharing beach bag essentials with Ebony Hall and Nicole Allshouse on Talk of Alabama this morning! In case you missed it, you can view the clip by clicking HERE!

What am I packing in my super-cute Scout beach bag (courtesy of Swoozie’s)? Check it out:

Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy: Summer colds are the worst! Spending time outside at the beach and surrounded by many other people means you are more likely to come into contact with germs. Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy Lozenges and Oral Spray are great grab-n-go options to throw into your bag. Clinically proven to shorten the duration of a cold by almost half, Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy is the perfect beach bag essential for your family (ages 12 and up) to keep them healthy so they can enjoy a sniffle-free summer. (www.coldeeze.com)

Nurture My Body Organic Sunscreen by CureDiva: Protecting yourself from the strong summer UV rays is important for a healthy summer. 100% organic sunscreen is the safe, natural choice for sun protection. Nurture My Body creates a rich and light sunscreen that provides 32 SPF broad spectrum protection and proactively repairs your skin. Made with just 8 gentle ingredients, this amazing organic sunscreen is great for adults, children, and babies alike. (www.curediva.com)

G.M. Collin’s After-Sun Cream is the ultra-hydrating, soothing, and calming solution for skin after sun exposure that also simultaneously prevents dehydration.Enriched with Shea Butter and Primrose Oil, it revitalizes and nourishes as it hydrates the skin, and has a natural anti-inflammatory effect that brings relief to irritation and sunburn. Applied regularly after sun exposure, the After-Sun Cream calms and hydrates the skin, making it soft, healthy, and well moisturized. ($32.00, GMCollin.com for spa locations nationwide and skin1.com)

Celsius: Keeping refreshed at the beach has never been easier. A delicious, negative calorie beverage, Celsius combines vitamins, great flavors and metabolic-boosting properties and is quickly becoming the drink of choice to keep the beach body in shape without adding those extra calories. Drinking Celsius before exercise helps you burn up to 100 calories and more per serving, boosts metabolism, reduces body fat, increases endurance and provides lasting energy. (www.celsius.com)

Medifast’s BBQ Bites: Before heading out for a day in the sun, make sure you’ve got a nutritious snack so unhealthy chips and boardwalk food doesn’t become your lunch. Get the flavor of summer BBQ’s with the Medifast BBQ Bites. One packet has 110 calories, 3 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein and it’s the perfect snack to throw into your beach bag for the entire family (I keep them in my desk at work!). (www.medifast1.com)

Simply Scientific Hair™ Revitalizing Mist: A powerful product that combines several benefits into one light detangling spray. It’s easy: spraying onto towel-dried hair results in silky, tangle-free hair that is remarkably easy to comb. In addition to giving your hair a flawless appearance, this mist contains elements critical to the protection of your hair to guard your strands against dryness, humidity, andenvironmental aggressors (such as the sun’s harmful rays). (www.scientificessentials.com)

Hope Paige Silicone Watch: Hope Paige’s wrap around silicone watch is the perfect way to keep track of time on the beach. It comes in 4 colors and is made of a bright rubber material that is durable and waterproof. All watches come engraved with wearer’s medical information in case of an emergency. Visit www.hopepaige.com for more information.

Carrington Farms Flax Paks: This snack is packed in ready-to-eat, portable and convenient single serve packets and is a natural source of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Unlike other brands, Carrington Farms Milled Seeds are sliced, instead of crushed, to maintain essential oils and nutrients. Great for sprinkling over cereals, shakes, yogurt, salads, starches, fruits, vegetables, casseroles and even baked goods. These flax seeds are Non-GMO, Certified Organic and Gluten-Free, and have NO cholesterol, Sodium, Sugars. They are available at retailers including Publix, Whole Foods, local supermarkets, health food stores and online at http://carringtonfarms.com/.

Bump Water: A scientifically formulated prenatal beverage containing 100% of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, Vitamins A, D, E, B6, B12, magnesium and zinc. It comes in 2 flavors: Lemonade and Cranberry Ginger, is in an all-natural, in a BPA-free bottle and is OB/GYN recommended. For more information go to http://bumpwater.com/.

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MUA Kimberly Black-Crawford and me

And what did I wear? I’m in J. Crew’s “Allie” dress in festival blue, and their Crystal Mobile earrings (you can see the earrings close up on the blog’s Instagram page, via @samechicdifferentday)!  My face was made up by Kimberly Black-Crawford, Trish McEvoy Specialist at Birmingham’s Saks Fifth Avenue (located at the Summit).  To book your appointment, email her at kimcrawford88@gmail.com!

 

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