• Set a theme: casserole exchange, sushi for beginners, fashion swap, pizza or grill party – the possibilities are infinite.

• Get everybody involved. Send everybody the recipes, organise the bar (what kind of drinks, will the guests bring some and so on). If it’s going to be food exchange night, prepare take away bags and boxes.

• Be careful with allergies and other emergencies. When you organise activities that involve many people these little things can be crucial. Get everybody informed if some products, spices or nuts are not allowed.

• Check out your equipment. Do you have all necessary stuff for the party? If you organise fondue, do you have one? If you organise cocktail party, do you have shaker and other instruments for the purpose? Don’t worry if you have lack of something, check in time and ask the others, someone may have and bring it with her.

• Useful idea: if you are moving out, make swap stuff party or fashion exchange or “Go green”. This way you will have fun and your friends will help with the end of lease cleaning. Turn the fun into helpful.

• Check the surfaces. See if your countertops are heatproof, if they are not; get trivets for the hot dishes. You don’t want this party to be the beginning of a renovation right? Although such theme also can be arranged, but when it comes to renovation, guys are useful manpower.

• Get the terrain ready. If you have hired regular cleaners, preparation won’t be a problem. You will have to just put the decoration – depending on the topic – flowers, Japanese figures, scented sticks or candles for spa treatment party and so on.

• Get all products, ingredients and other things ready from the night before the party. This way you won’t need to run to the market or elsewhere to fetch something forgotten.

• Distribute responsibility. One secret of the great managers is that they don’t do everything themselves. Learn to share the tasks, that’s how your guests won’t feel just like guests but they will have involvement and participation in the whole thing. This will make them feel easily at home and that’s quite a good base for fantastic party.

Now go put the drinks on the bar, get some ice cubes ready in the fridge and call your friends. Let the party planning begin!

• Colour. Every colour and its nuances have the ability to reduce or increase the space in the room. Old rule is that light colours enlarge and darker shrink, although when you choose colour you should keep in mind (except the size) the orientation (south, east, north, west) and the purpose of the room. For example, navy blue kitchen with north or west orientation – not only it may look small and strange, also it will feel cold.

• Size. When you think of small space, you usually think for small furniture also. One think doesn’t follow the other. You can have small room that looks bigger even if you put some big furniture inside, and it’s even better if you take it from that perspective: one big sofa instead of three small armchairs.

• Light. Well orientated rays ofilluminant can add you a couple of square inches (and not only) and the other way around: one big chandelier in the middle of the ceiling may be wrong decision. Use build-in illumination and spotlights to emphasise different elements of the decoration or to separate the areas in the room.

• More is less. Advicefrom professional post tenancy cleaners: the more things you store, the more you will leave behind when you move out. This is mistake both from budget and from space point of view.

• Fitting. Choosing items that have common style or chaining elements can be essential for the sense that room gives – green floral carpet plus blue geometrical curtains and pink plain bed cover – these may be your favorite colours but they don’t match, so choose wisely.

• Functionality. The moment when we usually notice how crowded with items is when we start the home cleaning. Kitchen is the mostloaded space – pots, pans, different purpose appliances – if you have closet full of utensils don’t buy more if you don’t need them. Look at mistake 4.

• Mirrors. The rule is similar to the one forthe lights – right place plus right size is equal to more space.

How many mistakes you spotted around your home? Are they amendable? Than start repairing!

]]> http://housecleaning-london.co.uk/blog/small-space-mistakes/feed/ 0 http://housecleaning-london.co.uk/blog/pyjamas-party-at-home/ http://housecleaning-london.co.uk/blog/pyjamas-party-at-home/#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2014 08:51:12 +0000 http://housecleaning-london.co.uk/blog/?p=454 Pyjamas parties have double meaning according to the circle of invited guests. In the beginning of its history pajamas parties were known as teenage home parties that include sleeping overnight at a friend’s place. Actually, this first staying out of home for the night was considered as the icing on the cake. That is why the dress code for the party is namely pyjamas. However, the sweet and pleasant idea to have a party at home and in a comfy outfit has turned to be liked by adults, as well.
Eventually, the pyjamas party has got another aspect – receiving guests in an informal environment, having relaxation and leisure time with closest people without the glamour of expensive night hot clubs and last, but not least – throwing a sexy party with pyjamas dress code and exotic cocktails! In both cases pyjamas parties are easy to be organised and very entertaining. See some lovely ideas and smart tips for a pyjamas party at home:

• Start with original invitation – it can be either a quip text message or a real post card with sleeping babies as an image! If you accept the pyjamas party even more seriously, send a pair of pyjamas to each of your coming guests!
• Dress code – as a host, you should better select something comfy and dark to avoid spills and stains! A set of elegant dressing gown, though, can be quite nice to have a great appearance during the party, too! Mini night gown can be also picked up, if you want to make the party hotter…
• The menu – one of the greatest features of the pyjamas party is preparing the menu. Delicacies and special meals or full course menus aren’t needed! Chips, sandwiches, candies, cookies, popcorn, nuts and ice cream for the summer season and the maudlin movies for your girlish company are super! As for the drinks, mix some smoothies and buy some juices! No alcohol, maybe only beer…!
• Supply your bedroom with intellectual games, books to discuss, photo albums to remember the old days, nice movies to watch, old records of TV shows and of course, some music for a great mood!

With the simple décor and the easy to be prepared menu with fast food and picnic lunch products, the after party cleaning for the pyjamas party isn’t a challenge at all! This is the other great advantage of such an enjoyable way to spend time together with your friends.

• Desist from extras such as central situation of the property, luxurious interior design or big square of the property. Minimise your claims, but do not go too far. After all, you will be living here for a long time, so do not give up from things like enough rooms for the entire family, important gadgets for cooking and heating, and etc.

• Make a new family budget. Consider how much every member of your family needs to spend for personal necessities. Add the shared expenses such as bills and the rent of course. Hold on with the big home improvement purchase for now and wait for the market to go back to its normal rates or for your own promotion at work.

• If you are already living in a tenement, talk to your landlord. He may understand. For instance, suggest him not to hire domestic cleaners anymore and assume the household maintenance chores on your own. Come on – polishing the floor and cleansing the bathroom are not such difficult tasks!

• If are yet searching for a place, also talk to your present landlords about reducing the expenses. You may ask him to minimise the tenancy deposit amount. As a guarantee you may give your promise or write it in the contract – so it could be legally signed – that your tenancy cleaning will be professionally or decently performed, when you leave.

• Make some savings from car fuel, clothing, holidays or from your own hobbies. A crisis is ahead of you, so there are extras you may give up for a while.

Do not panic and try. That is the good thing about rented homes. They can be changed periodically!