A housewarming can be a great way to meet your neighbors if you’ve just moved into a new and or different community. This type of party is also a good idea when you’ve made major renovations and want to show off your new digs. Some homeowner’s way until everything is in tip top condition. Others send out the invite as a working get together, with guests helping to unpack boxes, paint or even hang drapes. It goes without saying that a party where the invitees are asked to help should be one where close friends and family are the ones attending. Asking your new neighbors to help you paint isn’t the best way to establish camaraderie.


The Invitation
Should you decide to go with a premade invitation, a map with directions to your home would be nice. Something with this type of detail can be custom made or the map could be printed from map quest and then make copies.

Activity
This type of celebration doesn’t typically have any games or other activities, unless is a working party. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one though? How about having a Feng Shui expert come in and provide some ideas for you. Guests in attendance could also glean some valuable information for their homes. Aside from that, pleasant music playing in the background always adds a nice touch.

The Grand Tour
If your home is completely finished, guests may expect a tour. This decision of course is entirely up to you. If you’re comfortable with it go ahead, but it’s not mandatory. Moving into a new neighbor where you’re unfamiliar with the residents would give anyone pause for concern before giving strangers a tour of they’re home.

The Menu
Thoughts of comfort food come naturally with a housewarming. If you don’t want to serve a heavy meal, use this opportunity to serve lightened comfort food or the traditional served as appetizers. Salads are welcome at any type of gathering, here’s one to try.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

• 1 clove garlic, minced


• ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise


• ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream


• 2 tsp cider vinegar


• 1 tsp sugar


• 2 cups each finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets


• 1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped


• 3 slices cooked Turkey bacon, crumbled


• 3 TBS dried cranberries


• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing. Don’t like cranberries? Substitute raisins, dates, dried apricots, cherries or blueberries. Just go easy with them. They’re not meant to be dessert.