Posts Tagged ‘hosting’

What could be better than a housewarming party when the weather outside is getting cooler? A housewarming party in your brand new Dallas, GA home from Paran Homes! Our neighborhood High Shoals offers spacious single-family homes that create the ideal place to host from – whether it’s early autumn and you’re just welcoming a few friends over, or gathering with family for the big Thanksgiving feast. The spaces and features in these homes are wonderful for hosting parties or holiday guests, while your location in Dallas gives you a variety of unique local choices when it’s time to prepare the big meal and get everything spruced up. Here are a few of the things that will make your new home in Dallas the ideal party central – if you want to learn more or see for yourself, reach out to our agent here for a tour!

Design and Layouts for Great Parties

The right setting is everything, and from the moment your guests set eyes on your new home, they’ll know they’re in the right place! Exterior elevations on the homes of High Shoals include premium details like brick, shake siding, and stacked stone. The warm and welcoming design outside is a total reflection of the inviting atmosphere inside. Family spaces like the kitchen, family room, and breakfast nook are open-concept, but there are also stellar formal spaces like separate living rooms and dining rooms available per floor plan. Options can include cozy additions like fireplaces, and even covered porches for outdoor entertaining.

And that’s just on the first floor of a home in High Shoals. Upstairs, secondary bedrooms can include details like walk-in closets and full guest ensuites – the luxurious privacy will blow your overnight guests away. You’ll find flexible spaces here on the second floor as well, with floor plans including sitting areas, game rooms, and spacious lofts for family and guests to enjoy. Additionally, basements are available per floor plan for an unmatched amount of extra flex space. In all, overnight guests staying at your home in High Shoals will get the sense that they’re in a classic estate-style home – with design that’s warm and welcoming to all.

Hometown Comforts and Unique Options in Dallas

And your location in Dallas gives you prime access to all the bustle of this charming town. That means local options for takeout when it’s game day and you’re feeding a crowd, and the freshest local meats and produce when it’s time to create an unforgettable meal for all your favorite people. Crowd-pleasers include Sal’s Pizza – the place to go for a classic pie or a whole tray of tasty subs, or FatSpices Philly Cheesesteaks for a fix on the iconic cheesesteak and a perfectly greasy philly egg roll. As for home cooking, in the warm months you can look forward to the Dallas Farmers Market, where you’ll find any variety of local produce – freshly grown close to home. And, in the cooler season, flowers, fresh charcuterie, and a wide variety of fine cheeses will still be easy to pull together in a pinch from the local Kroger just south of downtown!

All of this and much more is waiting for you in a new home at High Shoals. The lifestyle in Dallas is quiet and comfortable, yet also engaging and fun! Discover a home that’s ready for you to host in from the get-go, reach out to learn about current and upcoming opportunities in High Shoals.

If you’re in a brand-new Paran Home (OR hope to be in one in time for Thanksgiving NEXT year), chances are you’re eager to open your home to holiday guests. While it can be an exciting time, it can also be undeniably stressful. Rather than risk a Turkey Day morning meltdown, we recommend taking advantage of the days leading up to Thanksgiving to organize in hopes of minimizing the stress. While there’s not much we can do to stop your mother-in-law from weighing in on your choice of décor or keep your uncle from diving headlong into the topic of politics, Paran Homes is proud to offer up the following five tips to hosting a fret-free Thanksgiving…

1)      Take a Cue from Expert Culinary Teams: Now that you have a gorgeous new kitchen by Paran Homes, consider this your command central for the big day and DEVISE A PLAN. Decide ahead of time which recipes you would like to make, print them out and even laminate them (to protect from spills), shop for all of the ingredients so there are no unexpected Thanksgiving Day runs to find an open store, and develop a task list for Thanksgiving Day attendees. You KNOW a select few will ask repeatedly what they can do to help. If you REALLY want to minimize your stress, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say “can you help chop this onion?” or “can you please stir the gravy?” While you don’t want too many people in the kitchen, it’s nice to have several people around you in the heart of the home, where great memories are made and wonderful conversations are shared. Your task list can also cover the post-meal activities, such as clearing the table, washing dishes, drying dishes and putting the left-overs in containers.

2)      Don’t Make a Rookie Mistake: While it’s fun and valiant to try a new recipe or two, Thanksgiving is the “big show.” You don’t want to disappoint yourself OR your guests by serving a dish that’s anything shy of fabulous. In the days leading up to Turkey Day, take a practice run of any new recipes you plan to try and use your family members as guinea pigs. Make a game of it and tell them that tonight, they are food critics. Give them each a pen and paper so they can write down their thoughts about the new dish(es). They can even share their ideas for ways to make it even better. This practice run will let you know which dishes will be making their debut at your Thanksgiving dinner and which won’t make the cut.

3)      Map Your Prep and Serving Stations: When we design our homes, Paran Homes takes great care in considering everything from daily life to opportunities to entertain. Many of our designs feature an open flow between the kitchen, breakfast area and family room, and many of our kitchens features loads of countertop space and large central islands. A number of our homes also boast separate and spacious formal dining rooms. If you plan to serve from a long buffet table in your dining room, then you’re all set to purely prep in your kitchen. If you need to use your kitchen for both prep and service, you’ll want to map out where the “magic” will take place. This “station” plan can also jive with your task list for guests – your mom can prep the sweet potato casserole at one section of the counter, your sister can chop ingredients and toss the salad at another section of the counter, and you can manage everything going into/coming out of the oven while supervising the stovetop dishes. Have everyone’s tools, ingredients and pans in place at their stations to ensure a smooth operation. Set your kitchen island as your service buffet for the moment that you’re ready to serve.

4)      Make Your Seating Chart: Seating charts aren’t merely for weddings, people! You know how many guests you plan to host and you ALSO know everyone’s distinct personalities. If you can’t fit everyone around the dining room table, consider expanding the kids’ table to the breakfast room. Depending on the size of your guest list, you may need to have a folding table set up to aid with overflow. Set each table ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to cook AND set up at the same time. Consider making place cards to place people where you believe they’ll feel most comfortable and have the most fun.

5)      Set Guests Up with Delightful Distractions: You’re going to be BUSY making the Thanksgiving feast, but you don’t want a house full of bored (and hungry) guests. Have light snacks set about and plan games/activities to keep them preoccupied while you work your magic. Video games, board games or holiday-themed crafts are always a hit with the kiddos, older guests might enjoy watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or sports on TV, and you’ll have a select group with you in the kitchen. You may also want to set up a ball jar, pen and paper squares where people can write the things for which they are thankful and pop them in the jar. The host of the meal can read these notes during the meal and guests can take guesses at who wrote them. If your family observes Christmas, you may want to set up an area where they can create their own ornament. If you plan to set up your tree soon, you can either add all of these new ornaments to your tree for your first Christmas in your new Paran Home or allow your guests to take their ornaments home as a keepsake of their Thanksgiving at your house.

From all of us here at Paran Homes, we wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!