Living in a small space doesn’t mean you can’t entertain family and friends comfortably. With a bit of thought and preparation, you can host enjoyable gatherings no matter the size of your house or apartment.

For more summers than I can count, I have thrown Saturday evening get-togethers with three of my closest girlfriends and our families. It still brings smile to my face to think of the kids bursting through the gates to reunite in the yard, the fun and games beginning the moment they arrived.

Outdoor entertaining is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Get your grill on and follow these easy tips to make your outdoor entertaining a success!

Are you in charge of hosting the next family get-together and find that you are short on time and creativity? When cooking for a crowd do you find yourself on auto-pilot; preparing the same dishes for every event? Do you get the feeling that family members are viewing your get-together as one more obligation rather than looking forward to it? Maybe it is time to change things up!

There is nothing more festive than bright party lanterns to light up and outdoor party or dinner. And you can decorate your yard or patio in under 15 minutes.

Getting friends together for an intimate gathering of great food, wine and conversation has been one of the highlights of my life. It should be an enjoyable time for everyone, including me (the hostess, chef and cleanup crew) but that wasn’t always the case.

Forget the tablecloths and worrying if you have enough chairs. To keep relationships healthy (neighbors, colleagues, heck--even family, for that matter) you need to spend quality time with one another.

Not to appear to be a Scrooge, but the holidays are coming faster than the next app for the iPhone and for many, the nemesis of the holidays is simply procrastination. There is just so much to juggle to make the merriest time of the year . . . merry.

So, like it or not, the holiday season is almost upon us. I happen to be one of the nut-balls who absolutely loves this time of year. It starts in the fall, with the first crisp day in late September, early October.

Autumn has arrived, and you can craft festive fall table-settings with a few basics and just a few dollars. Four easy activities that are fun for the whole family.