Diwali  Happy Diwali
From 101lifeStyle.com
Banish Pre-Diwali Stress: With less than a month left to the D-Day, have you hit the panic button? Let Diwali not turn into yet another chore. Relax, breathe easy look your best, enjoy yourself and sail through it with our Diwali guide. Get Organised:  First Things First: Pen and paper in hand, make a laundry-list of things to buy. Divide it under headers - food and drinks, decor and home refurbishing, entertainment, gifts.... Take your time and do it completely; think detail.- Once the laundry-list is in place, calculate a rough budget. If you find it's getting unmanageable, overhaul your list and scale down. Don't wait to do this at the market. Do it right away.
- Now, review the list again, keeping in mind what will keep what spoils. It will help you figure out what can be bought ahead of time and what will have to wait.
- Plan out the shopping in phases - group things you can buy from one shop or market.
- Make a list of errands separately - calling the carpenter, mason or plumber, inviting the guests, ordering the food to be catered, organising the seating in the living room, sending upholstery to the dry-cleaner, and so on. Prioritise and see if you can delegate some tasks.
- Factor in time for each task - Go easy on yourself. You should not be spending more than a few days on preparation to make sure you don't tire. Inject your shopping sprees with fun - do them with a friend or fix a lunch date with her. And feel free to reward yourself with something small - perhaps a silver trinket or an exotic icecream.
- Shop around 11 am to avoid the rush and make the most of the pre-Diwali sales. If you're only free during weekends, do it on a Saturday morning.
- Finally, do a countdown about four days prior to Diwali - fill in the gaps in your lists.
Think Practical: - Organise smaller parties with less people leading up to your big Diwali dinner or lunch. Invite like-minded people so your menu and entertainment become easier and everyone has more fun. While for the festive meal you can go with a traditional Indian spread... for the smaller dos, draw up an interesting yet mess-free menu such as kathi rolls and kebabs or a dimsum-only party.
 For card parties especially, keep the menu light - dry nibbles with interesting dips, followed by a one-dish mean (a basic, ordered-in biryani and raita dinner) works best. Else, if you think your guests will be open to an innovative, non-traditional spread. opt for a meat-and-vegetable casserole or panfried noodles with optional non-veg topping. For drinks, it's best to do wine or beer. Avoid messy cocktails.- Plan for children to be kept occupied: Stack their favorite DVDs; make seating arrangements for young visitors in their room. If you have an older child, get him to organise and supervise games for the younger lot.
- Work out the Diwali bonus with your staff in detail beforehand. It's best to give them money.
- Get your music organised - opt for something soothing to calm the 'firecrackered' nerves.
- And when you buy lights, opt for fairy lights, candles or wax-filled diyas. Avoid the oil-and-wick variety.
 Traditions Of Diwali In India
Preparing For Diwali |
