THE LATEST FROM FRAN BERGER
Friendships
Brunch Should Be Easy – So You Can Spend It With Your Friends
It’s so wonderful to be able to get together with friends again. Even though I’m almost always in the mood to entertain, hosting a weekend brunch may be one of my favorite ways to gather with friends and family. There’s...
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Recipe for Summer Punch: Champagne, Fruit, and Fun Ice
An adult drink with champagne that only looks fruity sweet (it isn’t). It’s summer and that means outdoor or indoor fun with friends and family and usually in a group. I always recommend greeting your guests with an adult beverage...
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Use Your Move to Declutter your Entertaining Spaces
How to replace ‘pack and move’ with a little ‘edit and love’. I love my clients and I love my friends even more. So, when a great friend, who is also a client, calls me and says she’s sold her...
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Valentine’s Day with Frozen Sweet Wine Strawberries
It’s the small things that count: frozen strawberries that will make your guests gush! A friend of mine admitted the other day that she’s sometimes uncomfortable visiting a mutual friend. And you know the one thing that makes her so...
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2018: Fran’s list of Gifts for Women
Challenged by originality? Remember to be thoughtful. It’s probably a huge generalization, but I think it’s a lot easier to get a gift for a guy-friend than it is for a girl-friend. Not saying that guys are less sophisticated or...
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2018: Fran’s list of Gifts for Men
Putting thought into gifts for men takes a little effort, but it’s so very rewarding. I admit it. I can get pretty particular sometimes. I still hand-write letters and thank you notes to friends and family. Yep. On paper! I...
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Conversation Starters: The wonder of Salt Cellars
“Above the Salt” Idea: Entertain guests like a pro with great salt cellars for your table. Do you know someone who can really throw a fabulous gathering no matter how large or small? I have to say I’ve been lucky...
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How will you make your football party stand out?
It IS great time to entertain your friends and family—make those memories stand out with a themed cocktail drink! As you plan your football party, there are some quick and easy ways for you to enjoy the day too. Keeping...
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Football Season is HERE!
What a great time to entertain your friends and family—but don’t forget the most important ingredient! It’s football season – a great time to entertain friends and family! Football Sunday is an instant hit for most people. Even friends who...
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Entertain like an Italian and Enjoy the Spirt of the Aperitivo
Enjoy the relaxed pace and informality of a timeless continental style. One of the reasons I became a restaurateur is that I love to entertain. And, one of my favorite ways to entertain guests follows the Italian Aperitivo style: informal...
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How to host an EASY and fun Super Bowl Party
Two big tips and one great recipe idea for #Superbowl #SB52 – Good Food, Good Friends, Great Times. I have hosted a ton of Super Bowl Parties at my home and, I’ve been a guest at quite a few of...
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Outdoor Dining for (almost) anywhere.
Just because it’s a little chilly outside doesn’t mean you can’t have your party outdoors. I’m not talking about freezing weather. Let’s be sensible! And – yes – I know: “chilly” weather in California isn’t the same kind of “chilly”...
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A Handy Tipping Guide for the Holidays
The easy “how-to” for tipping during the holidays. We all have service people that help us throughout the year, but sometimes it’s confusing on how much to tip or even whether you should tip at all during the holidays. I’ve...
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Tips for Wrapping Presents for the Holidays
Isn’t it time to change up your Christmas wrapping skills? I was always the gift wrapper at my house while growing up. The rest of my family thought it was a big chore, but I loved it. I turned every...
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How to Plan Your Holiday Shopping
SIX SHOPPING TIPS to help you from being “cyber-crazy” this holiday. It’s that time again – time for the year-end holiday traditions: the Christmas office party, finger foods, holiday decorations, and gifts. OMG, did you forget the Secret Santa...
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The Perfect Holiday Gift Guide for Women
All you have to do is think about what you’d want as a present. We all want to give the perfect holiday gift to our friends – especially our girlfriends. Last week, I posted a holiday gift guide for our...
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The Perfect Holiday Gift Guide for Men
Don’t settle for predictable – get an early start and go for the unexpected! One of the most difficult things to do is to find the perfect holiday gift for the man in your life. Maybe you’re thinking, “OH, it’s...
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The Delicate Etiquette of the Last drop of Wine
Some customs just make the whole art of entertaining that much more fun! When I was very young, my parents were pretty serious about teaching customs and manners to me and my siblings. We learned how to be polite and...
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The Art of ordering from a menu
Don’t covet your neighbor’s dinner – order for flavor and experience! Reading a menu at your favorite restaurant can be a lot of fun (especially if they’ve added new items that you haven’t tried) unless you’ve waited too long to...
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End of Another Year, Start of New Possibilities
Time to bring your Friends and Family together around your table! Wow! How did it get to be January already? I’m always surprised by how quickly the year flies by and yet they are moving quicker and quicker and here...
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