In February, most people only celebrate Valentine's Day, and it makes sense. It's the most popular and well-known holiday of the month. But there's another special day that also exists: Random Acts of Kindness Day.
In this small southern country, Eswatini women deal with life-threatening challenges on a regular—and sometimes daily— basis. Even worse, young girls in Eswatini are not immune to certain hardships.
Regardless of their age, many females in the country constantly battle obstacles that eliminate any ounce of hope. And while sad, it's unsurprising since the trials that Eswatini women and girls face are immensely challenging.
There's nothing better than reigning in a new year. At the beginning of January, the possibilities seem endless, the goals you set abound, and the motivation to achieve everything you want simmers inside of you, waiting to burst.
For the beginning of a new year, you have to celebrate everything that's on the horizon. It's only natural. Getting excited about the future and what lies ahead deserves a commiserating moment. And what better way to create that moment than with a good New Year's party?
Everyone loves a fun event to help reign in January 1st. But if you're wondering how to throw a New Year's party, don't worry. It's not as hard as you may think. All it takes is a few steps to plan it and the right items to host it.
Before you start party planning, first thing's first. How do people even celebrate? While New Year's parties are common, it's essential to keep in mind that people usually do things at those parties that go beyond listening to music and dancing, and you should, too. But what exactly should you do?
Well, people around the world celebrate New Year's in different ways. For example, with some individuals, it's a tradition to eat 12 grapes at or before midnight. On the other hand, many people like to munch on a tasty dish from the legume family to usher in good luck.
If you're in a room full of singers, you may find partygoers singing "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight, a tune that's become an anthem worldwide to celebrate a new year. However, suppose you're at a party with a bunch of goal-oriented individuals. In that case, you may find people making vision boards or at least writing down their resolutions, a well-known tradition that reportedly dates all the way back to the Mesopotamians.
And of course, you can't forget one of the most popular New Year's traditions: watching the ball drop in Times Square. It's so common to see this tradition play out on TV. Even more common is counting down the seconds to midnight while watching the ball drop and following the tradition with confetti and a champagne toast.
Overall, the traditions and activities that people do at New Year's parties vary greatly. This article has only mentioned a few, but there are so many different ways that you can celebrate the start of a new year. The most important thing is to choose activities that sound fun to you and have the highest likelihood of pleasing your guests.
Once you've considered how you want to celebrate, it's time to figure out the details. When planning a New Year's party, there will always be multiple things to keep in mind and organize. But there are usually three factors you need to focus on and prioritize if you want to have a successful party.
You can't have a New Year's party if you don't have a place to throw it. At the beginning of your party planning, make sure to nail down a specific location for your event. You can either host the party at your home or rent a venue. Either option will work. You just have to choose one that you prefer.
Throwing a good New Year's party requires a theme. Will yours be a black-and-white event? Should your guests wear cocktail attire? Or, will you do something different like throw a pajama or masquerade party?
Whatever decision you make will work, but set aside time to choose something and let every attendee know what you decide. You don't want someone to show up in a little black dress while everyone else is wearing a onesie.
You need food and beverages if you want to throw a great New Year's party. Of course, this doesn't mean you need an open bar, three-course meal, or even one meal for people to eat. However, you do need to have yummy appetizers for people to easily pick up and enjoy. And you must have a variety of beverages for guests to sip on at the party.
The final thing to consider when wondering how to throw a New Year's party is the things you need to bring. At every event, a good host is ready to set the tone and comes prepared to entertain.
And if you want to do those two things, there are a handful of items you must have at your New Year's party. However, they're not hard to find. In fact, you can get them all at Khutsala Artisans.
Nothing signals a good time like a charcuterie board. This item is always a hit, regardless of the event you're hosting. Charcuterie boards are aesthetically pleasing and come with tasty finger food. And they're not difficult to put together.
All you need is a beautiful board, which Khutsala Artisans already provides. The piece is handmade in Eswatini and comes from bloodwood trees native to Southern Africa. The charcuterie board mirrors the tree's dark red colored sap, making it a unique and alluring item.
Get the Charcuterie Board HERE.
You can't serve food without beautiful utensils. Luckily, at Khutsala Artisans, you can get the Wood Charcuterie Accessory Set, which comes with richly grained olive wood serving utensils that have bone accents.
This set contains a bowl and spoon that you can use for dips, jam, butter, spreads, and tapenade. The bowl is also deep enough to hold any nuts or seeds you plan to offer. Additionally, this set includes a spreader, larger spoon, and fork to help you serve all of your food.
Purchase the Wood Charcuterie Accessory Set HERE.
The Beverage Chiller is a newer addition to Khutsala Artisans and is handmade by Ngwenya Glass artisans in Eswatini. If you want to enjoy this beautiful item, all you have to do is add ice to the opening on the side. Then, you can fill the chiller with your favorite cold drink. It can be lemonade, tea, wine, or whatever else you plan to bring to your New Year's Party.
Buy the Beverage Chiller HERE.
Handmade by Swazi artisans in Eswatini, the Wine Glass Charms are unique and timeless sets. Each charm is a SwaziMUD bead that artisans have hand-rolled and glazed, and every charm has a unique design to help it stand out.
Also worth noting is that each set contains six charms, and multiple sets are currently available. You can choose one based on color or design. However, regardless of the set you choose, the Wine Glass Charms are sure to be a unique addition to your party and help people remember their drinks.
Get the Wine Glass Charms HERE.
If you want to set the tone for your New Year's event, especially if it has a fancier dress code, you need to wear beautiful jewelry. At Khutsala Artisans, you can find everything from bracelets to earrings to necklaces, and all of the jewelry is handmade.
Each piece is uniquely designed and can accessorize every outfit. And if you want to wear the pieces after your party, you can definitely do so. All of the jewelry works for casual outfits as well.
Shop Khutsala Artisans' Jewelry HERE.
With the right activities, planning, and items, your New Year's party will be a blast. You can give your guests a night to remember by following the steps in this article and buying the products above.
Even better, the profits from your purchase will go to Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization that is bringing HOPE to the Kingdom of Eswatini by fighting Hunger, caring for Orphans, decreasing Poverty and providing Education. 100% of the profits from the sale of Khutsala™ Artisan goods goes directly back to support the children in their care. Your purchases also help Heart for Africa to continue to provide employment to local Swazis, empowering them to provide for their families and decreasing poverty in the community.
So don't just throw a New Year's party to celebrate the upcoming season. Shop with Khutsala Artisans to help others gear up for the new year as well.
Christmas season is finally here, which means it's time to put up your tree (if you haven't already), get out your best holiday decorations, create or repeat family traditions, and try to avoid stress eating too many Christmas cookies while you shop for gifts. These activities are staples of the holiday season. If you celebrate Christmas, you'll likely partake in one or all of the above.
However, if you want to do something a little different this year, why not enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas? While the name of a famous holiday carol, the 12 Days of Christmas extends beyond a catchy tune. In fact, it's an actual period of time that people celebrate for faith-based reasons, and it's also a source of inspiration for holiday lovers who want to create fun activities that make this season extra special.
But if this all sounds new and you're wondering how to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, don't worry. You can easily do so with Khutsala Artisans, but first, let's break down everything you need to know about the 12 Days of Christmas, including its origin story and background.
One of the first things to know about the 12 Days of Christmas is that it actually begins on Christmas. While most people do something with it at the beginning of December, the 12 Days of Christmas is a Christian tradition, officially starting on December 25th.
Specifically, it points to a 12-day period in Christian theology that indicates the time between Jesus' birth and the coming of the three wise men known as Magi. It ends on January 6th, sometimes called the Three Kings' Day or the Epiphany.
The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent, a date in the Christian calendar that marks a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the Second Coming of Christ. This season ends on December 24th, right before the 12 Days of Christmas begin.
Typically, people celebrate this 12-day period by creating and participating in daily holiday activities. Others like to observe the feast days of different saints. But how you choose to celebrate is truly up to you and what makes you happy.
Because "The 12 Days of Christmas" is such a popular song, there are many different versions, and they all tend to mention different gifts. However, there is a version that people are most familiar with, and it walks through the following presents:
If the gifts in this carol sound a little old-fashioned, that's for a reason. This song goes way back. In 1780, the earliest version of it first appeared in Mirth With-out Mischief, a children's book, but some historians believe the song has French roots.
Still, most do agree that the “12 Days of Christmas” was initially designed as a memory and forfeits game. With this setup, singers had to test their ability to remember and recall the carol's lyrics. If they failed, they had to give their opponent a "forfeit," which was usually some sort of favor or a kiss.
Maybe you want to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas by doing something that keeps the famous carol involved. If so, you might come up with various ideas, but none of them should hinge on buying all the gifts in the song.
According to the PNC's 2021 Christmas Price Index, getting the gifts in "The 12 Days of Christmas" is expensive. And it's not just a few hundred bucks or even a thousand dollars. It's the price of an actual house.
Specifically, the total comes to $179,454.19. But that's assuming you decide to get the recommended quantity of each gift, which is 364 gifts overall. If you'd prefer to take the alternative route and just get one of each present, you're looking at around $38,993.59, which is still expensive, and the price of a new car.
If you're wondering how to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas in a way that's cost-effective, fun, and easy to implement since you don't want to spend more time thinking of another good Christmas activity, Khutsala Artisans has you covered.
Khutsala Artisans is offering Christmas promotions that let you take advantage of one discount per day. Don't believe it? Check out the remaining Khutsala Artisans' 12 Days of Christmas promotions.
Not only do these promotions give you a fantastic way to celebrate Christmas, but they also allow you to buy jewelry, home decor, and entertainment pieces that you're sure to love.
Additionally, all of the profits from your purchase go to Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization that's helping reduce hunger, decrease poverty, provide education, and care for orphans and vulnerable children in Eswatini, Africa.
So make this time of year special by celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with Khutsala Artisans and providing resources to Swazis in Eswatini. Taking advantage of great promotions and giving the gift of love to those who need it most are two things you won't regret.
During the holiday season, a lot of questions pop up.
Are you going to travel to see family and friends? Will you host any events at your home? What gifts should you buy your loved ones? Is there a specific dish you should bring to a dinner party?
These questions are all common during the holidays. However, there isn't a question more popular than the one that constantly attracts different answers: when should you decorate for Christmas?
While everyone tends to agree on most things regarding this holiday, like the importance of spending time with family and friends and giving personalized gifts to loved ones, establishing the right time to decorate for Christmas continues to be a hotly-debated issue. And if you're someone who likes to stick to rules and orderly processes, it might be unsettling not to know when to decorate for Christmas. But the good news is that you don't need to stress about this anymore.
A couple of experts have shed light on when you should start outfitting your home with Christmas cheer. And honestly, the answers put the power in your hands.
Understanding when to decorate for Christmas
Once upon a time, you only saw people decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving, and today, it's still possible to find people who stick to this tradition. There are many homes with amazing fall decorations that still manage to stay outside of Christmas territory.
Usually, the owners of these homes don't fully embrace Christmas decorations until the last day of November or the first few days of December. That's when they start to put up Christmas lights, wreaths, and blow-up Santas on their front lawns.
For example, consider Martha Stewart. There have been years where she waited until the first week of December to decorate for Christmas. And she has also waited to put up family stockings until less than a week before Christmas Day.
However, in modern times, waiting to decorate until after Thanksgiving is a rule-of-thumb that no longer applies to the masses. All you have to do is look at Starbucks. The coffee chain started offering its holiday cups and flavors on November 4, 2021, and they all have Christmas undertones.
These days, people seem to get excited for Christmas earlier and earlier, and that joy is also evident in the research that popular online marketplaces report. In 2019, Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy's trend expert, found that customers started shopping for ornaments, garlands, and tinsels in August. Additionally, in September of that same year, Etsy experienced a 359 percent increase in holiday decor shopping.
If decorating for Christmas that early sounds fun to you, there's good news. Etsy's trend expert doesn't think you should pause your joy or slow down on decorating. Because Christmas is such a special time for many people, it's normal to get excited about this holiday and start preparing for it early.
So if you want to decorate your home for Christmas before Thanksgiving, do it. However, if you'd prefer to wait, that's okay, too. Both options are available and acceptable, and they both lead to great benefits.
The benefits of Christmas decorating
Regardless of when you decide to decorate, you will experience happiness. In fact, research suggests that when you decorate for Christmas, it creates a neurological shift that induces joy.
Specifically, taking time to put up Christmas decorations spikes your levels of dopamine, which is a hormone that makes you feel good. And this spike happens for a few reasons.
First, it's essential to consider the role of color therapy. Christmas is associated with bright colors and lights, and both of those have the power to increase happiness and boost energy levels.
Additionally, a good environment can have a positive impact on your mood. With Christmas, the ambiance tends to be joyful and cozy, making it easier to get excited and happy.
But you can't forget the nostalgia factor either. If you have a lot of great memories of Christmas, decorating for this holiday can easily put a smile on your face. Nostalgia may even be a reason why you decorate sooner rather than later because you want to recreate the positive feelings you've had in the past.
If you want to experience the benefits of decorating for Christmas—regardless of when you decide to do it—you need something important to get started: decorations.
You may already have these in the back of a closet or a storage room in the basement. But it never hurts to get a few new Christmas decorations to add to your collection, and Khutsala Artisans has plenty for you to choose from.
Even better, Khutsala Artisans sells beautiful handmade entertainment pieces to help you host events and small gatherings. So if you need those items as well as Christmas decor, you can get them at a one-stop shop.
For specific ideas on what to buy, here are five items from Khutsala Artisans that can bring holiday cheer to your home.
Handcrafted by artisans in Eswatini, Africa, the Beaded Christmas Tree (Snowy) is the perfect centerpiece for the holidays. The decoration takes over 10 hours to complete and requires thousands of beads and immense attention to detail. But the hard work leads to a beautiful beaded Christmas tree that symbolizes the "tree of life."
This item comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. And it's also available in green and multicolored.
Get the Beaded Christmas Tree (Snowy) HERE.
There's nothing like a great table setting for a good Christmas dinner. However, every beautiful table setting not only needs napkins but napkin rings. At Khutsala Artisans, you can get the timeless, unique Napkin Ring Set of 4 to provide an extra decorative element to your napkins.
There are four rings in each set: a star, poinsettia, red ball, and angel. All of the rings include Christmas-colored beads, making them a great match with your tree ornaments.
Purchase the Napkin Ring Set of 4 HERE.
If you need a Nativity Scene, Khutsala Artisans has you covered. This item is a 14-piece set that includes Jesus, Mary, Joseph, an angel, a shepherd, three wise men, a star, a cow, a lamb, a donkey, and a special manger.
This handmade Nativity Scene contains more than 10,000 beads, and the faces for each person include Khutsala Artisans' hand-rolled SwaziMUD beads. Overall, this Christmas item takes days to make, but the end product is the perfect piece for a fireplace mantel, shelf, or table.
Buy the Nativity Scene HERE.
A tasty and aesthetically pleasing charcuterie board is always a party favorite. That's why, if you plan to do any hosting for the holidays, get Khutsala Artisans' Charcuterie Boards.
They come in large and medium sizes, and each board is made out of the bloodwood trees in Eswatini. These trees get their name from the dark red colored sap that oozes out whenever you cut them. The color is so remarkable that it looks like the tree is bleeding, and while that may sound creepy, it's beautiful to see in person.
But in case you don't get a chance to see a bloodwood tree, Khutsala Artisans has captured some of its beauty in the Charcuterie Boards. As a result, you're sure to love the unique, one-of-a-kind look that these boards present.
Shop the Charcuterie Boards HERE.
The Wood Charcuterie Accessory Set pairs perfectly with Khutsala Artisans' Charcuterie Boards. It comes with richly grained olive wood utensils and dishes, including a decorative spreader, fork, larger spoon, and bowl.
The utensils have white and black bone accents that are inspired by African decor. And the bowl is deep enough to use for any dips, nuts, or seeds. Additionally, every item in this set is made from bloodwood trees, so you'll get to experience the same unique look as you do with Khutsala Artisans' Charcuterie Boards.
Buy the Wood Charcuterie Accessory Set HERE.
Spread the joy by purchasing Christmas decorations
Decorating your home for Christmas is a great experience for you and your loved ones. But if you want to spread that joy to others, shop at Khutsala Artisans.
All the profits from your purchase go to Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization that's tackling hunger, an orphan crisis, poverty, and poor education in Eswatini. Additionally, your purchase helps Khutsala Artisans provide and increase employment in Eswatini, which is a significant need in the country.
So don't just experience Christmas joy this year. Help spread it by shopping for decorations at Khutsala Artisans and supporting those in need.
Fall is a fantastic time of year for many reasons. It's the only season that ushers in pumpkin patches, flannels, bonfires, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, Halloween.
