Once you've found that perfect new place and you've settled in, it's time to show it off to all your friends family.  You need to be proud of your new home and host a housewarming party!  We've collected a few tips on hosting housewarming parties to make sure that you're the best host with the most amazing home.

1. It's not just for your friends and family

Housewarming parties are about getting familiar with your neighborhood so don't be afraid to meet your neighbors. Extend the invite to the people you're now sharing a street with.  Even if you don't think you'll be the best of friends with your neighbors, making the kind gesture to invite them at the very least shows that you're a gracious and considerate addition to the neighborhood. Also if your neighbors opt to stay home, make sure your are considerate and keep the noise levels down.

2. Offering tours

The whole point of the housewarming party is to show off your new place, so do exactly that, show it off!  Every half hour to an hour you can round up the newest lot of guests and show them around to each room.  This ensures that you point out anything you're particularly proud of and you'll be allowed to engage with each guest at some point during the party.

3. Offering good directions

Most invitations to parties don't require directions but remember, you're in a new home now and some guests may not be familiar with your current location.  Save yourself the headaches of explaining the directions on the phone and include them in the invitation. Simply printing out Google directions from a central location or landmark to your home, and including them in the same envelope is effective and thoughtful.

4. Make sure guests see each room

Place different dishes out in each room of the house.  You may only have small appetizers or finger sandwiches in some rooms, or offer drinks in another room, but this allows guests to spend time all around the house.  It stops rooms from getting too crowded and ensures that everyone experiences all areas of your new home.

5. Keep decorations to a minimum

Remember, people are here to visit with you and see your home. You don't need to go out and buy all sorts of decorations, in fact that may be the worst idea. Your home is the main feature, so leave it that way. Guests want to see what you've done with the place and how it's going to look every day as you live there. You don't need to hide anything or distract from your beautiful and regular home decor.

Today we'd like to congratulate our senior sales agent, Sarah Glovsky, who has been with us now for 10 years!  We've been extremely fortunate to have such a talented agent on our team.  We're proud of her dedication and accomplishments with The Charles Realty.  It has been a wonderful ten years and we certainly look forward to a bright future with Sarah here.

Happy Anniversary Sarah, we're so glad we have you!

The sun decided to shine today and warm up Boston to a toasty 55 degrees. So why not take advantage of this beautiful weather and stroll through some of the gorgeous neighborhoods of Boston.  Any Boston resident knows and loves Beacon Hill or the North End and may dine there on occasion but in these (normally) cool winter months we often get caught up with work and only make the trek out into the cold to catch a movie and do the required shopping.  So on a day like today we should all take advantage of the weather and take a stroll through some of the narrow and winding streets on Beacon Hill or make a stop at Mike's in the North End for a quick and delicious pastry.

Today may even be the time to wander down Newbury Street (where we're located!). It's a Tuesday so the typical lines of tourists that we're used to the on weekends will be non-existent.  Grab some frozen yogurt at Berryline or Pinkberry, it might be the last time for a little while that you'll be able to snack on a cool dessert.

What we're really saying today is that everyone should take advantage of this wonderful weather and this great city that we often forget to just enjoy.  It's a great afternoon to grab lunch at a sidewalk style café or walk down by the waterfront.  We've got a few months before the weather gets warm again and now is the time to get rid of that cabin fever or stop it before it starts! Don't let yourself forget about the things Boston has to offer.

Snow has finally settled on the ground and although the cold weather waited a bit this season, it's here.  But the best part about winter is that cozy feeling you have when you're sitting by the fire or bundled up with your favorite slippers and blanket.  So we've come up with a few ways to make your home feel just a little bit cozier in this brisk weather.

1. Curtains, floor to ceiling

Curtains can breath new life into a space and they're great for heat efficiency.  Fun or traditional fabrics and lighter colors will really open up a room that may seem a little too dark during these short hours of sunlight.  Also opening up the curtains to let that sunlight in and then drawing them as the sun goes down will really help in keeping a warm home.

2. Dressing up the fireplace

If you always leave the same knick-knacks, pictures, or candles on your mantle piece maybe it's time to switch it up.  Change the photos on top of the mantle, or add a nice vase with a bouquet of flowers. There's no doubt you'll be using the fireplace this season, so why not make it the center of attention? Make it something to look at as you warm up after a day at work.

3. Show off your books

A sparse space doesn't make for cozy living, but a cluttered space certainly doesn't help either.  A quick fix to this is putting out some of your favorite books stacked neatly on a few shelves around the house. It can fill up a room quickly and makes your home feel like yours.  Plus if you're ever looking for a good read, it's right there.  Even leave out some nice coffee table books for a topic of conversation when you're entertaining.

4. Soft and warm area rugs

As gorgeous as hardwood floors can be, they do get a bit chilly in the winter.  A quick solution is to add some area rugs around the home.  You don't need to keep them out year-round if you don't want to, but rolling them out for a few months can certainly be very comforting when the wind is howling and the snow is falling. Putting out a rug in the living room or dining room will warm up any cool room.

Now that we're in the middle of January and it's a brand new year it's time to get organized and stay organized. Everyone is trying to keep up with their New Year's resolutions and the best way to do that is to be organized, not just with schedules and at work, but at home too.  There are some real simple ways to keep things tidy and easy to manage at home.

Put those gift boxes to use, not in the trash

Use left over gift boxes to store all the old knick-knacks that you're looking to replace with the new shiny gifts from the holidays. It's a quick way to avoid a whole lot of clutter and do something with all those boxes you usually can't find room for.

Make sure the kids get organized too

Now that the kids have had the time to wear out the batteries in their new toys it's time to get them off the living room floor and find a place to keep them.  Designating a specific area for each child to keep their toys is a way to make them feel special, a place to call their own.  Also try to keep these special storage places low to the ground, so they can have easy access to the toys when they want them, and even better, they have easy access when you want them to put them away.

Ribbons aren't just pretty, they're functional

Save ribbons from packages and presents to hang up new photo frames and pictures from the past year. Saving memories and decorating your home with them is easy and faun. You can stop the clutter and do a little good for the environment, by giving the ribbon a second life and recycling.

A lazy susan to clear up those cluttered counters

We all know that you cooked like crazy during the holidays, but now there are spices and cooking supplies spread all over the counters.  Now it's time to get them organized and put away for the final time.  Getting a small lazy susan to put either in a cupboard or in a tidy corner is a great way to keep everything in one place and it's easy to clean when faced with those messy spills.   Even if things get a little cluttered on the lazy susan, it's ok, because it's all in one place and you'll know where everything is!

Pick a wall and stick it to the wall

Chose a wall in one room, the kitchen, the laundry room, the playroom, wherever it may be, just find a room and then find a wall.  Make this the go-to wall for everything in the house.  This means putting all your calendars, bulletin boards, and even a chalkboard (or whiteboard) on that wall.   This is a place to write everything down, leave sticky notes, grocery lists, keep track of everyone's schedules.  No more notes left on the counter or the fridge, no more mess!

So at this point The Charles Realty has found you that perfect condo in Boston, and even better it's dog friendly.  But more than just your condo is dog friendly; Boston is considered one of the most dog friendly cities in America.

Here are some great events and places that make the Boston Area such a great place for you and your furry best friend:

The Great Dog Rescue New England Meet and Greet:

Polk Dog Bakery- 256 Shawmut Avenue, Boston

The Charles Realty is proud to support The Great Dog Rescue New England Meet and Greet at the Polka Dog Bakery, where a new homeowner can find their best friend.  This Sunday, January 22^nd from noon to 3:00 The Great Dog Rescue of New England, a non-profit, shelter-less dog rescue program based out of Massachusetts, will be hosting a meet and greet where anyone can mingle and go home with a best friend.

Puppy Love Dinner, Dance, and Silent Auction

The Fairways at the Woburn Country Club

The Charles Realty has had a long-standing relationship with The Great Dog Rescue of New England. Some of our own team have even housed foster puppies themselves.  Another great way we want to support this program is by extending an invite to the Puppy Love Dinner, Dance, and Silent Auction.

This event is being held on February 4^th from 7pm to midnight, in order to raise money for The Great Dog Rescue of New England to help save the lives of local dogs and puppies.  It's a fun way to support a great cause too.

Peter's Park Dog Run

South End- 1227 Washington St. between East Berkeley and Waltham streets

This park in conveniently located in the South End and is designed specifically for your dog to socialize and play.  Peters Park is also an off leash dog park, allowing owners to take a break from the usual walk.

Carlton Court Dog Park

South End- Carlton and Holyoke Street

This small and paved dog park is especially convenient for dogs and their owners.  Waste bags are made available around the park and this completely fenced in park leaves dog owners worry-free.

Dog and People Parks

The Esplanade and The Boston Public Gardens

Some other great places to spend some time with your dog in Boston include more traditional parks and green spaces. A great place to jog with your best furry friend might be the Esplanade, where they hosted a dog Halloween parade this past fall or for a more scenic stroll there's always the Boston Public Gardens.