At Home Party Tips From The Pros

Stress and anxiety always come with having an at home party. Just getting everything ready can drive a person crazy, and worrying about last minute details can be the push right over the edge. Planning and throwing a party doesn't have to be stressful and dreadful. This is a list of tips put together by the pros that will relieve you of all the pre party stress and jitters.


Tip #1 Start off my making two master lists, one for shopping and the other for things that need to be done. Decide how many days that you will need to do the shopping and cleaning. Mark these days on your calendar and don't give in to cutting yourself short on time!

Tip #2 Give your spouse and/or children things to do to help with the cleaning. The job that they do may no be exactly the way you would have done it, but you can do a quick once over the day before the party.

Tip #3 You need to think of a place where your guests can hang their coats and put their purses. If you have a closet by your entry, just clean everything out of it for the day. Put everything from the closet into boxes or find it a new home until after the party.

Tip #4 More than likely there will be food leftover. You need to decide if you want to send them home with your guests. If that is what you are going to do, you should get some styrofoam or some other disposable containers for them to take the food home in. This way you won't have to be rounding up your containers later.

Tip #5 Even if you send the extra food home with your guests, keep enough for yourself so that you don't have to cook the next day or two after the party. That is one plus for an at home party. The day after the party you and your family will be pretty tired out. If you save some of the leftovers, you can reheat the food instead of making more.

Tip #6 After you do your grocery shopping, leave all the non-perishables in the bags and hide them. If you don't, the food will get eaten and you will have to go shopping all over again. Double check what is in your bags the day before the party. You may discover that you have forgotten something or that someone has found your hiding place! Either way, you will have time then to run to the store for last minute things.

Tip #7 If your party is near the Christmas holiday season, you should have a cookie exchange with your friends. This way you only have to make one kind, but you end up with a wide variety.

Tip #8 If your are serving wine it is a good idea to invest in some inexpensive drinking glass charms. This will help your guests keep track of their drink so they don't have to keep getting another glass. You can put the charms on the glasses ahead of time or lay them on the table where the drinks are being served and the guests can pick out their own.

Tip #9 If anyone asks if they can bring anything, don't turn them down! This will lower your overall spending and you will have less food to make. If you are having a theme or want certain foods for your at home party, tell the person what to make. If you don't care what they bring at least give them a category like salads or desserts.

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Throw A Party And Enjoy It!

Throwing parties is a lot of work and that is why many people don't throw them. They don't want to be doing last minute things or stuck in the kitchen the whole time. Throwing a party doesn't have to be that way! Believe it or not, you can be the host and enjoy yourself at the same time. Being organized is the trick You can have a party without running ragged if you are organized.

Having fun at your own party should be your goal. It is possible to organize it so you can have fun right along with your guests. Getting organized before the event is time consuming, but it is worth it.

Consider these suggestions:

Tip #1

Sit down and make a list of all of the things that need to be done and bought. Use this list to make a timeline leading up to the party for cleaning, getting rid of the clutter in your home, shopping for food and decorations, decorating, and preparing the food.

Tip #2

Look at your budget and decide if you want to make the food yourself or buy it already made. If you check stores like Costco, for example, you may find that veggie and meat trays and sometimes cakes cost about the same as if you made them yourself. Choosing early on whether to make the food or buy it pre-made so you can place orders if necessary.

Tip #3

If anyone offers to bring something to the party, don't turn them down. Each dish that is made by someone else, is one less you have to make. When someone offers to make a dish and asks for suggestions, have them bring something that they like to make or that they are known for.

Tip #4

Start shopping for non-perishable items right away. You may be able to save money by watching for sales. Buy things like fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, pastries, or anything freshly made, on the last day before the party.

Tip #5

Top bed sheets work very well as alternatives to table linens if you don't have them. Don't forget to put a piece of felt or heavy material between the table cloth and the table so your table top won't get damaged by heat or moisture.

Tip #6

Treat yourself and have your home professionally cleaned the day before the party. Make a space in your basement or a closet for items that clutter up shelves and other surfaces.

Tip #7

Take advantage of your spouse and your children and assign them tasks. Double check when they are finished to make sure that everything was done. Take a deep breath and remember that your guests are attending your party to spend time with you and your family, not to inspect the cleanliness of your house.

Tip #8

Keep pets out from underfoot during the party. If you know that someone is allergic to small animals, you may need to relocate them for the day. Cats can usually be closed in an out of the way room and be perfectly comfortable. Dogs are the same unless they bark. Barking dogs are very annoying to most people.

If you are running behind the day of your party ask a friend, your spouse or your children to help. If you try to do everything yourself, you are going to want a nap just as the party is starting. The "secret" is simple, get organized early on, do the best you can, and delegate responsibility for the things that you won't have time to do. Last of all, just relax and enjoy yourself!!

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Professional Looking Party Invitations That You Made

Party Invitations Done Like The Professionals
The invitation to your party or event will provide the first impression for your guests. You will want to impress your friends and family and make your celebration appear to be well organized. In order for this to happen it is suggested that your invitations have the same style and theme as the party itself. The invitation is meant to give a little teaser so that guests will be more inticed to attend your event.
The best time to send out invitations is four weeks before a smaller party, and eight weeks prior to a wedding or any other large event. You will also want to check your calendar so you are sure that your party or event is not during a holiday weekend or other big event that many of your friends and family may already be attending.
The standard way of wording your invitation makes it easy to read and be understood by most people. The standard way includes the following:
* Phrasing should in the third person format
* Punctuation shouldn't be used at the ends of lines, except for names and addresses which require them
* It is best to spell out names, addresses, etc, fully instead of using abbreviations. The exception is the use of Mr. And Mrs. These particular abbreviations are fine for an invitation.
* Days, dates, and times should also be spelled out completely.
* The correct way to address a husband and wife who are both doctors is, “The Doctors Last Name”.
* It is not acceptable to write “no children” or refer to gifts, or even no gifts, even if you don't expect them on any invitations.
Make sure that your invitations contain the following information:
* The name of the person(s) hosting the event
* The reason for the event
* The name of the guest of honor (if there is one)
* The day, date and time of the event
* Where the event is being held including the street address and city for out-of-towners

Start out by making a rough draft of your invitation, then get someone else to read over it so you can correct any mistakes that you didn't catch yourself. This is very important because having the wrong date or time on them can really mess things up. It is so much easier, and less embarrasing, to catch and fix mistakes before you send the invitations than calling everyone to clear up the error.

One thing that is really nice, is that you can have your invitations printed online. If you look around there are places that do it at a are very reasonable price. If you happen to have a good graphics program and printer, you can also do them yourself. If you will be having a smaller event, it is much easier to purchase a package of the pre-written invitations from a local store and simply write in the information on them.

Fun and informal invitations are appropriate for a small or informal event. If you are having a formal party or event such as a wedding, then you are best off to use professionally printed invitations.


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