Party Planning 101

Hosting a party during the holidays? Here are a few simple tips which can help make your party a memorable one.

Plan ahead and enjoy your party. Don’t do all the preparations on the day of the party itself. Decide on the type of menu you want to serve to your guests and buy the things you will need days before the party. If you need decorations, put them up 1-2 days ahead and prepare the food way before the guests start to arrive. To make sure you don’t forget any details, come up with a list of things to do. This way, you will be able to relax more and freely socialize with your guests.

Make it festive! You don’t have to go over the top with your decorations. Simple touches are always appreciated. Tie your utensils and napkins with decorative ribbons. Decorate your tables with pinecones and Christmas ornaments. Put your ice in buckets tied with big festive ribbons. Lay out unscented candles to create a cozier ambiance. Put holiday decorations outside your door and on the hallway or driveway to create a cheerful mood for your guests even before they step inside.

Serve buffet. Not only are buffets more trouble-free compared to sit-down dinners, they also allow you to spend less time in the kitchen. Just make sure you avoid serving anything that can spoil easily since all of the food will be laid out for hours.

Stick to small plates and easy finger foods. Keep the menu simple – serve up fun and festive finger foods that can be prepared easily. Mini sandwiches, toasted breads/baguettes served with dips, cookies and brownies are good choices for your menu.

Plan an activity. This is Christmas, so get everyone organized for some seasonal fun. Come up with games and fun activities for your guests to get everyone into the holiday mood. Games and activities can be as straightforward as singing Christmas carols around the Christmas tree or you can challenge everyone to an ornament-making contest, complete with fun craft supplies and baubles. You can engage kids in an art activity by simply putting out white craft paper, scissors, glue and glitters of various colors to get them busy.