Monday, December 3

How to Throw a Successful Christmas Party

Ten Things That Are Sure To Make Your Holiday Party Planning Fun and Simple.

Christmas is a fun and festive season with tons of parties. Why not throw one of your own this year? It doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. The following ten steps will help you get a jump start towards holiday party success!

  • Get organized. Do an inventory of your serving dishes, candles, napkins, flatware, etc. If you have the space, make a party closet. Take a closet in your house and use it as party central. Put all of the must haves in one place, that way you’re not searching for items up to the last minute. and you don't have to have them sitting in the dinning room for two weeks ahead of time either.
  • Make a plan and stick to it. Once you are organized, make a game plan for the party and stick to the plan. Once you veer off the plan it is easy to loose track of things and spend more money than you might otherwise. Type a list for what you need to be doing the 10 days leading up to the party. For example, five days before the party you order flowers; day 3 you purchase groceries. Things will go so much smoother.
  • Set the menu and plan the grocery list. Setting the menu is one of the most important things to do. Don’t try to make recipes that you have never tried before. Stick to what you know. Sit down and write up a detailed grocery list to ensure you don’t get sidetracked at the grocery store.
  • You don’t have to make everything yourself. Order some things from a caterer, your local gourmet market or even the deli in the neighborhood grocery store. No one will ever know once you display the food on your own serving trays. Be sure to serve things that can be eaten both hot and at room temperature. This makes things run smoother. Garnishing your trays with touches of the season is a great way to bring the holidays to your table.
  • Set the tone or theme for your party. A theme helps to make a party fun and lets your guest know you put thought into the party. This can be as easy as choosing a color for the party. Maybe everything is red; red candles, red poinsettias, plates or napkins or the classic Christmas of greenery with red accents. Or even an Elvis 'Blue Christmas' party!
  • Use things you already own. If you own a collection of candle sticks, festive nutcrackers or candy topiaries pull them out and use them. Maybe you have a great collection of bowls? Fill them with water and float candles and flowers. Filling a vase full of Christmas balls is a quick and easy fix for a last minute centerpiece. It is also nice to place fresh cut evergreen boughs around the house. They will fill your home with the scent of the season.
These sweet debs helped at a Christmas Party thrown last 
year. Our daughter, Elizabeth, is on the right. 
They were wonderful!
  • No one is expecting you to do everything. If you can’t manage on your own, hire help or ask a friend. It is nice to have someone refill the serving platters, pick up plates and glasses during the party and helping with clean up after it is over. Hire a couple of teenagers who are in need of some Christmas cash! 
  • Don’t forget, music can make your party. Most people think of music at the last minute. Music will also set the tone for the party, so make sure you choose music that goes with your theme. For instance, if your theme is winter wonderland, blues could be a great choice for that theme. Also make sure the music is not too loud. Guests need to be able to have conservation. After all, parties are all about great conversations. I like to keep it low enough for good conversation and just loud enough to hum along.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. If everything is not perfect, are the guests really going to notice? Don’t worry if all the napkins didn’t get folded or all the candles didn’t get lit. At the end of the night, all that matters is that everyone had fun.
  • Most of all have fun.This is your party! Reserve the 30 minutes before the guests arrive to sit down, put your feet up, take a deep breath, relax and survey the glory of all your hard work. 

Throwing a party is fun and makes wonderful memories, cherish them all.......
......you'll be glad ya did!

ENJOY!
~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~
RONDA

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