Preparing for a Party

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.  That surely means a party… or at minimum a small gathering of friends and/or family.  This year I get to play hostess!  I LOVE being the hostess of the party.  That means I get to be in complete control.  (Well as much as anyone can be of course… I suppose that I’ll have to let my guests leave when they wish and not tie them down if they want to leave before the clock strikes midnight.)

From the moment that the decision was made to hold the celebration at our home, my brain went into overdrive.  So much to plan!  Who to invite, what food to serve, what beverages to drink, and what activities to do.

Make a List Work for You

Before I let the ideas swimming in my head go speeding away faster than a shark after it’s prey, I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen.  I am the queen of list-making.  Even if you’re not a “list maker” I would highly suggest using them when you’re planning a party.  Your list can include high level items such as invitations, food, beverages, activities, children-friendly.  Or you can get extremely detailed and list out subsections to each of these like: food meatballs, sausage stars, salsa & chips, deviled eggs, bread & blueberry fruit dip, buffalo wings, veggie tray, peppermint bark, m&m’s.

If you’re a super organizational freak (like me) you’d go into further detail with your list and for each sub-item, you’d list out all of the ingredients that you need to make that particular item.  This way, when it’s time to go grocery shopping, the whole list is right there!

Invitations

Before you can have a party, people have to first be invited.  Think about the people that you’d like to invite based on the reason for the party.  Be realistic about numbers.  You can figure that about 20-30% of the invitees won’t be able to come for some reason or another.  That doesn’t mean that you should go overboard on invitations either though; you may find yourself biting off more than you can chew.  A stressed hostess is not a good hostess.  You want to be able to enjoy your guests and have a good time as well.  Only you will be able to accurately judge of how many people you can accommodate.

What to Serve?

There are so many variables to consider: What is the occasion for the party?  What time of day is your party? In my case, planning a New Years Party was fairly easy.  It’s going to be a late night, so guests won’t arrive until later.  Appetizers is a perfect solution to this dilemma.  However, if I was planning a Super Bowl Party, I would probably serve a big pot of chili along with veggie and fruit trays.  Knowing the reason for the gathering as well as time frame of the event is key to choosing the appropriate food.

Who are your guests, and will children be in attendance or only adults?  Make sure that you know your audience when planning what foods to serve.  In general, children are more picky about the ingredients in their food.  If children are present,  serve some “safe-food” alternatives to the adult menu.

Beverages?

This can be a subject of controversy.  Know your guests preferences on alcohol consumption.  You don’t want your guests to feel uncomfortable. In my case, with a New Years Party, alcohol is many times assumed to be the beverage of choice.  With the crowd I’ve invited, I know that serving alcoholic beverages is okay with my guests.  However, I will also be serving non-alcoholic options for those who don’t wish to partake as well as the pregnant women and children in attendance.

Party Activities

I know, I know… I sound like a nerd.  Who plans party activities?  Well - that’s me.  Not anything too structured though.  I simply get several games out of our “game closet” as suggestions and leave them out in an obviously visible area (like the kitchen table).  Again, knowing your audience is key.  Some of my favorites, especially on New Years are Uno, Catch Phrase, Poker, Dominoes, and Apples to Apples.  These games can get kinda rowdy and make for some fun conversation!

If you’re planning a New Years Party, or any party, what’s your plan of attack to make sure that the event goes off without a hitch?