Fa la la la La | Throw the best Party of the Season

The holidays are the perfect time to extend special hospitality to family and friends. Hosting a party is a labor of love with a special focus on sharing with guests. Whether you’re planning to host an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner or a simple cocktail party with friends, entertaining during the holiday season takes time and effort. This year, resolve to add more joy to your gatherings by reading up on our best tips for planning holiday fetes!

1. Start planning

-What’s your theme? Give the holidays your own personal spin.
-Set the date. Since the holiday season is busy, choose a less-traditional date for your party.
-Aim to send out invitations at least 4 weeks to your guest list. And if time is of the essence, try Paperless Post or good ‘ole Evite. (underlined are links!)
-Come up with a countdown to help you organize tasks. Remember to set aside time for shopping, making appetizers, and polishing your place.
-Plan your menu. One important thing to remember is to plan serving sizes.
-Write your shopping list. Try to shop as far ahead of time as possible, but purchase the most perishable items last.

2. Get ready

-Clear space in the refrigerator for cold dishes and determine ahead of time which dishes need to be heated or finished in your kitchen.
-Create a Floor Plan for your place or venue. Knowing where everything is will make it easier to focus on your guests.
-Make sure you have the right amount of serving dishes, silverware, ice, napkins, utensils, corkscrews, and anything else you need.
-Holiday décor can be simple, inexpensive and fun. Try online wholesale websites for unique and reasonably priced options.
-Give yourself twice the amount of time you think you will need to get ready on the day of your party. When those early guests ring your doorbell, you’ll be happy you gave yourself extra time.

3. Prepare for the unexpected

-Stock up on some cheese, crackers, olives – snacks for surprise drop-in or early guests.
-Have some good tea and coffee on hand and assemble your teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, teaspoons, and cups with saucers so everything ready when guests drop by.
-Make Clean up easy! In case of accidental spills, make an all-purpose cleaning solution prior to the party by filling a clean spray bottle with warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Shake up the mixture and set it aside with some clean cloths before your guests arrive.