Easy Party Planning Tips Part 3

Help Yourself To Be Prepared!

Remember the Golden Rule about parties: Everything you need to do will take longer than you think!

So, using your Party Plan List, do everything you possibly can ahead of time:

Any food item that can be prepared and stored or frozen can be made prior to the party. If you’ve frozen an item, note on your Party Plan List what time it needs to be taken out of the freezer.

For any food item that needs to be made the day of the party, think ahead. Can you pre-measure the ingredients and store in containers in the ‘frig or seal in re-sealable plastic bags? This will save you plenty of time on Party Day! Can you arrange for an army of Kitchen Helpers to come early and help you prepare the dishes (or just stand at the sink and wash dishes!).

Remember: parties create TRASH and GARBAGE. Most people don’t plan ahead for this. If you don’t have regular large trashcans (or garbage cans that you can hose out and have clean for the party), then big cardboard boxes will do. Buy large, heavy mil trash bags.

Put several in the bottom of the trashcan or trash box before you put in the trash bag that will be open. This way, as the trash bag fills up, you can tie up the bag, remove it, and there will be another trash bag ready to go! (Ask your Party Planner to attend to this during the party, or appoint a Kitchen Helper to do this so that you don’t have to think about it during the crunch of the party

Accept the fact that it is likely that drinks are going to be spilled. Depending on what your arrangement is for drinks—cans of soda, bottles of various sport drinks, juices, and water, cans and bottles of alcoholic beverages, or party punchbowls—please think ahead about spillage and melting ice.

Borrow plenty of coolers from friends and have certain types of beverages in their own coolers (all the soda in one cooler, all the bottled drinks in one, beer in another, etc.). Be sure that one cooler is kept for “clean ice” that people can use for drinks that are poured into cups. If the coolers are going to be inside on the floor, spread out beach towels underneath them to absorb the ice melt. Buy several rolls of paper towels, and have them handy to dry hands and mop up spills.

Don’t use Grandma’s antique lace tablecloth under the Cherry Kool-Aid punchbowl (or if you must, then be sure to put the punchbowl on an attractive, this-can-get-stained-and-I-don’t-care placemat that is big enough to catch likely spills and drips).

Don’t Panic on Party Day!

You’ve been using your Party Plan List and you’ve been coordinating with your Party Helper. On Party Day, all you need to do now is go by the list, and work at getting things done in the order that they need to be finished.

Hopefully your Party Helper will be available to assist you during the day. It might also be helpful to appoint other Kitchen Helpers to help during the party to: replenish food trays, put uneaten food away before it spoils, take care of trash, help set up party games, and restart the music if you are playing CDs on the stereo.

Don’t be afraid to ask several people to each do one small task during the party. They won’t mind, and you won’t have to spend all your time hurrying around, trying to do everything! (Think about having a small gift for each of your helpers.)

Enjoy the Party!

Now that you’ve done all the planning, finished the shopping, prepared all the food, and greeted your guests as they arrive, you can relax and enjoy the party!

Post-Party Reminders

After the mess is gone and the place is back to normal, please do remember to personally thank your Party Helper, Kitchen Helpers, and all those who lent a hand in making it a successful event! And then offer your services as Party Helper for their next party…