We understand that not every party is going to be a knock-your-socks off over the top hallabalooza, but that does not mean you can’t party in style. Being the perfect party hostess is no easy feat, but if you follow these three easy steps you will find that party planning can be enjoyable and fun.
1) P #1: Plan Early
So many of us pile 200 things on our daily to-do list that we are still working on tasks from 2010. Work through what could be an otherwise very stressful situation by sitting down in a calm and quiet place (away from the kids, of course!) and figuring out what needs to be done and when. Things you will want to tackle first include: choosing colors and a theme for the event, putting together a guest list (try to keep it small and intimate-the more folks that attend your event, the more work you will have keeping everything in order), deciding on decorations, creating a menu, and sending out invitations. If your party is going to be somewhere other than your house, venue selection is something else you want to take care of sooner than later.
By planning ahead you will allow yourself plenty of time to handle unforeseen situations and get some of the work out of the way long before the event is scheduled to take place. By doing as much pre-party work as possible, you are making it possible to relax and enjoy interacting with your guests the day of the event.
2) P #2: Be Present
Sounds easy, right? Well it is harder than it may seem. I cannot tell you how many times I have attended parties for my son’s friends where the hostess of the party did not make more than a five minute appearance throughout the entire party. This is especially a problem for moms hosting a party for smaller children (say under 7).
Everyone knows that a child’s party is just as much for the parents as it is for the children. Adults want to have a good time too! So being present requires party hostesses to have things prepared ahead of time so when it comes party time, they are free to relax, interact and introduce, and most importantly, enjoy themselves.
3) P #3: Be Plentiful
Make sure you have more than enough food, drinks, favors, and games and activities scheduled for the party day. Shorting some children party favors or not having enough food is a recipe for disaster! If you are unsure, plan for extra attendees. My rule of thumb is: take the confirmed guest count and add enough for 5-10 more for everything. That means more favor bags, more soda, more snacks, more cake and more prizes. You may have to spend a little more but you can always give out extra and you can never compensate for not having enough. Besides, everyone loves party leftovers.