09 Jan 11 Some Tips for Throwing a Successful Party
Throwing a successful party is a huge task, but it does not have to be ridden with anxiety and stress. With some prior assistance, you can actualize the dream of entertaining all your guests. Of course, there will be a lot of work and planning involved, yet the payoff is worth it. Here is a list of tips for throwing a party:
1. Decide on an overall theme for your party. Once you have finalized your decision, purchase some themed party supplies to create an immersive environment. Parties let people temporarily escape into a world of fantasy and disbelief, so do your best to enhance this immersion.
2. After getting back your party invitations, publicize the guest-list of everyone attending. This will help eliminate any guests showing up unexpectedly and causing tension. In addition, let everyone know whether their children are allowed or not. Disclose as much information as possible before your guests arrive.
3. Depending on the size of your party, you may want to hire some bartenders or servers. This will free you up to enjoy the company of your guests. If you are throwing a costumes party, have the servers all wear the same costumes. Screen all potential employees before you finalize the hiring process.
4. Party decorations are a great way for you to release some creative energy. Spend enough time on each room in your house and you will have all of your guests wowed in no time.
5. Section off an area of the house for coats and loose articles of clothing. Keep the door locked and require guests to speak to you to gain entrance. This will keep everyone’s attention on the party and not their possessions.
6. If kids are attending your party, purchase some child-friendly foods, like pizza, hotdogs, or chicken nuggets. Serve these on child themed tableware to add a bit of party flair. Also, hand out party favors to every child in attendance.
7. Try to keep conversational topics away from controversial subjects, like religion, politics, or interpersonal dilemmas. Your party should help people get away from the stresses of life, not encourage it.
7. If you are not throwing a Super Bowl party, have some soft music playing in the background. A silent party can easily kill the mood. Plus, some music will encourage a bit of dancing between couples or new friends.
8. Serve the party food on a buffet line, with the tableware at the beginning. This expedites the process of individuals getting food and encourages discussion between neighboring buffet attendants.
9. It is better to have too many drinks than not enough. If you want to keep your guests around for a while, plan accordingly and keep a healthy stock of varying bottled liquids, like soda, water, juice, or alcoholic beverages.
10. Finally, if you are serving alcohol, never let your friends drink and drive. If someone seems too intoxicated, take their keys and give them time to sober up.
You are now well equipped with the information needed to throw a successful party. Have fun and enjoy the experience!
07 Jan 11 How to Throw a Successful Kids’ Movie Night Party
Take a moment and imagine the sight of your child enjoying a movie night with his friends. Picture the smile on each one of their faces as they laugh and eat candy or homemade cookies. Now, imagine that each one of these children becomes bored and goes on a sugar-fueled rampage through your house. Are you starting to panic? Were there always four kids, or was it five? Why are there screams of help coming from somewhere deep within the house? This is the exact scenario that we are going to help you prevent.
Throwing a successful movie night for kids is a multi-tiered process that starts with the movie. First, is it a scary movie, comedy, action film, or something indie that will breed the next generation of Wes Andersons? Once the movie is determined, pick up some child themed party supplies that will create the perfect viewing environment. To enhance the immersion, encourage the children to wear party costumes. If anything, it will teach them to emulate their idols.* Now that the movie environment is set, it is time to whip up some themed party invitations.
*Note: Not recommended for gory horror or action movies.
Young children make poor calendar organizers, so it is best to send out party invitations only a couple days ahead of the scheduled event. During the days before the storm hits, contact the parents of each child and ask about food allergies. Nothing kills a movie night faster than a dead kid, unless it’s a Halloween prop. Even then, you might get some strange phone calls the next day.
Before the children arrive, get some themed party favors ready for them. Each one should contain all of the essentials they need to have a successful night of fun. If it is a scary movie, include a small flashlight in each bag and turn all the light in the house off. You can always check out our party favors section for more ideas.
Feeding an army of hungry children is no simple task. The children are there to have fun and let loose, so you do not want to deny them the pleasures of sweet, sugary treats. But, you also have to think about their health. If you are baking cookies, use only the egg whites, and replace the oil and butter with applesauce or bananas. The kids will not know the difference, but their future health will thank you later. As for the candy, limit it or let it flow, it is completely up to you.
As a parting note, have some games or toys ready for children that get bored or too scared during the movie. You may think your night is boredom- or fear-free, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
