Party Planning

Written by Mary Mernda


So you've decided to have a little party. Congratulations!!! You'll have fun and it won't be as hard as you're probably thinking right now. What's your plan? Inviting a few friends over for an evening of conversation? A 30th birthday party for your spouse? A victory celebration after finally paying off that mortgage that you thought would never go away? It doesn't matter. Any reason is a good reason to have a good time. Whether it's a catered affair or you do it all yourself,repparttar object ofrepparttar 111401 event is enjoyment, so why not enjoy getting ready for it also? Remember, any event can be broken down into 3 easy steps:

- Preparation - Presentation - Produlation What's 'produlation' you ask? That'srepparttar 111402 best part!!! It's when you producerepparttar 111403 results of your preparation and presentation and receiverepparttar 111404 congratulations of your guests (and yourself, of course).

Preparation One ofrepparttar 111405 keys to a successful gathering is preparation. Andrepparttar 111406 earlier it starts,repparttar 111407 better. We think it is important for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is a way to get organized. But more importantly, if time is spent inrepparttar 111408 preparation phase, you won't be running around atrepparttar 111409 last minute attending to details. This will better allow you to relax and enjoy your time with your guests. We've dividedrepparttar 111410 preparation phase into three easy categories: - Menu - Layout - Cleaning If you've followrepparttar 111411 above steps, you should be able to get a good night's sleep and relax while waiting for your event to begin!

Menu

Welcome torepparttar 111412 most exciting section onrepparttar 111413 preparation for your party. Sure, as you look atrepparttar 111414 different options under preparation you see that terrible choice called 'cleaning'. But let's not think about that right now. Instead, why don't we just have some fun and let our imaginations run wild. The first decision you will need to make is whether you will be doing your own food preparation or usingrepparttar 111415 services of a caterer. There is no right answer. We will tell you that once they were organized, many people have actually admitted that they enjoyed preparingrepparttar 111416 food. If that is your desire, read on. If you decide to followrepparttar 111417 caterer route, it might still be a good idea to readrepparttar 111418 rest of this section to help prepare forrepparttar 111419 questions they will be asking you in order to help make your event memorable. The two most important words that come to mind when preparing your menu are variety and quantity. It's a good idea to provide your guests with a wide variety of choices. Some hot, some cold. Some dry, some with sauces. Add a few meats, vegetables, cheeses a couple of dips and maybe even some fruit and voila, you have a menu. Do you have a special finger food that is a little bit out ofrepparttar 111420 ordinary? Add it to your menu. It's always a good idea to have a few old stand-bys such as chicken wings and chips for those with a less exotic palate. A typical menu we've seen included: wings with a variety of sauces (although they were just as good plain), pepperoni bread with a little spaghetti sauce onrepparttar 111421 side for dipping if desired, a variety of potato and tortilla chips with a couple of dip choices a vegetable tray and a selection of olives and pickles. Another idea to consider is having a few items on your menu that can be prepared in advance and reheated so that you are not rushing to preparerepparttar 111422 food when you would rather be relaxing and thinking ofrepparttar 111423 fun you will be having. After coveringrepparttar 111424 variety of choices, it is now time to look at quantity. Always prepare more than you think you'll need. It may seem like a waste of money at first, but remember, you get to eatrepparttar 111425 leftovers. Or, asrepparttar 111426 host, you will be able to offer your guests a little going home gift. Now settle in and let your imagination run wild.

Layout Layout is an often overlooked part ofrepparttar 111427 preparation. At many events there is a last minute rush to try and squeeze everything in and a considerable amount of time is spent rearranging things to ensure that both your guests andrepparttar 111428 food will all fit inrepparttar 111429 desired area. Of course, there are many factors which need to be considered when planning your layout. Such things as location (indoor or outdoor) andrepparttar 111430 amount of space you have. We've been to some events in 3000 square foot houses and others in 1000 square foot houses. Certainlyrepparttar 111431 ones in larger areas made things easier, but evenrepparttar 111432 smaller areas were successful becauserepparttar 111433 host had takenrepparttar 111434 time to plan his layout. If at all possible, it is best to create three separate areas to help provide a free flow of guests and help eliminate traffic jams. One area will featurerepparttar 111435 food. Another will contain your drinks and drinkware. The third area will be used for plates, napkins, utensils and items of that sort. Without a doubt,repparttar 111436 food area will berepparttar 111437 most popular, so here are a few tips to help in that area. The first thing to consider isrepparttar 111438 option of settingrepparttar 111439 food on a table that will allow people to walk completely around it. The idea of setting plates, etc. in a separate area will allow people to pick up a plate and proceed to an open area ofrepparttar 111440 food table in order to begin serving themselves. Withrepparttar 111441 plates at one end ofrepparttar 111442 food table, everyone feels obliged to walk aroundrepparttar 111443 whole table, even ifrepparttar 111444 foodrepparttar 111445 desire is atrepparttar 111446 very end. Now in setting uprepparttar 111447 food itself, there are a couple of things to consider. It is best to put what you believe will berepparttar 111448 most popular food inrepparttar 111449 center ofrepparttar 111450 table. This will allow your guests to have easy access from anywhere. Also, it is always a good idea to place any sauces nearrepparttar 111451 edge ofrepparttar 111452 table. This will prevent accidental spills into other foods which may make them unpleasing to your guests. Now close your eyes and start dreaming ofrepparttar 111453 wonderful layout you have designed for your guests.

Making Summer Friendships Last

Written by Deborah Shelton


Summertime isn’t just about getting dirty, staying up all night, playing inrepparttar rain, and going off to camp--It’s about meeting new people. Follow these tips to turn your vacation acquaintances into lifelong friends.

1. Summer Memory Book Makerepparttar 111400 summer last forever by preserving memories in a special book. Fillrepparttar 111401 plastic sleeves of a photo album with photos, ticket stubs, sections of road maps from summer trips, and other mementos. When you’re finished, exchange memory books with your closest summer buddy.

2. Picture Postcards Keep in touch with vacation friends by sending picture postcards. Scan summer photos and print them on cardstock paper, 4 per page. Use scissors to cut individual cards. On repparttar 111402 blank side, include your friend’s address, your return address, and a postage stamp. Don’t forget to write a cool message!

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