Holiday Party Planning

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

The team of Holiday Part Planning wants to warmly wish
to all the readers 'Merry Christmas'.
We hope that the new year is going to bring you the new, exciting ways to plan
and spend your holidays.
Happy New Year!

Try Our Holiday Party Planning Tips

2008-05-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

Planning a holiday gathering this year? For a festive celebration that will wow your friends and family, think like a professional party planner.

A good party planner's first task is to create a schedule that outlines deadlines for decorating your home, creating your menu, and shopping for party favors. Planning ahead is the key to eliminating last-minute chaos.

First on your list should be the decorations. Making your own will personalize the party and set the tone for the evening. Whether you are looking for a casual feeling or something more upscale, your decorations will help create the right mood.

Décor

"The first impression of your holiday party begins at the front door," said Larrisa Gleason of Beckett Corporation. "Create an elegant entryway by floating poinsettias or decorative glass ornaments in your existing birdbath or reflection pool."

Once inside, your table is the center of the party and you'll want your centerpiece to be impressive. Here's a simple idea that is also striking: a cake stand centerpiece. Decorate a plain cake stand with thin velvet ribbon and miniature pinecones using Perfect Glue 1, an adhesive made to work on a variety of surfaces. Once you've assembled it, add some festive pillar candles of different heights for a dramatic effect.

Party Food

Next on your schedule should be planning your menu. Will you serve cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or prepare a formal sit-down dinner? Once you've decided on a menu, it will be easy to put together your shopping list and a cooking schedule. Determine what items you can make ahead of time or the day before.

If planning a formal party, one elegant touch is to include individual dinner menus at each place setting. Compose the list of courses (first course, main course, and dessert) and print it out on lightweight vellum. Using pieces of cardstock cut slightly bigger, place a drop of Perfect Glue 1 at the top of each piece of cardstock and press menu on top. Finish by decorating with velvet ribbon and miniature pinecones.

Party Favors

Party favors can serve a dual purpose as a decoration during the party as well as a nice parting gift for your guests. From elegant treat cones that hang on a small tree to playful matchboxes filled with goodies, use your creativity to personalize your favors.

Hiring a Party Planning Professional

2008-05-12T03:48:00.001-07:00

If the party you are planning is very large or you are just lacking the time to plan a party at this point in your life, you might want to consider hiring a professional party planning business for help. These skilled experts know how to handle all facets of your upcoming party and can take the burden off your shoulders.

Here are some tips for hiring a party planning professional:

Ask for referrals from friends, colleagues, caterers and local businesses. Set up appointments for consultations.
Scope out the Better Business Bureau before hiring a party planning business to see if any complaints have been made against that business.
Interview prospects. Ask how many events like yours the planner has done in the past. Ask for her creative ideas. Ask how she troubleshoots and handles mishaps.
Consider his or her track record. Every event planner worth his or her weight has a portfolio.
List the tasks you want taken off your shoulders.
Discuss whether you will be billed by the event, by the hour or as a percentage of the total cost of the party. Talk about how willing you are to go over budget.
If it would make you more comfortable, call references or drop by an event the professional you are considering is conducting in the near future to scope out the scene.
Jot down your ideas, theme, color considerations, entertainment preferences, and anything you feel you want personalized for your professional.
Once you hire someone, let go. If you micromanage that person, you might as well have saved the money and done it all yourself. Keep in mind that the purpose of your hired professional is to ease the burden on yourself.

Holiday party planning tips

2008-05-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Filterfresh Coffee Service (www.filterfresh.com), a provider of coffee and coffee services to offices nationwide, offers these tips to help you create the perfect mix of good times and good behavior duringyour next office holiday party.

* Enlist elves. Ask your more social staff members to form a committee to plan the party. This is guaranteed to result in less complaining and higher employee satisfaction.

* Take it out of the office. It's difficult for staff to get into the holiday spirit when surrounded by desks, computers, and reminders of work to be done. Hold the party at a restaurant or hotel or a more offbeat location, such as an art gallery or loft.

* 'Tis the season for giving. Have all employees donate gifts to a charitable organization instead of exchanging gifts with each other.

* Choose foods carefully. Select foods that can be eaten neatly with one hand and while standing up. Stay away from salty or greasy foods that provoke thirst, which will make guests want to drink more.

* Plan activities. One idea is to have each employee select the name of a co-worker to toast. The toasts can be serious or humorous so that they pay tribute to the person as well as their achievements.

* Listen to the music. If a band or DJ doesn't fit into the budget, be sure there's a quality sound system available to play CDs that will appeal to the group. Ask employees to bring in their favorite CDs. Music helps create a festive atmosphere.

* Provide festive and nonalcoholic drinks for your teetotaling guests. Soft drinks, coffee, and other nonalcoholic beverages make all guests feel welcome, regardless of what they drink.

* Be responsible. Arrange for taxis or designated drivers to make sure all guests get home safely.

Business/Personal Holiday Party Planning Tips

2008-05-12T03:44:00.001-07:00

When John Hakel decided to hire a comedian for one of his company's events, he knew that hiring the right comic would be no laughing matter. As the Director of the Association of General Contractors of California, Hakel plans dozens of events each year and he had heard of other planners who got blindsided when the hired comic's jokes quickly went from funny to filthy. "My job security depends on making our association members happy at these events," says Hakel, "not upsetting them with crude, racially insensitive or sexually explicit humor."

With issues like workplace sexual harassment and political correctness so prevalent these days, HR directors, event planners, office managers, and other program coordinators are anxious to ensure that the hired talent for a business or social event will entertain without offending.

Hakel avoided that embarrassment and kept his job by working with a company like CleanComedians.com. In fact, since the original booking, Hakel has hired performers from Clean Comedians for more than 30 separate events. "Every time I have hired a Clean Comedians performer, my audience has loved it. It's great to get hilarious comedy -- and never having to worry about offending any guests."

CleanComedians.com is an entertainment production company that represents more than 100 entertainers nationwide including; stand-up comedians, comic-magicians, jugglers and variety acts that get big laughs without offending audiences. "It doesn't have to be filthy to be funny," says CleanComedians.com President Corey Ford. "Many of our best customers come to us because they got burnt hiring a raunchy comedian from a club the previous year." And according to Christing, "clean is green" -- because business is booming. Brian Tracy, one of the nation's leading business authorities, believes that Ford's company is filling a vital need: "We use them over and over to provide comedians who are funny, positive, motivational, and clean. Our events are attended by many people who like to laugh, but do not enjoy off-color jokes or language."

The company is so confident that their funny men and women will entertain without embarrassing, they offer a money-back guarantee to event coordinators. The Clean Comedians website allows program planners to preview funny video clips for free and even offers an easy event planning form to help make the occasion a success.

For tips and details on how to plan a fun "clean" corporate event, fundraiser or holiday party go t www.cleancomedians.com or call 714-670-1929.

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5 Tips for Humorous Holiday Parties:

1. Find humor that appeals to everybody

2. Remember that the funny guy who works in the office next to you is not a real comedian. Hire a professional entertainer.

3. Put the funny on after the food. Don't introduce a guest performer to your crowd just before you serve a meal. Feed the hunger before you fuel the humor at your event.

4. Leave them wanting more. Many comedians can go on for an hour or more. Don't let them! Have your entertainer perform for 30 to 45 minutes max. Recharge your people with good clean fun and make sure you still have time for door prizes, special gifts, and give your attendees the chance to beat the traffic on the way home.

5. Consider giving your guests a gift of laugher-to take home. Your people will enjoy getting: A funny greeting card, a (clean) joke book or DVD, even a "laugh pack" gift basket. Remember that, down the road, people will forget about the food you serve, but they will always remember if you gave them a great time for the holidays.

Two Tips for a Successful Party

2008-05-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

The two most important tips for giving a successful party:

Relax, drink a couple of glasses of wine, or do whatever relaxes you. If you are uptight, your guests will feel it and it will have an adverse effect on the party atmosphere.
Arrange the furniture so that everyone is within comfortable talking distance. This will help conversation to flow freely.

If you do these two things it will not matter what you serve, etc.,the guests will just naturally "party"!

Planning for a holiday - holidayplanningcenter.blogspot.com can help you

2008-04-22T01:35:00.000-07:00

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Canberra: planning a family holiday

2008-04-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

From the moment Walter Burley Griffin won the rights to design the political city of the future back in 1912, not a building, street or single tree was put in place to look anything but spectacular.

This is apparent from ground level, but the only way to view this bush capital and its aesthetic layout is as the birds see it …, from above. The options were simple, an 'early' hot air balloon ride or jump a helicopter any time of the day, seeing as though I'd slept in, I went with the helicopter and was glad I did. In order to get some great shots the doors had been taken away, my initial apprehension of falling were quickly forgotten as I found myself actually leaning out to take postcard shots. I lost track of time as we flew in low past Telstra Tower, over Parliament House, War Memorial and back to base. Wow! What a rush!

While Canberra boasts the prestigious title of being our 'National Capital' it's not just another town full of public servants. This chunk of land hidden in the lower corner of NSW and stamped ACT on the map is a definite destination on the list of must-do holidays, especially if you've got the kids in tow. "Family holiday in Canberra? Are you crazy?" My friends all questioned, knowing perfectly well the answer to that.

Canberra is the domain for the big guns of Australian politics, so expect to find a well-manicured city. Here magnificent monuments adorn wide avenues and architecturally-designed masterpieces of power are on display in the forms of the National Art Gallery, Parliament House, High Court and the selection of origin-based embassies.

While the country is literally being run within these very walls, I say, let 'em work and we'll find the fun. And first stop are the dinosaurs. Yep, if you're into all things Jurassic, head to the National Dinosaur Museum. This modest collection of dinosaur paraphernalia happens to be one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Leave the car parked where it is, for directly across the road is another family favourite, Cockington Green. Here you can view it all from a giant's vantage point as you wander the miniature, yet intricate world. And I must say I deserve points for being a good girl, for seriously all I wanted to do was my own rendition of Godzilla, but I'm sure everyone wants to do that in miniature villages … right?

Apart from the tiny British village, complete with teensy townsfolk, animals in the fields and cars on the roads, there's also a miniature steam train, but the bonus is, the train is big enough for the kids to ride. So while they do the lap, us grown-ups get to kick back with a hot coffee. Did I happen to mention we're here in the middle of winter? And let me tell you, Canberra in winter gets mighty chilly indeed.

No matter what age, everyone seems to enjoy a good view and Telstra Tower offers a re-energising coffee stop while offering spectacular views of Canberra and the impressive mountains beyond. In the same neighbourhood you'll find the National Zoo and Aquarium, realistically resembling their natural habitats, the enclosures give ample opportunity for the wildlife to hide within. "Perhaps a little too good", I mumble, as we were yet to find the wolves or brown bear.

On a blue-sky day the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin is one of those places that makes you wished you'd packed the bikes. But why pack them when you can hire them? And why ride pushbikes in the middle of winter? I ask myself as the boys disappear around the bend, their little legs pumping while calling for Mum to catch up! Though the ride is absolutely freezing it's well worth the effort, for this lake offers more than sheer reflections, it has landmarks as well. Shooting a huge spray of water 147 metres high, the Captain Cook Memorial Jet is a well-known Canberra icon, for no good postcard is without a snap of it.

As we cycle past Aspen Island the bells begin to ring, that's what you get for cycling in the middle of a Canberra winter I reprimand myself. I stop for a breather and thankfully realise the bells aren't chiming in my head, as I flop exhausted upon the grass, recitals of musical brilliance echo angelically, proving the National Carillon, with its 53 bronze bells, is truly a striking landmark ..., oops, pardon the pun.

With the sun disappearing behind the Brindabella Ranges and the temperature dropping further, we hand in the bikes and head for Questacon. Offering six galleries with more than 200 completely interactive exhibits all designed to entertain and educate, I decide to make myself comfortable, 'cause I know the kids won't want to be leaving here in a hurry.

Tips for a healthy and Safe holiday

2008-04-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

I spend all year working hard to save up for my annual holiday, and the last thing I want is for it to be blighted with health issues, especially since I’m in a different country, with doctors speaking another language and a varied standard of hospitals.

This is my guide to help you have a healthy and safe holiday.

Vaccinations and medication

Firstly, contact your doctor’s surgery and ask for advice on what vaccinations and medication they recommend you have before travelling. Make sure you do this in plenty of time prior to your departure because you do not want to be leaving it to the last minute.

Some vaccinations can have side effects - you might find you get a cold, sore throat or achy body, and you don’t want to be ill on your holiday. It’s also worth having a tetanus injection if you haven’t had one in the last ten years but make sure you always take the advice of your doctor before taking any medication.

European Health Insurance Card

Holders of a European Health Insurance Card will receive free or reduced health care during your visit to an EEA country or Switzerland. The EEA consists of the member states of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland is also covered with some exceptions.

The card is free and replaces the old E111 form. You can apply online, or call the EHIC Applications Line on 0845 606 2030. I received my card within 4 days of completing the form online – make sure you have your national insurance number to hand.

Travel Insurance

It is essential that you buy adequate travel insurance before you travel and make sure that you are covered for medical expenses, delays and lost luggage. If you plan to participate in skiing, water sports and other adventure activities make sure that the insurance covers you for this.

Shop around because the price for a single trip can range from £4 to £30 from my own experience. More of us are taking expensive gadgets like iPod’s on holiday so total up the cost of replacing any items that you plan to take with you, and if lost would the insurance cover the cost to replace it.

Know before you Go

Researching your holiday destination is a good idea and could save you a lot of stress. First point of call should be the Foreign, Commonwealth Office website. Read the information on your destination and check any warnings and essential telephone numbers like the local British consulate.

Use Google Maps to find the nearest hospital, chemist, doctors from the hotel and print out the map with directions. Find an online version of the local English speaking newspaper and read the news so you know what’s going on and where to avoid. Read guides on Lonely Planet and WikiTravel.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot, or thrombus, that develops in deep veins such as those in the leg. These are most common in damaged veins, or in veins where blood flow in constricted. To avoid DVT make sure you get up from your seat occasionally and walk around to exercise your legs. Read my guide to Deep Vein Thrombosis for more information.

Do not store hand luggage in front of you as this will restrict you from moving your legs. Whilst sat in your seat try and run through some stretching exercises by moving your legs, arms and neck. Try not to stay in the same position for too long.

Coping with Jetlag

Jet lag is a condition that arises from crossing multiple time zones in a relatively short time and consequently disturbs your natural body clock or circadian rhythms. Try and get some sleep. Sleeping on-board will not only help to pass the time, but can help you feel refreshed upon arrival. Drink plenty of water.

Avoid sleeping pills at all costs. When you arrive, getting a quick nap will seem very attractive indeed – but resist this temptation. Go to bed at your normal bedtime (based on local time). This will force your body to adjust to any new time zones far quicker.

Protection from the Sun

The sun is at it’s hottest between 12noon and 3pm so it’s best advised to stay in shade and try to keep out of the sun as much as possible. It’s a good idea to wear a hat and cover up with loose clothing, wear sunglasses with UV filters to protect your eyes.

Make sure you protect children and babies from direct sunlight, apply SPF 25 (or higher) cover their head with a hat. Drink plenty of water to balance the loss of body fluid through perspiration and avoid alcohol. If won’t have access to water for more than thirsty minutes, make sure you fill up a flask of water.

Awareness of others

It doesn’t matter if I am travelling alone or with friends I always make sure that I am aware of the people around me when walking around the streets at night. I try my best to get to know the local area and appear to know where I am heading rather than wandering around looking like a lost tourist.

I remember within 10 minutes of walking outside of my hotel in Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysian man approached me, welcomed me to the city, and asked if I would like to have a chat in a local coffee shop. I politely said no because I had read a news article about the increase of tourist robberies.

Travelling with teenagers – How the boundaries change

2008-04-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Travelling with teenagers can be extremely tricky. Even the best-behaved teenager can get themselves into trouble. Being naïve enough to trust strangers who seem kind, not being mature enough to make judgments about taking drugs or alcohol, or simply falling into trouble through cultural differences.

So what do you do? Teenagers want to be independent. Maybe it’s possible for them to be more independent at home. But what would you do with your teenagers if you’re on holidays in a different culture? Is it all right to insist they hang around with their boring parents the whole time?

You’ve probably all been following the sad story of Scarlett Keeling, the 15-year-old British girl who was allegedly raped and left for dead in Goa, India, after her mother left her in the care of a 25-year-old tour guide, who had just started a relationship with Scarlett. Her mother went travelling in another part of India with the rest of the family and felt she was leaving her daughter in safe hands, and it turned out tragically.

There’s really a danger of giving teenagers too much freedom when you’re on holidays, especially in a completely different culture. To get personal: when I was 15, I spent a month in Germany with a group exchange.

I definitely loved the freedom of not having my parents around to tell me what to do – but looking back, I can certainly imagine situations there where things could have gone wrong.

I was lucky, and I met good people, and ended up having a trouble-free trip, but only a small thing needs to go wrong to change the balance. Transpose the whole scenario to a country with really different cultural values, in a place where drugs and alcohol and partying are the norm, like the beach resorts of Goa – I wouldn’t expect my parents to trust me with that.

One pretty balanced write-up in the Independent decided that Scarlett’s mother problem was that “her hippy ideology destroyed her common sense”. It’s nice to trust people, it’s nice to trust your teenager too, but it’s hard enough to do this in your home country where you know the people, the culture and the customs inside-out.

When you’re on holidays in another country, surely you have to be that bit more careful in what you allow your teenagers to do. They might not like it, but thirty years later when they have their own teenagers, they’ll understand.

Planning a Safe Holiday Party

2008-04-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the dangers and liabilities involved, companies and individuals alike are coming to the realization that alcohol should not be the main attraction at holiday parties, and there are ways to organize fun, yet safe, festivities that will prevent family and friends from becoming the next alcohol- or drug-related statistic.

Traditionally, alcohol has been a big part of holiday celebrations, but today we know there is danger involved in providing "open bars" to anyone and everyone. The percentage of alcohol- and drug-related traffic incidents increase dramatically during this time of the year.

In recent years, lawsuits have been successfully brought against employers, restaurants, bars and even friends of those who have died or been injured after leaving a holiday party or gathering, placing the liability for those deaths in the hands of those who serve the victims too much alcohol.

Consequently, communities, families, offices and students across the country are challenging the alcohol-based holiday party, according to The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The NCADI offers the following information in hopes of encouraging safer holiday gatherings.

Get the Party Started

Encourage lively conversation and group activities, such as games that keep the focus on fun - not on alcohol.
Prepare plenty of foods so guests will not drink on an empty stomach, and avoid too many salty foods which tend to make people thirsty.
Never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age, and never ask children to serve alcohol.
Make it clear that no drug use will be tolerated.

If You Choose to Serve Alcohol

Offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages for those who prefer not to drink alcohol. You could even have a contest to create non-alcoholic drink recipes.
If you prepare an alcoholic punch, use a non-carbonated base, like fruit juice. Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream faster with a carbonated base.
Don't let guests mix their own drinks. Choose a reliable bartender, who abstains from alcohol while working and keeps track of the size and number of drinks that guests consume.

Before Your Guests Depart

Stop serving alcohol one hour before the party ends, because only time sobers an individual who has been drinking.
If some guests have too much to drink, drive them home or arrange for alternate transportation.
Keep the phone numbers of several cab companies handy.

Don't let anyone who is obviously intoxicated drive. If they insist, take their keys, ask for help from other guests, or temporarily disable the car. If all else fails, call the police. Remember, you can be held responsible!

Family cruise vacations growing in popularity

2008-04-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been thinking about a family cruise vacation but think the kids will be complaining that they’re bored before you even leave port, think again. Beautiful cruise vacations make great family vacations. And your family cruise vacation choices aren’t limited to those hosted by that world-famous mouse, either. Today, all the major cruise lines cater to families. However some cruises are better suited to families than others so pay attention to this as you do your research.

When comparing the many family cruise vacation options, take a close look at what each of the cruises offer for children’s activities. From sunup to sundown, you’ll likely find plenty of supervised activities. Whether it’s playing video games or doing arts and crafts or taking tours of the cruise ship’s bridge and galley, your children will definitely enjoy spending time with all the other children. And that means you’ll definitely get plenty of “adult” time.

And there’s more!
If beautiful cruise vacations and Colorado ski vacations aren’t what interests you, don’t worry. Good summer vacations come in all shapes and sizes. Family vacations to national or state parks offer plenty of ways to keep busy and plenty of beautiful scenery, all at very reasonable prices. Countless discount vacations are available “off season” and besides being cheap, they’re a great way to see the sights without dealing with the crowds.

Maybe looking for the best hotels in Las Vegas or a discount luxury cruise would help provide you with the ideal choice for your selected holiday or you may just be interested in a cheap disney vacation to provide fun for the whole family. Either way I'm sure aboutvacations.net will help to provide you with holiday information no matter what type of vacation you are seeking.

Whether your destination is Mexico, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Europe, Australia, or somewhere in between, with a bit of effort on your part you can plan summer vacations, ski vacations, family vacations and beautiful cruises that will leave you feeling fulfilled without leaving you broke!

Planning Your Holiday Cocktail Party -- Martini Style!

2008-03-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Creating a planning checklist for your holiday martini cocktail party can be a huge help. Let's explore some planning ideas:

Plan your guest list carefully. Of course you'll want to invite your best pals, but consider inviting some old friends that you've not seen in a while. If you'd like to make some new introductions of your friends that don't know one another, this is the perfect time. Usually 10 to 12 guests make for a swell cocktail gathering.

Mail formal invitations, and include: time to arrive, brief details such as “martini menu and swanky hors d'oeuvres,” and by all means specify the attire! Pick a theme and stick to it—flapper dresses and zoot-suits? Skinny ties and poodle skirts? Or even, slinky black dresses and tuxedos? Have fun; after all, it's a party. You should certainly follow up by telephone, but an unannounced cocktail party invitation is always welcome—especially during the holiday season. Remember to mail them well in advance to make scheduling easier on your guests.

Choose the area for the cocktail party. Make sure the space is large enough, provides comfortable seating, plenty of mingling room, and of course—a place to set up your martini mixing bar!

Plan your menu. You'll be planning a classic appetizer menu, as well as a wonderful martini menu from which your guests will choose. If you really want to mix it up, you can even add a nice Cosmopolitan cocktail to the choices. Go the extra step and create a beautiful bar top menu for your guests to peruse.

Create your martini shopping list. You'll need plenty of vodka, gin, vermouth, and gourmet olives to be sure. Depending on your martini menu, you might also include bleu cheese for hand stuffing olives, plastic olive swords (they add a dash of retro kitsch), and some fruit juices if you plan to include a Cosmopolitan martini.

Create your appetizer shopping list. We'll be discussing some excellent martini party appetizer recipes shortly, but if you stick with your theme, you can't go wrong. A guest in a tuxedo can't resist a water-cracker and caviar. Wearing skinny lapels—you simply can't go wrong with tooth-picked cocktail wieners! You should plan on 3 cold appetizers, including a relish, and 3 hot dishes.

Stock your martini bar like a pro. With the right tools at hand, you'll be ready for anything! Plenty of martini glasses, at least 2 cocktail shakers, a Hawthorne strainer, lint free bar towels, a stunning ice bucket with tongs, and toothpicks are among the minimum requirements for making a martini party truly successful. When mixing a martini, remember that presentation is important. Plenty of chilled martini glasses, lots of cracked ice, and cocktail shakers at the ready!

Plan your décor. Once again, stick to your theme. A few pieces of the proper décor will go a long way! A retro bar sign behind your martini bar is a classy touch. A couple of vintage (and cheap from a resale shop) Naugahyde chairs and a velvet pillow can transform a living room into a swanky martini shindig spot. Don't forget about lighting either…a dimly lit room is elegant and can add a touch of martini style romance.

Plan the atmosphere. Cocktail lounge music is always appropriate! There is certainly nothing wrong with high fidelity of a compact disc, but we believe that the smooth sounds of Sinatra or the space-age bachelor pad sounds of Esquivel sound better on vinyl. While you are visiting thrift stores, pick up a phonograph.

Practice mixing your martinis and cocktails. A few practice runs will help you develop a skilled eye for measuring and mixing while maintaining your mingling duties as host.

Remember that planning is the key to cocktail party success, but also remember the part about “fun” being the reason to have a mixer in the first place. Take the time to plan out the details and you'll be assured to enjoy your holiday martini party as much as your guests!

Try Our Holiday Party Planning Tips

2008-03-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Make party planning fun and easy

2008-03-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

Friends and family are in town and it's time to gather in holiday cheer. But the stress of planning the perfect party can overwhelm any holiday enthusiast. To-do lists, cleaning, and food prepping are just the tip of the parting-planning iceberg. There are tools on your home PC that can make the planning as fun as the party.

Use these tips to reduce your party-planning stress and make it a success from start to finish।

Start with the invitations

There is no need to go to the store for your invitations. You can use templates in Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 and personal pictures to create colorful and attractive invitations. Digital Image Suite contains more than 2,400 built-in images and 1,500 templates to make greeting cards, calendars, collages, or other photo projects and can be found in Microsoft Works Suite 2006.

Create a photo invitation:

1.	Open Digital Image Suite Editor and in the Common Tasks task pane select Create a Project.
2.	Select Cards and then Invitations.
3.	Pick from a variety of themes and select the template of your choice.
4.	Customize the card by adding your own images, tailoring the message on the front, or adding additional text.
5.	Then you can add specific information to the inside of the invitation.

Invitation templates found in Digital Image Suite can be personalized with photos and your own holiday greetings।

Create your mailing labels:

Once you have your invitations, you can avoid hand cramps and faulty pens by using Microsoft Works Suite to create and print mailing labels for all your guests. Using mail merge will save you time and keep you organized. You can put the names and addresses of your guests into a Works spreadsheet and then create mailing labels.

Planning a Holiday Party

2008-03-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Just as with any other event, planning a holiday party at your home, or at a restaurant or banquet hall is an exercise of creativity and organization.

Like all events, your holiday party can be as simple or as lavish as you wish. Holding a party at your home can be a little easier on the wallet than a restaurant or banquet hall party.

When to hold the party depends largely on your guests' schedules and need to be taken into consideration when planning the time and day of your holiday party. Events welcoming spouses and significant others are best held on evenings and weekends. Events on a Saturday night tend to be more formal and lavish.

Planning a Home Holiday Party

A Holiday party at your house can be a lot of fun. It can also be pretty stressful.

At-home holidays parties have a "warm and cozy" feel to them, and can make socializing more comfortable and enjoyable.

Whether you serve brunch, lunch, dinner or cocktails, be sure the quality and taste of the food and drink is superior; this will add considerably to the party experience.

When deciding who to invite, take into account the size of your place and the fact that some guests will probably bring a friend or two without asking you. Do all your inviting at once so no one feels like they were an afterthought.

Try to make provisions for parking in advance. If you will be allowing guests to park on the lawn or in the back yard, let them know in your invitation.

Choose your finger snacks carefully. Choose foods that complement each other. Try setting a theme for the food in each room or on each table. Allow 4 to 6 hot hors d'oeurves per person. Don't serve gooey, drippy sauces near expensive rugs or furniture.

Create items you can prepare in advance. Select what you can make from scratch, but don't be afraid to use takeout. Also, a restaurant may be willing to fill your casserole dish with your favorite choice from their place.

Use shortcuts, like bagged lettuces for salads and bottled dressings. People feel that they have to be the ones to make everything; it's not important who does, just that it's done.

Create a festive party atmosphere with decorations, scents and music. Use scented candles or fill the house with a delightful aroma. However, don't use scented candles at the dinner table. No matter how pretty they are, you do not want to mix the smell of one thing with what you're eating; it can throw off the whole taste.

Choose your favorite music and have it playing softly in the background when guests arrive. Consider unplugging or removing your television if it's located in the party area. Nothing spoils the interaction of guests quicker than a group of people huddled around a television set.

A scented candle in the bathroom is a nice touch. Leave an extra roll of toilet tissue in easy view.

Consider removing all the chairs from the party area. This will create more room for people to mingle.

Be sure to have plenty of hot coffee and snacks on hand for late in the evening. A coffee bar is a simple but elegant touch. Along with hot coffee, offer a bowl of whipped cream and an assortment of liqueurs (Kahlua, brandy, rum) so guests can create their own coffee drinks.

If you choose to have alcohol served at your home holiday party, don't offer a full bar. Serve one specialty cocktail, and then offer wine and water. Make food available when the alcohol is served. Hire a professional bartender to serve drinks. Consider putting the alcohol away an hour or two before the conclusion of your party. Have a back up plan for people unable to drive home safely.

Note: The social host law, passed by the New Jersey legislature in 1987, says that if one of your guests consumes too much alcohol and injures someone in a car accident after the party, the injured person can recover damages from you. In some ways, the social host law runs counter to our natural impulse to please our guests. As hosts, we want to be generous; we want to have more than enough food and drink on hand, so that our friends will want for nothing. But it is through this natural generosity of spirit--and of spirits--that we might expose ourselves to lawsuits.

Holiday Tips: How to plan a party

2008-03-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

INVITATIONS

It is always nice to receive a personalized invitation to a special holiday event. The best way I have found is to utilize that piece of equipment sitting in the corner called the "Personal Computer". If you have software that caters to making the invitations this is great. If you don't no need to worry you can use MS Word or MS Works. With the combination of your creativity and the available software you can create some wonderful invitations.

To save postage, send the invitations via email to those of your friends and family that have access to the Internet. If not just send them by the usual method of mailing.

When planning your menu you want delicious foods that are easy to make.

SALAD

Instead of a tossed salad that takes up a tremendous amount of time chopping the different variety of greens and such, I suggest a nice Caesar salad. The only preparation is breaking up the Romain lettuce, toss and serve. My children love to tear at the lettuce and give them a sense of "helping mommy". (Make sure they wash their hands)

You can also make your favorite macaroni< and potato salads. They are fairly easy to make and can be made a day or two before the party.

SANDWICHES

Cold cut platters are always a great idea, but it can be costly, so in place of the cold cuts, go with tuna, chicken and egg salad. You can spice them up or leave plain depending on what you think your guests would enjoy. They can be served on the <buffet table in a fancy bowl that you can get from a dollar store in your area, dress them up with some parsley. Make sure to position the rolls (dinner size is always nice, in case your guests cannot decide what they want and they can take one of each) close to the salads. You can even set some lettuce in the area. If you have the energy, you can put the sandwiches together yourself and place them on a decorative platter.

HOT DISHES

I found the easiest and most favored hot dish is baked Ziti. You can use sauce that you purchase from the grocery store or use your own (I use my own, I always have a supply in my freezer). You can prepare this a day or two in advance.

Of course what goes better with Ziti are the meatballs. Now a days in the "Warehouse Clubs", they sell pre-made meatballs at comparable prices. You can heat these up and add your favorite sauce, BINGO you have a wonderful compliment to your Ziti.

Another easy dish is Keilbasa and sauerkraut. This is just opening up these 2 ingredients and boil, boil and boil. You can even put them in a crock-pot and be away from home when the cook. This gives you the freedom for those last minute errands. This dish also breaks up the buffet table with a totally different taste.

And finally one of my favorites is baked beans. You take some canned baked beans and doctor them as you normally would with the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar etc., some bacon and lay it across the top of the beans, and about 3 hours in a 275° oven and your beans are ready for storage< and reheating.

DECORATIONS

You want the elegance the season has to offer. I find that greenery and little white lights make a wonderful combination. The center of the room is the buffet table. Little tea lights and some greenery will make the table very inviting. If you have accommodations for a sit-down, then be sure to place a tea light or two on the guests tables. In the restroom a candle in a safe container adds that "special touch" and keeps the room filled with whatever scent you decide you want. No need for embarrassing situations. You can put a few "special decoration" to suit whatever you're celebrating but not too much. I think in this situation you shouldn't go overboard. You have enough to worry about like YOUR ENJOYMENT

Planning Creative Holiday Parties

2008-03-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

(ARA) - "You're invited . . ." are always popular and welcome words around the holidays. If you're like me, you love to host a party. But if you're a hostess with the "leastest" amount of time, a party is a lot of work. Entertaining requires considerable planning and preparation because there are so many things to do.

Think about the parties you've attended and what made them special. Was it the food, guests, laughs, decorations, ambience? The parties I liked best were the ones that touched me in a personal way.

A special party creates lasting memories for you and your guests. No matter who is on the guest list, the basics of organizing a party are almost always the same. What's different is how you customize the details.

Here are my tips to get you started:

* Make a master list of what must be done a month, week and day in advance and don't forget the day-after cleanup.

* Decide what kind of menu you want as far ahead as possible and whether you want a sit-down dinner or a buffet. Think about every course from hors d'oeuvres, to appetizers, salads and dressings, breads, entrees, vegetables, desserts and beverages. Always include some healthy and low-calorie selections. Prepare and freeze whatever you can, so you don't have to do it all in one day. Home baked cookies and brownies can be stored in tins; roasts, cooked the day before, can be served cold. Nibbles like crudités can be chopped and stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Order specialty items from the florist, butcher and bakery, and extra chairs and tables in advance.

* Buffets are usually easier than sit-down dinners. Avoid anything that can spoil when left out for hours. Utensils and napkins should be available everywhere there is food and drink. Tie silverware and napkins together with festive ribbons and a candy cane. Buy paper napkins with fun and witty sayings or personalized with your name or initials on them. Decorate tabletops with spray-painted gold pinecones, holiday ornaments and candles.

* Make or buy plenty of ice cubes and place them in a large galvanized tin bucket decorated with a big red ribbon. Using food coloring, make festive red and green ice cubes. To cut down on misplaced glasses and wasted beverages, buy holiday wine charms for every glass. For coffee or tea, use colored sugars or rock sugar stirrers instead of regular sugar.

* Before the party starts, place cloves, cinnamon and orange peels on a baking sheet in the oven. Set on a low temperature for an hour; the heavenly aroma will fill your house for hours. Mull spiced cider in a large pot on your stove for a warm winter drink with a holiday fragrance.

* Make your guests feel welcome from the instant they arrive. Line the driveway with luminarias and decorate the front of your house and lawn to set a celebratory mood. Place a guest book at the front door for expressing sentiments.

Family Parties

Ask guests to bring a family photo to make a personalized ornament for your tree. Childhood photos make great place cards for a sit-down dinner. Begin a family album, highlighting favorite recipes, anecdotes, pictures, and memorabilia. Include a family tree with small pictures.

Parties For Neighbors

Enlist at least two outgoing guests to help you make introductions. Instead of gifts, organize a future neighborhood activity where everyone can pitch in such as a spring planting, a summer block party, an Easter egg hunt, or autumn leaf raking. Give gift certificates of time to each other, offering to shovel snow in the winter, take care of pets while someone is vacationing, or baby-sit a newborn so parents can have a night out.

Parties For Co-workers

Organize a "Secret Santa" giveaway or ask your guests to bring funny gifts for a grab bag. Holidays are a good opportunity to meet the families of co-workers. Plan activities that allow everyone to mingle and learn more about each other. Ask guests with special talents to entertain. An aspiring magician can perform magic, someone who has a great voice can read "A Christmas Carol," and someone who likes to sing can lead the caroling.

The goal of a holiday party is to put everyone in a festive mood and set the tone for the coming year. With advance planning and preparation, the host will be relaxed and everyone will have a good time!

The Cheap Party: Eight on the Floor

2008-03-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

In Williamsburg, a massive loft turns cozy with some red silk, slow-cooked pork, and an inverted Christmas tree.

(Photo: Caroline Shepard)

Eight Guests, Six Courses = $500

Caleb and Mawn Scott moved into their 2,500-square-foot Williamsburg loft with three roommates when it had just emerged from its previous existence as an architect’s office. “Our bedroom was once the conference room,” says Caleb, an actor. “The space is odd; it’s almost like a Lake Tahoe house in the sixties.” They renovated as necessary, and he built some furniture, including the coffee tables repurposed (left) as the dining table. And they threw parties—lots of parties, like the Jamaican-themed party and the Saint Patrick’s Day party and their two annual holiday parties. The first is for tree trimming, when friends bring over “cheapie little toys” to use as ornaments. One year, the tree toppled twice, felled either by overdecoration or the cat. “It becomes a weird, crazy art tree,” he says. The second, for New Year’s Eve, starts out as a smallish dinner party for about fifteen and usually ends up in the street for firework igniting. Conveniently, the apartment also includes a recording studio, so their D.J. friends will mix up an eclectic list for dinnertime listening, with big-band jazz, bluegrass, reggae from the fifties, and punk from the seventies. Caleb cooks and Mawn, a schoolteacher, bakes; friends bring wine or salads, help in the kitchen, or contribute to the budget. “We’re not trying to be crazy with blowout events,” says Caleb. “We entertain in order to be around people we like without spending a lot of money.” Our experts created the sit-down dinner, pictured here, and broke the budget by only $50.

Holiday Party Planning

2008-03-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

Holidays are important, and fun, days to celebrate and share with family and friends. Holiday party planning can be stressful so we have put together hundreds of ideas to make your holiday party planning much simpler.

We have suggestions for everything from invitations to theme party ideas, to decorations to party supplies to games to party favors. Holidays are community events, and a new idea—or an old one done well—is a great way to bring that community closer together. Try one of our holiday themes on for size. You’ll enjoy a holiday to remember…I promise!

How to Use HolidayPlanningCenter.blogspotcom’s Holiday Party Planning Ideas

Planning Guides. Our holiday planning guides offer hundreds of free theme party ideas. Our holiday theme parties include ideas about decorating the outside, entryway and inside of your venue. We’ll make suggestions for invitations, favors and games. The planning guides are an invaluable resource for holiday party planning.

Holiday Decorating. Make shopping for your holiday decorations and party supplies much easier! We provide direct links to hundreds of great decorations, favors and supplies.

Creations for You! Give you celebration the personal touch with one of a kind invitations, candy bar wrappers and life-size cutouts. And much, much more!