You've decorated. You've cleaned the whole house. You've cooked up delicious gourmet foods (or at least ordered it) and compiled a well-stocked bar. You've got a killer theme (What on earth does "a killer theme" mean? I haven't been to a party with A Theme since I was ten. Name four Killer Themes...I dare ya...lol), and you've invited the most interesting people you know.... (Hold on, I have? I've done all that? I think I disagree with the premise of your suggestions...lol) You've spent weeks preparing for this party — but what you do in the last 30 minutes before it starts could be just as important as everything that has come before. Here are five things you don't want to forget.
I love throwing parties, but I also tend to be a terrible procrastinator. This is a bad combination. One thing I've learned, through lots of trial and error, is that nothing throws the mojo of a party off faster than a crazy, stressed-out hostess. So wherever you find yourself at the 30 minute mark, drop everything else and do these five things.
1. Check the temperature.
Having a lot of people packed into a few rooms will make your house a lot hotter. Depending on the size of your space, even if the weather is quite cool outside, you may need to turn on your air conditioner. At the very least, turn the heat down — it's much easier to make the house warmer later if people are uncomfortable than to try to cool it down.
2. Turn on the music.
Every party, no matter how wild it gets later on, usually starts out with a few early guests standing around, making polite chit-chat. Having music not only helps set the tone for the party, it also helps fill in some of those awkward silences as things are getting started. At the beginning of the party, keep the volume low enough so that guests can hear each other — later, if there's a big crowd or you're in the mood for dancing, you can turn the music up. If your music is playing off of your computer, you may as well clear your searches and erase your internet history...someone could decide to play DJ...just erase your history...or worse pull up your porn site search.
3. Turn down the lights.
Your guests will have a hard time getting comfy at your party if your lighting scheme says 'doctor's office', so turn the lights down a little. Dimmers are great for this, but if you don't have those, turn on lamps instead of florescents. Light candles. Everybody looks good in warm, low lighting. Light a few candles??? Yeah...in a safe, out of the reach place of stumbling drunks or kids.
4. Put beverages and food where people can easily find them.
It doesn't matter that you have a wonderful assortment of delicious craft beers if they're hidden on the bottom shelf of your fridge. Most guests, unless they're very comfortable in your home, won't go looking around for food or drinks — they'll gravitate towards whatever is easy to come by. So put food and drinks in a spot where they'll be easily visible and accessible to anyone just walking in. Try to put the food/drink table in a place where it won't be blocked by an accumulation of people later on — nothing's more frustrating than staring at a bottle of wine, just out of reach on a table that's three deep in chatty, immovable party guests.
If your drinks require ice, don't expect that your guests will somehow know to get ice from the freezer — get a small ice chest, or ice bucket, with a scoop, and place it on the table right next to the drinks. And have more alcohol than you think you'll need. The worst is running out of alcohol mid-party.Put out food - something, ANYTHING while the rest is cooking/heating, if necessary.
5. Have a drink.
Or if you don't drink, grab a coke, or a few bites, or whatever it is that relaxes you and puts you in the party mood. You're the host, so your guests will be taking their cues from you. If you're stressed out, running around and trying to get things done, your guests will be stressed too. If you're relaxed, having a drink and enjoying yourself, your guests will follow suit. So have a drink, relax, and enjoy your guests and your party. You've earned it.
I would love to be this put together, but in reality I'm usually...
1. Manically vacuuming
2. Trying to cram extra stuff into hidden spaces
3. Washing dishes from things I tried to cook too close to the party
4. Getting yelled at for doing everything last minute
5. Showering... I can't tell you how many times I'm the only one at my party who hasn't showered or applied make-up because I was trying to "finish one more thing."
a few more I think are imperative...
6. Put out new toilet paper roll. Check the bathrooms right before guests arrive. A helpful thing to do is to sit down on the toilet and have a look around the room - THAT'S the view your guests will be getting of your bathroom! Do you see any clutter or dust bunnies? Fix 'em, fast. And while you're at it, flip up the lid to see if there's any grossness to deal with, because that's what the men will be seeing.Stash anything sensitive in the medicine cabinet away in a bedroom drawer (meds, hemorrhoid cream,vibrators whatever you don't want people to see - guests will be NOSY!).. (a friend suggested filling the medicine cabinet with ping pong balls..so you can hear when someone is rummaging..but that would be mean...funny albiet but mean... besides I rummage in others houses sometimes, my self.. what can I say??.besides your guest could be looking in the medicine cabinet for something pretty innocent they may need desperately, like a tampon, and you just humiliated the hell out of them.) Stash Advil, tampons, pads, band aids and hairspray in an easy to find spot. Wipe out sink, edges of bathtub, the toilet and mirror. Then wet a paper towel and wipe down the floor - the whole thing takes less than 10 minutes. Keep in mind that the bathroom is the only well-lit place (if you keep the lights dim elsewhere), so it should at least LOOK clean.7. Clear space for boots and coats...in a pinch use a CLEAN NEAT bedroom's bed.
8. Invite (or Warn) your neighbors.
9. Refresh your memory for all names of spouses coming with.
10. Turn on the outdoor lights.
11. Empty the dish drainer. Bonus points if the dishwasher is empty too. Then you can chuck stuff in there all during the party/dinner.
I vacuum but skip washing the floors until after the party.. A little dust on a mantle never killed anyone either...just saying.No one cares if the house is dusty. Likely your guests are thrilled to be out of their own dusty house!
(Someone suggested this..lol...Unplug the digital piano; musician friends aren't going to start playing at a party without some discussion and coaxing first, and I don't want to hear any of the rest of your drunk asses banging on it. ;-)
So many people feel way too stressed..and between those that say "nobody lifts a finger because I am the Best Host Ever" and "I would just DIE of humiliation!" people, some could put a lump of coal up their keisters and have a diamond fall out. It's a party, not the Spanish Inquisition.,,have FUN!!!
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