Holiday Party Checklist

was forced to give a party last summer. OK, forced is a big word--maybe prompted would be a better way of putting it. It was one of those things. I told everyone that we should all get together at my house before the summer was over and my husband held me to it. I rarely entertain simply because, well, I'm not very good at it. "I can do this!" I cheered myself on.

Then my husband tore down our back deck--one week before the party. And it started raining. Three days before the party my back yard was stacked with nail-filled boards and mud. It was an unbelievable three days, sawing and stacking, trying to clean the house, coordinate the food and get the gardens in order.
To say that the party was disaster is an understatement. I neglected to send directions to half my guests, the barbecue got too hot and became an inferno of flame, causing us search all over for a squirt bottle to keep the meat from incinerating. To top it all off we ran out of chairs. Everyone assured me they had a good time--on their way out the door--an hour and a half after they arrived.

So what to do?

The holidays are coming and I want to give it another try, with a whole new set of friends, of course. I don't know if I can get any of the old friends to come back. What can I do to organize a party that might actually offer the guests and my family a good time?

My friend, Debbie, over at Organized Times, offered to help out. She thinks it's just a matter of, what else, organization. "I think that the main thing to remember is make a Master List or plan of the big picture, break it down into categories--budget, guest list, refreshments, decorations, etc.--and then create either a checklist from that plan or mini-lists."

Sound a bit intimidating to you? Me too, but her advice sounds solid. I want to throw one of those classy Thanksgiving open house type dessert parties. According to Debbie, I should start with an over-all plan and then break it down. My example:

Guest list
Invitations
Budget
Refreshments
Decorations
House cleaning
Outfits (do my children or myself have anything without stains or holes?)

Once I have the master list I can start on the sub lists.

Guest list:
Bob & Carol
Sarah and kids
...

House:
Carpets
Set out linens
Clean out oven
...

Refreshments:
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Chocolate mint mousse
Coffee
Punch
Ice water
...

I feel better already!
Just knowing what the big picture looks like gives me a sense of purpose. After finishing up the master list, prioritize by chronological order. Obviously, one of the first things to be done is the guest list with the invitations. Debbie agrees. "Grab the calendar, and figure out when you need to take care of creating the guest list, buying invitations, and sending them out. Make sure you have ample postage, working around the busy lines at the post office."

My main concern was that I not be doing everything at the last minute. Good planning can avert the last-minute panicked rush parties can bring. I've always wanted to have a party where I spent the hour before the party taking a candlelit bath and preparing to have an enjoyable time with friends and family.

While working on this article I received another piece of advice that I'll pass on; have your husband take your children out a couple of hours before the party. This will give you plenty of time for last minute things and getting yourself ready in a leisurely fashion. If they come back a half an hour before the party begins, they can change and be ready by the time the guests arrive.

It looks like getting ready for a party may be easier then I had thought. Hopefully, good planning will take this confirmed party pooper and turn me into a party animal! I'll let you know!

Teri Brown is a freelance writer and the homeschooling mother of two. Her
book,
Christian Unschooling: growing your child in the freedom of Christ, is now available.