Throwing a holiday party can be a stressful task, especially if it’s your first time. Not only do you need your place to be spic and span and decorated to the nines, but you also need to be aware of the food you’ll be serving among other details.
Though, throwing a party doesn’t have to be as stressful as it sometimes sounds. By dividing the tasks up as follows, you’ll be able to prioritize and organize your party to so you’re prepared when the day finally arrives.
The Prep
The majority of your party planning will be spent doing prep work. You need to prep the food, clean the house, and set up the decor. Start by making lists for everything you need to do. This can include a grocery list, a guest list, and a list of chores.
It’s important to know how many people are coming to your party above all else. The number of people will matter because that could determine how much food you need to make. Once all RSVPs have been returned, you’ll have a better idea of the crowd you’re expecting and can start planning food. Start by making a list of the food and drinks you want to make (for ideas see the next section The Menu). Once you know what you’re making (or you know what you plan on having people make), you can easily look at each individual recipe to see what ingredients you need to buy.
Lastly, you need to plan ahead of time to do a deep clean of your apartment or house. It’s best to do this about a week ahead of time. That way, you aren’t cleaning and prepping a meal at the same time and all you’ll have to do the day of your party is straighten up around your place.
The Menu
The food is honestly key to a good party. It is what the holidays seem to be centered around. Ask parents, relatives, and friends what some of their favorite dishes are or ones that have been successful in the past. Having dishes there that you know your guests will like will only relieve tension on your end.
It’s fun to make some holiday-themed treats, but not every dish has to be that way (most of them are a Pinterest fail waiting to happen anyway so don’t stress yourself out).
Also, don’t be afraid to ask guests to bring a dish. It will make the work load lighter on your end and surely your guests won’t mind contributing. Here are some recipes we suggest trying.
APPETIZER
To start off the party, you’ll want to give your guests something to snack on that won’t fill them up before the main course meal. What’s a more perfect appetizer than a veggie tray in the shape of a Christmas tree? Arrange broccoli in a triangle shape and place cherry tomatoes in lines across the tree to act as garland. Cut up and place a yellow pepper on the top of the broccoli “tree” to act as the star. Use stick pretzels as the trunk of the tree and you can place cauliflower around the tree to act as snow. Serve with your favorite hummus for a healthy treat.
MAIN DISH
Sometimes eating turkey again so close to Thanksgiving can seem a little repetitive. Another great holiday meal to make is a ham, and this recipe from Martha Stewart sounds divine.
DESSERT
As far as desserts go you don’t necessarily need something Christmas-themed. You can easily make an apple pie or crisp or a pumpkin pie and your guests will be happy. But if you want to continue on with the theme of the holiday, we recommend this Candy Cane Brownie Trifle. Can you say yum?
DRINK
While having a open bar at your party is nice, it’s still fun to have a fun, signature drink to serve your guests. This simple Christmas Sangria is easy to make and looks really good.
The Playlist
Bad music can ruin any good party. Keep the music light and festive without going overboard on the Christmas music. We suggest using songs from A Very Special Christmas CD’s, as well as throwing in some current, nonholiday songs. This way guests won’t get sick of hearing the same holiday songs they’ve been hearing in stores since September.
A great thing about buying A Very Special Christmas CD is you’re giving back to the Special Olympics. According to the website, “For the last 26 years, the biggest and brightest voices in the recording industry have generously lent their time and talents to Special Olympics to create the holiday album series—A Very Special Christmas—the single most successful benefit recording in musical history.”
The Decor
Decorating your place probably is one of the best part of the holidays. It’s a way to show your holiday spirit while also showing off your personal style. Pinterest is riddled with ways to decorate for Christmas. The pine cones you may have decorated your place with for fall are also perfect for winter.
The Games
Sometimes playing games at a party can be risky, but if your group is the kind that thrives with games, then go all out. One everyone is sure to like is a gift exchange game. The classic is of course a White Elephant gift exchange. Set up a price limit in advance and have your guests bring their wrapped gifts. If you’ve never played it, here’s how you do it.
Each player draws a number to create an order and determine who goes first. The person who drew number one will start the game by choosing a present to open. After opening the gift, it’s time for the next person to go. The person who drew number two can either choose a wrapped gift or they can steal from the person who opened a present. If your present is stolen you then have the opportunity to steal or open a wrapped gift but there are no steal-backs. The game ends when everyone has a gift.
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