BE A ROCKSTAR HOSTESS!-Part 2: No Stress!

When I talk about hosting parties with people, I often hear things like, “I hate it!” “It’s so stressful!”, “I never get to relax!” or “It’s so much work!” I have to admit, I am a little crazy in that I LOVE a project and LOVE being busy, so yes, that may be a part of this, but I assure you, with the right amount of planning, you too can be a Rockstar Hostess and have time to enjoy yourself in the process!

PLANNING IS EVERYTHING.

And now I will say it again for effect….

PLANNING IS EVERYTHING. 

In order for you to be the fabulous party diva that I know you can be, you can’t procrastinate. Procrastinator= Sad Face. Let’s get started!

• One to Two Months in Advance:(I know it sounds crazy, but this is ideal. If you can’t plan that far in advance, still do the steps, you’ll just have to work faster):

  • Decide on your theme(see Tip #1 from last week)
  • Choose an invitation, either online or paper design or both. There are tons of Etsy shops with great designs you can print yourself and/or uplaod to Paperless Post or another online invitation site. Obviously sites like Evite or Paperless Post are simpler(easy tracking) and cheaper(no stamps), but sometimes I like a mailed invitation as well. Here is an example of one that I actually made from scratch, printed it and mounted for a Beatle(Bella)mania party:You’ll want to get your invites mailed or emailed about a month in advance, ideally.

• A Few Weeks to a Month Ahead:

  • Food/drink. Decide on a menu that fits in with your theme, and is doable for the number of guests you are planning on having. Ask yourself: Full meal or munchies? Pot luck or do it all myself? Catered? Drinks-signature cocktail? Wine? Beer? If you are trying to make it as simple as possible in the food department, explore things like catering, food trucks, or simply ask guests to bring something.  If you insist on cooking, plan a menu where you can make the majority of it ahead of time and just cook or heat right before. There is nothing worse than being stuck at the stove or grill for the entire party! Note: I know catering and food trucks etc. seem expensive, but there are many reasonable options, and I guarantee you will spend PLENTY in groceries even if you cook!
  • Decor/details. This is where Pinterest and Etsy are your best friends!. Even if you come up with a theme that is totally unique, I guarantee you will still be able to find inspiration in similar events you see online. Make a board and start pinning! Once you have a decent amount of ideas pinned, it really helps to go to that board you created and see everything in one place. So for me, there are a few things I always do/plan on for decor: centerpieces, banners, parting gifts/goody bags, food labels/drink labels, water bottle labels are some of them. Often I can find printables on Etsy that I can have customized and emailed to me and that takes care of much of my decor. If not, I sometimes design them myself. Printables are a really inexpensive way to bring your theme to every aspect of your party! Here is an example of printables I made myself for this Arizona Wildcats themed party:
    

    

    Centerpiece

    

    Banner

    

    Custom Chocolate Bar Labels

    
    

    

    Concessions Sign

    

    Food Labels

    

    “VIP Passes”

    
    

You can do as much or as little here as your heart desires! You can do all this yourself, buy an Etsy package, or you can contact me and I can help you! And another essential part of this step is heading out to the Dollar Stores/Dollar Spot to see what little treasures they may have! For the Wildcats party for example, I used cellophane wrapping as filling for my vases(some which I also found at the Dollar Tree), and it turned out beautiful! The Dollar Stores are definitely your friend. Now is also the time when you can start buying non perishable items, plates, cups, etc!

• The Week of the Party:

  • This is when I actually start putting things together. I hang as many decorations as I can, prep my goody bags, lay out all of my tableware, and wash any glassware I may need. I also begin any baking I am doing. You can bake cakes and cookies and freeze them ahead of time, and do any frosting/decorations right before.
  • Cleaning. Either hire someone, or do it yourself, but if you do it yourself, remember. As long as bathrooms and kitchen is CLEANNNNNN and everything is tidy, people really don’t notice-I promise.
  • Iron any linens, if needed.

• The Day Before or Day Of:

  • Defrost any desserts you need to frost/decorate and finish them. Layout any platters/bowls you may need and mark them so setup is easy. I put post-its on all of mine so I know what goes where (“tortilla chips”, “strawberries”, etc). This ensures I have everything I need and also helps if I have someone there setting up with me, they know where to put things.
  • Set up any extra tables and chairs needed and cover.
  • Ice drinks down a few hours before.
  • Blow up balloons an hour before, if any.
  • Prep camera, take any photos ahead of time if desired.

• PARTY TIME!

  • Have a few friends come an hour early to help with those last minute things so you can get ready. Make a list ahead of time so they can get started and you can primp! Enjoy! Remember to enjoy your guests, EAT your own food, and don’t feel bad if you don’t get quality time with everyone-it’s impossible, I’ve tried it!

Happy Partying!

For more pics and ideas, go to my Facebook Page!