Hi Everyone,
We have entered party season. We are deep in the fun season. Be it a BBQ, bridal shower, birthday, engagement – you name it. Somehow the hot summer days bring along great excuses to get together with your loved one and celebrate.
Throwing a bash can be hard. And stressful. Perhaps overwhelming because you want everything to go absolutely perfectly. Whatever it is, there’s so much that goes into planning a celebration. And the last thing you want is to come to your party stressed, overtired, or dare I say – unhappy?
There are a few good tips that are key to planning an unforgettable celebration with minimal stress! Is that even possible? It is. Really.
Here’s how:
Advance Prep! Can’t say that enough. You don’t want to be stuck with last minute shopping trips and disasters (though we can’t always avoid those :/).
For instance, how are you going to chill the drinks the night before if your entire refrigerator is filled with cupcakes? Think about all those small details!
Before you even go on your first shopping trip. Plan your menu, and all the ingredients you will need. And don’t forget the small things – drink, paper goods, candles, etc.
Do you have enough chairs? No one wants to sweat a minute before the party running to a neighbor.
As soon as you have an estimate of how many guests plan on coming, run through these small details.
Scheduling
When do you plan on doing all the prep? You’re laughing. Who knows? Pull it off somehow? That’s what we all say. Again – plan in advance! If you’re working full time/have kids at home all this shopping and cooking will actually take time (even though we love to think it will just “happen”. Magic.) Take out your calendar and Plan. Yes. With a capital P. And be realistic. It’s so much fun to overestimate our capabilities, but you’ll suffer. Plan. Realistically.
Menu
While there are a million and one good menu tips out there, this is one of the most basic – Don’t come up with items that can only be made last minute (like a fresh cream sauce). You don’t want to be cooking right before the party, and there will always be other things to do. Try to minimalize the “last minute list”. You can always bake in advance and freeze, saving yourself a lot of unnecessary stress.
Outsourcing
We love doing everything on our own, and telling the guests to “just be a guest and don’t bring anything”. No harm is done by accepting some help. And it will even put your guests at ease. Did a friend offer to bring a salad? Or help out with the costs? Don’t deny their help. They want to help and contribute to the celebration. And oh boy, you know you can use that help!
Don’t go overboard with having everything 100% homemade. Allow yourself the luxury of buying some ready made items.
And our favorite key?
Be a relaxed host =) You want your party to go well, and you want the guests to enjoy themselves. Set the tone!
Happy planning =)
Love From Our Kitchen to Yours,
~ A Taste of Home in Israel