Hosting Part 1 - Planning

As mentioned in previous posts, my oldest sister Lindsey recently celebrated her 30th birthday, and I was lucky enough to host the special even at my house. It was pretty intimate group of girlfriends, whom I knew very well, so planning the menu and drinks was fairly easy since I knew what each of them liked. Below is a step-by-step process I followed for planning the big day.

#1. Write it Down.

I'm a huge advocate for writing everything down or storing an electronic list on your phone. For some reason I feel like I remember it better if I physically write it down but whatever works for you, be sure to store a list somewhere so you don't forget all your ideas. Real Simple offers this party planning checklist which lays out what you should do week by week before the day.

#2. Pick a theme.

This was an easy choice obviously since it was a 30th birthday party. After you pick a theme, make an invitation and decide how you're going to invite your guests. Since ours was a smaller party size, I opted to make this electronic invite using Picnik and uploaded it to a Facebook event. 

Find a template you like and upload it to Picnik. Add text and graphics and there you have it!

#3. Plan a menu.

When you know your party size, plan the menu and drinks. Like I said, I knew the group pretty well so I was able to decide on a menu. If you have an open group of friends with ranging tastes, plan some fun/different dishes (but make sure you test drive them before serving to your guests on the special day!) I planned my menu around my sister - it is HER day - and opted for an array of appetizers she liked - all with different dips (who doesn't love to dip?!) Also, if you can plan to prep some of your dishes the day before, it will relieve a big headache the day of.

Incorporate some classics into the menu! These Middleswarth chips are a hometown favorite. I had my sister bring some down from PA.

Here's one preview of a menu item: Pumpkin Trifle. I modified this Paula Dean recipe. I prefer to search on Food Network's site for recipe ideas!

#4. Prepare the House.

Make sure your rooms are prepared for the party.  We got our tree a week before so I had already rearranged the furniture the way I wanted, but if you think there's a better layout for guests - try it out! Since most of the girls stayed the night, I also stocked up the guest bathroom with a basket full of essentials - razors & shave gel, face wipes, first aid, and lotion! Most blogs, websites, or people I've talked to prepare to clean a whole week before - which I will do for the guest room and bathroom - but with our hectic schedules of school & work, the living room never stays tidy so I'll clean two days before.

A more comfy layout for guests to sit and chat

Guest bathroom essentials - basket from Target.