Kick Off the Holiday Season - Part 1 of 4

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to reconnect with family and friends and to begin planning all of your holiday events and decorations. Small events are my specialty. I love to entertain and create themed events--from potluck to formal dinners. Entertaining does not mean that you have to host a lavish formal dinner party. I'm sure that you have thought about entertaining friends, only to stress out that your house isn't decorated right, not clean enough, or you are not a Martha Stewart-type person. Well, you probably have more entertaining experience than you think--from birthday parties to casual cookouts--it's all about the social skills.

Whether your holiday entertaining plans include a soup and salad supper, a festive cookie exchange, or a formal dinner on Christmas Day, with a little savvy planning and incorporating your personal style, you will be able to host a memorable event.

Please join me...I will be talking about the steps you can take to avoid being stressed on the big day!

Kick Off the Holiday Season - Part 2 of 4

Hosting an event, no matter how small or large, can sometimes be stressful; especially if you have a family to care for, a demanding job, and not a whole lot of money to spend. What should you do to avoid being stressed on the day you are entertaining?

~Decide on a date, time, and venue.

~Create a theme.
Some occasions are easy to figure out a theme you want to use; i.e., tailgating--the theme would be based on the sport, using the team colors and serving foods that compliment the environment of the venue. Try to choose a specific element/color inspiration and incorporate that--starting with the invitations, continuing through the event, and ending with the party favors and thank-you notes, if gifts were received.

~Make a budget and try to stick to it!

~Create your guest list.

When creating your guest list, remember that the first guests on your list should be people who have invited you to their home. Even if you did not attend, etiquette dictates that you still need to reciprocate that act of hospitality.

~Choose your invitations.

Invitations set the tone for your event and provide the guests information about the theme and formality of the event. Whatever style of invitation you use--phone call, mail, evites, etc., be sure to provide all the necessary information that your guests will need to know:

Name of hostess

Name of honoree

Type of event (Luncheon, Formal Dinner, Surprise Party, etc.)

Day and Date

Time

Venue Address

R.s.v.p.

Invitations should be received no later than two weeks prior to an informal event and no later than six weeks to a formal event. Invitations should be phrased in the third person. It is not proper etiquette to mention gifts or a gift registry on an invitation. If the guest wants to know this information, they will ask the hostess when they R.s.v.p. (You will probably get more people to respond this way).