Ho! Ho! Ho! It's Christmas Shopping We Must Go...

With only 21 days until Christmas, holiday planning and preparation is at an all time high.  If you are hosting, attending or participating in some way with any holiday events, it is important that you keep all details finely tuned and organized for each event.  Without a doubt, planning food items, buying gifts, and making sure that everything and everyone is ready for each event can be overwhelming for even the most organized individual.  

Step 1:

Take heed that the advice I offer is practical and easy to do for even the busiest socialite; what may seem overly simplistic, will actually be a lifesaver in the busy days ahead.  Take a calendar for the month of December and photocopy it, creating seperate calendar on a single 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper. 

Step 2:

Write each holiday committment on the specific date of the event.  Use different colors of ink for each event if you have more than one event per day.  If necessary, draw a solid line across the calendar date to create a seperate box for each event.

Step 3:

On the back of your December Calendar/Holiday Schedule create a set of boxes, one for each event that you are attending. 

Step 4:

In each box, write the date and the name of the event across the top, below list the gifts, food and any other items that you need to bring with you to the festivities.  If necessary, list the items that need to be purchased for the event; hostess gifts, Christmas gifts,  menu items for foods you are preparing and anything else that you must have on the special day.

Step 5:

After you have attended each event, cross of the box from your Holiday Schedule and move to the preparations necessary for the following event.  If you have prepared for events early in the month, use a highlighter to identify those items which are already completed ahead of time, helping to focus your time and energy only on completing outstanding tasks.

Good Luck and Happy Planning for the Upcoming Holidays.

Let’s Talk Turkey

November is the month for celebrating the autumn harvest and family. If you are hosting the family event, it is also a month of menu planning, food preparation, cleaning the house, organizing the linens, china and silverware, and on and on the list goes. Let’s just admit it, up front; it is a considerable amount of work to host the annual Thanksgiving dinner. But I can help; I have been hosting our family Thanksgiving holiday for the past seven years and with a bit of planning, a yearly journal and a few specialized cooking magazines, hosting gets easier every year. Let’s start by examining my number one favorite tool for hosting a party for any occasion:

1. Plan your holiday menu as soon as you have set a date for your event (this tips will apply to any celebration or event that you are hosting), which in the case of today’s blog entry is Thanksgiving. By taking the time to decide upon your menu early, you can watch for specialty sales on non-perishables all month long. As you plan your menu, make copies of each recipe you intend to prepare. Highlight the items that you already have in your pantry; make notes to indicate which items you need to purchase for each menu item on the specific recipe. Then, create a separate shopping list, by menu item so that you can insure that each item has all necessary ingredients before you begin the meal preparations. This simple method of menu organization and preparation will save you a considerable amount of time later.  As you grocery shop through-out the month, continue to monitor sales for the items you need on your holiday meal list. Do not buy items that are perishable such as fresh fruits, vegetables and other items until the day before your event. Keep this collection of menu items stapled together in your cookbook. After the event, discard any recipes that you do not intend to prepare again, keeping the others attached. This collection of recipes is now your foundation for hosting the event next year; simply add new recipes and create a new shopping list and you have already completed the first step of preparation for hosting your second Thanksgiving holiday in 2009.

A Must-Have Holiday Tool, the "Running To-Do List"

Take a deep breath, now exhale and mentally prepare yourself for the hustle and bustle of the days ahead; Yes, it is true...the holiday season has arrived.  This holiday season has a feel that is much different from those that have come before.  With the economic crisis spreading out across the land, retailers are advertising Christmas decorations and gift ideas much earlier than before and consumers everywhere are responding by shopping earlier and following every budget saving gift idea advertised.  With the financial crisis in the financial forefront, Consider this a warning,  you do not want to find yourself scrambling at the middle of December for last minute shopping ideas and paying full price, when saving time and money is as easy as a "running to-do list".

The "Running To-Do List" is an excellent tool to keep your holidays organized, inexpensive and stress-free.  When creating a to-do list, remember that simple is idealand keeping the list in your dayplanner or briefcase is best.  If you are someone that enjoys using technology for your to-do lists, make sure that once you create your list, you are able to transfer it to your cell phone, personal organizer or make a hard copy to carry in your pocket or handbook.  The most important part of a running to-do list is that you keep it with you at all times.  This list should have an ongoing list of items needed for purchase, decorations needs, gift ideas and other holiday demands; keeping a running list that combines all of your tasks in one place will make sure that you don't lose your to-do list or your mind.

Taking The Fear Out of Party Planning

For many, the holiday season is a time filled with fear and confusion.  With all the gift buying, menu planning and holiday events, trying to plan a holiday party seems overwhelming at best.  But have no fear.  This blog is going to be an asset to anyone who has never planned a party before or for the seasoned vetran.  It is my intention to provide tips, suggetions, ideas and other helpful lifetips to ease the burden of party planning for any host. 

I will provide detailed theme ideas, crafty "presentation" tools, serviceware ideas and key points in how to successfully throw a gala event for children and/or adults.  The tips and ideas that you will find here will provide a solid foundation for everyone that is interested in hosting the smallest to the largest of parties. 

Tip #1 - Do not overlook the power of organization when planning a party.  Keeping lists, outlining party objectives and early planning are essential to any party planning task.  Many people balk at the idea of planning a party six weeks in advance.  Somehow they assume that your house must be covered with confetti and crepe paper during the six weeks of preparation, which is in fact untrue.  Early party planning consist of gathering ideas, creating a guest list and deciding upon a theme for the event.  The preliminary preparations are generally done on lists, which should all be stored in one place so as not to lose.  I generally keep a file for each party that I plan, this file holds game ideas, menu items, guest list, theme of the party, a list of serviceware items for serving food and any other important details I might need for my party preparations.  I also keep a running "to-do" list that I add and delete from as the party planning gets rolling.  Keeping an ongoing list helps you to see what you have accomplished and one you have yet to get done.  This list will be discussed in further detail later so that the true value can be appreciated. 

In regards to your party specific file folder, this collection of information is the foundation for your event planning, so make sure your lists are detailed and focused on the needs of your party.  Early preparation makes for an easy party to host, no more running around at the last minute trying to find something just as your guests are arriving.

Until next time,

Melissa

You Better Hurry If You Plan To Host A Halloween Hullabaloo!!