Kim shared several tips on how you can plan ahead during the holidays to keep yourself, and others on the right track even when you’re entertaining.

Kim said one of the biggest things you can do is to plan ahead.

• Keep frozen berries and 100% juice on hand, you can freeze the juice in holiday shaped ice cube trays to add to your fruit punch to keep it from diluting.
• Make sure you plan to include items from at least two food groups to help your guests feel more satisfied.
• Make your food part of the holiday presentation by using plenty of reds and greens. Some great examples include spinach salad with fresh sliced strawberries, or red and green apples with a fat free caramel sauce.
• A martini glass with a mixture of fresh fruit and garnished with fresh mint is another festive touch that will lend itself to the holiday atmosphere (it’s also great for portion control, but you don’t have to tell your guests that).
• Don’t be afraid to experiment with reduced fat items to lighten the calorie load. Reduced fat ranch, cream cheese, or a fat free Greek yogurt can often be used in party dips without sacrificing taste.
• Salsa makes a great low calorie dip that most people love, it can be served with vegetables, or baked chips for loads of flavor without the guilt.

I want to thank Kim for taking the time out of her day to share these wonderful tips with me, so I could share them with you here. She also shared several great holiday recipes with me, which I’ll be back to post shortly.

Image: sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties

Today Jes is accepting the challenge to plan a party for under $100, and to share her favorite tips with She Knows Parties readers. I hope you enjoy her tips as much as I have. These are great tips to help you plan your holiday party on a budget, or any other party throughout the year.

A fabulous house party – décor, food, etc… all for under $100?
(I accept your challenge!)

By Jes Gordon
Creative Director jesGORDON/properFUN and author of “Party Like a Rock Star”

So you’re having a house party with 20 to 40 of your closest friends, and you want to rock it out and make it look like a million bucks… but you are on a ghetto shoestring budget. The key is: Less is More! And concentrate on the wow factors that will get your guests through the evening.

1. Streamline. First, clean your house top to bottom and get rid of all of the knick-knacks and chotchkies so you can make your home look streamlined and clean. This also frees up surface areas for food, dishes, empty cups etc. so you don’t need to rent extra furniture.

2. Use What You Have. Add in some comfort items and accessories such as pillows, throws and cushions you already have, and arrange them on sofas, chairs and even the floor to create a cool, lounge-y feeling.

3. Decor Can Go A Long Way. Take a look outside and see if you can clip any natural growing beauties already growing in your yard such as roses, leaves, pinecones or even oranges on the branch! Fill whatever empty jars, bowls or vases or even drinking cups you have and place them all around your home so the organic decor goes a long way. Use single buds of flowers or vines – you’re not making full-blown arrangements, just adding some nice organic touches to the event.

4. The Dollar Store Is Your Best Friend. Raid your nearest dollar or discount store for inexpensive Christmas lights and colored light bulbs. Lighting is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to dramatically change the look and feel of a space. Hang the Christmas lights in masses to keep the look cool and streamlined, and not college-dorm-room. Use empty drinking glasses to house cheapy dollar store votive candles and place them all around the house too for cool, unexpected touch. (Just make sure to add a little water at the bottom beforehand so the melted wax pulls out and doesn’t ruin the glass.) I suggest sticking to one color like an amber or white to create that “soap opera lighting” we all know and love… too much multi-colored mish-mash will make your place look like a bordello threw up – and that does *not* sound like a very fun party to be at.

5. Stretch Your Alcohol Budget. This doesn’t have to be BYOB! Tell your friends to leave the 6-packs at home and go with a much classier choice like Sangria to help stretch your wine dollar. Hit up Costco for their surprisingly decent Kirkland house brand wine in bulk – it’ll do the job, I promise. Offer the necessities like water and a limited selection of soft drinks (one diet, one regular) and juice you mixed pre-party from cost-cutting frozen concentrate. Even silly things like fun ice cubes (made from novelty silicone trays) can add a little something. It’s all about the (cheap) details…

6. Create a Concept Menu. Limit the types of foods you are serving with a cool concept/theme that will keep costs down by streamlining the choices, but also look like it took more effort than just putting out a bowl of pretzels. Try a Mexican Night theme with platters of chips, salsa and nachos, and inexpensive ingredients like beans and rice for a make-your-own-taco buffet, a nostalgic Comfort Food concept, with Mac & Cheese, Tater Tots, French Fries and lots of Heinz, or serve frittatas, quiche and other dishes utilizing eggs and other super cheap ingredients for a cool Brunch concept.

For munchies, add a grown-up twist to air popped popcorn with garlic salt or chili pepper for fabulous snack that costs only pennies!

7. Use what you have part 2. Pre-mix your ultimate playlist from iTunes and play it through Air Tunes throughout your home or use an iPod dock and get that party pumping. Use a deep red, orange or pink colored lightbulb you found at the discount store to create a cool, dance club vibe.

8. Save Money By Going Electronic. For the ultimate house fête, take advantage of a party website like MyPunchbowl.com. Cool email invitations, easy ways to organize your to-do and shopping lists, and thank-you cards, of course!

There you have it Jes Gordon’s tips to help plan your holiday bash for under $100. If you would like to check out more of Jes Gordon’s party planning tips, check out her new book Party Like a Rockstar. The book is available at most major bookstores, and at Amazon.com. I’m checking it out right now, so I’ll be back in a few days with a book review. I can tell you right now, so far I’m lovin’ it!

Image (c) L Gerlach

Post from: She Knows Parties

Whether you’re trying to plan a bachelorette party, or just a girls night out, instead of emailing back and forth or spending time calling all your friends, you can get all your friends together at Which Date Works and have them help you pick a date that works for everyone.

How does Which Date Works help simplify your party planning?

• There are only 4 steps involved, name your plans, add emails, fill out your availability and send!
• No sign up or registration is required for the organizer or anyone they invite.
• The calendar-based interface is extremely familiar and easy to use.
• Finalizing the date automatically sends an email to everyone letting them know when the event will be held.

WhichDateWorks.com sounds like a great way to get all your friends organized for a party.

Image: istockphoto.com

Post from: She Knows Parties

Younger children, especially during the toddler years, don’t really have friends yet. So most of the guests are friends of the family, and the children can be a broad range of ages.

When children get a little older, and start to make friends, then it is important to let them have some say in the guest list.

A couple things to keep in mind when you’re planning your children’s party guest list include:

• Your child’s age, the rough guideline is to invite as many children as your child’s age. So if your child is turning 6, let him invite up to 6 friends.
• Where will you hold the party? Are you having the party at home, or in another venue?
• How many adults will be attending? When younger children come to a party, often at least one adult parent stays with them. You may also have adult friends and relatives who will attend the party.

It’s really important to think about these things when you’re developing your guest list, not at party time.

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties

sxc.hu

You can also feel free to ask any questions you might have about party planning or entertaining and get input from the Blisstree community.

There’s also a section for weddings and holidays where you can ask your discuss your wedding plans, or holiday party ideas.

Have fun!

Post from: She Knows Parties

When you’re planning a 50th wedding anniversary party, or any big anniversary party you should start planning at least 6 to 9 months before. Especially if you will several guests since you may need to find a location to host your party.

6 to 9 months before the anniversary party:

• Put together a guest list, then decide how large the location needs to be to hold all your guests comfortably.
• If your guest list is small you may just be able to do an open house, or if it’s a summer party plan to hold it in the back yard with a large tent.
• If you’re planning on renting a space you should start calling around now to find the best location for the best price. Something the whole family can agree on.

2 months before the party:

• Put together the final guest list and order your invitations to be printed.
• Plan your menu, decide whether you’re preparing the meal yourself or having it catered.
• Visit your location and plan out decorations, tables, and layout.
• Order the cake, or start looking for ideas if you’re making it yourself.
• Decide whether or not you want guests to bring gifts.

1 1/2 to 1 month before the party:

• Send out your invitations
• Purchase all the non perishable items you’ll need for the party, tableware, napkins, cups, tablecloths, table decorations, plates, anything you need to decorate the walls and entrance way, non perishable foods.
• Roundup or purchase large platters for food, staplers, tape, scissors, and anything else you may need to decorate and prepare for the party.

In the last couple days leading up to the party:

• Make a final grocery list with the food you will need for the party.
• Prepare any food you can prepare ahead, chop fruits and vegetables.
• If you’re making the cake go ahead and bake it. You can decorate the cake the day before if you have a safe place to store it.
• If you’re making the decorations get a start on anything that can be done ahead.

The day of the party:

• Finish up or pick up the cake.
• Decorate the party location
• Make the final food preparations, or work with the caterer to get the food set up.
• Make any beverages you need to prepare.
• Set up your food, cake, and gifts table.

Enjoy the party, and make sure you have enough help both before and during the party, and that you’re not trying to do everything yourself. Delegate, delegate, delegate!

Image via Stockxpert.com

Post from: She Knows Parties

Here’s a video with some party planning etiquette and don’ts to help you get it straight. Some of the don’ts they have listed include:

• Spending too much money on a first birthday party.
• Expecting children to bring a specific toy or doll for a themed party.
• How old should children be before you can expect parents to drop off children without staying at the party?

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties

Image via sxc.hu

Here are a few summer party planning tips:

• Set the mood for the party before your guests arrive. Add some tiki lights for decoration, or some candles placed on the tables to help set the mood.
• Keep the decorations simple, let the great outdoors do your decorating, with some simple single flowers in vases for table centerpieces.
• Look in your cabinets before you go to the grocery to see what you already have to serve to your guests. Sometimes some simple crackers and dip will save you from making an extra run to the store.
• You don’t have to make everything from scratch, use a few prepackaged items in with your homemade and no one will know the difference.
• Make dishes you can prepare ahead of time, marinade your meat the day before, make chilled desserts you can store in the fridge until party time.

I guess basically what I’m trying to say is, keep your summer party simple! Oh, and have fun and enjoy the night!

Post from: She Knows Parties

• Order in lunch from their favorite restaurant, on you. Better yet if you have the opportunity, take them to their favorite restaurant for an out of the office lunch.
• Order in a “Thank You” cake or cupcakes, and have an end of day party.
• If you want to reward your employees with a gift to show your appreciation gift cards for restaurants, a nice gift basket, or a day of pampering would be a big hit.
• Decorate with some flowers, streamers, or a little confetti on the desks.
• Hang a thank you banner across the door, or place a thank you card on each desk for them to discover when they come in the door. Handmade cards are a nice gesture, or a giant card signed by all the staff members.

Next week is actually Administrative Assistant’s week, so you can spread your celebration out and do a little each day. Most busy offices don’t have time to shut down for a celebration, so celebrate while you work and make the whole week special.

How do you celebrate Administrative Assistant’s Day, or Secretaries Day as it’s still fondly known as? Feel free to share your ideas.

Post from: She Knows Parties

1. Don’t panic, stay calm and work through the party details.

2. Make a list of everything that needs done, and put it on a timeline to help put things in perspective.

3. Recruit a friend or two to help.

4. Forget about mailing invitations, call everyone on the guest list, or send out e-invites. Mailing invitations can take several days, calling or emailing is almost instant.

5. Be creative and use what you have for decorations, and food.

6. KISS~ Keep it simple silly! Parties don’t have to be elaborate to be fun. Go with what you have and enjoy each others company.

Just have fun with your party, don’t get too stressed out. The main thing is to enjoy each others company, and have a good time. All the details don’t have to be perfect, go with what you have.

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties