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Two to Three Weeks before Your Housewarming Party
When planning a housewarming party, you'll want to take care of a few details
early. Two to three weeks before your big event, take care of these
party-planning tasks:
- Decide on a Theme.Before you do anything, you'll need to
decide what type of party you want to host. Will you invite couples with
children or make it an adults-only cocktail party? Will it be an outdoor event
or sit-down dinner? Will it be dressy or casual?
- Make Party Prep Lists. You'll need to create several lists
when planning a housewarming party, including a pre-party "To Do"
list, a day-of-party "To Do" list, and two shopping lists - one for
food and the other for invitations, decorations, and other nonfood items.
- Send Invitations. Send out invitations at least two or
three weeks ahead, so your guests have plenty of notice and you have a
terrific turnout.
- Consider Rentals. You can rent just about anything these
days, from huge outdoor tents and dance floors to smaller items like
tablecloths and chafing dishes. Renting may be more costly than using your
own items, but you'll probably save a significant amount of time in setup and
cleanup.
- Hire a Caterer / Plan Your Menu. Cater to your guests -
and yourself - by having some or all of the food professionally catered. If
catering is cost prohibitive, or if you enjoy cooking, go ahead and plan your
menu now. You can shop for groceries the week of your party.
Two to Three Days before Your Housewarming Party
You'll want to feel relaxed and rested when your guests arrive, not harried
and exhausted. Therefore, plan the following activities for the days prior to
the party:
Clean the House. If you've vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the
bathroom, and mopped within the last several days, consider your house clean.
No one will notice the crumbs under the kitchen table from last night's
dinner.
Make Minor Repairs. Anything more involved than changing a
light bulb is probably too ambitious to tackle at this time. Try to resist
the urge to hang pictures, spackle the guest room, or replace a leaky faucet
mere days before your guests arrive.
Shop for Your Party. Using the two shopping lists you've
been preparing over the last couple of weeks, shop for all the food and
non-food items you'll need for your housewarming party.
Prepare Dishes Ahead of Time. If you're not hiring a
caterer, try to prepare as many dishes as possible a day or two before the
party, or at the very least, the morning of. You don't want to be steaming
asparagus, assembling hors d'oeuvres, or frosting a cake while your guests
are having a good time out on the patio. Obviously, grilling needs to be done
at the last minute; however, if you marinate the meat the night before, you
can simply fire up the grill when the time comes.
The Day of Your Housewarming Party
The big day is finally here. On party day, here are some last-minute items to
take care of:
Decorate. How you decorate for your party will depend on
what type of party you're having. Whether you're having a poolside barbeque,
a sophisticated cocktail party, or a family-friendly gathering, your party
décor should compliment your theme. Don't forget about the importance of
music and lighting in setting the mood of your housewarming party.
Set Up a Drink Station. Set up the bar in an open area
where guests can serve themselves. Offer soft drinks, liquor, beer and wine,
and have plenty of clean glasses, wine glasses, and/or plastic drinkware
available. Make sure you have enough ice (otherwise someone will have to make
a run during the party) and that everything is properly chilled before guests
arrive.
Choose Party Music. Spend some time browsing your CD
collection for a night's worth of party music. That way you'll have
continuous music and won't have to leave your guests to select new CDs.
Make Time to Exercise. Take a short walk or bike ride, or
hit the gym for an hour. You'll feel energized, refreshed, and ready to greet
your guests.
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