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Article:
Easy Party Planning Tips by: Jan Kovarik Planning a party can be easy! Even complicated theme parties or surprise parties can be very manageable as long as you create a Party Plan List that has a pre-party time line of things to be done, things to buy, things to rent or borrow, people to contact, grocery shopping, and food that's to be prepared, catered, or brought in by party guests. Start Your Party Plan List Early! No matter what type of party you are planning, from the simplest Saturday night get-together, to an all-day or all-night theme party, you are going to need a basic list of things that will need to be done prior to the day of the party---and right up until just minutes before the party! As soon as you've set the date for your party, start making your list. It can be a real piece of paper that you write on, or it can be a computer Word document. You can use the free printable Party Plan List that accompanies this article (change the column headings to suit your party needs), or you can make one of your own. Jot down the first few things that come to mind as they apply to your party: invite guests, plan the menu, decide on party games, and make a shopping list. If your party is going to be more involved, like a theme party or a surprise party, then your initial Party Plan List might include a few more things like decorations to buy or make, music, outdoor seating or lighting, and invitations that need to be emailed, snail-mailed, or hand-delivered. Your Party Plan List can be as short or as long as it needs to be, and can include lots of details or just cover the basics. The whole idea is to have one central place where you can make notes for yourself and create reminders about what will need to be done, and when. For very detailed parties or elaborate celebrations, you might want to seriously consider buying a small notepad that you can keep with you wherever you are so that you can make notes for yourself as soon as you think of them. Arrange for a Party Helper! If your party is going to be a little more involved than just having a few friends over for drinks and conversation or a simple family-only birthday party, you should consider asking a close friend or relative to be your Party Helper. No matter how prepared you think you are going to be, as the party day gets closer, you are likely to feel as though that things are 'out of control' and that you're running around in circles and not accomplishing anything. A Party Helper can keep you 'sane' during those last few wild days before the party, even if only to remind you that everything really is going according to plan! Ask your Party Helper to be available the day before the party or the day of the party to help you with all the last minute things that are going to come up. Don't be bashful about asking for help---but do remember that you might be asked to repay the favor someday! Share the Party Plan List with your Party Helper, and make a special point to go over everything with him or her. Work the List! Now that you have a Party Plan List, you might want to review it on a regular basis. As things begin to get done, check off things that no longer need your attention, or mark done what you've done so far for any one thing on the list. Once you have the basic list done, review each item on the list. Make your time line of what things need to be done and when. You can either color-code things (that is, everything that needs to be done on Monday before the party you can mark in blue), or you can number the list (that is, the thing that can be done now gets marked 1 and the thing that can only be done right before the party gets marked '999
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