All my friends know I love a good themed party. It really helps you put together the decor, the food and the entertainment for your party. It helps set the tone for your party and allows your guests to anticipate what kind of day/night they are in for. Fancy cocktails, casual & cool, festive & fun!

Think of your guests first impression. They say the first impression is your only one … so I say make it a damn good one. Consider EVERYTHING. Parking …. is it accessible? Do you have on street parking? Will people have to walk 5 miles to get to your front door?

Be prepared for all weather scenarios. Remember … most of us don’t live in sunny old California so consider rain, hail or shine. Have somewhere for people to leave their umbrellas if it’s raining or a place to keep snow boots and jackets.

Smells Good … yep. You want your house to smell good but remember, it’s the holiday season so you want you house to smell festive. Consider picking up some scented candles that smell of cinnamon and spices to give your guests that festive feeling.

Room temperature and creating a comfortable climate for you guests is so important and often overlooked. You are going to have a lot more bodies in one space as well as the use of ovens and hot plates and maybe even a fireplace? Make the room pleasant for all your guests and allow them to breathe. Turn down thermostat 3 or 4 degrees to account for the extra ordinary conditions. Comfort is the key to your guests sticking around.

When people come over I want to make sure that my home and party is a comfortable and clean place to be. I live with four adults and five animals! Not everyone is pet friendly and so many people these days suffer from allergies so I suggest to really do a deep clean before your party. If you don’t have the time but you do have the budget there are companies out there like Stanley Steemer that offer a cleaning service to get your home in tip top shape. They clean the vents, upholstery, carpets etc. They also have a great range of products for those DIYers out there:)

The way to your guests heart is through their stomach! Now most people put on a fancy spread and lay their platters out across the table. I say go up! Make it visually interesting and beautiful for your guests as well as delicious. Creating levels creates more space for more food and is enticing to the eye. I love using three tiered trays to serve appetizers and desserts. You can buy these at your homeware stores but you can also make them! and you can make them for a third of the cost! Yep. You heard me. So here is what you need to get started …