our Ultimate Christmas Party

Welcome back to part two of our Ultimate Christmas Party planning guide. In this installment, we’ll take you through some basics that will help keep your pre-party planning stress to a minimum.

Tip #3 – Make a Plan (and Write It Down!)

With so many action items, you can’t be expected to remember everything – fortunately, you won’t have to if you make a plan and write it down. Whether you type into an Excel spreadsheet (for party planning, this is preferred over a word processing or text file, since a spreadsheet can be sorted for easy viewing), or simply keep a pencil and notebook handy, writing down a list of things to do will help keep your mind clear and focused while planning your party. Additionally, you will find that by writing down action steps, your mind is triggered to think of additional steps that you might have otherwise overlooked. Hate making lists? Check out this checklist from Better Homes & Gardens for a party planning list and timeline that you can use, or simply use for ideas to customize your own. LINK TO http://www.bhg.com/recipes/entertaining/dinner/party-planner-checklist/

Tip #4 – Solicit Help

The greatest contributor to party planning stress is the mistaken belief that you have to handle it all yourself. While there may certainly be specific action items that you prefer not to delegate, there are many necessary tasks that can be shared amongst family, friends, spouses, neighbors, etc. Many people are happy to contribute, especially if you can approach them with a clear idea of what you need assistance with. Once you’ve created your plan, go through it and see what items you feel you must handle personally, and make a note or highlight these. Then look for items that can easily be delegated and begin to think of whose help you can solicit. Give people a reasonable amount of advance notice (but not so much that they would put it off until the last minute) and remember to follow up to ensure that the action items are getting accomplished.

If you follow these two tips, you’re virtually guaranteed a party planning experience that’s low-stress and lots of fun. Got great tips of your own? Share them here by posting a comment. In the meantime, be sure to visit Projector123.com if you haven’t already done so, to reserve your rental projector today.