Use these tips, tricks, and resources to plan a party that would make Martha Stewart proud. It's not as hard as you think when you rely on the expertise of those around you. Check out these ideas to take your party from "fun" to "spectacular."
There's something about attending a well thrown party that is special. It's a feeling that you get that brings joy to every one in attendance and a memory that you store away forever. As moms, throwing spectacular parties is a dream come true. We want our kids to remember each and every special occasion in a fun way, but throwing a party like Martha Stewart can be quite a chore.
So today, I have some great tips, tricks, and resources to help you plan a party like Martha.
1. Pick a theme
The most elaborate and simple parties all start with the same thing -- a theme. Ask yourself why you want to throw a party? Who is the party for? Who will come to the party? Sometimes it's a simple reason such as a birthday party or a baby shower, other times it can be a little more complicated such as a Book Club get together or a dinner party. Choose a fun theme that relates well to your party goals. This will give you an easy way to direct your party, decorations, and desserts.2. Set a BudgetDecide now how much you want to spend on your party. This does not necessarily mean you have to have a big budget to throw an amazing party, but by deciding before you start planning the details, you
are more likely to be able to stay on track and know how much of the party you will need to DIY or ask for help on.
When you set your budget, be sure to think realistically about it. You must be willing to make a budget and STICK to it. If this is not your area of expertise, then you might try looking for help. Shannon Brown at Growing Slower has a great How to Budget e course that will teach you how to make a budget and stick to it, at last!
Having a small budget does not mean that you have to have a small party. Just know that you may have to make some things yourself. But at least that's super easy with books like Easy Homemade by Mandi Ehman She's found that making things from scratch -- even the things we typically buy without even considering that we could make them at home -- is actually pretty easy and time saving.
Whatever you do, set a real budget and stick to it. You'll be happier in the end when you don't have to pay off huge bills for a party that was weeks ago.
3. Get organizedOnce you have your theme and know your budget, it's time to get organized. You need to know what items you have, what items you need, and what you need to make. It doesn't do any good to know you have paper plates "somewhere in the garage". You need to know that the kids haven't used them for pizza on date night or that you used the last one when you threw the last birthday party.
Kayln Brooke at Creative Savings Blog has a great printable workbook to help you get organized enough to know what you have and what you don't. Her book
A Modern Girls Guide to Homemaking tackles the most important areas of every household. Through various prompts and questions, you will be taken on a journey through what homemaking looks for your family, no matter your size or schedule.Once you are organized, it's helpful to start with a clean slate in your house. This will make you want to create more and give you more energy to see the perfect party in your home and head.
Cleaning Around the Seasons by Becky of Clean Mama will help you get your house deep cleaned in whatever time you have, whether it is in a day or a month. That way you'll feel productive and energized to throw your party.4. Plan your Party FoodNow it's time to get into the nitty gritty of your party planning. Since you already have your theme, you need to decide what kind of party you want. Are you going to have a full sit down dinner party, a food buffet, or a dessert table? Each of these brings different types of food needs.
If you are having a dinner party, you might consider having a crock pot meal for dinner. This will allow you not to have to be in the kitchen all day of the party and instead be out finishing touches on your party plans. There are a lot of different
Pinterest Crock Pot recipe boards as well as a great e recipe book by Jordan Page called
81 Quick and Easy Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes. If you are having a food buffet, slow cooker recipes are great for that too. There are lots of recipes for dips, appetizers and small meals that can be adapted.
A dessert or treat table is one of the easiest ways to create a spectacular party. It's easy and fun to choose some colored treats or store bought items that your party guests will love and rename them to go along with your theme. This is one of my favorite ways to create a themed dessert table. You can also add printables or designs to store bought treats for an easy addition. Lastly you can find some easy and fun treats to add, like these
25 Sweet Treats for Summer by Back to The Book Nutrition.
5. Create your Party Decorations and FavorsOne of the easiest ways to create a spectacular party is to have beautiful party decorations and fun favors. There are many wonderful places to buy decorations such as
Amazon,
Shindigz, and Oriental Trading. You can get decorations for any theme at relatively good prices.
It's super easy to create your own though.
Pinterest is swarming with party decorations and ideas.
Kandy Kreations also has lots of ideas and free printables to help. And there are m
any ebooks and resources to help. Thinking Outside the Gift Box by Lauren Lanker, Plan a Fabulous Party (without losing your mind) by Mary Carver, and A Deliberate Mother’s Guide to Holidays, Vacations and Quality Family Time by Saren Loosli are just a few ebooks to help.
If you're feeling like you need some help being creative, you can check out Jumpstart Your Creativity by Jennie Moraitis at Little Girl Designs. This course is designed to take you from reflection to action in just seven days. Consider it your own personal retreat curriculum. Your own "me" time to reassess and create space for creative transformation. 6. Ask for HelpAs women and moms, sometimes we feel like we have to do it all. It's so much easier to just do everything by ourselves. That way we can make sure it gets done correctly and on time. But that also increases our stress level and sometimes can make things less spectacular.
We have friends who have different talents than we do. Not all my friends love to craft and DIY, but some of them are way better cooks than I am. I'm not very good at being the center of attention, so I rely on my husband's talent of public speaking and being the "front man." Instead of being annoyed that I asked him for help, my husband feels like we're a team in things and it actually helps our marriage.
This is one thing that has helped both our marriage and my party planning projects.
The Magic Cake: The Seven Ingredients of a Relationship-Ready Person is a book that can help us to become a better person and help us become more confident and amazing in our party planning projects.
7. RelaxThrowing a spectacular party can be super stressful at times. It actually helps to take a break from the party planning and take a few moments to remember you are throwing the party and what you hope to accomplish by it.
While you are stepping back, enjoy a few moments to pamper yourself. Adult coloring books are a great way to stop, meditate, and enjoy a few moments of peace.
Inspire Me is a great adult coloring book to help you do this.
You could also
get a message from your spouse and enjoy a little time together. Or enjoy the
7 days of Sex Challenge or
30 days of Loving Your Man. That's a great way to relax and treat yourself for all your hard work.
8. Enjoy the PartyYou've done made your plan, you've stuck to your budget, and you've put it all together, so now enjoy the party. Get out of the kitchen. Stop running around trying to add more last minute projects. Enjoy your guests and the spectacular party you worked so hard to create.
Lots of Resources and Help
I've shared a lot of resources and help within this post. Party planning is hard work. Take advantage of those who have experience and have written great courses and ebooks to help you succeed.
The individual books and course I shared can cost you a LOT of money if you buy them seperaqtely. But for a limited time, I have found a way for you to
plan a party like Martha for only $29.99. You can get all the books listed in this post plus so many more with the
2016 Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.See
all the courses, ebooks, freebies, and printables you can get here.If you hurry and order it before 12:00 EST tonight, you also get all these books as ebook options to read on your kindle. (That's normally $10.00 extra.) I love to read on my kindle and so it's the perfect option to plan your party when you're waiting in the carpool line.
