Easy party?

Question

I want to have a Christmas party- however, when I have parties I usually spend weeks cleaning and waaayy too much money on food and drink. How can I have a low cost- low effort party?

Answer 1

Here are some ideas

Christmas movie party? Gather your friends together and watch holiday movies like “Scrooged”, “The Night Before Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Serve cider, eggnog, shortbread and other festive treats.

Christmas Carolling Party - make sure you have the same book for everyone. Photocopy some songs. Have everyone come with their favorite scarfs. After singing come back to your place for cake and coffee

Spend the day volunteering at a local soup kitchen or food bank.

Organize a sleigh ride with a potluck afterwards at your place. You provide the drink and everyone brings a dish. Or some places have a room where you can have it at on site.

Skating or tobogganing parties

Have a dessert party. Everyone brings a dessert and you put on the coffee.

Organize a progressive dinner. One person's house for drinks, another for appetizers...another for salad....another for main course....another for dessert. You drive to each persons house for each course.

Answer 2

A friend and I do a party about once every two months. It is not easy but the most cost effective is to tell people to bring things. Keep everything to paper goods,(cups, plates). You can tell people that you will provide the food if they provide the drinks (which cost more in the long run). Keep the food simple. No one really cares about how much food, just that there is something to eat and drink. If someone wants to bring a dish, encourage it even more and how much of a great idea that would be.

Answer 3

Spend some of that money on a cleaning service to help witht he cleaning...just limit it to an hour or two ... you do the tidying, organizing, let them clean the bathrooms, dust, vacuum.

For the party, have a dessert and game night. Provide a couple favorites and have people bring their favorite to share. Enjoy mingling and games.

Charades is good for a lot of people, some silly games like madgab are fun...pictionary could be on craft paper, so its up high and lots can see. Catch phrase works for large groups.

Answer 4

well invite people and give them a certain type of item to bring for food. You probably will still pay for drinks but much less for food. But the cleaning part, well you know you want the place to look great for your party, so you must pay the price by cleaning.

Answer 5

Don't spend weeks cleaning beforehand...the only thing people REALLY notice is whether your bathroom(s) are clean! Of course we all want to present our home to be clean & spot-free, but having guests over for a party only makes your house dirty again.

The main areas I pay attention to when I'm at someone's house for a party are the kitchen, bathroom and main room where people are congregating. You can light aromatic candles a couple of hours before people arrive and this really helps to create a sense of warmth, cleanliness and a homey atmosphere. If you don't want to burn candles, then try some Glade plug-in's. Make sure you buy new oil bottles refills & plug them in about 6-12 hrs. prior to a party....they really smell nice and strong.

As for food...go for items that are quick & easy to make, eat and clean-up. Most of these items are also inexpensive and make great finger foods:

-Peanuts or mixed nuts
-Cheese, veggie & fruit trays
-Cheese balls (popular holiday item)
-Chips & salsa (maybe make fresh guacamole to go with)
-Break & bake cookies (plus they smell GREAT when they bake!)
-Popcorn (buy a big tin w/4 flavors of popcorn and scoop out & put in pretty serving bowls)
-Deli meats, rolled w/toothpick handles (serve w/crackers)
-Relish tray (black olives, deviled eggs, pickle spears, etc.)
-Pre-made sandwhich spreads (ham, egg, tuna, chicken salads) served either by themselves w/crackers or you can pre-make sandwhiches and cut the crusts off.

Use your imagination with decorations, serving bowls, trays and table settings. The food is always great, but people will remember your hospitality the most!

Answer 6

don't forget the mistletoe :)