I’ve entitled this entry “Rachel’s Ten Party Tips” because they aren’t set-in-stone rules. Sometimes even I can’t achieve party perfection! But I hope these suggestions, though mostly common sense, will help you the next time you throw a party.

1 ) Begin cleaning the week before, not the night before. You’ll need a week to prepare, because the whole house should be clean. You never know when you’ll be asked to give a tour, if a guest will need to use the bedroom bathroom when the main bathroom is occupied, or if someone will accidentally stumble into the wrong room. You don’t need secret messy rooms. Use the party as your excuse to clean every room of your home.

2 ) Budget for your party. Our typical party budget is $25 to $50. This budget includes food, beverages, decorations and party favors. Sticking to your budget, whether it’s $10 or $100, will make your party planning less stressful.

3 ) Send out invitations early. People like to make plans and mark dates on their calendars.

4 ) Tell your guests that the party is BYOB. Even if you decide to add alcohol to your party menu later, this makes party drinks a pleasant surprise instead of a given.

5 ) One of the easiest decorating devices is a tablecloth. Whether it’s cotton or plastic (like tomorrow’s blue tablecloth from the Dollar Store), a tablecloth brings color into the space and also makes for easy day-after cleanup. The same goes for paper plates.

6 ) Consider your menu carefully. Do you have any guests with food allergies or food preferences (i.e. Zeke will go into anaphylactic shock if he eats those peanut butter cookies, Margaret is a vegetarian & Bob hates olives)? Make sure to adjust your menu according to their needs. Always provide that vegetarian option no matter what. I use pasta salad as my standby (See previous entry on Pasta Salads)

7 ) Baking a dessert the day of the party will make your house smell nice. In lieu of baking, feel free to burn a candle before guests arrive. (But make sure to blow it out before the festivities are underway, so you don’t worry about the house catching on fire later!)

8 ) Every party should begin with an empty dishwasher, an empty sink, and empty trashcans.

9 ) Be ready for the unexpected. What if Fred decides to bring his new girlfriend? Always have extra food and plates. A good host/hostess is flexible to even the most extreme circumstances. I always prepare a guest bed (pull out the futon, put on sheets and lay out fresh towels, etc), just in case. You never know if Popeye will drink too much beer and need a place to stay or if Marilyn will decide to drive in from out of town.

10 ) Don’t forget to pamper yourself! In the midst of party preparations, sometimes we, the hosts or hostesses, forget to take care of ourselves. Do whatever you need to do to relax, unwind, or beautify before the event. Today, I’ll be painting my nails.