How to Prepare for and Host an Amazing 4th of July Party
July 4th represents more then fireworks & BBQ. It is a huge part of our Nations History. July 4th ,1776 , the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congressional Congress. Thus the Birth of Our Great Nation. So why not celebrate our Nations Birthday the way it should be. Show your Patriotic Spirit and make your 4th of July celebration a great one. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Note Book & Pen
- Guest List & phone #'s
- A Plan
- Destination
- Time to dedicate to Planning
Instructions
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Planning. Planning is what will make or break your party. If you under plan expect your day to be filled with chaos and stress. Here are a list of basic questions you must answer before moving forward in your planning.
1. Create a guest list. Should include phone number next to each guest.
2.Food - If planning for a large group.(anything over 12 people) consider making your event a potluck.
Consider what type of seating you have available and tables. You may need guests to bring additional chairs. Folding beach chairs are great. They are easy for people to bring.
3. Length of party should be considered. If you are planning an all day event you must pay very close attention to food planning. If you run out of food before dinner time you may have a riot on your hands. -
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Planning your menu. As mentioned in step 1 a potluck is a great way to avoid the stress of cooking a huge meal for several people. This will not only allow you to enjoy your own party it will allow your guests to showcase their culinary skills. People love to share special dishes they only make for special occasions. For parties that will include a late lunch and dinner here are some tips.
Appetizers like hot wings, meatballs, chips & dips and fruit salads for all day snacking. Hot dogs , hamburgers, sausage , tri-tip and ribs are great for later in the day. Make sure to keep in mind how much you will need to have on hand to have a good variety and a full stock of food. When it comes to parties too much is never too much. Drinks should include a wide variety. Again if having a potluck include drinks as a request along with the food item.
Quick review:
1. Appetizers
2. Snacks- Chips, dips
3. Fruit
4. Main dishes- Meat,
5.Side dishes-salads
6.Dessert
Now before inviting your guests make yourself a list from this step of items you will need for your party. -
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Preparing to invite your guests. You may choose to send an e-mail or a classic mail invitation. A phone call may be your best bet. It is more personal and will allow you to nail down details on the spot. You will need to have all of your bases covered.
1. Time and Location
2. Items needed for each person. Lawn chairs , towels ect..
3.Food or drink you would like the guest to bring. Ask what they would like to bring. Let them know it is a potluck. If they ask, refer to your above list and make suggestions. Remember to include a drink as well.
When making the phone calls keep your guest list handy. On your list leave enough space to write down :
1. # attending
2. Food & Drink
3. E-mail address. You can e-mail each guest to follow up a few days before the party.
As you make each call you should have your original list of needed items handy. This way you can check off items as people volunteer to bring them .It will leave you with a good list of items that will need to be filled by you. Now armed with your list you are ready to make those phone calls. Be sure to invite your guests in a timely manner. This gives you a chance to keep details in order. If you give people only days notice they will likely have other plans. If someone wants to get back to you just make a note on your list. Before you get off of the phone make sure that you ask for their e-mail address. Let them know you will give them an idea of how many guests are attending once you complete your calls. If they do not use e-mail let them know you will call them to follow up. Make a note to call. -
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Now that you have made your calls you will be better prepared to create a final detailed list . I know lots of lists... But better planning leads to less stress and more fun for you. Final guest list, final food and beverage list. Now as the hostess you will need to supply paper goods and have a good general idea of the set up and storage for food and drinks.
The paper goods you will need plenty of are as follows. Now looking at your food and drink list you will want to fill in the blanks. Be sure to have a good variety of snacks, finger foods and drinks. Drinks should include water, tea, juice or sports drinks for kids, regular and diet soda and any other types of drinks you wish. Always keep in mind the length of your event. You will want to have enough so that you do not run out. Having too much is always better then not enough.
cups, plates, napkins, trash bags and utensils. -
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Decorations and activities. If you would like to include watching a firework show you must look at your cities web site to see if event times and locations are listed. Some popular places for show include, lakes, sports parks or local sporting stadiums. Shows are usually very crowded and require advanced planning. You may choose to designate a couple of people the day of the firework show to go to the location early and scout out a good site for the entire group. Try to organize a small caravan of cars for those who wish to attend. Less cars leads to less parking nightmares. Anytime you plan in advance you are less likely you run into silly complications. You can also find a location that is farther away from the event that you will still be able to have a great view of the fire works. We have a hill near our home that offers a great view of the fire work show. We don't have to worry about the crowd or the traffic. See if there are any locations like that in your area. Ask friends and neighbors if they know of any such places. You may just be surprised at what you find. As for decorations and other activities. If there are children attending print up 4th of July coloring pages and set up a small kids table with crayons , and tape. Let them know where they can tape their creations. Organize team type games and have small competitions. Card games, darts, horse shoes or any other activities that you know your guests will like. Again ask friends and guests for their input.
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Food and drink storage for the day of the event. This is a great opportunity to clean out your refrigerator of any unwanted items. Make sure you have room for any dishes or foods that need to be kept cold. The best way to store drinks is in coolers. Label 1 ~ Adult and 1~ Kids. This will keep the kids out of any adult beverages. Also if you still need room for food you can also use a cooler for this too. Label it food and keep it in the house away from where people may open and close it often looking for drinks.
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Food set up day of party should be well thought out .Cover tables with disposable red white and blue table clothes. Any spills disappear with the table clothe. If items that need to be kept warm are in servers that require an outlet keep areas open near outlets just for those items. Place chips and dips and other snack items all over in a few locations or on several tables. As guests start to arrive with food place the items where you would like them. If anyone offers to lend a hand give them a specific task. A smart hostess never refuses a helping hand. Besides others like to pitch in. Keep all paper goods , cups and silverware in 1 general location that is easy to spot. Plan out your serving times so that food can be warmed or cooked in a timely manner. Be sure to check on snacks every so often to see if they need to be refilled. After your main meal has been served and you are beginning to put things away you can set out any sweets or desserts. Again be sure not too set them out too early if they need to be kept cold.
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Important items to plan for through the day. Keep on top of clean up. Designate areas for trash and recycling. Keep and eye on trash cans getting full. Keep extra trash bags directly in trash can . That way when you pull out the old bag you can reach down and grab a new one to line the can with. It may seem like a lot of work but keeping on top of things just means less to take care of later.
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Lastly~ Have fun. Great planning only adds to more fun for the hostess. Your guests will be more likely to pitch in when your job is under control. If you seem scattered and out of your mind people will want to stay out of your way and let you handle it. You will be able to enjoy your own party much more when you have a plan.
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Finally after all is said and done and your party is over and nothing but a memory there is still something very important you must do. Thank your guests. Send out an e-mail or Thank you cards. A thank you flyer with a picture of the day and some fun memories is a great way to let your guests know that they are appreciated and what ever they personally did was a huge help to the success of the day.
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Tips & Warnings
Plan plan plan.
If you need help ~ Ask
Ask a couple of guests to bring coolers filled with ice.
Keep a Large permanent marker on hand near cups for guests to write their names on the cups.
Keep a large permanent marker on hand for guests to label chairs or coolers if needed.
If hosting a pool type party find out which kids can swim and which can not. Designate an adult to pool duty.
Let parents know that they should only allow their children to swim when they will be in the poop with them.
Keep a first aid kit on hand for any unexpected accidents.
If you live in an area where fire works are allowed keep an eye on small children keep them away from lit fireworks or bon fires.
Resources
- Photo Credit google images
