Now that I’m off on vacation, in sunny Mexico (yeah – I’m rubbing it in) – I’m leaving you in the hands of some ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS Guest Bloggers.  To kick things off – I leave you with one of my dearest bloggy friends, and fellow Ohioans – Andrea – from Off Her Cork.

Hi Green Dog Wine readers!

My name is Andrea and my little home on the web is called Off Her Cork. Allison is off gallivanting around and she put the call out for guest posts.  She asked if I would do a Tips-style post and I am more than happy to oblige!  The holidays are upon us and that means we will be glitzing it up and attending holiday parties.  Some of us might even be hosting our own! So GDWers, here are some of my favorite party planning tips!

If you are hosting a party and plan on making it Adults Only, you must state this specifically on the invite.  Many times people will assume that you can’t possibly mean that /their/ kids are not invited somewhere and will arrive with them in tow.  Or they will call and ask what you are serving so they can make sure it is Bobby and Suzie friendly food.  Put the kibosh on that right away if it’s Adults Only.  Subtle hints on the invite like “Call a babysitter” won’t work.  Trust me.  Been there done that.  If the party is open to kids, put that on the invite, too!   My point being, make your intentions very clear and stick to them.

Label the food items that you have out.  Just little paper labels that you create on your computer work well.  I have found that individual labels by each dish work better than having a main list at the head of the food table.  People tend not to read that or even see it, thus still bombarding you with questions like “What is this?!” or “Oh, this tastes like it has cream cheese in it!”  Which they would have known, had they read the menu.  Individual labels that clearly indicate what the dish is work really well.

When labeling the foods, keep in mind food allergies and make a note of them on the label. For example:

/Creamy Risotto with Goat Cheese
*Contains NO dairy but does contain walnuts/

This way, someone with a dairy allergy that might otherwise pass this dish up now knows it’s dairy free.  And someone with a nut allergy knows they cannot eat that particular dish.

Keeping in mind diets and allergies, if you are serving a large amount of people, make sure to take into consideration different dietary restrictions.  I’m not saying that if one of your friends is a low carber, all of your food offerings should be low carb.  But have a few offerings of different things so that the meat eaters, low carbers, and veggies have some choices and don’t feel pushed aside.  It’s easier than you think to have cocktail foods for everyone, it just takes some planning.

If you are having a cocktail party with cocktail foods, keep the foods simple and small.  One thing I have noticed is that people at parties don’t like to work for their food.   They like to put it on a plate and eat it.  If they are required to fuss too much with the food, for example, making a sandwich or cutting bread for cheese, things turn messy quick.  Make sure things are pre-made and small so they can easily be put on a plate and then easily eaten without much fuss.  If you want to offer sandwiches, make them ahead of time and make a few varities.  Keep them small as they are easier to manage and less messy.  Have cheese and bread already cut up into bite-sized pieces.  Less work for your guests and less mess for you after the party is over!

It’s inevitable, every party has the early-showers! If you are still prepping things, put them to work!  Have them help you plate food items and bring things out to the table.  You can even give them the task of developing a signature cocktail for the evening if you’re feeling particularly bold.

Have a candle or a few candles going in the guest bathroom.  Candles are great multitaskers in the bathroom! They help keep things smelling fresh but also provide a bit of light so guests can find the light switch.  Nothing worse when navigating a new bathroom and you can’t find the light switch!  Fresh soap, towels, and also some hand lotion in the bathroom provide an extra touch that your guests will appreciate.

Provide music, but keep it low so that people aren’t shouting to be heard.  With lots of radio stations being digital now, it’s easy to find a station online to fit the mood of the party.  I find that 40s music is great for playing in the background.  It’s easy on the ear and pretty pleasing to everyone.

Those are some of my favorite tips and tricks for creating a party that all your guests will enjoy while also keeping things less stressful for you as well!

For more tips and tricks please come visit me at Off Her Cork!

Happy Holidays guys!