Calling all ghosts, ghouls, and party planners! Even though we're only in the second week of September, Halloween season is rapidly approaching and it's never too early to start brainstorming ideas for a spooktacular Halloween party (Yes, you read that right. I said spooktacular because I'm a nerd! Don't judge me.). So pull out your notebooks and start some new Pinterest boards. After all, it's back to school season and we're all heading back to Party School.
Course 1: "Invitations 101". Invitations are the first thing someone sees when it comes to the party so they have to be perfect. Every detail, design, and piece of information needs to be correct. I like using Canva. It's a free graphic design website and can create wonderful designs in seconds. There's so many templets to choose from that you might actually not have to do anything. Key Tip: Less work saves time! Check out some of my own designs here: www.canva.com/folder/FADlZW5a-UI. There's the bell!
Now in session: "Decorations Dos and Don'ts". There's nothing worse at a party than droopy and distasteful decorations. So before you do anything rash like going to Walmart and buying $0.99 streamers and weak paper plates, grab some inspiration. In this instance, Pinterest is your friend! If you type in a few keywords like "Halloween", "Party", "Decorations", "DIY Decorations", and "Party Snacks" just to name a few, then the world of Pinterest is your oyster. You can find my idea's here: www.pinterest.com/hillcg5/halloween-party-ideas/.Moral of this lesson: DO NOT EVER BUY PARTY SUPPLIES FROM WALMART OR ANY STORE WITH THE WORD "DOLLAR" IN THE TITLE! There's no spookiness at all. Remember, we're throwing a Halloween party. Spookiness is key. The only stores I would even consider looking at is Target and Party City because well...its Target and Party City. 
Next on the schedule: "Party Appetizers for Beginners". Ok, so technically we're just learning about party snacks but appetizers seemed much more sophisticated. Although, since this is Iowa Falls, sophisticated would be the last word I'd use to describe our parties that do not take place under the watchful eye of school administrators and teachers. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah! Party snacks, appetizers, favors, whatever you want to call them. One main rule to remember. They are just as important, if not more, than the invitations. If I'm being brutally honest, all people come for is the snacks. That's just the truth. No one wants to leave their house on a Friday night to go to a party that has a poor to non-existent menu. If you would like your party not to be a snooze fest with the only guests being you, your cat or dog, your dorky brother or sister, and dare I say your parents, stick with these easy snack hacks!
Hack #1: Get Creative! Don't do the typical chip bowl, punch, and cupcake tray. Throw in something unexpected. Maybe cheesecake in a mason jar or pumpkin pie. Nothing extravagant. Just different...maybe a little creepy too.
Hack #2: Keep it simple but colorful! People react to food better when there's a variety of colors and flavors. Neutral tones and bland flavors aren't anyone's cup of tea so don't do it. That's a no-no in party planning.
Hack #3: Try serving your favorites or a family recipe. People love original recipes so if you're not sure about yours, give it a go. The worst thing that can happen is that they don't like it as much as you.
Man all this talk about food made me hungry. Time for lunch then.
    I have good news! The last bell of the day is almost ready to ring. All you have to do is make it through two more classes before you get to go out and throw the party of the year. As with all good news comes bad news. In this case, math is next. Course #4: "Calculating Party Sizes". All this entails is a few steps. 1.) Make sure your guest list is complete. Don't add or subtract people after invitations have been sent because then all the other numbers will be off. 2.) If you are making people RSVP make sure you set the date plenty in advance so then you have enough time to gather the right amount of food, chairs, tables, place settings (i.e. everything they're going to eat with. Cups, plates, forks, spoons, napkins, etc.), basically anything that needs a number added to it. 3.) Depending on the number of people you're planning on inviting the venue needs to be able to hold that many or more. Preferably, you want capacity to be more than your number of guests for safety reasons. Now what you've all been waiting for. The last class of the day.
Drum roll, please! The final class on your schedule is a life skills class. "How to Enjoy Your Hard Work". You've done everything. Booked the venue, planned the snacks and/or meals, sent the invitations, organized the decorations, and put out any and all last minute fires to the best of your ability. Now it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and go to the actual party. You deserve it! So kick back and relax with your friends. That's an assignment. With that, enjoy your weekends!
Let me know if any of these lessons worked for you or if you tweaked any of them! (If the links don't work, I'm sorry!:) )
-Caroline:)
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