I love hosting parties. It’s like stress therapy for me. Not only do I get to invite people I don’t see often, but I get to make fun interesting drinks, food, and desserts. I thought I would share 3 tips on ways to liven up a party. Just writing about it makes me want to plan another party!

Tip 1 – Have A Themed Party

My favorite time to have a party is around Halloween. We host one every year. I know this is an obvious theme, but we like to go all out. On the invitations, I add costume required. This makes it fun for everyone and you don’t have to worry you will be the only ones dressed up. (That happened to me and a friend once and it was AWFUL!) Go all out on the decorations. I made themed eyeball jello shots and they were a hit. I even had a bunch of cards and pencil next to a “coffin” for people to vote on best costume and presented the winner with a hand-made trophy, properly themed of course.

Below are a few not so obvious themed party ideas.

Casino Night

ask a couple of friends to be dealers and have a couple of tables set up for card games. You can even rent a Craps table if you want. If you decide to include kids, I like to set up a separate room or area with snacks and games like Bingo, Go Fish, Movies and maybe a Scavenger Hunt to keep them busy while the adults have fun.

Potluck Party with a Twist

Throw a potluck party but pick a food style and mix it with a cuisine such as “Homestyle Japanese”, or “German Tapas”. You’ll get all kinds of fun dished and people will have as much fun making them as sharing them.

BYOB & BBQ

Yes, that’s right. The second B stands for barbeque meat. We used to do this a couple of times a month, have our friends and neighbors bring their own beer (or other alcohol) and some meat to barbeque. My husband would fire up the grill and cook everyone’s meat and I made the side dishes and desserts. It gave us a way to get together while keeping the costs down. Some parties can be quite expensive. If you host this in the afternoon, it’s sometimes fun to move the group to a bonfire in the backyard and make smores or have everyone bring blankets and show an outdoor movie.

Tip 2–Game Night

Game night is always fun, even with your super-competitive friends. Games are a great icebreaker when you have different friend groups or new people over. Whether it’s card games, board games, or drinking games, it’s always a blast. If you go with drinking games that have rules, make sure to have some suggestions handy for those who get stuck. This keeps the game going and doesn’t make the person feel uncomfortable for not having a good idea.

Game Night doesn’t always have to be inside. Expand your thinking and go with an outdoor theme with games like limbo, Twister, and horseshoes. Be sure to have a back-up plan if it rains. You can’t always predict the weather.

Tip 3–Be A Good Host/Hostess

• Greet everyone who comes in and be sure to introduce them if they are new.
• Keep an eye out on how everyone is interacting. If someone is sitting or standing off by themselves, try to engage them in the party or with other guests. Some people struggle with the initial contact. You don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable.
• Have snacks or food on hand at all times. Even if it’s just chips and nuts, or popcorn. It gives people something to do.
• Have group toasts. Thank everyone for coming and toast to good friends and fun. It’s always fun if others decide to do their own toasts too.
• Get photos! Make sure someone is taking photos, then a week or so after the party post them for everyone to see and remember the good time they had at your party.

And whatever you do, don’t forget the music! I hope these tips come in handy. My next project is my husband’s birthday party. It’s a big milestone so I’m planning a great big bash. Can’t wait!