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Party Planning
Comfort
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 The
comfort that your guests enjoy begins with your own. Be
realistic about the amount of time you have for food
preparation, decorating, and serving your guests. If you
have a hectic work schedule and will not have much time to
prepare for the day, plan your menu with foods that can be made
in advance and frozen. Consider offering a buffet instead
of a formal dinner if you will not have help serving your meal
or if space is at a premium.
When the big day arrives, begin setting
the relaxed mood for your party by giving yourself enough time
to take a relaxing bath or shower and pamper yourself a
bit. Light candles to create an array of pleasant aromas
and soft lighting to keep your stress level to a minimum.
Remember the reason that you are entertaining -- to enjoy the
day with family and friends.
View our page of additional
tips to minimize holiday stress.
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 Are
grandchildren coming to visit? Are friends bringing along
their little one? Keep in mind that children, particularly
babies, can not get through the day without a rest. Pushing
them through their fatigue will only result in tears and temper
tantrums that will leave your guests uncomfortable and you feeling
stressed.
Reserve a quiet room for parent and
child. A den sofa or guest bedroom can easily be supplied
with a soft blanket and comfortable pillows where a child can lay
their head. Set up a tray in the room with some story books
for baby and a hot cup of tea for Mom or Dad. The parents
will be grateful to be able to avoid the unpleasant choice of
subjecting the rest of your guests to their screaming child or
cutting their visit short. A few extra moments of
advanced planning will bring a stress free solution to an
unavoidable problem.
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 No
matter how beautiful your tree is or how enticing the wrappings on
your gifts -- anyone over the age of 30 can not comfortably sit on
the floor for more than a few minutes. Arrange large pillows
around the tree so that guests can relax while opening gifts and
playing with their children.
Light a fire and place pillows on the
floor nearby so that guests can enjoy the beauty and fragrance of
the wood. When lighting a fire, keep temperature in
mind. Open a window or turn on a ceiling fan to keep the
heat down while still enjoying the ambience that a fire can
bring. Add additional scents to your room by
purchasing aromatics that are made for wood fires.
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 If
you need to arrange extra seating and your only choice are
folding chairs, plan on taking a bit of extra time to make them
as comfortable as possible for your guests. Pin or sew
rope or twine to the ends of seat cushions and tie the cushions
to the back and seat of the chair. Drape fabric over the
chair and attach with long pieces of ribbon to add a decorative
touch.
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Party Planning
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