One of the reasons the holidays are so busy is that there is only a week between Christmas and New Year. At no other time of the year are there two major holidays so close together. On top of that, despite being very different types of holidays, they both often involve preparing big meals or parties.

So, make your life easier by doing some advance planning.

Want to attend that special celebration at a club or event? Book at least three months ahead. Don’t try to rush around the day after Christmas to find someplace to go for New Year’s eve. Yes, there is always lots to do when Christmas is upon you. But many venues fill up weeks ahead. Keep your stress level down by making plans long before the holiday season even starts.

If those plans involve air or train travel, the advice goes double. Everyone knows that air travel is hellish at that time of the year. Consider leaving Christmas night, or even spending Christmas where you plan to celebrate New Year. Traveling at times others are not is the only way to get there without hassles.

Planning on a big New Year’s party at your house? Set aside some of the budget for extra domestic help the week after Christmas. Many hands make light work. Having good help to shop, clean, cook and decorate leaves you free to send invitations and other needed tasks.

The day of the party you’ll have much more time for those last minute items if you’ve got reliable assistants. Give yourself that much more time to plan and execute by getting help on post-Christmas clean up, too.

That practice used to be commonplace, even among those with very limited incomes and no friends or relatives to help out. After all, they’re often busy with their own holiday plans. Revive an old tradition and spend a little on your own peace of mind. It will pay dividends many times over.

Whatever your plans for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, accept that these are going to be busy. Examine your other tasks and plans and decide which can be pushed off a week or so. Vet trips, the kids athletic and entertainment activities, gym visits…. The list of possibilities is endless.

A long list of habitual tasks can tie up anyone full time. They’ll vary from individual to individual. But anyone can find things that don’t have to be done today. Pay the bills in advance so they don’t have to be dealt with that week. Put off doctor visits, if possible. Accept fewer invitations the week after Christmas.

Keep your stress low and it will also help maintain your health during a season that for some is often full of tension. Plan ahead and you’ll be able to enjoy the holiday that much more.

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Tags: Christmas

Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year. But there’s one aspect of the holiday that brings joy to few: cleaning up. The tree, the snow-painted windows and much more all present tasks that, frankly, we would prefer someone else deal with. If you can afford that, it’s one excellent post-Dec 25th Christmas gift you could give to yourself. But, if not, there are still several ways to make the job go a little easier.

The Tree

No doubt, taking down the Christmas tree presents one of the biggest challenges for tidying up the home after the holidays. It’s had a couple of weeks or more to dry out and the needles seem to fly off the minute you touch it. Accept the inevitable but make the problem a small one. Wrap the entire tree in plastic before making a move.

After you’ve removed all the ornaments, just wrap a large piece of thin plastic around the entire tree. If you can tip it over onto a sheet then wrap it will be much easier. If you would dump too many needles that way, just get a ladder and start at any point. Hold the top while someone at the bottom moves around the tree, wrapping as they go.

And, don’t forget: putting down a big sheet before you place the tree in the first place will catch all those needles that fall during the holidays.

Windows

Many people enjoy painting decorations on the window. Sometimes the scene is as simple as a bit of artificial snow or ice crystals. For those with the time and talent, it may be an elaborate sleigh scene. In each case, though, the key to easy clean up is careful selection of materials beforehand.

Many types of spray-on artificial ice crystals are essentially glue. That can be very difficult to get off, requiring solvent and lots of elbow grease. Look instead for products that can be easily washed off with simple dish soap and water.

For some types of spray-on artificial snow, the task can be made easier by using a hair dryer to warm the window. That softens the small, white particles and the adhesive that is part of them. Then they just wipe right off with a wet towel.

Carpets and Floors

No doubt about it, walking surfaces get a much bigger workout during the holiday season. Here again the key is preparation. Invest in some throw rugs in high traffic areas. Then, when Christmas has passed, either throw them away or re-use them in the garage or on the patio.

It may sound like an expensive proposition, but when you consider the cost of cleaning materials and your labor, it’s a small amount. If it saves you the cost of a carpet cleaning from a spilled drink it will more than have paid for itself.

Of course, there’s still that ideal option. Maybe you should ask for a temporary maid as a post Christmas present.

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There are both advantages and disadvantages to planning a New Years Eve party in your home. The advantages to planning a New Years Eve party in your home is that you have a greater amount of freedom in terms of food and beverage choices, decoration options and even the type of entertainment you are able to offer. The disadvantages to hosting a New Years Eve party in your home is that your property or possessions may be damaged by the guests, you are responsible for the cleanup of the party and it can be difficult to control when guests leave the party. The advantages to hosting a New Years Eve party in a restaurant and catering hall is that you will have assistance in preparing and serving the food, you don’t have to worry about cleanup and you have very few obligations during the party. The disadvantages to hosting your New Years Eve party at a restaurant or catering hall is you will be limited in the hours of the party, there may be some restrictions placed on the entertainment and their will also likely be limitation on the food and beverages you can offer your guests. Giving these advantages and disadvantages as well as the costs associated with hosting a New Years Eve party in a restaurant or catering hall, many people opt to host their New Years Eve party in your home.

When planning a New Years Eve party in your home it is very important to carefully consider your guest list. This is important because you should limit the number of guests you invite according to the size of your home and the rooms in your home you wish to use for the party. For example you may have an extremely large house but if you wish to limit the party to the kitchen and dining room you should consider limiting the number of guests you invite to a number which will fit comfortably in these rooms. Or if you plan to use your entire house for the party, you should still consider how many people will fit comfortably for activities such as eating, dancing and socializing.

Another factor to consider when planning a New Years Eve party in your home is how you plan to entertain your guests. Hiring a band or DJ or playing your own music is one of the most popular entertainment options for a New Years Eve party. If you plan to have a band or a DJ you should consider providing a dance floor for your guests. The dance floor does not have to be big but it should be large enough for at least some of your guests to dance and have a good time. Another entertainment option is showing a series of movies. The movies can follow a particular theme or they can just be fun movies you think the majority of your guests will enjoy. If you are planning to entertain your guests in this manner you should consider renting a movie projector if you do not already have one to make the movie viewing experience more pleasurable. You should also consider seating options and should ensure you have enough seating for each guest with an unrestricted view of the screen.

Another factor to consider when planning a New Years Eve party in your home is how you plan to deal with potential problems such as spilled food and drinks. If you have new and expensive carpeting or flooring, you might be very concerned about this issue. One option is to take preventative measures by covering flooring which would be permanently damaged by spilled drinks or food. This will likely not be very attractive and many guests prefer to only offer food and drinks in areas of the home where spills will not be extremely damaging. As the host of the party, you should be prepared to deal with spills. Your plan could include cleaning all spills thoroughly as they occur in attempt to minimize the risk or permanent stains or to do only a quick cleanup and deal with stains after the party.

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Tags: assistance, carpeting, dancing, experience, kitchen, property

If you are in the process of planning a New Years Eve party, you likely want to make the event as stress free as possible. While there is always some stress involved in planning any event, there are a number of steps you can take in reducing the amount of stress involved while you are planning your New Years Eve party. This article will focus on providing tips for keeping the stress level to a minimum when planning a New Years Eve party. There may still be a few areas which cause concern or stress but if you follow these tips, the event will likely be more enjoyable for you and the guests.

Consider making the dress for the event casual instead of formal to create a more stress free environment. This simple stress can be very effective for reducing the stress level. First of all, if the affair is casual, the host will have to spend less time getting dressed for the party. This is important because the host often becomes quite stressed out on the day of the party because she is trying to take care of last minute details while she is also worried about getting dressed for the party. It also helps to reduce the stress level because guests expect more elegant food for a formal party than they do for a casual party so there is less stress to prepare and serve an elaborate meal at the party.

Regardless of the type of food you decide to serve, preparing the food for a New Years Eve party can be a significant cause of stress. Hiring a caterer is the most efficient way to minimize this stress. When hiring a caterer the host may have a great deal of work during the planning phases in selecting a caterer, tasting the food and selecting dishes for the menu, but once this is done the host only has to worry about coordinating the delivery and service of the food. This leaves the hostess free to focus on other elements of the party and prevents her from spending a great deal of time in the kitchen on the evening of the party.

While hiring a caterer is an excellent idea, it can be rather expensive. Fortunately there are also a number of inexpensive options for minimize the stress associated with preparing the food for a New Years Eve party. One fun way to do this is to make the party a potluck event. Having guests bring dishes such as side dishes, salads, appetizers, desserts and even main dishes or drinks greatly reduces the amount of work for the host. In this scenario the host only has to worry about providing one or two items and coordinating the other guests to ensure they do not all bring similar items.

Another inexpensive option which can help to reduce the amount of stress typically associated with preparing the food for a New Years Eve party is to serve only appetizers, desserts and cocktails at the party. This is significantly less expensive as appetizers are traditionally much less expensive than main course items. It is also acceptable to do this because most New Years Eve parties do not start until 8:00-9:00 at night. It is acceptable to assume most guests will have had dinner earlier in the evening but as a courtesy to the guests it is worthwhile to indicate on the invitations that only appetizers and desserts will be served.

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Tags: courtesy, delivery, environment, evening, option, planning, process

If you are planning a New Years Eve party, you might want to consider requesting your guest wear formal attire to the party. Although this is not necessary, it can make the entire party appear more elegant and formal. It can also help to create a more formal atmosphere for the party. When hosting a New Years Eve party in your home, the predominant reason for requiring formal attire is to set a particular mood or atmosphere. However, if you are hosting your New Years Eve party at another location such as a catering hall, there may be other reasons to necessitate formal attire. Some restaurants or catering halls have their own requirements regarding attire. If you opt to host your party in one of these locations, you have to ensure your guests adhere to these requirements.

There are some important aspects to consider when you are planning to request formal attire for your New Years Eve party. One factor to consider is whether or not your guests will object to this requirement. This is an important consideration especially if you have guests will opt to not attend your party because of this requirement. Although this is not a likely scenario since most people already consider New Years Eve to be a formal situation, it should be considered carefully if you believe it will affect attendance at your party. Again, if the party is hosted in your home, there will not likely be ramifications if a guest does not wear formal attire to the party because you will likely still allow them to attend. However, it is important to note that if the restaurant or catering hall where you will be hosting your New Years Eve party is implementing the dress code for your party, your guests may be turned away if they are not dressed properly.

When requesting formal attire at your New Years Eve party, it is important to note the attire guidelines on the invitations to ensure all guests are aware of how they are expected to dress for your party. One of the most popular ways to do this is to create one line on bottom of the invitation which states the attire requirements. Popular language for this statement includes, “Formal Attire,” “Black Tie Event,” or “Cocktail Attire Required.” Most guests will be familiar with this type of verbiage and will understand they are expected to dress formally for the occasion. If you are hosting the New Years Eve party in your home and there are no ramifications for guests who do not follow the attire recommendations, it is sufficient to state the attire guidelines on the invitation. However, if you are hosting the New Years Eve party in a restaurant and catering hall and they are enforcing the attire guidelines it might be worthwhile to make sure each guest understands these requirements. This is important because it could result in your guests being denied entry to the party.

There are a couple of ways you can help to ensure the guests understand the attire requirements. One way to accomplish your goal is to follow up your invitations with a phone call to each guest. During the phone call you can explain the attire requirements and make it clear guests who do not adhere to these guidelines will not be admitted. Another way to make sure guests are aware of the situation is to include a card in the envelop which explains the policies of the restaurant or catering hall and makes it clear that guests who do not follow these guidelines will not be allowed to enter the party.

Since you made the decision to host a New Years Eve party, in which guests will be required to dress formally, you have the responsibility of ensuring the event reflects the attire. For example it would be inappropriate to require formal attire and then serve foods which are difficult to eat and likely to result in a mess.

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Tags: bottom, consideration, necessitate, responsibility, restaurant, statement

If you are planning a New Years Eve party, you might also be considering having a specific theme for your party. While a theme is not a necessary part of a New Years Eve party or any party but it can make any party significantly more fun and interesting. Planning a themed New Years Eve party is a great deal of fun but it is also significantly more complicated than planning a party without a theme just because there is more coordination involved in the planning process and in trying to ensure all of the elements of the party fit within the theme. This article will discuss the process of planning a New Years Eve party with a theme and will offer samples of appropriate themes and how they can be applied.

When planning a themed New Years Eve party the host has the option to incorporate the theme as much or as little as they wish. Examples of items which can be incorporated into the theme are invitations, decorations, food, beverages, music, entertainment and even the guests’ attire. Guests who attend the party have the option of fully taking advantage of the theme and dressing or acting in a particular character during the event or simply attending the party and enjoy the atmosphere, food, beverages and entertainment provided by the host.

Themes for New Years Eve parties can be any theme the host selects and does not have to relate to the holiday at all. One example of an unrelated theme is a Western theme. The host can set the team by sending out cowboy hate shaped invitations encouraging guests to dress appropriately for a country hoe down. Once the guests receive the invitation, they will have an understanding of the theme of the party. If themed parties are not popular with your circle of friends you might want to follow up the invitations with a personal call encouraging your guests to dress according to the theme and assuring them you will be dressing similarly. I planning the entertainment for your party you can consider hiring a country western band to host the party. You might even hire a line dance instructor for an hour or two to offer group line dancing classes to the guests. In incorporating the theme of the party in the decorations, you can purchase hay bales to place around the room and use colored handkerchiefs for napkins. The food at your party should also incorporate your theme. If you are offering a sit down dinner, chili is a good choice. Stew would also be a good option. If you plan to have appetizers, you can create theme related appetizers by giving traditional appetizers unique names. You might refer to mini bagel pizzas as wagon wheels or mini egg rolls as hay bales. For beverages you can serve ice cold beer in glass mugs.

An example of a more elegant theme for a New Years Eve party might include a red carpet extravaganza where guests are encouraged to dress like their favorite movie star from any era. Alternately the theme could be limited to a specific era with guests expected to dress like stars from the appropriate era. This is a good idea for a New Years Eve party theme because many guests like to dress in their most elegant clothing and this would give them the opportunity to dress to impress. The theme for a New Years Eve party with this theme might be an invitation in the shape of an elegant silver star inviting guests to join you on the red carpet for the premier of the New Year. In decorating for this event, the host should include a red carpet in their entryway and may want to use a series of motion detected strobe lights to mimic the flashbulbs of paparazzi lining the red carpet of movie premiers. This will serve to immediately get the guests in the spirit of the party. Entertainment for the party might include giving out New Years Eve awards to the guests in a series of different categories and allowing guests to give a short speech as they receive their award.

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Tags: advantage, atmosphere, coordination, entertainment, instructor, invitation