The steps to throwing a great party!

Sorry for the delay in posting this, I had a very busy weekend and an even busier Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend even though the weather was crappy. Michael's birthday is on Easter Sunday so we decide to celebrate it this past Saturday with all our friends. I had a big party for him at my place and it was a lot of fun, if I don't say so myself!

Hosting this party made me think about organization and some of the steps to throwing a great party, which leads me to my next few points. Some of things I like to do to stay organized and stress-free when throwing a party are the following:

1. Make lists: I am a big list person, it helps me stay focused and organized. Friday night I sat down, got myself organized and planned out, point by point, what I had to do on Saturday. From grocery lists to what times things were going in the oven, I had everything written down.
2. Do some work ahead of time: Friday night I set up the bar and cleaned the house so on Saturday I could dedicate myself to shopping, cooking and having time for a manicure :) After grocery shopping I prepared all the food as much as I could that way when I went to put everything together all the tough work and mess was done.
3. Ask your girlfriends for help: Thanks to some fabulous ladies in my life, I was able to rely on them. Caitie made some delicious chocolate chip cookies; Kiira picked up the sushi tray; Stephanie picked up the cupcakes; Julie made a delicious dip and Laura brought strawberries and chocolate sauce!
4. Leave some time for yourself: Try and find 40 minutes to treat yourself. Whether it's a manicure or a blowdry it's always good to sneak out and de-stress before the big event. I myself, snuck out for 40 minutes to get a manicure!

I hope some of these tips help when you're hosting your next event!