Be Better Guys

My wife and I are good at a few things…some of which will go unmentioned here.  We are very good sports fans.  We are very good travelers.  We actually think we’re pretty decent parents.  We also throw good parties.  EVERY party is a good party.  We’ve had no clunkers in 15 years of holiday parties and birthday parties and wedding showers and cookouts and – hell – even hosting other people’s parties.

How do we know this?  Because our friends and family often ask us:  “Yo!  When’s your next ‘…’ party?!”  See we have a rhythm to our parties and they apply to any kind of party you’re throwing.  Specifically we’re talking throwing a good New Year’s party…something we’ve had moderate experience with.  We don’t often have folks over for New Year’s because it’s the one night I prefer to sit on the bench and let others feed me.  But we’ve done it and since really every successful party has a vibe to it that repeats like the frame of a house.  Ultimately they’re all the same.

Here’s what you need to do:

Move furniture out to the sides of the room because most folks will stand in the middle of a room as they circle from one room to another. Makes the house feel bigger too.

Put out a decent supply of $10 wines and moderate liquors.  I don’t put out my best stuff for parties ‘cause it gets quaffed by folks who have no idea how to appreciate Glenmorangie or Woodford Reserve.

Keep Glenmorangie and Woodford Reserve tucked away for you and your boys who know how to enjoy it.

With the booze – put out Cokes and ginger ale and tonic and some cut lemons and limes.  Most folks won’t make mixed drinks so keep it basic for the people who just want something simple.

If you’re going to do mixed drinks I recommend making the pitcher of whatever it is about an hour before the party and stir it when you serve it so keep the contents blended.  Margaritas or sidecars or bloodies or whatever you’ve got – make up a big batch so you’re not making one-off drinks.

Music – at my parties it never matters. There are too many people talking for anyone to hear the music.  In your case I would not let the music steal the show; let the people steal it.

Kitchen – folks will want to congregate there.  My suggestion:  prepare your food ahead of time so you aren’t trapped in the kitchen cooking something while your guests are drinking your Glenmorangie stash.  Unless you have someone good to be trapped in the kitchen with!

Have the guests get the door. That way they meet each other and you don’t have to do it. Plus they urge the new guests into the scrum.

Remember that different rooms have a different feel – in the living room people cool out and sit whereas in the dining room they may be bustling around the food and in the kitchen they’re jostling for your vodka stash in your freezer.  Just let it happen that way and don’t try to dictate vibe.

Give children somewhere to go – to the attic to play your drums or downstairs with the Wii. Don’t let them just “make it up.” They will terrorize your house and your dog will get ridden around like Petey the Pony.

And get a babysitter if you’re having more than 6 kids there. Well worth the $75 it may set you back. That way you don’t have to manage other people’s bozos.

And finally and most importantly – if you’re having a New Year’s Party have it end before New Year’s actually start then go somewhere else to see the ball drop or clock strike 12, or kick everyone out of the house, except for the hottie from the gym!  You don’t need to be the host when the clock strikes midnight.  Instead have your party at 6 and have it go till 10 or 11 and get out and go to someone else’s place or a bar and kick it up without having to do clean up.

Or do what I do – go to bed at 12:30, sleep in for once and get up and go out and have breakfast out when they’re still hosing down the streets from just a few hours before.  It’s actually cool. Really.