Reminder: Time to Send Holiday Party Invitations

While it is impossible to believe that December is just around the corner, the time has come for holiday preparations! This is the week to take your Christmas card photo and to send holiday party invites. Here's a checklist to help:

Step 1. Pick your parties 
Casual or fancy. Cozy or crowded. It doesn't matter what your holiday party preferences are, the important thing is that you host something! Everyone loves being invited to a holiday party. Here are some ideas for last year:

• If you haven't had a party in a while, use the holidays as a reason to decorate and have a small house-warming.
• Make your Christmas tree decorating into a cozy dinner party with family.
• Serve fondue and a favorite holiday movie while addressing holiday cards with a few friends. 
• Invite a few couples over for a pot-luck dinner. 
• Host a holiday brunch for 30+ guests featuring a fresh-baked ham. 
• Don't forget your co-workers! Plan an afternoon tea party with the ladies from your office or invite your team over for cookies and cider. 
• Bake, sample and collect the best holiday treats at a cookie swap party. 
• Warm up with an afternoon luncheon featuring seafood cioppino. 
• Serve a spread of gourmet turkey sliders with family on Christmas Eve.

Step 2. Send the party invitations
It just takes a few minutes to create a pretty digital invitation online on a site like Celebrations.com. Much more festive than a Google meeting request or plain email. There are really only two Saturday night slots for entertaining during the holidays - the 6th and the 13th - and they can book up fast. Unless you know your friends are counting on you to host a big weekend event, aim for something on an off-peak time like Sunday morning or Thursday night.

Step 3. Start planning
The relaxed days of Thanksgiving weekend are the ideal time to start pinning ideas for decorations, recipes and menus for your holiday parties. I love to help with party planning challenges, just shoot me an email!