Holiday Party Prep in 1 Day
Don't panic — you really can throw a great party on just 24 hours' notice with these shortcuts and time-saving tips
Bad news: Icy weather has thwarted your trip to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving weekend, which means you’ll be eating your pumpkin pie at home. Or maybe an old schoolmate has rung to say she’s in town, and you’ve decided to throw a spur-of-the-moment dinner party to introduce her to your new pals.
The upside of having only a day to plan is that you have no chance to second-guess yourself — you just have to go with the flow and hope for the best. The downside is that, well, you have only a day to plan. Here’s how to get it together in a hurry.
The upside of having only a day to plan is that you have no chance to second-guess yourself — you just have to go with the flow and hope for the best. The downside is that, well, you have only a day to plan. Here’s how to get it together in a hurry.
Outdoor Metal Drink Bucket
Quick-chill beverages. If you live in a snowy climate, you could simply stick soft drinks, beer and wine into a snowbank (hey, it works). But for those in warmer zones, here’s how to get drinks frosty on the double: Fill a sink, cooler or other large vessel with ice and cold water, then mix in about half a cup of rock salt or other coarse salt. Submerge the cans and bottles for 20 minutes or so, then plunge them into a waiting tub of ice. You’re good to go!
Borrow furniture. Need extra chairs or folding tables? Put out the word. Friends and neighbors will more than likely be glad to come to your rescue. If all else fails, remember that limited seating encourages guests to mingle, and coffee table picnics can help to loosen up a family meal.
Borrow furniture. Need extra chairs or folding tables? Put out the word. Friends and neighbors will more than likely be glad to come to your rescue. If all else fails, remember that limited seating encourages guests to mingle, and coffee table picnics can help to loosen up a family meal.
Speed decorate. Don’t worry about getting fancy. You want bang for your buck: bunches of balloons, a wreath or showy flowers plucked from the supermarket's floral department, brightly colored linens. And have fun getting creative — a pretty sheet can double as a tablecloth; masses of candles look bewitching set inside a collection of mismatched jars.
Bamboo Veneerware Plates
Mix and match serveware. If you don't have enough dishware, disposable plates, napkins and cups, as well as disposable flatware, are your friends. Choose biodegradable or recyclable versions to keep things as green as possible. Or, as with furniture, borrow a supply of tableware, then work the mix-and-match look.
Create an online radio station. No need to fiddle with playlists; just set up a station on an Internet site such as Pandora or Spotify. It will do the work for you by curating a selection of music that shares common threads with any artist or song you specify.
Create an online radio station. No need to fiddle with playlists; just set up a station on an Internet site such as Pandora or Spotify. It will do the work for you by curating a selection of music that shares common threads with any artist or song you specify.
Spot clean. You won’t have time to scrub the baseboards, but you can fake a clean house pretty easily. Stow clutter where it belongs (or shove it into a closet), wipe kitchen and bath surfaces, damp-mop floors and run a dustcloth over furniture.
Dim the lights or break out a few candles — low light is forgiving. And don’t forget that as soon as you have more than three people in your house, no one will notice whether you remembered to polish the chandelier crystals.
More: See what you can do when you have a whole week to prep!
Dim the lights or break out a few candles — low light is forgiving. And don’t forget that as soon as you have more than three people in your house, no one will notice whether you remembered to polish the chandelier crystals.
More: See what you can do when you have a whole week to prep!
Get food to go. Forget cooking — the last thing you need is to fuss over the stove. For parties, think takeout sushi, frozen cream puffs, pasta salad, precut fruit and slabs of cheese. Arrange it all on your own dishware, and it won’t look as though you’ve cut a single corner.
If you’re having a holiday dinner and can't get your usual turkey, buy whole chickens or Cornish hens to roast. Or build the menu around something less traditional, such as fish or pork.