A Day in the Night Life

Accent Limousines Blogger Guide to Throwing a Housewarming Party

  

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Confetti just makes you smile, doesn't it?

Last weekend my husband and I threw our very first party.  When we bought our condo back in December we were so excited to finally be able to have space to entertain in our home.  If you saw the shoe box we lived in before, you'd wonder how we didn't kill each other living in 350SF (that's probably the size of your master bathroom, but we made it work).  We love living in the city and space is definitely something you have to give up to get the rest of the city at your fingertips in return. We're just so happy to finally have some more room!

We worked on our home for months and when we finally put on our final touches, we knew it was time to throw a grown-up housewarming party for our friends.  We sent out an invite a month in advance and had a good game plan.  We knew the week leading up to the party would be very busy but we were determined to have it run smoothly.  The menu was written a few weeks out and to-do lists were made.  Again, we had a plan, but plans don't always work out the way you hope for them to work.  There just wasn't enough time to get it all done!  Luckily the only hiccups were that an appetizer I desperately wanted to make couldn't be done in time and we started to run out of liquor towards the end of the night but were lucky enough to live very close to a liquor store.  The night honestly was a success and now I wish I could throw a party every weekend.

Here are some tips I found to work:

• Music:  We made an iTunes playlist a week before that was longer than the party was going to go.  We had selections of some 90's music (Salt N Pepa, Mr. Big, Extreme), some Top 40 (Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Black Eyed Peas), and some old school Martin Gaye, Otis Redding, etc.  The mix was fun and people loved hearing a bit of everything familiar.
• Cleaning:  Clean as you go!  Also, at one point while I was deep into cooking, my husband tackled the living room.  Divide your work and conquer.
• Booze:  We stocked up on wine but knew our friends would show up with beer (which they did and there was so much left over).  Again, it helps to live so close to a liquor store.
• Decor:  We bought a big bouquet of flowers from Stop & Shop and divided them into small vases around the house.  That one bouquet filled the house with flowers.
• Food:  We made sure to serve everything that could be eaten with hands or with toothpicks.  It saved on utensils and plates and created less trash.  We cooked a few things in advance to make sure that party day wouldn't be too  overwhelming.  Also, be sure to stagger the food... have a game plan to make sure there's never a point where all the food is gone and never a point where there's too much food sitting out.  We had everything prepped and a good idea of when it was all going into the oven.

On the subject of food, I'd love to share with you what we made... we made it all from scratch and I have to admit that the food turned out fantastic.  We thought we made too much food but there was literally not an ounce left over.

BBQ Meatballs
Carmalized Onion Dip
Hot Olive and Artichoke Dip
Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots
Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls
Deviled Eggs
Sausage in Puff Pastry
Three Cheese Mini Macs (this is the one we couldn't get done!)
Sabra Hummus with Stacy's Pita Chips

Now doesn't that sound like some good eating?  The guests were all so excited when I opened the oven door to take the next appetizer out.

Most importantly.... make sure to have fun!  We had an absolute blast throwing this party in our new home... it may just have to turn into a tradition. 

Here's a tip for something without a hint of stress:  Accent Limousine Service!!!  This Boston limousine service will take care of all your needs without you having to worry about a thing.  Whether it be boston wedding limousines, big nights out, historical boston tours, or a ride to the airport,  Accent is here to take charge so you can sit back and relax.

How did your first party go?  Did you have any hiccups?