A quick rundown of party essentials often brings to mind great food, cool music, an interesting mix of guests, and perhaps a pretty table setting. For the hosts, there is always a degree of pressure to organize a party worth remembering. But most hosts tend to busy themselves with so many details that they end up too exhausted to savor the merriment.

Here’s a nifty cheat sheet of some tricks culled from two great party-hosting references:

• Christopher Lowell, The Hassle-Free Host: Super-Simple Tablescapes and Recipes for Stunning Parties, and
• InStyle Parties (The Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining).

Follow these, and you’ll be able to pull off parties that are as effortless as they are enjoyable.



(First published in the December 2009 issue ofGood Housekeeping Philippines, as "Party in a Jiffy." Adapted for use in Female Network.)