Party Time!

2009 has been a big year at the Furber house for parties. Birthday parties, end of the year parties, study parties, sleepovers. You name it, we've hosted it this year.

As a result, we've perfected the art of having everything on hand we might need to host a party at a moment's notice with little impact to the Furber house and its decor. For those Suburban Zen readers hoping to benefit from our experience in this area, here's our top ten list of things to stock in your pantry so you can be those parents who can put a party together in a flash:

1. 3-4 paper tablecloths from your local grocery store. Great for covering the largest surface in your house (for us it's the kitchen table), as that's usually the center point of any party.
2. Plastic plates, glasses, napkins and flatware. I always have my flatware ready in a basket like this filled with Libbey pint glasses so it's ready to go when I need it:
   
   Baskets can be found on Etsy, and my favorite source for Libbey pint glasses is FSW.com.
   
3. A card table and chairs. Doesn't have to be cute, just foldable so it's easy to store when you're not partying.
4. Extra chairs that are easy to store when party is over. We like the Tolix French Bistro Chairs because they look cute when you need them, and stack up out of the way when you don't.
5. The ingredients for your favorite cookie recipe. my favorite is Guittard Chocolate Chip Cookies.
6. A big box of microwave popcorn
7. A stash of prizes and favors. I cruise Target's dollar aisle regularly and stock up on fun pencils, socks, band-aids, post-its and other silly things kids like and store them up like a squirrel in winter
8. A stash of art supplies: pipe cleaners, google eyes, pom poms, markers, glue sticks. You'd be surprised how excited a group of 14 year old girls can get about a box of pipe cleaners.
9. A Bingo game. Surprisingly fun for all ages, and a good time filler. We got ours at Restoration Hardware several years ago, and it's filled many a lull in our parties.
10. A Dust Buster. So when one of your guests makes a little mess, you can quickly clean up and get back to the party.

We have eight little six year old girls visiting this afternoon for Katie's birthday party, and with a quick trip to the grocery store and a little staging, we'll be ready to go. Party is planned for 2-3:30, and by 4 Furbers hope to be cleaned up, relaxing and de-briefing on Katie's favorite parts of the day.