With Fall upon us, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season will be here before you know it.  That means company parties, holiday socials and family get-together’s. The holidays can be a very busy time of year, and it’s hard to enjoy the party when you have so many other things going on.

Between shopping for Christmas presents, finding the perfect Christmas tree, getting all of the holiday cards out and keeping up with school programs and piano recitals … who has time to plan a party?!?!?

But, have no fear! Growing Up in the Valley is here …. with 5 Helpful Party-Planning Tips:

1) Send invitations.  Whether you’re sending out electronic invites, having custom invitations printed and shipped, or simply announcing your event on Facebook — make sure that you send out your invitations at least 10 days in advance to give your guests time to make plans to attend your party. If it is a kid-friendly party, make sure they know! If it’s not, that’s equally important … so they can arrange time to hire a babysitter.

2) Timing is everything.  Allow enough time for those working to get changed after work and allow for traffic. Nobody likes showing up late to a party or feeling rushed, so take the time of the party into consideration if you’re having it during the week.  If it’s during the weekend, no worries. Just be mindful of bedtimes if this is a kid-friendly event. Parties for very young children should be late enough in the afternoon to get “nap time” out of the way, and should only last for a couple of hours so the kids (and parents!) don’t get cranky.

3) Everybody loves a good party favor.  If you’re having a theme party, then a good party favor should be easy to come up with. Around the holidays, personalized ornaments are a nice touch — or maybe a candy apple with a personalized tag for your place setting? Whatever the case, be creative! Think outside of the box!  And, if you’re having kids at the party — don’t load them up with candy or sugar. Maybe their party favor is a craft that you had them make during the party to keep them occupied?  The Dollar Store has a lot of great ideas, as well as Pinterest!

4) Be social.  It’s easy to get caught up being the “host with the most” during a holiday gathering. But, don’t get too caught up in refilling beverages and food platters that you don’t enjoy your guests! Plan a game of some sort to get everybody interacting. Sing Christmas carols! Have everybody bring a cheap gift and do a silly gift exchange to get all of your guests interacting. The internet is full of great ideas, and your guests will appreciate you getting them out of their corners for some good fun and laughter!

5) Send thank you notes.  Don’t forget to send your guests thank you notes for attending your party, or for any presents they may have left behind. Mail them out to your guests no later than one week from your party. Nobody likes a Scrooge! And it’s a personal touch that many people overlook these days.

Now that we have you all ready for the party, it’s time to think about what to wear! Oh, the options!  But, our friends at Jefferson Surgical Vein Treatment encourage you to stand out this holiday season! Let them help take care of painful (and unsightly) varicose and spider veins. For more information on Roanoke’s only laser vein treatment center, check out www.jeffersonsurgical.com.  Cheers!