Reduce holiday stress: Make party planning fun and easy
By Emily M. Leeson
Friends and family are in town and it's time to gather in holiday cheer. But the stress of planning the perfect party can overwhelm any holiday enthusiast. To-do lists, cleaning, and food prepping are just the tip of the parting-planning iceberg. There are tools on your home PC that can make the planning as fun as the party.
Use these tips to reduce your party-planning stress and make it a success from start to finish.
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Start with the invitations
There is no need to go to the store for your invitations. You can use templates in Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 and personal pictures to create colorful and attractive invitations. Digital Image Suite contains more than 2,400 built-in images and 1,500 templates to make greeting cards, calendars, collages, or other photo projects and can be found in Microsoft Works Suite 2006.
Create a photo invitation:
1. | Open Digital Image Suite Editor and in the Common Tasks task pane select Create a Project. |
2. | Select Cards and then Invitations. |
3. | Pick from a variety of themes and select the template of your choice. |
4. | Customize the card by adding your own images, tailoring the message on the front, or adding additional text. |
5. | Then you can add specific information to the inside of the invitation. |
Invitation templates found in Digital Image Suite can be personalized with photos and your own holiday greetings.
Create your mailing labels:
Once you have your invitations, you can avoid hand cramps and faulty pens by using Microsoft Works Suite to create and print mailing labels for all your guests. Using mail merge will save you time and keep you organized. You can put the names and addresses of your guests into a Works spreadsheet and then create mailing labels. Learn how you can do a mail merge.
Customize driving directions for your guests
Avoid last-minute phone calls from distressed friends by providing detailed maps and driving directions. Your guests won’t have to spend time looking up directions, which can sometimes lead travelers astray. Using Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006, you can ensure that they have a hassle-free journey to your home or party location. Maps can be printed on separate sheets of paper or printed on the back of the invitations. Either way you ensure the swift and jolly arrival of your guests.
Turn-by-turn driving directions, estimated travel times, and easy-to-read maps are just a sampling of what Streets & Trips offers.
Go the extra mile to personalize each map by using your guests' address as the starting point and yours as the final destination. To create a route using Streets & Trips, go to Route Planner and insert your guest's address followed by yours, then click Create Route.
Play holiday tunes
Your computer can function as a make-shift DJ! There is no need to worry about changing the CD or running out of tunes. Windows Media Player can bring your music collection to life. First, dig up your favorite holiday classics on CD and rip (copy) your music onto your computer. Or you can purchase songs from MSN Music.
Windows Media Player can bring your music collection to life! Rip your own CDs onto the PC or buy holiday tunes directly from MSN Music.
Then use Windows Media Player to create one master party playlist or create multiple lists for different parts of the party. If you’ve never used Windows Media Player before, learn how you can get started.
Learn how to create and save playlists in Windows Media Player. You can even connect your speakers to your laptop or desktop for ultimate sound quality.
Keep your guests entertained
An essential party tip is to keep your guests constantly entertained. Plan a new activity every hour or so to keep your party itinerary rolling. One idea that involves everyone is a trivia game with prizes for the winners. Keep your guests focused on the season by creating a trivia challenge using Microsoft Encarta Premium. Look up interesting facts about holidays around the globe or the origin of traditions we’ve come to embrace. For example, find out why some cultures kiss under the mistletoe and what it means to "go a-wassailing." Use the fun facts you find in Encarta to compile your own trivia quiz in Microsoft Word and print copies for all your partygoers. Then provide prizes for the people who get the most answers correct.
Snowflakes are the making of a winter wonderland! Learn what is behind holiday traditions and share fun facts with your guests.
