2. DECORATE YOUR HOUSE FOR THE EVENT

Here are some suggestions for decorating for your Christmas party without resorting to plastic lawn elves.

Christmas tree

Nothing says Christmas like a six-foot pine chopped down and erected in your living room for your holiday enjoyment. If you choose to buy a real tree and not a plastic one, here are some tips on how to keep it fresh for you party:

  1. Cut off an inch from the bottom of the tree trunk so that it will absorb water better. Then place it in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water, and water the tree every day.

  2. Before any tree-trimming takes place, spray the tree with an antitranspirant, which will prevent the needles from losing water. You can also prevent the tree needles from browning by keeping decorative strings of lights off during the daytime - the heat from the light dries out the needles.

  3. Keep the tree away from the fireplace, furnaces, heating vents, and candles. An inflamed tree is not a fresh tree.

Decide on whether you want to decorate the tree before your party, or if you want to make tree-trimming a party activity. Either way, get out your box of ornaments and supplement it with such cheap additions as candy canes, bows, and popcorn or construction paper chains.

You might also want to decorate your tree with miniature stockings that have your guests' names written on them. Just stuff the stockings with candy that you can buy in bulk, and give them to your guests as party favors.

One last suggestion: ask everyone to bring one hugely tacky ornament, and have a contest to see who brings the worst one. You'll start a tradition and cover your tree all at once!

Lights

Christmas lights are a great way to decorate your house. Buy a couple of sets and string them along the walls. Turn off the room lights to create a cozy atmosphere. If you want to decorate your house with candles, attach them to the inside of clear jars with a few drops of wax. This way if they get accidentally knocked over, they won't set your place on fire. Lest we were unclear, we will repeat: KEEP CANDLES IN JARS, ATTACH THEM TO THE BOTTOM OF THE JARS, AND DON'T GO CANDLE CRAZY OR YOUR HOUSE WILL BURN DOWN. Subtle enough for you?…

Other decorations

  • Poinsettias and wreaths are relatively cheap and make beautiful and festive decorations.

  • Tack up some mistletoe at each doorway and enforce that your guests follow the kissing-under-the-mistletoe rule. (We're big fans of embarrassment.) This will also provide a great opportunity to plant wet ones on all the finer-looking guests.

  • A lot of candy companies sell their products wrapped in Christmas colors this time of year. Buy a few bags of the stuff, pour them into large bowls, and you get edible Christmas decorations-the best kind.