Tailgating/party tips for your new home
As we begin to say goodbye to August and the summer heat
(hopefully!) we now enter September and one of the best times of year for
sports enthusiasts: Football season! Whether you live for Saturday College
match-ups, or Sunday Pro Football, most home owners with a love of the gridiron
will end up throwing a tailgating party of some sort for their friends and
family this year. We want to offer you a couple tips and tricks to throwing a
good sport themed party that won’t leave your home looking like a pack of
players just ran through it:
Food
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Different chips, snacks, pop, and perhaps a few
finger foods are the tailgating standby. Some people like to grill for football
games, but remember whoever is doing the grilling is going to be missing most
of the action. Keep things simple and quick, or go for foods that can be
prepared ahead of time and reheated with minimal supervision.
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Make things fun for your guests by getting
creative with your offerings: Why not helmet shaped cookies, cupcakes with
footballs on them, or punch that matches your favorite teams jerseys? Most
cooking and party idea sites can help you find awesome ideas to add a cute kick
to your snacks.
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As with any party (and especially a rowdy
tailgating party) you’re going to have to be on your game about treating spills
and messes right away. Remember to never rub a spill; it’s just going to rub it
right into your carpet fibers. Blot the spill as best as you can with a paper
towel to soak up most of the damage, and then treat it with a mix of ¼ teaspoon
non-bleach detergent (or white vinegar) and 32 ounces water. If that doesn’t
work, you can try a tablespoon of ammonia with 1 cup of water. Never EVER use
straight bleach, or you could significantly damage your carpet!
Decorations
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Department stores and even grocery chains can be
your best friend when it comes to getting supplies for parties. Most stores
carry every color you can imagine when it comes to balloons and streamers in
their party isles for very reasonable prices. Simply pick out the colors of
your favorite sports team for a custom look. Party stores also usually have a
variety of sports themed party favors and decorations that can also be
incorporated as well.
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If you’re not keen on spending any money, simply
look around your house for memorabilia of your favorite team. If you’re
throwing a Buckeye party, it’s a pretty safe bet you’re going to have some OSU
items in your home already. Placing memorabilia around the viewing room is a
good way to show your spirit and at the same time create a home-y atmosphere.
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Remember to never use scotch tape, masking tape,
or duct tape to affix decorations to the wall. These types of tape can pull off
paint or leave residue that will attract dust, leaving your walls with sticky,
dirty spots that are hard to wash off. Good alternatives are painters tape that
you can pick up at any hardware store, or sticky tack that most people use to
place impermanent things like posters on their walls.
The Party
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When planning your party, it’s a good idea to
extend the set up to two different rooms, such as a living room with TV and
seating, and the kitchen with extra food. In any group of party goers, there
will be the die-hard fans that will want to absorb every second of the action,
and others that will want to socialize and talk to each other. To avoid any
possible spats over volume control and distractions, allowing guests less
interested in the game to move to the kitchen or an adjacent room to talk is a
good idea to keep everyone happy.
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One thing used by parking lot tailgaters
everywhere that you should adopt for your party: The cooler. While storing your
drinks in the fridge might seem like a no brainer, you’ll cut down on the
traffic in and out of the kitchen every time someone needs one. Having
beverages within arm’s length is significantly more convenient for your guests
(and will keep them from stealing your personal snacks out of the fridge as
well!)
