When fall arrives, I cannot wait for pumpkin everything, most especially beer.  This year, I decided to host a girl’s night and create a taste test on various brands of pumpkin beer. It took some time and planning to create a fun ladies night with food, games, and fun.  Below are a few tips to help you host a phenomenal Fall Party. 

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Set the date & send out invitations:

The sooner you set a date, the better your turnout might be.  A good rule of thumb is to set a date at least thirty days in advance, and make sure the invitations go out within that thirty day window.

For a quick and free invite, “simply create an event” on Facebook.

For more sophisticated e-vites, you can go to Paperless Post.  While it does cost a small fee to send invitations electronically, this quick and easy option is cheaper than snail mail. The only downside is that you will need to retrieve email addresses of everyone you are inviting.

Choose a theme:

Every party needs a theme.  For this one I chose “All things Fall,” to go along with the pumpkin beer taste test.  Since the date of this party was prior to October 31st, my theme included some Halloween items along with fall.

Games:

It might sound silly, but even adults LOVE games and a little competition.  I used Pinterest to do a little research and came up with a few inexpensive and fun games for the “All Things Fall” themed party.  To add a little more fun, I even picked up a few inexpensive prizes for the winners.

Spider Race

Set up requires straws and a few plastic spiders. This game was played at a long table in teams of two. Each team grabbed a straw and blew their spider to the finish line at the end of the table.  The only rule is, the spider cannot fall off the side of the table or you have to go back and start at the beginning

Ring Toss with Pumpkins

To set this up, you will need three large pumpkins, three glow necklaces, the timer on your phone, a pen, and a notepad to keep score. This game was a timed individual competition.  Each person received 3 glow necklace rings and 30 seconds to get as many points as possible.  You will need 1 person to time this game, 1 person to record everyone’s name and score, and a few to grab the rings and count the score as they give back the rings to the player before the time is up.

Candy Corn Guessing Game

Supplies needed are; a small bag of candy corn, a decorative jar, pens, a glass, and small pieces of paper. This game was simple.  The party host counts and records the correct number of candy corn and has all the attendees write down how many they guesstimate are in the jar.  Once everyone has guessed, you can announce the answers to build excitement. Then, announce the correct number and the winner.

Music:

Every party needs good background music until things get going. Depending on your theme, your music selection will need to be planned accordingly.  Also, take into consideration the interests of your guests and what types of music they prefer.

Food & Drink:

When it comes to food and drink, this can get quite expensive if you take it all on yourself.  It’s okay to ask guests to bring something, but make sure you create a sign-up somehow so you can have a variety of things and avoid duplicates.

For this party, I asked guests to either bring a type of pumpkin beer, an appetizer, or a dessert. Several people brought both, which is okay too but was not required. I made sure that people who did not want to drink still felt comfortable coming, participating in the fun, and non-alcoholic beverages were provided for them too.

The Pumpkin Beer Taste Test

Set up requires; disposable shot glasses, pens, labels or stickers, trays or beer flight holders, a black sharpie, and a rating sheet for the beer taste test. Click below for a free copy of the Pumpkin Beer Taste Test Template

This activity is fun to complete as a group while you laugh at each other’s facial expressions and the way your friends describe what they’re tasting.

Goodie Bags:

Koozies and bags filled with homemade chocolate candies.

This is optional but adds some extra sincerity from you, the host, to your guests.  I bought several koozies with funny Halloween and Fall sayings, and put homemade candies into Halloween themed bags for guests to take with them at the end of the night.

Results:

All of this planning and effort resulted in a fun night with some new friends.  We had a blast! Military spouses need a night out of fun and laughs with friends, because this life can be way too serious at times.  Hosting a party can also allow you to open your door and your heart to building new friendships, which is something we all need. Don’t be afraid to open your home to others. You might just inspire them to host the next event and build a new tribe of friends in the process.

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© Strength 4 Spouses, 2017.

Do you have a Fall party tip? Feel free to share it in the comments. to share?  Please comment below.