Create a ?Dinner Party in a Box? for easy entertaining at home ...

It?s the New Year and I couldn?t be more excited. 2013 will be a year full of successes, trying new things and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. I don?t know about you, but I often struggle to balance my career with my social life, and try to squeeze in time in with the people who are most important to me.?Well not this year! My resolution is to entertain at home more often in order to spend more quality time with my loved ones. The best way for me to do this is to plan ahead for an easy night in. For some people, hosting comes naturally. Others, like me, need a little help. Now, when I want to have people over, I can just grab this box and sift through the contents to get the party planning juices flowing. Think of this as a dinner party preparedness kit.

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Here?s how I created a ?dinner party in a box.?

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1. Grab an old shoe box or a box you have stored in a closet somewhere. Wrap it, including the lid, with colorful or festive paper.?Really make it your own!


2. Make a list of the supplies you?ll need to host your dinner party. Invitations, menus, place cards, recipe cards, placemats, etc. can all be created at FedEx Office?. I chose a few of my own templates, uploaded them through Print Online, and picked them up at my local FedEx Office.


3. Next, choose a recipe. My go-to is spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and a side salad, and?print it on recipe cards so your guests know what to expect for the evening?s meal. Since I love to try new recipes, I ordered a few extra recipe cards to pass out to my friends while they?re over so we can test out new dishes. Then your dinner party doubles as a recipe swap!

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4. Lastly, and most importantly, enjoy yourself. Planning this way couldn?t be easier.?For your next party, pick a new color to write with, try a few new recipes, and invite more people! It?s as easy as that.

I hope this idea allows you to spend extra time with family and friends this year and makes hosting evenings like these a snap. Be sure to let me know if you come up with some super recipes and as always, I would love to hear your entertaining tips!

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Jamie is a Marketing Account Executive working for FedEx Office. Her favorite things to do in her free time are ?playing catch with her sweet dog Luna,?traveling with her husband Mark, reading, being crafty by painting, decorating, entertaining friends and experimenting with fun DIY projects.?

Source: http://www.outofoffice.fedex.mediacdt.com/blog/create-%E2%80%9Cdinner-party-box%E2%80%9D-easy-entertaining-home

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