During the month of June we are going to talk about entertaining tips!
With summer coming, we all can use tips on how to stay in touch and have fun with less “spoons”.
Have you ever wanted to throw a get together, but knew it would be almost essential to know who could or could not make it to make your planning process easier? Or perhaps you wanted to create an informal little event with the girls but you wanted some input on the date, time, or activity. You want to get together, but you (and your stress level!) would prefer it to be a collective planning process. Common at least in my little social circle, if you haven’t heard of Evite.com, let me share what it’s all about! Having a party? A small get together? A large family or group event? Using evites are a great way to go!

This website allows you to choose a colorful and/or graphic background suitable for practically every event event. You type in the specifics about your shindig (date, times, whereabouts). And the great part is, you e-mail the invitees, and they can easily RSVP with a click of a button whether they are coming, possibly making it, or not going to be able to attend without having the fuss of keeping up to date with random phone calls or e-mails of those reporting whether they’ll be able to attend. It’s all right there in one “report.” And it’s always up to date!
These evites are completely customizable as well as being invitingly personal. Evite offers quirky little sayings to go along with your party theme. For instance, for a girls’ night, as a guest, you can click the “No” button to say you’re not going to be able to make it and you pop up under the “Washing My Hair” category. A text box allows you to explain your whereabouts or send a message to the host and other guests. As well, you can ask your guests to bring something if it’s potluck. You can poll them about preferences about your event. Automatically, reminders are sent out to your guests, but you can do so based on your own preferences. And as soon as the person views your evite, you, the host, sees it. You’re in the know the whole way through. This knowledge makes throwing a little gathering so much easier. You can alter your plans if fewer people are attending than expected or know to adjust if it’s going to be a large crowd. With potlucks, you know what’s taken care of for sure. Changes in people’s plans are easily updateable. Whew! What a relief for the entertainment host!
Although nothing is a personal as an old-fashioned print invitation, technology has its benefits. Not to mention, not every gathering warrants a formal invite. Evites make casual gatherings easier to come by from a planning standpoint and are just about as fun to receive for the guests. But coming from someone who is organizationally obsessed and her health benefits from knowing what to expect, evites are an invaluable commodity! Spend your energies enjoying the festivities rather than worrying over the planning. As the summer kicks off and a resurgence of reuniting with friends and family occurs, happy entertaining!
Review written by Carrie Beth Burns, © 2008 butyoudontlooksick.com