It’s New Year’s, the season for hosting holiday parties filled with family, friends, food and fun. So whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner party for family or a gathering for clients and colleagues, ensure it’s a fun, safe event by encouraging your guests to designate a driver before toasting the New Year. To help promote responsible revelry among adults, here are some simple tips to keep in mind.

1. When serving alcohol beverages, serve food.

Offer a variety of good foods with your alcohol beverages.

2. Offer non-alcohol beverages.

Have something for everyone: soft drinks, coffee and other non-alcohol beverages, such as O’Doul’s, 180 or Monster. Make guests feel welcome, regardless of what they drink.

3. Serve each guest one drink at a time.

Spacing drinks throughout a party can help your guests stay within their personal limits. Never force drinks on anyone. If serving wine, do not keep refreshing unfinished glasses as this makes it difficult for guests to keep track of how much they’re drinking.

4. Serve “measured” drinks.

Beer and flavored malt beverages contain 4.2 to 6 percent alcohol by volume and come in standard-size packages, so it’s easy to keep track of how much you are drinking. Hard liquor drinks can have dramatically different amounts of alcohol, as well as calories and carbohydrates. Many factors contribute to these wide variances: brands of liquor used, alcohol by volume in brands chosen, drink recipe, mixers and bartender’s pouring preferences. If you choose to serve hard liquor, use a shot glass or jigger to avoid making drinks too strong. If serving wine, remember not to use oversized glasses.

5. Consider how different types of alcohol are consumed.

The amount of time during which an alcohol beverage is consumed greatly impacts how alcohol is absorbed into the body. Beer is widely recognized as a beverage of moderation and versatility. It is consumed throughout a meal, a sporting event, at a bar or party with friends, or simply while relaxing at home. Even though a 12-ounce beer may contain the same amount of alcohol as a 1 1/2-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor, a beer is enjoyed leisurely, while a shot is usually consumed in one swallow.

6. Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.

Serve desserts and other foods, coffee and soft drinks. But remember: none of these eliminate alcohol from the body — only the passage of time will do that.

7. Help your friends get home safely.

As a real friend, encourage your guests to designate a driver when they arrive. And don’t ever hesitate to call a cab or ask someone to spend the night if they may have had too much to drink.

The good news is that designating a driver has become second nature to most adults. According to a recent survey conducted by Nielsen Media Research, 154 million American adults have been or have used a designated driver — that’s roughly half the U.S. population. In fact, thanks to increased awareness of the importance of designated drivers and stronger law enforcement, drunk-driving fatalities nationwide continue to decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a 36 percent decrease in drunk-driving fatalities since 1982, including a 30 percent decrease in Christmas drunk-driving fatalities.

Adults can thank their designated drivers by visiting www.whosyourbud.com and sending an electronic “thank you” card to show their appreciation for their “Bud.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Whether it’s a family dinner for 10, or an open house for 50, organization is the key to successful party planning. This winter, create a great party with more cheer and less stress.

Ginny Bean, publisher of Ginny’s catalog and Ginnys.com, shares these ideas for making sure everyone has a great time — including you.

1. Plan ahead.
“Planning is daydreaming with a purpose,” says Bean. “It’s emotionally enjoyable, and the end result is a party made special by attention to detail.”

She suggests taking inventory of cookware and serving pieces well in advance to ensure they’re up to the task ahead. Among today’s options is a growing array of cookware designed to go seamlessly and beautifully from oven or stovetop to even the most formal table, saving time and clean-up.

2. Make the most of your space.
The size of the meal may expand during the holidays, but cooking and serving space doesn’t. Rachel Ray has an ingenious line of high-capacity, oval-shaped pots and pans that are perfect for preparing crowd-sized meals on a single burner. Ginny’s double coffeemaker is another great holiday space-saver, brewing two 12-cup pots of coffee at once, so guests can choose between decaf or regular. On the buffet table, tiered servers hold appetizers and desserts vertically, rather than horizontally, saving valuable space and creating an attractive display.

3. Embrace the buffet.
The larger the group, the less practical sit-down meals become. Buffets are perfect for large-scale entertaining, and a large-capacity buffet warmer is a party essential. The most versatile of these now come with individual serving compartments and a base that doubles as a warming plate. Consider creating multiple food stations in different rooms.

4. Decorate for the season.
Guests love to come into a home decked out for a special ocassion. Decorating transforms stagnant rooms into fresh new spaces, providing as much of an emotional lift for host as guest. The trick is to avoid turning decorating into a huge, stress-filled production. It doesn’t take a lot of decorations to create a festive mood. A strategically placed floral arrangement and seasonal candles can do the trick. Candles are perhaps the best bang-for-your-buck in all of decorating. There’s even an added bonus beyond the warming glow and seasonal scents: candlelight makes your guests look 10 years younger.

Ginny’s holiday catalog includes 140 pages full of practical ideas for the home, kitchen and beyond, including appliances, house wares, furniture, bedding, accessories, personal care items, electronics, and a wide selection of gifts for men, women and children. There are also seasonal recipes and helpful tips on everything from setting a festive table to keeping children amused on car trips. To request a copy of Ginny’s catalog, log on to Ginnys.com or call (800) 487-9024.

Courtesy of ARAcontent