I’m that girl who is huge on traditions. Yes, even game day traditions and forgetting to buy napkins for a party, but this year they’re bittersweet.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks and P&G. All opinions and traditions are my own.
They say make lemonade with your lemons, right? As the Big Game draws near, I am especially thinking of our current traditions. So many of the traditions I treasure are going to need squeezed into some fresh lemonade over the next year with our big moving plans.
Traditions are a bit like glue for me. They’re the solid in a life that’s been full of changes and many moves. No matter what changed, I had family and the traditions we kept. When Davide and I were first married we lived far from family for 7 years. After we moved close to them we put down roots and created many new traditions with them.
One of those traditions is going to my brother’s house for the biggest game of the year – the one where we’re never quite sure whether we’re watching for the game or for the commercials. (It’s also the one party I don’t forget to buy napkins, but more on that later.)
The last few months have been hard as we reflect on how those traditions we’ve built and cherished will change. The miles will be too great to keep most of them so I’m starting to think of how I can take old traditions and make new ones. How we will knit into the fabric of a community far from “home” and build new traditions, including game day traditions.
When we move and start new traditions one thing I will take with me is my motto of always being prepared. That motto bodes well for new traditions where I envision welcoming people into our home to celebrate the start of a new year or gather ’round the TV to critique both game and commercials.
From prep-time before to clean up after, I always make sure I have what I need to make it efficient and quick. No one really wants to spend tons of time prepping for the party, much less hours cleaning up the morning after, and I have a routine that makes cleaning up even game day party aftermath a breeze.
My Party Prep Routine for Parties
- Create a party menu and timeline for prepping it.
- Create a grocery list – complete with paper plates and napkins.
- Pull out one of the darker tablecloths I own to hide spills. (With this, make sure I have laundry detergent. Tide PODS make it even easier since you can just drop one in the washing machine.)
- Shop and forget to buy the napkins every.single.time. I swear, Walmart needs a neon sign that says “Did you grab the napkins?” See why I needed a DIY napkin hack?
- Find a Sharpie in whatever corner of the drawer it’s been lurking in so guests can label their cups.
- Make extra ice and throw drinks in the cooler on ice packs.
- Grab a roll of Bounty paper towels and make my own napkins plus keep the rest of the roll nearby for spills. (You’ve seen the commercials enough to know WHY Bounty, right? You’ve also seen a bunch of guys watching a game enough to know we’ll need them. Right?)
- Put on your team’s colors if you’re lucky enough to have spent the season yelling them into the final game of the season.
- Prep and set out the food.
- Do a last minute check of the bathroom to make sure it’s guest ready (Make sure there’s an extra roll of Charmin’ near the toilet and a can of Febreze in reach.)
- Welcome your guests and get that party started!
DIY Napkin Hack
I despise heading out to the store last minute for that one item I forgot, especially when it’s right before a big event. This handy DIY napkin hack takes very little time and Bounty paper towels are the perfect size. Check out the easy tutorial below, and trust me, you don’t need to be the least bit crafty for this one.
Check out more fabulous game day traditions and share yours in the comments below.
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