Party Smartly

A decision guide for the wise host

A manual by William Snyder, Sasa Savkovic, Makala Skinner and Julian Rodriguez

Party Smartly

Contents

Contents
Why do you need this manual?...............4 Chapter 1: Safety.....................................5 Chapter 2: Supplies.................................7 Chapter 3: Music.....................................8 Chapter 4: Invitations.............................9 Chapter 5: Clean up..............................10 Troubleshooting....................................11 Index......................................................12

WHY DO YOU NEED THIs MANUAL?

Partying seems to be one of the most natural things that humans are capable of. So you may be asking yourself why you need to read this manual before your next party. If youve ever hosted a party before you know that the morning after is never as fun as the night before. Crowds of rowdy people usually are not the most polite guests and being prepared is better than being surprised. The usual problems are annoyed neighbors, too many or too few guests, bad music, poor choice of drinks, intervention from police officers and a wrecked house the next morning. With this many potential things that can go wrong, the best advice is to party smartly. The purpose of this guide is to learn how to cover all of your bases the next time you decide to throw a party. Rather than limiting the size of parties you throw, better planning is the way to ensure that your parties are incident free. Besides this guide, all your will need are friends and the desire to have a good time, and of course access to party favors. This guide is organized into five chapters: Safety, Supplies, Music, Invitations & Clean Up; and includes a Troubleshooting section with advice on how to deal with the police. From our personal experience, we have tried to provide solutions to help you deal with any problems before they even begin. Following the advice in this guide will leave you prepared for and aware of anything that could go wrong.

Safety

CHApTER 1: SAFETY
This chapter handles different aspects of safety involved with your parties. Safety in terms of preparing your house in general, but as well as safety regarding personal safety involving rules and regulations. Along with this, the chapter touches upon safety in your neighborhood.

Preparing Your House for a Party

There are many different ways to prepare your house for any party. However, they all follow general guidelines. Rarely does one type of party requires a different procedure and approach. For this section we will be outlining a common procedure that you can use to aid you with your house party. Even before starting to plan your house for a party determine what the theme is going to be. Because a Halloween party will be different than a random house party. While they have the same procedure each party requires different elements that may need to be addressed at a different time. Having an idea which areas have higher priority will give you a clear idea where to work first. This type of thinking will make you more efficient and will give you a clear start since for most people the first step is the hardest. Cleaning also includes washing dishes and landscaping if need be. Lock up what valuables you have in the house. This is different for different parties. For a house party with just your friends and family then you do not have to worry about your valuables. However, a block party or a house party with strangers is an instance where it will be smart to secure your valuables in a certain area or room. After you have done all of these steps your house will almost be ready. But if you have pets make sure that you either lock them in a separate room (if they are aggressive) or tie them up. This is really situational because pets can behave differently. A general rule would be to not throw a party if you have pets especially with strangers, but if you want to then treat your pets like any other valuable and have them secure either in a different area or away from the party.

Laws
This section deals with laws and regulations. In this manual we will debrief in different type of laws and provide you with multiple sources to help you with becoming moreaware of your rights. Random people can do utterly stupid things. So we dedicate this section as a method of you to protect yourself. Because no matter what, you will be held accountable in your house party. The general law in America is that you must be 21 years or older to drink alcohol or even be in the presence of alcohol. Almost all parties will involve music, loud music. And believe it or not, state legislatures have made rules and regulations regarding noise. Each state is different and each state has different limitations to how loud or how often you can continually have loud music. If you plan to have loud music you should definitely consult these links that provide laws and ordinances regarding noise. Make sure you check with your own district as well. Drug users exist in this world and the United States is no exception. If you are planning on throwing a party you must be aware of drug laws. If anything else knowing your states drug laws will help you should a police officer come by. However, treat all drugs as illegal and try to have all of that happen in a discrete location.

Safety

Permits
The only permit you should really concern yourself with is getting permits that involve playing loud music. If you plan to have a live band, or extremely loud music you can acquire a permit to make it legal. Sure your neighbors will hate your guts, but that means that the police will not be able to legally shut your party down. For the most part, your city hall will be involved with dealing with permits. But it may be different in your state. Either way investigate. Make sure you have all the paperwork, money, necessary to get the permit. Also investigate if you need to get any more permits. So that you do not have to go back to get more, or have trouble when dealing with the police.

Neighbors
Do not underestimate your neighbors. They have the power to shut down your parties and if you get on their bad side will be a pain to deal with. We have composed a simple list of suggestions on how to deal with neighbors, and things to keep in mind when dealing with neighbors. Treat other like you would want to be treated. As soon as you have cleaned your house the next step is to immediately inform your neighbors. Being a good neighbor will decrease the chance of a police officer stopping by. By informing your neighbors they will be less likely to be irritated. Just be sure to not be unreasonable. Neighbors are people too with jobs and responsibilities so try to keep your party to reasonable lengths. Invite your neighbors. With no neighbors at home to call the police then the party will not get called in. Be courteous with your neighbors and if some do not like the idea of you having a party try to be reasonable with them. If not they will constantly call the cops with a noise complaint and noise complaints are expensive especially for repeated occasions. Inviting many people will cause the streets to get congested with cars. So try to derive a plan for your guests to park their cars in a way that will less affect your neighbors. A common courtesy is to advise your guests to not step on your neighbors lawn or property. Try to keep everything in your property.

Supplies

CHApTER 2: SUppLIEs
Supplies are a crucial part of the party. When selecting supplies set a budget on how much money you would like to spend on supplies. Supplies do not have to be fancy since things tend to get broken through the night. A starter list for a house party would include: decorations, cups, alcohol, trash bags, cleaning supplies and tables

Making a List
Choose decorations that are affordable and durable. During a house party I would not suggest giant streamers hanging from the ceiling and such because they can be torn down from the ceiling. Decorations can be very simple such as neon lights or glow sticks. Make sure to have cups at your party. Drinks need to be poured into something. Choosing the right cup can sometimes be tricky because of size and durability. I recommend keeping it cheap and plastic. NEVER buy Styrofoam cups. They are easily destroyed and can create a huge mess. Choosing to have alcohol at your party can call for a great time as well as a huge liability. If you choose to have alcohol make sure your guests are 21 years old or older. If there are minors at the party draw an X on their hand to signify they are underage and may not be served alcohol. Make sure you choose what kind of alcohol to Advantages of a keg include: Contain a lot of alcohol Prevent theft of beers Cheaper alternative to buying cases Disadvantages of kegs are: Extremely heavy Require much ice to keep cold Tap and rental fees serve at your party. Commonly beer is an easy option to have at your party. Choose between a keg or cans because bottles are destructive. Both cans and kegs have advantages and disadvantages. Use a lot a portion of the budget for trash bags and cleaning supplies. As much fun as the party is it will need to be cleaned up the next day. Trash bags can be used during the party to limit guests throwing trash on the floor. Trash bags can also be used as window tarp that can block windows to avoid others watching your party. Cleaning supplies that are vital are bleach, gloves, paper towels, window cleaner, and a broom. Make sure to have cleaning supplies ready for the next day. You may already have tables that can be used at your party. Tables are great for placing drinks on. Tables can also be used as games or even a gathering spot for people to socialize. Advantages of cans: Cheap beer is sold in cans More variety is available Easier to cut people off Disadvantages of Cans: Can create a lot of trash Open for theft Requires refrigeration

Music

CHApTER 3: MUsIc
Music can make the difference between a great party and an alright one. Music sets the mood and creates a social atmosphere for guests to move around and interact. The following steps will guide you through your search to create a great playlist for your party.

Selecting the right music

Consider the theme of your party and extend your search for music from there. Search through iTunes hit songs and Billboard top 100 for popular songs that can set a good atmosphere for your guests and write that list down to later organize the playlist order. Search through different genres of music to widen the range of the music being played. Consider genres such as Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, Soft Rock, Dub step, and country songs. When all the music is collected create a playlist on the device you are using to play the music to use it when it is needed. Find a safe environment to keep the device to prevent damage of the device and that music is being played and not changed. Know when to slow down the music. When playing too many fast songs and people are dancing throw in a slow song to change the mood for a bit giving your guests time to cool down. Make sure to consider the age of the guests according to the music selection. Playing classical music for a college party wouldnt sound as good as playing a mix of that years top pop, rock, and hip hop. You would want to get your guests opinion on the music to help you with your next playlist for future events. Depending on your budget for the party you might be able to afford a professional DJ to help make the music selection and playing process a lot more easier. DJs are great options for big parties but we would not recommend a DJ for a house party or smaller parties because depending on the area you are in you wouldnt want to disturb your neighbors.

Invitations

CHApTER 4: INVITATIONs
When inviting guests there are many ways that you can go about doing this. There are also many different factors that can decide what kind of invitation you want to send out.

Social Networks
In todays times most people send out invitations electronically and through social networks. The first type of invitation is an invite on a social network such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For Facebook if you wanted only certain or select people you could message just them and if you wanted to do just a mass invite which would mean anyone who sees is invited, then you can simply post it on your page for all your friends to see. You can do the same thing on twitter as well, if you want to invite only certain people then you can direct message them, and if you want everyone that follows you to know, you can simply tweet it. On Instagram what many people do is they will create a picture of an invitation, and simply post it.

Other Methods
Another form of inviting people is by texting them. To only invite selected people you can only text them, and to invite many people at once, simply do group texts. There are also apps that will allow you to group text people as well. The traditional way of inviting people is by making actual invitations and passing or sending them out. Another way of inviting people is passing out flyers at different locations. You can also invite people by personally telling them, and others will spread the word to more people. No matter how you invite people, you should always make sure to include the time, address, and date of the party.

Clean Up

10

CHApTER 5: CLEAN Up
Cleaning up is the part that nobody likes to do but has to do. It is probably one of the worst parts about throwing parties. How much you will have to clean and how much time it will take you to get everything cleaned, basically depends on how big the party was and how wild was it.

Approaching the Mess

If it is a small party with mainly people you know then cleaning will take no time at all. Also depending on if you ask those who attended, they might help clean up before they leave. For big parties which can get wild cleaning will take longer, and you will be cleaning up either with a handful of friends or most likely by yourself. A way to tackle cleaning at big parties is to clean throughout the party night. That means that while youre enjoying yourself, pick up trash every now and then. You can also tackle small messes during the party, which would be like cups or paper all in one area. That way you will have more time cleaning up the bigger messes. For a big party if there is more than just you cleaning then you can split sections up, and everyone can clean their section up. If you are cleaning by yourself, then depending on fast you work, you should clean the big messes first and tackle the smaller messes together. You will need cleaning supplies no matter what though. The supplies that you should have are gloves, many trash bags, trashcans, bleach or any household cleaning liquids, dish soap, sponges, broom and dustpan, vacuum cleaner, and a mop if necessary.

Stains
Stains are probably one of the worst parts about cleaning up after a party. The types of stains can range from food, to soda, to alcohol and wine, and probably the worst one is when someone throws up. For stains you will need hydrogen peroxide, household cleaning liquids, dish soap, and sponges. Here are some instructions on how to clean a carpet stain.

Colored Carpet
Step 1- Pour soda on stain Step 2- Rub the stain with a brush Step 3- Pour salt over wet area, the salt will absorb more Step 4- Sweep us salt while it is still wet

Vomit Stains
Step 1- club soda and salt method to get residue Step 2- Wet with vinegar to neutralize odor Step 3- towel dry vinegar Step 4- Mix water with a little baking soda Step 5- Pour on vinegar to neutralize vinegar odor Step 6- Dry with a towel Note- the vinegar smell will take time to go away, but it will go away eventually

White Carpet
Step 1- Get hydrogen peroxide and dish soap Step 2- Mix in cup Step 3- Get a brush and scrub the mixture into the carpet Step 4- Scrub until stain has dissolved into mixture Step 5- Dilute with water and dry with a towel

Troubleshooting

11

TROUBLEsHOOTING
In this chapter we will be providing you information with dealing with police officers. They have the power to shut down your party or fine you, so providing the user with help on dealing with them is absolutely crucial, especially when you want to host a house party.

How To Deal With Cops

Many people get nervous when dealing with the police. But remember that you do have rights and that the police have restrictions. The first thing to remember when dealing with a cop is to not give them probable cause, a police officer cannot enter a private residential area unless they can find probable cause of a crime. For starters clear the doorway and have someone go up with you. Make sure that you are not intoxicated too heavily and that the person that goes with you is not either. The reason you want someone to go with you is so that they police officer has less view of the inside of the house. With two people in the doorway the officer will have less field vision of what is happening inside the house and will have less of a reason to suspect illicit activity. Tell your guests to keep it quiet or down and move any suspicious activity to another room far away from the entrance. Windows provide the officer with great vision of what is happening inside the house, so it is best to acquire curtains or anything else that will cover up your windows and limit the visibility of the officer. You can also greet the police with the chain lock on. OR if even that is uncomfortable you can greet them outside, closing the door behind you. Without a search warrant the police are not able to search your house, UNLESS you invite them in. In most cases the police will be there for a noise complaint. Which can be handled AT THE DOOR. Do not invite the police into your house. Keep them outside and resolve the issue at the door. Do not make something as simple as a noise warning turn into a bigger problem. Be polite and courteous to the officer. Being rude will do nothing but make them angry and ruin your party. Remember police officers are people too, regular people. Treat them with respect and in a friendly manner and you will be on the safe side. While you can ignore the police knocking at your door for most cases, if the police are there for a noise complaint it would be best to address it with them. After all it is an easy fix and will not take too long. Remember to not let the police inside your house without a warrant. Letting them inside your house, especially with a party going on, could potentially lead you to jail. Above all be calm. Police officers have a dangerous job and when you are in a bad mood or nervous they will also be nervous and in a bad mood. Worse they could feel threatened which would just escalate the situation.

12

INDEX

A alcohol 7 B budget 7 C can 7 Carpet 10 cars 6 Cleaning 5 Clean up 10 Cops 11 cups 7 D Decorations 7 DJ 8 drugs 5 I invitations 9 K keg 7

L laws 5 M music 8 N neighbors 6 P permits 6 pets 5 police 11 S Stains 10 T table 7 theme 5 V valuables 5