Some folks get the blues once the holiday festivities are finished. They feel blah with nothing but winter approaching. To alleviate that feeling, why not get a jump on your party plans for the next year.

Planning your theme parties in advance has lots of advantages. First, it saves you time when the actual event is approaching. You have lists, schedules, menus, and budgets all prepared. The biggest part of the party is the planning, and that will be already done for you. The second great advantage is with advanced planning comes more time to find just the right decorations, serving pieces, and prizes. What is even more beneficial is you can take advantage of sales by buying out of season or anytime you see a party supply for the following year.

First step is to take out one of the dozen calendars those businesses give out at the holidays. Next look through month by month and decide which holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, retirement's etc. you wish to host a theme party for and put a pencil checkmark on an appropriate date. Just use pencil since as the year continues, other things may cause plans to change or dates to be rearranged.

Get a clean notebook and label it your Theme Party Notebook. This along with your calendar will be your bible when preparing for the actual party. Once occasions are decided upon, then you can begin your lists. Feel free to plan theme parties for every possible occasion even if you decide to not host one then, you may have the raw materials in the way of lists for a different party or that one at a different time.

Make a section called Ideas and every time you go to a party and they do something especially fun or interesting, write it in your Idea section. Even if you just hear about a special event or way of decorating. Add it to this part of the notebook. Make a notation of where you saw it or heard it, what the occasion was, and the details so you can reproduce it.

After you decide what theme parties you may give, make a section for each one. You can use dividers and a loose-leaf notebook or just allow several pages for each one in a regular spiral notebook. Your parties listed might include A Sweetheart Party for Valentines Day, Your daughter's Sixth birthday party with a Circus Theme, or your Teen's Sock hop party. You may have a Fourth of July Theme Picnic or an Over the Hills Party for your husband's next birthday.

After the title of your party, make a guest list. This will also be tentative since people come in and out of our lives. You usually have some folks you know will be there for sure and those you usually invite. Next decide upon a date if possible, some occasions make the date pretty easy since they must be on or near the actual event.

Decide on a theme. Picking something appropriate for the holiday, guest's ages, and your ability to put them together.

Make a list of what types of invitations might work for the party and when they should be sent out for each event. A good schedule to send out invitations is for regular parties' 10 days to 2 weeks and wedding or major events at least one month- 6 weeks.

Under each party idea should be one or two color schemes or decoration themes. Your Valentines Day party should consist of red and white decorations. Look for close outs, sales, off-season etc. at party stores. You may be able to buy red and white supplies cheaper at Christmas or an after Christmas Party than at Valentines Day.

If you can find a closet shelf or large box where you can store these items so they don't get moisture and can be kept from being crushed, you can buy all supplies ahead of time. Look for anything with your Circus motif, black Over the Hill supplies, anything appropriate for upcoming parties for the next year. Check out every sale bin for prizes, favors, party hats, noisemakers, etc. Visit thrift stores and garage sales. Never turn down any party supply, new, and still in the wrapper, but reduced in price if you can see a possible future use for it.

Whenever you have a few minutes to kill and want to do something constructive and fun, add ideas to your party book. You can browse stores for ideas and cookbooks for menu items. Clip or copy particular recipes that seem perfect for your event and staple or tape them into your party book under the theme. Keep a separate section for some party foods you want to use, but don't know where. Don't forget to add a grocery list once you figure out the menu. Go to the library or online to research decoration and costume ideas and add the copied pages or notes under the appropriate party. Add patterns for costumes and if you have room, you could even store these as items as found or made. You can take this plan as far as you like. Keeping lists of games and activities. This is another item to be researched at the library or online. You can also keep timelines for doing party preparations and the whole party plan with schedules under your theme.

As much of this preparation as possible should be done ahead so when the time comes for the party, you can put it together with ease and not totally disrupt your busy schedule. Have fun planning and giving theme parties in the new millennium.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel