by Nick Frontera

Created on: July 04, 2009   Last Updated: July 05, 2009

There's that one day of they year where there's energy, parades, excitement, and parties galore. As far as the eye can see, there is food, concentrated amounts of people, and summer fun. The streets are packed with parked cars, the homes full of loud music. A day no other that July the Fourth can be happening today. As the day approaches and you're planning to have guests, keep these few tips in mind:

INVITE THE GUESTS

Make sure you invite everyone early enough before someone else gets to them. Without the people you love to spend time with, your party could be potentially hazardous to the maximum amount of fun you can have. When inviting them, make sure your party sounds appealing; the idea is to win them over because fourth of July parties are very popular festivities.

PLAN A MEAL AHEAD OF TIME

The worst thing you can do is misinform the guests what's going to be served. It's fourth of July, the most popular barbecue day. You don't want your guests thinking their eating prime rib only to find out the only thing you're serving are hot dogs. Make sure to include what kind of salads and deserts will be there, and if you want, ask them to bring a dish. Guests love to be involved with the food.

INFORM WHAT'S GOING TO BE THERE

Remember, you're there to relax and enjoy the day. Inform the guests if you have a pool, what kind of games you have (volleyball, croquette, for example), if there's going to be karaoke. They want to know how large and how fun the party's going to be. Forgetting to inform then can result in less people coming. Here's a tip for a successful, most fun-filled party: have an attraction to keep them entertained. If it's a small get together, make sure they know, so they're not disappointed if it's not an extravagant party.

STAY WELL STOCKED

I lied; the worst thing you can do other than not planning a meal ahead of time is running out of food or drinks. It's not going to kill you to have a little too much. The only thing worse than a surplus is a shortage. Make sure everything's already in its place before the party has started. The main idea is to relax, which can't happen if you're running back and forth. An important aspect of the party is to make sure you, the host, can enjoy the party as much as everyone else.

DIRE WEATHER

There's bound to be at least one fourth of July with rain. Mother Nature does not hold off her plans so you can party. Instead, you must

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