🎉 House party checklist

Quantities are for twenty. What runs out first is ice, then non-alcoholic drinks, then somewhere to put an empty glass — in that order, every time.

43 items

1. A week before
2. Invite people and get a rough number
3. Tell the neighbours, and give them your numberConverts a noise complaint into a text message.
4. Decide where people will stand, and move the furniture in your head
5. Borrow glasses, chairs or a speaker
6. Ask about allergies if you are feeding people properly
7. Drinks — for twenty
8. Beer×40
9. Wine, white and red×8
10. Something sparkling for the first hour×3
11. Spirits and mixers
12. A proper non-alcoholic option, not just tap water×12
13. Ice, more than you think×4
14. Lemons, limes and mint
15. Bottle opener and corkscrew
16. Food that survives a party
17. Crisps and nuts, spread around the room
18. Something hot, in one tray
19. Bread and dips
20. Something vegetarian that is a real option
21. Cheese and grapes
22. Something to eat at midnight
23. Napkins
24. The room
25. Move the breakable things out
26. Clear a table for drinks
27. Somewhere for coats
28. Bin bags, in more than one place×4
29. A bowl or crate for empties
30. Lights lower than you would normally have them
31. Toilet: clean, loo roll, hand towel, bin
32. Music and the evening
33. A playlist long enough to not need attention
34. Speaker charged, or plugged in
35. Agree a time to turn the volume down
36. Glasses, or cups if you would rather not count them
37. Phone chargers for the guests who will ask
38. Water out where people can reach it
39. Afterwards
40. Empties into the crate before you sleep
41. Food off the floor, tonight
42. Open a window
43. Leave the washing-up for the morning, honestly