Super Bowl Party Checklist

If you are throwing a Super Bowl Party this Sunday, then you do not want to skip anything on the following list of party must-haves!

(1) Your House - Make your guests comfortable.

You bought that big 60" LCD HDTV for the big game. It's in the living room just waiting to broadcast the Super Bowl for you and your friends. What else can you do to make your guests comfortable? First, think about how many people will be at your Super Bowl party. Plan routes through your house. Mentally run through the party and think of all possible things that may happen. For instance, ask yourself which rooms you want to shut off from those strangers who may wander around. Think of how your guests can find and get to the bathroom(s) with ease, how they're going to carry food from the food area to the TV without dropping anything or having to bump and squeeze around other people, and how many chairs you'll need to sit around the TV. Move and rearrange things if you need to. Throw some pillows and comforters on the floor if you need to so that people don't have to sit on the hard floor. Also, keep plenty towels and napkins in easy access for those accidental spills. If you are worried about your furniture, throw some sheets over them to guard against spills and dropped salsa.

Most importantly, clean and dust your house. If you have pets that like to beg for food and get under your feet, that may annoy some of your guests. Think about shutting them off to one part of the house or letting them outside (if you are in a warm climate) during your party.

(2) Food - Keep it cheap, simple & buy enough.

Hot dogs, chicken wings, boiled shrimp, pizza, burgers, chips and dip, nachos, tortilla chips and salsa, and pretzels are pretty inexpensive and very common at Super Bowl parties. They are also easy and quick to prepare. You can some make foods ahead of time and refrigerate until party time, and you can also find pre-made food trays at places like Sam's Club and your local grocery store. There are cheese trays, vegetable trays, chicken wing trays, fruit trays, etc. that will feed a fair share of people. In addition, if you don't want to cook your own Super Bowl meal, you can get take out from your favorite restaurant. For instance, Buffalo Wild Wings makes great wing trays with up to 100 wings in each tray! Don't forget the condiments either. Make yourself an organized list of what foods you are going to have and what you need to buy to complete it. For example, if you have burgers, make sure you write down on the list that you need charcoal for the grill, ketchup, mustard, cheese, and maybe chili and onions.

Another food option is to ask each of your guests to bring a snack or food. With such a potluck style Super Bowl party, you shouldn't have to worry about having enough food for everyone attending.

That brings up another good point! Make sure you have more than enough to feed your guests. If you aren't having a potluck / bring your own food party, add a few extra people to your mental guest list so that you are sure to not run out of food and snacks. You never know who may show up or bring their children or friends. It would really suck if your guests get the munchies and you run out of food by Halftime.

(3) Food Supplies - Guests need something to put their food and snacks in.

Party City and other party supply stores should be one of your shopping stops for supplies. You should, of course, buy football and super bowl-themed items only. Grab plates, cups, utensils, napkins, and table covers. Party City has big serving bowls and huge tin tubs to throw beverages in that are covered in Super Bowl accents. They also have Super Bowl koozies! You can pick up some helmet shaped chip holders and football shaped salsa bowls too.

(4) Beverages- Stock up, keep them cold, and keep them near the TV!

You know you will have beer and liquor for your Super Bowl party! If you have a lot of guests and drinkers, buy a keg. Stores also sell buckets of margaritas and cosmos and other drinks that you mix up the day before and freeze. Those buckets can serve a lot of people! You can also ask the guests to bring their own beer and liquor. Also bear in mind that some people won't be drinking, so have plenty non-alcoholic drinks and water.

To keep the beer cold, stock up on the ice and koozies. Buy a few large tubs or coolers and fill them with the beer bottles and cans and pour plenty ice on top. Place some coolers and tubs in the food area, and others near the TV. (You know some guys will get so involved in the game that they will not want to leave their seats!)

Keep in mind that if your guests drink, do not let them drive when they leave! You not only want to keep them safe, but you also want to keep other innocent people from getting injured as well.

(5) Decorations - Set the mood.

What better way to set the Super Bowl mood than by decorating your home or TV room with festive football and Super Bowl-themed decor. Centerpieces, banners rooting for both the Giants and Pats, team penants on the wall, and both inflatable and stuffed footballs are great decorations.

You don't have to decorate your entire house if you don't want to. The main room or two that you should focus on are the room where everyone is going to watch the game and maybe the area where the food will be sitting.

If you have guests coming to your party that don't know exactly where your house is, you should display a "Party is here"-type sign on your lawn. (Of course, if you do that, then you may run the risk of having uninvited guests.) You can also hang a banner on your porch or entranceway.

Take it easy on yourself. I know you want to have the best, most fun Super Bowl party on the block, but don't get stressed out! Relax and do your best. Enjoy the game and have a great time cheering on the teams with your friends.