dinner party | List Producer

How to Break Down Your Goals

April 30, 2017/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Whatever project you have in mind, whether it’s writing a book, planning a big dinner party or starting your own side hustle, these big ideas can quickly become overwhelming. Thinking about all the work you have left to do can make you feel like giving up before you even begin..

To help me feel less overwhelmed I use a little trick called “backtiming.” This is a concept I picked up from my day job as a TV news producer. If your show finishes at 11pm, that’s it, you can’t over run. So to make the news work on time we start with the end in mind and work backwards. This guarantees that you’ll finish on time.

This method has multiple real world applications, if you’re a whiz in the kitchen you probably use this method to ensure all the various elements of your dish will finish at the same time. You can also use backtiming to plan out your future goals. For more on how backtiming works check this out.

It also helps to break up your goals into smaller, more manageable pieces. You can focus on one of these lists at a time to prevent yourself from getting distracted by all the other pieces of the puzzle. Read more

A List for Thanksgiving Efficiency!

November 25, 2015/0 Comments/in Holidays, Increase Productivity, List Making, Shopping/by Paula Rizzo

This week you’ll be bombarded with posts about gratitude and remembering to love your friends and family and I was tempted to write one myself. But the planner in me stopped — and decided to make a practical list instead.

I figured it would be more efficient to share a list of ways to get through these busy days easier because everyone else would cover the other topics.

So here’s a few posts I’ve written in the past (yes one IS about gratitude) to get you through the hectic Thanksgiving holiday:

Checklist for a Stress-Free Dinner Party – If you’re hosting this year, check out this list to make sure you’re all ready for your guests! Read more

A List to Lift Your Spirits This Fall

September 28, 2015/0 Comments/in Happiness, Holidays, List Making, People, Reduce Stress/by Paula Rizzo

September is coming to an end and there’s definitely a chill in the air here in New York. It’s that “back to school” weather finally kicking in. My husband Jay hates winter! Around this time of year he starts getting sad about the colder weather and says we need to move to California for some sunshine!

The winter blues aren’t just a feeling – it’s a real problem called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it’s caused by a lack of vitamin d. So what else can you do to lift your mood this fall? Short of moving to California? Read more

Checklist for a Stress-Free Dinner Party

May 8, 2014/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Decorating, Food, Happiness, Health, Home, Increase Productivity, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Shopping, Tool for Success, Wine/by Paula Rizzo

Rhoihessewoi (Photo credit: Jay Vice)

Spring is the perfect time to throw a dinner party. As the weather warms up, it’s such a treat to gather family and friends outside onto your deck, rooftop or terrace for a nice meal. But we all know, party planning requires more than just sending out the invitations. Between the cooking and cleaning, entertaining can be a nightmare.

However, planning ahead will change your life. With a few preparation tricks, you’ll enjoy your time and be the hostess with the mostest.

1. Check your cupboards first. Make sure that you have the right amount of serving dishes, wine glasses, etc, so that you’re not rushing around the day of the event. If you don’t have wine glasses, you might want to look online for stemless wine glasses or more traditional wine glasses.

2. Start ahead of time. Nothing creates more stress than having a million things to do all at once. Rather than leave things until the last minute, start your cooking, cleaning, and planning in advance so you’re not left doing everything just hours before the party starts. Set the table the night before to leave time for any last-minute party preparations. I also like to make a list of all my to-dos for the days leading up to the party. That way everything is mapped out ahead of time so I can just grab my list and spring into action.

3. Go with what you know. Cooking under pressure can always be stressful, especially when you’re on a time frame and budget. Stick with the recipes that you know so you can spend the least amount of time in the kitchen to focus on other preparations.

4. Have everyone bring their own dish. Cooking can be a big ordeal, especially when you’re preparing for a large amount of people. If you ask each guest to bring a little something, it will take the stress off of you and allow guests to feel like part of the party planning.

5. Choose a signature drink. Buying large amounts of alcohol isn’t always the cost effective. Plus, who wants to play bartender, mixing all different drinks, all night long? I like to prepare a pitcher of sangria (or your drink of choice) in order to save time and money.

6. Clean as you go. It might seem like a pain in the moment, but it’s a relief when you don’t have a scary pile of dishes at the end of the night! After each course, move the plates inside the dishwasher, rather than just piling them up outside of the sink. You’ll thank yourself in the morning.

What are your tips for an efficient dinner party?

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