Take it easy: Rent glassware for your next cocktail party

Preparing for a wine tasting or cocktail party? You might consider renting glassware. Prices are reasonable and prevent you from having to keep large quantities of glassware on hand. You can also save time on cleanup, as some rental places will wash the glasses for you.

Wine glasses, champagne flutes, martini glasses, and beer mugs can be rented for about 50 cents a piece. You may also consider renting a bar ($25-$50) or even a bartender (rates vary). Rental companies also provide other items that may make your cocktail party planning easier; try renting serving trays (typically $2 to $12), punch bowls ($10), glass pitchers ($2), or plates (25 to 50 cents each).

Helpful hints:

• Make sure you’re getting what you expect by asking questions. If you’re requesting a punch bowl, for instance, ask if a serving ladle is included or whether you’ll have to add one to your order.
  
• Be clear about company policy up front. Get the terms of your rental in writing and include things like whether or not you will save money by picking up and returning the items yourself, (rather than having them delivered) and whether or not dishes and glassware need to be washed before returning them.
  
• Get creative!   Party rental stores offer more than just glassware.  Rent a popcorn machine, chocolate fountain, or cotton candy maker for more fun!

Gift guide: 10 great gifts for the party planners on your list

Have a hostess-with-the-mostest on your Christmas shopping list this year? Check out some of the 15-Minute Party Planner's gift giving suggestions for the entertainers on your list.

This Gift Tower of Sweetsis the perfect Christmas gift for any hostess. The pre-wrapped chocolate-covered cherries, salted pistachios, and gourmet pretzels come in beautiful boxes, saving the recipient from having to find serving dishes. At an affordable $21.95, this tower of sweet treats won't break your budget.


Multipurpose serving dishes like this chip and dip tray(with a dip insert that can be heated or chilled depending on what you're serving) are great for parties because the pieces stay together. There will be no more last-minute scrambling for something to hold both chips and dip with this cute tray for less than $25.


Chocolate lovers, rejoice! This basket of the best from Ghirardelli Chocolate Companypacks an assortment of Ghirardelli chocolates including various sizes of Luxe bars, Masterpiece truffles, and candy bars. The basket clocks in at $35 and ships for free, making it a great gift for the out-of-town party planner on your list. The basket's festive wrapping and wide array of chocolates make it a great gift for any hostess.



Bargain alert! This Omaha Steaks Fantastic Feastis currently being offered on Amazon.com for an incredible $69.99 (a savings of $100!). Not only does this premium food package include top sirloins, pork chops, stuffed sole, gourmet franks, boneless chicken breasts, and stuffed baked potatoes, it also saves your hostess shopping time and comes with easy instructions.



Hilarious cocktail napkins are great for any 15-minute party planner. They add some humor to the party and don't require washing and ironing like linen napkins. This set says Why limit happy to an hour?and we agree! Other funny napkin slogans include If you obey all the rules, you miss all the funand The trouble with trouble is it starts out as fun!


If you're looking to save time when it comes to mixing drinks, there's nothing easier than a cocktail shaker with built-in recipes. The Dial-A-Drink Cocktail Shakeroffers recipes for 15 popular cocktails just by aligning the shaker's arrow to the with the title of the selected cocktail. Then, just pour in the ingredients and shake it up for drinks in an instant. The fact that this cute bar accessory is made of oh-so-popular stainless steel ups the gadget's wow factor even further, making it the perfect present for the cocktail connoisseur on your list.


Teeny tiny desserts are in this year. To save the party planners on your list the hassle of cutting dessert into dozens of small pieces, give them this adorable brownie bites baking mold. The mold produces 24 brownie bites. At only $9.99 per pan, you can splurge and get two pans for easy entertaining.

This splurge-worthy meat lovers' gourmet food gift basketincludes smoked salmon, sliced Italian salami, fire-roasted salmon pate, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, jalapeno hot pepper cheese, jalapeno cheddar biscuits, and both sesame and stoned wheat crackers. The $49 basket comes ready to give with a decorative ribbon and a personalized gift message.

Tired of listening to the kids' iPod on shuffle while you're trying to enjoy a sophisticated cocktail party? Replace the hostess's teen-tunes with a grown-up, metropolitan mix of jazzy songs like the ones featured on the Cocktail Mix 2: Martini Madnessor Jazz Moods: Cocktail PartyCDs. Or, grab an iTunes gift cardso that your friend can pick out some snazzier songs herself.


Finally, when your favorite hostess isn't looking for recipes from the 15-Minute Party Planner, she'll need another resource. Easy cookbooks like Party Snacks! 50 Simple, Stylish Recipes to Make You a Popular Party Hostmake party planning a cinch. For just $10, you'll get A.J. Rathburn's recipes for "stuffed, skewered, baked, dipped, spreadable, and speedy party snacks." (Try gifting the book along with a few party snacks for an instant-use holiday present!)

3 things you need for easy Christmas entertaining

Winter is on its way and Christmas will be here before you know it. Having the proper tools and treats will help you host holiday parties without slaving away in the kitchen or spending all of your time preparing, instead of enjoying your party.

To get you started, here are three must-haves for any 15-minute party planner.

• Easy serving dishes
  Dishes with multiple compartments mean fewer items to arrange and fewer items to wash. Try a four-compartment divided dish to make serving a snap.
  
  
• Fancy no-prep food
  A box of nuts and chocolates, a container of caviar, or a spread of smoked fish makes for elegant entertaining without the prep work.
  
  
• Signature drinks
  Serving a special cocktail, fancy hot chocolate, or mulled cider makes your holiday party memorable without requiring a lot of effort.

Kitchen equipment for easy entertaining

Now that you know how to stock the perfect party bar, it's time to evaluate your entertaining equipment. All you need are a few handy kitchen gadgets and some serving dishes and you'll be ready to entertain at the proverbial drop of a hat.

In addition to kitchen basics like can openers, cutting boards, and corkscrews, keep a few of the following gadgets at the ready. Doing so will allow you to whip up quick party dishes and drinks that make you look like a culinary genius and won't take more than a quarter of an hour. If you don't have lots of kitchen storage, choose items that can do double duty (such as a heavy-duty food processor in place of a blender and a food processor).

• Blender
  Not only can you blend boozy concoctions, but a blender is also a quick way to whip up puree or quick soups, and if you've got a substantial blender you can even grind coffee beans or crush ice.
  
  
• Dishes
  Lots of folks keep paper products on hand, but it's just as easy to invest in a set of durable, lightweight Corelle dishes -- pretty dishes that are unlikely to break and won't take up much space. Investing in a dozen or so Corelle plates will pay off in the long run, doing away with the need to continually buy paper plates and proving to be much better for the earth, since there's no waste! Corelle also offers everything from simple white dishes to bold geometric designs and everything in between.
  
  
• Food processor
  A food processor can do most everything a blender can do, and more. Throw a handful of olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and oil, for instance, and you've got yourself a delicious tapenade in about 2 minutes. Want to top dinner with freshly-shredded herbs or dessert with chopped nuts? Toss them into the food processor and let the machine work its magic. In less than five minutes you can prepare everything from hummus to salsa.
  
  
• Pepper grinder
  A good pepper mill will only set you back about $20, and it's $20 well-spent. Grinding pepper not only looks pretty, but tastes better than the flaky pepper you buy in the grocery store. A pepper mill also allows you to use fancier peppercorns (like foodie-favorite pink peppercorns). You can do the same with a salt grinder, and can try a variety of sea salts. (This set from Amazon will get you both a pepper and salt grinder -- with refills! -- for less than $20.)
  
  
• Serving platters
  Yes, you could throw food on dozens of mismatched plates when you're expecting guests, but why? Buy a few large platters and make them work for you. Rather than pulling out (and washing!) multiple dishes, choose large platters and use them to hold all aspects of a specific dish. Instead of using a bowl for dip and a few plates for veggies, grab a large platter and stick a bread bowl filled with dip right in the middle, surrounded with fresh veggies and crackers. Plate a dozen ingredients for antipasto on a single platter as well, by rolling up prosciutto and salami, popping piles of olives and artichoke hearts around, and stacking cubes of cheese. Keep a few lunch-tray-sized platters on hand and you'll be party-ready in minutes. Two the 15-Minute Party Planner likes? This adorable Peggy Karr Happy Hour Platter and this super-functional 18-Inch White Porcelain Platter.

Stocking the perfect party bar

It's much easier to be a 15-minute party planner when you have the appropriate tools and supplies at the ready. This article on stocking a party-ready bar is the first of a three-part series on the supplies every prepared party planner should have on hand.

Alcohol
There are hundreds of beers, wines, and spirits out there, but what you stock for booze is a matter of personal preference. Keep just a few basics on hand so that you're always ready to party.

The 15-Minute Party Planner recommends:

• A few bottles of white wine
  Chardonnay is the most popular white and Gewürztraminer is an pleasingly aromatic white and something your guests may not have tried before.
• A few bottles of red wine
  Merlot and Cabernet are red wines that are likely to please any guest.
• Gin
  Combine gin with dry vermouth and you're on your way to a basic martini!
  
• Vodka
  Vodka mixes with practically everything. Try a flavored variety for a little pizazz.
  
• Tequila
  Nothing says summer like a margarita, and nothing says margarita like tequila.
• Beer
  This is a matter of personal preference, but keeping two different kinds of beer on hand will keep you party-ready (and you can always use a bottle or two to dress up recipes).

Mixers
Keep a few of these on hand to mix up cocktails in no time.

• A citrus soda (like Sprite)
• Cola
• Fruit juices (try orange or cranberry)
  
• Grenadine
• Seltzer/tonic

Garnish
It's easy to keep simple food and non-food items in your cupboards and refrigerator to garnish drinks. A little garnish turns a simple drink into a fancy cocktail. For food items try cherries, lemon slices, lime wedges, mint, olives, orange slices, etc. Non-food items you should stock include swizzle sticks, drink umbrellas, and sword picks.

Tools
You've got the liquids and garnish out of the way, but what about the tools? If you have an official bar area at home, feel free to go fancy. Otherwise, you can certainly keep the basics in a simple container.

• Book of cocktail recipes
  Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Guide is a classic, and The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes is another popular book. If you're getting ready for a party, flip through your guide in advance to choose a signature cocktail, then pick up any necessary supplies before the party.
• Bottle opener
• Corkscrew
• Jigger
  This tool is used for measuring liquor and is small enough to be stuffed in a drawer.
  
• Mixing glass
  Try one with measured lines and/or easy drink recipes, like this one.
• Shaker
  

Accessories
Having the appropriate glasses and bar paraphernalia will set you up to look classy. Try having a variety of the following items on hand:

• Coasters
  The 15-Minute Party Planner loves these, since they make a great conversation piece!
• Cocktail napkins
  Keep a few different kinds on hand from classy to quirky to themed.
  
• Highball glasses
  You'll use highball glasses for most cocktails.
• Martini glasses
  Martini glasses also make cute dessert dishes!
• Old-fashioned glasses
  These short, wide glasses are meant to hold any drinks ordered "on the rocks".
• Wine glasses
  There are differently-shaped glasses for different kinds of wine, but something like these are multi-purpose.
  

Save time by shopping for party supplies at Etsy.com

You've chosen your party's theme, you have an idea of what you'd like for decorations, but the thought of hopping in the car and driving to a party store (only to spend hours plowing through the luau and graduation decorations on the way to your real destination) drives you mad. Worry not! Armed with your credit card (or a PayPal account) and 15 minutes you can find everything you need at Etsy.com.

Etsy is a crafty online marketplace, connecting world-wide crafters with buyers. The site's mission "is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers." Party planners will find everything from party hats to pinatas and banners to bachelorette decor.

In less than 10 seconds, a search for "pirate party" returned 526 results. Etsy offers pirate treasure chests (perfect for holding party favors), invitations, pirate skull cupcake toppers, and even pirate wedding cake toppers. All can be ordered with the click of a button and delivered within days, saving you a trip to the store and supporting crafters and artisans.

Etsy will also allow you to search the site for local artists, returning the 100 most recently updated shops in your area. By buying from these shops you're participating in locally sustainable business practices and supporting local artists.

So whether you're searching for bachelor party invites or edible cake toppers, check out Etsy. You'll save time and support an entrepreneur -- nothing better than that!