Our year is dotted with holidays that lend themselves perfectly to themed parties. However, we’ve all had the displeasure of attending a bad Christmas party or a 4^th of July bash that we wish we hadn’t come to. Here are a few tips for those aspiring party hosts who want to make a great impression.

First, don’t invite too many people, especially if the party is going to be held indoors in your apartment. A 1000 square foot apartment doesn’t really have room for more than 8-10 people, so trim down your invite list to only include those who you really want to have over.

Second, be sure to get into the spirit of the holiday. If you have some cheesy decorations, be sure to put them out. If you are making food from scratch, try to theme the food to the holiday. If you are hosting a party, people are going to expect you to embrace the tradition of what the holiday represents. If people show up and all you’ve done is order a pizza and bought some beers, chances are, they won’t show up again next year.

The question is often raised: television or music during a party? Music allows for people to dance and enjoy themselves, but what if you play things that aren’t popular with anyone but yourself? The key is to use a satellite radio channel that plays different kinds of music. Most cable systems offer a series of channels that play nothing but music. You can toggle between the stations to find something that everyone likes.

If you are looking for that one extra feature that can really set your party apart from the rest, try ordering a sports event on pay-per-view or playing a DVD that ties in the theme of your party. That way, people who want to sit and watch television have something to do along with those that want to listen to music.

One of the great traditions in our society is the house warming party. Thankfully, this tradition has carried over to apartment living, as well. No matter how ramshackle a place we might have, there is something to be said for opening your doors, inviting over your friends and pouring some drinks for everyone there. Here are a few tips for the best apartment warming party ever.

Invite those around you

The worst thing you can do as an apartment dweller is to get the reputation right off the bat for being inconsiderate. You’ve just moved in and this is your chance to get to know those around you. Maybe some of your neighbors don’t care to get to know you, but you don’t know that for sure, so why take that chance? Besides, if your party goes late, it is better to have your neighbors there with you than it is to have them at home being annoyed by your noise.

Drinks for everyone

Chances are, you and most of your guests will be enjoying alcohol, but be sure you have pop, juice and water for those that may be driving or those that simply don’t drink. You don’t want to exclude anyone. You also need to look out for those that may be too drunk to drive. Just like how a bartender can be held legally responsible for a drunk patron, you can be held responsible if someone leaves your party too drunk to drive and then gets behind the wheel. Collect the keys of anyone looking to drink.

Don’t go too late

Unless you only have one neighbor and they are there partying, don’t go too late. There is a line between being inclusive and being inconsiderate. Show those that live around you that you understand how to read a clock and shut things down at a reasonable time.