Spice Up Your Family Get-togethers

This is another helpful tips on family get-togethers from the Nestle Club website. Have your family reunions become ‘more-of-the-same’? Filled with awkward silences? Relatives not having fun? Here are some ways to avoid all that and make your family reunion the most awaited event of the year!

Set up a planning committee. Keep things organized to avoid frantic calls, hassles, etc… Get several families involved by having them form committees to help you out for the invitations, food, entertainment, transportation, and don’t forget the cleanup after.

Make sure that the details are addressed — can Lola make it and who will drive her to and fro? Is anyone allergic to certain types of food? What fun games can we play this year? Involve everyone. Don’t be a dictator! Ask your relatives what they want to do, or where they want to go. You can even make your own Email Group where the young ones can design, log on to anytime, anywhere and keep the older adults (not comfortable with the internet) informed. Give your Email Group a fun name, like “Barangay Caparas”. When they have all agreed, only then can you start planning all the nitty-gritty details. For relatives who don’t surf the Internet, you can call, text, and even send them letters for a more personal touch!

Have a budget. Have all your relatives pitch in a little something. This makes them involved and consequently, more eager to attend! If this year’s reunion is going to be all out bongga, then see if a bank account will help you manage all the expenses involved. Keep in mind what you may need to rent — the venue, equipment, transportation, and even party favors! If it is a simple get together, then there is still a need to budget your expenses because everyone should naturally chip in for the cost of the celebration.

Set the date. Be sure that everyone will be available on the date of your family reunion. The earlier you decide on a date, the more relatives will be able to come! Also, this gives everyone a chance to calendar the event and plan ahead—whether to lose just a bit more weight for the annual family photograph, or to get all work and projects done so they can relax and enjoy without having to rush off somewhere.

Form a clean-up crew. To keep things tidy at all times, a clean up crew is needed. The games, the gifts, the paper plates — these are things that will need much cleaning even during the party, not to mention after. Make sure there are garbage bins close by. Your cleanup crew should empty these bins regularly to make the job easier later on.