Getting the Most Bang Out of Your Fiesta By Shayla Thiel Washingtonpost.com Staff Thursday, December 18, 1997

1. Get a final body count. Go through RSVPs, subtract 12 from the total. Add two. Square this number and subtract 9. Okay -- fuhgettaboutit. On New Year's, people have so many options, Adler says they might actually blow off your party. Or they might not. Buy slightly more than you need rather than make a frantic 11:30 p.m. run to the store. You can always drink the extra bubbly on George Washington's birthday.

2. Do your last-minute borrowing from friends. Get those cool tiki lamps for the back yard (the smokers need something to look at while in the freezing cold). Snag your aunt's funky punch bowl. Have compensation in hand (a box of Whoppers, for example) as a thank-you.

3. If this really is a last-minute endeavor, ask some friends to "co-sponsor" your party. This way you can divide expenses and come up with a more diverse guest roster.

4. Reserve the kegs. Adler says you should get one half-keg for every 40 people. If you're expecting a younger, more male crowd, consider getting an extra pony-keg. Otherwise, stock up on wine. Your guests will curse you for the headaches you impose on them with that cheap boxed stuff, so have a heart, spend a couple dollars more, and get Robert Mondavi "Coastal" Pinot Noir 1995 at $11, recommended by Michael Franz in his article on holiday spirits.

5. Buy liquor in bulk. Get a case of champagne (sparkling wine, actually, but few know the difference) instead of individual bottles. For champagne, Total Beverage of Arlington (703/749-0011) recommends Tott's and Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blanc between $72 and $90, respectively while on special, for a case of 12 bottles.

6. Go to Price Club and get a cart. Adler recommends buying M&Ms by the truckload ("Women love the chocolate") and stocking up on non-alcoholic beer and soda. Get plenty of food, but keep it simple and cheap: nachos and salsa, brie and crackers, hummus and bread, vegetables, candy or, if you're inclined to bake, brownies.

7. Make mix tapes of party music and press play. Nostalgia always rules, too; in lieu of that tired MTV Party to Go stuff, try some good old-fashioned "Saturday Night Fever" with a little Motown and George Clinton and even Kool and the Gang. Old Madonna (and depending on your crowd, Guns N Roses) is always a big hit. Inevitably, the geek from your workplace will spend the night trying to replace your mix tapes with various CDs while explaining the virtue of digital entertainment. This author's personal solution to this is having one of the most musically inaccessible CD collections this side of the Potomac (Stereolab, Palace Brothers and Ass Ponys anyone?); the guests are begging for bouncy '80s music by the time they scan the shelves. If this isn't you, Adler recommends finding a friend to bring CDs and serve as DJ in exchange for helping him or her at a party.

8. Even the best parties must end -- or it may break you both physically and financially. Have an after-hours party suggestion in mind for guests (preferably outside your home) or you might wind up springing for pizza or making a run to 7-Eleven for extra beer after midnight.