Pets and Guests: Keeping Both Safe
Your dog is going to be overwhelmed and somebody will leave a door open. The room-and-door decisions a host makes, and the two questions that belong to a vet.
Category Party Planning
Space, Exits and Not Overcrowding a Room
Is there a real limit, or are you being paranoid? Why the posted occupancy numbers you have seen do not apply to your house, and what actually decides the answer.
When Guests Have Been Drinking: A Host’s Responsibilities
He is not driving home, and you have to make that happen without a scene. The arrangements to make before, the lines to use during, and where this stops being etiquette.
Making a Home Safe for a Party With Toddlers In It
Fifteen adults, four toddlers, and everyone assumes somebody else is watching the stairs. What changes when a childproofed house fills with guests, and the fix that works.
Fire Pits and Outdoor Heaters When Guests Are Standing Around
It is the only heat source and everyone is crowded round it. The clearances USFA publishes, why a standing crowd is different from a seated one, and the end-of-night rule.
Sparklers, Fireworks and Anything That Burns Outdoors
Everyone wants sparklers for the photo. What the U.S. Fire Administration publishes about the temperature they reach, and what it recommends instead.
String Lights and Extension Cords: Not Overloading Your House
Six strands into one outlet, and a cord under the rug so nobody trips. What the U.S. Fire Administration states about both, and where a host stops and calls a trade.
Candles at a Party: The Rules That Actually Matter
Candles everywhere looks beautiful, and the clearance figure the fire authorities publish is bigger than most tablescapes allow. What USFA states, verbatim.
