After reading a few of the latest comments, I realized I neglected to post this important tip: What to do when you haven’t heard back from your guests.

An anonymous party invitation can be a little intimidating to some people.  Sometimes, you have to give them a little hint to help them feel more comfortable.  This has happened to me twice.  When I was hosting my party in Erie,  I had only heard from 2 of the 30 couples before the deadline.  In Kansas, I had heard from about half of the invitees. 

I knew they would come if they had some idea of who I was, so I decided to send them a follow-up invitation.  In my case, almost all of the invitees were members of my ward (an LDS congregation) so I mentioned on the follow-up that they see me each Sunday and that they should join their ward friends by coming to the party.  In addition to giving them an idea of who I was, it also gave them a clue as to who else had been invited.  For most people, this was enough to make them feel comfortable RSVPing.  Here’s a sample of the clue I gave my guests:

While forming the teams for our fun, festive game,
We noticed the absence of your names.

If you haven’t emailed because our anonymity spooked you,
You need not fear; we’ll give you a clue.

Each Sunday you see us when we’re not casting spells.
Our real names we can’t give you…but you know us well.

We’d hate to see you miss out on the fun.
We’ll give you one last chance to join everyone.

Just send us an email before Friday at eight (pm).
After that, the teams are set…you’ll be too late.

Don’t miss this last chance to join your ward friends
Email us quickly before the deadline ends.

Eerily yours,
Wanda, Zelda & Hilda Witch
WandaWitch@gmail.com

If you find yourself in this spot, don’t stress.  As Christi mentioned in her great comment, a simple email to your guests from your secret account is a great way to check in with your guests. If you don’t have email addresses for all your invitees, try this inexpensive post card alternative. Use the files below to create the post cards and then print them on heavy white cardstock.  After printing on both sides, cut them and use post card stamps to mail them.  Whatever method you choose, just make sure that your follow-up gives your guests some idea of who you are and a little idea of who else was invited.  Trust me, once they understand that they’ll be in on the buzz in no time.  

I hope that helps!  Good luck everyone.  Let me know if you have any trouble working with the file.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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At long last, we’re at the end of the party planning process.  Hopefully you party planners will now have everything you need for your big bash.  Remember, if you have any questions as you go through this process over the next few weeks, feel free to email me. 

Step 15:  Print Your Emergency Clues
Every now and then your clues will be too tough for a team to handle.  Stocking their cauldron with emergency clues will keep them from falling too far behind.  To create them, use the file below and your Clue Hunt Agenda to create the emergency clues for each team (you’ll want to print them on that team’s paper).  Once they’re printed and cropped, seal them in numbered envelopes or fold them into quarters and staple them shut.  Add each team’s emergency clues to their cauldron.

Step 16: Print Your Ending Destination Sign & Tally Sheet
There’s a good chance that your team may not be the first to arrive at the ending destination so it’s important to make signs for the early-arriving teams.  On the day of the party, place the sign just outside the front door so that it will be easy for the teams to spot.  You’ll also want to print out a scoring sheet and place it near your Grand Cauldron in your house.  The teams will mark their arrival times on the sheet and you’ll use it to track everyone’s points at the end of the party.

Step 17:  Prep Your Ending Destination
You’ll have tons to do on the day of the party, so try to set up your ending destination in advance…if at all possible.  We’ve done several different arrangements for our ending destination.  For one party, we ended at a friend’s jack-o-lantern lined, wooded backyard and had a big bon fire.  In Erie, my apartment was so tiny that I was forced to have people go through my house to get food and then set up the seating and decorations in the backyard.  In Kansas, we set up the backyard and then were forced to move things inside when the weather didn’t cooperate.  Regardless of where you choose to set up your party, get as much done as you can in the days before the big event and you’ll save yourself tons of stress.

Step 18:  Hide Your Clues/Ingredients & Cauldrons
Generally, my husband does this while I prep the house on the day of the party.  You’ll want to postpone it as long as possible to avoid any unwanted attention.  When you’re ready to hide your clues, grab your ziploc bags of ingredients and your labeled sprinkler flags.  Place your flags low in the ground within about 50 feet of your clue spot.  For example, if I were hiding a clue in the brush along a walking trail, I would put the sprinkler flag near the trailhead sign.  Once you’ve got your ingredients hidden, sneak over to the starting destination and hide the cauldrons (they should have clue #1 and all the emergency clues inside).

Step 19:  Show Up at the Starting Location and Find Your Captain
This is the point where you start to enjoy the fruits of all your labors.  All the work and stress is behind you and you just get to sit back, relax and play along.  Trust me, you’ll have so much fun watching the teams scramble to find their ingredients and decipher your clues.  It can be tough to keep a straight face.  My favorite part is when they decode their last clue and it finally dawns on them that their host has been in their car all night long.  It’s so great to watch the stunned looks on their faces, you’ll love it.

Step 20:  Tally the Points and Award the Winners
Once all the teams arrive at the ending destination and they’ve had a little time to fill up on Krispy Kremes and Hot Chocolate you’ll want to tally the scores.  Grab the Tally sheet and the point breakdown (it’s on the second page of the Captain’s Instructions) and determine your winners.  Once they’ve been announced, award each couple their golden broomstick and snap a few pictures of the teams.  After that, sit back and enjoy the bustling conversation as the teams compare their experiences and brag about their conquests.  I promise you, it will be a night you’ll never forget! 

I know that’s a lot to take in and that most of you are just getting started in your party planning.  I’ll post a week-by-week checklist for you below.  This should help you keep track of your many pre-party to dos.  Good luck, everyone.  I hope you love this party as much as I have.  Don’t forget to email me pictures of your adventure.  I’d love to post your clue spots and challenge ideas for my other readers.   

***For those of you that are waiting patiently for organizing tips to resurface in my blog posts, I promise they’ll be forthcoming.  Now that I’m finished with my party tutorial, I’ll get back to my weekly postings on bright ideas and simple solutions.  Just thought I’d pass it on.  

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Okay all you fabulous party planners out there, you’re in the home stretch now.  Just a few more steps and you’ll be ready to roll.

Step 14:  Plan Your Clue Hunt Agenda
Sending all you teams to the same locations at the same time would make the game too easy.  You need to keep them guessing by sending each team to the various clue spots in a different pattern.  All this information can be tough to keep track of mentally, so I like to organize it on a clue hunt agenda.  To make your own, simply download the file below and fill in a route for each team.  You may want to reference your Team & Clue Breakdown to help you remember what ingredient you’re planning to hide in each location.  Try not to follow a set pattern, you don’t want the teams to catch up to each other and then simply follow each other along the race.  Start each team in a different location and then choose a route for each team.  It’s okay if the teams overlap locations a little.  In other words, it’s okay if the blue team and the green team are both scheduled to be at the cemetery on their third stop.  Just make sure they don’t match each other on the fourth stop as well.  Here’s an example of what a completed team agenda would look like:

Orange Team:
1st location: Zuck Park (starting location)
Ingredient: Cauldron
Clue leads to: Cemetery

2nd location: Cemetery
Ingredient: Mouse
Clue leads to: Beach

3rd location: Beach
Ingredient: Snake
Clue leads to: Pier

4th location: Pier
Ingredient: Skeleton
Clue leads to: Tower

5th location: Tower
Ingredient: Spider
Clue leads to: Pond

6th location: Pond
Ingredient: Bat
Clue leads to: My house (ending location)

An agenda like this is critical to keeping track of the little details.  For example, by glancing at the agenda, I can see that the Orange team will be visiting the Pier on their fourth stop, that they will be searching for a skeleton, and that the clue attached to their Orange skeleton will lead them to the Tower.  Although all the teams will be finding skeletons at the Pier, the clues attached to the skeletons will vary based on their team’s assigned route.  You’ll understand why this is critical in our next step.

Step 15:  Attaching Your Clues to the Ingredients
It’s really important that you go slow during this part of the planning.  By attaching the wrong clue to the wrong ingredient, you can send your team completely off course.  Here’s how I keep it organized.  First, print out all of your clues on the various colors of paper, crop them and then sort them into piles by color.  Next, separate your ingredients into piles by color.  Use your Clue Hunt Agenda to help you figure out which clue to attach to each ingredient.  My advice?  Don’t actually attach them until you’ve laid out their entire route.  Just spread out the team’s clues on the table and place the ingredient you’ll be attaching on top.  Once you’ve got the route for that team laid out, roll each clue, slide a spider ring on to it and attach it tightly to the right ingredient with thin black ribbon or clear thread.  Here’s an example set up using the agenda above:

Orange Team:
1st location: Zuck Park (starting location)
Ingredient: Cauldron
Clue leads to: Cemetery
(place clue with mouse in the Orange cauldron)

2nd location: Cemetery
Ingredient: Mouse
Clue leads to: Beach
(attach clue with snake to Orange mouse)

3rd location: Beach
Ingredient: Snake
Clue leads to: Pier
(attach clue with skeleton to Orange snake)

4th location: Pier
Ingredient: Skeleton
Clue leads to: Tower
(attach clue with spider to Orange skeleton)

5th location: Tower
Ingredient: Spider
Clue leads to: Pond
(attach clue with bat to Orange spider)

6th location: Pond
Ingredient: Bat
Clue leads to: My house (ending location)
(attach clue with Witch to Orange bat)

Once you’ve got all the ingredients attached to their proper clues, sort them into piles by ingredient and toss them into ziploc bags.  Use a magic marker to label the bags with their clue location (ie the bag of spiders will be labeled: Tower).  Once you’ve got all that set, hide them somewhere that you’re kids won’t touch them!  I learned that tip from experience.  :)  Last steps will be posted tomorrow…thanks for hanging with me this long.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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We’re getting close…only 3 posts to go.  By next Monday you should have everything you need for your fabulous party.  Now on to the next step.

Step 12:  Create Your GWC Trophies
Remember how we talked about a “coveted golden broomstick” on our invitation?  Now it’s time to make them.  Don’t worry, you can whip them out in about 5 minutes.  To make them you’ll just need three things: a natural-style witch broomstick (I found this one at Target for $3), a can of gold spray paint, and a magic marker.  Use the spray paint to coat both the handle and the broom (you may need 2 coats) and then use the magic marker to add ‘GWC Challenge 2007 Champion’ to the handle.  Chances are this fun little trophy will end up on a shelf in their garage so don’t stress over creating something perfect, just something that will look great in a picture.  Since my teams are usually made up of three couples, I make 3 trophies and place them in a prominent place at the party destination.  You’ll give them out once all the teams have arrived and the points have been tallied at the party.

Step 13:  Send Your Captain’s Instructions
In order for your captains to inform their team about the hunt rules, they’ll need a little information.  About ten days before the party you’ll provide it to them.  The file below will provide them everything they need to know and get them all revved up for the big night.  You’ll want to update the file with your specific party info (like the team members, party starting time, and other little details).    If you’re short on time, the easiest form of delivery is to simply mail the instructions to the team captains.  However, if you’d like to add a little mystery and up your buzz factor, opt for hand delivery.  Print out a set of instructions for each team captain couple, roll them and slide a spider ring on the roll to hold it in place.  You can’t risk being seen, so you’ll need to head out at a crazy-late hour.  When I did this with my friend we went out at 4am, tied the instructions to the captain’s doorknobs, and then treated ourselves to bright and early breakfast.  If you used email as your RSVP option, you could also send email the attached file to the captains and copy the other team members on the message.  Whatever method you choose to get the info out, just make sure your captains have plenty of time to spread the word to their team members. 

Just so you know, at the end of the captain’s instructions there is a little sentence about enlisting spooks to watch over each location.  You won’t actually do this, I just add this in to keep the guests on their toes.  It’s really tempting (especially for the guys) to give themselves an advantage by messing with another team’s ingredients when they’re in a clue location.  If you tell them that you’ve got someone watching…they’ll assume every passer-by is a potential spy and hopefully leave the other ingredients alone. 

Remember, one of the captains will be contacting you to inform you of the party rules so keep up a good poker face and play along.  Good luck Wandas.  More to come soon…just thought I’d pass it on.

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Now that you’ve had a little time to scout some great spots and plan some tricky challenges it’s time for your next step in the planning process.

Step 11:  Come Up with Clever Clues
Okay, of all the steps in this party, this one is probably the most time intensive.  It’s not particularly difficult, it just takes a little time and requires just a bit of creativity.  A good Wanda Witch clue should give your guests just enough information about their next ingredient location without making it too easy.  You want to be a little cryptic.  The goal here is to make the teams work together to figure it out.  I tend to write my clues in sort of a rhyming riddle, but your options are completely open.  If rhyming isn’t your thing, try tricky word puzzles or encoded messages.  The method isn’t important, as long as it gets your teams to the right spot. 

Here’s a sample of one of my previous clues to give you an idea of where to start.  This clue lead to a small dock on the shore of Graveyard Pond (yep, that was its real name) in Erie, PA.  It wasn’t particularly brilliant, but it seemed to get the guests where they needed to go.

Across the road from Perry’s Monument,
You’ll find a forest path.
It follows the shore of a pond that bore,
The graves of soldiers past.

Graveyard Pond holds many secrets,
At its murky base.
Along the trail, you musn’t fail,
To find a docking place.

Look for a clearing amidst the brush,
A place for boats to tie.
Below the surface your bone awaits,
Your clue is sealed inside.

Once you come up with your clues, use the clue frame files below to print out your clues on each color of paper.  The silhouette of the ingredient on the clue should match the ingredient they will find at that location.  For example, the clue I listed above was printed on the skeleton clue frame. 

To lead the guests to their final party destination you could write another clue, but if you’re handy with a copier or Photoshop you may want to try this tricky method instead.  Use an internet map (like yahoo or mapquest) to map your home address.  Copy and paste the image into Photoshop and delete all the street names.  I usually leave one or two clues to give them an idea of what part of town their dealing with (like the freeway number shown in this clue).  From there, they’re on their own to figure out where the map is leading them.  It’s a great way to keep your guests guessing until the very end. 

Since the clues are such a big part of your planning (and because there are a tons of downloads associated with this post), I’ll hold off until tomorrow to post the next step.  Good luck, all you Wandas out there!  Happy clue writing.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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Hopefully you had a fabulous weekend of ingredient shopping.  Don’t worry if you haven’t found everything on your list.  You’ve got plenty of time.  I’m going to move ahead, but don’t worry about keeping pace.  I’m just trying to get you as much info as possible before October 1st.

Step 9: Set Up Your Teams & Choose Your Captains
Most of you will probably be sending out your invitations in the next few weeks.  Once you get your RSVPs back, it’s time to set up your teams.  It’s more fun for your teams if they can travel together on their hunt, so I usually group 6 people to a team.  I choose one couple to be captains and two other couples to be team members.  If your numbers don’t work out that way, just aim to make as many teams of six possible.  For example, if I’ve got 16 couples (32 people) on my RSVP list, I’d create 5 teams of 6 and one team of 8.  If you’ve only got 13 couples (26 people) on your list, I’d make 3 teams of 6 and one team of 8.  Don’t forget to add yourself to a team.

Your team captains will be responsible for explaining the rules to the team (more on this later), arranging transportation, and keeping track of the ingredients and clues.  They also set the pace for the rest of the team, so I like to choose the most enthusiastic and adventurous couples to be captains.  Once you’ve selected your captains and placed all your guests on a team write the complete list down on the Team and Clue Breakdown (you can find the file download below).

Step 10:  Confirm Your Clue Locations, Challenges & Ingredients
Hopefully you’ve had a little time to plan out your clue locations.  Now it’s time to jot them down and choose which ingredient you will hide at each location.  You’ll also want to arrange any challenges that will be associated with the clues (like the pumpkin patch challenge I mentioned previously).  Remember, challenges are a great way to spice up your hunt so try to incorporate at least a few into your game.  Here are a few I’ve done in the past:

Snake in the Sand:  The clue lead the teams to a old fallen log on a dark beach in Erie.  The clue informed them that their ingredient was buried somewhere within a 5 foot radius of the log.  The teams had to dig with their hands in all directions, in the dark, to find the deeply buried snake.

Scary Movie Search:  This clue lead the team to a local Blockbuster rental store.  The clue instructed the teams to search through the store to find the movie that the American Film Institute listed as their top pick for the scariest movie of all time (it was Psycho).  They had to guess at the movie and then take the case up to the checkout.  If they picked the right one, the clerk would hand over their eyeball ingredient.  If not, they were sent back to choose another.

Tunnel Puzzle:  This clue in Olathe, KS lead the teams to a dark walking path tunnel.  Along the floor of the tunnel we used chalk to write the scrambled details of the clue location.  The teams had to find all the letters and then unscramble the message to figure out that their bats were hidden in the light fixtures above. 

Whether you dump your ingredients in the bottom of a pool, tie them to the rafters of an old barn, or use a padlock and bury the combination, challenges are an excellent way force your teams to get creative and work together.  You’ll be amazed at the clever solutions they come up with.  Once you’ve figured out a few good ones for your game, make a note of them down on your Team and Clue Breakdown and then purchase the necessary supplies.  Good luck!  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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Now that the stores are fully stocked with Halloween merchandise.  It’s time to start shopping for your party supplies.  Don’t forget to keep track of your purchases on your Party Budget Planner.

Step 8:  Shop for Your Clue Hunt Supplies
Colored Paper:  In order to help the teams find their ingredients and clues, you’ll assign each team a color.  The clues you’ll create to lead the teams to the various locations will need to be printed on colored paper.  You’ll need about 10 pages of each of the following colors: red, green, blue, purple, orange, and gray.  If you have a Wal Mart nearby, you should pick up this multi-pack of paper in the office suppliessection.  It’s got all the colors except gray and it’s priced under $4.  While you’re there, pick up a pack of greeting card size envelopes (you’ll need at least 36).  You’ll use those to seal the emergency clues for each team.

Colored Electrical Tape:  Chances are, your teams will be hunting for their ingredients in the dark.  In order to help them find their team’s ingredient in the darkness, you’ll add a bold stripe of color with electrical tape.  Lowes seems to be the best place to find electrical tape.  They offer a multi-pack of white (I use that for the gray team), red, green, and blue for under $5.  You can also find single rolls of orange and purple in the electrical aisle.

Team Cauldrons:  These little plastic cauldrons are a great, weatherproof way for your teams to store their brew ingredients and keep track of their emergency clues.  I found mine a Target a few years ago.  I’m not sure if they’re stocking them this year.  If not, you should check your local party store or buy them on Amazon for $2.24 each.  You’ll need to pick up one for each team and then add a stripe of color to the neck with electrical tape.  You’ll also need one large cauldron for the ending location.  You can usually find these at party stores or on Amazon for $10.11. 

Brew Ingredients:  Generally, I like to have at least 5 clue locations (the 6th one will lead to your party destination) that means you’ll need 5 different types of brew ingredients.  You’ll need to pick up 6 of each, (ie 6 mice, 6 eyeballs, 6 bats, etc.)  When the teams open their clue, they’ll see a description of their next clue location as well as a small silhouette of the ingredient they’ll find there.  For that reason, it’s important you choose your five ingredients from this list of choices: pumpkin, eyeball, snake, skeleton or bone, mouse, spider, bat or bear hair (cut from a brown wig).  Don’t worry, they’re easy to find once you start looking.  Wal Mart, Target, Craft Stores, Drug Stores, and Dollar Stores are all great places to find inexpensive ingredients.  Whatever you pick, make sure your ingredients are small enough to hide easily and weatherproof.  Once you’ve got 6 of each type of ingredient, add a stripe of each color with the electrical tape and store them in a ziploc bag.

Sprinkler Flags:  If you’ve seen The Amazing Race, you’ll understand what these little flags are for.  Essentially, they’re a way to signal your teams that they’re in the right spot.  The clues can be tricky to discern at times, so these little flags can prevent your teams from getting too far off course.  I picked up these simple little sprinkler flags at Lowes and then used a magic marker to trace one of the Grand Witches’ Council logos onto the flags (you can find the file download for the template below).  Plant one deep into the ground at each clue location and you’re teams will know that their ingredient can’t be too far away.

While you’re out, you should also pick up a pack of inexpensive black spider rings and a ball of twine or a spool of thin black ribbon.  You’ll use these to attach the clues to the ingredients (more on this later).  If you’re planning to hide any of your clues under water, you should pick up a spool of fishing line as well.  You may also want to purchase your paper goods for your ending party.  The day of the party is a little crazy so I try to keep my refreshments simple.  I usually offer cider and hot cocoa with a variety of doughnuts.  Consequently, I usually purchase 50 small plates, napkins, and cups.  Good luck on your shopping adventures.  If you have any questions or find a great ingredient you’d like to share please post it in the comments area.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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Thanks for your question about the invitations, Christi.  That’s the next step in your plan.  As for your question about the shopping, Jen, it’s in the works.  I have a few more pictures to take, but I’m planning to post that next. 

Step 6:  Plan & Create Your Invitations
Nothing can kick start the pre-party excitement like a great invitation.  With this party, it’s essential.  Remember, your guests have no idea who they are receiving the invitation from, so giving them an attractive invitation with little extra info about the party will really help improve your RSVP odds.

I’m not a scrapbooker, so my invitations aren’t very elaborate.  I like to let the computer do all the work.  My overall goal it to keep the invitations relatively inexpensive and easy to whip out.  I’ve made several different versions in the past, but they all have the same basic info included: a little synopsis of the party, date and time info, and RSVP instructions.  In fact, if you’re curious, you can read this great post about one of my previous invitations on my friend Lisa’s blog (one of my favorite guests in Erie, PA).

I created a new, easy invitation for you guys to use this year.  You can find the free download below.  You can either duplicate the one pictured above or just use the text to create your own fabulous version.  In order to adapt the file easily, make sure you have the font Dolphin installed.  If you don’t, you can download it for free at FontStock.net.  If you’re unsure how to install it, check out Microsoft’s tutorial.  If you still have trouble, send me a comment and I’ll post some instructions.

To create an invitation like the one above you’ll need a few things: heavy white cardstock, black spider web scrapbook paper, glue dots, a paper trimmer, and standard no. 10 envelopes.  Download, adapt, and print the color version of the file below on white cardstock.  Crop the invitations and then use the glue dots to adhere it to the spider web paper (you should be able to fit two invites to a sheet).  From there, just trim the spider web paper to make the invitation fit neatly inside the envelope.

Step 7:  Print Your Envelopes
To keep your identity a secret, you’ll need to address the invitations with something other than your handwriting.  Personally, I like to print them using Microsoft Word because it’s fast, easy, and the font coordinates with my invitation.  If you haven’t done it before, just check out Microsoft’s tutorial on envelopes in the Help area of Word.  I’ll post the MS Word file download for the envelope below.  If printing directly to the envelope isn’t your thing, you could also try printing labels or having a friend address the envelopes for you.  Just be sure to list a false address in the return address area.

Generally, I like to send my invites about three weeks before the party.  You’ll need to know RSVP numbers at least ten days before the party to give you time to form teams and choose captains, so be sure to give your guests a strict deadline for replying. 

A little FYI: I know a lot of you are waiting to read all the instructions before deciding whether you’re up for this party.  My goal is to post every other day so you can have all the info as soon as possible (I’m estimating I’ll be done by the 1st of Oct).  Just to warn you, if you wait until you see everything, it might be tough to pull it all together fast enough.  My advice?  Take the plunge!  I promise, if you start plotting now, you’ll have everything you need to pull it off with style.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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