BoomerGirl Diary

It's just days (or hours) until Sunday's big rumble in Super Bowl XLII, and your better half has just invited a slew of folks over to watch the game. Like any winning coach, you need a game plan — quick!

There are, of course, the Super Bowl party basics that no good host or hostess would go without — a working TV (preferably a jumbo-large one with theater-quality surround sound, but frankly anything with a good color picture and sound will do), lots of food (wings, pizza, chili), and plenty to drink. But the little things could cause the biggest party fumbles. And even if you have Martha Stewart tendencies, a last-minute checklist is always a good thing. Take notes.

Play # 1

Stock the bathroom with toilet paper, hand sanitizer and disposable hand towels. Lose the "for show" guest towels for the day. They are bound to get messed up, plus, everyone using the same towel to clean their hands just isn't sanitary. Don't forget the air freshener.

Play #2

Ditch fancy punch bowls and glasses. This is one party where you can "keep it real." Have some old tubs or large coolers around the house? Clean them out and fill them to the brim with ice and bottled and canned refreshments. Plastic cups will do fine for drinking. (Isn't that what the players on the sidelines drink out of?)

Play #3

Think traffic flow and turnovers. When setting up food, dessert and drinks, consider where guests will travel with their loaded-down plates. Most likely there will be gooey dips and slippery salsa — sure to make a mess if dropped. For damage control, buy the sturdy disposable plates. "Napkins in hand won't do!" says Anne DeCocco of Anne DeCocco Interior Design in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Set up your spread where the floors are easy to clean. Consider placing your food and drink stations on a couple of tables or on an island in the kitchen, or in the dining room (with your nice chairs put away in another room), where there are tile or wood floors.

And if you value that fancy Persian or Target rug in the family room, roll it up just for the evening. (Folks can get kind of rowdy when a quarterback gets sacked on the goal line.)

One more thing, DeCocco points out, "This is probably one of the only times more than one person will be sitting on the couch. Make sure you have some place for people to put down their plates and drinks." Keep coasters and chargers in plain sight. Or, if you don't have enough to go around, cover your nice wood or glass end tables and coffee tables with plastic tablecloths cut down to size. If you can find table covers in team colors, you'll look, well, festive. I still would keep cleaners and some rags handy — just in case.

Play #4

Will kids be there? Give them a space of their own. Set up a "kiddie zone" — away from the grown folks — with games, movies and activities (maybe a foosball table, easy crafts or puzzles). If the room is truly kidproof (no carpet that can get stained or furniture that can be ruined), you also can set up a child-size spread.

Halftime rush

Restock the eats, drinks and toiletries before the halftime entertainment hits the stage. You can count on a mad rush to the food and the bathroom. Make sure that the trash containers are ready to receive more trash.

Sideline action

Some in the crowd might not be interested in The Game. An evening of games or movies (Lifetime or Turner Classic) in another part of the house might be nice.

A Hail Mary

This is really more of an act of good sportsmanship. If alcoholic beverages will be served, designate a non-drinking guest ahead of time to ferry home those who drink a little too much.

Not to leave anyone out, Barbara Clark, owner of An Elegant Affair, a party planning company in Raleigh, N.C., offered another idea. "Everyone can pitch in and you can hire a local limousine service or van to take people home," she said.

Either way, tidying up the guest room might be a good move. A guest or two might need to camp out at your place for the night.