So I’m EXTREMELY proud to announce the Kickstarter campaign and website launch for Persist the Game, a project that I’ve been working on with two of my closest friends, MB Pecha and Amber Hanson. Joey has also been helping us out a lot and is our chief designer
Persist is a game from the female perspective. It’s all about starting meaningful conversations around the challenges that women face navigating careers, relationships, wellness, and leisure/hobbies. While that sounds very intense on paper, it’s also has a lot of humor and we like to think of it as a soirée game, in other words, a fancy party game. So in honor of our launch, I thought it would be fun to share my tips for hosing a soirée, Persist style.
1. Food and Drinks: Obviously, the center piece for almost any party are food and drinks. As most of you are aware, I am a terrible cook, so preparing food for parties really freaks me out. Luckily, stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have some great options that take the stress out of food prep. For instance, recently, MB and I hosted a brunch for some of our friends, and I volunteered to lead up the food effort. My secret weapon was the prepared foods/bakery aisle at Whole Foods. I bought a few quiche, baguettes, pastries, and cheeses. It was super easy and after carefully arranging all my finds on some beautiful platters, cutting boards, and cake pedestals, it looked restaurant quality. MB also bought colorful Italian Sodas and champagne to round out the brunch.
2. Ambiance: So now you have the food covered, the next step is creating a great ambiance. I think there are two major keys to succeeding at this. First, you must have good music. I’m all about curating playlists for my parties, but if you don’t have time, you can easily select a Pandora station or a Spotify playlist. Depending on how I’m feeling, I’ll either play music from our record player, or I’ll just use my Amazon Echo for tunes. I’m also a member of Vinyl Moon, a record subscription service that sends a monthly compilation record. It’s always got really awesome music, so lately that’s been my source for music. The second key to having great ambiance at your party is the decor. This is my favorite part of hosting a party, and the best news is it doesn’t have to break the bank — all you need is a trip to your local thrift store. I’ve bought beautiful glassware, serving dishes, linens, and candleholders at Goodwill over the years. It definitely takes patience and a good eye, so if you have the space in your abode, I would definitely recommend collecting finds each time you go thrifting. Then you have a full stock of party goods ready for any occasion. Another super easy way to decorate is with flowers and plants.
3. Fun: Last, but not least, you need to have some type of fun activity at your party. Sometimes good conversation is enough, but it’s not always easy to get the conversation flowing, especially if your guests don’t all know each other. That’s where a game like Persist comes in. Persist takes the pressure off the hostess having to lead the conversation. Instead, it allows for players to get to know each other a very deep level. It’s not for the faint hearted — some of the more controversial topics include pap smears, Tinder dates, and camel toe; however, the good news is the game is designed so you only share what you are comfortable with. You aren’t forced to talk about anything you don’t want to.
So those are my tips for hosting a stellar party. I definitely ask that you check out the Persist the Game website and consider pledging to our Kickstarter. There are some pretty awesome tiers, including some custom designed bags and posters from Joey.