6 Ways Your Online Calendar Can Bring Fun to the 4th of July The 4th of July is around the corner, and it's time to start planning — especially if you're hosting this year. Planning a party isn't always easy. Not only do...

The 4th of July is around the corner, and it's time to start planning — especially if you're hosting this year. Planning a party isn't always easy. Not only do you have to invite the guests, but you have to figure out the venue, menu, decoration, games, etc.

Plan Early to Have a Successful 4th of July Party

To ensure your party is successful, you need to be organized. A good way to do that is by integrating the right tools. For instance, an online calendar. An online calendar can keep you on track and connected. In this article, we share a list of ways your online calendar can help you have a fun 4th of July:

1. Separate Your Calendars

One of the best features of online calendars is that you can create a new calendar for different parts of your life. Meaning, that you can have an online calendar dedicated to your job and another for planning events, like your fourth of July party.

Separating your calendars can help you stay organized, while still effectively multi-tasking. With that said, it's a good idea to title your calendars appropriately. For example, if one calendar is dedicated to your job, consider titling it "Work Calendar." Your online calendar will then automatically highlight everything for work in a certain color. It'll do the same for your other calendars, too. That way, when you have all your calendars up, you'll know what task or meeting is for what.

2. Sync Your Calendar

Planning a party can be stressful. Not only do you have to coordinate with your guests, but with the people helping you put everything together. Whether that's your caterer or a guest, you want to be accessible. But you don't want to have to keep checking your phone, email, Slack, or another type of communication platform.

And since you can't force other people to use a specific platform, consider syncing your apps to your calendar. When you sync everything it all goes to one place — even if someone sends you a meeting invite through another software. If you're using marketing software to plan your event, you can even sync that event to your online calendar.

3. Schedule Meetings

Chances are, you're going to need to arrange a few meetings while planning your 4th of July party. It's no secret arranging meetings can be stressful due to everyone's busy schedules. Well, that's where an online calendar can come in handy. For example, Google calendar can suggest times based on everyone's schedules.

All you have to do is create the meeting event and add the guest's email addresses. Then, click "suggested times." You'll then see a list of times when every meeting guest can attend. It's important to keep in mind that Google is determining this information based on your guest's calendars. If their calendar isn't up-to-date, this feature won't be helpful.

4. Block Off Time

Speaking of keeping your calendar up-to-date, make sure to block off time when you don't want to be reached. Whether you're going to a doctor's appointment or just want some peace and quiet, setting this up ensures you aren't interrupted with notifications. There are several ways you can go about blocking off time, depending on your calendar's features.

One way is by simply creating a task, event, or appointment slot on your calendar. Regardless of the option you choose, make sure it's titled correctly. For instance, you could title it "Away from computer" or "Doctor's appointment," depending on how much you want to share. Then, simply go to your settings and mute notifications during that task, event, or appointment.

5. Create an Event for Your 4th of July Party

Your plate is already full planning this 4th of July party. You don't want to add more to your list by personally calling to invite every single guest. While that might be a nice gesture, it's time-consuming. Not to mention, that can make it difficult to keep track of who's coming and who's not. Instead, consider creating an event on your calendar and inviting guests via email.

Make sure your event has all the necessary information. For example, when the party is, where, directions, and anything else your guest should know. You should also leave a note requesting guests confirm their attendance by clicking "yes" or "no" via the calendar event. This keeps you from having to track down people

6. Use the Email Feature

Let's say you've created the event, but something has changed. Maybe the time moved, or the location. You can email all your guests at once without manually adding the email addresses.

Simply click on your event. Then, you'll see an envelope icon. Once you click that, type what you want to say, and then press send. Your note will automatically go to every recipient, without you having to do much.

You can also include attachments if there's a flyer or picture you want to add. Not to mention, you can add specific meeting locations. To do so, simply click "Where" on the event. You can manually enter an address or, if Google Maps is synched, you can use that.

Festive 4th of July parties are a tradition and are usually filled with barbequed food, patriotic decor, and games. At a party I attended for the 4th last year — the food was fantastic with great salads, fresh fruit, and several meat, (and non-meat) options.

The home had hired a babysitter for the kids to bounce in a bounce house, jump in a wading pool, and watch a Disney movie and the adults sat and listened (or danced) to a live band — and that was fun.

A whole lot has to happen in the background for a party to be successful. If you're hosting this year, consider using an online calendar to help. The tips above show you how to get the most out of your online calendar this summer.

Image Credit: by Jonathan Petersson; Pexels; Thank you!

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