Problem: Article: It's best to decide this in advance so that you're able to invite the people you want and have the party that you want. Choosing the date will tell you how much time you have to get things ready. Unless you're only having a small get-together, you'll want to make sure that your guests have enough time to plan to make your party. You also want to take into consideration things like the weather, other events that are happening, when you're picking the date. For example: you don't want to plan an outdoor party in the middle of winter (or if you do, you'll want to make sure both yourself and your guests are prepared). You will need to know how much money you have to spend on the party since this will mean that you may need to come up with creative solutions in terms of food and drinks and entertainment. It's a good idea to set out how much money you're willing to spend in certain categories: drinks, food, entertainment, decorations, etc. You can also think about what you would like to be able to do (have a 20s themed party, etc.) and figure out ways to make that possible on a limited budget (for example: print out prohibition era images, drape your lamps in fabric, tape bead chains to your ceiling, to give the effect of a 20s speakeasy). This could be a birthday party, a cocktail party, some sort of special celebration, or just a friendly get-together with your favorite people. How you prepare for the party will depend on how big it is, how lavish it is and what it is the party is about. There are certain logistics to consider for different types of parties. For example, if you're planning a surprise birthday party for a friend, you have to make sure that they'll be available, that other people don't spoil the surprise, that you have a way to get the friend to the party, and so on. Now it's time to figure out who you're inviting and how many people you're inviting. This will depend on things like the timing of the party, what kind of party it is, and what your budget is. If you're having the party in your house or a friend's house, consider how many people you can comfortably fit into it (or not; maybe you'll all be dancing up on one another). If you've decided to have a nice dinner party, then you should probably keep down the number of people you're inviting. Make sure that you invite people you find interesting and who might find one another interesting. The worst thing is when you invite people who are really unsuitable for one another and don't mesh well (for example: your friend from your punk rock group and your boyfriend's corporate work cronies). Now that you know what kind of party you're having and how many people you're inviting it's time to figure out where you're going to have the party. If it's a dinner party or a small group of friends, it's fine to have it at your house or apartment. If it's going to be bigger you might want to start considering alternate options. You also want to make sure that you're aware of the limitations offered by the different locations you're considering. For example: if you're having the party at your house and you only have a hot plate, or a very small stove, you might want to avoid food that you have to make, or you might want to farm out that task on a friend. If your party is too big for your house consider different options like: having outside at the park or in a greenhouse, having it at a museum, going to a state park and having it there, renting some sort of hall. Have the appropriate seating. If you're having a sit-down dinner you will definitely need to make sure that you have a seat for each person. Even if you're having a buffet style meal, you'll want to make sure that people can sit down and eat (otherwise you'll be having more spills to clean up). Parties have to have something that makes them enjoyable and makes them successful. This can be anything from a sweet playlist to a full scale swing band, board games (or something like Cards Against Humanity), a theme (like a noir murder mystery party), or anything you want. The more people you have the harder it would be to have a party that is about games, because it would be hard to organize all those people (not impossible, if you really want to). For large parties having music and a dance floor is a good idea. You can even do a craft style party (or a letter writing party). Have everyone bring there supplies; provide tea or alcohol and have at it. This is another reason why it's good to plan ahead, and also why it's good to ask people to bring something. You don't want to run out of drinks or food during the party. A good idea for drinks is to have one signature drink (in addition to the beer and wine people usually bring). It could be something like champagne (classy); you can get Prosecco for half the price. You could also do something like a pitcher of Sangria, or margaritas. Make sure that you have drinks for the nondrinkers and the designated drivers, if this is a party with alcohol. You can do something fun for them like having bubbly water with a little fruit juice and some fruit. For some creative food ideas you might try fondue (you can have cheese fondue with bread and veggies and things, and a dessert fondue with bits of cake or strawberries dipped in chocolate). You could do your food buffet style and have a theme (like Mexican food night). Have people bring a little something. To make the party planning and throwing easier on you, ask people to bring something, like some appetizers, a nice wine or some beer. This way all the food and drink planning won't rest entirely on your shoulders. A good idea is to make a list of the food and drinks that you want at your party. Mark down which ones you are capable (and your kitchen) is capable of handling and then ask your guests to pick something that they can bring. Make sure that you enlist a couple of your closest friends to help you clean up after the party so you aren't stuck doing it by yourself. Depending on the time of the party (afternoon, all night, morning, etc.) you may want to wait and clean up the next day. Put on some music to help get you through the boring parts of the clean up and if you're with friends chat about the party and how much fun you had. It will make you less irritated that you're having to clean everything up, if you remember why you're doing it.
Summary: Choose the date. Decide on your budget. Figure out the type of party. Choose the guests. Pick the location. Pick the entertainment. Have enough food and drink. Clean up.

Problem: Article: Dump in 1 tablespoon (14.3 grams) of salt for every cup (250 milliliters) of water you use. Make sure the caramel is completely submerged under water. Do not dump the water out beforehand, no matter how murky or dingy it may look. By now, the salt should have weakened the stuck-on caramel, causing it to lift off the sides of the pot as soon as the water heats up. Gently scrub the sides of the pot with a dish sponge. Any remaining caramel should lift off without much difficulty. Use running water to remove any residual flakes of caramel.
Summary:
Fill an enamel pot or pan with salt water. Allow the salt water to sit in the pot overnight. Boil the salt water inside the pot the following day. Dump the water. Rinse the pot.