Super Bowl®: Looks Like Team Spirit

• Anchor your game day theme with a big football-shaped cake or mylar balloon in the middle of your buffet table. Drape pennants and streamers throughout your party space.
• Stock plenty of football-themed paper plates, napkins and cups.
• For major wow factor, go online and order life-size cardboard cutouts of your favorite football heroes and set them up for photo ops. Win extra points by sending copies to your guests after the party.
• Encourage your pals to dress in team colors. As host, you are entitled to wear black and white referee stripes. Don't forget your whistle!
• Face paints. Got 'em? Use 'em. But be sure to provide the means for washing them off at the end of the game. Hint: don't use the good towels.
• Use colored masking tape to divide the TV room into opposing sides.
• Whip up crepe paper pom poms for your cheering sections.
• Need to protest a bad call? Supply plenty of small foam footballs for tossing at the TV.
• Ask all of your guests to autograph a real football, and then give it away as a prize for winning a Super Bowl trivia contest.
• Go to a party supply or novelty store and look for big plastic costume jewelry rings. Give them away as "Super Bowl Championship Ring" party favors. The more bling, the better.

• Does your invitation include the kids? Set them up with their own viewing room. Provide kid-friendly snacks and beverages, and a stack of games and movies. If there are a couple of responsible teenagers in the group, pay them to keep an eye on the younger ones.
• If you're going to sound off with noisemakers and air horns, you might want to invite the neighbors in - or at least give them advance warning. Send them some homemade cookies and a thank you note afterwards.
• Weather permitting, shoo everyone outside after the halftime show to run around and stretch their legs. Organize a football toss or take a whack at a football piñata.
• Decide ahead of time when you're going to close the bar, and then start serving coffee so your guests make it home safely.

While you're at the store stocking up on chips and beer, be sure to add these indispensable items to your grocery cart:

• Large, sturdy garbage bags
• Carpet cleaner. (You never know.)
• Baking soda (Cleans porcelain and metal, and absorbs odors)
• Paper towels
• Rubber gloves
• All-purpose surface cleaner

• Be sure to separate recyclable glass, plastic and aluminum items from the trash.
• Empty your dishwasher beforehand to make room for dirty dishes and utensils during cleanup.
• Vacuum immediately so crumbs don't get ground into your carpets or tracked through the house.