Party Planning Made Simple

iPhone apps. There really is an app for everything. The Simple Soiree Planner helps you make guest lists using your contacts lists, send invitations, track RSVPs and special requests, keep to-do lists, print out letters and lists and more.

For the food, Epicurious has a great app that lets you look up fantastic recipes then makes a shopping list for you and provides you with step-by-step cooking instructions. Party Planner is a great tool for planning your liquor, beer and wine needs. You plug in some variables such as number of guests and type of cocktails, beer or wine you want to serve, and it will give you a shopping list. You can also email lists to other people who are helping you with the party.

Every party has a great soundtrack, if you're using iTunes for your party mix you can use the

Remote app to control the music or edit the playlist on the fly. Want someone else to help? You can give them access to your playlist if they also have this app.

After all that partying, you want to make sure no one drinks and drives. Taxi Magic has you covered there and will show you all available taxis based on your GPS location and let you hail one with the push of a button.

Countertop dishwasher. If you're not using disposable plates, glasses and utensils, throwing a party means committing to doing dishes. How you'll clean up needs to be part of your plan, so let tech help! If you don't have a dishwasher because of space concerns, an energy-efficient countertop model can make a big difference in clean up--you might even want to keep it around all the time. If you do have a dishwasher, a little extra help could expand your dishwashing capabilities without a committing to a bigger dishwasher full-time. If you don't need one of these all the time, you could own one jointly with a group of fellow party-throwing friends.

The Microchiller. Sometimes part of planning is having a backup. You've done your best to estimate how much drink to keep on ice and when to serve it. Don't stress if you're a little off or if you forgot to chill some bottles before guests arrived, the Microchiller's got your back. It will chill seven bottles of wine or champagne in less than 10 minutes.

Need some tips on how to throw a party? This helpful PSA from 1950 answers the question "What's a Good Party?" Watch and learn!

So, party people, what technology do you find absolutely life-saving when it comes to party planning?