Things NOT TO DO before your party…
Hosting a gathering doesn’t need to be overwhelming or tons of work. I think a fear of this keeps some of us from having people over. Keep it simple and casual so that you can be a guest at your own party.
Don’t wait until you have a nicer or bigger home or until you have nicer furniture or nicer dishes!
I decided decades ago that people are more important than things. Your friends just want to share a fun evening with you. They don’t care how your home, furnishings or place settings measure up to someone else’s.
Don’t procrastinate! Set a date, invite guests and then worry about the details.
There will never be a perfect time to invite friends over. Just make a basic decision about what kind of evening you want to host; game night, casual dinner, barbecue, picnic. Then set a date and time, make the calls and invite your guests. Now that you are committed you can finalize the details; menu, shopping lists, decor if any, activities if any.
Don’t deep clean your house!
Don’t overwhelm yourself with deep cleaning or you will never have anyone over. You don’t need to clean out all your kitchen cupboards, the office, the garage, or the basement. Just stick to the public areas that your guests will actually see. Clean the entry, the powder room and the area that you will be entertaining in. If I have a bunch of people coming over I will run a vacuum around and dust but I don’t mop all my wood floors unless of course they are filthy! I mop AFTER a bunch of feet have tracked dirt all over the floors.
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Keep the food simple, yummy and easy!
First of all, if you aren’t confident about the food, just have everyone bring a snack or appetizers… you don’t need to serve dinner. Or just serve dessert. You can also order in or combine store-bought items with one or two home cooked dishes.
When I’m serving dinner I usually plan something tried and true for which I can do a lot of preparation ahead of time. I also usually spread the work by making food assignments to my guests. For the pizza party I did most of the prep the day before- cooked the sausage and bacon, made the sauce, chopped all the veggies except the mushrooms, shredded the cheese. I also set the table the day before.
Since my guests were bringing the salad and dessert, all I and had to do the day of the party was make the pizza dough, assemble the pizzas and bake them. After assembling the pizzas I wiped the counters and put everything away. I put the pizzas in the oven about five minutes before my guests arrived- no last-minute rushing around.
Same menu… different guests!
I’ve been hosting a Halloween luncheon for many years. My biggest secret is that I usually serve a menu that I’ve served several other times… I just invite different ladies! My planning is already done because I keep a record of my entertaining; recipes, shopping lists, notes etc. Find a menu that you love and are confident with. Use it over and over again with different guests each time.
One final tip with a caveat: Don’t try a new recipe before testing!
Shhhh… don’t tell, but I actually do use new recipes quite often without testing them first. But I’m an experienced and confident cook and party guru. If I’m planning food for a more formal occasion like a baby/bridal shower, anniversary or wedding, I will definitely test the recipes first.
Want to know what you SHOULD DO before a party? FIND OUT on the next page to find out what NOT to do before your next party.
