5 Tips to Help you survive Hosting

While I prepare to have Easter at my own home, I thought I would share a few of my tips with you that I’ve learned along the way of entertaining. I mean I know to some it’s not that big of a deal, and to some the task of hosting can be quite daunting. So here are a few things I do to prepare for entertaining in our home.

1. De-clutter ahead of Time : 4-5 days prior to company arriving I start the cleaning process in our house. And by start, I mean start to pick up things that don’t normally belong in that space. With little kids it’s not realistic to clean the house days prior to guests arriving and expect it to stay that way for more than 24 hours, heck(!) how about 20 min ?! So I “start” picking up everyday clutter, piles that have over-flowed, large toys – or things they stopped playing with 2-days ago. That way when it’s time to “clean-clean” it doesn’t feel like an overwhelming process, because I’ve already begun to put away all of our unnecessary messes. {P.S. I also start planning my menu. Scoping out any recipes I want to try, writing down each course. That way when it’s time to grocery shop, I have everything written down and I’m ready to go.}

2. Set the Table : 3-5 days ahead ahead of time, set the table! You will be surprised at how much this really helps out in being prepared! I will admit, I like to be prepared, but I’m more of a last minute procrastinator. You know the kind that produces her best work when the clock strikes midnight. Well that may have worked in high school, but one thing I learned early on once the hubby and I were married and we started to entertain, doing things that can be done ahead of time avoids and last minute rushing around. I’ll admit I have a knack for working well under pressure, but when you’re married to someone whose life motto is “On-time is arriving 10 minutes early”, doing things ahead of time can not only help out in the long run, but be a little easier on our spouse/family when you are entertaining. Now I do it a few days prior to people coming over, and it’s made things SO much easier. I can focus on the table, and all the little details I want to put into the table without feeling rushed, or pressure because the doorbell just rang!

3. Shop & Prep : 2 Days before our big shin-dig I grocery shop. I get all the ingredients I need, flowers for the table, and start setting up. Instead of waiting until the moment I need to lay out all the appetizers or find a spot to put the desserts. I start to clear off spaces that I will use to serve. I move furniture around to offer optimal space in the kitchen for different stations. This assures that traffic flow is smooth, and everyone isn’t trying to hover over one spot, unless it’s the dessert table!! I move the bench out of our kitchen, and put a narrow console table in it’s place. Now I have an extra spot for food so everyone isn’t crowding me as I’m pulling things out of the oven and finishing up any last minute things. I pull out any extra plates or serving pieces we will be using and make sure they are clean and ready to go. No scrambling at the last minute for that cute little oval white platter that’s not too small, and not as big as the rectangle one I use for cheese & crackers 🙂

4. Clean & Sweets : The day before our guests are due to arrive I put on my favorite tunes and do my best Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) impersonation, LOL! Seriously I love watching the detail she puts into every meal. The day before I make my desserts, and anything else I can do to make cooking the day of, less hectic. If anything can be done the day before so it just needs to reheat in the oven the day of, consider it done! And now is when I really clean. I will totally confess, the old me would have just cleaned an hour before everyone was due to arrive. However, that ends up putting unnecessary stress on my helpers – aka the kids and my hubby. Nobody likes snappy mommy running around barking orders. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses. One thing I want my kids to embrace about hosting is that its enjoyable for not only those coming over, but for those hosting guests as well. And when I wait until the last minute, I become a stress ball who isn’t nice to my family, and that’s not really relaying the message  I want to. So lesson learned, I clean the day before. And it doesn’t take as long because I’ve already picked up a lot of the “extra” items that clutter the house.

5. Eat & Enjoy : The day of I figure out how long the rest of the food will take to cook, and plan accordingly. A half hour before everyone is due to arrive, I light a candle, and start pulling out appetizers, and put on some dinner music. That way when guests start showing up they are greeted by sweet aromas and a smile on my face. Because I’ve done my work – I’ve planned, I’ve prepped, I’m prepared! The 3 “P’s”. From a last minute procrastinator – planning ahead has made entertaining, something that I’ve always loved to do, so much more enjoyable! Give yourself grace, after all your hard work, don’t forget to sit back and relax and enjoy your company. As much as I love to prep and plan and host, I’m most looking forward to the quality time spent together.

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