As a family we host endless kids’ play dates and sleepovers, children’s birthday parties and family get togethers in our home. Here are my 9 tips for hosting parties at home without freaking out and getting sweaty.
GIT Tip #1: Keep your guest list reasonable and under control & make hard decisions if you really want the weirdo friend joining and shifting the energy of the group. You don’t, so man up and don’t serve up that invite.
GIT Tip #2: Get yourself dressed and put together first! If you love what you’re wearing you’ll not only feel better, but, you’ll be a more relaxed & confident hostess. Then get your house cleaned up and presentable, lastly your kids. You know what time your party is starting so do generous math and back it up to allow plenty of time to accomplish all of this. Enlist your husband and anyone else’s help, delegate tasks then you can fix whatever isn’t to your liking.
GIT Tip #3: Loosen yourself up! 15 minutes before guests arrive light candles, turn on lamps, make your home beautiful to show it off! Then pour some wine & enjoy the scene that you’ve created for your party.
GIT Tip #4: Do not micro-manage your party, your husband, your children or your guests. You decided it’d be “fun” to throw a party so chill out, get rid of your nervous energy and let go as your home becomes a disaster zone. I’m the hugest neat freak and even I can sit back & not let what everyone is doing to my house not bug me! Tips to fix the mess in another blog…
GIT Tip #5: Keep the children in a centrally located spot with room to spread out, but, in no way does that mean running throughout all of your home and party. Boundaries=Easier Clean Up!
GIT Tip #6: Set up an organized lay-out for your guests so they have easy access to water, vino, napkins, food! The more they feel comfortable in your home the better time they’ll have (and less serving you’ll have to do) and you’ll get to conversate and have fun with everyone!
GIT Tip #7: Make a plate of food for yourself and set it to the side. You’ll be serving your guests super awesome food and you want to be able to enjoy & savor the tastes instead of shoveling it into your mouth while you’re trying to conversate and serve guests. This will give you something to look forward to after all of the clean-up.
GIT Tip #8: If you have some real “work horse” guests vs “lazies” at your party chomping at the bit wanting to clean up, let them have at it! Well, that is unless everyone else is still eating because I’ve been to parties where I’m still trying to eat and my plate is removed. That is the epitome of your guests being crazy freaks themselves, no crazy freaks please.
GIT Tip #9: After all your guests leave your home, strike a deal with your husband to shock and awe the situation: Your husband gets the kids away from you and puts them to bed, you clean up the kitchen, then you re-convene so you can enjoy your food and wine in peace and talk about all the weird things your relatives just said to you.
