Hosting Tips

Hey everyone it’s so good to be a part of this month’s Not Just A Mom link-up. Today we are going to talk about ‘How We Host’. I love having people over to my house but life and lack of energy after a long working week can sometimes get in the way. I have found seasons in my life when we have hosted dinner parties and get-togethers regularly. At the moment we are not really in that season. Except for when it’s my turn to host our fun monthly family dinners. But I am sure that eventually, we will go back to hosting more frequently. So for today’s post, I thought that it would be fun to share some hosting tips that I have found very useful when I have people over.

JUST DO IT!

Even though my house is small and the whole layout of my place is kind of awkward for entertaining. I don’t let that put me off because there are so many ways to get creative and make any space work. I did a post on How To Entertain In A Small Space it has some simple hosting tips that you might find helpful if you live in a small place as I do.

So I always keep in mind that at the end of the day friends and family really don’t care what my house looks like or whether it’s big or small. I’m pretty certain that they are more than happy to be invited over to spend time sharing a meal and just being together. When it comes to hosting I stick to the Nike slogan and JUST DO IT!

START WITH A GREAT CHEESE BOARD

Have a cheese board for when your guests arrive. This is the one thing that I always make sure that I have ready. Gathering around a board made up of cheese, nuts, cold meats and dried fruit makes everyone happy! It’s the most perfect way to start off the gathering and it is probably number one on my list of hosting tips. I then offer drinks and I can swoosh off into the kitchen to organise the final touches. I know that everyone is entertained and enjoying drinks and cheese while I get everything ready to go.

MAKE IT SIMPLE

Don’t stress! Try and make everything as simple as possible so that you can enjoy the moment too! I know that when I host I want to be part of the fun conversations and laughs too. There is no way that I want to be stuck in the kitchen stressing because believe me I have been there and done that before and it was no fun!

FOOD

I guarantee that everyone loves and appreciates any kind of food. As my family has grown to include partners with food intolerances I try and cater for everyone while still remembering to keep the menu simple. One of the most helpful hosting tips is to have maybe one or two dishes that include meat, a big salad as well as a couple of vegetarian/gluten and dairy-free dishes. For sides, I will always have plain rice (for my little cousin Ella) and bread rolls or garlic bread. Easy peasy!!

USE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS

There are so many biodegradable plates and cutlery available now. So this is a great option. Don’t let the horror of piles of dishes after the fun event put you off from hosting.

OUTSOURCE

The perfectionist in me always wants to do everything!! But this is not always possible. So now I have learnt that it’s totally ok to outsource. When it’s my turn to host our monthly family dinners. I try and make my life easier and look at what I can buy that is ready-made.

So I have been buying premade salads and it has made things so much easier. I am also not a great dessert maker so I will always buy dessert. Don’t stress about making everything yourself from scratch. Outsource and enjoy!!

ACCEPT HELP

If someone offers to bring something then go ahead and let them. It’s totally ok to accept help and people are more than happy to contribute. I have to remember that I am not up for the hostess of the year award and accepting help is perfectly ok!!

HAVE A FUN PLAYLIST

Make a fun playlist that includes some mellow music as well as some fun upbeat music. You never know if your gathering might end up turning into a dance party or a crazy fun karaoke night! So it’s a good idea to be prepared!

SMALL GIFTS FOR YOUR GUESTS

A fun thing that I like to do when I host dinner parties is to give my guests a small gift to take home. It’s never anything expensive or fancy. In the past, I have wrapped up things like chocolates, iced cookies, and personalised mini Nutella jars. I make sure to present it nicely by making up some cute gift tags to go with it.

These are a few of my hosting tips! Thanks so much for stopping by to have a read. I really hope that you have a great day.