If you or another family member (even your child) wants to hold a party,you’ll need to have some hosting tips to make sure that everybody,especially your guests,feel homelike and enjoy themselves.
■Invitation
If you’re having a party,you should definitely send out invitation cards.Having everything written down insures that everyone will know when,where,what to bring,what to wear,etc.
If you’re just inviting over a couple of friends,a phone call works well enough,and a face-to-face invitation will be even better.Avoid email and text messaging unless you’re inviting over your friend who comes around every week anyhow.
■Preparation
Clean your house,car,etc.wherever the gathering will be.Neat and clean environment makes your guests feel comfortable and safe.It’s not about showing off.It’s about respecting your guest enough to not force them to sit in a dirty,messy area where they can catch some illness or trip and hurt themselves.
Ask about special diets.If your guest is diabetic,vegetarian,vegan,lactose intolerant,gluten intolerant,allergic to anything,etc.,find out before you plan the menu.The easiest way to find out is to inquire your guests!
Prepare sufficient food to eat and beverage to drink.If you just have a gathering for a few minutes,have tea,coffee,juice,soda,etc.and some snacks.For mornings,have brunch foods.For afternoons and evenings,have desserts and tasty snacks.If you’re planning a party,a get-together that will last more than several hours,or a gathering that happens during a typical meal time,you should prepare the meal advanced.Even if you don’t expect that your guests will stay for the meal,having one planned means that if they do stay later than expected,you can say,“why don’t you join us for dinner” and have all the ingredients and tableware prepared,so there’s no last-minute scrambling.
Put away anything that you don’t want your guests to see,touch,etc.This is especially important if your guests are children.Close the doors of rooms that are off limits,and lock them if possible.Most bedroom door locks can be locked from the inside and opened from the outside using a small key (or in some cases a screw driver or even a paper clip).Make sure that you can unlock the doors quickly and without much effort before your guests come around; otherwise,you’ll spend your time fumbling with the lock instead of tending to your guests.