How to Entertain and Stay Relaxed

Everyone loves a good party. However, sometimes being the host or hostess can bring on a lot of stress. You want the celebration to be just right. You are worried that there might not be enough food. You feel like you’re scrambling instead of enjoying the day. But with some good preparation, and a few deep breaths, you’ll find yourself jumping right in on the festivities.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. When planning a menu, make a lot of your dishes ahead of time. Even if you can do some things a few hours before your party, it will help. Try not to do anything too involved at the last minute, or while your guests are present. If you need to excuse yourself to go pop something into the oven, then go ahead, but try not to actually do any complicated, or time-consuming, cooking.

2. Make sure that all the drinks are out and ready to go. Designate a table just for drinks, and let it be easy for your guests to help themselves. Provide an ice bucket, glasses, corkscrew, bottle opener, and tongs, as well as the drinks themselves. If you’re serving hors d’oeuvres, put some out on your coffee table before your first guests arrive. Make them simple. Offer an array of cheese and crackers, stuffed olives and hummus with pita toast, or tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil.

3. Have your music picked out and playing beforehand. Play something fun but soothing, like jazz. It will help you to relax, and will make the set-up work more appealing. If you have a multiple CD player, fill it with CDs that you’d like to have playing throughout the party, and then you won’t have to worry about putting any in later.

4. Take some personal time before the party begins. Take a long shower or bath, take your time getting dressed, and prepare in whatever way you need to. It will only create more stress if you rush around, so leave yourself plenty of time to get ready.

5. Clean your house the day before. Yes, it might get somewhat dirty again – particularly if you have children. But it will still be clean enough, and you don’t want to have to do any last-minute cleaning. If absolutely necessary, give the floor one last going-over. But don’t do anything major. Even if you notice the dirt, chances are your guests will not - or if they do, they most likely will not care.

6. Have all the details covered.
   
   • Where will the coats go? You can either hang them up in a closet, or drape them across a bed. If you opt for the closet, make sure you have enough empty hangers.
   
   • Do you have enough chairs for people to sit down? If you need more, borrow some from friends. Folding chairs work well - just make sure they are comfortable enough. If they seem hard to you, place pillows on the seats.
   
   If your party is more informal, try placing a few large pillows on the floor for your guests to sit on. Some people don’t mind sitting on the floor. Others might even enjoy it immensely.
   
   • Are there any rooms that you want to be off-limits to your guests? If so, turn out the lights in that room, and close the door. Your guests will get the hint.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask a close friend or family member to come over to help you before the party starts, if you feel that you need it. As well as helping with the preparations, they might relax you and help you focus.
• If you do have to rush a little, do so in a light and winsome way. Make a joke about it, or have a bit of conversation while you whiz by. It will make the difference between a sober, stilted party, and a relaxing, jovial one.