The holidays are coming up, and that means food, gifts, and back to back parties. Some of us have been hosting parties for years and can probably set one up in our sleep. Meanwhile, some of us have absolutely no idea where to begin. If you’re in the latter category, don’t fret! Here’s a handy guide for hosting your very own holiday party.
Plan out the space
Prepare a space for guests to hang up their coats, scarves, and umbrellas. Move furniture close to the wall so there’s more open space to mingle. Put away any precious or fragile items to avoid the risk of a tipsy guest accidentally knocking something onto the floor. Ensure there’s adequate seating for everyone at the party, be it dining chairs, bar stools, sofas, armchairs, beanbags, or even lounge chairs on your balcony or porch.
Deep clean before and after
You wouldn’t want to welcome guests into a house with grimy bathrooms and dusty upholstery, would you? Take this opportunity to deep clean your house from top to bottom. Dust and wipe every surface, vacuum floors and rugs, scrub down the toilets and tiles, and just make sure that every room that guests will have access to is squeaky clean. If you don’t have the time or energy, you can hire a cleaning service instead.
After the party, you’ll have a lot of cleaning up to do as well. Mop the floors and wipe the surfaces used for eating. You may need to send the rugs and upholstery for professional cleaning to get rid of food stains. Contact Evergreen Junk Removal in Fort Myers for easy waste disposal of food waste, wine bottles, disposable dinnerware, and other party paraphernalia.
Identify preferences and dietary restrictions
Before deciding on the menu, determine if your guests have any allergies or food restrictions. Some people have rare or unusual allergies, so it’s safer to ask the guests directly instead of making assumptions. It would be embarrassing to have a guest go hungry at your party because you neglected to take them into account. As a general rule, you should include meat, chicken or fish, vegetables, salad, soup, grains or potatoes, party poppers, at least one dessert, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and lots of water.
Jazz up the rooms
It’s not a party without decorations. You don’t necessarily have to go all out, but adding thematic touches like a Christmas tree or fairy lights really adds to the party’s atmosphere. Light a scented candle that suits the occasion to really get everyone in the celebratory spirit.
Hosting parties can be tiring, but there’s nothing quite like the rush of endorphins you get after running a successful one. You’ll save yourself the stress of parties by planning ahead and not leaving all your tasks for the day of the party itself. Opt for food that you can make ahead and just reheat before the party, lay out some ground rules so your guests know what’s ok and what isn’t, and most importantly: enjoy yourself!
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/friends-celebration-dinner-table-581753/
