Tips for Easy Entertaining at Home

Having the expertise to quickly and effortlessly throw together a party at home for your loved ones should be highly coveted, especially now that we are spending a lot of time at home. With my simple tips, outline below, you will be a party-throwing expert in no time! :)

I hosted my parents' 44th wedding anniversary dinner party at home this past weekend and it was such a beautiful event.  Everything went off without a hitch, the food was amazing, the appetizers were perfect, the decor was festive and colorful, the cocktails were perfection and most importantly, my guests had an amazing time! Here are my best tips for easy entertaining at home. 

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Start cooking a little earlier than you think you should. Prep dishes the night before if you can.  Have the salad fixings chopped, the veggies sliced, pasta pre-boiled, and the meats marinating well in advance, to save time when you are ready to start cooking.  Always plan in advance what foods you will serve and go grocery shopping ahead of time. For the anniversary party this weekend, I made the crab cake mix the day before, chopped the salad fixings that morning and I also marinated the chicken and steaks a few hours before. 

Big batch cocktails will be your best bet for executing the dinner party drink situation with ease.  Think sangrias, a large batch of Moscow Mules or an adult lemonade with a few unexpected elements like lavender or rosemary. This time, I made a big pitcher of Pumpkin Pie Vodka Spritzers, which was a mixture of Tito's Vodka, Pumpkin Butter, Grand Marnier, and Vanilla Sparkling Water, garnished with Pumpkin Pie Spice. SO GOOD!

Always add a fun twist! I used rock candy sticks as swizzle sticks for the champagne and it was so fun and unexpected. Not to mention, the sugar sticks added pretty color and a sweetness to every sip. Perfect for the occasion. 

Keep appetizers simple.  If you plan to serve appetizers, try to keep things simple and effective.  I decided to go with a charcuterie board and mini crab cakes, which were both very easy to pull together. That lessened the stress for the pre-dinner bites, which allowed me to focus on the dinner and sides. 

Brighten up the tablescape and instantly add an upscale touch by covering the dining and/or serving table with a crisp white tablecloth (I get them from Amazon for less than $10!). Always remember, bright beautiful balloons are always a good idea for a celebration.  Amazon has the most amazing balloon arch kits that are so easy to put together. The color combinations are pre-selected, which makes it super easy to develop the perfect theme.

Beautifully arranged fresh flowers will bring life to your dinner party, literally. Always play up on the seasons when decorating.  Our party fell on the first weekend of autumn so I decided to get festive with a few mini pumpkins and sunflowers. The colors went beautifully with the other décor and  made such a pretty seasonal statement. 

And finally, HAVE FUN! Just by rocking my Fancy Apron instantly put me in the best mood while I prepped, cooked, danced and decorated.  It was such an amazing stress-free night. 

I hope these tips were helpful! Let me know what you think. :)

xoxo, thanks for reading and sharing!