Hi mamas, the season of hosting is here and I want to share a few quick tips & tricks that make hosting more enjoyable for the host + guests!

Hosting dinner parties is something that can bring stress, but I want to share a few things that I have learned from some wise women in my life to make your hosting more personal and stress-free!

Make it personal-I like adding name plates to the table to add a little personalization-you can place your guests in certain spots or allow your guests to pick up their name and choose a seat. Either way, makes each guest feel special. Another thing I keep in mind when it comes to hosting-if I am planning to serve a more formal sit down dinner, I prefer to keep the guest list limited to allow for each guest to comfortably sit around my dining table. It can be hard to have conversations at an overly packed table or when there are multiple tables across the room from each other.

Make it engaging- If you have ever had a meal at my house, chances are you’ve experienced my table questions! They are something that may sound a little intimidating, but I have found that having a question for every guest at your table to answer, really engages everyone into the same conversation. You can easily Google questions to ask based on the group that you’re hosting, but here are my favorite questions to ask when I host: what is your favorite memory so far, from this year? What are you most looking forward to in this next year? What is something that made you smile today?

Make it fun- This is completely optional, but I love an added bit of fun to my dinner party. Party poppers are a fun way to add decorations to your table+some added fun when the meal is over. Here is a link to some similar ones that I use!

Make it smooth-The tip that I cannot emphasize enough is to do as much prep the day/night before you host, as possible! I always set the table the day before and pull out all serving dishes and trays that I plan to use and put a sticky note with what food will go on each. Another trick I always utilize is a person to help, I have good friends or even my mom that I can always call on to help with all the tasks that I need to accomplish leading up to a dinner party. Turn on some fun music, pour a glass of wine and enjoy the gift of welcoming loved ones into your home.

Happy hosting!