Every once in a while I find myself in a position where I am hosting last minute guests.
As much as I love it, hosting in general can be stressful, let alone doing it last minute! And yet, every once in a while I find myself throwing together a little shindig out of thin air.
So here are some of my favorite tips I like to hold onto for when those moments happen, so I can enjoy my guests and not feel (too) overwhelmed.
Keep it Casual
Let go of any expectations you may have for yourself or your home, and don’t worry if your house is a little messy.
One of my favorite things about being a homemaker is putting together a nice gathering for my friends and family. I enjoy putting in the effort to make my home look nice and cooking wonderful meals, but this isn’t the point of having people over.
There is nothing wrong with wanting your home to neat and clean, but it’s not necessary to enjoy good company! Allow yourself to be okay with the fact that your home may not be as put together as you may like, and relax.
Keep this last minute get together, more casual, so you can focus more on spending time with the people you love!
Schedule out Your Time…the best you can!
Of course having a well put together home isn’t the most important thing, but I do like to always try to make my guests feel as comfortable as possible. Take a little time to prepare so you’ll have more time to spend with your guests.
Write it out!
- Write down what must be done before your guests arrive, and narrow it down to the absolute necessities. This could be:
- Work.
- Catching up on dishes.
- Clearing off the table.
- Planning a meal.
What you need to be done before you have anyone over, will depend on you, and what you’re comfortable with.
Prioritize.
- Some things that are important to get done, may be able to wait for later. These thing may be a bit unsightly to you, but doesn’t need to be done to make your guests feel comfortable. This could be:
- Mowing the lawn.
- Putting a project way (unless it’s on the table and you want the space to eat at).
- De-cluttering surfaces, that aren’t going to be in the way.
- Cleaning the bath/shower.
- Dusting/polishing furniture.
Keep in mind you are preparing for hosting last minute guests, I promise you they don’t expect your home to be spotless.
Stick to what’s necessary to have them over and make them feel at home.
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If you’re a little overwhelmed, and not sure what you should be doing, ask yourself a few questions:
- Do I have work to do? Depending on what you do or don’t do for work, you may not be able to put it off for another day. Focus on this first, and plan the rest around your work schedule the best you can.
- How long do I have to prepare? Write this down, even if it’s just a few hours. Do what you can with the time you have and let the rest go.
- Am I feeding them dinner? If so you’ll want to plan a meal, make sure your eating area is clean, and straighten up the kitchen.
*Click Here to Read a few More Tips About Hosting and Scheduling out Your Time!
If you don’t any time to prepare, that perfectly fine! Move on the the next tip.
Keep Meals Easy and Quick
One of my other favorite things about hosting is making delicious and complicated meals for my guests, but now it not time for that!
- When hosting last minute guests, stick to easy to make meals, or take out. Here’s a few ideas:
- Make your own or order some pizza!
- Finger foods. Think charcuterie boards or make ham and cheese pinwheels. Cook up some pigs in a blanket or little meat balls with tooth picks in them.
- Pasta is usually quick and can feed large amounts of people for a pretty low price.
- Build your own sandwiches. Get some hoagie rolls, 2-3 different types of meat and cheese, and some common condiments and everyone can put together the sandwich they want.
- Take out Chinese food. Get a variety of different things and have a smorgasbord.
- Have potluck. If your having a lot of people over, ask your guests to bring a dish to share.
- Don’t forget to add some side dishes!
- Make up a veggie tray to munch on.
- Have a few bags a salad.
- Get some fruit and make a fruit bowl.
- Chips and dip go well with almost anything!
Don’t forget about Refreshments.
This is a very simple thing to do to help make your guests feel welcome, even if you can’t feed them a full meal.
It could be as simple as setting out a pitcher of ice water or iced tea, or if it’s cold out, offer them a cozy cup of coffee.
Try setting out a fruit or veggie tray to snack on while you visit or if you have time, whip up a batch of cookies!
If you want to fancy up your little (or big) get together, using your refreshments is a great way to do it! Add some lemon slices, cucumber, or mint to your plain water to add a little pizzazz.
*Here are some great easy recipes for infused water!
Be Prepared Ahead of Time
You never know when someone might stop by for a afternoon visit or your distant friend surprises you and wants to come over for dinner the next day.
Having a few thing on hand, really helps prevent overwhelm when it comes to last minute hosting.
- Keep a stack of paper plates, plastic cup, and flatware stored away or have a set of easy to clean dishes for hosting large groups of people.
- Make a list of easy to make or buy meals for serving large amounts of people cheaply.
- Make some cookie dough and keep it in the freezer so your guests can have a treat when they visit.
- Have a daily cleaning schedule to avoid panic cleaning.
- Keep a small stash of tea or coffee for easy refreshments.
Most of all, don’t forget to focus on enjoying time with your last minute guests!
Yes, having certain things in place can make that easier, but it no amount of neatness or fancy foods, can replace time spent with you! That is why they’re in your home, isn’t it?
Thank you for joining me today!
