Entertaining Made Effortless – Thanks to our NYC Professional Home Organizer’s Top 9 Tips!
With spring in full swing and Easter and Passover upon us, we’re all looking forward to celebrating the warmer weather with family and friends. But, for many, entertaining can be a real task. Our NYC Professional Home Organizer is here to provide reassurance – you can do it! Entertaining can be simple, and dare we say it, fun, with just a bit of foresight and organization.
Follow these suggestions for effortless entertaining and throw the most memorable spring gatherings, that will have your friends and family asking themselves, “How do they do it?!?”
– Begin planning three weeks out – Our NYC Professional Home Organizer notes that starting early will allow for plenty of time to complete all tasks and will leave a bit of wiggle room for the inevitable.
– Create a guest list – Even if it’s just for your eyes only, viewing a list of all invitees with their responses and notations concerning additional guests who will be tagging along will help you keep track of the total head count.
– Settle on the menu – About two weeks out, begin jotting down menu ideas. Keep it simple and introduce only one or two new recipes at each event. Supplement the home cooked fare with some store bought goodies. Be sure to place your order at least a week prior to your gathering.
– Select serving pieces – Gather all of the items you’re considering using for your soiree – table linens, serving dishes, vases, etc., – to make sure everything’s in good condition and ready to use. One-two days before your event, start setting the table and placing everything where you think it will go the day of the gathering. A trick from our NYC Professional Home Organizer: put sticky notes in/on each bowl and tray identifying how it will be used.
– Allow guests to help – If your guests offer to bring something, take them up on it! Since you have finalized your menu, it will be easier to identify the best type of wine, dessert or side dish that would complement the dishes that you will be preparing.
– Plan ahead – As you review the recipes, make a shopping list of those items that need to be purchased. Schedule time to cook as much as possible ahead of time and freeze it. Make a note to defrost all that was prepared in advance on the day before your event. Reduce the amount of work that needs to be done on the day of so that you won’t be too tired to enjoy the festivities.
– Set the mood – Pull together a party playlist. Consider the mood and tone you want to set for your event and stay consistent with your music selections. Once you’ve hosted enough gatherings, and pulled many playlists together, you’ll just have to hit “Play” on the right one, and simply add tunes as you think about it. This tip will pay off for many gatherings to come!
– Enjoy! – Your guests surely won’t have a nice time if you aren’t. No matter what happens, make the most of the moment and enjoy precious time with your family and friends. They won’t know if something goes wrong unless you let them know, and even then, they won’t mind. They’re there to celebrate.
– Create an entertaining notebook – After each event you host, add it to your “Entertaining Notebook,” include guest lists (and on them note who came and their contributions – this will come in handy for thank you notes), menu (what worked, what didn’t), beverage list (note preferences and quantity consumed), and thoughts concerning the table setting. This will make planning your next gathering so much easier! Our NYC Professional Home Organizer recommends using a cloud-based note taking program such as Evernote so you’ll have access to your “Entertaining Notebook” wherever you may be.
See?!? Entertaining really can become effortless with a bit of planning. Our NYC Professional Home Organizer warns that by taking advantage of these tips, your events may become so successful, yours may become THE home of choice for all future events!