Does the thought of throwing a party trigger mostly anxiety and overwhelm, and end up being a weeks-long ordeal? Having a home organization system can help.
Think about everything that’s involved in the prep: The invite, the food & drink menu research, the grocery list, the trip to Costco, the trip to another grocery store, the trip BACK to the grocery store after you realize you’ve forgotten several key ingredients, the getting-tables-and-chairs-out-of-storage, the cleaning, the search for that thing you KNOW you own that you used for your last party but can’t find anywhere…
I’ll pause, because I’m barely at the day of the party.
Sound overwhelming? Sound… familiar?
It doesn’t need to. Having an organized home will make these peak moments - not to mention your everyday life - much smoother.
The ultimate tip here is to change the way you are thinking about entertaining or the event at hand so you can feel calm, under control, and most importantly EXCITED about the very fun thing you’re prepping for: a party!
Take a second to pause and think… Am I overcomplicating this? Does it NEED to be this hectic?
- Your current thought may be: There is so much to do. I have so much to buy, it’s expensive and overwhelming. This is not a fun process and everyone is going to notice if my party isn’t perfect.
- Future thought: I can’t wait for my party and to catch up with folks I haven’t seen in a while. I have a bit of prep and clean up ahead of me but I’ve done it before, I know where everything is, and I won’t be stressed.
That may be a big leap right now, so where do you even start? Maybe your future thought for now is: I am going to put a system in place for entertaining to help ease some of the decision-making and stress, and hopefully have a bit more fun with it.
Even if you don’t host events regularly, having a system for entertaining can ease the burden and actually allow you to ENJOY the fun parts of the lead up (cooking, if that’s your thing, or batching a fun cocktail) & of course main event.
While changing your thoughts is going to make lasting changes in your organizational habits, having some more tactical tips helps too! Here are some of the ones I find most useful:
- Designate a home for everything: That goes for all items in your home, but having a party bin, shelf, or even room in your basement alleviates the “where the hell is the ____” panic/frustration in the party prep process. If it’s not there, then that means you don’t have it and need to buy, or borrow, it. And guess what? That means everything goes back IN that spot after the party, so the dreaded clean up is that much easier
- Offload leftovers: Provide disposable takeaway containers so your guests can take food home with them, and you can reduce the amount of waste/rot/mold/associated-guilt in your fridge post-party
- Create an entertaining list: A shopping list is only one part of this. Incorporate a list of items you always need to pull out from your party bin/shelf/room, items you always need to borrow, the booze/drinks/apps you always like to offer, and then tack on a grocery list each party. Don’t forget the not-so-exciting things like a folding table, chairs, drink dispenser, ice buckets, etc. One less thing to think about! And don’t overcomplicate. Do you really need that USA-themed disposable table cloth to have a good time?
- Stock up: If you can, buy larger quantities of the items you always need (paper goods, cups, etc.) to help your future hostess-self
- Delegate: Create a system with your family or whoever is typically involved in prepping for these affairs, if applicable. When you make your list, divvy it up. Enlist the brawn of your family to manage the furniture set up, carrying-of-bins, etc. Get your kids to pick up the dog poop in the yard or wipe down dirty folding tables. Help with the smallest of things can immensely help with not just the outcome but your state of mind.
This will not be an overnight change, but making small changes to how you think about your organization around entertaining - and having systems in place - will make a big difference in the end. Remember, the goal is to be kempt, not perfect and entertaining can actually be fun!
