Do you dread hosting a party this holiday season? Maybe you’re sick of working your butt off and then being too weary to enjoy the event. Or maybe it’s your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner and you know you’ll never live up to your mother-in-law’s standards. Whatever your reasons for entertaining angst, these strategies will help you be a happier party host.
Entertaining is a big part of the holiday season, from casual get-togethers to traditional family dinners. These strategies will help you maximize the joy (for you and your guests) while minimizing stress and frustration.
Happier party host tip #1: Keep the main thing the main thing
Why are you hosting a party? When you look deeper than the exterior occasion, most parties fall into these categories
- Spending time with family
- Spending time with friends
- Getting to know neighbors or coworkers
- Honor someone celebrating an important event or achievement
The main thing is spending time with your guests. Not the food. Not elaborate table settings. Not your playlist. Not super cute invitations.
When we forget our main goal and focus instead on not-so-important details, we add stress and lose sight of the joy. Don’t get sucked into days of work over minor embellishments. The party will be successful if you accomplish the main purpose, regardless of the details.
Happier party host tip #2: Avoid entertainment style mismatch
We each have unique personalities, strengths, abilities, and preferences. That means we each have a unique entertainment style that suits our personality and plays to our strengths.
We add a lot of stress to an event when we try to live up to someone else’s entertainment style instead of working with our style. If you aren’t sure what your entertainment style is, consider where you fall in each of these twelve spectrums below.
Keep these preferences in mind when you plan your next party. The closer your event lines up with your entertainment style, the happier you will be preparing and hosting the event.
Happier party host tip #3: Simplify where you can
Start with your ideal vision. Then consider the constraints of your time and budget. You will have to make some tradeoffs, and the key to a happier party is to keep your main party goal in mind when you make tradeoffs.
Some examples of intentional tradeoff decisions:
- Will the family Thanksgiving still be successful if I simply by using disposable plates and cups instead of my handwash-only china?
- Will my neighborhood bash still be successful if I don’t have wreaths on every door and all 143 of my snowmen decorations up?
5 ways to simplify the party so you can focus on the fun
- Plan a menu that includes at least some food that can be made a day (or more) ahead.
- Delegate some tasks. Ask others to bring food, help you decorate, plan activities, serve food, or anything else that will take some of the load off. (Yes, you give up control, but delegating is an important skill. Practice it.)
- Spread the prep over several days. That way you aren’t totally exhausted when the guests show up.
- Reduce the scale. Invite fewer people, slash the number of menu items, cut back on activities, offer fewer choices. (You don’t need twelve different beverage choices or six dessert choices Less is more.)
- Quit trying to pull off Pinterest-worthy stuff in the areas that aren’t your strengths. If you’re not crafty or you don’t like to cook, keep those party plans as simple as possible and put your energy into the areas where you excel.
Happier party host tip #4: Don’t forget to enjoy the party
Hosting a party should not be an exercise in self-sacrifice. You’ve invited people into your home. Make sure you spend time with them.
This doesn’t mean you need to be the center of attention. Interact with people in your own style, but please don’t stay so focused on the details that you miss the wonderful moments. Remember the main reason you decided to host the party in the first place and connect with your guests.
Happier party host tip #5: Save the cleanup for later
Let the good party vibes linger. Don’t ruin a wonderful evening by adding several hours of cleaning to an already-tiring day.
Plan time the following day for cleanup. Deal with leftover food right away, and gather up all the half-empty cups before they spill, but give yourself permission to do the bulk of tidying and washing the following day. You’ll have more energy, and you can reminisce over your favorite party moments while you clean.
Now then, go forth and entertain with confidence.
Be authentic. Keep it simple. Make wise tradeoffs. Keep the main thing your main focus.
And don’t forget to enjoy the moments!
