5 Party-Hosting Hacks Every Hostess Should Know l Tips For the Lazy Hostess

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Being a hostess is stressful and if you don't have the time, it can add to the craziness. But you made the commitment and you can't back out. You are frantically looking on Pinterest for ideas and since you are not one of those overachievers or creative types, tension is starting to descend. Whether it's for an evening, a week or hosting a party for a few hours, being a hostess is more work than most could imagine. Yet, a successful party doesn’t require anything extravagant and as the organizer, you can make the experience more enjoyable by planning, delegating and taking in some wine between tasks! No matter what, you want to relax and enjoy the experience as a nervous hostess can be one hot mess. If you are apprehensive, the guests will become on edge and that is not fun for anyone. Here are 5 party hacks to make life a lot smoother and that every hostess should know.

Do a Potluck

For the lazy and the anxious hostess, a potluck can be the easiest to do. Set a dinner theme and ask each person to bring a fun or favorite dish so there can be a variety of food items. You can do various foods like Mexican, Italian, Greek or American to make the party more interesting. However, you need to set some guidelines. Why? Well, if you don't, the potluck could be a failure as people will bring the wrong dishes or there might be too much of one food item. If everyone works as a team and follows your clear instructions then you will enjoy it. "However, if you give no guidelines, are vague about every detail and prepare nothing because you’re the host and therefore consider yourself free from any food and drink responsibility, your potluck will soon descend into disaster," Bonappetit.com suggested. Although doing a potluck is easier, you still play a role in ensuring things run smoothly.

Don't Try New Recipes

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Don't be a hero and try a new recipe out on your guests! You can misread the recipe, add too much salt or sugar. For example, maybe you want to try making grandma's gravy and never tried it on people. Imagine pouring the gravy and finding a bunch of lumps in it because you didn't shift the flour. Perhaps you tried a recipe that you found online that had great reviews, so you assume it is a winner. You then find out that the cake is just gross and you don't have enough time to bake something else. It might seem like a good idea, but don't do it. "There are few things sadder than realizing that the pork was supposed to have been butterflied by a butcher or rest for four hours 45 minutes before guests arrive," Bonappetit.com added. We are having cold sweats just thinking about this!

Plan Ahead

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Plan in advance and never leave anything to chance. This can be making sure the pets are out of sight, asking your spouse to not talk about politics at the table or making sure that there is enough wine for the night. Also, plan your menu if you are not doing a potluck. You don't need to go crazy worrying about guests dietary restrictions or this will drive you insane. However, you can make plans to have more food options for everyone. We mentioned that delegating is your friend. Ask guests to help pass out appetizers or drinks to help out. "Remember to also tell them how many people you’re expecting and when to arrive — it sounds obvious but it’s this kind of detail that can be too easily overlooked," thedailymeal.com shared. If the party is more formal, you can hire a service to help guests with food, parking and with their coats.

Preparing for Overnight Guests

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Hosting overnight guests is more tricky and more work, but if you are tasked with doing this there are some rules to keep in mind. According to Elledecor, 50 percent of guests shared that their experience was not great. About 40 percent of visitors claimed that they slept on dirty sheets and that the home was unsanitary. Besides making sure the linens are clean and the house is clean, make sure that there are extra blankets, pillows, towels, washcloths and toothbrushes. Have something planned for your guests like a trip to the beach or a cocktail party by the pool. "This doesn’t mean you need to pack their itinerary with fun-filled time together, just be thoughtful about keeping them entertained," Southern Living offered. Also don't ask your guest to clean up after themselves, although we hope they are polite and do so.