On Friday night, I sent a text to my friend who was having a tough week and invited their family over for dinner on Saturday night. It wasn’t going to be anything big. There were a lot of great football games on TV occupying our time. The weather was amazing, so we spent most of the day outside on bikes and scooters. But we wanted our friends and their kids to come over for some simple fellowship.
Between our two families, we have five boys. Two five-year olds, two three-year olds, and a one-year old. And of course our baby boy on the way. We have a lot in common just because of this wild phase of life.
I had planned to make a simple pasta dish, a salad, and a dessert and order pizza for the kids, but Todd told me he really wanted to do take out barbecue because he loves barbecue and football. So that’s what we did. We ordered a few pounds of barbecue and some sides, including mac and cheese for the kids, and kept it warm until they arrived.
They arrived, we watched football and ate some corn dip, and the kids played in the play room. We could hear messes being made. We’d hear someone cry and have to decide whose kid was crying and why. There’s always a little bit of refereeing that goes on when you get that many little boys together. But it’s real life.
Our friends have seen our imperfect kids do wild things that get them in a little bit of trouble. And we’ve seen our friends discipline their kids. It’s part of being in community. It’s part of letting people in to see the not-so-great moments that are just part of real life.
We made our way upstairs to check on the kids before we ate, and the playroom looked like a bomb had gone off, but we just left it until the next day. No need to stop and clean up because we wanted to visit. We sat and ate. Some kids ate more than other. Hayes, actually, didn’t eat anything at all. And that’s life.
But my boys loved having their friends in our house and we loved having our friends there, too.
I wanted to share five simple tips for an easy last-minute gathering:
1. Order take out. Don’t put pressure on yourself for a gourmet meal. Serve some familiar comfort food. Order take-out barbecue. Pick up a pizza or two. Pick up Chinese take-out.
2. Do a quick clean. Run the vacuum cleaner through the common areas. For us, this is really only important because of dog hair. We wipe down the kitchen counters and table just to make sure that it’s clean enough to serve food off of.
3. Set the table. Or just go ahead and get all the dishes and silverware you’ll need. Or just open up a pack of paper plates.
4. Check the bathroom. Just make sure there is a clean hand towel and a full roll of toilet paper. You’re not doing anything fancy, but you just want to make sure everyone’s needs are met.
5. Turn on the lights and unlock the door. Just turning on the lights, lighting a candle, and having the door open ready to receive your guests just sends a message that you were expecting them, and your home is open and ready for them.
What are some of your easiest tips to welcoming last minute guests?
This post is part of 31 Days of Breaking Bread
We had my sister and her sweet family over for dinner last night. My awesome hubby did a quick vacuum of the house and lit a few candles, the boys wiped the bathroom down with Clorox wipes, and I prepped dinner and set the table earlier in the afternoon. It was so nice to relax, visit and let the kiddos play while dinner finished up in the oven. My sister and I were able to enjoy a nice glass of wine while we watched the kids play soccer in the backyard while the guys finished up watching a football game. I love having them so close to do dinners like this.
Erin – Great tips. I am loving this series!
Serious question, Erin: are you writing for the socially inept? These posts on entertaining are just that, entertaining. Do people seriously not know how to prepare their home for last minute guests? I would like to add one item to your list — CLEAN TOILETS! Especially with little boys.
Michelle, I wanted to respond because I know you’re serious and I also know my friend “B.” This morning on the radio they talked about two kinds of people: those who research the heck out of every decision (and still second guess whatever decision they made) and those who consider everything and then just jump in and make a decision. I am the second person and B is the first. A write-up like Erin’s would give “B” “permission” to do it the easy way and only clean the surfaces and serve simple foods. Otherwise, B (who HATES to cook) would find the hardest recipe possible, drive her family crazy getting their huge house perfect, and then fret once her friends arrived. I think Erin’s write-up could be a handy list for the host who stresses over every little detail. Good point about the toilets!
I do keep a shelf in my pantry just for entertaining….all paper products, special entertaining dishes, a couple of quick shelf stable appetizers and 2 liters of soft drinks are always on the shelf…I keep a list of quick delivery food places on my fridge and that’s my party! Having it all in one place makes my life so much easier when it’s an impromptu invitation. I also use white heavy duty paper plates and colored Solo cups and make my napkins the fun design piece….I use different colored cups for different seasons and once a year, I do a cookout using all our leftover papergoods!
This is such a great tip! Thanks so much for sharing!
I love this series! I thnk so many people get hung up on waiting until everything is “perfect” before having people over. If they’re your friends, they’ll appreciate the invitation and hospitality even if your blinds are not clean or you’re missing a few pictures on the wall.
I’m loving this series! Thanks for the real life tips! =)
I always joke with Allen that we have an open door policy. If it’s Saturday and there is football on, we’re never alone. This weekend, we invited our neighbors over for dinner the morning of. We do like to grab takeout, but sometimes I put Allen in charge and save myself a little hassle. We did hamburgers and hotdogs. I made a dip and pumpkin bread that morning and got all the “fixin’s” ready and he grilled and took care of the rest. It’s nice to share that responsibility 🙂
These are great tips, Erin!
I agree- it is nice to just pick up something for dinner. Our friends are coming for us – not the food. A yummy appetizer and some wine – everyone is fine with a low-key dinner. It’s so nice to have friends in the same stage of life! Thanks for the tips, Erin!
I loved this post today and it inspired me to write one of my own and link it up to yours. I always keep bright, solid colored paper plates and napkins on hand for pop-up guests and last minute parties. I also keep snacks and desserts in my deep freezer that I can pull out at a moments notice. Thank you for the series!
I loved that you mention takeout and paper plates! Sometimes it’s just so much simpler and you can really focus on the community rather than being in the kitchen the whole time and clearing off dishes. Sounds like a great time with your friends! 🙂
Loving this series Erin!! I am hosting friends this weekend, and can’t wait! 🙂
The take out idea is something I’m terrible at. We entertain a LOT. It’s pretty much my husband’s love language (even though I know Entertaining for Sixty Dozen People Every Weekend is NOT a love language). I feel like I really have to put forth a perfect dinner and a perfectly clean house and it’s a really hard block to get myself past and DOES keep me from inviting people over more casually.
I love this post! Thank you for sharing!