Reap the Benefits of Hosting at Home

Celebrate your space

Being a homemaker is about celebrating your space, working with what you have and spending your renovation budget smartly.

This year we have inspired you to get clever with your patio seating, extend your space with quick fixes for garden shade, create the perfect retreat in your moon garden or she-shed, and even broaden your palette with salads side dishes that pack a punch.

Now the silly season is upon us, and the final rush to the end of the year is gaining speed. The next few weeks are full of farewells, functions and finals. As much as we love a good destination party, why don’t we normalize hosting at home again? We should stop spending way too much money at venues for overpriced platters and watered down mimosas.

Make it a house party.

Your work really hard to create the perfect home. Why not share the fruits of your labours with your friends and loved ones?

This year – we love the idea of hosting at home. It might sound scary to invite the party home, but with a bit of prep we promise you it’s a great way to save money and make the most of your space.

Be realistic.

A house party is just that. A DIY, homemade thing. Accept that not everything will match, there will be spills and mishaps and you will have to spend a good deal of time cleaning up.

Follow these guidelines and let’s normalize the imperfect perfection of hosting at home.

Keep it exclusive (don’t over-invite)

Know your limits. If you need to host a party for the whole office, with 40 people, spouses and children…then your home probably isn’t the place for it. A house party works if the guest list doesn’t exceed about double the usual occupants of the home. A one-bedroom townhouse can work well with four extra guests, which means you’ll be six in total. A four-bedroom suburban home with a garden and outdoors entertainment area, will handle up to 20 guests without too much fuss. More than that, and you should rather look at an independent venue.

Split the difference (Get a co-host)

Whether it’s a colleague, friend or your partner, get someone to co-host. This person should arrive a bit earlier than the rest (if they don’t live in your home) and you should show them where everything from spare glasses to ice and extra loo-paper is kept.

You and your co-host should have the same idea about what the party is about and what your end goals are. Is it about having a totally relaxed vibe, and eating nothing but chips and dip all day long, or is it a more formal wine and dine affair? Whatever you decide, just make sure both of you are on the same page. There’s nothing worse than being a guest of hostile hosts.

Divide and conquer (reduce kitchen traffic)

Plan ahead and decide what “stations” you can use to reduce the burden on your kitchen. Having all the drinks in one fridge can lead to a bottleneck of thirsty guests. Set up a drinks space with a bar fridge or ice buckets/cooler boxes. Create a dedicated kid’s zone with plastic cups and bowls for chips and juice. Prepare by setting out enough cutlery and plates long before the food is ready. This will make it easier for you to keep tabs on what is needed and delegate refills.

Don’t be shy about making it a group effort.

Nobody said you had to do it alone. Just like it is important to find a co-host, its equally important to accept help when it is offered (or ask when you need it). If your guests are nice people, and let’s assume they are, they will likely offer to help with some part of the catering or prep. You can decide how organized you want to be about this. What usually works is when one of the parents or a group of them, cater for the kids. (Boeries, a big pot of pasta, ice cream cones etc.) People can also either bring their own drinks or bring their own meat for a braai. If you are providing both drinks and meat/main meal, then get help with side dishes. Delegate the dessert or dish out the appetizer responsibility. Whatever makes your day easier.

We love a good house party, but the most important part of any event is how it ends up making you feel. If you can’t relax, then it isn’t worth it.

Entertaining at home and want to get your garden up to the task. Then find some tips here.

Decided to entertain Christmas at home, the look at these cool Christmas Table Ideas.