- Count the number of chairs around your table. Subtract 1 or 2 (single mom or partnered-up). Now, quick-think of that many of your favorite friends.
2. Don’t pause. Just text or email a date and time to your friends and send it fast.
There’s no backing out now!
3. Figure out your offspring. Sitter? Grandma’s? Movie in your bedroom with snacks and water bottles at the ready?
4. Plan your menu and make your shopping list. Summer makes it easier – no need to slave in the kitchen for hours over a hot stove a la Julia Child. Picture Rachel Ray or Trader Joe’s, for that matter. Whatever keeps you out of the kitchen and with your guests!
5. Think drinks. It’s always fun to have a welcome cocktail (or mocktail) to start off the fun. One of my favorites is the super easy Italian Paloma – delicious!. Then, have a variety of drink options on hand to suit your guests as the party continues.
6. Plan to hit up the store at least a day or two before your dinner party, in case you can’t find an ingredient and have to go elsewhere. Bonus points for using a curbside service for the extra-easy-on-you-mindset to dinner parties. I’m a personal fan of H-E-B’s. I don’t always use it, but when I do, it’s like magic…
The big day’s here!
7. Leave yourself plenty of time to get everything done.
8. Realize whatever amount of time you left yourself is nowhere near what you needed – how did you do that to yourself again, Woman?!?
9. Forego bathing the children before installing them with the sitter, grandma or the movie. A little dirt don’t hurt!
10. Run around your house like a madwoman, throwing things into laundry baskets that you will then shove into your laundry room or the garage.
11. Actually vacuum the areas people will see and clean the bathroom that your guests will use. There’s no faking that, sorry.
12. Put on some music and taste test that cocktail – or mocktail – to cool yourself down from the major cardio routine you just completed. Sweating on the guests’ food is never a good look.
13. Throw one more round of snacks into the room with the chil(ren) for good measure and…
Open the door! They’re here!
14. Most importantly – enjoy! You pulled it off! Half the battle of throwing a dinner party as a mom is just making yourself do it and you did! You pulled off a mom coup!
And don’t worry, there’s always tomorrow to drag the laundry baskets back out of the garage and to clean the ground up Goldfish out of your bedroom carpet.
