I was raised by the queen of hosting and learned a lot about how to organize a good time with friends and family. My mom really excelled at all the little details that go into a party. And when I say all the little details, I mean all of them! Allow me to explain.

In October of every year, she began the months long process of making Christmas tree shaped ice cubes for the Christmas party she threw in December. She spent months making ICE CUBES! She also cooked and baked everything, and loved to set up a beautiful tablescape.

I’m telling you, not a single detail was missed!

I love throwing a party like that from time to time, but I also really enjoy having people over for a casual dinner. In the summer we host a lot of swim parties with friends in the pool, and in the winter we’ll invite people over in the middle of the week to share a meal together, let the kids play, and enjoy each others’ company.
There are a few things I consistently do to try to make our guests feel comfortable and at ease in our home. There isn’t a right or wrong way to host friends and family, and you shouldn’t look at any of these ideas as requirements. They are simply things that I think of that work for Justin and I, so I wanted to share them in case it’s helpful!

One. When we invite people over, we share a start and end time. It helps both parties arrange any childcare if necessary and also helps me sort of think through a layout of the ev...