I figure with summer coming up a lot of people will start hosting get-togethers. There’s Memorial Day, graduation parties, and barbecues galore. If you’re like me and you come from a big family you might be used to hosting a large crowd but, if you’re not hosting a ton of people can seem overwhelming.

Like I said, my family is pretty big so whenever there is an occasion I expect a lot of people to show up. Here is my advice for saving time, money and yourself from stress when preparing for a large crowd.

Start preparing what you can the night before:
Every Thanksgiving, my mom and I prep our sides the night before because we know the turkey will spend most of the day in the oven. Preparing the smaller things the night before saves us a lot of time and stress the day of.

Bring out the crock-pot:
You guys know I love my crock-pot and use it weekly. They are also great for parties. You can leave your food cooking for a few hours while you get ready for your guests. When your dish is done, you can leave it on the keep warm setting so it won’t get cold. It’s a win-win for the crock-pot.

Buy pre-made food:
I rarely do this, but buying pre-made food or having some food catered is great for hosting a lot of people.

Tidy up quickly:
Be sure to do a quick dusting and vacuuming before your guests come. Clean up (or hide) the clutter, so you have room for entertaining. Seek help for this if you need to. Having a maid service come prior to your party can free up some more time for you prepare for your hosting duties.

Make your party a potluck:
If you’re strapped for time and or money, throwing a potluck is a great idea. I feel like summer is the season for potlucks, so invite your guests to bring a dish or a bottle. Whenever I throw a party people usually offer to bring a dish anyway, it’s a great way to talk to your friends and family about their favorite dishes and recipes.

Those are my tips for hosting a large party. What are your party hosting tips? Leave a comment below if you want me to do a post on my favorite potluck recipes.

Thanks for reading!

XO- Samantha Leigh

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