Well, the 107° weather seems to be behind us for now—praise the Lord. And this beautiful spring weather lends itself perfectly to last-minute, relaxed, and casual hosting.
Recently, we hosted tacos and a few rounds of Flip 7 on an early evening weeknight.
And even more last-minute, after a morning walk and a few chores, John fired up the grill and we hosted a very casual lunch of burgers and chips. It was so spontaneous there was no grocery shopping, planning, or fancy tablescapes involved.
Keep It Simple
When it comes to effortless hosting, there are two things that always work for me—and I’ve mentioned them here many times:
- A tidy home
- Simple entertaining staples I reach for time and again
You can read about my 20-minute tidy here. Pop in guests are always fooled into thinking the house just had a deep clean. When in fact, it’s just 20 minutes a day (except for actual cleaning day, of course).
And as for the staples, after much paring down the past few years, here are the things that have made the cut:
Everyday White Dishes
The Coupe Porcelain Dinnerware from World Market have been such a wonderful purchase. They still look new and coordinate with any style.
Drinkware
My Walmart Pioneer Woman water goblets have served me so well over the years. They are perfect for water or iced tea and look a bit dressy for everyday drinkware.
A similar set(here) is available from Walmart at $16 for a set of 4. What? I know! In my experience you cannot go wrong with Pioneer Woman!
Outdoor Space
Even if we are not actually eating, outside, it’s so nice to sit on the patio and have a drink and visit with the guy operating the grill.
After a few weeks I am still so in love with my new patio set and cannot recommend enough!
Finishing Touches
Fresh flowers are rare in my house, but the life-like tulips I’ve had for several years make my everyday kitchen table peppy and finished without being overdone.
Wrap Up
I am so blessed to have friends who are as spontaneous as we are and agree to these gatherings.
For me, spring hosting is all about keeping things easy and enjoyable.
Actually, easy and enjoyable seem to be my mantra lately. My Palm Springs packing list goes to prove that.
Thank you for joining me and as always, may God bless you and yours.