Entertaining

7 Secrets to Hosting a Party You’ll Actually Enjoy

November 21, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

It’s party time! Maybe you’re hosting Thanksgiving, or pulling together a festive dinner? Each December, we host our annual holiday party—a gathering that now welcomes over 75 friends and neighbors. This year marks our 26th celebration. It’s truly a labor of love and one of our favorite traditions. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot. Whether your party is big or small, these lessons might make your gathering a little easier and a lot more joyful. Keep It Simple No surprise here: we simplified. We do less. Years ago, party prep took over our lives. I used to be scrambling until the last hour. Now? Decorating took just a few hours last week. Back then, I had to declutter and rearrange every room to make space for guests—clearing counters, stashing things in closets. It was like creating a path through a maze of our own stuff. Why didn’t I just donate it? Minimalist homes are always ready to entertain. If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It For a long time, my husband started each menu from …

How Many Dishes Do You Really Need?

June 3, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 26 Comments

Only three people live in our house and yet we have a lot of dishes. Owning more dishes means more to wash and put away. Is a 12-piece place setting really necessary? What about all the entertaining platters and bowls? With a little work, and my step-by-step guide, you can downsize or better yet, rightsize dishes to serve the needs of your family on a day to day basis. Collections I’m embarrassed to admit we own three different types of dishes (everyday, china and Christmas). My husband loves our china so we use it often. But we reduced each set and agreed we won't keep the wedding or Christmas china forever. Neither of us wants our possessions to be a burden to our son. Dishes are a relatively easy place to start. The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home so keeping it clutter-free and organized saves time and money. With clean countertops and organized cabinets, it's also much easier to cook dinner and resist the urge to order takeout. Step-by-Step …

6 Easy Tips To Host a Simple 4th of July Picnic

June 26, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

July 4th is right around the corner. Maybe you're planning a picnic to celebrate. I hope so! Because I have some suggestions for hosting a simple picnic that won't leave you scrambling to do all the things and never enjoying the event. Shop Early Buy beverages and paper products in advance. I prefer to handle this labor-intensive shopping trip early. Drinks are heavy! Last-minute errands will arise for forgotten items. So deal with the non-perishables early and save time. During my weekly shopping trip, I shop for my meal plan and the picnic. I stock up on items like onions, garlic, butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. I also buy the hot dogs and ground beef and store them in the freezer until picnic day. Let Guests Help Everyone asks this question, "What Can I Bring?" This time, be ready with an answer and make the party fun for you and your guests. Plan the menu, make a list, and delegate items to your guests when they ask. Be specific and make it easy for …

How to Store and Organize Small Appliances

March 2, 2020 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

Small appliances clutter a kitchen counter. By reducing dishes and pantry inventory, more appliances can live inside cabinets versus on the counter. Here are the kitchen appliances I eliminated. 2 Crockpots - (kept 1 medium size) Bread Maker Flour Sifter Espresso Maker Milk frother Deep fryer Coffee pot (replaced with French Press) Toaster Now, I love my empty kitchen counter. Empty counters clean up easily without obstacles. I don't need to clear a space to make dinner and there's a place to unload groceries. So, the goal of today’s challenge is to uncover your countertops and make working in the kitchen easier. Decluttering Appliances Make a list of the small appliances Note how often you use each sone Consider if they perform single tasks vs multiple jobs 90-day Rule Have I used it in the last 90 days? No - Donate Will I use it in the next 90 days? No - Donate Store all small appliances inside cabinets Give priority …

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