Entertaining At Home

Just in case you forgot to plan something in advance...

Making mocktails isn't always the answer.

Whether you’ll be counting down to 2021 with the person or people you live with or going it solo, we promise you can still make it a celebratory evening.

Trust us, these games are the bomb dot com.

It popped up early this year for a little extra cheer.

Okay, true, not all holiday activities are pandemic-possible this year. But if you’re looking for joyful and safe ways to eat, drink, and be merry through the end of December, we’ve got that covered.

Eating at home again? Restaurant experts share their best tricks to make yet another meal in your dinner room feel more exciting.

Costumes are definitely encouraged.

If you have a virtual assistant, chances are you've only just begun to scratch the surface of functionality. To help you get the most out of your device, we've rounded up more than a dozen lesser-known features of Amazon's Alexa.

Save the trick-or-treating for next year.

Don't worry, you can still get them on a wine budget.

Thanksgiving is a time when many people head back to their hometowns or travel to see their families and old friends, but that’s not always an option for everyone. Of course, some people enjoy spending the holidays alone. And, some others don’t like celebrating altogether for myriad reasons, but if you do and you find yourself without any plans for Thanksgiving, it can feel like a real challenge and it can get lonely.

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Friday. We have some ideas on how to make the most of your weekend without even leaving your backyard—by bringing the bar to you. If you’re counting down the minutes ’til 5 pm and your first sip of freedom, well, read on. Forget the bouncy castle, this inflatable delight is for the adults. No need to book a trip to Ireland or even head to your local watering hole, the Paddywagon Pub brings the craic directly to you.

Are you an introvert who’s sworn off entertaining after too many exhausting events? Not everyone is cut out for every kind of hosting, but just because you’re not a social butterfly doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time with guests; you just have to do it the right way and play to your strengths. Here’s how.

Maybe you dream of throwing the perfect holiday party…but you dread the planning, and the preparation, and the cooking, and the cleanup. We’ve got some tips, from our video archives, about how to make the whole thing as simple and painless as possible. You’re on your way to your best (and easiest) holiday party yet. Having a party that’s fun and un-stressy is all about making sure you’re prepared beforehand.

It can be a challenge to host more people than your guest room can handle. Instead of turning on your No Vacancy light, consider some creative options to offer your friends and family when your guest room is full to capacity. During our first month in Denver, my husband and I hosted 13 people (singles and families) in our 700 square-foot 1 bedroom shotgun. We were always happy to take in our friends but made sure to let them know about the size of our accommodations ahead of time.

Hosting a holiday party is a great motivator to do a good cleaning, but there is no reason to stress out and try to do everything at the last minute.

Before you let your lethargy get the best of you, remember that boredom is a choice, not a sentence.

Is there any finer excuse to have friends over than dining together al fresco under the stars? Yes…sending out invites for dinner and a movie, screened in your very own backyard (tip: match the movie to the meal)!

If you are the sort of person who aspires to own a large number of champagne flutes, you are probably also the sort of person who enjoys entertaining at home. In that case, you’ll understand that the best glassware is the kind you don’t need to worry about: The kind where, if a friend who has enjoyed a little too much bubbly knocks one off the table, you can just clean it up and good-naturedly assure them it’s not a big deal.

I’ve been known to splay out on the sofa on Thanksgiving Day in my unbuttoned jeans, with a glass of wine in one hand and a plate of food in the other. Guilty as charged. But if you’ve got an acute case of cabin fever, or are itching to do something more productive, there’s much to offer beyond football.

For all those in-charge, always-organized holiday pros already far into holiday planning, this post isn’t for you. For the rest of us who just recently noticed it’s already the middle of October, you might find these four get-ahead-holiday things to tackle right now helpful!

Thinking of having a get-together this weekend? Consider organizing it around some game-playing action. With the rise of family gaming and the release of party games that take advantage of new console motion controllers, it’s now easier than ever to build a party around gaming, and these tips and guidelines will help you throw a party that everyone will enjoy.Pre-Party Prep 1. Choose games that have group appeal; that means being as fun to watch as to play.

Whether you’ve just moved in with your significant other or have decided to have a date spend the night, sleeping in the same bed with someone else can sometimes be a real compromise. When I imagine sleeping in the same bed with someone, I first think about the romantic ideals and completely forget about any issues such as snoring, stealing covers, and alarm clocks.

Whenever we ask readers why they don’t entertain more often, lack of space inevitably crops up as a recurring reason. Although space can definitely limit the types of parties you host (it might not be a great idea to have a kegger in your studio apartment), it shouldn’t keep you from inviting smaller groups of friends over for a dinner party. Here are five ways to make room for a dining table, even if you live in a few hundred square feet. 1.

Don't let this special day pass you by without making something of it.

If you're reading this, it's not too late to get your act together and put something, anything together for the big game day.

I have heard it put into practice by countless friends, family and coworkers, and I used this method to success at least a dozen times last year.

Being mindful goes a long way in avoiding friction and keeping generous hosts happy.

While not every one of these think-ahead items applies to every home or every overnight guest scenario, these are some of the kinds of things a great host thinks about long before the doorbell rings.

If you, like me, love hanging out with people but are hopelessly lazy about planning get-togethers at your home (beyond sending out the invitation and having maybe some food and drinks), fear not!

I decided to try our “easy untertaining” concept by texting people the day before (GASP) to come over and hangout on a Sunday afternoon.

Your get-togethers don't have to be capital-p Parties. Sometimes it's enough to start with one silly/fun/creative idea.

The people you’re hosting aren’t coming over to be wowed by extra counter space or a second bathroom; they’re coming over to spend time with you.

Ahead of the bustling holiday season and the self-reflective start of another year, we wanted to give you some truths and tools to help you host at home and see your friends more.

Not ready to open up your doors? Here are a few simple suggestions for prepping your home for a gathering, without stressing too much about the nooks and crannies.

First: You definitely don’t need tons of cash to have fun. Second: You’re not alone in feeling discouraged about your money situation.

The key to incorporating more hang-outs in a busy schedule? Being a one-trick pony with a go-to “gathering” routine in place.

Fool your friends into thinking you spent a billion dollars with these ritzy-looking buys from Dollar Tree, Target, Trader Joe's, and Flying Tiger.

We're going to tend the garden of our life's happiness.

The only thing better than a good wine glass is one that doubles as a meditation tool.

Times have changed for family games. With iPads, iPods, and smartphones abound, the old family card and boardgame standbys like Monopoly and Uno face some serious competition. Is there no middle ground between great family living room classics and Farmville?I just recently helped my mother upgrade her smartphone, and as an avid Scrabble family growing up, I set her up with Words With Friends so we could keep in touch over tiles and triple word scores.

Even though our family of seven rarely eats out without a Kids Eat Free promo, eating meals out at restaurants is expensive.

Whether being projected onto a big wall during a cocktail party, or played quietly in the living room during game night, a background movie can act as a conversation starter, art, music, and entertainment all in one. Plus it’s easy to pop a disc in the DVD player or call up a title from Netflix. The only hard part, of course, is finding just the right background film.

Because a happy guest means a happier home.

When you’re ready to unwind at the end of the day, the only thing coming between you and a glass of wine is…your corkscrew. These little contraptions are typically an afterthought — we don’t expect them to be exciting or attractive, as long as they work. Yet a solid, high-quality wine opener is key to keeping you and your wine happy.

With entertaining season upon us, what’s a more fitting project than a versatile little bar cart? A sturdy — but rather ugly — thrift store find, this little microwave cart gets to live on with an (arguably more fun) second life.The writer at She’s No Martha had a hankering for a sleek little cocktail station, and she dressed up her $20 find with some white paint and some handles on the sides.

A gorgeous centerpiece can be the crown jewel on your holiday table… but it can also be one of the most challenging floral arrangements to create. You’ll want it to be low so as not to obstruct the view of your charming guests, and you’ll want it to be as generous an arrangement as you are a host/ess. There are many approaches to creating low, lush centerpieces, but here’s how I made this one, with plenty of step-by-step photos and instructions.