Category: Entertaining & Hosting

One of the easiest ways to make your dinner party feel less stressful has nothing to do with the menu.

It’s setting the table ahead of time.

By the time you’ve chosen a date, invited your guests, and planned the menu (hopefully with the help of one of my Dinner Party eCookbooks… hint, hint 😉), you’ve already done the hard work. Don’t leave one of the easiest tasks until the last minute.

I recommend setting the table at least one day before your gathering. Lay out the linens, dishes, flatware, and glassware so everything is ready to go when party day arrives.

I remember my grandmother doing exactly this. If she was hosting a weekend dinner party, her table would often be completely set several days beforehand. Then she’d carefully cover it with a clean sheet to protect it until guests arrived. Looking back, I realize she wasn’t just being organized—she was giving herself the gift of peace of mind.

(And if you have a cat that believes every horizontal surface exists solely for their enjoyment, you may want to wait until party day to add the glassware.)

---

✨ Why Set the Table Early?

Setting up in advance helps you:

• Avoid last-minute rushing
• Remember details you might otherwise forget
• Spot anything you need to wash, polish, or replace
• Create a more relaxed hosting experience

It also gives you the opportunity to add those special touches that make guests feel welcomed and appreciated.

Consider adding:

• Place cards
• Printed menus
• A small take-home favor
• A handwritten note at each place setting

None of these things are required, of course. But they can transform an ordinary meal into an experience your guests will remember.

---

🍴 A Simple Rule for Flatware

Whether your dinner party is formal or casual, there’s one easy guideline to remember:

Use the flatware from the outside in.

Place utensils in the order they’ll be used, starting with the outermost pieces and working toward the plate.

That’s it.

No memorizing complicated diagrams required.

---

🥖🍽️🍷 Remember BMW

Here’s my favorite table-setting trick because it’s so easy to remember:

BMW = Bread, Meal, Wine

Looking at the place setting from left to right:

B = Bread plate
M = Meal (your dinner plate)
W = Water and wine glasses

Once you learn BMW, you’ll never have to wonder where the bread plate or glasses belong again.

---

📸 Formal vs. Casual: Which Table Setting Is Right for You?

One question I hear often is:

“Do I need to set a formal table?”

The answer is almost always NO.

A formal place setting can be beautiful for holidays, milestone celebrations, or themed dinner parties. It often includes multiple glasses, extra flatware, and several courses.

A casual place setting, on the other hand, is perfect for most gatherings. It’s relaxed, approachable, and often feels more inviting to guests. In fact, many of my dinner parties have been served on simple white plates with cloth napkins and a few candles.

The goal isn’t to impress your guests with how many forks you own. The goal is to make them feel comfortable and welcomed.

Formal Place Setting Example:

Notice the additional flatware, multiple glasses, and more structured arrangement. This style works beautifully for special occasions or when serving multiple courses.

Casual Place Setting Example:

A casual setting uses fewer pieces while still looking polished and intentional. This is the style I use most often because it’s practical, attractive, and easy for guests to navigate.

Whichever style you choose, remember that a thoughtfully set table—whether simple or elaborate—tells your guests that you’re happy they’re there.

---

🥂 The Best Part

When you set the table ahead of time, something interesting happens.

Your dinner party starts to feel real.

You can picture your guests sitting there. You can imagine the conversation, the laughter, and the memories you’ll create together.

And that’s when the excitement begins.

Because entertaining isn’t really about the plates, the napkins, or whether the forks are perfectly aligned.

It’s about creating a place where people feel welcome.

The table is simply where the magic happens.

Here’s to beautiful tables and even better conversations!

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

🍽️ Dining Together Might Be the Way Back to Each Other

I love technology.

Truly.

I use it every single day, and most of the time it genuinely makes life better. I love being able to video chat with long-distance friends and family, send quick messages, share photos instantly, and stay connected in ways that weren’t possible years ago.

And when the pandemic hit in 2020, technology became a lifeline. It allowed us to work, celebrate birthdays, attend weddings, check on loved ones, and maintain some sense of connection during an incredibly isolating time.

But somewhere along the way, something else happened too.

The more connected we became online… the more disconnected we became in real life.

---

✨ We’re Craving Real Connection Again

So many people are longing for:

• Real conversations
• Shared experiences
• Phones set down for a few hours
• The feeling of simply being together

And honestly?

One of the easiest, most meaningful ways to reconnect is around a dinner table.

Not because the meal has to be elaborate.

Not because your house has to be perfect.

But because gathering around food has always been one of the most natural ways humans connect.

---

🥂 Why Dinner Parties Matter More Than Ever

❤️ Relationships

Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation in a loud, crowded restaurant?

Half the evening becomes:

“What?”
“Can you repeat that?”
“I can’t hear you.”

At home, people relax.

The conversation slows down.
Stories get longer.
Laughter gets louder.
And connection feels easier.

That’s the real magic of entertaining at home.

---

🥗 Health

Cooking at home is almost always healthier than dining out regularly.

When you prepare meals yourself:

• You control the ingredients
• You control the quality
• You control the portions

Restaurants often rely on extra salt, sugar, butter, and oils to maximize flavor quickly. And while there’s absolutely a place for dining out, gathering at home gives you the opportunity to create meals that are both delicious and nourishing.

---

💸 Wealth

Let’s do the math for a second.

An $18 cocktail.
A $15 glass of wine.
Appetizers.
Entrées.
Dessert.
A babysitter.
An Uber or parking downtown.

Suddenly a night out for two can easily cost more than hosting a beautiful dinner party for six to eight people at home.

And when you entertain at home, you’re not just paying for food—you’re creating an experience.

One people actually remember.

---

🕯️ This Is the Year We Gather Again

I truly believe we’re entering a season where people want more meaningful connection again.

Less scrolling.
More sitting around the table.
More inviting people over “just because.”

And the good news?

Dinner parties do not have to be complicated to be memorable.

That’s exactly why I create my dinner party guides and eCookbooks—to help make entertaining feel approachable, manageable, and genuinely enjoyable.

Because once you realize hosting doesn’t have to be perfect…

You’ll want to do it again and again.

Here’s to shared meals, meaningful conversations, and finding our way back to each other one dinner party at a time!

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

One of the biggest misconceptions about entertaining is this:

“I don’t have the right house for it.”

People often imagine dinner parties happening in perfectly styled homes with giant dining rooms, endless seating, and magazine-worthy kitchens.

And while yes—I do have a dining room and that’s where we eat 95% of the time when we host…. That absolutely does not mean you need one. In fact, many newer homes don’t even include a traditional dining room anymore. And honestly? That’s okay.

Because entertaining isn’t about having the “perfect” space. It’s about using the space you do have creatively and comfortably.

---

✨ Five Ways to Make Your Home Work for Entertaining

1️⃣ Clear the Clutter & Find Hidden Serving Space

You’d be amazed how much usable space already exists in your home once you clear a few things away.

Temporarily move:

• Decorative knick-knacks
• Stacks of mail
• Countertop appliances
• Extra décor

Suddenly you’ve created:

• A drink station
• Dessert space
• An appetizer setup
• Or extra serving room

Don’t forget to use:

• Console tables
• Coffee tables
• Side tables
• Kitchen counters
• Bookshelves with cleared surfaces

Your house likely has far more entertaining potential than you realize.

---

2️⃣ Let the Party Flow Through the House

Dinner parties don’t have to happen in one single room.

In fact, it’s often more fun when guests naturally move throughout the space.

Try creating “zones”:

• Drinks in the living room
• Appetizers in the kitchen
• Dinner wherever seating works best
• Dessert and coffee back in the living room

This creates movement, energy, and a more relaxed atmosphere.

---

3️⃣ Rearrange the Furniture

Sometimes the solution is simply looking at your space differently.

My sister rearranged our living room before our annual Christmas party to make the flow better—and we loved the layout so much we never changed it back!

Moving furniture can:

• Open traffic flow
• Create conversation areas
• Add more seating
• Or make room for a folding table if needed

You don’t know what works until you try.

---

4️⃣ Don’t Stress About Seating

Years ago when I only had four dining chairs, do you know what I did? When guests offered to help, I asked them to bring chairs. And guess what? Nobody cared.

People genuinely want to help. Borrowing chairs, tables, or serving pieces from friends and family is incredibly normal when entertaining. No one is judging your chair inventory.

---

5️⃣ Use Outdoor Space Whenever Possible

If weather allows, outdoor entertaining instantly expands your options.

A:

• Patio
• Balcony
• Deck
• Backyard
• Or even a driveway setup with string lights (we actually had our wedding ceremony in our driveway and it was lovely!)

…can become a beautiful gathering space with very little effort. Sometimes the most memorable parties happen outside because people naturally relax there.

---

🥂 The Truth About Hosting

Guests rarely remember:

• Whether your dining room matched
• How big your kitchen was
• Or how many chairs you owned

They remember:

• How they felt
• The conversation
• The laughter
• And the experience of being welcomed into your home

So if you’ve been waiting until your house feels “ready” to host… consider this your sign that it probably already is.

Here’s to creative spaces, cozy gatherings, and using what you have beautifully!

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

One of the most important things to remember when entertaining is this:

You deserve to enjoy the party too.

It’s so easy as the host to slip into “event manager mode”—watching the clock, monitoring every detail, and trying to keep everything moving perfectly.

But the best dinner parties rarely feel rigid or overplanned.

They feel relaxed.

---

✨ Let the Evening Breathe

Some of my Dinner Party eCookbooks include activities woven into the evening—things like:

• Movie nights
• Game nights
• Themed gatherings
• Interactive dinner experiences

And while those elements add structure and fun, it’s important not to create such a strict itinerary that the evening starts to feel scheduled down to the minute.

A dinner party is not a corporate retreat.

People want to:

• Relax
• Visit
• Laugh
• Stay awhile if they’re enjoying themselves

The magic often happens in the moments between the plans.

---

🍽️ Timing Still Matters

Now, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any flow to the evening.

You do want to:

• Serve courses within a reasonable timeframe
• Keep food moving at a comfortable pace
• Be mindful if guests need to leave by a certain hour
• Respect babysitters, early mornings, and real life responsibilities

A good host gently guides the evening forward without making guests feel rushed.

Think of it less like running a schedule… and more like setting the rhythm for the night.

---

🥂 The Golden Rule

And here’s the biggest thing to remember:

Your guests are guests. They are not hostages.

They should never feel trapped in a five-hour evening they can’t gracefully leave.

Likewise, you shouldn’t feel trapped trying to force every planned detail to happen exactly on time.

If conversation is flowing beautifully, let it continue a little longer.

If dessert happens later than expected? That’s okay.

If you skip a planned activity because everyone is happily talking around the table? Even better.

---

🌿 The Best Gatherings Feel Natural

The most memorable dinner parties rarely happen because everything went perfectly.

They happen because people felt:

• Comfortable
• Welcome
• Relaxed
• And genuinely connected

That kind of atmosphere can’t be forced.

It happens when the host is relaxed enough to enjoy the evening too.

So light the candles, pour another drink, and let the night unfold naturally.

Here’s to relaxed timelines, lingering conversations, and dinner parties that feel effortless for everyone—including the host

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

If you’ve followed me for a while, you already know this:

I love entertaining.

It genuinely makes my heart happy. There’s something about gathering people around a table, sharing a meal, and creating a moment together that never gets old for me.

But I also know something else…

Not everyone who loves the idea of hosting feels confident doing it.

---

💭 What I Hear All the Time

You might be thinking:

“I’m not trying to be a gourmet chef.”
“I just want something that works.”
“I don’t want to feel stressed the whole time.”

You’re looking for:

• Reliable, approachable menus
• Meals that feel elevated—but still doable
• Step-by-step guidance
• A clear plan so nothing gets missed

Because let’s be honest—life is already full.

You’re juggling:

• Work
• Family (or plans for it)
• Friendships
• Maybe even a side hustle

And somewhere in all of that, you’re craving more meaningful time around the table.

---

😬 So Why Don’t We Host More?

Most of the hesitation comes down to three things:

• It feels too complicated
• It seems too expensive
• It takes too much time

And when those thoughts start stacking up, it’s easy to say:

“Maybe another time…”

---

✨ That’s Where These eCookbooks Come In

My dinner party eCookbooks are designed to bridge that gap.

They’re not just collections of recipes.

They are:

• A recipe guide
• A hosting plan
• And most importantly, a confidence builder

They help you move from:

“I wish I hosted more…”

to:

“When can we do this again?”

---

🕯️ Even If You’re Not Hosting… Yet

Here’s something I truly believe:

Even if you’re not planning a dinner party right now…
you still want to know how to do it.

Because maybe not today.
But maybe tomorrow.

And when that moment comes—when you decide to invite people over—you won’t be starting from scratch. You’ll already have the tools, the plan, and the confidence to make it happen.

---

🥂 The Bigger Picture

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s not about impressing anyone.

It’s about creating space for connection, laughter, and shared experiences—the things that actually matter.

And if I can make that feel easier, more approachable, and a little more fun for you?

That’s exactly why I’m doing this.

---

✨ Want to See What It Looks Like?

If you’ve been thinking about hosting “someday,” this is a great place to start.

✨ Subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming dinner party plans and weekly hosting tips
✨ Upgrade to get full access to my curated dinner party eCookbooks and menus on Substack
✨ Follow along for easy, approachable ways to make gathering feel natural—not overwhelming

Even if you’re just curious, take a look—you might find yourself planning your first (or next) dinner party sooner than you think. You can see all of the eCookbooks HERE.

---

Here’s to gathering more, stressing less, and finally hosting the dinners you’ve been thinking about.

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

One question that comes up surprisingly often when people start hosting more is this:

“What do I do with my pets during a dinner party?”

After all, pets are part of the family. They live in the house every day — so it can feel strange suddenly excluding them when guests arrive.

But when entertaining, a little planning around pets can make the evening more comfortable for everyone involved — including you.

---

🐱 Cats Usually Solve This Problem Themselves

If you have cats, you’re likely already familiar with their approach to social gatherings.

Most cats will happily excuse themselves and disappear the moment unfamiliar voices enter the house.

If you prefer to keep them tucked away, simply make sure they have:

• Plenty of food and water
• A fresh litter box
• A quiet room where they can relax undisturbed

They’ll likely sleep through most of the party anyway.

---

🐶 Dogs Are a Different Story

Dogs, on the other hand, often believe a dinner party was planned specifically for them.

If your dog is anything like mine, she wants to greet every guest, sniff every bag, and be in the middle of the action 100% of the time.

While that enthusiasm is adorable, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming — especially when guests are arriving, coats are coming off, and drinks are being poured.

For that reason, it’s often best to keep dogs in another room during the beginning of the party until everyone is settled.

---

🤧 Consider Your Guests

When deciding what to do, always think about your guests as well.

Some guests may:

• Have allergies to cats or dogs
• Feel overwhelmed by a pet that wants constant attention
• Be nervous or fearful around animals

Even the friendliest pet can unintentionally make someone uncomfortable.

Giving pets their own space during the gathering helps ensure that everyone feels relaxed.

---

🕯️ A Few Hours Is Perfectly Fine

The good news is that pets are incredibly adaptable.

Spending a few hours in another room with their bed, toys, food, and water won’t hurt them at all — and it allows you to focus on hosting without extra distractions.

If needed, you can always excuse yourself briefly to let the dog out for a quick break and then return to the party.

Your guests will hardly notice.

---

✨ The Goal

The goal of entertaining is to create a comfortable environment where everyone can enjoy the evening.

Sometimes that simply means giving Rover and Morris their own little dinner party in another room.

And that’s perfectly okay.

Here’s to happy guests, relaxed hosts, and pets who still get all the love when the evening winds down.

Cheers,
Colleen 🥂

---

✨ Subscribe so you don’t miss more real-world entertaining tips and weekly recipes.
✨ Upgrade to paid on Substack so you won’t miss out on any of the fun dinner parties I’ve planned for you.
✨ Forward this email to a friend who love to entertain.
✨ Follow along for easy menus, decor ideas, and ways to make every gathering feel special, joyful and authentic.
✨ Download Dinner Party Menus here: MENUS
✨ Shop my kitchen here: SHOP
✨ Grab what you need at a discount: HOST
✨ Earn some extra income while you’re at it: SELL
✨ Watch what I’m making for dinner every day on Instagram
✨ Join my Slice, Dice & Dish Community on Facebook