Holiday entertaining

By mudlark • December 11th, 2008

As the holiday season gets into full swing, the fun of entertaining brings added stress to some of us. I’m hosting a party tomorrow evening, and my best laid plans had a hitch this morning when I woke up to a kitchen filled with smoke. The roast I put in the oven last night to cook for 9 hours had spilled the juices over the side of the pan, creating a enough smoke to set off the fire alarm. I’ve spent the rest of the day so far cleaning up the mess in the oven and the smell in the house.

I was right on the edge of frustration and stress when I remembered that having the perfect house and matching china and linens isn’t what entertaining is about, and becoming a ball of stress won’t make our get together much fun. Here’s the deal. Entertaining is about having a good time with friends, and chances are they won’t care if I didn’t have time to scrub my baseboards or hang stockings on the mantle. So, to prepare for our party (after I get rid of the smoke and the smell), here’s my list of necessary cleaning to prepare for guests:

Clean up the guest bathroom – toilet, floors, sink, counters, trash.
Shine the sinks and faucets.
Sweep or vacuum the floors and spot mop or swiffer any ‘cruddy’ spots.
Tidy and dust coffee tables and side tables where you guests will sit.
Take out the trash.

That’s it. Most guests don’t look up at the blades of the ceiling fans or in the corners for cobwebs. Tackle what’s at eye level, make a few things sparkle (like sinks and faucets) and make sure your trash cans are emptied. The rest doesn’t matter much (unless your house is filled with smoke, and then you’ll want to find a way to deodorize…) Speaking of which, I’m off to cover my house in a layer of baking soda.