How To Be The Hostess Of An (almost) Stress-free Dinner Party

The countdown to your party is on...time is ticking. You may feel yourself beginning to experience the first flutters of anxiety. What's left to do? You hope you have time to get those last minute tasks done and get changed into your party clothes before the first guests are starting to knock at your door.

Calm down, take a deep breath and take the time to run a last minute check on food and drinks. Now go and relax for a few minutes while enjoying a nice hot bath or shower. Change into your party outfit and let yourself de-stress with some good music or a quick stroll in the backyard before anyone arrives.

Remember these people are all coming to your home with the thought of having some good food, good wine and enjoyable conversation. No one is coming to critique your housecleaning with a pair of white gloves-they're coming to have a good time and be entertained. Here are some tips to help you concentrate on the really important points of being a good host/hostess. These tips and ideas will help you entertain your guests at home while remaining stress free and at ease.

Plan Ahead
Getting as much done as early as possible is perhaps the most important part of the equation. Make sure your invites go out a few weeks in advance, then go ahead and start planning your menu and taking care of the house. In the few days before, do your grocery shopping (take a list, but if you forget something, don't panic because you have a few days to pick up any last-minute items) and go ahead and make any dishes that can be frozen in advance (lasagna is a good choice) or that will keep for a few days in the fridge.

You may want to cook the main dish yourself but why not opt for store-bought appetizers to reduce the workload? You can even choose to prepare the appetizers and order a main dish from a cafe, caterer or specialty food shop. For wine, a good rule of thumb is to match wine color with meat color, i.e. red wine goes with steak and white wine goes with fish, but there's nothing wrong with having some of each, just in case. Do be prepared for those guests who prefer ginger ale, punch, club soda or other non-alcoholic beverages.

Don't forget, though, that a dinner party is about more than food and drinks-don't leave choosing your outfit to the day of the big event! You just may find that that blouse you were counting on wearing actually needs to be taken to the dry cleaner instead of being worn to greet a crowd of guests.

Set the Mood
You can set the table and do your centerpiece the day before (if you don't want to bother with flowers, you can choose an array of candles). Also, go ahead and put the background music in the CD player. Smooth jazz like Kenny G (don't worry, you're not looking at his hair, just listening to his music) is perfect. Set some candles up throughout the house, and a few hours before your guests are to arrive, go ahead and light them, and dim the rest of your lights. If you choose scented candles, don't put them in the kitchen or the dining room, because you don't want them to interfere with your food smells.

Have Fun
Remember that your guests are not going to be anywhere near as critical of you as you are, so just relax. If you feel yourself beginning to panic, take some deep breaths and if needed grab a few minutes of private time to calm yourself and regain control. Your guests do not need you at their side every minute, so ease up on your expectations. If you're still in the kitchen when they start to arrive, invite them in with you! Assign doorman duty to your first guest, and do what you need to do. When it's time, move the event into the dining room, partake of your wonderful food, and enjoy yourself!