Become a Better Party Host with Marie Kondo Inspired Tips

Hosting parties is one of the underrated great pleasures of adulthood. It’s a great way to cultivate joy and connection in your home. 

Even though hosting is hard work, the act of creating a wonderful night for your guests makes it worth it.  For hosts, the act of planning and executing a successful event can boost happiness and provide a sense of accomplishment. For guests, the benefits are great too. Parties provide an opportunity to socialize, make new connections, and escape the isolation that often accompanies our busy lives.

With all these benefits of hosting it can make you want to throw a party tonight! Until you remember that you still have to do all of the prep and planning and set up that actually goes into throwing a successful event.

That’s where tips from brand partner Marie Kondo can be super helpful in making hosting easier and more fun!

Look At Your Home with Fresh Eyes

Oddly enough two of the most important ways to make a house feel like home is to leave it and invite people into it. One of the most fun things about hosting a party is that you’ll get to see your home filled with people and see it in a new light.  Before you invite people over, walk around and look at everything from the eyes of a guest. Start from the front door and flow through as if you were attending the soon-to-be party. What do you notice?

Often the first things that you notice are the messes. Areas that you see everyday don’t seem very cluttered, but when you look at them with fresh eyes you see places that you’ve been meaning to tidy. On the contrary, you can gain new appreciation for areas in your home. Maybe you never appreciated how much natural light your living room has or that your small dining room is actually the perfect size for an intimate dinner party. Seeing your home from the perspective of your guests is the best way to get excited for party planning.

Declutter Your Entertaining Space

Once you’ve examined your party space, it’s time to employ elements of the KonMari Method™ to tidy up. You don’t need to do the full tidying plan, but spend some time deciding how you want the room or rooms to look. Where do you want certain items to rest? Think specifically in terms of things like blankets, books, umbrellas, shoes, and children’s toys. While these belongings are often scattered about in any lived-in home, when it’s party time, it is sometimes better to clear the space of these everyday items. Hold each item in your hands and ask yourself if it would spark joy during the party. Put away anything that doesn’t spark joy out of the party areas.

Create a Welcoming Entryway

After you’re satisfied with the tidiness of your entertaining space, it’s time to create a welcoming entryway. The foyer will be the first thing guests see when they arrive so it’s important to make it appealing – first impressions are everything! Decide where you want your guests to enter from and then make sure the area around there is clean and clutter free.

Make sure there is a designated place for people to put their shoes, coats, and accessories, if applicable. It’s also good to have a table or shelf near the entrance as many people will arrive carrying things and will need to have a place to put them down in order to greet you and remove their coats. Adding fresh flowers or a nice smelling candle can also do a lot to make the entryway feel immediately inviting. 

Finally, think through how you are going to move your guests from the entrance into the party. Is there going to be someone offering drinks or music or lighting to entice people. There’s nothing worse than everyone standing around the entryway because the host is there greeting people and the guests don’t know where to go or what to do!

Organize Your Hosting Supplies

As seasoned hostesses know, having a dedicated staging area for all of your hosting supplies will make a party run much smoother. Designate a specific place for your serving platters, extra glasses, table linens as well as emergency extras like scissors, tape, safety pins, and paper towels. By having a place for these items you’ll save time and stress during the party. You’ll know exactly where everything is and keep them contained and away from the center of the party, eliminating last-minute scrambles and any break in the atmosphere of the party should something go awry.

Tidy As You Go

One of the best ways to prevent party clutter from getting out of control is to tidy as you go. While you might think cleaning during the party will dampen your enjoyment, taking brief moments to maintain order can actually prevent things from getting out of control and give you more time to entertain.

This is especially important for high traffic areas like the kitchen, where messiness can quickly overwhelm the space and impact the flow of the party, forcing you to miss out on spending time with your guests because you have to stop and clean. Taking time to do little tasks like immediately loading used glasses and cutlery into the dishwasher can prevent a mountain of dirty dishes at the end of the night.

Practice Gratitude

Marie Kondo emphasizes the importance of gratitude for a reason – it is key for bringing a sense of harmony and joy to your life. Before your event, take a moment to express gratitude for your home and the opportunity to share it with others. Having this mindset can help alleviate pre-party anxiety and remind you of the true purpose of hosting – to create joyful connections with others.

After the party, remember to thank your home and yourself again. No matter what happens during the party, take a moment to be proud of yourself and grateful for the event you created. None of it could have happened without your home and your efforts! Plus, the most legendary parties always have something that goes a tiny bit wrong anyway.