Two Distinct Styles Of Hosting

{Part Two}

Easy No-Fuss Brunch Open House Menu

There are many ways one can host and I personally love both. Who doesn’t want a pretty fine dining experience but I totally I understand the work of both and understand entertaining is not an instinct to everyone. Sometimes you have family members or friends who think they have everything under control and they are a natural when it comes to hosting but truly have no clue how to properly entertain guests.

Being realistic is the key to determining what style of entertaining is best for any event your hosting. Be honest with yourself, know what your good at and what your limits are.

Before you get started first things first, take a deep breath.

Think about who you have invited. Are your guests normally super early? Are they always late? Do they have three kids who are picky eaters? Do they drink a little too much? Does your guest ask, what can we bring you? And after telling them to bring rolls or salad, they bring some random thing or perhaps they forget altogether? Maybe you have those family members who wait till the day before to commit or even show up with some extra friends……….. ugh!!!

If you have the ability for any holiday I say go all out (how many holidays do you have to get the whole family/extended family/friends together??)

That said it’s Easter Sunday and it’s a tough time to entertain as most of the country doesn't have Friday or Monday off to prepare, grocery shop, cook, clean the house, and clean after everybody leaves.

I love an Easter brunch, dinner or anything of that nature. As a matter of fact, Easter brunch with my grandmother was a special time of year for me as a child. Easter dinner with my father and grandparents was also a special time for me. I have literally done it all since I was about three years old. I saw the stress of my mother/stepfather and my father/stepmother gearing up for the holidays. In most cases, I was partaking in both. Therefore I see how those who are like wow how and why would you spend time doing XYZ. Listen I hear you it’s stressful but worth it! This is where I come in with my years of knowledge, over the many years I have learned how to balance things with hosting. I can tell you what tasks you should be doing and what you should outsource. Yes, outsourcing is ok when done with thought and proper execution.

What I can tell you is that I absolutely hate HALF-ASSING ANYTHING!

If you take on any holiday (the weekends leading up should be off limited for everything else). Yes maybe easier said than done but listen ask yourself why would your guests want to come for that matter to celebrate a holiday that you squeezed them in?

Like what the heck… did you forget this holiday is yearly…???? Nobody needs to come over nor should you expect them to if you threw everything together. You totally know the family member who was busy living there life till the day before the holiday and didn’t have time clean the bathroom, grocery shop and make things nice. Think of it this way on a holiday like Easter when most people have to work Monday I would rather skip the shit show (honestly I know most of you would) and go to a jazz brunch sipping on unlimited mimosas with friends [#sorrynotsorry]!

Here comes the EB truth… HOLD UP WAIT A MINUTE here comes Courtney! Oh, wait if you got this far then you already know I’m all about being real with you.

If that’s you it’s totally cool, it’s all good, you do you, just please don’t squeeze in everything and everybody into your “oh so busy schedule”. We can all live without you tossing a crazy holiday gathering together just so you can say check things off your list.

The EB solution is fairly simple you need to be real with yourself and opt for option two. Now before I go on please note option two is just as awesome. It’s simply a different way to host and I personally do this style of entertaining often. As much as I love to entertain I too sometimes don’t have the proper time to dictate to formally hosting. Sometimes I say I haven’t had time to catch up with the people coming over and I chose option two so that I can spend time with my guests and enjoy myself as well.

That all said we have made it to Part Two of Two Distinct Styles Of Hosting the Easy No-Fuss Brunch Open House Menu and Hosting. This is a slightly easier minimal solution to prepare for hosting Easter or gathering. Most of the suggestions and tips below are all about having as much as possible prepared and ready before your guests arrive.

Little EB ticks to make hosting easier. If you are going with the easier hosting option buy the best products possible so even though it’s not homemade your still able to make your holiday special and memorable. Example if you are going to use the menu provided above and you're running with the pound cake dessert bar then instead of serving Entenmann's cake visit your local bakery that your guests haven’t had before.

I always like to go to the best local little cheese shops, specialty beer shops, local bakeries, the Greek market, Italian markets, bread shops, etc. Don’t say you don’t have any because if you open up your mind, wallet, and maybe radius you surely have a few nice places to shop at. Of course maybe for Easter, you need a lot of eggs and you don’t want to spend a ton on dozens of eggs but the chose to splurge on the cheese for your salad, opt for quality meat, delicious bakery desserts, specialty chocolate, local beer and so on.

As much as I love food you should know what your limits are. If you are good at baking and making sweet treats that make all your desserts if you can nail a dinner then, by all means, go for it. I provided some quick EB ideas/suggestion/tips and tricks below.

Thinking outside the box and making things fun. Make things conversational dessert is one of the perfect things (DIY station) let your guests make it or at least add their own toppings.

Decor:

Re-use ribbon or baskets you have around the house (clean of course) for a tablescape, added decor, to tie on the vase of flowers, add to the base of a cupcake stand and more.

Use- White Ware Serving Items. It makes things look nice and clean and it can be re-used over and over for years to come. *I just love TJMaxx and Marshals for this type of partyware and home entertaining supplies.

Tablescape:

Keep things simple, elegant, clean and by all means re-usable items you already have. Easter is already such a beautiful time of year, there are tons of ranges of spring colors, flowers are naturally gorgeous, spring food is tasty and the whole holiday is lovely so don’t over complicate the details.

For Easter think eggs, carrots, jelly beans, and use them fill clean jars with them, think about height (do some low/some low) so that your presentation is heightened and offers dimension.

Close your eyes and remember when you were a child. Think Spring, think family, think flowers, think flowers, think Easter baskets, think carrots, think tasty foods, think yummy sips, think sweet treats.

If you already have a white, tan, gray, pink, yellow, mint, baby blue or burlap table cloth or runners then use what you have.

Add mini editable chocolate figures to decorate your tablescape like the ones on my Events Beyond Amazon Storefront {Easter}. I mean really who doesn’t love those adorable Lindt chocolate baby chicks, bunnies, lamb, and eggs?

EB Tip I absolute love multi-purpose elements when planning any event. This one is Three- In One, Yup it’s fun. You the chocolate figures as your guest's seating card, decor and as a favor. Simply place one figure out on the serving area or table with each guests name and they can take them to go.

Place one at each person's seat as a three in one sweet treat seating card, decor, and favor.

You could take some of the Easter paper grass and scatter it down the center or middle of the tables and or food station areas and you could even place the chocolates on and or tucked in the grass. I think fresh farmers market eggs alone can be pretty to use for decor (hard boiled). If you can’t get fresh ones you c get store bought ones and maybe dye them pastel colored and put them in baskets, fill up a clear vase, scatter them around, or place each guest name on them.

Another idea is to take a clear jar or mason jars and add some grass and add the bunnies, chicks, jelly beans, and eggs inside the jar. Then tie a piece of ribbon or twine to the jars and scatter them throughout your serving station/tables/countertops etc.

To keep the theme going and do similar things using baskets, grass, chocolates, carrots or eggs. Just have fun with it.

One of my personal favorite things to you at Easter time is farmers market carrots (the ones with the big green stems and trim them nicely and add them to mason jars or vase for simple colorful decor. Another EB tip don't toss out after you're finished hosting go ahead peel and wash them so that you can make a delicious spring soup.

Nothing get’s me more in Spring mood as Easter does. I hope you are inspired to an Open House Easter Brunch. Remember whatever style of hosting you plan to do put some thought into the details and make your guests feel welcomed. Now HOP- TO- IT and get your Easter hosting game on!