I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Not because it’s the weekend but because it’s my dad’s birthday.

To celebrate, Ed and I are having my family (my mom, my dad, my grandma, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nephews, my niece, and my grandma’s poodle Lulu) over for a dinner party. I’m sooo excited!

I spent all day yesterday preparing for today- making yummy salads, appetizers, making desserts, assembling fun drinks in the mason jars, and I even carved some vegetables into cool shapes 🙂

I just looove dinner parties!

After I send this email I need to finish some last minute things (e.g., wrap the gifts, write the cards, etc.) before the family comes over later this evening.

As you know, none of this would be possible without planning. In fact, whenever I have guests over, I begin my planning a few weeks in advance just to get myself thinking of everything I need to do from planning the menu, writing the grocery lists, to buying gifts and/or cards. I do all of this planning with my dinner party planning checklist.

Many times when I invite guests over I have no idea what I’m going to make, what we’re going to do, etc, but what I do know is that once I get the event on the calendar, I’ll figure out the rest as we get closer to the date. The first step is just committing and marking the calendar.

Having guests over is no easy task, but with a little bit of planning in advance it really doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it can actually be fun.

Anyway, that is what our weekend is looking like. Whatever the weekend holds for you and your family, I hope it’s a wonderful one!