Author: Sarah Cousins

Having people over to your house is always a little stressful (at least for me). Dust the shelves! Vacuum under the sofa! Do we have enough glassware? Serving trays? Actually change that lightbulb that you’ve had on your list for a few months. Then as you’re figure out all of this, you need to actually fit all of these people into your smaller (or shoebox if you’re like me and live in New York!) apartment. Not to worry, as a veteran party-thrower, I’ve got you covered. Here are my tips for entertaining at your place, no matter how small your space is.

Step 1: When you’re shopping for food and drinks for the party, the classics always seem to do really well. When was the last time you had a bagel bite? Or some mozzarella sticks? Seriously, go into the freezer aisle and load up on your favorite childhood snacks. Cheap, easy to heat up, and always a crowd-pleaser. And if you’re crunched for time, bulk order a ton of Chinese food. The spring rolls were a huge hit at my last shin-dig.

Step 2: Try and clear and clean as many surfaces as you can. For me, this means putting away mail, laundry, chords and computers, tucking my coffee ingredients into their corner, and putting everything into the medicine cabinet except the soap. Yes, I leave my toothpaste and floss on the counter every night, but not when I’ve got my boyfriends new boss over.

Step 3: Have some fun with the appetizers/light bites! Instead of trying to fit all the food on a small counter top, put dishes around the space everyone will be in. For me, that’s putting a tray on a side table next to the sofa, a few on the dining table and in the kitchen, and maybe one closer to the TV. Have you ever rounded the corner to a tray of chicken nuggets? Stumbled on a platter of chips and hummus on the way to the bathroom? These are the simple, underrated joys of life.