When my sweet, talented & also hilarious friend Mary (a.k.a Mrs. Southern Social) was recently down on 30-A with her fam I knew we had to have them over for dinner. Our little girls are in school together in Nashville and my sweet Louisiana wasn’t going to let the time get by without seeing her buddy Georgia (yes, Georgia and Louisiana and yes it’s adorable). I also truly adore Mary. She and her husband are the owners of Please be Seated here in Nashville, a party and event rental company that takes care of all of your event rental needs and she is a master delegator and former event planner herself.

I love entertaining and loving on my friends and fam but when it comes to setting a table and making it look fabulous, I am not an expert. I also know very few who can top Mary’s work. Which is why I was more than happy to sit back and watch her to do her magic while I was busy taking care of dinner portion of the evening. #teamwork

I used to entertain all the time. We loved having people over but since the twins came along I have really let having 3 kids keep me from having people over. Twins can be so busy and I was intimidated at the thought of managing guests happiness and my kids diapers! But life is short, and I am over letting my need for ease and perfection keep me from enjoying life. And guess what, it was so much fun and I really had no reason so be so worried.

For my part, the food I kept the menu simple. Chicken & Steak Skewers, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Caprese Salad and Watermelon & Mint Salad.  I also had hot dogs and a mac and cheese for the kids that was literally out of a Bob Evans box because most kids don’t eat skewers and caprese salad!  Mary brought an AMAZING key lime pie from Goatfeathers on 30-A and we had such a wonderful easy night!

Here are my top tips for an easy dinner party with children. It can be done.

  1. Stick to what you are good at and ask your guest to contribute their specialty (Mary’s fabulous table).
  2. Don’t over do it. Less is more. If you make a great dessert and an okay Mac and Cheese, buy the Mac and cheese.
  3. Prepare before hand. THIS IS KEY. So you can enjoy your guests! Do as much as you can before they arrive.
  4. If there are going to be kids there, have some kid food. When the kids are happy eating, the parents can talk.
  5. Take the Bar. Now lower it. Perfection doesn’t exist. It also doesn’t matter. What does matter is community & friendship. We were created for it.
  6. Live your life. Don’t be afraid to have friends over just because you have little ones or a busy week. This is life, now is the time to connect with people. TODAY is the day to enjoy your life. Don’t wait for someday.

Moral of the story. Don’t be afraid to entertain. You just might learn something and make a great friend in the process.

XO

Brandon

P.S. You can read Mary’s post HERE and learn how she does all the amazing things she does on her blog!