Recently I had some friends over to the house. Sounds like no big deal right? Well, there are two articles in this months Military Spouse magazine that have inspired or conspired me to write about my experience.

Although “entertaining” for most might be routine, a way to relax, even a fun experience….for me, well…at the end of a long day the last thing I usually want to do to have folks over and answer questions from the husband like “Who’s coming over? Why are they coming and what if I don’t like them?”

Well, the reason for the celebration could not be ignored which prompted this spur of the moment get together. Two friends had received promotions / new job offers, a definite cause to celebrate!

When I read Marna Krajeski’s article “Plenty of Artichoke Dip” in the July 08 issue of MSM, she talks about entertaining and how unrealistic expectations are sometimes set by fancy magazine photo shoots capturing perfect scenes with the help of a team of photographers, designers, stylists and of course professional chefs or TV show hosts who manage amazing meals only to have the production crew clean up the mess. She writes, “There is no shame in simplicity when the intent is to relax with friends.” I love that quote.

It made me feel good reading the article, knowing just days before the husband and I had thrown together a fajita dinner for 9 people. I even made my favorite 2 step guacamole dip! (I’ll have to post that recipe in a different post.)

This brings me to the article by Thomas Litchford, “Stop the CHAOS”. He references the FLY Lady term CHAOS, Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome because your house is too messy. I laughed when I read this and have certainly been there when my neighbor has come over and I’ve wanted to not to let her in because my kitchen counter tops were a wreck. With 3 kids of her own, I’m sure she would understand, however I still made a point to distract her away from my kitchen.

When it came to inviting folks over, I had picked Friday night so I wouldn’t obsess over how clean or messy my house might look to my guests. Having worked all day, it was an easy way to explain why my house wasn’t ready for a photo shoot. Like Marna in the article, before the guests arrived I was running around swishing and swiping (FLY Lady term) 3 toilets.

The menu consisted of Fajitas, Margaritas, Dip and Chips, oh and a Sarah Lee strawberry cheesecake….and you know what? It was a relaxing, fun, laugh filled time. I wasn’t worried about burning something or trying out a new recipe, we were preparing something familiar. The husband worked the grill while I chopped and diced and my friend’s husbands shredded cheese. We munched on a cracker/cheese tray and some dry roasted peanuts recounting old job woes and new job possibilities.

My advice for opening your home to friends? Keep it simple and clean in 15 min. increments if you are feeling overwhelmed. In the end, spending time with friends, creating friendships, and being the friend you want to have will give you some much treasured memories!