Now, I don’t mean “lay down with your feet up” relaxing while entertaining! But, ultimately, isn’t that sort of the goal? To feel less pressure, have confidence, and feel fully prepared? Tips are abundant from the HomeGoods bloggers. They come fast and furoius and there’s always more to come. Helpful tips breed ideas and inspiration. Ideas and inspiration breed confidence!

I think the secret is planning ahead. Dreaming. Having fun. Collaborating.  Mini-redesigning your space. If we talk about redesigning your space, sometimes all it takes is moving a couple of chairs around. Just yesterday I took one chair from one room and another from another room, put them together, and all of a sudden it’s a whole new (comfortable) feeling. And, better for my guests. Maybe I’ll freshen the look up even more with a couple of new pillows and move those into the guest room. Before that change, there were 2 ottomans there, which is another cool, sort of contemporary look I also liked.

The space in the image is just beyond the kitchen, where my guests LOVE to hang out (as I’m sure all our guests do) so better seating options allow people to gather where they’d like to be. What I’ve done, too, is REALLY move things around. I often like multiple tables when I’m having a crowd, rather than one long table, although I’ve done it both ways.

I like furniture to be flexible, so I’ve moved furniture around in various rooms to create the look I want just for my entertaining purposes. Look at your space with a fresh eye! With adequate advance planning, those relaxing vibes will surround you on the big day and everything will “flow”.

You’ve surely earned the right to relax. You’ve worked hard to make your event perfect! Set up your table(s), do your decorating well in advance, set the stage and purposely give yourself a few hours before your guests arrive and enjoy your weeks of planning! Whether it’s an intimate dinner for family or friends, the kids’ Halloween party, or a more formal event, take the time to literally put your feet up…and even take a little cat nap. You deserve it!