A Busy Mom’s Hacks for Last Minute Entertaining

As a busy mom who loves to entertain, convenience is key! But so often, I shy away from hosting because the prep is just too much. Not anymore though because I’ve found a last-minute entertaining hack that helps puts the fun back in hosting! Getting girlfriends together—especially during this time of the year—is just what I need to keep my cup full, so putting together a quick spread ensures I don’t burn all my time and energy on preparation. Just more time for relaxing, sipping and snacking! Today, I’m sharing A Busy Mom’s Hacks for Last-Minute Entertaining.

A BUSY MOM’S HACKS FOR LAST-MINUTE ENTERTAINING

When friends or family are over, I want them to feel welcome when they arrive, comfortable while they’re here, and satisfied when they leave. But hours of prepping isn’t always possible because so often during the holidays, people are always in and out at a moment’s notice!

Mom friends swinging over with their kiddos for play dates, pop-up neighborhood get-togethers, etc.

There are a few hacks for last-minute entertaining I tend to keep in my back-pocket. 

And now you can, too!

TIME-SAVERS ARE TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE

You don’t need to make everything from scratch! While I love a quick and easy appetizer recipe, what I love even more is having something delicious ready to pull out and serve!

These Hillshire® Snacking Social Platters from Jewel-Osco are the perfect item to “whip up” at a moment’s notice.

You can keep a couple of them in the fridge during the holiday season and if you don’t end up impromptu hosting friends or family, they’ll make a fabulous after-school snack over the course of a few days. Or, serve it up during a play date and there’ll be something for everyone!

Simply open, peel, flip, and serve!

The Hillshire® Genoa Salame & Calabrese Salame Social Platter is the perfect combo of eats in a curated form:

• Calabrese Salame
• Genoa Salame
• White Cheddar
• Sea Salt Toasted Rounds
• Dried Cranberries & Cherries

I spotted another Hillshire® Snacking Social Platter with dark chocolate chunks, and I’ve already added that to the list for my next Jewel-Osco trip!

Check out this brand page for more information!

K.I.S.S. 

Are you familiar?! K.I.S.S. stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid” and can apply to anything, but is a great thing to keep in mind when hosting!

Don’t over-complicate things. Give them something to eat, something to drink, and a place to gather!

ONE RED, ONE WHITE

Always keep a bottle of red and a bottle of white on-hand. Don’t feel like you have to have a variety of every type of beverage on-hand.

When you have ample planning time for holiday hosting and entertaining, you can purchase a wide range of beverages to offer your guests. Or even come up with a signature cocktail.

But when you’re hosting on the fly, simply offer them a glass of red wine or a glass of white.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

Want to add some candlelight to your table? Grab a few tea lights and put them in a stemless wine glass. You don’t need fancy candlestick holders and elegant taper candles to create a warm and cozy ambiance.

Use a glass jug or vase for water, and put out some glasses so your guests can help themselves. Also, keeping a supply of paper napkins, disposable cups, and plastic plates on-hand is always helpful when you have to entertain on the fly!

A stack of dishes from the cupboard works just as well, too, and if you’ve got extra sets of hands for cleanup, even better.

YOUR CENTERPIECE CAN BE BEAUTIFUL AND FREE

One of my favorite entertaining and decorating hacks is to use clippings from the yard. Snip some flowers in the spring and summer, but tree clippings in the fall are absolutely gorgeous! Cut few small branches and plop them in a tall vase.

Boom. Instant centerpiece.

Aren’t the colors so pretty?!

Entertaining friends on the fly can *actually* go smoothly! The flip-and-serve concept is an excellent way to impress your guests—no cutting or assembly required! I truly love that these types of platters are so easily accessible and take the guesswork out of picking up individually packaged meats and cheeses.

Like I mentioned earlier, give them something to eat, something to drink, and let the rest fall into place!

It doesn’t get any easier!

How will you be entertaining this holiday season?  Quick & painless?!

For more hosting ideas and inspiration, see my full entertaining gallery here!

*This post is sponsored by Hillshire Farms @ Jewel-Osco. However all thoughts, opinions, ideas and photography are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make This is our Bliss possible!