Those of you that know me personally, know that I love to host! Doesn't matter if it's 1 person, or a group of people, I just enjoy openning our home to whoever. Especially when it's more of a "party" format....I love finding themes, decor, treats, favors, or whatever.....all to make people feel comfortable and welcome. Recently I held a small party in my home and just thought I'd pass along a few tips that I used to play up the theme and save on the budget too. :)
1. Make lists. Determine how many people are coming (I always add a couple in case there are last minute guests that come) and from there you can more accurately plan what you need from food, to paper products (if using), to seating!
2. Use what you have FIRST, shop LAST. Because this was a smaller gathering and I knew that I had most of what I needed from my lists (see tip #1) I didn't even go shopping until the day before the party. Here are a few of my own things that I found a way to use.....
~I'm not sure where I saw this idea (if I find it again I'll pin it) but I took a bunch of vases and glasses from my cupboard and covered them with my Valentine socks for some festive table decorations!~Instead of buying a table cloth, I used some heart napkins that I had from last year's V-day, as well as some heart tissue paper underneath the food table.....voila!
~I'm also a big fan of clear dishes. They go with ANYTHING. I used clear coffee mugs, as well as some clear bowls for candy.....cost: $0
3. Use your food as decoration. This might sound silly, but if you're throwing a party with a theme, there's usually no need to spend money buying, or time making decorations because your food can do the work for you! I found this cute pretzel idea on Pinterest. I already had the almond bark and some sprinkles so the total cost for this snack was just a couple dollars. (a side tip, don't over-prepare food....I am usually guilty of having too much food, but am trying to be better so I don't waste it!) I also used Valentine's candy (which was on clearance-wahoo!) on the table that everyone was seated around for people to munch of during the party. Simple! 
Here's a glimpse at the "finished product" (which I'm sure would look a lot better if I was a gifted photographer--ha!). On this entire table, the only things I purchased were the pretzels, valentine-themed muffin cups (I only used 8 because it was a small party, so saved the rest for next year), and the trail mix. Total cost: about $5. I was even able to use the "love" that Mr. gave me for Valentine's Day 5 years ago on the table. Awwww!!!! :)
None of these ideas are earth-shattering, and I'm sure you have some even better tips than these for throwing parties.....I would love to hear them! Just hoping that these basic tips can either inspire you to invite someone over if you haven't in a while, or to save you a little stress and money if you're a frequent host!
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