One of my favorite things about summer is that the schedule seems a bit more relaxed.  For me, that means the kids are out of school, and all the September through May meetings start to ease.  A more open schedule allows relatives and friends to come visit!  Which I love… as long as I am prepared!

This means it’s also time to get the guest bedroom ready. So without further ado, here are some of my ideas for readying your guest room for summer visitors!

Arranging the Furniture

How the guest bedroom is laid out helps keep your guests’ stay more comfortable. Furniture should be arranged in a way that provides enough room for traffic while remaining cozy.

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I love an organized closet! I mean, who doesn’t? Changing spring clothing into something more suitable for summer, however, can leave closets in a bit of disarray. With a household of six people, keeping closets in order is harder than you think. There’s no need to despair, though! I have a few tricks on how to organize a closet.

Out with the Old

In my home, I need to clean out the closets first before I can arrange my clothes neatly. Here are some ways you can empty out your closet of old clothes.

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Now that the weekend festivities are over, you’re probably feeling happy and exhausted at the same time. Before you call it a day, take inventory of your event, and make notes for next year’s celebrations.  I know, it sounds a bit geeky, but it really helps to have notes to refer to when you throw your next party.

Here are things that I usually jot down and file in my Memorial Day party folder.

Guest List

Guest lists are always helpful so you can remember who you invited and who attended or declined your invitation.  Each time you throw a party, you don’t have to re-create a guest list from scratch.  You can reference the list already on file and just fine tune it as needed.

Do not forget to add “RSVP” to your invitations. RSVPing allows you to have a rough count on how many people are actually coming. Take note of friends who confirmed they were attending and those who did not. Knowing the people who are most likely to respond will refocus your attention on those you probably need to call up.

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So you want to throw a last-minute Memorial Day party? No worries! Here are a few ideas on how to plan a quick get-together you and your friends will enjoy!

Think basics

Even though your party is coordinated at the last minute, it’s easy to pull together a successful celebration. Just keep in mind the party basics.

Decorations, food, and drinks are the main things you need to pull off an amazing party and you can easily arrange these. Remember that you don’t have to go overboard to make your celebration memorable so drop the labor-intensive decorations and the fancy food and keep everything simple.

E-invite

The best way to inform people that you’re having a party is to send them electronic invites. A simple line of when, where, and what time sent through a text message or a Facebook event suffices as an invitation and even lets your guests immediately send their reply for your headcount.

Keep it simple

Creating the theme for the party can easily be dealt with using a few choice pieces.

Buy paper napkins in red, blue, and white to pay homage to the country and her fallen soldiers. Next, grab a bag of flaglets and place them around your home. Add red and blue plates and you’re good to go!

Raid your pantry

Photo by Jennifer Lutz

If you can make a quick trip to the grocery store, that’ll be great as well!

Your menu for your Memorial Day party doesn’t have to be extravagant. Buy prepared burger patties or brats, potatoes, and corn that’s already been husked. Fire up the barbecue and you’ll have a quick meal in no time. You can accompany these with a simple Caesar salad. Ask your husband or children to help you prepare the salad and you’re all set!

One cocktail or a bottle of red wine will do

Photo by Dinner Series via flickr, CC BY 2.0

You don’t need to stress over beverages. Choose something simple, like an easy cocktail or a bottle of wine. You can also just serve iced tea and lemonade to your guests.

And again: s’mores!

Photo by yourhomebasedmom via flickr, CC BY 2.0

S’mores are the best dessert for your last-minute Memorial Day party for a definite reason: your guests will make these tasty treats themselves!

All you have to do is lay out the ingredients in platters and let your guests make s’mores by a campfire or fire pit.

Create ambiance with just a few short tweaks

You can create the proper ambiance for your celebration with a few simple tweaks.

Photo by Jennifer Lutz

A clean house is the most important part of your decorations. Focus on the high-traffic areas like the kitchen, bathroom, and seating area. Flowers are the best go-to for lovely decorating. Fill small bud vases or mason jars with grocery store flowers, display them around the party area, and witness them instantly brighten up the room.

You can also lower the brightness of your lights and light up candles to make the atmosphere more intimate, because believe me, no one likes to party in a place lit up like a hospital.

If you’re having the party outside, string up little white lights to give your party enough illumination without ruining the atmosphere.

Lastly, remember that the ambiance of the party relies heavily on the mood of the host so don’t get stressed and enjoy your own Memorial Day celebration!

Now that you’ve finalized your Memorial Day party menu, it’s time to make sure that your house or yard is party-ready. Here are a few tips to setting up a welcoming and functional venue for both indoor and outdoor Memorial Day celebrations:

Food Station

If you’ve invited a large crowd, the most convenient way to serve is buffet-style!  Set up a long table and put your red and blue plates, star-printed napkins, and utensils at the start of the line to keep it moving quickly.

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