I am so excited to introduce you to the next Featured Creative Organizer, Amanda from Mommy’s Idea Book. Amanda’s blog is full of inspiration, beauty, and very useful tips and information. I especially love her series on vacation planning. Amanda discusses Deciding Where to Go, Budgeting, Don’t Forget to Take…, and Playing it Safe. And the part I love most is that she also offers her own FREE printable planning sheets to help you plan your next vacation! So, without further ado, here is a bit about Amanda, and her favorite organizing tip.

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 About the Author

Amanda is a full-time mom to a five year old son and a two year old daughter, as well as a wife of almost 11 years. In addition, she blogs at Mommy’s Idea Book, a blog devoted to sharing information, tips and encouragement with other moms, wives and homemakers. She enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with her family.

Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmasters/3668547763/
Photo by: David Masters
Photo Credit Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmasters/

Organizational Tips for Entertaining with Ease

I like to entertain in my home. It’s a great way to get to know people better and provides a much more relaxed atmosphere than a restaurant. However, I can’t stand to be so exhausted because of cooking and preparing that I don’t enjoy my time with my friends.

Today, I’d like to share a few tips I have for entertaining without wearing myself out. Hopefully you will find them useful too.

The key is to have a well organized meal plan.

1. Be on the lookout for easy to prepare foods – There are plenty of delicious recipes available that are easy to prepare. You just have to find them. For example, soups or stews that only require you to throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and let them cook are great, easy and comforting meals.

2. Make dishes ahead of time – One of my favorite things to do is serve dishes I can prepare a day or two before our dinner. Now, this might be a lasagna or casserole that will only need to be baked the day of the dinner, or another idea is a salad that can be left in the refrigerator and served cold at meal-time. You can do this with so many foods. You just have to think ahead.

3. Manage your time wisely – Know how long it will take you to prepare each menu item and be sure to allot the appropriate amount of time. Also check to be sure last minute items finish cooking at approximately the same time. Again this only takes a little forethought and planning.

4. Get out necessary ingredients & supplies – Lay out any supplies and non-perishable food items earlier in the day, so you’re not using precious time and energy running back and forth between your pantry and cabinets looking for cooking supplies.

5. Ask the hubby for help ahead of time – Remember, you’re not superwoman, so if you think you might need a little help, be sure to ask your spouse if he is willing to lend you a hand. (After all, it’s his friends too. Right?) Many times, it’s not that men are not willing too help. It’s usually that they just plain don’t realize you need the help.

6. Enjoy your friends – Once you’ve made it this far, it’s time to sit back, relax and have a good time.

Well, there you have it, a few simple tips for helping you pull off a super dinner without leaving you worn out and disappointed. I hope you’ll be able to implement these suggestions into your next entertaining endeavor.

Don’t forget, it’s okay if something doesn’t go quite right or as planned. No one can have a perfect meal prep and dinner every time, and if someone expects that of you, then they don’t deserve for you to fix them a meal in the first place.

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Head on over to Mommy’s Idea Book for more great inspirational readings! If you are interested in being Featured as a Creative Organizer e-mail me at abbieipark (at) gmail (dot) com. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Organizing!