Parties and the Smaller Home: Fiction vs. Fact

So where have I been these past two weeks? My day job has kept me very busy with a recent promotion. But more important, my younger son graduated from elementary school and my older son from high school. So this past Saturday, we threw a big graduation party.

Those of you who have visited the Jewel Box Home website know that I consider entertaining in a smaller home just as easy as entertaining in a large house. Why? How guests feel about a party and whether they enjoy themselves has nothing to do with the size of the house. There are only two things needed for a great party: Invite people into your home and make them feel welcome. Let's compare some the reasons people shy away from entertaining in a smaller home to the facts of small home entertaining.

Fiction	Fact
It is hard to entertain in a small home.	Great parties happen because guests feel welcome and have fun. The size of the house has nothing to with it. In fact, the more comfortable proportions of the smaller home usually make for better parties.
To make great food, you need a big kitchen.	Big kitchens don’t guarantee great food anymore than the fastest computer with the latest word processing program guarantees a best selling novel. Great food comes out of both large and small kitchens. But in my experience, when guests see a large expensive kitchen, they expect fabulous food, so the hostess is under pressure to deliver. Guests expect much less from smaller kitchens. People are always surprised when wonderful food comes out of a tiny kitchen and the hostess is typically showered with compliments.
To entertain well, you need a kitchen island.	Picture the best parties you have ever attended. Is there a kitchen island in any of those memories? I’ll bet not. Unless the purpose of the party is to unveil your new kitchen island, you don’t need one to throw a party.

Until next time,

Genevieve