hospitality?

[anotheranon]

I've been thinking....

If I want to have people over more often, I'm going to need to be a better hostess.

I'm not talking "Good Housekeeping" cover spotless and caviar served on matching china, but something at least a step up from my current standard "gee, I have some soda and a bag of stale Oreos somewhere....wanna order takeout?" :P

So I put it to y'all: what's good to have on hand by way of munchies/drinks? When's the clutter ok for just us but out of hand for company? What does one do with the cats (obviously, clean/put in bedroom for allergic guests, but what about the rest of the time)?

Suggestions welcome - I've got I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence in transit but the library doesn't have it yet.

Comments

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

I'm a neat freak, so my house is always clean. (It's embarrassingly clean most of the time, with a few moments here and there of reckless abandon when I have to separate my laundry, but thats really just a moment.)

Guests: If it's an invitation sort of thing, usually tea, (as nobody I know drinks alcohol) and I make an effort to get some interesting cookies from the store. If you come over unannounced and plop down at my table, you're going to eat whatever *I* was going to eat for dinner, and that could range from fresh soup to microwaved hotdogs.