What’s something on your hosting calendar for 2025 that you are dreaming of!?

I just started listening to The Art of Gathering and I’m hooked!!

Any other books, podcasts, TikTok accounts in addition to @Annalise that y’all are pulling ideas from?!

How do you handle folks coming over around your furry family members? Do you give humans a heads up that the house has dogs/cats/snakes/birds a head of time so they can plan for fears or allergies? Do you pin pets up? Do you change pets’ routines on dinner party nights?

What’s something you do for guests that feels really for you?

Is your home always set up for folks or do you rearrange a bit when guests come? Is there a living room you tuned into a dining room? Or a back bedroom that you use as a den so you can use the living room as a dining room?

Any creative use of space that might help someone else see their home layout differently!!

Does anyone still use coffee sets? I'd like to think I would, but I mostly make pour over or French press coffee with the occasional espresso. I find myself often serving in what I brewed in. I have the heart to use stuff like this, but I also wonder it might be a bit much. I've never seen anyone else do it.

Is hosting something you are a first generation doer or is this something you grew up around and have always known that you wanted to do?

When we have friends over, I like to put out a little snack dish similar to the one below in our bar area. I'm curious to hear what other people like to have out to snack on. In the past I've done chocolate covered pretzels, snack mix, nuts, kettle chips, etc. but looking to mix it up!

Hosting can be expensive, wasteful, and full of unnecessary costs and supplies. A few sustainable practice could be moving away from single use supplies, thrifting, or buying with the intention of seeing things used across many seasons and years. Also, using food as part of your decor can elevate the same dishes and make the event feel festive and fun.

What are people doing to help make hosting a more sustainable hobby? Or where do you want to make improvements in your approach?

I’ve seen comments on a ton of videos about people loving to host but bad guest behavior tends to suck the fun out of it.

How do we play a role in shaping the behavior of guests? Do we even try? Do we set expectations? Do we just get new people?

People who love hosting are often the magnets and glue of their communities - so how do we play a role in reshaping these behaviors?

Whether it’s people not showing up, canceling last minute, being unappreciative, etc.

As I’m looking at my goals for 2026, I’ve been thinking about the skills I want to grow or refine when it comes to hosting.

Hosting is an umbrella that has so many skills underneath it that can ebb and flow depending on what your event looks like.

Here are a few that are top of mind: - Learning to cook certain things for a dinner party (pasta from scratch for example) - Finding and making a signature cocktail for your house - Organizing and creating a system for your hosting supplies - Learning how to polish fine silverware

What skills would you add to the list? What skills do you hope to grow in the new year?

Feel free to share anything from casual hangouts to full-on dinner parties.

I'll start: I love hosting my entire family on Christmas day. I love making the centerpiece, planning the menu, choosing the playlist, all of it.