At least once a month we host a dinner party at the Schwartz house. With the holidays coming up you will be hosting a lot of events at your home and this blog post will give you all the tips and tricks from an event planner. I have planned huge corporate events with 200 people to small dinner parties with only 4 people. Whether big or small, you need to have a plan to make it super successful and I am here to help you.

This blog post is sponsored by MacKenzie-Childs I had the honor of attending the Nashville MacKenzie-Childs’s event back in October. During this event, I had the opportunity to meet the innovative designer behind the brand. She taught us how to stay creative, how to host a great dinner party, and how she picks out each fresh and unique design. After this event, I truly fell in love with the brand. My favorite MacKenzie-Childs pieces are from the Flower Market and Halloween collection because they are so colorful and timeless. I cannot wait to one day pass these pieces down to my granddaughter, just like my grandmother passed collections down to me.

Shop the Post:

• Flower Market 7 Qt stockpot
• Aurora pumpkin
• Autumn Harvest pumpkin in Ivory
• Courtly Check Cutting Board
• Flower Market small everyday bowl

1. First Impressions are Key. Greet your guests at the door, take their coats, and let them know where the powder bathroom is located! Have the entry decorated and light a candle so they get a warm scent as soon as they arrive.
2. Have a cocktail bar ready to go. Cocktails help relax your guests and more importantly, get them talking. A great event is centered around great conversation. You will want to have a variety. Typically I do beer, wine, and a spiked punch bowl!
3. Keep it simple with the food. This chicken tortila soup (recipe at the bottom of this post) is the best way to go because it’s easy and requires less clean up. This chicken tortilla soup feeds at least 8 people, is super easy to whip up, and extremely delicious. MacKenzie-Child‘s courtly check cutting boards are the perfect way to present the toppings. Charcuterie boards are also a hit every time!
4. Don’t forget great music. We like to play Frank Sinatra radio on low with our bluetooth speaker. It’s perfect for the holidays and its appropriate for all ages!
5. Fresh flowers are a must. Fresh flowers and plants keep so much life in the home! They show your guests that you like to keep the home fresh and alive!
6. Lighting is a big deal. People don’t have fun until the lights are dim. From my experience, events with bright lights don’t last long. People just don’t feel relaxed with bright lights. If you have dimmer switches use them and if you don’t, then turn on lamps, not overhead lights. Trust me on this one!
7. Home decor says so much about the personality of the home. Do you like neutrals or bold colors? The stand out pieces by MacKenzie-Childs are a conversation starter. Shop with a purpose when you pick out home decor. You want timeless pieces that bring your home joy every time you or your guest passes by.
8. Make sure you stay relaxed. Don’t worry about everything being perfect and don’t worry about the messes! When you are stressed your guests can feel that and it makes them want to leave your home. Play games, enjoy your fresh cocktail and chill on the couch with them. There is nothing more intimidating than a host cleaning away in the kitchen and not having any conversation.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 medium chopped onion 
• 2 tbsp. butter 
• 2 (14 oz) cans of chicken broth 
• 1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes 
• 2 1/4 tsp. cumin 
• 1/4 tsp. pepper 
• 1 can of green chilies 
• 2 cups of cubed chicken (I always just buy a rotessire chicken and shred) 
• 1 can of corn 
• 1 can of light kidney beans 
• 1 tbsp. of cilantro 
• 2 tbsp. of sugar 
• 3-4 cups of water 
• monterary jack cheese 
• tortilla chips 

Instructions

• Brown onion and garlic in butter in a large pot. 
• Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, green chilies, and pepper. 
• Simmer for 15 minutes. 
• Add shredded chicken, corn, beans, cilantro, sugar, chicken base and water. 
• Simmer 15 minutes more. 
• Garnish with cheese and cilantro. 
• Serve with tortilla chips.