After moving into, decorating, and furnishing our off-campus apartment, my roommate and I made a goal of trying to have more people in our apartment. This semester, we decided to make that goal a reality. From homework sessions to game nights, I have come to love having guests and all the details and preparation that it can involve.
The first thing I do when I know we will be hosting is a nice deep clean of my apartment. Sometimes I find it hard to motivate myself to really do a deep cleaning, so having guests is the perfect push. I like to make sure everything is clean and in its best condition, from spot-free mirrors to happy watered plants. Spending time cleaning makes me feel like whatever gathering we are having is more special because I spent a lot of time preparing. I also like to light a nice candle while I clean so my apartment smells amazing too.
Planning the menu is one of my favorite parts of hosting because I love to cook and bake, and being able to share what I make with friends brings me so much joy. Last weekend, our game night included a pizza bar! Both having unique dietary restrictions, my roommate and I love making our own pizzas, and our friends love it. My friend made homemade pizza dough, pesto, and garlic butter, and I bought toppings for the pizzas, such as fresh mozzarella, basil, and bell peppers. I created stations for everyone with a tray and their pizza dough and then a line on the counter of sauces, toppings, and seasonings. Everyone was able to go down the line and customize their own pizza before I cooked them all together. I loved being able to make sure everyone would have their food at the same time. I also used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for dessert.
Like I mentioned before, game nights have been one of my favorite things to host recently. My roommate and I have a great board game collection in our apartment. (A current hit with our friends is the game Planted!) Friends come over and we pick a few games off the shelf, or they bring their own games to play too! I love being able to see people bond over a game, even if they did not know each other before playing. It’s such a fun way to break the ice and form connections amongst guests even if they don’t seem to have anything in common.
Remember the next time you have friends over to really appreciate everything that is involved, from planning to spending time with friends! I cannot wait for more fun nights this semester and in the last few semesters to come!