Household Hints by Rosemary

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Good Guests

Summer is in full swing and the round of barbecues and summer parties are filling up the calendar. We are busy celebrating an engagement, showers for an upcoming wedding, the wedding itself and lots of family birthdays. Hosting these events are fun, and the planning takes lots of time, but I thought I'd share some hints for being a guest that I have appreciated and like to reciprocate.


Pool parties are great, but entail a good deal of work on behalf of the hosts. So, when you're invited take along your own towels, hats, sun screen. Bug spray, hoodies or sweaters for later in the day when it cools off, sandals for around the pool area and slippers or flip flops to enter the house so as not to wet the floors. If you're bringing children have water security jackets and make sure you stay close or in the water with them. The hosts shouldn't have to be responsible for being life guards along with all their other duties.

Apart from taking a host gift, we normally take snack foods; chips, salsa, as well as juice and pop. A quick stop at the dollar store and we provide the bowls and plastic cups to save the hosts from having to supply them when we arrive. They are just another small appreciation gift and often show back up at the original givers house at the next event. If you're asked to contribute something to the food table when possible use utensils and dishes that can be left behind, saving the hosts from having to wash up and repack for you at the end of evening when they are busy saying goodbye to guests.

If you have something in particular that you like to drink, it would be a thoughtful act to “bring your own”. We have also had guests who have arrived with a cooler, a consideration that has saved us the trouble of trying to find space in the fridge. At our larger get-togethers we also ask our guests to bring a folding chair and in many cases the coolers have doubled as seating.

If a bonfire is part of the celebration, monitor and watch over the children, an adult should supervise at all times.

If you use a glass, pick it up and return it to a table or the kitchen. When lots of people and children are around an accident with a broken glass can put a real damper on the day. True also if your meal was served on china, the plates and utensils should be returned to the kitchen. Paper plates and napkins should be put in the trash, making the end party clean up easier and believe me the hosts will definitely appreciate it.

Then finally at the end of the day, pick up and take back anything that you brought that wasn't intended to be left behind. Clean up around the area where you and your family were sitting, ask the hosts if there is anything else you can do to help tidy up. These are the guests I truly appreciate and invite back again and again.