The unexpected

     I will return to my hostessing tips later, but right now, I want to talk about yesterday!

     My kids are all in a theatre troupe and last night was opening night for their current play.  Now, usually they all go out afterwards for snacking and chatting, but the adults did not want the teens to go, so my kids and their friends felt a bit disappointed.  So, I, as a good mother, said,
     "Well, invite all the teens back to our house after Sunday's matinee."
 Only, upon arriving back home did it dawn on me that I just invited a houseful of teenagers to my house 4 days before a houseful of Thanksgiving guests will descend upon me.

     No need to panic, however, if this happens to you.  Teens are actually the easiest guests to entertain!  If you have some form of electrical gaming system, chips, cookies and/or frozen snacks, you can be, once again, the "Hostess with the Mostess."  So tomorrow afternoon, I will zip out for soft drinks and give the house a once over with vacuum and dust rag.  Then I will await the deluge.   "What?", you say, "Not going to buy chips?"  I will tell you that I ALWAYS have chips and chocolates along with various frozen snacks in the house for just such occasions.  You can pick them up when they are on sale and freeze or pack away in your pantry.

No need to ever be afraid of the unexpected gathering...just add food and relax!