Reluctant Entertainer I Sandy Coughlin - Lifestyle, Entertaining, Food, Recipes, Hospitality and Gardening

I love the saying: Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing little things well.

Entertaining can be so overwhelming for many, so I always tell people to start small.

Choose one aspect of entertaining that you want to improve upon the next time you have company over.

For me, I usually think of the drinks last minute. Which means I set out the glasses (sometimes that isn’t even done), water, wine, and whatever drinks we’ll be serving.

But ice and the details are always after-thoughts, and this is one small thing that I’d like to improve upon!

Recently I tried something new.

Instead of filling my beverage jar with a drink, I decided to fill it with a potted plant.

How fun is that?

It took me about 5 minutes to put this drink station together.

Burlap inside the beverage jar.

Next, Trader Joe’s $2.99 basil plant.

Very inexpensive!

How to set up a drink station with fresh basil:

1. Establish a small serving table that will hold the drinks, cups, ice, napkins, etc.

2. Rinse the leaves of a small potted herb plant and shake to dry (without compromising the dirt in the pot).

3. Fill a beverage jar with the potted herb plant that can be used for the drinks, such as fresh basil. Wrap the pot with burlap.

4. Set out glasses and napkins.

5. Set out bottled drinks, ice, and pre-sliced lemon or lime.

6. Encourage your guests to make their own drinks, snipping off a fresh leaf and adding to the drink with a slice of citrus.

Back to starting small. Remember entertaining is not about making everything look over-the-top spectacular. It’s about creating a warm environment for your guests with touches of “you.”

Don’t get caught up in what others are doing. Take your personality, the way you were made, and use it to create a party that your guests will love.

What’s your favorite way to set up a drink station?