Entertaining family and friends can be a fun way to gather the gang and enjoy great food, conversation and most of all have fun.

Entertaining guests at home can be simple if you center it around a theme, for example a pool party. You can come up with a menu, or have everyone bring a side dish while you provide the main entree. We recommend Appetizerstogo.com for delicious party food shipped right to your door. Send out fun and amusing invitations to set the tone of the party, choose music that everyone will enjoy or hire a dj. Offer games for kids and parents to play like water balloon fights, squirt guns, horseshoes, or even a game of backyard twister.

Remember to introduce your friends to each other if you are inviting a combination of people. Especially if you have friends from the neighborhood, co-workers and family members. You just want to make everyone feel comfortable at your event. For large crowds you want to provide name tags to help guests remember who they just met.

Make sure check the weather before the event and have a plan B if it’s outside and it’s going to rain. And last but not least, make sure you check how late you can have music in your backyard, so you won’t bother the neighbors.