Unlike Martha Stewart, my idea for entertaining do NOT involve a hiring so many cooks and food servers that the staff outnumber the guests. The point of getting together socially with friends and family is to relax and have fun, why make it complicated? Keep things simple and affordable with a "Simple Pleasures Party". As the name suggests, you will not be whipping up a lavish banquet big enough to feed a small third world country or hiring a professional magician to entertain. Keeping things simple not only reduces stress on the host, it cuts down on costs as well.
For entertainment, keep things simple by offering games and activities that are easy to pick up on quickly. This Jeweled Vintage Couture 550-Piece Fashion Puzzle - A Magestic Train Ride for $9.99 is the perfect activity for a small gathering because it's an ongoing project. If a guest shows up a little late they can still participate without interrupting the flow of activity.
After playing the game Monopoly I unofficially renamed the game MONOTONY for how long and tedious it is. A faster, cheaper and a lot more fun game choice is the Uno Card Game. This game has enough strategy to keep things interesting but it's still simple enough to learn that guests can pick up on it right away. It's also short enough to appeal to short attention spans.
Now that the entertainment is taken care of, it's time to eat! Forget about serving soda pop. Unless you are holding your party at the local Walmart you will be able to stock everyone's favorite fizzy drink, there are simply too many options. Instead of soda, serve something easy like flavored tea. Buy a few blended flavored teas, like this Good Earth Organic Green Tea, Mango, Peach and Pineapple 18-Count Tea Bags. With so much flavor going on you won't have to worry about extras like sugar and honey. For snacks serve cheap filling food like a can of deluxe mixed nuts (not cheap) mixed into a bowl with a bag of pretzels (super cheap). A bag of cheddar popcorn, seasoned chips or goodies from the bakery section of your local Walmart or Target are also great munchies.
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