MINNEAPOLIS — Just because you don’t live in a large home doesn’t mean hosting a holiday get-together is out of the realm of possibility. Shannon Hermanson, a Minneapolis-based professional organizer and owner of Simplify and Spruce, says it just takes a little creativity.
“I live in a small house in South Minneapolis, so I fully know the pressure of hosting even a small gathering,” Hermanson said.
She says when it comes to decorations, it’s best to choose ones that don’t cover a lot of surface area. Hermanson opted to hang paper chains and snowflakes from the walls and ceilings.
“We don’t really have room for a tree, so I opted to do all these paper snowflakes that I just made with printer paper!” Hermanson said.
Then, to clear space in the kitchen, Hermanson suggests stashing away everything that you won’t need for the party into the cupboards—things like your toaster, coffee maker, and any other odds and ends.
“I like to clear off the countertops entirely from things that aren’t necessary to be on there,” she said.
Don’t be afraid to scale back the size or expectations of your gathering. For food, instead of hosting a full dinner party, if you are working with limited space, Hermanson said appetizers will do.
“Lots of little things that are easy to eat with your fingers, she said. “Maybe you don’t even need silverware so you don’t have to worry about that.”
When it comes to seating, Hermanson said it might take a little furniture rearranging. If you need extra places to sit, consider pulling chairs from other areas of the house. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a chair—Hermanson says even an ottoman will do, as long as it’s comfy.
“The biggest thing is comfort over appearances,” Hermanson said.
Above all, she reminds hosts to go easy on yourselves.
“People really just want that connection and the quality of that connection,” she said.
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