Fall is such a fun time and full of so many wonderful flavors that I thought the last weekend of October would be perfect timing for hosting a fall brunch. Yesterday was the big day and all together we had 22 people – 12 children ranging in age from 5 to 14 and 9 adults. There was bacon – so you know it was yummy, and we also had a great deal of fun.
While I love brunch a lot and have tried to make myself an expert on the meal, and I also tried to be a good hostess, I realize that I learned a few things when hosting a fall brunch yesterday.
1. Don’t buy items in the season section if you can get them elsewhere.
I realize you probably know this one, but it can be easy to forget. Target had orange plastic flatware in the Halloween section. I looked around in the regular party section for orange but couldn’t find any. Then, around a corner, there it was. The same amount as in the Halloween section, but at half the cost. We’re not talking big dollars here, it was $6 vs. $3, but every little bit helps. My forks may not have had the silver flecks, but no one seemed to notice.
2. Leave time for photos, or not.
I did not get many photos, but really I was just lucky that my hair wasn’t sopping wet when my guests showed up. One friend did take the photo below of some of the food.
And I thought briefly about taking a photo of the kids decorating pie pumpkins, because it was cute to see all different ages sharing glitter stickers and washi tape and all other accoutrements. A friend stopped to look out into the backyard with me, and it was so nice to share that moment and soak it in rather than reach for the phone.
And then in a flash there were drinks to pour and laughs to share. While I love sharing here with you, I’m working hard to remember that sharing with the people I am with and be present in the moment it just as important.
Also, I trust you’ve seen kids decorate pumpkins before.
3. Martha Stewart isn’t all wrong.
I have mixed feelings on Martha, but I loved these cute clementine pumpkins that were the trifecta of hostessing goodness:
– easy and fast
– healthy
– cute and seasonal
Seems like Martha new that simple was best with these items. Sounds silly, but it was a reminder that I can take what works for me from sources, and leave what doesn’t.
4. Ditch the guilt and embrace the theme.
I may have gone a bit overboard on the pumpkin theme, but you know what? It was worth it.
My kiddo is really big on recycling and when I was getting the aforementioned orange flatware, I felt guilty. I know, the walking landfill statistic sharer shouldn’t get to me like that. Then I figured we do this once a year and frankly, we didn’t have a lot of options, as I don’t have silverware for 20+. I shelved the guilt and decided the orange forks were fun (and pumpkin napkins, and orange plates, and orange cups, etc.).
We recycled where we could, and I figured that it’s been a decade since I’ve purchased a lot of orange items. We’ll hang on to the extras for next year given that it doesn’t appear we’ll be hosting a Chicago Bears Super Bowl party. (Good grief that team is just bad!)
5. Clean up can wait.
This may be my favorite lesson of all.
I usually like to clean up right away, but yesterday was the warmest day we had had in October. It was 70 degrees and sunny, so when my husband suggested a hike at the Arboretum, I just couldn’t say no.
Confession: I did get one load in the dishwasher and running quickly before left, which probably made it much more enjoyable for me.
The cookie sheets, silpats, muffin tins? Those all sat, and we walked.
Not only did the world keep spinning, but we had a great time outdoors, soaking up the golden last days of fall. I’m so glad that we had that time and that I didn’t miss it standing at the sink.
A day with fun friends, yummy food and quality family time is as good as it gets, I think.
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