Sharing my top tips for hosting an awesome dinner party + some of my favorite cooking hacks.

Hi hi! How’s the morning going? I’m off to mass with the kids and then hitting an F45 class. I hope you have a great day, too.

For today’s post, I thought we could talk a bit about dinner party tips and cooking hacks. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional (even though we have some people in my family who are professional cooks and others who cook like they’re professionals). I’m just a home cook who enjoys it and also happens to LOVE feeding people. When the Pilot and I first got married, a friend said I needed a kitchen sign that said, “Never leave hungry” because that seemed to my motto. It brings me so much joy to enjoy awesome meals with the people we love, so we love having friends and family members over whenever we can.

Over time, I’ve learned some good dinner party tips and cooking hacks, so I wanted to share with ya this morning. If you have any you can add to the list, please chime in in the comments section so we can help each other out! (* = ones that were submitted from Instagram! Thank you to those of you who chimed in)

15 Tips For Hosting A Dinner Party

Make anything you can in advance

I learned this one from my nana, who will make and freeze as many meal components as possible before a family get-together. She used to own a catering company, so she’s pretty used to making large quantities of amazing food. Anything you can make before a party, do it. This means things like dips, desserts, side dishes, anything. I usually try to pre-make anything I can, so I’m not cooking as people are arriving.

I learned this one the hard way. We invited friends over the first time we lived in Valdosta, and I hadn’t prepared a single thing. They all sat at the kitchen table as I ran around the kitchen, stressed, and sweating from the hot stove and burners. Learn from my mistake, friends.

Never try a new recipe the night of a dinner party

It can be tempting to want to try a cool new recipe you see on social media or a website, but always give it a test run before serving it to another group of people. I’ve had a handful of Pinterest fails and I’m so glad I took the time to try them out in advance. Serve options that you can cook easily and that you know are a hit.

Set the menu strategically

Check in with guests to see if there are any dietary restrictions. Plan out the menu in advance depending on the occasion and them

grow your booty

Get ready to wake up your glutes! The 2022 Booty Challenge is going to help you lift, tone, and build your best butt in 3 weeks. We start September 26th!

We’ll be working out daily together using my 3:1 method in my training app MOVE by Love Sweat Fitness and I’ll be giving you a FREE eBook with brand new booty building recipes + pre & post workout nutrition tips just for signing up! Not only that, there’s a chance to win some amazing prizes! I can’t wait for you to join us!

I know getting and staying motivated can be tough, so I’ll also be sending you weekly emails and texts sharing tips and lots of inspiration to help you reach your goals!

Your Daily Sweat

On September 26th you will find your Booty Challenge workouts in the challenge section of MOVE

Your Workouts

You will see you three-part challenge designed to strengthen and tone your glutes.

Here’s the breakdown of what to expect each day to help grow your booty in 3 weeks!

1: Sweat Sesh

This is your main workout that is personalized for you, based on your fitness level (beginner, intermediate or advanced)

2: Daily 10

10 min workout that is great as a dynamic warm-up or a quick workout anytime, anywhere!

3: Bonus Move

This is the Booty Bonus Move that will target your glutes every day!

The Grand Prize

As if that new booty wasn’t enough, you could win a grand prize package valued at over $400 just for committing to yourself for the next 3 weeks!

How do I win?

• Take your “before” photos on day 1, so you’ll have an amazing transformation story to share with us at the end! Find all the pro tips here.
• Create an LSF Instagram account to engage with the #TeamLSF

Sharing my full (non-sponsored) review of Book of the Month and if it’s worth it. If you’d like to try it out, my referral link gives you access to your first month for $5!

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I hope you’re having a great one. It’s been cloudy and rainy here (so lovely!) and it’s been a pretty normal week taking care of Caro (the meds seem to be helping), doing the work thing, and shuffling the crew to activities.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about Book of the Month since I’ve been using it for over a year now! A couple of years ago, I vowed to start reading three books per month, and it’s ended up being a realistic and attainable goal that’s brought more joy into my life. Book of the Month has been a huge part of that. It’s a monthly subscription that enables me to try out new books and authors, and I’m pumped to share more details about it with you.

*Note: this review is not sponsored and my membership is not gifted. If you’d like to use my referral link, you’ll get your first month for $5!

Is Book of the Month worth it?

(my fave hoodie in all the land)

What is Book of the Month?

Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription. You can select from a handful of new curated titles each month, or browse previous reader faves. If you don’t see something that you want to read, you can skip that month and resume the following month. I currently pay $16.97 per month and have read 14 books through my subscription.

They have BFF rewards along the way and you can earn rewards like pins, a book bag (I love mine!), birthday book, Book of the Year book, and a 20% discount in their online boutique.

Benefits of Book of the Month

You expand your reading horizons

The main reason I joined to Book of the Month was to try new authors and titles that I otherwise might not find. They provide a thorough synopsis for each book, and add excellent emoji descriptors for each option (like emotional, social issues, book length, decade, LOL, light read, slow build, quirky, rural, action-packed, non-linear timeline, supernatural, etc.)

I discovered some new favorite authors and all-time favorite

MOVE

I am so exited to share the news! LSF the app is now MOVE by Love Sweat Fitness app and it’s waiting for you!

Whether you’re hitting a workout wall or looking to mix it up, it’s time to MOVE with Love Sweat Fitness.

Yupp, I just relaunched my app with a new design and TONS of new features, all created to motivate you daily and help you feel your absolute best!

Ready to MOVE?

Here are a few of my personal faves that have been true game-changers for my own daily workouts.

1. 500+ days of workouts – Barre, HIIT, yoga, stretching, strength… our fitness library has everything for every goal! Looking for a quick 10 minute booty blast? A 45 minute total body burner? Just tell me a little more about your fitness level and I’ll provide you with a great weekly program! 
2. Chromecast functionality – After receiving so much feedback, I’m proud to say that you can finally tune into each and every LSF workout on your own TV to crush those big goals on a bigger screen! 
3. Track your progress photos – Stay motivated and measure your transformation journey visually in the app with the ability to update new photos and even share them out on social with #TeamLSF.

LSF OG?

If you alre